LEWISPORTE – On July 20, a big pink bus rolled boldly into town and it was here for a reason and ready to save some lives.
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation has initiated the Tour for the Cure expedition, unique to Atlantic Canada, and Lewisporte was one of the 19 stops in Newfoundland. The rather distinguishable bus is en route for the second year in a row with the intention of educating the public about breast cancer and early detection.
The tour began in March when the bus and its team visited universities and colleges across the Atlantic provinces. From there, they travelled through communities in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and are currently travelling through Newfoundland.
The inside of the bus is filled with all the necessary information you would need to become aware about early detection. There is a station with model breasts that have different abnormalities and lumps so that visitors can feel exactly what they should be searching for during their own self-examinations. Visitors can also test their knowledge of breast cancer and learn some interesting and important facts with an interactive quiz.
Deanna Jones and Victoria Richardson from Halifax are two of the four people travelling on the tour bus. They both work for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and are touring with the bus for the first time.
Approximately 20 per cent of women in Newfoundland believe they don’t need a mammogram, 30 per cent don’t have a reason for not having had a mammogram and 15 per cent say their reason is because it was never personally recommended to them.
Ms. Jones and Ms. Richardson feel very strongly about getting the word out to people. They both agree that the main message they are trying to spread is to “get a mammogram.”
Also, just because the bus is bright pink doesn’t mean it’s just for women and girls – men can get breast cancer too.
“About 180 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in Canada this year,” explained Ms. Jones. “All of our pamphlets and diagrams have pictures and information applying to both men and women.”
Although the exact causes of breast cancer are unknown, the tour bus team members want people to realize that treatment can be very successful. However, the success rate decreases the later an abnormality is discovered.
No matter you age or gender, everyone should become self-aware and do regular checks of their breasts.
“Early detection saves lives,” said Ms. Jones.
For a schedule of Tour for the Cure bus locations or for more information. visit www.tourforthecure.ca
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