It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Discover how we help those living beyond cancer
Key breast cancer statistics
According to Cancer Research UK, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, accounting for almost a third (30%) of all female cancer cases.
Whilst it's the most common form of cancer in women, it's also the most survivable.
In fact, survival rates have doubled in the past 50 years thanks to routine screening, diagnostic advances, and improved treatments.
Around three in four women (75.9%) diagnosed with breast cancer in England survive their disease for ten years or more.
But even after successful treatment, breast cancer can leave it's mark in other ways.
People who have had breast cancer benefit from emotional support after
We make sure they get it
We provide much-needed emotional support to those living beyond breast cancer
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we're spreading the word about the emotional support we provide to people that have had breast cancer.
The trauma of receiving a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment can leave long-lasting psychological scars.
Women that have been through it tell us that it changes them, with many sharing that they continue to feel anxious, sad, lonely, and even guilty for being unable to live-up to the expectations of friends and family who assume that getting the 'all clear' means a return to life as it was before.
To help those that have had breast cancer understand, live with, and perhaps overcome some of these feelings as they adjust to their 'new normal', we developed Cancer Coach.
What is Cancer Coach?
Cancer Coach is our six-week peer support group programme and it's free to join.
It's held in small groups, either online or over the phone, and is run by experienced facilitators. Cancer Coach is open to women aged 18 and over who have previously had a primary breast cancer diagnosis and who have completed their physical cancer treatment.
It's not one-to-one counselling or therapy. Instead, it's much more forward-looking, focused on helping women living beyond breast cancer to develop everyday practical tools and coping strategies.
As well as learning from our Cancer Coaches, you'll meet and hear from other women with similar experiences to you, who may have lessons of their own to impart.
Opening-up and talking in a safe, peer-group space, can really help.
Samantha joined a Cancer Coach group
"Being able to talk with other people who had similar experiences to me was invaluable."
Samantha joined a Cancer Coach support group after finding coping with recovery much harder than anticipated.
Samantha was first diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in February 2020. She started a course of chemotherapy in March, during the first week of lockdown, followed by surgery and then radiotherapy, which continued right through to October.
The cancer diagnosis came as quite a shock to Samantha: “It was completely unexpected. I was devastated and very scared."
When treatment was complete, Samantha, who was shielding with her partner throughout that time, found coping with recovery much harder than she anticipated.
“I lived in constant fear of the cancer returning. I also found going back to work a real mental challenge, even though I was working from home.
“I honestly think that absolutely no one – even those closest to you – understand at all what you are going through. The only people I could really talk to – who actually ‘got it’ – were the people who had experienced cancer themselves.
“I was very lonely and anxious, especially dealing with all the stress of the pandemic at the same time. Even now, I think I am still trying to adapt.”
Samantha decided to join a Cancer Coach Support Group.
“I went on the Cancer Coach course because, apart from my partner, I didn’t really talk to anyone about what had happened. All social meetings were virtual anyway and we didn’t really go out at all because of shielding.
“Our facilitator on the course was fantastic, carefully supporting our conversations and providing practical tools to help us move forward.
“Being able to talk with other people who had had similar experiences to me was invaluable. In addition, the strategies and techniques for dealing with negative feelings really helped me process everything I had gone through.
"I absolutely loved the group and got a lot out of it. I have stayed in contact with two ladies who were on the course with me. We now have a WhatsApp group to keep in touch regularly, which really helps."
If Samantha's story sounds familiar, and you'd like some support, click here and register to join Cancer Coach today.
Spread the word with us this Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Despite the prevalence of breast cancer, and the large numbers of women that survive it every year, the number of women accessing emotional support with us is lower than we'd like.
We want to do something about that by raising awareness of Cancer Coach during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
You can help by simply sharing this page on social media. If enough people join in, we should be able to reach thousands more women that can benefit from our support.
You can share it quickly and easily with any of these links:
Help us keep Cancer Coach free forever
We know it's tough right now thanks to the cost-of-living crisis, but if you can spare it, we'd love it if you could support our work during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, knowing that the money you give helps women in need, women like these:
"Cancer Coach showed me that I wasn’t alone in my cancer journey"
- Julia
"Cancer Coach helped me understand my emotional turmoil"
- Lynne
"Cancer Coach sessions healed my soul and brought me back to the person I was before the cancer"
- Tara
© Cancer Support UK
Registered Charity No. 1105703 (England and Wales) SC039731 (Scotland)