A woman from Stroud is using her personal experience to help raise awareness of a new campaign from the charity, Make 2nds Count, ahead of Secondary Breast Cancer Awareness day on October 13th.
The ‘Truth Be Told’ campaign is part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and was created in recognition of secondary (metastatic) breast cancer.
Secondary (metastatic) breast cancer affects an estimated 61,000 people in the UK, but remains under-recognised and under-discussed. It’s an incurable form of cancer that spreads beyond the breast to other parts of the body, often bringing immense emotional, physical and mental toll to patients and their families. An estimated 1,000 women in the UK die from the disease every month.
Jacqueline Tolfree, 57, was diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2016 and had a recurrence in 2018. She said: “My oncologist had suggested doing a scan in 2021 “just to make sure” before signing me off. It was supposed to be my last appointment. I wasn’t expecting anything to come back – but it did. The cancer had spread to my chest wall and lymph nodes on my right side. I was shocked. Completely out of the blue. There were no lumps, no pain – nothing. And this all happened during lockdown. I got the news by phone. It was devastating.
“When they said it had spread, I assumed surgery would be the answer again – just take the lymph nodes out. But they told me no – when it’s secondary, you don’t operate like that. I’ve got my head around it now. Life is worth living. I tell myself I have a choice – not about the cancer, but about how I deal with it. That said, I still panic before scans. I still fear new pains. It’s not that I’m always calm – I just work hard to bring myself back when my mind runs off.
“I took part in this campaign because I’m happy to show my scars. This is me. I’ve got stage four breast cancer, but I’m also living a lovely life. Let’s show both.”
As part of the campaign the charity undertook a new YouGov survey which showed that 38 per cent of adults in the South West have never heard of secondary (metastatic) breast cancer and 32 per cent don’t know what any of the signs and symptoms are, despite it being leading cause of death for UK women between the ages of 40-59.
Figures of how many women and men are actually living with the disease are estimated because data collection is inaccurate and patchy across the UK. Audits are being attempted across some of the four nations with only Northern Ireland currently having accurate data, so that services and support can be more adequately provided.
Despite the charity’s ongoing drive to improve awareness, the statistics also indicate regional uncertainty around the disease. 29 per cent of adults in the South West believe secondary (metastatic) breast cancer can (wrongly) be cured and only 8 per cent selected the correct range “1,000 to 1999” for the approximate number of people secondary (metastatic) breast cancer kills every month.
Make 2nds Count is a UK patient and family focused charity dedicated to supporting those affected by secondary (metastatic) breast cancer also known as ‘stage 4’ or ‘advanced breast cancer’.
Sam Dixon, CEO of Make 2nds Count, said: “’Truth Be Told’ is more than an awareness initiative – it’s a movement of empowerment which aims to give hope. This disease is real, relentless – and invisible to so many. Our goal is to ensure that the voices of those living with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer in the South West are heard, respected, and supported.
“This research shows that a high percentage of adults in the South West have never even heard of secondary (metastatic) breast cancer even though approximately 1,000 people die UK wide every month from the disease.We’re here to change that and give a voice to the unseen struggles of this community and show their strength through our campaign.”
The poll also highlighted that:
- 29 per cent of adults in the South West didn’t know if men can get secondary (metastatic) breast cancer or not.
- 39 per cent of South West men didn’t know if they can get secondary (metastatic) breast cancer or not.
At the heart of Truth Be Told is a striking collection of photographic portraits, including Jacqueline, by renowned Irish photographer Jennifer Willis, which give a candid look at the lived experience of those with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer and capture the strength, vulnerability, and authenticity of those individuals living with the disease in an unfiltered way.
The campaign is part of the charity’s broader vision to support people with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer live longer and better lives. It provides advice about treatment options and clinical trials, connects patients through peer-to-peer and online support groups, wellbeing activities, and retreats and funds research, supporting more than 2,000 patients a year.
For more information about the Truth Be Told campaign or to get involved, visit https://bcam.make2ndscount.co.uk
