Stakeholders launching the Breast Cancer Support Group at Aga Khan University. Photo | Caleb Korir.
When Eunice Mutiso was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, she feared it was a death sentence.
At the time of her diagnosis, she was only 23 years old, which, according to her, was difficult to come to terms with especially since many people believe that cancer only affects the elderly.
She began treatment, which included a mastectomy (removal of the affected breast), and the procedure was successful. However, in 2019, the cancer returned.
“I had a recurrence in 2019, and my prognosis then was just one year but here I am,” she said with a smile. “When I was diagnosed, I thought there was no hope.”
“After my second diagnosis, I started living with more intention. When I was told I had one year to live, I asked myself, ‘What can I do for the next 365 days?’ because at the time, I believed that a stage four diagnosis was a death sentence,” says the mother of one.
Thanks to the unwavering support from her family and relatives, Eunice managed to battle cancer twice. She says that fighting cancer requires a “huge support system” because a patient “cannot walk the journey alone.”
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The support Eunice received during both diagnoses gave her a lifeline that’s why she was able to fight and defeat cancer twice.
For many, a cancer diagnosis can feel like a death sentence. But that’s not always true especially when patients receive the right support from family, medical personnel, and other cancer survivors and “warriors.”
Zahra Haji, a clinical psychologist and associate scientist at the Aga Khan Cancer Centre, says that supporting cancer patients during and after treatment helps them cope with the physical and psychological challenges that come with the disease.
Given the emotional toll a patient experiences after receiving such heartbreaking news, many develop mental health issues that can translate into physical distress, ultimately affecting treatment outcomes.
Zahra explains that close to 50 percent of cancer patients suffer from emotional and psychological pain, which if addressed can help them better manage their treatment and improve recovery.
“A lot of the symptoms that patients report are psychosomatic. The emotional distress manifests as physical distress,” Zahra said during the launch of a Breast Cancer Support Group at the Aga Khan University.
She adds that creating a network of cancer survivors and warriors is a vital step in combating stigma and giving patients a safe space to express their vulnerabilities and seek help.
“We’re trying to normalize conversations about cancer and mental health. There’s a lot of stigma around both, and support groups help raise awareness and encourage people to seek help,” she says.
The support group offers four modalities designed to help cancer patients and survivors overcome the physical and emotional burdens of the disease. These include Tai Chi, sound healing, chair yoga, and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT tapping).
Tai Chi is a gentle, low-impact exercise that combines slow movements, deep breathing, and meditation. Sound healing is a holistic practice that uses various sounds and vibrations such as singing bowls, tuning forks, and gongs to promote physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
EFT tapping is a self-help technique based on acupressure principles. It involves tapping specific points on the body with the fingertips while focusing on a particular emotion or issue the individual wants to release.
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Professor Mansour Saleh, an oncologist and director of the Cancer Centre at Aga Khan University, says hospital treatment is just one piece of the recovery puzzle.
He emphasizes that cancer patients need care, compassion, and hope elements that often come from surrounding themselves with survivors who understand the journey.
He also notes that cancer support groups should be grounded in research to allow medical professionals and caregivers to offer scientifically backed coping strategies that alleviate pain, reduce suffering, and promote resilience.
“Treatment is done in the hospital, but the outcome is what the patients experience: the pain, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and changes in sexuality,” Prof. Saleh says.
“The group gives you the support because its members have been through that journey. The most important part of treatment is alleviating fear and building resilience.”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Kenya, with nearly 7,000 new cases each year accounting for 23 percent of all cancer diagnoses in the country, according to the National Cancer Institute of Kenya.
Zahra adds that more research is needed to develop additional interventions that can improve the quality of life for Kenya’s cancer patients.
