GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – A Breast cancer awareness session is planned for Thursday, May 12 at the A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall in the Government Administration Building.
Interested persons are invited to attend and learn what are the signs and symptoms of breast cancer; what can you do to decrease your risk; and find out how do you perform a self-exam.
The information session will start at 6.00pm.
This session is being organized by Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour in conjunction with the American University of the Caribbean.
In the Americas, more than 408,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 92,000 women died from this disease, in 2012. By 2020, the number of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer is projected to increase 46 per cent in the Americas, if current trends continue.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, breast cancer ranks as the first cancer type of both in terms of new cases and deaths. Several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean exhibit some of the highest rates for risk of dying from breast cancer, highlighting the inequities in health in the Region.
A greater proportion of breast cancer deaths in Latin America and the Caribbean occur in women under 65 years of age (57 per cent) as compared to North America (41 per cent).
Earlier diagnosis coupled with advances in treatment has led to better outcomes and longer survival for women with breast cancer.
For more information about the Breast cancer awareness session, you can call CPS at 542-3003 or 542-2078 or the Baby Clinic 543-0295.
