KUCHING: The Society for Cancer Advocacy and Awareness Kuching (SCAN) and Sarawak Breast Cancer Support Group (SBCSG) are playing a pivotal role in creating breast cancer awareness in the community.
There latest activity was a breast health screening programme at Kpg Bunan Gega, Serian.
Women – young and old – from the village responded positively by having themselves screened at the community hall by trained nurses from SBCSG.
Several experts including Dr Sharifah Ashrina Wan Ali, from the Breast Clinic, Sarawak General Hospital, gave a talk about breast cancer and breast care.
SCAN founding member Dr Melissa Lim handed out brochures, illustrating the various breast anomalies that could signal a presence of cancerous tumours, and SBCSG president Datin Juriah Sulehan educated the 23 women who attended the screening on cancer using a breast cancer demo set made of silicon.
“With a mobile handheld scanner donated by the Church of Latter Day Saints recently, the women were able to undergo proper breast checks, and out of the 23 Bidayuh women screened, none was found with breast abnormalities,” SCAN said in a statement.
SCAN vice president Dr Fitri Suraya and several University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) researchers conducted interviews with the local women to determine their level of awareness of cancer, and the perceptions of cancer from their indigenous cultural perspectives.
“This is the fourth and last site for the study, and the findings will be used to disseminate information about cancer and how people can live cancer-free lifestyles within their own environment and communities.
“This study will also provide important data for us to understand the influence of culture and belief among the rural populations of Sarawak and how these factors impact their perception and acceptance of cancer diagnosis, particularly breast cancer, which is the highest in Sarawak and Malaysia,” SCAN added.
The latest breast health screening is part of SCAN’s outreach programme to create awareness about cancer and how the people can take steps to live a cancer-free life.
As of this month, more than 1,900 women from 35 different locations throughout Sarawak have been screened under this programme.
