Bandar Seri Begawan - A strong will to live coupled with family support are two of the most crucial factors in the fight against cancer.

This was yesterday pointed out by Masjuwita binti Hj Abd Hamid, who is also the president of Breast Cancer Support Group, during a breast cancer talk organised by the Health Promotion Centre with support from BASMIDA.

Cancer survivor Masjuwita, who was diagnosed with a rare kind of breast cancer six years ago, emphasised that early detection of cancer can increase the survival rate to 98 per cent.

Masjuwita, who will this month mark her seventh year of being cancer-free, recalled how a self-breast examination had resulted in her detecting a lump that was as hard as a stone.

After the discovery, she went to Panaga Hospital for a consultation and was referred to JMPC for mammograms. A sample of the lump was taken twice and a surgery had to be performed at RIPAS Hospital to remove the lump, which the doctors later confirmed was cancer.

'After receiving the news, I thought of what would happen to my future, and what would happen to my children. I tried to be strong and I didn't cry.

"It was suggested that I would undergo a mastectomy and I didn't immediately agree. Before I agreed, I suggested undergoing chemotherapy. I was given a second opinion by the National Cancer Centre in Singapore and the only option was to have a mastectomy. I wanted to see my children in the future so I decided to undergo the mastectomy."

She added, "This is where sense of family and support are important. However, the will to survive and the mentality to be strong and to help yourself will also be vital to survive. The surgery was successful."

Masjuwita later advised the public to have regular check-ups.

--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin