The audio is in isiZulu. See the English summary below.

MABUTHO: Ngokombiko weCancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) minyaka yonke isifo se cancer sibulala abantu abangaphezulu kuka 80 000 kuleli. Ngokwalenhlangano lezizibalo bezingehla uma abantu bezodla ukudla okunomsoco bagweme nezinto ezibeka izimpilo zabo ebucayini ezifana nogwayi kanye notshwala. Okhulumela lenhlangano uMartha Malete uthi okunye okubaluleke kakhulu ukulwisana ne cancer ukuthi abantu bazejwayeze ukuyozihlola ukuthi abanaso yini isifo se cancer ngoba kulula ukuselapha uma sisheshe satholakala.

MARTHA MO LETE: Testing and screening is so important for both female and male cancers and skin cancers because if you detect cancer early you ‘€˜ve got better chance of recovering.

MABUTHO: UMolete uthi umdlavuza oyingozi kakhulu ilowo wesibeletho ngoba uthi awukhethi ukuthi ukuthi umuntu uphila impilo enjani. Uthi loluhlobo lomdlavuza lubulala abantu besifazane abangaphezulu kuka 3500 kuleli minyaka yonke. UMalete uthi abanye besifazane abangenwa iloluhlobo lomdlavuza bebengakwazi ukuthi bawuvikele ngokuthi baye kozihlola kusenesikhathi. Uthi kodwa ngeshwa bancane kakhulu abantu besifazane kuleli abazihlolela umdlavuza wesibeletho(cervical cancer). Uthi kungalesisizathi inhlangano yakhe isiphume umkhankankaso wokugqugquzela abantu ukuba bazihlolele loluhlobo lmdlavuza athi uyingozi kakhulu uma utholakale emva kwesikhathi.

MARTHA MOLETE: If you look at cervical cancer, it’s the number one cause of death among the women in South Africa. Over 3 500 women die each year from cervical cancer. And the tragedy is that those deaths could have been prevented had those women gone for pap smear tests to pick up the abnormal cells in the opening of the womb.

Sadly, less than 20% of South African women have ever gone for pap smears test. So, we are encouraging all women over the age of 30 to go for a pap smear test.

MABUTHO: Okuqaphelekayo ngomdlavuza webele ukuthi awukhethi, ufana nokufa, uphatha wonke umuntu.   U Wilma van der Bijl nowake waphatha isicoco sokuba ngu Miss South Africa ngonyaka ka 1987 usanda kuthola izinkomba zokuthi unezimpawu zesifo somdlavuza eminyakeni emibili edlulile. Uthi ukuthola kwakhe ukuthi unezimpawu zalesisifo wathuka kakhulu ngoba ubazi ukuthi uphile kahle emzimbeni, futhi akazenzi izinto ezingambeka engozini yokuthola lesisifo.

WILMA VAN DER BIJL: I was utterly shocked. I could not believe that I was diagnosed, because I did not fall into the category of risk factors ‘€“ which risk factors will be overweight over the age of 40, not have breast feed your children, smoking, taking oral contraceptives. I was n’€™t into any of risk factors except that I was little bit over the 40’€™s.

MABUTHO: Uthi kubalulekile ukuthi abantu bazi ukuthi impilo yabo isezandleni zabo ngakho kumele baqikilele ukuthi izimpilo zabo zivikelekile bangaze balindele ukutshelwa ngokufanele ngabe bayakwenza ukuphephisa izimpilo zabo.

WILMA VAN DER BIJL: I have been very healthy and quite young. And if I could get it anybody can get it. It is so important that we take our own health in our own hands and not wait for other people to look after us.

English summary

Cancer can be beaten

Healthy lifestyle, screening and testing can help prevent cancer.

According to a report by the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), a non-governmental organization working in the response

against cancer, one in four adults is diagnosed with cancer during his or her lifetime. Furthermore, more than 80 000 South Africans die from the disease every year.

However, Martha Molete, co-coordinator of CANSA, says up to 40% of cancers can be prevented by simply adapting a healthy lifestyle, and frequent testing and screening. She says if detected early, one has a better chance of recovery.

“If you look at cervical cancer, it’s the number one cause of death among the women in South Africa. Over 3 500 women die each year from cervical cancer. And the tragedy is that those deaths could have been prevented had those women gone for pap smear tests to pick up the abnormal cells in the opening of the womb. Sadly, less than 20% of South African women have ever gone for pap smears test. So, we are encouraging all women over the age of 30 to go for a pap smear test”, said Molete.

Wilma van der Bijl, former Miss South Africa (1987), was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. Van der Bijl was going for regular check-ups but it never cross her mind that a healthy individual like her could be diagnosed.

“I was utterly shocked. I could not believe that I was diagnosed, because I did not fall into the category of risk factors, which risk factors will be overweight, over the age of 40, not to have breast fed your children, smoking, taking oral contraceptives. I wasn’t into any of the risk factors, except that I was a little bit over the 40s”, said van der Bijl.

She says it is important for everybody to go for regular screening and testing, as there is no one who is immune to cancer.

“I had been very healthy and quite young. And if I could get it, anybody can get it. It is so important that we take our own health into our own hands and not wait for other people to look after us”, she said.