KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 (Bernama) -- Breast cancer has long been perceived as a crisis that is exclusive only for the women, but in reality the disease can hurt the life of all members of the family.

When a woman is stricken by breast cancer, the disease's emplaces a burden not only on the patient herself but also on her spouse, children and her other family members.

This is why early detection has to start from the very basic unit of human relationship – the family.

Men must realise the importance of their role in their partners』 lives and that their female friends and family.

In achieving this, Pfizer (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and the National Council of Women's Organisations (NCWO) launched a book entitled "His and Her Story'.

His and Her Story"

Available in three languages - Malay, Chinese and Tamil, "His and Her Story" is an empowering tool to encourage men in supporting their female loved ones in going for breast cancer screening.

It is a compilation of testimonies from participants of the MENCARE project.

The MENCARE project, a collaboration between Pfizer and NCWO, aims to educate and gain the support of the husbands, fathers and other members of the male community to increase the awareness on breast cancer.

"Pfizer is deeply committed to playing an active role in the community in promoting healthy lifestyles through a host of community initiatives and public awareness programme.

"I hope that 'His and Her Story' will open their eyes. It is our hope that MENCARE will one day be integrated into every level of society through policy change and legislation," said Pfizer's managing director Ahmet Genel at the book's launch here recently.

MENCARE

Since its launch in 2006, the MENCARE project has been conducted in six locations in Malaysia and has trained over 200 facilitators. The project will reach its three-year mark next month.

A comprehensive training manual and handbook were developed for service providers of women and healthcare organisations to be used as tools in their cancer awareness programme.

During these workshops, many real life examples that could inspire and empower Malaysian men were collected and so began the journey to compile the stories into a book entitled 'His and Her Story' with the English version unveiled in 2008.

The compilation is another tool in the MENCARE programme, apart from the training, to engage men to support women in the battle against breast cancer.

Deputy president of NCWO, Datuk Ramani Gurusamy said MENCARE addresses the need to involve men at the very core of the issues and even stigmas women face when dealing with this deadly disease.

"Increased male support for screening, early detection and throughout the treatment increases the likelihood of survival and provides for a better chance at fighting the disease. NCWO and Pfizer share a mission of working towards a better quality of life for Malaysian women," Ramani said.

Most common cancer in Malaysian women

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Malaysian women and accounted for almost one-third of the total number of cancer cases among this gender.

A woman in Malaysia has a 'one in 20' chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime.

Yet not all women understand and can perform self-examination of their breasts and are willing to undergo regular breast cancer screening by trained health professionals.

Consequently, breast cancer is diagnosed in late stages in Malaysian women despite the availability of screening centres and education campaigns.

According to a Ministry of Health survey in 1996, only 46.9 per cent of women reported some form of breast cancer examination.

One reason why women have turned away from the screenings could be that the fear of men's rejection.

In a survey conducted by the NCWO, 65 per cent of men agreed that fear of their husband』s reaction was a reason why women did not go for breast cancer screening.

Better chance of survival

As evidenced in 'His and Her Story', when men display supportive behaviour, women battling the cancer have a better chance of survival. In addition, the study indicated that the level of knowledge of breast cancer and screening tests, amongst men, was only 40 per cent.

"Why do Malaysian women shy away from conducting regular screening? There are a number of reasons, ranging from lack of awareness and information to fear of finding out the truth. The greatest fear of all is the reaction of their husbands, that the husbands may neglect or abandon them," said Ahmet.

According to Ahmet, when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, it was devastating news not only for the patient but for the whole family.

"The role of the husband in caring for the woman he loves cannot be emphasised more and is crucial during these delicate moments".

Free copies of 'His and Her Story' are available by contacting the NCWO at 03-7943 3008 or e-mail ncwohq@yahoo.com. (By Soraya Jamal/ Bernama)