WITH the incidence of breast cancer in Jamaica at 43.1 per 100,000 women, and 0.6 per 100,000 men, based on a University of the West Indies sampling of Kingston and St Andrew from 2003 to 2007, the Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS) is waging war on breast cancer for October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Executive director of the society Yulit Gordon has said that the organisation will be expanding its public health and wellness-education programme, as well as its mammography screening islandwide.

“Mammograms remain the gold standard for detecting abnormalities within the breast tissue before they develop into cancer, shared Gordon. “Breast cancer, if detected in its early stage, can be successfully treated, thus improving the chances of survival for cancer patients.”

The Jamaica Cancer Society has set a target of 1,000 mammograms for October, having acquired a new mammography machine recently.

“This newly acquired technology will give our customers a much more comfortable mammography experience, and sharper quality images, which when viewed on a five mega pixel monitor, allows for a more accurate diagnosis and a faster turnaround time for results to get back in the hands of our customers,” said Gordon.

There are several activities on the Jamaica Cancer Society’s calendar for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It was officially launched on October 1 and today, the CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank 5K Walk for the Cure is slated for a 6:30 am start at Emacipation Park in Kingston. A church service is also planned for today at Webster Memorial Church, and that is to begin at 9:45 am. Friday, October 17, will be World Mammography Day and Pink Day, then on Saturday, October 25, the Jamaica Reach for Recovery Breast Cancer 5K Walk/Run will be at the National Stadium starting at 7:00 am, while between 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm there will be makeovers for breast cancer survivors at Monarch Pharmacy in Barbican. Come Sunday, October 26, there will be another run, this time the Breast Cancer 5K Walk/Run at Kiwanis Club of Montego Bay, Providence, while, also on the same day, the Breast Cancer Public Health and Wellness Forum will be on at the Knutsford Court Hotel, starting at 8:30 am.

Then on Thursday, October 30, President of Reach to Recovery International Cathy Brice Hirsch is expected to be the guest speaker at the Keeping Abreast Luncheon, which is set for 12 noon at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston.