Help us create resources for people after breast cancer

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Breast Cancer Care has funded a study to help us understand what information people want on how to live well after breast cancer treatment is finished. We would like to talk to people over the age of 18, who have completed treatment for breast cancer in the past 5 years and who could attend a focus group in London, Cardiff or Glasgow. Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.

Results of this study will help inform the creation of a new patient resource designed to help people to move forward with their lives after breast cancer.

How to take part
This is an opportunity for you to get involved and share the things that are important to you. It may not be possible for everybody who wishes to take part to be selected since we will try to ensure the focus groups reflect a mixture of experiences and people. For example, those who have just finished treatment and those who finished a while ago, different ages, etc. Either way, we thank you for your interest in the project and will let you know whether you have been selected or not.

What the study involves
You will be asked to participate in 2 focus group discussions (about 5 months apart) with other people who have been treated for breast cancer. The focus groups will be led by two researchers, one from the University of Southampton and the other an independent researcher. The discussions will take around two hours.

Please see the attached document for more details. If you would like to take part, please contact Dalila Ahamed at Breast Cancer Care on 020 7960 3486 or email her at <script type=“text/javascript”>eval(unescape(‘%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%64%61%6c%69%6c%61%2e%61%68%61%6d%65%64%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%22%3e%64%61%6c%69%6c%61%2e%61%68%61%6d%65%64%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b’))</script>. If you have any questions, please contact Dalila.

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Hi all

We are still looking for some people to take part in the focus group tomorrow at Breast Cancer Care’s offices in London.

In the first focus group, the sorts of things we would like to talk to you about include:

• What life is like since you completed treatment for breast cancer
• What information you were able and not able to access
• What information would you like/have liked access to in relation to living with and managing breast cancer after hospital based treatment was completed?

If you are interested, please contact Dalila ASAP on 020 7960 3486, email her at <script type=“text/javascript”>eval(unescape(‘%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%64%61%6c%69%6c%61%2e%61%68%61%6d%65%64%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%22%3e%64%61%6c%69%6c%61%2e%61%68%61%6d%65%64%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b’))</script>.

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Quick update: We’re now looking for people to take part in our Cardiff and Glasgow focus groups.

CARDIFF Focus group:
Friday 14th April , 2.00-4.00pm
Location: Breast Cancer Care Cymru, 14 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11

GLASGOW Focus group:
Thursday 22nd April 2.00-4.00pm
Location: Breast Cancer Care Scotland, 169 Elderslie Street, Glasgow G3 7JR

The information we get from these focus groups will help us to create new patient resources to help people to move forward with their lives after breast cancer.

If you would like to take part, please contact Dalila Ahamed at Breast Cancer Care on 020 7960 3486, or email her at <script type=“text/javascript”>eval(unescape(‘%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%64%61%6c%69%6c%61%2e%61%68%61%6d%65%64%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%22%3e%64%61%6c%69%6c%61%2e%61%68%61%6d%65%64%40%62%72%65%61%73%74%63%61%6e%63%65%72%63%61%72%65%2e%6f%72%67%2e%75%6b%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b’))</script>.

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Hi Leah

I have applied to attend the Glasgow Focus Group, but haven’t heard yet whether I have a ‘place’?

Thanks

Shenagh

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Hi Leah- are we likely to get any feedback on these focus group meetings?
Mary

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Hi Shenagh & Mary

Thanks so much for your interest (and for signing up in your case, Shenagh).

If you give Dalila a call on 020 7960 3486, she’ll be much better placed than I am to answer all your questions. I’ll point her to this thread too, so she sees your questions here.

Best wishes
Leah

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Hi Leah,

I spoke to Dalila last week re the Cardiff group and she said she would send out a form to fill in but I’ve not had anything yet. Is it a bit too soon yet?

Esme

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Hi Esme

Perhaps - I know she was busy with the London focus group last week. I’ll give her a little nudge, but I’m sure the form is on its way.

Take care
Leah

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Do you ever have anything like this not in the big cities? I live in Dumfriesshire and we seem to have nothing.
I would love advice on bras after all the surgery and the radiotherapy but there seems to be nothing for people like me.
I’m not moaning, honestly, but there must be a lot of ladies in the same situation.

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Hi Biker_Babe

We do try to spread our work around, while focusing in some key locations. In Scotland those key locations are: Glasgow, Lothians, Lanarkshire, Aberdeen, Ayrshire and Dundee (the last 2 are new this year).

I asked our Scottish team for some more info and this is what they said:

"In terms of Scotland, we unfortunately don’t have the necessary resources to run face to face services across the country (we’re a team of three – and that’s only since January). We are increasing the number of areas that we work in – we’ve added Dundee and Ayr as key locations for this year. We do have a few people from Dumfries who attend our Ayr sessions. Our upcoming sessions are:

* 15 April (next Thursday) – Lingerie Evening, Hourstons, Ayr, 6pm-9pm

* 19 May – Information session: “Medications for breast cancer: Managing side-effects”, Horizon Hotel, Ayr, 10am-1pm

* 18 August – Information session: “Moving forward: Coping with emotions”, Horizon Hotel, Ayr, 1pm-4pm

* 24 November – Information session: “Signs and symptoms of possible recurrence”, Horizon Hotel, Ayr, 10am-1pm

If transport is an issue we could check to see if anyone else from Dumfries who’s coming along would be willing to give you a lift (depending on whereabouts you are - and obviously we can’t make promises but we’ll try our best).

If Ayr is no good there are some local services in Dumfriesshire:

Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary have a Cancer Information Centre on-site. It’s a drop-in centre providing:

  • Counselling services
  • Information provision
  • Complementary therapies
  • Relaxation
  • Dietary and nutritional advice
    They also run a number of support groups (including a Young Women’s Breast Cancer Support Group and a general cancer support group), an 8 week living with cancer course and an 8 week stress management and relaxation course.

For more information on any of these services contact Vikki Carmichael on 01387 241979 or <script type=“text/javascript”>eval(unescape(‘%64%6f%63%75%6d%65%6e%74%2e%77%72%69%74%65%28%27%3c%61%20%68%72%65%66%3d%22%6d%61%69%6c%74%6f%3a%76%69%6b%6b%69%2e%63%61%72%6d%69%63%68%61%65%6c%40%6e%68%73%2e%6e%65%74%22%3e%76%69%6b%6b%69%2e%63%61%72%6d%69%63%68%61%65%6c%40%6e%68%73%2e%6e%65%74%3c%2f%61%3e%27%29%3b’))</script>

There’s also a support group in Stranraer called “Bosom Buddies”. They’re a general support group but do have members who have had a breast cancer diagnosis (four of their members are coming along to our lingerie evening next week). They meet fortnightly on a Thursday from 7:30pm-9pm. Call 07522650129 for more information."

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I hope some of this information is helpful. If you’d like to find out more, or book a place at one of the Ayr sessions mentioned above, please call Natasha or Angela on 0141 353 8330.
***

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Wish there was something in Fife …

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Hi divvy1

Have you been to the maggies in fife. They hold a lot of really interesting courses. Nutrition, relaxation, look good feel better and more. I have attended them and found them very bebeficial. If you live close enough it might be worth popping in and having a chat about whats available.

Take care

Carolyn x

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Hi Carolyn

I know but it’s 2 buses away & over an hour each way, so it’s not a place I would just drop into. Now I’ve returned to work as well so not really feasible.

Thanks though

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That a real pity divvy as its a great place. I know tho all these things are always on in the day time. When you return to work its not easy to attend.

Take care

Carolyn

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Divvy, it you are in Fife would you not be able to get to Edinburgh or Dundee?

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Not easily cherub, I don’t have transport.

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I don’t drive, but there are pretty frequent train services to both cities on the Fife Circle line, also the express bus services that run Fife to Dundee or Edinburgh.

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Hi

Thanks for your suggestions but it’s really not that feasible. For Dundee, well, I don’t know Dundee at all, would have no idea where hospital is in relation to station, or indeed where station is. Edinburgh, well had rads there, so know it’s nowhere near station. Express buses don’t stop where I am, so would have to get to somewhere where they do stop, & again don’t think they go near hospital, not in Edinburgh anyway. I know I am a complete wuss, never want to go anywhere that’s at all difficult, but I’m working every morning now as well, & public transport takes so long, especially with changes & all, that I really can’t see it’s feasible. The long & the short of it is, if I had to get to any of these places for medical appointments I would no doubt manage it somehow, but to go for choice I don’t thimk I would.

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Although there are breast cancer groups held at the Maggies Centre in Kirkcaldy, there is also another group that gets held in the evenings at Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline. I don’t know where in Fife you are based,so I don’t know if this helps.

The railway station in Dundee is very central, but I believe Ninewells hospital is further out. When I was going to Edinburgh for chemo, my husband would sometimes go into Princes St for a break. There are frequent buses to and from the city centre at a stop opposite the hospital.

The problem is, they have to site the resources in places where it’s viewed people can get to them, which is why places like the Maggies Centres are adjacent to hospitals.