Melany Le Roux, from the Crime and Intelligence Unit within Stellenbosch University’s Campus Security, is taking on breast cancer on head first and remains a pillar of strength for students on campus.
October was breast cancer awareness month which is an annual campaign to raise awareness of the disease.
Le Rouw says it’s important to share stories during this month but also throughout the year to not only awareness but consciousness on the issue.
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer on the fourteenth of Feb this year. It was Christmas 2018 when I decided to inspect my breasts for a change,” says Le Roux
Her mother-in-law had just passed away from kidney cancer and she says that she had been neglecting herself at the time so she decided to get herself checked.
“I went for a mammogram in the first week of January followed by a clinical examination at the GP [general practitioner of medicine] the following day. The mammogram was clear and the radiologist opinion was that it was fibrocystic breast tissue,” says Le Roux.
She was advised by her GP to visit a specialist.
“On the 14th, when I visited the specialist for the results I received the difficult news. After that, a whole lot of tests followed and I had a mastectomy of the whole breast.”
GRAPHIC: Cher Petersen
Carmen Scott, a volunteer at the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) at the Cape Town head office, says women are often misdiagnosed during the first round of testing.
“The breast is filled with multiple layers of tissue and often a hardened node may alarm women and sometimes it is a reason for alarm,” says Scott.
Scott says she deals with a lot of referrals from Groote Schuur after diagnosis.
“Some of the women are distraught and need guidance or assistance. They often request home visits from our social workers,” says Scott.
Le Roux says it was tough for her husband and daughters due to her as they had lost many family members to cancer.
“Our journey with cancer has not been a good one however, my husband has been very supportive. I could not have done this without the support of my friends, they have just been amazing,”
“My colleagues at work have also been very supportive – at first it was a shock for them but when they saw how determined I was, they also became just as determined,” says Le Roux.
Jeremy Julius, a colleague who works for Risk Management at Stellenbosch University Campus Security, says Le Roux has tackled her cancer head-on.
“She has shown us all that cancer is not a death sentence,” says Julius.
Le Roux says that during her first couple of months of treatment, she was surprised to find out how little women know about breast cancer so is using her voice to share her story.
“Early detection saves lives – this is why breast cancer awareness month is so important,” says Le Roux.
For more information regarding breast cancer awareness month, diagnosis, treatment and support visit https://www.cansa.org.za/ or contact CANSA on their toll-free number 0800 22 66 22.