Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women where in 2013, an estimated 1 in 9 Canadians will have developed breast cancer and approximately 1 in 29 will have died from it.
Typically, breast cancer stems from an abnormal growth of cells in the breast that eitherbegins in the cells of the lobules, which are the milk-producing glands. Commonly, breast cancer can begin in the stromal tissues, which include the fatty and fibrous connective tissues of the breast.
Today, women conquer the disease because of new detection and treatment methods and have an 88 per cent survival rate, from 40 per cent in 1986.
It is widely believed that breast cancer is inherited from family through generations; however, only 5 to 10 per cent of cases are inherited, where the leading diagnosis is a result of the normal ageing process in life.
Women who are most vulnerable to develop the disease fall into the 50-69 year age bracket where 52 per cent are diagnosed.
Canadian Cancer Society’s Saroj Ludhera explains that South Asian women shy away from screening because of the stigma surrounding breast cancer in the community.
She explains that some South Asians believe they develop breast cancer because of the bad deeds they have committed in their past lives, and as a result of that they are repenting for their actions.
“We go to temples, gurdwaras and Indian cultural centers amongst other places to promote awareness so that women don’t feel like they’re alone,” says Ludhera.
She says the conservative community shies away from the word ‘breast’ because it is deemed taboo and directly relates to sexuality instead of health awareness.
Sirf Dus, translates to ‘Just Tell/Only Ten’ in Punjabi, and is a Canadian Cancer Society initiative that seeks to promote mammography in the South Asian community. It is important to make the subject of cancer easier to talk about in a culture, where it can often be sensitive and uncomfortable. Sirf Dus offers services in Punjabi to help women book appointments for screening and encourages them to be aware of their body and changes that may occur.
Breast cancer takes a toll on women emotionally, physically and mentally and by making resources, such as support groups, readily available, women can fight back for their life with confidence. Ludhera is an active volunteer at Sirf Dus recruiting more individuals to help spread awareness in the South Asian community.
Many Indian women face barriers, including language and lack of knowledge regarding breast cancer and screening. In addition, many women don’t drive and rely on family members to take them around. These factors greatly contribute to the reasons why women don’t routinely schedule for mammograms and seek early help.
“BC Cancer Agency employs women to conduct breast screening and mammograms so that women don’t have to feel shy and uncomfortable,” says Ludhera.
Self-breast examinations are not encouraged because cysts or other growths could be too small to be felt by the human hand. By the time a growth is big enough to feel, depending if it is cancerous or not, it could have spread to other parts of the body.
Women should remember that feeling a lump in the breast doesn’t necessarily mean cancer, but could also be a fibrosis cyst or benign tumour.
“I am a cancer survivor myself, and when I had it, I wanted to talk about it to educate others about how to overcome the illness,” adds Ludhera.
Talking about the illness with family and friends is of utmost importance, so that women can help reduce their burden and stress and reach out to others that can provide support. Ludhera’s family, especially her husband and daughter supported her through chemotherapy, making her feel less alone and empowering her to find strength and courage.
“Sometimes, when you’re showering you can see a whole chunk of your hair falling down, it’s scary and disheartening.”
Ludhera explains that as a result of her breast cancer, she reached out to the Canadian Cancer Society and her goal was to be a part of change in initiating the South Asian community to be aware of the illness and available treatments. Early detection gives a better chance of survival allowing people to seek help earlier.
There are some days, where after chemotherapy some women will spend an afternoon in the washroom feeling nauseous and defeated, but knowing that there are treatment and support groups made available is important.
“Sometimes you think, gosh am I going to survive this?” reflects Ludhera. Having positive individuals surrounding you during treatment helps with state of mind and generates hope.
“I had to have a mastectomy because the cyst I had, had grown to be so big and was malignant,” says Ludhera. Looking back, 14 years later she says that having the support that she did changed the way she looked at the illness. Having a negative approach to dealing with cancer hinders the ability to believe that you can conquer it.
Survivor Renu Melwani, 50-year-old mother of three, was diagnosed two years ago with Stage III breast cancer. She vividly recalls the evening she was stretching and felt an abnormally sized lump under her left armpit. The next day, she made numerous calls and was scheduled for extensive screening and consultations with physicians, who advised her with a range of options. The lump that she had felt was a tumour three inches in diameter that was initially thought to be benign, but was confirmed as malignant/cancerous in later reports.
Melwani says that after her operation to remove the tumour, her oncologist recommended a course of chemotherapy and radiation to kill cancer cells that could be lingering in her body.
Having three children and constantly feeling fatigued made her feel physically unable to do as much as she used to. She sought help from family and friends and discussed her illness openly in support groups, helping empower other women suffering from breast cancer.
“Once you start losing your hair, you start to physically look sick and that’s when people start looking at you differently,” says Melwani.
She looks back and views her illness as a blessing, because she realized all the family and friends that pulled through for her in time of need. Melwani explains that learning to accept the illness is hard, but life becomes easier once you develop a strategy to deal with the cancer. Her strength came from her children, and realizing that being a single parent they would have no one else except for her to look after them.
“I kept myself busy with chores and other activities so that I had less time to focus on my illness,” she says.
Volunteering at the Canadian Cancer Society became a norm for her and she noticed that by empowering other women, she had a different understanding of the illness. Melwani says if she can make a difference in someone’s life by helping them in the littlest way, then she has succeeded in making a positive change.
South Asians battling breast cancer are not alone, and there are various programs and support groups available for individuals to make conquering the illness less difficult. Regular checkups and routine mammograms yearly or every two years is necessary because catching the disease at an early stage is easier to treat. Saroj Ludhera and Renu Melwani are amongst the many women in the South Asian community actively making a difference by sharing their stories and experience to empower other women.