On October 18th, 2014, my co-fellow and I attended a breast cancer awareness campaign, THINK PINK. The day started with a 5km walk and ended with breast examination tutorials, survivor stories and bake and second-hand clothing sales. It was a great day, but something caught my eye; it was the absence of men. Excluding the photographers, journalists and sponsors, there were no men in the crowd. I found myself asking questions like, “where are the husbands, brothers, fathers, uncles and sons?” Yes, breast cancer occurs mainly in women but men can get it too. Many of us do not realize that men also have breast tissue. That aside, it should not just be women participating in this ‘boobs walk’ as someone called it. Men are also stakeholders in this fight.
Listening to the women that either survived or lost loved ones to breast cancer, it was clear to see how frightening the disease is. When a woman first notices a lump in her breast during a self examination, she goes to see her doctor. Upon examining it, she is referred to a radiologist to get a mammogram. In most cases, surgery is recommended without checking if the lump has cancerous cells. For the women that go to public hospitals there is a long wait for the surgery, but those that can afford private care can get it expedited. After the surgery comes radiotherapy and then chemotherapy. All these treatments have side effects and are expensive. In Malawi, there is only one oncologist and no cancer center, thus, it is a struggle for these women to get the right treatment. Additionally, the treatment that is accorded to them is not specific to the type of breast cancer that they have. All patients receive the same treatment because the country has such limited resources for any advanced treatment or care.
As the women spoke, I was moved by their experiences. These women had been through a lot of pain but they survived and are thriving. One of the women spoke of her experience entering a market post-chemotherapy. Despite having lost her hair to chemotherapy, she braved possible humiliation to go to an open market and shop. Upon the sight of her bald head, vendors jeered at her. In their short-sightedness she was just a woman daring to make a fashion statement. Without care or prior reflection, they set out to hurt her emotions and give unsolicited opinions while remaining ignorant of her circumstances. This woman was treated with a lack of compassion at a time when she needed the most support.
Breast cancer remains a challenge because of lack of awareness and late diagnosis. Efforts are there but there is still so much that needs to be done. There is a need for awareness about the disease and increased screening for women. Early diagnosis will fight this disease and save lives, and those who are sick will need compassion, care and moral support. In this movement of health equity for all, we should all be stakeholders in the fight against breast cancer regardless of whether it affects us or not. Those affected could easily be our sisters, mothers, wives, grandmothers, aunties or daughters. So let us think pink and support all women out there.
