By Christine Greyvenstein

Most of us have either directly or indirectly been affected by cancer. And it’s not just older people that have to be aware or run the risk of being diagnosed with cancer. According to the 2004 statistics from the National Cancer Registry (NCR) and the World Health Organisation, more than 12-million people worldwide hear the words “you have cancer” each year. In a more local sense, one in six South Africans runs the risk of being diagnosed with cancer and CANSA estimates that at least 100 000 people in South Africa are diagnosed with cancer annually. Although these are scary statistics, they have to be acknowledged and taken seriously. This is where CANSA comes in - the award-winning non-profit organisation offers not only support and education about cancer but also hosts various events to help with research and cancer prevention.

The breakfast started off with an address by CANSA’s CEO, Sue Janse van Rensburg, who thanked all partners for their support. “We are fortunate enough to have partners that see the bigger picture; we have people within communities as well as volunteers who unite to fight cancer. We have to realise that the fight [against cancer] is so much bigger than us and that’s why we are so thankful for all the support that we receive.” She then moved onto this year’s Shavathon event, which was once again well supported across the country. “There were 243 shopping malls, 123 schools and 393 corporates countrywide that took part this year. We think that with this year’s Shavathon, we’ll make at least R6.5-million.” The importance of support was also highlighted. “In South Africa, we don’t even have enough stats to give you a bigger picture and the [most recent] stats we have are from 2004. We can’t afford to take our eyes off the ball and you [the sponsors] are the reason we are still on the field.”

Next, breast cancer survivor Samantha Brown shared her experience of “the good, the bad and the ugly” as a cancer patient in the working space. It became clear that while you might have lots of support from family and friends, taking your diagnosis into the corporate world is much more of a challenge. “I used humour to make other people feel comfortable and to make myself feel human,” explained Brown. Staying positive, she shared that no one tells you that “you’ll have amazing skin and lovely long nails” when you undergo cancer treatment.

Then we watched a touching video on another initiative by CANSA – Relay for Life. The initiative celebrates those lucky enough to survive cancer, remembers those who lost the battle and also those fighting back against the disease. The second annual overnight relay team event takes place on 1 September in Pretoria and will aim to raise awareness and funds to fight the disease. CANSA invites teams of 10 to 15 co-workers, friends and families to commit to the relay and have at least one person walking around the track at all times. This symbolises that cancer never sleeps.

CANSA, along with its partners SABC2, Newsclip, Wahl, Warehouseit and Limegreen Online, ensured another successful Shavathon and continues to contribute in the fight against cancer.