Breast cancer patients reminded of importance of remaining breast aware after the five year mark

Living with breast cancer, the most common cancer in the UK, is never going to be easy and surviving five years is a reason to celebrate. 8 out of 10 women now reach this five-year mark1 thanks to the success of breast cancer treatment2, with women all over the country still living life to the full.

The five-year point is even more of a milestone for those taking tamoxifen, the five-year hormone treatment known to be the gold standard for women with breast cancer. Yet, with the relief of getting through treatment, it is easy to become complacent and forget to be extra vigilant at this stage. In fact, more than half of all cancers that return occur after women have completed their five-year course of tamoxifen treatment.3

There is a surprising lack of knowledge amongst women who have completed their five-year course about the risk of recurrence. 1 in 4 post-menopausal women who have survived the past five years of breast cancer claim not to know if the risk of recurrence is higher for them than other breast cancer patients.4 More information is clearly needed for patients.

To combat this, a new website called www.lifeafterfive.co.uk, to launch on Tuesday 30th January, provides a support base for women five years after their diagnosis offering information about the disease and the risk of recurrence.

The Life After Five website looks at how patients are now survivors living full and vivacious lives. With help on coping with the disease and patients’ real life experiences to read and download, The Life After Five website is an ideal online destination for people to learn more about life after breast cancer.

Vickki Harmer joins us live online at: www.webchats.tv on Tuesday 30th January at 2.30pm to discuss the five year milestone.

For more information, visit: www.lifeafterfive.co.uk when it launches on Tuesday the 30th of January.

Pictured left: Vickki Harmer is the clinical nurse specialist for breast care at St Mary's Hospital London. Vickki’s passion within breast care is surgical treatment for breast cancer; psychosexual problems post treatment, what is left behind after completion of treatment, and what patients deem acceptable treatment trade-offs.

1. Cancer Research UK Statistics Department
2. Kings Fund Report: Future Trends and Challenges for Cancer Services in England. A review of literature and policy. Visit: www.kingsfund.org.uk/resources/publications/future_trends.html (Accessed November 2006).
3. Saphner T et al. J Clin Oncol 1996; 14(10): 2738-2746
4. The GAEA Initiative. Gathering Information on Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy. Data presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), Istanbul, 30th September 2006.