2nd October 2024. With thanks again to the National Lottery Community Fund, we are back with our much-loved community project Food with Friends for two more years. We kicked off the 3rd run with our first health talk on Breast Cancer at the end of September.
We started Food with Friends in December 2022 to pilot how businesses can contribute to reducing health inequalities in the community. Every month, we host a warm meal in a community space for migrants and other attendees and focus on an important public health topic.
The health talk on Breast Cancer was delivered by the Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon, Dr Tasmia Tahmid from Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust. This inspirational humanitarian surgeon has also set up TACHRC (Tasmia Asif Cancer Hospital and Research Centre CIC), a community interest company (CIC), to raise the level of cancer care in Bangladesh.
After highlighting facts and figures about Breast Cancer, Dr Tasmia Tahmid discussed the signs and symptoms that we need to be aware of. There was an interactive discussion around lifestyle changes that can reduce the risk of cancer, as well as other risk factors that cannot be changed. The surgeon also stressed the importance of screening for early detection to increase the chance of successful treatment.
Raising awareness amongst minority communities for Breast Cancer is important. The government’s guidance, Breast Screening: Identifying Inequalities shows that breast screening uptake is considerably lower in women from ethnic minority communities, particularly South Asian women.
We extend our special thanks to Dr Tahmid for the informative session and for raising awareness on the importance of early detection and treatment and pointing to support available in the local community.
