‘Breast cancer up’

National, Normal
Source:

By EVELYN WURR

BREAST cancer cases have risen significantly, a report by the department of pathology and surgery team at the University of PNG in Port Moresby has shown.
There has been a steady rise in the disease during the past 40 years, especially among women between the ages of 35 and 54, the report showed.
It said that tumors were often detected late and at an advanced stage so strategies were needed to be developed to detect breast cancer at its earlier stages.
One of the few groups in the country that is working to educate the local community on breast cancer is the Lioness Club of Lae.
This year would be the third year for the club to be conducting awareness on breast cancer and other forms of cancer.
The Lioness Club of Lae treasurer Gillian Rees said on Monday that last year, the club raised around K17,000 to promote awareness on cancer.
On Sunday, the group had the Pink Ribbon luncheon at the Lae Yacht Club and was hoping to increase the number of women and men who attended the event.
“We try to get as many corporate tables as possible so that we can give a chance to as many women and men as possible to come and hear talks about the different kinds of cancer,” she said.
Each year, the club invites  different experts on various cancers who talk on the different forms of cancer.
This year, the presentations were on cervical, prostate and breast cancers.
Funds raised would go towards getting medicine and pap smear testing equipment for the Angau Memorial Hospital.
Rees said she was pleased with the response from corporate entities that helped out in cash and kind to run the awareness programme.
She was especially thankful to Tablebirds, a division of   Mainland Holdings for the timely donation of 34 cartons of chicken on Monday to support the initiative taken by the Lioness Club.
Mainland Holdings representative Kelu Vanua said the company was delighted to support this worthwhile cause when handing over the cartons of chicken to the club.
Pink Ribbon Day is an event held annually in a number of countries to assist selected organisations and research groups in the fight against cancer.