Support for women with secondary breast cancer

Help is at hand in the form of a free monthly group which is led by health professionals specifically for people who have had a diagnosis of secondary breast cancer.

Clinical nurse specialist from the breast care survivorship team Sue Cooper said: “It can be challenging both emotionally and physically for patients. Sometimes it really helps to talk to other people about it that are in a similar situation.”

Sue said the nurses had teamed up with the charity Breast Cancer Care to run monthly ‘living with secondary breast care’ sessions. They give patients the chance to meet in a relaxed and supportive environment to share experiences, reduce isolation and allay fears.

The two-hour sessions, which are held every third Thursday of the month at 11am at San Pietro in Scunthorpe, are free of charge. People can attend every month, or dip in and out, it is entirely their choice. The next event is being held on Thursday April 20.

A psychotherapist facilitates the sessions and every other month they welcome a guest speaker to share their knowledge and provide people with the chance to ask questions about a particular topic.

The only criteria for attendance is that the patient must have a secondary breast cancer diagnosis. Anyone wanting further information should contact their breast care specialist nursing team, oncology team or by ringing Breast Cancer Care on (0345) 0771893 or email: [email protected]