October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to focus attention on the awareness of breast cancer.

Thursday 13th October, 2022

Every year in October, people in Fiji and around the world honour breast cancer awareness month via the Pinktober campaign. 

The goal of Pinktober is to promote education and generate awareness of the risks and prevalence of breast cancer and to help raise money to help those affected by the condition. 

There are various individual campaigns and initiatives held by community and women’s health organisations that run under the Pinktober banner and help to shed light on prevailing issues. 

The incidence and mortality rate of breast cancer in Fiji and around the world remains troublingly high. It is the most commonly reported cancer for women and more than 627,000 women globally lost their lives to the condition in 2018 alone. 

Pinktober is about empowering women, breast cancer survivors, their families and all Fijians to actively take part in spreading awareness and knowledge of what can be done to mitigate risk. 

Breast cancer awareness aims to spread knowledge around the risk factors and symptoms of the disease and to inform women about the signs they should be looking out for and what they can do to take control of their own health.

Play your part in Pinktober 2022 by helping to educate your community, starting with loved ones, family and friends. 

Vodafone have been supporting Fiji Cancer Society with funds and donation and successfully collaborated High Tea events to  collect funds and give back to the patients and supplies.

At the recent Fiji Day celebration in Lautoka, the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Rosy Akbar, addressed the crowd, saying that early detection is key in the treatment of breast cancer and that the ministry will be assisting in promoting awareness through Pinktober.

“The early detection of breast cancer in women is important for the effective management of the disease,” explained Minster Akbar.

According to the Fiji Cancer Society, many incidences of breast cancer can be cured if signs and symptoms are detected early enough.

Breast cancer can be detected early by conducting regular monthly self examinations. Mammograms should be scheduled annually for women who are over the age or 40 or who have a family history of breast cancer.

If you detect a lump or anything out of the ordinary while self examining, be sure to schedule a mammogram at the CWM or a private hospital.

The first sign of breast cancer is often a lump noticed via self-examination or an abnormal mammogram result. Breast cancer stages vary from early, curable breast cancer to advanced metastatic breast cancer. Symptoms include:

-   A lump in the breast tissue or underarm that persists after the menstrual cycle. Lumps are often painless or may cause a prickly sensation.

-   Swelling in the armpit area.

-   Pain or tenderness in the breast.

-   An indentation or noticeable flattening in the breast, which may indicate a tumour that may not be seen or felt.

-   Changes to the size, contour, temperature or texture of the breast.

-   Changes to the nipple including retraction, itching, dimpling or a burning sensation.

-   Discharge from the nipple that can be clear, bloody or another colour.

-   Any change to an area of the breast that is distinctly different from any other area on either breast.

Breast cancer risk factors that you can control:

-    Keep your weight in check to a healthy BMI in order to retain control of your health.

-    Breast cancer screening should include monthly self examinations as well as annually scheduled mammograms.

-    Exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet and monitor your lifestyle choices.

Breast cancer risk factors that you cannot control:

-    Menstruating before the age of 11.

-    Starting menopause later in life.

-    Not having children or breast-feeding before the age of 30.

-  Undergoing hormone replacement therapy, especially a combination of oestrogen and progesterone therapy.