Event Report: Seminar on the Female Body "A Talk on Breasts"
Event Date
Event Venue
June 1, 2022
As part of the "Support for the Female Body ~Breeze Project~" initiative, we held the Seminar on the Female Body "A Talk on Breasts" on Thursday, May 26, 2022.
This event, the fourth in the Seminar on the Female Body series, focused on the topic of "breasts," a subject we surprisingly have few opportunities to learn about. The program consisted of two mini-lectures, a dialogue, and a Q&A session.
Mini-Lecture
■ Dr. Tomoko Seki (Assistant Professor, Breast Unit, Department of General and Gastroenterological Surgery, School of Medicine)
Mini-Lecture
"It's Not Just Breast Cancer!? Diseases of the Breast"
"What are common diseases in young people?"
"Is there a right time for breast cancer screening?"
"Breast self-exams are full of benefits!"
She will discuss the latest medical information related to breasts.
■ Ms. Miho Suzuki (Co-representative of Maggie's Tokyo / Former Nippon TV Reporter and Caster)
[Certified NPO Maggie's Tokyo ( Maggie's Tokyo | Welcome to Maggie's Tokyo )]
Mini-Lecture
"My Real Story of Experiencing Breast Cancer"
Having experienced breast cancer at the age of 24, she will discuss how to approach and think about one's breasts from her perspective as someone who has also provided counseling.
Here are some comments from our participants:
● I was able to hear the story of someone who has personally experienced it. I also learned about other breast diseases, not just breast cancer.
● It was wonderful to hear about a topic that, despite being about my own body, I rarely have the chance to learn about properly. I now have a clear understanding of the difference between mammography and ultrasound. Also, I feel that many people may not realize that there are all kinds of doctors, and that it's important to do your own research, listen to different opinions, and act in a way that you are comfortable with. Every time I attend this seminar series, I learn so much. What Ms. Suzuki said about "a society where we can imagine ourselves in others' positions" is something I think about all the time, and it reminded me that this is one of the roles of humanities subjects at university. Thank you again for a very enriching seminar.
● Because I was able to learn about breast cancer in detail, and it made me realize that men, too, should not consider it someone else's problem.
● Because I was able to hear stories from both the medical provider's and the patient's perspectives. Both speakers were very approachable, and I thought their speaking style made the topic accessible even for younger people.
● Although we have regular screenings, I didn't know the specifics about mammary glands, so I learned a great deal. It's rare to have an opportunity to hear directly from a medical specialist and someone with personal experience, so I find this series to be incredibly valuable. Ms. Suzuki's video from when she was going through her experience was especially moving. It made me think about how often in our daily lives, words and actions stemming from the single perspective of the majority can be deeply hurtful to others. I hope we can foster a world with more people who have the imagination to consider how they would feel if they were in another person's position. Thank you very much.
Please note that an archived video of this event is scheduled to be released at a later date. It will be uploaded to the news section of the Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion website, and we encourage anyone who is interested to watch it.
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