The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health |
| Posted: 18 Oct 2011 08:08 PM PDT FOR many Pink Octobers, breast cancer awareness campaigns to educate women on the commonest cancer among them have been an annual affair at the Assunta Hospital in Petaling Jaya. But since four years ago, they have been able to bring their message beyond hospital walls with the support of partners Asia Assistance, Jaya One, and PJ Live Arts. The project Passionately Pink, was launched on a wider platform to bring women of all ages closer to the ways they can protect themselves against breast cancer. In 2009, the project evolved again as the campaign organisers embarked on the Passionately You campaign to take on another challenge: cervical cancer awareness. This year, the Passionately You campaign is back to raise awareness about breast cancer and cervical cancer with a rallying call, "Don't Duck It". A campaign website, www.dontduckit.com, has also been set up to educate its visitors about breast cancer and cervical cancer, and provide them the opportunity to pledge their support for the cause before the finale of the campaign this coming Saturday. The finale, which is the "Don't Duck It" party, will be held at the Jaya One neighbourhood commercial hub from noon to 10.30pm on Oct 22. Women will be able to get their breasts checked for free, and those who are interested in getting their HPV vaccinations will also have the opportunity to do so on that day. Visitors can also participate in a raffle draw and enjoy various performances that are scheduled throughout the day. > For more information, please visit the campaign website www.dontduckit.com. Related Story: |
| Posted: 18 Oct 2011 08:07 PM PDT There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about breast and cervical cancer. Here are some of them. AS a society, we have somewhat moved past the flawed belief that cancer happens to people who "have been bad" or "is being punished for the sinful thing he did". We now know that cancer can happen to anyone. However, some of the common myths of cancer remain, particularly on the types of food or lifestyle habits that could "cause cancer" or "prevent cancer". This week, we explore the realities of some common myths about breast cancer and cervical cancer that are sourced from consultant clinical oncologist and radiotherapist Dr Manivannan A. B., consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Liew Fah Onn, the United States National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc, and the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, US. Breast cancer Myth: Only women with a family history of breast cancer are at risk. Reality: While having a family history of breast cancer may put you at a higher risk of developing breast cancer, most women (over 85%) diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a family history of it. Your risk may increase as you age, or if your periods start early (below 12 years old) or stops late (more than 55 years old). It is also higher if you have a personal history of cancerous changes in your breast. That said, even when breast cancer affects mostly women, it can also affect a very small number of men (less than 2% according to Malaysian statistics). Myth: Wearing an underwire bra increases your risk of getting breast cancer. Reality: Wearing a tight underwire bra may sometimes restrict your ability to breathe properly, but there is no sufficient evidence to support the claim that it will increase your risk of developing cancer. The same goes for claims about deodorants and antiperspirants, and drinking from a plastic water bottle left in a hot car. Even if you do not practise any of the above, or are not categorised in the high risk group, you should not take your breast health for granted. Myth: Breast cancer always comes in the form of a lump in the breast. Reality: The early signs of breast cancer can differ between individuals. Although a lump or lumps in the breast are more common, other signs such as swelling, skin dimpling (a dimple in the breast), an inverted nipple and nipple discharge can also occur. In the earliest stages, breast cancer may also develop without any signs or symptoms. This is when a mammogram is useful in detecting any early changes. Myth: Herbal remedies and dietary supplements can help treat breast cancer. Reality: So far, there are no herbal remedies or dietary supplements that have been scientifically proven to treat breast cancer, says Dr Manivannan. It is important for women to consult a medical doctor for the diagnosis or treatment of breast cancer. Those who are interested in starting alternative therapies when they are on treatment should consult their doctors before doing so. Cervical cancer Myth: Cervical cancer, like many other cancers, cannot be prevented. Reality: Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers because some of its risk factors and causes have already been identified. Studies have suggested that the most common cause of cervical cancer is the repeated and persistent infection of certain strains of the HPV virus (mostly HPV-16 and HPV-18). Therefore, HPV vaccination against these two strains can help reduce your chances of getting infected. That said, it is still possible to develop cervical cancer due to other strains of HPV that can cause malignant changes in the cervix. This is why even those who are vaccinated should still continue to go for regular Pap smears so that early changes in cells in the cervix can be detected, says Dr Liew. The earliest signs of cervical cancer is unusual bleeding, especially in between periods or after sexual intercourse. So, you should consult your doctor if you have any of these symptoms. Myth: I'm too young to have cervical cancer. After all, cervical cancer does not run in my family and only promiscuous women get cervical cancer. Reality: The incidence of cervical cancer increases with age, but even women in their 20's can develop cervical cancer. Unlike breast cancer, cervical cancer is not hereditary. Therefore, if none of your family members have the disease, it does not mean you are at a lower risk of developing it. While sexual promiscuity is a major risk factor for cervical cancer, especially when it starts at a young age, women who are in monogamous relationships can still develop cervical cancer. Myth: If I am diagnosed with cervical cancer, I must have my uterus removed. Even if I don't have to, I won't be able to have children after treatment. Reality: Again, the treatment of cervical cancer depends on the stage of the cancer and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. If the cancer is detected in the early stages within the cervix, cancerous growths or areas can be removed by minor surgery. However, if it is detected in later stages, or if the cancer has spread to surrounding structures, radiotherapy and a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) may be needed. Women who have undergone both these procedures will not be able to conceive after treatment. Related Story: |
| Denim workers in Bangladesh subjected to health hazards Posted: 18 Oct 2011 04:20 PM PDT Sandblasting jeans comes under fire in Bangladesh for posing health risks to garment workers. SUMAN Howlader was thrilled to land a job in a Bangladeshi factory sandblasting new jeans to make them look old, but he now believes the diktats of fashion have exacted a heavy toll on his health. After working for three years, he started vomiting blood, coughing badly and struggling to breathe before being admitted to a specialist respiratory hospital in Dhaka. Workers' groups say Howlader and many others like him have been misdiagnosed as suffering from tuberculosis because of ignorance about silicosis – an incurable disease caused by inhalation of silica particles. The minute, fast-moving particles are released during sandblasting, a process used to give new jeans the "worn" look that has been popular for many years around the world. Sandblasting has long been banned in Europe and the United States, but Bangladesh's cheap labour garment factories still use it to condition jeans for top Western brands. Gucci, Levi's, H&M and Gap have all vowed to stop selling sandblasted products, while Dolce & Gabbana has been targeted in an Internet campaign to take a similar stance. "One day, when I was working, blood started gushing out of my mouth and nose," said Howlader from his hospital bed. "They told me the work was safe. But the constant sandblasting made the room fill up with dust and sand. You end up swallowing and inhaling a lot of it." Howlader fired high-pressure sand at denim jeans with just a cloth mask for protection, treating 200 to 300 pairs in a 10-hour day. "Sandblasting is booming here," said Kalpana Akhter, general secretary of the Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity, which records many silicosis-like symptoms among workers in the sector. "Doctors are not looking out for silicosis, so cases get diagnosed as tuberculosis instead," she said. As most Bangladeshi companies have no health insurance, many of those who become sick simply quit their jobs and return to their villages in dreadful health, she added. Tens of thousands of Bangladeshi workers are involved, and at least 500 factories use sandblasting, said Khorshed Alam, who runs a labour rights group. "Workers hardly have any protective gear to prevent (silica) dust from entering their system," he said. According to Alam, many large factories are aware of the health risks of sandblasting and, to avoid potential liability, they often subcontract out the work to small, standalone factories. "We used home-made compressors and sand-guns, which are 20 times cheaper than the ones used by big jeans plants," said Delwar Hossain, supervisor at the small Meridian unit in Dhaka. Because of the high pay – 7,500 taka (RM300) a month, or double the minimum wage – they have no shortage of workers like Mohammad Ilias. With only a thin cloth wrapped around his face, the 21-year-old from a village in the country's remote north was blasting sand with a homemade pressure-gun onto a pair of new jeans. "In some factories, they use masks and other gear to keep sand off. But here we use cloth ... there is no escape from sand. But we've got used to it," he said. "I swallow so much sand doing this work but enough water and a banana a day sort out the health problems. I don't mind inhaling sand as long as the wages are good," he said. The labour rights group, Clean Clothes Campaign, has run a successful campaign to shame famous brand names into using other, safer, techniques but, in Bangladesh, it remains profitable and, therefore, common. Gap said that it halted all sandblasting at its Bangladeshi suppliers in August following a review last year, though for many local factory owners there is an acceptance that the needs of fashion overrule health concerns. "We are still a LDC ('least developed country'). Please don't think that we are Switzerland," said Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, head of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturer and Exporters Association, explaining that a national ban was unlikely. Such attitudes mean that a full-scale tragedy among Bangladeshi sandblasters may be going undetected, believes Ineke Zeldenrust, a spokeswoman for the Clean Clothes Campaign. "We worry that we will see a similar scenario in Bangladesh as in Turkey," she said, where dozens of workers – some teenagers – developed acute silicosis and died, prompting public outcry before a ban was enacted in 2009. But workers such as Asma, who is also being treated in the Dhaka chest hospital, say they have no choice but to continue sandblasting. "The disease has eaten all my savings. If I don't work, I can't eat," said a gaunt and skinny Asma, 25, before discharging herself from hospital and going back to work. – AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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