NEWS - Chain of 100,000 bras to heighten breast cancer awareness on April 30

[Guest guest]

'Longest' bra chain goes up in Cyprus April 30

4/19/2006

By: Reuters Health

NICOSIA (Reuters), Apr 19 - Women on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus say

they are poised to create the world's longest chain of up to 100,000 bras to

heighten breast cancer awareness on April 30.

A group of Dutch, British, and Cypriot organizers plan to create a

90-km-long chain (55.9-mile) string of brassieres they hope will put them in

the Guinness Book of Records.

Singapore presently holds the record for the longest chain of 79,000 bras.

" Creating a chain of bras is an odd thing to do, but its the perfect way to

get the message across. Its important that people are aware of the risks,

and the need for regular screening, " said Louise van Rooij, a Dutch resident

of Cyprus.

Women as far afield as Alaska have contributed bras, while one of the

offerings also came from Betty Boothroyd, Britain's first female speaker of

the House of Commons and a regular visitor to the holiday island.

Organizers are also building up a database which will send out alerts to

women in high-risk groups and schedule online screenings.

Breast cancer kills about 400,000 women worldwide each year. Doctors say

regular screening, particularly for women over 50, is vital for early

detection crucial to survival rates.

" We have a fairly good response rate (to screening) of about 70%, but it

could be higher, " said Vassilis Tanos, an oncologist. Negligence on the part

of the individual was an overriding factor on why response levels were not

better, he said.

Last Updated: 2006-04-19 11:22:12 -0400 (Reuters Health)

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Mayo Clinic in Rochester

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s Hopkins Medicine

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