Fighting breast cancer: early detection the key, says Hong Kong foundation

Eliza Fok Ho Yi-wah remembers vividly the moment she was diagnosed with breast cancer. "I felt like I had been thrown into total darkness. Everything froze at once," says Fok, who self-detected symptoms of the disease in 2003 and was diagnosed the same year.

"I couldn't believe it was happening to me. I have always lived a healthy lifestyle, I have annual health checks and conduct regular breast self-examinations - why me? I found it very difficult to accept."

October is the time for the Hong Kong Cancer Fund's Pink Revolution, the city's largest breast cancer awareness and fundraising campaign which runs in conjunction with the global Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Fok, who is chairwoman of the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation, says peer support is vital. "The love of my family was the core support. Each time I underwent chemotherapy treatment I was accompanied by multiple family members - an army of love, literally. They helped me stay positive."

Her experience also prompted her to write 100 Questions about Breast Cancer that was published earlier this year. Over a 12 month period, she interviewed more than 100 breast cancer survivors and in the book she shares their insights and stories - from diagnosis to treatments and beyond.