Breast day ever: An event plan on reducing breast cancer misconceptions

• Main Authors: Arambulo, Amanda Bernadette, Cimatu, Maria Fideliz, Velasco, Patricia
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2015
• Subjects: Breast; Breast > Cancer > Philippines; Breast > Care and hygiene > Philippines; Communication
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/6421
• Institution: De La Salle University

The Philippine Foundation for Breast Care Inc. (PFBCI) is an organization that aims to help individuals currently diagnosed with breast cancer as well as educate Filipino women about breast cancer and the importance of breast care. PFBCI's main communication effort is a seminar in delivering their advocacy. However, the researchers found out that despite the aim of the organization to provide credible breast cancer information and correct misconceptions on breast cancer of female college students, specifically, the information that PFBCI is sending out are not aligned to their initial goal. It was revealed that it is because the information given in their seminar were shaped to address women who are already diagnosed with the disease, rather than for individuals who are prone to acquiring breast cancer and have not yet been diagnosed. The misconceptions raised in a focus group discussion were the following: 1) breast cancer only occurs to women ages 35 and above, 2) early detection leads to total remission from breast cancer 3) self-breast exams should only be performed every 6 months, 4) that mammograms can eliminate the risk of breast cancer occurrence, 5) breast cancer is heredity, 6) breast cancer can only be detected in the form of lumps, 7) breast cancer only occurs in lower social classes and, 8) that doing one or more of the breast cancer prevention methods is enough to spare them from breast cancer. Hence, the researchers, in collaboration with PFBCI, created an event last June 24, 2015 at the SM Megamall. The event aimed to reveal, correct, and address breast cancer misconceptions not just of female college students, but the rest of the attendees who were older women and men.