Change For Cancer Survivors To Learn How To Live Life To The Fullest.
Friday, 29 April 2005

To debunk the myths and to help survivors aged 15-45 years overcome the mental barrier, the NCCS, Singapore's national and regional cancer centre of excellence, will hold a special one-day event called "CanSurVive" at the Outward Bound Centre (Sparkc@Marine Parade) at the East Coast Parkway on 5th June 2005.

The event is open to all cancer survivors as well as their families and friends and is limited to 50 participants. "It is an opportunity for survivors and their supporters to come together and have an enjoyable Sunday outing and test their mental strength and build confidence by overcoming whatever mental barriers," said Dr Chia, who is the organizer for this year's event to mark World Cancer Survivors' Day.

"Survivors will find that they can rebuild their self confidence and enjoy normal lives after having beaten cancer. They should not adopt a defeatist attitude and be psychologically defeated." He said the "Can Do It" culture is noticeably absent among cancer survivors in Singapore compared to those in the Western societies.

"In the West, cancer survivors will climb mountains, do mountain biking, or take part in runs. But in Singapore, they invariably lead a much laid back lifestyle, and practically live in mistaken belief that they are like spent bullets, or that they are yesterday's athletes. This is incorrect. They should go back and lead normal lives."

At the CanSurVive event, there will be teams of medical specialists on site, from doctors to nurses, social workers and counselors who will provide support for the participants. "The challenges will of course not be the normal obstacle course that students or members of the uniformed groups will undergo," said Dr Chia. "Safety of the participants will be our overall consideration when running the activities."

Stressing that it is important for those who are family members or friends of cancer survivors to join in the event, Dr Chia said this will equip them with the know-how to help their loved ones or their buddies to motivate themselves and move on and lead normally. Professional help will be on hand to advice participants on nutrition, exercise and how to beat that psychological barrier.

"By taking part in this event, you will find that you will bond a closer relationship with your loved one who is a cancer survivor, as both of you may have to work as a team to go through the activities," added Dr Chia. He said this will be an opportunity to meet other survivors, exchange views, and benefit from each other's experiences.

As cancer survivors gather to celebrate World Cancer Survivors' Day together on June 5, there is a secondary but important message that we want to communicate to our society and employers - cancer survivors are still physically able and spiritually courageous people. They still know how to enjoy life and have fun. And they will not allow themselves to be discriminated against in the workforce, or be seen as handicapped.

The NCCS, which is headed by Prof Soo Khee Chee, hopes to set up a strong support group for cancer survivors so that they can meet regularly, get up to-date information on healthy living and be informed of the medical advances relating to cancer.

As the leading cancer research and treatment centre, NCCS prides itself in providing public education on issues relating to the disease. It was also instrumental in driving the cause to promote public health by getting legislative support to expand the number of places where smoking should be banned.

Because of the limited seats available for CanSurVive participants, NCCS hopes those interested will contact them at NCC Cancer Helpline (during office hours) Tel: 6225-5655, or Ms Debbie Tan, Cancer Education Department, NCCS - Tel: 6236-9453 and register before 16th May 2005. The fee is $25 per participant which covers food, and transport to and from NCCS Outram Road to the East Coast Parkway.