Walk in support of breast cancer patients

The Action for Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF) will be holding a "walkathon" entitled Imxi Magħna as a show of support for women who require breast cancer-related treatment.

The event will begin with traditional folk singing at Spinola Bay on June 22 at 9 a.m., followed by a symbolic release of pigeons.

Participants will leave the Love Sign at 10 a.m. and walk along the promenade to Ta' Xbiex, passing through Sliema and Gżira.

The Sliema Salesian Boys and Girls Brigade, Valletta FC players and Curtain Raiser performers will be among those taking part. The ABCF lobbies for the development of a quality assured service in relation to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

During the election campaign, the political parties supported breast screening, the foundation said.

"While the ABCF would like the National Breast Screening Programme to begin, it strongly believes that all the requirements of the European guidelines would first have to be met, making sure that the focus is on a quality assured service, rather than a cosmetic one."

Furthermore, the foundation also hopes to learn when Herceptin will be made available to patients for free.

Herceptin-receptive tumours are more aggressive than other forms of breast cancer. And although only a small percentage of women are diagnosed with this type of cancer, Herceptin treatment is an opportunity that could prevent it from spreading.

At the moment, a one-year course of the drug costs about €41,928 (Lm18,000) and some women are forced to take out bank loans to pay for the treatment.