THOUSANDS of Guyanese assembled at D’Urban Park, Georgetown at the crack of dawn on Saturday dressed in pink and walked, ran or cycled to raise awareness of breast cancer in the country, as part of GTT’s Pinktober activities.

Participants moved from D’Urban Park along Vlissengen Road to the Kitty Roundabout and back to the park, completing a course distance of five kilometres (5K). They ran the 5K or 10K race or cycled for 20K, but most persons managed the 5K walk.

The aim of this event was to stress the severity of breast cancer and raise awareness, so that it may be eradicated. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and his wife, alongside Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, were among those who came out to show their solidarity.

Saturday’s event was perhaps the highlight of GTT’s month-long activities held in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness month, held throughout October.

In September, Chief Executive Officer of GTT, Justin Nedd, said Pinktober is intended to be a “seismic shift” in how Guyanese address social causes, particularly breast cancer and cancer on the whole.

“Ultimately, our dream is to ensure that every single person in Guyana … is screened routinely … and as we make this a routine occurrence we will remove the stigma associated with cancer,” Nedd said.

Addressing the mammoth crowd that returned to D’Urban Park, Minister of Public Telecommunications Cathy Hughes too, stressed, “breast cancer is preventable.”

She, however, added that the work does not stop at wearing pink and marching. Instead, screening for breast cancer regularly to detect it as early as possible is paramount.

While stressing that women should get the screening done regularly, she also urged the men present to encourage women to get checked up. And he hailed the men for coming out to support women in this manner.

Early detection in order to improve breast cancer outcomes and survival remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. This is the key message that is continually amplified by the World Health Organisation [WHO] when it comes to this disease.

Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, or fluid coming from the nipple.
Data, published in the Ministry of Public Health’s Cancer Surveillance Report in 2015, suggests that between 2003 and 2012, breast cancer was the leading cause of cancer- related deaths in Guyana.