Singer fights breast cancer

Breast cancer is a deadly disease that affects women. Mostly, women above the age of 40 contract breast cancer.

Hence, women are advised to undergo early medical examinations to fight cancer in the early stages.

For every 100,000 women in the world, 127 have breast cancer. Out of these 127 women, 25 die because of breast cancer.

In Malaysia, one out of 20 women is at risk of contracting breast cancer.

Salamiah Hassan, a well known singer in the 1980s who sang 'Gelombang', contracted breast cancer at the age of 30.

According to Salamiah, when she contracted cancer in 1981, nobody knew about it.

"I just kept quiet as I did not want others to sympathise with me. My children initially did not know anything about it until one day, they suspected that something was wrong.

"That day, after my chemotherapy session, I went home and vomited in my room. Thats when my children realised that I had cancer," she said.

"I pretended that everything was fine, but I was scared and sad.

"But the knowledge that I gained from reading gave me strength to move forward," said Salamiah, who took part in the Bakat TV competition held by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) in 1971.

However, Salamiah was positive. She was strong and ready to combat cancer.

"Do not give up. We have to be positive and strong-spirited, especially when we are undergoing treatment," she said.

According to Salamiah, she realised that something was wrong when she noticed a lump on her armpit. The lump started spreading and her arm become numb. She then had high fever.

She underwent a medical examination immediately after reading about possible diseases related to the symptoms.

She said her cancer treatment had caused her to vomit. She suffered hair loss while sores appeared in her mouth.

"However, I was glad to note that I was in the first stage of cancer. So, I was hopeful that I would survive," said the 61 year old mother.

Salamiah requests women to be strong. According to her, there is no need to be scared and embarrassed. It is important to get an early examination done.

She said tests like mammography are important, and women should go for early examinations to fight cancer in the early stages.

"Go for an early medical check-up. If you find lumps on your body, seek medical treatment immediately," said Salamiah, who managed to fight breast cancer.

Today, Salamiah goes for regular medical examinations, at least once a year, to ensure that she is healthy.