"Do you know anyone who is affected by breast cancer? Most of us will answer this question in the affirmative. We all know someone who has or has had cancer. They are ordinary people with a home, family, friends, passions. It's a mum, a friend, a neighbour. It could be any one of us." With these words, the OnkoCafe Foundation - Together Better initiates the 7th edition of the educational campaign "BreastFit. Women's Bust. A Manly Affair". It is to draw attention to the key role of breast cancer prevention, prompt diagnosis, proper organisation of oncological care and selection of appropriate treatment.
Illness - a change on all levels of life
The campaign 'BreastFit. Women's Bust. Men's business' was established in 2015 and from the beginning its mission has been to encourage women to have regular examinations and to educate them on the importance of early diagnosis and the disease at every stage, including the advanced stage.
- In the seven years since the campaign was launched, there have been many changes, both in terms of the perception of cancer and in access to innovative treatments. Public awareness of breast cancer, including at an advanced stage, has increased significantly. This has also led to a change in the patient's attitude and approach to treatment. Today's patient is aware of her subjectivity in the health care system, acquires knowledge of the specific subtype of cancer she suffers from and participates in the treatment process with commitment. This is why the idea of change has become the keynote of the latest edition of the campaign, says Anna Kupiecka, President of the OnkoCafe-Nazem lepiej Foundation.
The campaign is also aimed at men to encourage them to get involved in promoting prevention among the women close to them. In this way, the change in their lives brought about by diagnosis and possible treatment can be implemented more quickly and bring more benefits to the patient and her loved ones. An important part of the activities is to provide men with knowledge about ways to support, tools to talk about and partners with basic skills to examine their partner's breasts.
Knowledge - the basis for prevention and treatment of breast cancer
The last few years have also seen medical developments, which have brought a number of modern therapies that allow individualised treatment to be selected. Breast cancer is a diverse disease in terms of types, and the term 'breast cancer' can mean conditions with different courses, prognosis and response to treatment.
- We know that there are several types of breast cancer, differing in their biological characteristics and susceptibility to different types of targeted treatment and prognosis. The therapeutic options available are very diverse, and tailored to the type of cancer. In all cases, treatment is multistage. We distinguish between treatment of early breast cancer, where the aim of therapy is to cure, and advanced breast cancer. For patients with advanced, generalised breast cancer, the aim of treatment is to ensure the longest possible life with the best possible quality of life. Thanks to advances in medicine and the advent of innovative treatments, the possibilities of successfully treating this form of cancer have increased significantly. Increasingly, patients with generalised breast cancer can be treated on a long-term basis and the disease has the characteristics of a chronic disease - says Prof. Tadeusz Pieńkowski.
In order to raise awareness among patients with advanced breast cancer and their relatives about the various stages of diagnosis and treatment of advanced breast cancer, a series of educational workshops will be organised as part of the 7th edition of the campaign. During the meetings, psycho-oncologist Adrianna Sobol will also present practical tips on how to tame the strong emotions accompanying the disease and talk about the practical aspects of the therapy process at a given stage. The workshops "Advanced breast cancer - I ask, I know, I treat myself" will be organised in 5 cities in Poland - Łódź, Kielce, Lublin, Poznań and Olsztyn.
Also part of this year's activities will be educational meetings on breast cancer prevention for the local branches of the Women at the Centre association, a social partner of the campaign.
Power of Community - the next instalment of the unique calendar
Once again, 12 athletes took on the role of models to support the campaign idea and create the charity calendar 'Power of Community 2023', with proceeds going to support women with advanced breast cancer.
As the years go by, the number of people for whom we are responsible grows - we are responsible for increasingly elderly parents, partners, children. We should consistently set an example of how to take care of our health, motivate our loved ones to do so and remind them of the importance of prevention. This year, through the calendar, we want to show that a change in a man's life, such as the illness of a loved one, is something he must expect and should know how to deal with. In this way, he will be an effective support for his loved ones," says Jakub Popławski, initiator and producer of the Power of Community calendar. The author of the photos for the calendar is Tomasz Zienkiewicz.
The premiere of the calendar will take place in October. As in previous years, the photo shoot featured, among others, trainer and motivator Daniel Qczaj, bodybuilder Michał Karmowski, crossfit athlete Bartek Lipka and many other committed, well-known athletes.
Still striking statistics
Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumour in women. As statistics show, Poland is a country in which the morbidity and mortality due to it are constantly increasing. It is estimated that around 20 000 Polish women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Over recent years, there have been huge advances in the treatment of breast cancer, giving patients the chance of a longer life and a better quality of life during treatment, or even a complete cure, provided the cancer was detected at a sufficiently early stage and modern therapy was applied at the right time. Despite the available diagnostic tests and increasingly better treatment methods, there is an increasing trend of mortality from this cancer in Poland, in contrast to the rest of Europe.
BreastFit. Women's Bust. A man's business
The campaign 'BreastFit. Women's Bust. Men's business". was created on the initiative of the Onkocafe-Razem lepiej Foundation. The name 'BreastFit' refers to a popular sport - crossfit - a type of training, but also a certain philosophy of self-discipline and a daily fight against weaknesses. BreastFit is the art of breast examination, conversation and emotional support. It is a type of training that involves men in taking care of the health of the women most important to them.