Cocoa board staff support cancer awareness

STAFF of the Cocoa Board of PNG (CBPNG) office in Kokopo, East New Britain, have joined other organisations to support the PNG Cancer Foundation in raising awareness on cancer this month.
The foundation’s “Pinktober” campaign, held annually in October sees companies and departments show support of cancer awareness and treatment programmes in the country.
Female staff wore pink ribbon badges to show their support and attended a one-day awareness focused on women’s health and wellbeing in Kokopo yesterday.
Sr Christine Atu, from the PNG Family Health, conducted the awareness on breast cancer and took the opportunity to make awareness on the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Sr Atu said awareness and knowledge on preventing breast cancer needed to be spread widely and effectively in the country.
She said many women in PNG died from breast cancer due to a lack of awareness on prevention measures.
She told the female staff that it was important to get medical attention immediately if lumps, rashes, growths and abnormal discharges from the nipple appeared, as that was the first stage and could be treated in the country.
Sr Atu explained that, the second stage was when the sores, lumps and rashes got bigger and there was a need for overseas treatment, and the third and fourth stages were when the infection had spread to other parts of the body.
She said at the third and fourth stage the cancer was no longer treatable.
“Your breasts are important and you need to have them checked regularly for abnormalities.”