In the Pink - Breast cancer awareness with Dr. Philip Brooks & Lan Wang

Every October, major breast cancer charities worldwide run campaigns to raise consciousness of breast cancer. With International Breast Cancer Awareness Month coming around again, agenda spoke to two people involved in the fight against the disease. Beijing United Family Hospital’s Dr. Philip Brooks, a medical oncologist and hematologist, stresses the importance of early detection, while Pink Campaign coordinator Lan Wang gives us an insight into the hospital’s upcoming Pink Campaign.

Dr. Brooks, who is most at risk from breast cancer?
PB: Any woman is at risk, but certainly the risk is increased if there is a strong family history of younger women who have developed breast or ovarian cancer. Late menarche (first menstrual period), lack of childbirth, and obesity are all minor factors, but family history is the more important indicator.

So what are the main warning signs to look out for?
PB: A lump in the breast, unilateral nipple drainage and localized breast tenderness. Any skin reaction of the nipple should be brought to medical attention.

What advice do you have for women who may be at risk?
PB: Screening for early breast cancer with mammography and ultrasound is very important. Seek early advice and diagnosis for any breast lump. Arrange for breast cancer screening with mammography after discussion with a physician. If there is a pattern of breast cancer in your family, bring that to medical attention. If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, remain optimistic and find an oncologist that you trust.

Remember, most patients diagnosed with breast cancer can be cured.

And Lan, can you tell us a little bit about the Pink Campaign?
LW: In September, United Family Hospitals (UFH) launched the United Pink Campaign to help raise awareness and educate the women of China about the rapidly increasing cases of breast cancer here and around the world.

UFH in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are all involved in the effort, each holding their own “Pink Project” in order to help get out the campaign’s message through the “three Ps:” Promote, Prevent and Present. “Promote” refers to nominations for mammograms and charitable fundraising to increase awareness. “Prevent” covers breast cancer screening itself and educational seminars for women. “Present” includes gifts of screening certificates and donations. Actions speak louder than words, so we encourage the community to get involved and show you care!

How important are campaigns like this in reaching out to people and helping fight breast cancer?
LW: Many people know about breast cancer, but for various reasons do not get screened regularly. One of the goals of the United Pink Campaign is to change that and to help raise awareness about breast cancer and the need for prevention.

How are funds being raised, and where will the proceeds go?
LW: Donation boxes will be available throughout the city in various locations. Several other organizations will be hosting charity events, where donations will be accepted. Proceeds from the Pink Projects will go to two programs organized by the China Breast Cancer Foundation. One of these programs funds activities, educational material and seminars to raise awareness for breast cancer prevention for women throughout China. The other helps to financially support breast cancer treatment for poorer women in China.

Can other organizations get involved?
LW: UFH encourages other organizations to help promote the importance of prevention in China. We also support other Pink Ribbon
campaigns in the community and hope to use our Pink website and forum to create a platform for members to share ideas and resources regarding breast cancer and women’s health. The website is used as a platform to link up local Pink Ribbon events, and also has a “Mentors” section which lists local breast cancer support groups as well as information about a Chinese hotline operated by volunteers who are all breast cancer survivors.

Are there many breast cancer organizations or support groups in Beijing and China?
LW: There are some very well-organized support networks available in Beijing and nationwide. A support group that serves the expat community is the Beijing Breast Cancer Support group (BeijingBCS-owner@yahoogroups.com), which was formed by individuals living in Beijing. It’s there to meet the needs of anyone who has personally experienced breast cancer (or any breast-related disease) or is close to someone who has. The Tiantan Hospital Rukang Salon is a well-organized Chinese support group of over 500 breast cancer survivors that holds large-scale meetings on a quarterly basis. There is also the China Breast Cancer Support Hotline (400 680 8568), which is operated by Chinese breast cancer survivor volunteers. The hotline is available free of charge from Monday to Friday from 8.30am-4.30pm.

What topics are going to be discussed and by whom at the Women’s Health Educational Seminars in October?
LW: There will be a series of free women’s health educational seminars at the Beijing United Family Hospital Yurt in October, with topics ranging from mental health to breast cancer treatment options. The physicians are volunteering their time to give these free seminars to the community, but we will be accepting donations to the China Breast Cancer Foundation (see below for seminar dates).

So what are the plans for Pink Day on October 23?
LW: We encourage friends in local organizations and schools to wear pink on Friday, October 23 to show their support for breast cancer awareness and prevention.

Supporters can submit their Pink Day photos to pink@ufh.com.cn where they may appear on our website and in our hospital!

Pink Campaign Seminars
Sunday, Oct 18: Breast Cancer Prevention seminar with Dr. Wang Guo Tao (Chinese)
Wednesday, Oct 21: How Your Mind Can Help Your Body with Dr. Wei Chang
Wednesday, Oct 28: Breast Cancer Treatment Options with Dr. Philip Brooks
All seminars are free and will be held at The Yurt. 2 Jiangtai Lu (at Beijing United Family Hospital, in the Lido area), Chaoyang District. (Contact 139 1050 3032) www.unitedfamilyhospitals.com 北京和睦家医院, 朝阳区将台路2号

Healthy Road Charity Walk
This event, organized by the China Breast Cancer Foundation, takes place on Saturday, Nov 14. The walk will cover about 3km.
Chaoyang Park. 1 Nongzhan Nanlu, Chaoyang District. (6506 5409) 朝阳公园, 朝阳区农展馆南路1号

For more information on the Pink Campaign and the above events, see the United Pink Campaign website at http://pink.ufh.com.cn.