Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women in South Africa, with one in 31 women suffering from this disease. The second National Cleavage Day (April 8) is being held to raise funds for the Cancer Association of South Africa through a series of promotional events planned across the country.
“Having something like National Cleavage Day is important,” says Dr Carol-Ann Benn, founder of the Netcare Breast Care Centre of Excellence. “People need to be aware of examining the breast, the beauty of the breast, so breast cancer isn’t seen as this mutilating and humiliating disease.”
But misconceptions about breast cancer prevent women from getting frequent mammograms and seeking medical help when they detect a lump in their breast, says Dr Gereth Edwards, chairperson of the Breast Health Foundation.
According to the foundation’s web- site, between 60% and 80% of breast cancer patients in South Africa have locally advanced breast cancer — meaning the cancer has spread to other body parts — by the time they seek clinical treatment.
The idea that breast cancer is a death sentence and that only women of a certain age and race get breast cancer contributes to the challenges of raising awareness about the disease, says Edwards.
“There is this perception that this is a disease of white women because [they have historically] had access to media to talk about their experiences. Our end is to show it’s a disease of women.”
For Louisa Mthembu, a breast cancer survivor, a lack of knowledge about life after surviving breast cancer kept her from seeking help.
When Mthembu (54) first noticed a lump developing in her right breast in October 1998, she was in denial and tried to convince herself that the lump would go away.
She considered taking traditional medicine to improve her condition, but her daughter insisted that she go see a medical doctor.
Mthembu was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 1999. In May that year she had her right breast surgically removed by Benn, who referred her to Baragwanath hospital in Soweto for further treatment.
Mthembu has no fear about disclosing the fact that she has a prosthetic breast. “I’m living, and that is what counts.”
Since 2002 Mthembu has served as a consultant with the Breast Health Foundation, visiting churches and hospitals to help raise awareness about breast cancer.
Though there has been significant shift in mammogram detection, with more black women being checked for breast cancer, a “conspiracy of silence” still prevents certain communities from talking about the disease, says Edwards.
Encouraging both women and men to talk about breast cancer is the next stage in lowering the number of breast cancer deaths in South Africa, says Edwards. This will help to create support groups to assist women in the beginning stages of treatment.
When Gail Myburgh (55) of Johannesburg was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2003, she said she feared losing her breast and not feeling like a woman any more.
“So many wives have hang-ups about losing their breasts,” says Myburgh. “It’s not just about boobs and cancer, it’s about marriage and relationships.”
But after learning more about the possibilities of breast reconstructive surgery, which helped her overcome her fears about the disease, Myburgh immediately had a mastectomy.
For Myburgh, talking with other breast cancer survivors about her surgery was crucial for her emotional recovery from the disease. Last year, with a group of friends, she formed Bosom Buddies, a phone tree social network of survivors who visit patients in hospitals and counsel them through their treatment.
Myburgh has counselled more than 50 women ranging from 18 to 70 years of age.
Bosom Buddies won’t formally be celebrating National Cleavage Day, but Myburgh says it is important to show the breasts of breast cancer survivors. “We can join in all the fun,” she says. “We can show our cleavage, too. After reconstruction, we are back, we are women.”
Readers can contact Louisa Mthembu at the Breast Health Foundation on Tel: 086 0233 233