GALLERY: Specialists discuss breast cancer in Honeydew

NHC Health Centre in Honeydew held its Female Health and Breast Cancer Awareness Day was at NHC on 19 October.

Various cancer specialists promoted information on breast cancer and overall female health to residents.

This was done as part of the October Breast Cancer Awareness Month in South Africa.

In Honeydew, women and men were not only made aware of breast cancer, but other diseases as well.

Lelanie du Plessis, a physiotherapist at NHC Health Centres said, “This Breast Cancer Awareness Day serves not only as a source of information for cancer, but we are also focusing on overall female health.”

She added that they want to equip and empower women with as much information as they can, especially with regards to illnesses that are preventable.

She also said that osteoporosis can be prevented from developing a diet that has sufficient Vitamin D and calcium, as well as a regular exercise routine.

Du Plessis explained, “Osteoporosis is a disease which is caused by the thinning of the bones in both women and men.”

She said however, in South Africa, one in three women are likely to develop the disease, compared to one in five men.

“This causes bones to be more prone to fractures and leads to extreme pain, and in some cases, death. The most susceptible areas in the body are the spine, hip and wrists,” she added.

Du Plessis said that there are no visible symptoms for osteoporosis, it is usually first detected after a person experiences a bone fracture.

“This disease affects anyone at any age, however it is preventable and treatment is available,” she said.

According to the National Department of Health, the incidence of breast cancer among South African women is increasing and it is one of the most common cancers among women in the country.

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