Art of Being Breast Aware Workshops in Johor Bahru  – 31 October 2004
By Dr Evelyn Ho

The Breast Cancer Support Group, Johor Bahru was host and organiser of the Art of Being Breast Health Aware workshops on Sunday, 31 October 2004. The workshops took place in Wisma Hokkien Huay Kuan, 2 D, Jalan Yahya Awal, Kampong Gertak Merah, 80000 Johor Bahru. The programme was in collaboration with the College of Radiology, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia and supported by the National Council of Women’s Organisations and Johnson & Johnson. 

The team from Kuala Lumpur together with the key volunteers from the Breast Cancer Support Group, Johor Bahru was treated to dinner the night before the workshops, courtesy of Dr Hew Tze Yin, Consultant Surgeon in Johor Bahru. 

The Breast Cancer Support Group members were busy from early morning on 31 October 2004 and so was the team from Kuala Lumpur. Registration began at 8am as the workshop on the basics of being breast aware for the public would take about 4 hours. The afternoon session were for trainer’s of breast health and ended at 4pm. There was a lunch and prayer (for the muslim participants) break. 

Doris Boo of the Breast Cancer Support Group gave the welcome speech and also rounded off each of the sessions.

There were 138 participants in the morning and these were from all over Johor state. Some registered after reading the newspaper announcements while others were from LPPKN, Family Planning Association, Hospital Sultanah Aminah, the newly formed Breast Cancer Support Groups in Segamat, the Klinik Kesihatan nurses in Johor state. The audience ranged from breast cancer survivors, volunteers, retirees, full time homemaker, administrative workers to health care workers (doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and dentists!). A few “brave” men also joined the workshop. Hurrah for them! 

The feedback from the evaluation forms was very encouraging. About 90% felt they had increased their understanding of the human breasts, their own breast and how to be in tune with changes in their breasts. Indeed, the primary aim of the workshop was to fire up the motivation amongst the participants to start taking charge of their own breast health and teaching them how to go about doing it with confidence. Contrary to some of the talks some of the participants had attended, this workshop was designed to relay information in a non-technical manner, was reassuring and interactive in nature. 

It was indeed a welcome workshop for the 4 month old Segamat Breast Cancer Support Group. Breast Cancer Support volunteers received key pointers in their mission to raise breast cancer awareness and save lives! The trainers workshop in the afternoon was attended by 66 participants. The prerequisite for the afternoon workshop was prior attendance of a basic breast health awareness workshop. The trainers’ workshop included communication or rather miscommunication techniques being highlighted and during which, participants were encouraged to try out their new found skills. Some key facts were pointed out in the use of teaching silicone breast models for hands on session as well as collaterals.  

The Breast Cancer Support Group, JB received a Silicone Breast Model Teaching Set from Mrs June Yeoh of the National Council of Women’s Organisations. 

More educational institutions joining the CoR to raise breast health awareness

2003 saw the College of Radiology (CoR) and the
Dasein Academy of Art collaborating in order to draw the attention of our youth to the dangers of breast cancer. This was done in a fun way, through a design competition with a breast health theme. In 2004, the CoR extended its collaboration with academic institutions by working with HELP University College to bring a similar message to its students. We thank everyone involved and hope that you are all more breast aware now and will be able to
handle the various
issues when you grow older! But for now, you can be a valuable
source of help if you
have older friends or members of your
families who are in the high risk age groups.