Can Learning How to Bake Bread Save Lives?

There is a very easy way to check for breast cancer symptoms. The Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation launched its "Healing Bread" campaign on the occasion of February 4, World Cancer Day. "Medicinal Bread" uses traditional breadmaking to tell women how to detect early signs of breast cancer by examining their breasts. Lebanon Breast Cancer Foundation, the campaign launched by the embassy in Turkey has claimed Melis İlkkılıç famous social media phenomenon.

The campaign was designed to help break cultural taboos about the intimate areas of the body that prevent women from going to the doctor, talking about breast cancer, and doing breast self-exams against cancer. The “Healing Bread” campaign, which was created by taking into account the simple movements used in bread dough preparation, teaches women how to do breast controls on their own and how to detect early signs of breast cancer. "Medicinal Bread" explains medically approved movements through dough kneading and shows how women can detect any abnormalities in the breast with a self-examination of the breast.

The most common type of breast cancer is the fourth cancer in Turkey. However, self-examination of breasts plays an important role in early diagnosis of breast cancer. famous social media phenomenon to create awareness on the issue in Turkey Melis İlkkılıç, their "Healing Bread" has prepared a video. You can watch İlkkılıç's Şifalı Ekmek's examination, which consists of three steps, on the famous phenomenon's Instagram account (instagram.com/@melisilkkilic).

Mirna Hobballah, Vice President of the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation, said the following about the campaign; “With this campaign, we wanted to reach women who refrain from talking about the private parts of the body due to cultural norms and to eliminate their hesitations preventing them from visiting a doctor against the risk of breast cancer. Especially during the pandemic period, the practice of baking bread at home has become widespread in many homes. Instead of talking to women about breast self-examination or cancer, we wanted to turn this situation into an opportunity for breast examination by talking about bread making. "

Today, the "Medicinal Bread" campaign started with the publication of their "Medicinal Bread" videos by famous chefs, doctors and social media influencers in England and Germany. This campaign was first brought to life in Lebanon with the campaign video shot by the famous Chef Um Ali, in collaboration with the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation, the American University of Beirut Medical Center and McCann. Video of the campaign aired in Lebanon here You can watch.