| Izah Azahari |
CANCER has become a major health problem worldwide, Medical Director of Pantai Jerudong Specialist Centre (PJSC) and Director of The Brunei Cancer Centre (TBCC) Dato Seri Laila Jasa Dr Babu Sukumaran said.
He made these comments when the PJSC hosted a roadshow in conjunction with the Breast Cancer Awareness Month yesterday, with the joint involvement of its main event partners, Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) and the Jerudong Park Country Club (JPCC).
“About 130 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed per year in Brunei, and the numbers are increasing over the years – that is two to three new cases per week,” he said. “It can affect any one of us, or our families. Every woman has a one in eight chance of getting breast cancer in their lifetime, and the rich and poor are not spared. The young and the elderly are also affected.”
Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar, in his capacity as the Deputy Chairman of PJSC, was the guest of honour.
The roadshow was aimed at promoting more awareness of breast cancer as the number one disease affecting women in Brunei, in addition to raising funds for the Brunei Breast Cancer Support Group (BBCSG).
“Learning to do breast self-examination (BSE) is a simple and free method of detecting lumps early. The public also needs to be aware of where to seek treatment and cancer can be a potentially curable disease if detected early, with an even greater than 90 per cent cure.”
The event continued with the official launching of the roadshow by the Minister of Health. It was followed by a video presentation featuring two cancer survivors and a member of the BBCSG.
The BBCSG is a local, non-profit organisation that aims to reach out in support of patients and their families who are affected by the disease.
During the same event, the Head of Government Relations and Special Projects of BIBD Haji Yusri bin Haji Wahsalfelah presented the Minister of Health with a cheque from the proceeds of selling lapel pins for breast cancer awareness.
The minister was also taken on a tour of the vendor booths set up at the JPCC Garden by the participating corporate, public and private companies.
Meanwhile, members of the public were encouraged to avail themselves of the free glucose check-ups, breast lactation massage and BSE tutorials conducted by certified nurses from PJSC and Jerudong Park Medical Centre (JPMC).
In addition to the health and educational activities, the public also took part in free aerobics and dance classes conducted by instructors from Susan’s Fitness Studio, Fitness Zone and the JPMC Fitness Centre.