AstraZeneca Supports Breast Cancer Awareness Movement

İhtiyaç Haritası and Kanser Savaşçıları Derneği, with the support of AstraZeneca Türkiye, are conducting the Know Yourself, Early Diagnosis Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign. The initiative aims to inform women about breast cancer by explaining the importance of screening and diagnosis. AstraZeneca Türkiye Medical Director Dr. Deniz Ertürk Erem: "As the AstraZeneca Türkiye family, we have been striving to provide support from the first day of the earthquake process" According to a statement, the project, which has reached 400 women across different provinces of Turkey to date, has now shifted its focus to earthquake-affected regions. Within this scope, initial training sessions were provided to women in Hatay. Under the project, volunteer physicians from Kanser Savaşçıları Derneği provide training to women about breast cancer. İhtiyaç Haritası identifies women and regions with limited access to health services regarding breast cancer awareness in the provinces where training is provided, coordinates appointments for trained women to undergo screening at the Cancer Early Diagnosis, Screening and Training Centre (KETEM), arranges their transportation, and follows up the entire process after screening.

Dr. İbrahim Çolhan, volunteer physician at Kanser Savaşçıları Derneği, made the following remarks on the subject:

He stated that in Hatay province, which has suffered pain from the 6 February earthquake and has not even reached the recovery stage, efforts to prevent cancer diseases, particularly breast cancer as the leading female cancer, from being overshadowed by the earthquake have become important. Çolhan expressed: "The Kanser Savaşçıları Derneği's timely and significant contribution is both a necessity for the women of the region and an effort that makes them feel they are not alone. It is of great importance to remind that breast cancer has promising outcomes with early diagnosis." Zafer Kapusuz, Field and Operations Coordinator at İhtiyaç Haritası, noted that as İhtiyaç Haritası, they have carried out work to improve the wellbeing of people in the region since the first day of the 6 February earthquake, provided humanitarian aid in the initial period following the earthquake, and have continued their other work thereafter. Aslı Ortakmaç, General Secretary of Kanser Savaşçıları Derneği, noted that approximately 9 months have passed since the earthquake disaster, and commented: "The fact that cancer patients trying to hold on to life in the region cannot easily access treatments, and those at risk of cancer cannot access early diagnosis services, makes this situation even more concerning for us. Experts emphasize that following such major disasters, cancer cases often emerge at more advanced stages."

'This year we decided to prioritize provinces most affected by the earthquake disaster'

AstraZeneca Türkiye Medical Director Dr. Deniz Ertürk Erem stated that they deeply share the pain of all people in the face of the disaster that occurred at the beginning of this year and caused great suffering.

Erem continued as follows:

"As the AstraZeneca Türkiye family, we have been striving to provide support from the first day of the earthquake process. Being aware of how difficult and long-term this process is, we are careful to ensure the continuity of our assistance. Within the scope of our long-term corporate social responsibility work, while providing support to the education of children and young people in the region, we also aim to raise awareness among the regional population about diseases. Within the scope of the Know Yourself, Early Diagnosis Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign conducted with our unconditional support, we decided this year to prioritize provinces most affected by the earthquake disaster together with Kanser Savaşçıları Derneği and İhtiyaç Haritası, and we are pleased to have completed the training sessions in Hatay. We continue our work on how we can address the needs in the region. In line with our goal of making cancer no longer a cause of death, we are always ready to fulfill our responsibilities in every work, project and cooperation that will benefit the public."   Source