Regular breast checkups can save lives, women told

500 join ‘Moonwalk’ in Cebu city for breast cancer awareness

Go for regular checkups. It can save money and lives.”
Georgia Solante, a mother of two and a breast cancer survivor, gave this advice to all women in an interview with Cebu Daily News during last Saturday’s “Moonwalk” activity in Cebu City.
Solante said she was lucky to have her illness detected at an early stage. It wasn’t as bad as she expected, she said.
Four years ago she discovered a lump on her right breast. She was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer.
“Grabe ang akong kahadlok kay duna gud koy duha ka anak. Wa ko nag-expect nga maingon ato. (I was so afraid to die because I have two children. I never expected to be in that kind of situation),” said Solante.
Instead of living in fear, she decided to fight for her life and family.
Solante, a registered nurse, underwent surgery and had medical treatment for cancer.
Last Saturday, Solante was one of at least 500 people who gathered at Plaza Sugbo in the late afternoon to promote awareness of breast cancer, which is one of the leading causes of death among women.
Wearing pink shirts and carrying pink tube balloons, the participants, mostly women, walked from Plaza Sugbo outside City Hall to Plaza Independencia.
They called on the public to fight breast cancer through early detection.
The “Moonwalk” activity was organized by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) with the Cebu City Government through its Task Force Cancer and other government agencies.
Ronald delos Reyes, program coordinator of RAFI’s Cancer Center, said about 350 women in Cebu were diagnosed with breast cancer since 2011.
At least 118 die of breast cancer every year, he said.
Delos Reyes said women between 45 and 59 years old are vulnerable to breast cancer.
“Older women have a greater chance of getting breast cancer. We could not identify its cause so we encourage women to go for early detection,” he said in an interview.
Delos Reyes said women 20 years old or more should practice monthly breast self-examination, while those aged 40 and above should undergo a clinical breast exam and mammogram every year.
A breast self-exam must be done five to 10 days after the menstrual period ends.
“Several families have lost a mother, lola, sister, or wife to breast cancer. It’s important to protect our women,” he said.