Dealing with the day-to-day life of a disease such as breast cancer is a very hard process for many women, as well as for the men who also suffer from it. For this reason, breast cancer associations such as FECMA and AECC aim to make this process as bearable as possible. In this article we want to show you which are the main associations in Spain and how they provide coverage to patients, both during and after their treatment.
How can an association help you?
Being diagnosed with a malignant tumor is a rather difficult event to assimilate. Not only because of the procedure and the implications of having to fight against this pathology, but also because of the many doubts that arise, not to mention the psychological discomfort it can cause.
Breast cancer patient associations have multiple objectives, although we could summarize that the main one is to help you and accompany you in the process. There are many that offer free services focused on diagnosis, treatment and side effects . Likewise, we must not forget that in the process, patients suffer multiple discomforts. Therefore, it is important to have external help and information to alleviate these consequences.
On the other hand, they offer counseling and psychological support to cope with the emotional damage. Not surprisingly, the harshness of the medication and the duration of treatment have an impact on mood. For this reason, it is important to remain optimistic when facing the disease and its consequences.
They are also responsible for providing information and guidance on social benefits and other resources. After all, leaving work to start this journey implies changes in anyone’s life. We are not only talking about the economic aspect, but also about the fact of facing the resulting labor difficulties. In this sense, they are responsible for providing this social care service .
In addition, it is worth mentioning the accompaniment they offer. There are patients who may feel lonely or who, for whatever reason, do not have family or friends nearby to lean on during difficult times. Feeling like they have someone is critical to moving forward during the breast cancer process.
Last but not least, the work they do in terms ofresearch is much needed. Continuing to carry out studies for prevention, as well as to improve therapeutic techniques, is essential to improve the quality of life of society as a whole.
Main cancer associations in Spain
More and more institutions dedicated to the fight against this disease are emerging. According to data published by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology, this is the most important socio-health problem at the national level. It is estimated that one in three men and one in two women will suffer from it during their lifetime .
The main objective is, first and foremost, to increase social awareness of prevention. Therefore, they focus on encouraging us to adopt healthy lifestyle habits and abandon harmful habits such as smoking. However, they are also responsible for increasing and promoting early detection programs and ensuring that access to these programs is equitable. They also promote and provide the necessary resources for oncology research.
In Spain, there are large organizations such as the
AECC
(Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer), a non-profit organization made up of patients, family members, volunteers, collaborators and professionals. This association operates throughout Spain, so that any patient has the possibility of accessing its services free of charge, regardless of where he/she lives.
We also found
GEPAC
(Spanish Cancer Patients Group). This independent non-profit organization aims to represent the interests of diagnosed persons and their families. Also other tasks such as trying to ensure that all patients have access to rapid diagnosis and the best available treatments, including psychological and social care.
FECMA and its commitment to breast cancer associations
The two previous organizations mentioned above are focused on the disease in general terms. However, it is worth highlighting the work of federations such as FECMA (Spanish Breast Cancer Federation), which brings together different associations focused on combating breast cancer.
For example, among the list of entities that comprise it, we find AMACMEC, which provides support in the medical procedure and facilitates all the necessary information in this regard. Or Asamma, committed to women who have undergone surgery for this pathology.
In short, tasks such as those carried out by FECMA are fundamental, not only to meet the objectives of research and prevention, but also to show that it is possible to overcome the problems derived from this disease.
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