Cancer: Knowledge is power to a healthier self

October breast awareness month is again with us and Action for Breast Cancer Foundation observes the everincreasing public concern on being breast aware and general health all around.

Thirty years ago you couldn’t utter the word ‘cancer’ – it was still a taboo. There was a great deal of shame surrounding breast cancer since it was closely tied to sexuality, maternity and femininity.

Breast cancer was a disease spoken about behind closed doors, not something one would acknowledge in public. Women had little support, and there was little understanding or acknowledgement of the emotional consequences of suffering from the disease, or the emotional trauma of losing one or both breasts. Many women suffered in silence from a deadly disease they considered shameful.

However, a lot of hard work is being done by NGOs and a considerable number of breast cancer survivors step forward, despite all odds, to speak freely about their disease. They encourage other women not only to breast self-exam and adhere to national screening programmes but also to get a closer look at our own lifestyle, where we can be role models to encourage women to prevent breast cancer in the first place.

Unfortunately, as consumers, we must examine if products, such as those for skin care, are harmful; whether they contain parabens, which are chemicals that disrupt hormone function (EDCs) and are linked to increased risk of breast cancer, and plastics, especially those containing BPA, which is a well-known carcinogen and hormone disruptor, especially when used in heating containers in microwaves. We should also watch out for pesticides in our diets by peeling or washing fruit and vegetables with water and white vinegar.

One may ask then why all these products are found in our retail outlets. There must be a shifting of the burden of proof. It is the companies that manufacture and profit from products that should prove that they are safe. But in reality we are the ones who are required to prove that something is harmful before it is stopped.

‘The cure is in the cause; the cause will give you the cure’ (Charlotte Gerson) - so let’s avoid chemicals that increase our risk of cancer and be vigilant to what we bring into our homes. Although lifestyle changes do not come around quickly, we need to start exercising slowly with regular basic walks in the open as much as possible. We should also pay attention to what we eat, especially ready-prepared food, as this particularly leads to the onset of obesity. This is especially true if obesity occurs later in life, mainly after menopause.

We should also limit our alcohol intake. The less the better, as even small amounts increase risk. In addition, not smoking is one of the best things you can do for your overall health. Breast feeding also reduces cancer risk, thus helping the mother while being beneficial to the baby’s well-being.

This week we saw the launch of the National Cancer Plan for the next five years. We are pleased to see that breast screening programme is in line with EU Guidelines, covering ages 50-69. Screening intervals are also being decreased to two years in 2018, something we’ve been lobbying for.

All this is good. But other things need improving. This includes the way diagnosis is communicated to patients. Unfortunately, we still hear cases of such news being given to the patient over the phone, sometimes when the patient is driving, or not stable enough to grasp the bad news. If cancer is diagnosed, the doctor should be the one who gives the news to the patient at the clinic.

We often hear how much people value the care given by their cancer care team, but many also want to take an active role in dealing with their illness. This is commonly seen with requests we get at the National Cancer Platform office at the Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Hospital, where patients ask for dietician services, holistic treatments, meditation, reflexology, massages and other creative therapies that are used in parallel with the chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and other treatments doctors prescribe.

Another positive piece of news from the launch of the National Cancer Plan is that Everolimus was finally introduced on the government formulary for patients with hormone receptor positive metastatic breast cancer, who would have failed the first line medications after approval by European Medicine Agency (EMA) in 2012.

We hope that we will not have to wait five years after such medications are approved by EMA to have them provided for free. Countries including Bulgaria, Albania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which have lower GDPs than Malta, provided this drug within two years of EMA approval through their reimbursement systems. We hope that the EMA approval would become the maximum delay for cancer patients locally to be able to benefit from these life-saving drugs.

All this encourages us to look after our health and be more cautious of what we consume. It is not necessary to change everything at the same time. In fact, the trick to healthy living is making gradual small changes. We aspire to celebrate ‘Cancer Prevention Month’ by being more persistent in our pursuit of cancer prevention in general. One thing is for sure: ignorance is bliss but knowledge is power to a healthier self.

Join us for a celebration of life after breast cancer on Sunday, 15 October 2017 on World Breast Health Day.

Action for Breast Cancer Foundation offers free psychological support at its Centre in Mosta for breast cancer patients and close family members. Contact: 7777 1806 and 9922 1835.