Cycling goes to battle with cancer. Tour de Feminin joins forces with the Alliance of Women with Breast Cancer
Tour de Feminin organizers have joined forces with the Alliance of Women with Breast Cancer, which has been informing and educating the public about breast cancer and providing support to cancer patients for more than twenty years.
Breast cancer is a highly treatable disease, but only if detected early. If breast cancer is detected at the first stage, then the chance of cure is almost 100%. Prevention is therefore extremely important.
With regular self-examination, women can notice changes in their breasts and thus help diagnose the disease at an early stage. The Tour de Feminin will help spread awareness of the dangers of breast cancer in May. "During Saturday and Sunday's stages, the Alliance will be at the finish area in Rumburk and Krásná Lípa to explain how to do self-examination. On the breast phantom, Alliance representatives will show women, but also men, because it is not only about women, how to do it," plans Simona Davídková, race director of the Tour de Feminin. "There will also be a 'breast wall' in front of which people can take pictures."
The Women's Alliance has a lot of experience with lectures for the public and has been organizing similar events since 2002. Their aim is to stress the importance of prevention in the fight against breast cancer. The lecturers - educators from patient organisations - are patients with their own experience, which makes them credible to convey information and guidance on personal responsibility for their health. The presenters are professionally certified.
The activities of the Women's Alliance at the Tour de Feminin will be aimed not only at the public in Rumburk and Krásná Lípa, but also at the women competitors themselves, as it involves very young women. It is important that young women from the age of 16 learn the correct self-examination technique. Unfortunately, the number of young women diagnosed with breast cancer is steadily increasing and it is no longer rare for women to become ill after the age of 20.
"At the team meeting, a representative of the Women's Alliance, Ms. Magdaléna Vošalíková, will present the issue of breast self-examination and invite the cyclists to the stand," continues Simona Davídková. "The Women's Alliance will even add breast cups to the prizes for the winners of the stages and the whole race, it will just be all closely and nicely connected," she adds.
More about the Alliance of Women with Breast Cancer
The Alliance of Women with Breast Cancer, founded in 2002, represents 39 patient organisations. It serves as an information and education center for the public, cancer patients and their organizations. It also provides methodological assistance to cancer patient organisations, coordinates projects and campaigns in favour of breast cancer prevention and treatment, unites the efforts of patient organisations and individuals to promote the rights and equal conditions for the treatment and recovery of women with breast cancer and represents Czech cancer patients in international structures. Since 2009 it has been a member of the Europa Donna Coalition and since 2016 of the European Cancer Patient Coalition. In 2020 she became a member of the Think Pink Europe family. Since 2015, it has been repeatedly rated as a Reliable Public Benefit Organisation by the Association of Public Benefit Organisations of the Czech Republic, and as a Verified Public Benefit Organisation since 2020. For more information, visit www.breastcancer.cz.
The 36th edition of the Tour de Feminin will take place from 15 to 18 May.