The Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences recently hosted a creative, hands-on Breast Cancer event for students – showing them how to do self-checks and why early detection matters.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and the event’s main message was early detection saves lives. 

Dr Lizel Hudson, Work-Integrated Learning and Language Coordinator in the Faculty, said the initiative was driven by students for students, with Nursing Science and Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences students taking the lead.

“The amazing team from Nursing Science said they wanted to do something for the students — to create not only awareness about breast cancer, but also to teach them how to do a breast self-examination. It’s a powerful tool that is often neglected. We wanted to show them what to look out for and why it’s important,” she explained.

At the HIV/AIDS Unit, students could participate in demonstrations to learn the correct technique for performing a breast self-examination and conduct their own examinations.

One of the highlights of the event was the creative use of sweets with different textures to help explain the differences between normal and abnormal breast tissue.

“Tumours come in all shapes and sizes, but this gave students something tangible and sensory to remember: if it feels like the hard sweet, get it checked.”

Hudson thanked the Faculty leadership, CANSA, the Nursing Science Department, and the students for their support.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women in South Africa and the Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences Department recently arranged a range of activities to raise awareness of the disease. 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and clinical instructor Charne Martin said one of the goals of the activities, which were arranged by first-year radiation therapy students, was to promote breast self-examination.

The activities included cupcake sales to raise money for oncology patients’ transport funds, examining “breast phantoms” for lumps, and pop balloon games where students could pop a balloon and answer a question about breast cancer to win a prize.

Pamphlets explaining to students how to do a breast cancer exam were also handed out, while students could place their handprints on a canvas to show support.

According to the World Health Organization breast cancer impacts 2.1 million women each year, and also causes the greatest number of cancer-related deaths among women.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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First-year Education students and their mentors on the Wellington Campus raised R4 000 which they donated to an organisation that raises funds for cancer patients.

The cheque was handed over to the Panthers Against Cancer recently at a ceremony in Paarl, and the donation was later made to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA).

CANSA is a non-profit organisation, started in 1931 which was born out of compassion for people affected by cancer. They mobilise volunteers to offer health programmes and support communities across the country to ensure that cancer patients and their families are cared for.

Final year student and mentor Corne Conradie said they came up with the idea of fundraising in order to bring about unity among the students as they were working towards a common goal.

“It’s good that we are making what we learn in class a lived experience,” she said.

Lecturer Lu-Anne Kearns said the students’ philanthropic gesture gave her a sense of hope that the country is going to be a better place.

“We are producing teachers with compassion and empathy. I am enthralled by how they did it, this is how we change the country,” said Kearns.

Kearns commended the mentoring programme on her campus and said the mentors were crucial in facilitating for the settling of the first years as they give them support.

In September 2017 a new cohort of mentors was trained by the faculty and the programme for this year’s orientation week was also developed. Millicent Hendricks, who received the donation on behalf of CANSA thanked the students for giving generously to cancer patients

Written by Kwanele Butana
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CPUT Libraries recently hosted a series of events to raise awareness about breast cancer.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign during which various health and other structures raise awareness of the disease.

Staff and students were given the opportunity to learn about the importance of early detection, treatments and care available as well as services available on the various campuses via CPUT Health Clinics.

CPUT Libraries held awareness drives at Tygerberg Campus, Mowbray Campus, Wellington Campus, Granger Bay Campus, District Six Campus and Bellville Campus.

At the Bellville Campus event, the last in the series, attendees were welcomed by Senior Library Assistant, Ncumisa Njecana, whereafter, Barennise Arries, Lecturer in the Department of Nursing Science delivered a talk titled: Cancer journey of a loved one – my support.

Georgell van Wyk, Lecturer in the Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences, spoke about the barriers experienced by patients during mammography screening. A group of students from the Department of Nursing Science delivered a presentation, which included information on the causes of breast cancer.

Dr Bronwyn Swartz, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, shared her personal journey with breast cancer.

“I would promote that you go and get your regular check-ups. We can’t control our circumstances, the stuff that happens around us, but we can control going for our check-ups,” Swartz said.

During the awareness drive on the other campuses there were a series of activities including presentations from speakers who are breast cancer survivors.

CPUT Libraries thanked the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, CPUT Health Clinics and all participating departments for their support.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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