Men diagnosed with breast cancer

Good afternoon Barbara,

Thank you for contacting Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) and for your kind feedback.

I am really sorry to hear about your daughter's diagnosis of breast cancer - especially for the second time. This must have been a very distressing time for her, as well as for her husband and for you and your family.  It sounds like she received good support from her treatment team on the Sunshine Coast and I hope that she has ongoing support from her medical team and those around her.  If you think we can be of further help, Barbara, please don’t hesitate to call us on 1800 500 258 - or encourage your daughter to contact us if she feels the need.

Your daughter may have already accessed our My Journey digital resource which  is accessible online or as a downloadable app. It provides high quality, evidence-based information and insights from others diagnosed with breast cancer and is easy to access via a computer, tablet or smartphone.  The following link will take you to more information.

https://www.bcna.org.au/understanding-breast-cancer/resources/my-journey/        My Journey 

My Journey was developed with assistance from breast cancer specialists and offers:

*Information and support tailored to her specific needs at all stages of her breast cancer journey including survivorship;
*Immediate updates as new insights, research and clinical trials become available;
*Videos, webcasts and podcasts;

Thank you also for raising the issue of gender diversity in relation to a breast cancer diagnosis.  Breast Cancer in men has been an area of focus for BCNA for a number of years and the following link will take you to the section on our website which provides information and links to other organisations and resources specifically for men who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.  

https://www.bcna.org.au/understanding-breast-cancer/breast-cancer-in-men/        Breast Cancer in Men.

It is very heartening to read that it was a man, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and who was the most helpful person to you in your support of your daughter, Barbara. He would have a very deep understanding of a breast cancer diagnosis and associated treatment and I think it is courageous of him to come forward to help you when your need was so great. I hope he is having a good response to his treatment as well. We are  here for him too if he ever feels the need to reach out to us.  I imagine he would have a lot of good advice and information for not only BCNA, but for other men in his situation.

Regarding highlighting the fact that men get breast cancer too, BCNA has incorporated a number of strategies including adding the colour blue to our resources and 'branding' to bring attention to this fact.  Although the Pink Lady is the recognised symbol of BCNA, we do include blue silhouettes at our events including our Minifield of Women tribute events and the Field of Women Live events which have been held at the MCG over the years. 

Your suggestion of including a blue dot or similar in our symbol to recognise men is a thoughtful one and I have referred your email on to management for further consideration and response.

Thank you for taking the time to raise this important issue with us, Barbara.  I hope your daughter is responding well to treatment and that you are all keeping safe and well throughout this difficult time of COVID pandemic. 

If you have any questions, or if we can help further, please don’t hesitate to contact us again, or call our Helpline on 1800 500 258.

With best wishes,

Meredith 

Thanks for all the amazing work you all do,

We had breast cancer impact our family and have only just come through a second round, where it returned 18 months after a double mastectomy for our daughter. She was told she’d be safe after removal of all her breast tissue but unfortunately the margin around the cancer cells wasn’t large enough and it spread by surgery. 
This second time it had to be chemotherapy combined with radiation at the very same time, followed by timely surgery before the radiated skin lost its ability to heal. 
She just scraped through there, as an ulcer formed which oozed for months and looked like never healing. Infection was the risk and her husband dressed the wound with great loving care. 

With such a great team on the Sunshine Coast Qld. we have all arrived to what appears to be an all clear. 

Throughout this journey the most helpful person to me (as a major support) in this unknown landscape, seeing that first surgery was performed in Melbourne, was a man, who also went through the same treatments by virtually this same medical team. 

I’m writing now to request a very simple way of promoting this gender cross over of breast cancer, so that awareness amongst GPs is increased and the public can be informed that male breast tissue, especially given a family history, can also be cancerous and show early deadly symptoms. 
Men will then know not just to check their testicles for lumps but to also suspect lumps on their breasts as a risk. 

The GP involved with this male survivor dismissed his lump for months and only on his insistence, was a referral given for an ultrasound. 
If he was female, it would have been caught months earlier and maybe the spread to lymph nodes, in this male’s case, could have been prevented. 

Could you please let me know what you could do to encompass in your messaging the fact that males are also impacted? 
I would like to thank this male supporter who gave us the confidence to handle these necessary gruelling treatments on the Sunshine Coast. I’m hoping for a small change, to acknowledge males also suffer this terrible disease. 

What visible change to the messaging promoted by yourselves could you make?
I believe the idea of a blue dot on your pink ribbon, suggested a few years ago, would create a much needed conversation and acknowledge this gender cross over. 

In today’s world where gender is fluid and titles defining gender are being questioned, it would be sensible and seen as a step forward, if your body incorporated males in this visible way. 

The pink lady is your symbol and that’s fair enough but the blue dot on a pink ribbon would be a great way to educate both medical professionals on the front line and the public, as well as the important men in our lives. 

Please advise what steps can be taken to see this small but important step forward. 

With great appreciation,
Barbara