Experts highlighted the importance of early detection and lifestyle factors in relation to breast cancer diagnoses at a breakfast event held to raise awareness about the disease.

Attendees received information about how to check themselves and also heard personal reflections from a Cabinet minister on his experience with prostate cancer.

The Progressive Labour Party Women’s Caucus organised the breakfast event, held at West Pembroke Primary School on Saturday, for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Dagmara Poprawski, a Bermuda Hospitals Board oncologist, reminded attendees about the importance of maintaining general good health.

She said: “I know losing weight is a battle for most of us and we come up with all sorts of excuses, but we need to take it seriously.

“We need to aim for at least a couple of pounds a month to equalise the weight to normality as much as possible.”

She added that 150 minutes of moderate to heavy exercise weekly — including walking, running, rowing and cycling — can help people lose weight and strengthen muscles.

Dr Poprawski explained: “Those women who are undergoing treatment for breast cancer such as surgery or radiation therapy will be told to do stretching and muscle strengthening.

“Physical and occupational therapists can give them a programme, but the moment you are more flexible prior to diagnosis is going to be easier, so we should all be doing a little bit of stretching every morning and every evening.”

The National Breast Cancer Foundation reported that one in eight women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

Dr Poprawski highlighted that the cancer has a 72 per cent five-year survival rate and, in curative cases, an 87 per cent ten-year survival rate.

Azuree Williams, an education officer at the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, Alaire Godfrey, the managing director of Ultimate Imaging, and Camily Lovell, a consultant addictions counsellor at Pathways Bermuda, also spoke during the event, which was moderated by Jasmine Patterson, of the Bermuda Broadcasting Company.

Ms Williams highlighted 12 potential signs of breast cancer, such as sunken nipples, bumps and leakage from breasts of women who are not nursing or pregnant, and showed about 70 attendees how to perform a self-exam.

Women and men should feel around their armpits and underneath their breasts at least once a month.

Ms Williams said: “Doing a self-exam is very important because it tells you what your normal is every month.

“Whenever you see or feel a change, you can immediately let your doctor know and get in soon to get it checked, it’s better to know early rather than later.”

Ms Godfrey urged women aged 40 and older to get a mammogram annually, as the check can detect issues early.

She explained: “Before it’s palpable, you have more options, sometimes it’s less invasive or you can skip chemotherapy and surgery …

“When they’re palpable, you’re looking at surgery and probably more treatment, so you want to do the best for yourself and get it early.”

Ms Godfrey noted that screening technology may not be as advanced in other countries as it is in Bermuda.

She said: “There are some places on this Earth where they don’t have this type of technology and a lot of places where women are not valued, so they’re not worried about their health or if they have breast cancer or anything like that, but in Bermuda, where we’re valued, we should definitely take advantage of this.”

Diallo Rabain, the Minister of the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation, opened up at the breakfast about his prostate cancer journey, which he shared with The Royal Gazette in April.

Mr Rabain said on Saturday: “My dad died from liver cancer, it was not until after I was diagnosed that I found out he actually started with prostate cancer.

“That being the case, I would have been more proactive with my testing.”

The minister added that recovery from the disease is the hardest part for men, but assured them that support exists on the island.

He said: “Prostate awareness in Bermuda is extremely active in ensuring that men get the kind of support that they need.

“You’ll be surprised at the conversation we have every third Thursday night at Blue Waters Anglers Club — it’s an opportunity for men to come together and talk among men about those difficult things that we don’t want to talk about.”