Conference for cancer patients in the Axarquia Sanitary Area

MORE than 50 people have attended a conference on healthy living when recovering from breast cancer in Viñuela. 

The seminar in the Axarquia Sanitary Area to the East of Malaga, is the first in a series of conferences which will give people the chance to share their experiences of living with the disease, reveal innovations and discuss side-effects of cancer treatment. 

Every year there are 3,300 new cases of the disease diagnosed, with a 90 per cent cure rate if diagnosed early. 

Breast cancer is the prime cause of death by tumour in women in all western countries, and the survival rate improves when diagnosed early.

In Andalucia, since 1995, there have been 9,287 cases of breast cancer detected with the use of a mammogram, by the Early Detection of Breast Cancer Programme. 

Through this programme, more than 974,000 women have been examined, aged between 50 and 69, which is the target age group as there is a high risk of suffering breast cancer.

There are now a total of 58 mammogram units in the community, of which 22 are permanent, five are mobile and 31 are located in hospitals.

The conference was organised by a local Breast Cancer Association with help from the town hall, the Area Sanitaria de la Axarquia, and the medical school in Malaga.  

President of the Association Esperanza, Rosa Maria Casamayor highlighted: “This initiative has been born to respond to the most relevant questions asked by patients, and who better can tell us how they live and feel.”