Fatimah (fourth from right) witnesses the exchange of documents between Suraini (left) and Yeo and between Yong (second from right) and Dr Khoo. Tan is on the right.

KUCHING: Women have been told to be vigilant against breast cancer and to seek early treatment if they discover they have this disease.

Minister of Welfare, Women and Family Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said the problem with most women stricken with breast cancer is that they tended to keep mum about this ailment.

“There remains this stigma about their body. They (those with breast cancer) will often opt for other treatment methods first. They will go for proper ones only after it is too late,” she said on Saturday at a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony between Kuching Pink Ribbon (KPR), Sarawak Breast Cancer Support Group (SBCSG) and Parkway Cancer Centre (PCC) Singapore here.

Fatimah said more people ought to be educated that medical care and medicine for cancer treatment has come a long way and that they could prolong the lives of cancer patients.

Hence, she urged non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to go rural to spread awareness about breast cancer to rural women.

Fatimah, however, stressed the need for these NGOs to help the society in a patient and sincere way. They should also give due attention to the affected spouses and their families because the trauma would also spread to everyone involved.

“Everything has to be dealt with sincerely, especially during those trying times where the patients are weak, are very sick and in pain.

“When someone has breast cancer, they will be affected emotionally and spiritually. Worse is if they have no money for treatment and no one to turn to. Hence, NGOs that come across such cases must help wholeheartedly.”

Fatimah admitted there was still plenty to do for breast cancer in the state.

“The state government will support and work with NGOs to help breast cancer patients.”

Under the MOU, the three entities will intensify collaborations to share resources to reach out to the public.

PCC Singapore vice president Yeo Kim Seck said PCC Singapore would continue to work with KPR and SBCSG, including holding fund-raising campaigns.

Yeo said for a start, PCC had pledged 5,000 Pink Ribbon pins to KPR and SBCSG, where the two NGos would sell them for RM15 each.

Also present were PCC Singapore senior consultant (Medical Oncology) Dr Khoo Kei Siong, PCC Singapore marketing manager Max Tan, KPR president Suraini Rapiee, SBCSG president Catherine Yong and CanHope for East Malaysia area manager Connie Tan.