“More than 80% of breast cancer patients do not have a family history of the disease,” said Associate Professor Nur Aishah during the talk on breast cancer during the “Health and Wellness Campaign” organized by the second year Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science students from Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TAR College) early this month.

The specialist in General, Breast, and Endocrine from University of Malaya Faculty of Medicine also explained to the audience that though breast cancer could not be prevented, early detection can still be done before it is too late. The talk on breast cancer received overwhelming response from staff and students.

Themed “Health is the Heartbeat of Life”, the two-day Campaign showcased the Sports and Exercise Science students’ efforts in promoting health fitness and disease prevention. The highlights were the booth set up by the students to conduct body composition and blood pressure screen tests for the visitors, the Physical Fitness Competition, and a gymnasium session conducted by the students.

Ms Ler Hui Yin, the Campaign Advisor as well as a lecturer of the Sport and Exercise Science course, commented that the campaign greatly complemented classroom learning by providing hands-on experiential learning, which is an integrated part of holistic education in TAR College.

“The students applied the scientific and technical testing methods that they have learnt during their studies, for example the physical fitness test and the bioelectrical impedance analysis used for estimating body composition. These are the standard and widely used methods in the sports and fitness industry,” she explained.

“Furthermore, the event also served as a great platform for the students to reach out to the public and interact with them. Such opportunities would have helped them to hone their communication and presentation skills, which are part of the requirements for their prospective careers in sports science-related fields such as fitness coaching, health promotion and sport development,” added Ler.

There was also a mini breast cancer exhibition and demonstrations on the breast self-examination method. The “Skin Care and Grooming Workshop” was conducted by a Clinique Skin Care Specialist who presented tips on skincare and makeup.