This recent article ‘The Problem with Pink: Our feel - good war on breast cancer’, is well worth a read (particularly the last paragraph re. secondary BC!)
It addresses many aspects of breast cancer, from ‘early detection’ to ‘low funding for metastatic disease research’.
Having read many times over, on various forum threads, posts about DCIS & mammograms, BC ‘awareness’, concerns over BC spread, ‘prophylactic mastectomy’, lack of focus on & support for secondary BC , etc. - this article makes you think and provides facts about BC in 2013.
SPO/Sarah, The pink campaign definitely isn’t for those with secondaries!
I don’t think it does anyone with BC much good - what the h### is it about? I felt this way before I read the article - that the way breast cancer is portrayed via the pink theme actually misleads many people to think that breast cancer has got a cure.
Recently I have been horrified by certain things I have learned over 4 years, particularly with regard to secondary BC - no data/statistics on how many women have mets/when they were first treated for mets, lack of discussion/options for treatment, lack of focus/emphasis on metastases, etc.
My subconscious feelings have become very conscious lately!
A very good summary, Vicki (that’s my opinion anyway - and I know what I am talking about - 7 years with mets.)
Re your comment about BCC being the only UK charity that takes interest in secondary breast cancer. I emailed two other breast cancer charities recently, mentioning that I have metastatic bc and asking what their charity was doing about us, if anything.
One charity basically referred me to BCC… and the other one didn’t reply at all.
Maybe it is time for a campaign to make it clear to BCC that we are not “secondary” and maybe they need to use the word “metastatic” or “advanced”? Any thoughts anyone?
(that’s my opinion anyway - and I know what I am talking about - 7 years with mets.)