Talking about breast cancer

THE revelation that Fiji records 600 new breast cancer cases every year will surely attract attention. There are 50 to 70 surgeries being performed, says Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Minister Mereseini Vuniwaqa.

She made the comment in Rakiraki last week while officiating at a Pinktober celebration and said every Fijian had a duty to raise awareness on breast cancer or any other disease that prematurely claimed lives.

She said breast cancer was the most common form of cancer among Fijian women who made up 98 per cent of breast cancer patients.

She reiterated that while there is no treatment to prevent breast cancer, “early detection of the disease can lead to an excellent outcome”.

Breast cancer and non-communicable diseases, she said, were becoming “the leading cause of death” in Fiji.

“We need a collective effort to fight it. Every well-meaning Fijian, she said, must play

YOUR SAY their part in raising awareness about breast cancer and “against every disease that is costing lives of Fijians in great numbers”.

About 1100 new cancer cases are reported in Fiji every year and about 700 people die from the dreaded disease annually.

Of that number, about 50 per cent are breast cancer patients in women.

The most common cancer in men is prostate cancer, which is also the third most common cancer in Fiji.

Now that we have come to the end of Pinktober, and get into Movember, we are reminded about the importance of early detection.

This is a critical element of the fight against breast cancer.

We are reminded too about the importance of exercise, eating a healthy diet daily, and trying to live a stress-free life.

Again we raise the profile of all those who work behind the scenes to bring about some semblance of order to the lives of those affected by breast cancer. It shouldn’t be a killer.

Death is inevitable we all know.

However, the campaign line about early detection continues to be a key element in the fight against cancer.

Acknowledgement is due to all those who make it their business to support breast cancer survivors and patients.

This is one campaign The Fiji Times has supported over the years.

We must be part of the process of understanding, embracing, and becoming aware of breast cancer.

Remember early detection matters.