There has been a decline in the number of deaths resulting from breast cancer.

This is no doubt the result of effective cancer awareness campaigns where people have broken boundaries to talk about the disease, share their stories and alert others on early detection, says the Minister for Health and Medical Services, Rosy Akbar.

Ms Akbar revealed this at the Fiji National University Pinktober Symposium at the Fiji National University (FNU) Pasifika Campus in Suva yesterday.

In 2015, according to the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, there were 136 deaths as a result of breast cancer and in 2016 there were 145 deaths.

And this year so far there have been only 45 recorded breast cancer deaths.

“While breast cancer is a reality, the survivors of breast cancer are also a reality,” Ms Akbar said.

In saying so she implied that breast cancer could be cured and urged early detection citing examples of the cancer survivors.

The Pinktober Symposium hosted by the FNU saw not only female but male cancer survivors present at the event, as well.

Ms Akbar said that breast cancer was not a woman’s disease; it could affect anyone.

She also urged the medical professionals to show compassion towards patients as this could ease them of their trauma.

“Fiji has broken down the barriers of not being able to talk about breast cancer,” she said.

So we need to create more awareness so that people go for early detection, Ms Akbar added.

In addition, Ms Akbar also said that a lot of people were scared to go into surgery.

“But it’s going to save your life, the examples are our survivors here. A woman is still a woman without  breasts, remove the stigma of not having breasts,” she said.

Meanwhile, the FNU chancellor, Ikbal Jannif also highlighted that it was only a myth that cancer was only for women or a person diagnosed with cancer would die.

He called for more advocacies to dispel these myths and for people to know the facts.

Edited by Karalaini  Waqanidrola

Feedback:  arishma.narayan@fijisun.com.fj