Hi Alli
Thank you … hope it goes well and we get a good turn out…
Allison xx
Hi Alli
I have so much admiration for all you lot who do so much on everyone’s behalf to raise money and awareness. Hope it goes well and thank you.
Cathy
x
Hi Cathy
Im doing it for all of us so that everyone can be made aware of this horrible disease.
LOL dont admire me im a basket case tonight im terrified no-one turns up.
Allison xxx
I think there needs to be a properly resaerched study of the impact of ‘awareness’ month. Who precisely is supposed to be being made aware? aware of what?
I think Breakthrough’s Touch Look Check campaign is a good one…good that it has taken the focus off mechanistic breast exam towards women being encourgaed to know the look and feel of their own breasts. After all more women find their own breast cancers than are detected by screening.
But I wonder about linking ‘awareness’ to merchandising tacky products which appeal to a minority. Where is the targetted ‘awareness’ raising in different sections of the black and minoroty ethnic community yes some but I don’t see it in ASDA or M and S), where is targetting of women aged over 70…who are far more likely to get bc than younger women who might buy 34D pink frilly bras with fall off in the wash ribbons.
Early detection has undobtedly pushed up diagnosis numbers, and pushed up five year survival figures, but the early detection always best method theory is not entirely accurtae. However ‘early’ some cancers are found it won’t make any difference to eventual outcome (other than as I said perhaps massaging the 5 years figures.)
Awareness may sometimes equal detection but detection is not prevention, let alone cure.
And ‘awareness’ may get into overdrive so that everyone is ‘aware’ but no one is informed.
Jane
Hi
Interestingly our breast care nurses had an information stand in our shopping centre last week and not many people wanted to stop and look at it. It’s mainly because they feel it won’t happen to them or it’s too scary to contemplate it. The bcns are wondering whether it’s the information that’s on the stand that’s the problem although we did a joint stand last year and got the same response.
I think there are two types of awareness - the money raising aspect (which we’ve done a lot of through our support group to get something for our local hospital) and raising awareness of being breast aware and signs and symptoms. I am currently involved with raising awareness of advanced breast cancer which is even further behind than primaries.
I think you’ll only get the general public to be aware if they want the information.
Went into Asda the other day and looked at their “Tickled Pink” underwear. Could n’t wear a single one of the bras on offer as my prosthesis would fall out if I did. Same goes for Tesco and the stuff they sell for breast cancer care. Hmmm!
Geraldine