On Monday, October 30, on the occasion of the International Day against Breast Cancer, Iberchem held several informative sessions at its headquarters to raise awareness on the disease and promote timely and effective controls, diagnoses and treatments.

To do so, the company collaborated with oncologist Francisco Javier Belmonte. All participants were very pleased about this initiative and gave positive feedback on Belmonte’s informative session.

Following the activity, we sat down with Sandra Lucas, perfumer at Iberchem, and with Alfonso Albacete, Labour and Risk Prevention Technician who organized the activity.

Why did you decide to take part in this activity?

SL: Sadly, (breast cancer) is a common disease and we normally only come into contact with specialists when it has affected us directly. For this reason, I thought it would be a good idea to participate in this activity to find out more and ask questions and share some concerns that I had.

What did you learn from this talk? What surprised you most about it? Has it changed your understanding of breast cancer?

SL: It was very enlightening. It didn’t only cover statistics and information, which, regrettably, we are often familiar with, but it also focused on prevention methods and the way to deal with the situation at any given time, which I feel is very important. Having these kinds of tools available can really make a difference, as they don’t only help the affected person to cope with the situation but also those who are close to them.

What do you think about the company’s initiative, as well as talks and training concerning the different problems and issues we face nowadays?

SL: While everything is going well, we tend to turn a blind eye, either out of fear or ignorance, until we are forced to come face to face with such a difficult situation. Therefore, I think organizing such activities is a very good initiative from Iberchem; it’s a good opportunity to ask questions and share our concerns. As I said before, it’s very important to have enough resources and tools to face certain types of situations in life.

What is Iberchem’s commitment towards the provision of this type of information?

AA: Iberchem’s commitment to promoting this type of initiative, and its workers’ well-being in general, is firm and clear. In the last three years, there has been no problem whatsoever in carrying out similar initiatives such as blood donation. The company has also made a 4-year commitment to Iberchem’s full workforce to give them a basic course on CPR and how to use a defibrillator.

What was the purpose of the talk, and how do you think the talk has impacted the workers’ perception of this disease?

AA: This talk had two objectives:

– Firstly, to raise awareness about the importance of prevention and early detection of the disease in order to treat it or to reduce its effects, giving a much longer life expectancy to women who suffer from it.

– Secondly, to raise awareness and provide information on the scientific advances regarding this disease and to provide support for the women who are going down this difficult road, and to ensure that others don’t feel alone when this disease strikes. Regarding this last aspect, the Spanish Cancer Association plays a very important role.

I think this talk has helped my colleagues to become more aware of this terrible disease, and how to identify the different lumps that may appear. This can give them real peace of mind, especially regarding the biannual check-ups when they reach the age of 50 and enter the screening programs.