Conducting regular self-examination remains a sure way for early detection of breast cancer and increases opportunities to save lives.
This was said by cancer survivor and Moot resident Elsabe van Staden in an interview with Rekord.
“Self-examination is still a very good method for detection,” Van Staden said.
She said a self-evaluation exercise was “as simple as applying soap on your breast and rubbing it gently while under the shower”.
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“This can easily help you feel any changes or lumps in your breast.”
The cancer activist called on Pretoria residents to consult their doctors for further check-ups and expert advice.
“Women over 40 should go for a mammogram at least once a year,” Van Staden said, adding she has been in remission since March 2017.
She said diagnosing her breast cancer early saved her live.
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer late in 2015, when it was at an early stage. I went for chemotherapy for a year, before undergoing approximately six surgeries consisting of removing the affected breast and reconstructing it.”
Van Staden warned of several unfounded assumptions regarding breast cancer.
She said keeping silent and being in denial were some of the greatest setbacks in the fight against the disease.
She lamented that some people did not accept family members diagnosed with cancer.
“In a cancer survival drive in Cape Town two years ago, I found out that in certain areas some people still chased away people suffering from cancer, while others viewed the disease as something that brings a curse in their families.
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“We still have to educate people more about cancer and its types. Cancer is not something you ask for. It is not a punishment for sinners or people who eat unhealthy food,” Van Staden said.
She said any person can contract cancer. “Even innocent infants of only one-month-old contract cancer.”
“People should be open about cancer and accept and support those suffering from it.
“A lot of money is needed to help with research projects and assist those less-fortunate cancer patients who are unable to pay for treatment.”
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