Now that I am in another group that nobody wants to be part of (secondary/ metastatic/ terminal cancer club), breast cancer awareness month feels different. I still believe that fast diagnosis is vitally important; and as part of that, knowing your body and going to the GP asap if you notice changes.
Cancer does not discriminate: it doesn’t care if you do yoga or eat healthily or are young or too busy to visit the doctor.
But now, even more than when I was diagnosed with my primary 8 years ago, I am aware of the necessity of ongoing research into treatments. Especially into secondary breast cancer, which is when the cancer has spread from the initial site. About 35% of people who were diagnosed with primary cancer will go onto develop secondaries within the next 10 years. And the life expectancy at secondary diagnosis is about 2 years. Some people are diagnosed with primary and secondary cancer at the same time. I was lucky to have an 8 year gap between them, especially given my young age at primary diagnosis.
Secondary bc can be treated, but not cured. I will die of my cancer one day. About 1000 people die of metastatic cancer every month in the UK (Source.)
But there is little research done into it compared with primary bc. Many patients who survived a primary diagnosis do not even know that they are at high risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of their bodies (bones, brain, liver and lungs, for example.)
I see people celebrating that they are ‘cancer free.’ Sadly, there is no such thing, and any good doctor would not say those words. The best that you can hope for is ‘no evidence of disease’ (NED).
To find out more about secondary breast cancer, go to: Cancer research UK
or, to see a helpful infographic about symptoms to look out for, visit: Abc diagnosis
It is better to know than to be ignorant. Earlier detection of even secondary cancers can enable more treatment options, and possibly more time.
Don’t assume that your GP knows these secondary cancer symptoms if you have had cancer in the past: they are not oncologists and you know your own body best.
Being positive, telling patients to ‘fight’ and wearing pink will not save lives: research will. I support Cancer Research UK with a regular donation. If you would like to help people with all types of cancers, you can too.
https://donate.cancerresearchuk.org/donate
Just another blog 