HISTORY
Women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer formed the Breast Health Group and Breast Self-Examination Clinics in 1986. The founding group was made up of dedicated breast cancer survivors, volunteer nurses, retired nurses and other non-professional women. They saw a need to provide free, current breast health information and to promote breast self-examination for early detection of breast cancer. To date the Comox Valley Breast Health Group has maintained their mandate and volunteer service to women of this community uninterrupted.
MANDATE
We advocate:
The three-prong method of early detection of breast cancer
"All these parts are necessary as no single approach can detect all the cancers and each assesses the breast in a different way" (Doctors Olivotto, Gelman and Kuusk - Patient Care book.)
We promote:
Our goal:
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To eliminate fear through education
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To assure women that not all breast changes are breast cancer
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To teach women to recognize what is normal for their breasts, encouraging them to report any changes to their doctor immediately
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To inform women that the proven ways to beat breast cancer is through:
1. Early detection
2. Early treatment
3. Healthy lifestyle
In order to promote awareness of the Breast Health Group programs, we organize seminars, speaker presentations, for women's groups, businesswomen and schools and advertising through the newspapers, radio and television.
OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
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To raise the level of awareness of all females so they understand that:
- Early detection,
- Early diagnosis, and
- Early treatment of all breast changes is the best defense against breast cancer
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To raise levels of awareness of all females that the key to early detection is:
- Regular monthly breast self-examination
- Annual physical examination by a physician or trained professional
- A mammogram when in the appropriate age group
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To encourage all women to attend a breast health clinic
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