We don't seem to exist on the BBC's website

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I just had a look at the BBC’s website coverage of today’s news relating to breast screening, and clicked on the link to their page of information about breast cancer (which was updated today) news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3244315.stm.

Well . . . what a surprise: there’s no mention of those of us living with secondary breast cancer – we’re just there in death stats. I’ve posted a comment to them, asking why we’ve been omitted from their world. Will tell you if I get a reply, but I’m not holding my breath.

Grrrr . . .

Marilyn xx

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Hi Marilyn

The trouble is they don’t know! Until April this year they didn’t collect any data on secondary diagnosis, they just logged when we died!

Fiona

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Yes, Fiona – it will be interesting to see some info, eventually.

The BBC have actually added a section at the end of their “breast cancer info page” about secondary BC, as follows:

Cells may break away from a breast tumour and spread to another part of the body via the blood or lymph fluid.

Often they die, or remain inactive, but sometimes they start to divide and form a new, secondary tumour, which may develop years later.

The symptoms of secondary breast cancer very much depend on to which part of the body the cancer cells have spread.

Among the places where breast cancer cells tend to end up are the lymph glands, the bones, the liver, the lungs, and infrequently, the brain.

Secondary breast cancer often only affects one part of the body.

But it is possible for secondary breast cancer to affect more than one place at a time.

Well . . . it’s rather basic, and doesn’t mention the impact of secondary BC (terminal, incurable, uncertainty, continuous treatment, fear, anxiety, distress, etc), but at least there’s a small acknowledgment that BC might return to blight our lives after our primary treatments end.

Marilyn x

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Hi all, I got really angry too because so much was made of the fact that 1 in 3 women are misdiagnosed. Er, my basic maths tells me that there are 2 remaining that are correctly diagnosed !Don’t we count ? Grrrr, it makes my blood boil !
love Jackiexxx

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This is interesting: I’ve had an e-mail from Richard Warry, Health Editor on the BBC News website:

Dear Ms Fetcher,
Many thanks for your message, and interest in the site. The aim of the piece was to focus on primary cancer, as it part of a series of different types of cancer. That said I have now added an extra section on secondary tumours at the end of the piece. Hope that helps.

So . . . I took the opportunity of laying down a challenge for the BBC to represent us more realistically during “Breast Cancer Awareness Month” – I won’t copy my e-mail to Mr Warry here, but am happy to p.m. it to anyone interested, and will let you know if he responds again.

Marilyn x