Roche Pharma, the world’s largest biotechnology company, has launched a breast cancer awareness campaign to promote early detection of the disease, one of the leading causes of death among women worldwide1,2. The #30DaysIsALifetime campaign, which coincides with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, encourages women to do a breast self-examination #every30days and visit their doctors immediately should they detect anything unusual.
Today breast cancer accounts for 1 in 8 cancer diagnoses and a total of 2.3 million new cases – mostly women but including men– are diagnosed1. An estimated 685,000 women died from breast cancer in 20201. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) predicts that there will be 3 million new cases every year by 2040 and that annual deaths will increase by 50% to 1 million1. The case for early detection and treatment could not be more compelling.
“Late diagnosis continues to be one of the main reasons for poor treatment outcomes,” says Roche General Manager, Wendy Cupido.” By encouraging routine self-examination, we can facilitate earlier diagnosis and treatment, which could result in as many as four out of five people surviving a breast cancer diagnosis.”
The campaign concept is designed to convey the message that establishing a self-examination routine #every30days can ensure that women have a lifetime of happy and fulfilling experiences ahead of them, even after a breast cancer diagnosis.
As the stage at diagnosis is a strong predictor of breast cancer survival, the greatest challenge faced in the treatment of breast cancer in South Africa, is that studies have shown that over 50% of women present with advanced disease at first diagnosis3. There is a misconception that only older women are susceptible however the reality is that 40% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are under 40 years of age4. That’s why every woman should examine her breasts for any lumps or changes in appearance two to three days after every menstrual cycle5.
While 70% of all breast cancer cases are discovered through self-examination6, many women remain reluctant to consult their doctors after discovering a lump in one of their breasts for fear of a cancer diagnosis.
The fact is that in eight out of ten cases the lumps aren’t cancerous6 and in cases in which they are, early treatment could literally mean the difference between life and death3.
The aim of the #30DaysIsALifetime campaign is to encourage women to make this simple self-examination part of their monthly routine. Early detection and treatment of breast cancer enables healthcare professionals to manage the disease optimally and provides for better treatment outcomes. It gives women diagnosed with cancer a far greater chance of surviving the disease, and being afforded the privilege of time.
For more about Roche and the #30DaysIsALifetime campaign, please visit: https://www.roche.co.za/stories/every-30-days-breast-self-exam
