Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in the female population and the second most common. In 2020, 2.2 million cases were detected in the world and 685,000 women died from this cause.
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that about one in 12 women will become ill from this cancer in their lifetime. In Costa Rica, around 1,600 women are diagnosed annually with this disease, and 430 die.
In Cancer Awareness Month of this kind, Kotex and the non-governmental organization Unidos Contra el Cáncer teamed up to launch a campaign that explains how to perform a breast self-exam in four simple steps.
“The problem of cancer patients during the Covid-19 pandemic is complex and constitutes a challenge for public health. In addition to the risk and fear of contracting the infection, these patients have difficulties in receiving the usual medical services, due to the declaration of a health emergency. This delays the treatment and rescheduling of their medical check-ups,”explained Alexandra Núñez, founder of Unidos Contra el Cáncer.
MaríaPuga, Kotex manager for South Central America and the Caribbean, agrees that the pandemic caused many women to stop going to the doctor for mammograms and annual checkups for fear of Covid-19 infections, so they decided to launch the campaign.
Through this initiative, panty liners packages will have a guide to doing a manual breast self-exam in simple steps. “We want to raise awareness about the importance of visiting the doctor regularly and doing a self-examination,” added Puga.
According to Dr. Stephanie Perichón, an oncology specialist, with early detection, which is achieved through breast self-examination, mammography and a physical examination by a specialist, a nodule is detected, that is, a suspicious growth that forms under the skin.
Through this early detection, it is sought to locate it only in the breast to guarantee a good long-term prognosis.
