One in three Danes get cancer and today, there are approx. 285.000 Danes living with cancer. Cancer is a disease in the cells which occurs when cells start growing uncontrolled and without purpose in certain parts of the body (Kræftens Bekæmpelse).
There are over 60 different types of cancer. The five most frequent forms of cancer in men are: prostate, lungs, large bowel, bladder and rectum. Breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer in women, followed by cancer of the lungs, large bowel, skin and brain.
”Støt brysterne” and ”Lyserød Lørdag” draw attention to the disease in October
October is the international breast cancer awareness month so Kibodan has chosen to focus on breast cancer in this newsletter. The campaign “Støt brysterne” (BE. Support the breasts) draws attention to breast cancer, and there are lots shops where you can buy a bracelet to support the good cause. There is also ”Lyserød Lørdag” (BE. Pink Saturday), which is a nation-wide event on one Saturday in October, where people collect money for this cause. There are many different events being held on Pink Saturday, but they all share the same goal: To draw attention to the breast cancer and to collect money for the cancer research.
Chances of survival for breast cancer are high
Breast cancer normally occurs in a mammary gland of women between 60-69 years old. In Denmark, one in nine women get breast cancer and in most cases, there are no specific reasons for this. There are some things, however, that can increase the risk of getting breast cancer, for instance, high consumption of alcohol, physically inactivity, early puberty, and giving birth for the first time later in life.
There are different types of breast cancer, but most women get diagnosed with the so-called hormone-sensitive type. The chances of surviving breast cancer are high, after 5 years ca. 87 % are still alive.
The Danish organization “Kræftens bekæmpelse” stands behind the campaign ”Støt brysterne”
Kræftens Bekæmpelse (BE. Fighting cancer) is the biggest disease-fighting organization in Denmark, and at the same time the biggest patient organization for cancer. The organization deals with three main areas: Research, prevention and support for patients. Kræftens Bekæmpelse’s vision is “A life without cancer” and so, they have a lot of different aims such as “Less people get cancer”, “More people survive cancer” and “A better life with cancer”.
Big donation/charity show on TV2: Knæk cancer
Every year in October, Kræftens bekæmpelse hosts a big charity show, named “Knæk cancer” (BE. Break cancer), in collaboration with the Danish TV-channel TV2. The main focus is on cancer in general and money is collected to achieve Kræftens Bekæmpelse’s objectives. The show will be shown on TV2, on Saturday, the 27th of October. In the week leading up to the show, the TV-channel will show a lot of different programmes related to cancer.
Two interviews with two tough women, who have survived breast cancer
In relation to our focus on breast cancer this month, we have interviewed two women, who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. One of them is Danish and was diagnosed with breast cancer just one year ago. The other woman is German, and was diagnosed with breast cancer 12 years ago, where the medicine technology was not as developed as today. Both women share their personal experiences and thoughts about getting diagnosed, dealing with the consequences and their treatment.