Shocking Pink is a new New Zealand charity dedicated to supporting young women (aged 20-45) through their journey of breast cancer (and out the other side!) and is one of BCAC’s newest member groups.
New Zealanders have a good understanding of ‘breast cancer’ thanks to a wealth of information and publicity, but when prefaced by the word ‘secondary’, misunderstanding and fear arise accompanied by hushed comments like ‘terminal’ and ‘lost the battle’.
The Government announced last week (Jan. 18, 2012) that medical oncology would be added to the cancer waiting time targets from the middle of this year. This means all patients who need chemotherapy treatment should receive treatment within the international gold standard of four weeks.
This announcement came as part of an update to the Government’s six national health targets.
Significant research results announced during the recent San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) (December 2011) showed that adding a new targeted medicine, pertuzumab, to a combination of trastuzumab (Herceptin) and docetaxel chemotherapy extended progression-free survival by a median of 6.1 months in patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer compared with patients who received the combination therapy with placebo.
Sweet Louise is the operational arm of the Louise Perkins Foundation, a charitable trust launched in October 2006 with the vision of ‘positive lives with breast cancer’. Sweet Louise’s unique mission is to help improve the quality of life and well-being of women and men living with metastatic (also known as secondary or advanced) breast cancer.
BCAC member group, WONS, a women’s health charity is re-branding; from 1 January 2012 WONS will be known as Well Women & Family Trust.
WONS (Well Women’s Nursing Service) was founded in 1989 and since then has evolved significantly. Their new brand – Well Women & Family Trust - encompasses the focus on the health of women, the family/whanau and communities.
Three new television commercials are being developed for BreastScreen Aotearoa (BSA) and will go to air in February 2012.
BSA programme leader Barbara Irwin says the current campaign is now over three years old and it is time for a refresh.
“We are very pleased with the performance of the current campaign – it has been well received and has contributed to an increase in the number of Maori and Pacific women having breast screening.
The 2011/2012 Busting With Life breast cancer survivors’ Dragon Boat Team unofficially opened their season with a Flippin' Freezin' Super 12 Regatta at Sylvan Park, Lake Pupuke on Saturday 20 August. A group of hardy souls braved the mid-winter chill to blow the cobwebs away and take to the water to join in the fun of this pre-season splash 'n' dash.
Auckland will host the 2012 Triathlon World Champs and one of our own BCAC staff members, Jane Powell, will be representing New Zealand in the age group races. To be able to represent New Zealand in the age group you had to qualify and earlier this year Jane decided to have a go.
The Waikato Breast Cancer Trust (WBCT) is again selling their popular NZ Women's Health Diary for 2012. The diary costs just $14.95 and can be purchased through the WBCT website or by emailing direct on julie.wilson2@waikatodhb.health.nz. All funds raised go back to the WBCT breast cancer research programme.
Visit www.wbct.org.nz to purchase online.
