【Hana-me Report】Cathay Pacific Airways ①

On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, we held a breast cancer seminar “Hana-me” for the employees of Cathay Pacific Airways Japan Branch at their Tokyo office. The theme was “The Basics of Breast Cancer,” a 60-minute session including a lecture-style presentation, a self-check workshop using breast models, and a Q&A session, in which participants learned about the basics of breast cancer, breast cancer screening, and self-check.

A total of 33 employees participated this time, 11 in person and 22 online, including participants from Cathay Pacific offices across Japan.

The presentation had an open atmosphere, with the participants actively engaging with the speaker and among one other. I noticed in particular that the metaphorical use of passengers in airplanes to explain the number of breast cancer patients among men resonated well with the audience.

After the presentation, we conducted a self-check workshop using silicone breast models. Initially, participants found it challenging to find the lumps, and some concerns were voiced such as “Everything seems like a lump,” and “Self-check seems painful.” However, with the guidance of the instructor, the participants learned how to properly self-check.

Photo) During the Self-Check workshop: Looking for lumps inside the silicone breast models.

We received many good questions during the Q&A session, with the highlight being about the difference between cancerous and non-cancerous lumps.

We shared with the participants that cancerous lumps tends to feel harder like a seed or marble, while non-cancerous ones is slightly different, being a little bit softer like a hard-boiled tapioca/boba. However, we also stressed the importance of consulting a breast specialist immediately if you find any signs of breast cancer regardless of the lump’s hardness.

While self-check may feel challenging at first, it is about consistency and getting to know how your breasts normally feel. As you make this a regular monthly habit, you enable yourself to familiarize yourself with the feel of your breasts and spot abnormalities, if any.

I hope that employees at Cathay Pacific Airways Japan Branch gained a deeper understanding of the importance of breast cancer screening and self-check through this seminar.

We will be conducting a second seminar at Cathay Pacific Airways Japan Branch in December! The next themes are “Diagnosed with Cancer: What do I do?” and “Cancer and Mental Health.” This will be an opportunity for participants to learn and prepare for the moments that we all will experience at some point in our lives. We look forward to seeing everyone again.

Thank you to everyone at Cathay Pacific Airways Japan Branch!