Statistics from the National Cancer Registry show that one out of every 19 Malaysian women is at risk of getting breast cancer. Early detection can help save lives. Avon Cosmetics is helping to do just that, writes MEERA MURUGESAN.

IT’S an opportunity to show your commitment to a cause close to the heart of women all around the world.
As part of its “Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer” programme, Avon Cosmetics Malaysia will be organising the 2008 Avon Walk Around the World for Breast Cancer event on Aug 10 at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur.
The charity walk, aimed at raising awareness about breast cancer and the importance of early detection and treatment of the disease, is part of a global effort by Avon to mobilise people all around the world to focus on breast cancer education and raise funds for the cause.
In Malaysia, between 4,000 and 5,000 people are expected to participate in the walk which will also be held in over 50 countries around the world.
“This event is not just about women walking for their own health, but about telling society about the importance of early detection of breast cancer,” said Mansoor Wan Abdullah, president of Avon Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. In just the United States, there is a new diagnoses every three minutes.
The non-competitive, fun walk, is open to the public at a minimum fee of RM20 per enrolment and besides receiving an exclusive Reebok T-shirt worth RM90 and an Avon goody bag worth RM50, participants can also look forward to an exciting morning with plenty of activities, games and entertainment by celebrities.
All nett proceeds will be channelled to Pride Foundation (Pink Ribbon Deeds), a charitable body that aims to enhance awareness efforts and improve accessibility to treatment and care of breast cancer at all levels of society. One of the challenges for the foundation is not just ensuring women are aware and have access to information about breast cancer, but being able to mobilise them to take the next step once they are equipped with such information, said Datin Azrene Abdullah, chairman of Pride Foundation.
“What’s lacking now (among women), is the commitment to go to the next level once they have this information by regularly performing a breast self-examination or going to the hospital for a mammogram,” she said. Azrene said this is something she herself has noticed when she speaks to women and inquires whether they have started early detection methods.
Many women tend to procrastinate when it comes to doing this despite having access to information and this is one area which Pride Foundation hopes to work harder to address.
There is also a need for men to understand the crucial role they play in ensuring their wives or female family members are able to cope and recover from breast cancer, she said.
Among the foundation’s activities are workshops for caregivers of patients with breast cancer so such caregivers can understand how to cope with the emotional stress that patients undergo and the importance of creating a positive environment for them.
Azrene said that, unfortunately, in some cases, women with breast cancer have not had the support of their spouses.
There have been husbands who have threatened their wives with divorce or insinuated that they would take another wife, she said.
“Sadly, in almost every area that we go into, there is at least one such case. It’s so important for a woman to know that she will be loved and supported and that her husband will not abandon her if she has breast cancer. There are insecurities that women face when they are diagnosed and it’s the man’s job to reassure them,” said Azrene.
This view is shared by Angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha, the spokesperson for the Avon Walk Around the World for Breast Cancer event.
Breast cancer is not just a woman’s issue because every man has either a mother, wife, sister, daughter or friend and there’s no way of telling the effects this devastating disease will have on him, said Dr Sheikh Muszaphar.
“As a man, it’s difficult when someone you love has cancer. It changes the whole environment in the family and many men may not know how to cope or what to do, which is why efforts such as these by Avon (to also get men involved in breast cancer awareness) are very noble,” he said.
Having lost an aunt to breast cancer, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar understands how this disease can affect the family. More men should get involved in this cause, he added.
“As a doctor, it also saddens me when patients only seek treatment at the latter stages despite the fact that early detection methods are now widely available. No woman should have to die of breast cancer. This disease can be treated if detected early and that is the message and purpose of this whole programme,” he said.
Enrolment forms for the charity walk are available at all Avon Beauty Boutiques in the Klang Valley, Reebok retail outlets and the headquarters of Pride Foundation at Wisma KLIH in Jalan Bukit Bintang.
For more details, call the Avon head office at Tel: 03-7965-7100.