I have known several survivors of breast cancer in my circle of friends, family and acquaintances. I know how their world came crashing down when they received the worst news of their life. Few lost the battle too but on the brighter side many fought courageously. The achievement to live on healthy and positively is entirely theirs and also due to the collective effort of thousands of other men and women all over who volunteer to spread awareness about breast cancer.
It is this band of people who may or may not be directly affected but are fighting vigorously to provide valuable inputs and information and vital breast cancer treatment services in local communities. They raise funds for free screening, diagnostic tests and treatment for women who cannot afford and are the ones surfing ahead on the pink wave to inspire action.
A corner of Temple Town Madurai was also soaked in the soft but strong colour recently when eleven accomplished women from different professions and sections of the society were appointed Pink Ambassadors by the Chennai-based social welfare organisation, India Turns Pink (ITP) to carry forward the fight against breast cancer and free India from the disease by 2030.
The Young Indians-Madurai chapter lent its support to the campaign. Vijaya Darshan Jeevagan, says of his first project as 2017 chairperson, “We have to ensure that people are no longer ignorant about early symptoms of breast cancer and how early detection can lead to cure.” “We have to eliminate fear from peoples’ minds and bring them out for screening,” he adds.
According to Anand Kumar, the founder president of ITP, the statistics have begun to startle people. “Alarming is the incidence of cancer across the country and Tamil Nadu alone registered 88,000-plus new cancer cases last year, which is eight per cent of the total in India,” he says. Breast cancer constitutes 27 per cent of all cancer cases and 64 per cent of breast cancer patients die because of late detection.
Breast cancer cases have gone up because of awareness and extensive screening, says Kumar. While this awareness is vital, the timing is also crucial, he adds. “Every woman should undergo mammography after 35 because early detection alone will reduce the burden of cancer cases.”
“I was surprised to learn that 80 per cent of our cancer patients are not diagnosed on time, says Bimla Chandrasekar, the EKTA founder-director and one of the pink ambassadors of Madurai. “The intention of our campaigns will be prevention-focussed,” she says. “Many women fear the loss of breast upon detection and don’t come for treatment. It will be our job to dispel apprehensions and disseminate good news that breast cancer is completely curable and educate them about options available post-surgery,” she adds.
Joining her in the bandwagon is Dr.Rajkumari Jeevagan, social worker and chairperson of WE (Women Entrepreneurs). Says she, “Most of the awareness generated so far is in urban cities and among the educated, And from that alone, if we are getting such alarming trends, what about the rural population who have perhaps not yet been covered.” She plans to introduce health cards and advocate regular and mandatory check up of women from the interiors.
For Gajalakshmi, owner of Madurai’s first organic store Navdanya, this is an opportunity to help people take notice of a disease that is fast becoming a menace. “We are here to give women a protective gear through awareness, drive away their plain fear and do away with conflicting opinions about the disease and its treatment,” she notes.
Alima Banu Sikkandhar founder of NGO Palakarangal, says the pink ambassador title gives her a chance to also stand along with survivors of breast cancer and know the power and courage of pink. “The fight against breast cancer belongs to all of us,” she says, and adds,
“Only when we join, work and speak out together, we will be heard. Though the pink movement has come a long way there is still a lot of work to do and we can no longer wait for someone else to do it.”
The lack of awareness and screening and the increasing incidence of breast cancer in younger age groups are worrisome. The ITP plans to establish 683 pink districts in 108 cities and 29 states, appoint 1000 pink ambassadors and 10 lakh pink warriors, cover 2500 colleges and cover 50 million people in the next decade.
Madurai’s inclusion may appear like a drop in the ocean but when the pink ambassadors come together to take action, it is a potent symbol of demand for change.
