By Anne Hayden, PhD
BCAC member Anne Hayden shares her treatment story to highlight that there may be alternatives to the usual options of palliative chemo and radiotherapy when newly discovered breast cancer metastases are found.
Enjoy Arnott’s Tim Tam during May and help support women living with breast cancer.
May marks a month-long fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition (BCAC). Supported by Arnott’s, the fundraiser asks you to ‘Show Your Heart’ by buying Tim Tam during the month from Countdown, Super Value or Fresh Choice supermarkets to help BCAC support thousands of women and their families as they tackle breast cancer.
March 2012
"Selective Use of Postoperative Radiotherapy AftEr MastectOmy (SUPREMO) trial"
A new clinical trial, SUPREMO, has recently opened at Waikato hospital inviting participation from women who have had a mastectomy for breast cancer and may be scheduled to undergo radiotherapy following their surgery.
As part of their work around Consumer Engagement, the Health Quality and Safety Commission, is sponsoring 15 people to attend New Zealand’s first health literacy conference. It is being organised by Workbase New Zealand and will be held at Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre, Auckland on Tuesday 1 May 2012.
Two courageous women in Waikato are currently turning distressing breast cancer experiences into something positive and beneficial for others who may follow them on a similar journey.
During 2011 BCAC reported on a research study underway through the University of Auckland designed to look at the psychological impact of fears about cancer recurrence in women who’ve been treated for breast cancer.
1 March 2012
The Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition (BCAC) expressed some disappointment today at the decision by PHARMAC to fund lapatinib (Tykerb) as an alternative to Herceptin for advanced HER2 positive breast cancer for use as a “first-line” metastatic treatment.
Following our feature article about new BCAC member group, Shocking Pink, a group providing information for young women with breast cancer, BCAC committee member, Gillian Wintrup, shares her story. She was just 35 when diagnosed with breast cancer.
BCAC welcomes new figures released by the Government last week (February 10, 2012) that show nearly 40,000 more women aged 50 to 69 have taken part in the Government’s free breast cancer screening programme in the 24 months to October 2011 than in the previous two years.
A total of 344,268 women participated in breast screening through BreastScreen Aotearoa in the two years ending in October 2011, compared with 305,839 women between 2007 and 2009.
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.
