Raising awareness to help cope with cancer |09 October 2015
Every year the month of October is dedicated to cancer awareness and this year the Ministry of Health is organising a series of activities to educate people about cancer and the impact it has on the individual, family and society.
Coping with cancer is the theme chosen locally for the awareness campaign this year.
Individuals, organisations and governments are being urged to do their part so that the world will be able to reduce premature deaths from cancer and other non-communicable diseases by 25% by 2025 – a target that the World Health Organisation (WHO) believes is achievable.
In 2014 a total number of 211 new cancer cases and a cumulative total number of 125 cancer-related deaths were registered in Seychelles. Cancer is the second cause of death here after cardio vascular diseases. The two most common cancers in men are prostate and colorectal cancers and in women breast and colorectal cancers.
Having cancer changes your life and the lives of those around you. The symptoms and side-effects of the disease and its treatment may cause certain physical changes but they can also affect the way you live.
The initial reaction to a cancer diagnosis is often shock and disbelief, followed by a period of distress characterised by mixed symptoms of anxiety, anger and depression. As patients learn about their options and begin to see a treatment plan form, they will enter into an adjustment phase.
During this early time, they may experience:
• Persistent sadness
• Decreased interest in sexual activity
• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions
• Insomnia or oversleeping
• Weight and appetite loss
• Restlessness or irritability
A cancer diagnosis is stressful for anyone and few people manage it by themselves. Most people seek encouragement from friends and medical personnel, thus the importance of teaching very important coping skills to all so as to help them cope and adopt the best treatment options.
The main factors contributing to the increasing incidence of cancer are tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diet and lack of exercise.
Among the different activities being organised to raise awareness about cancer during this month are educational and screening sessions, launch of a mammogram campaign and a candle light march among other activities of which more details will be communicated in due course.