Sharing your breast cancer experience with the media

Member

8 years ago

Are you interested in sharing your breast cancer story?

BCNA exists to support and advocate for our members. The media (print, radio, TV and online) is one way we keep the wider Australian community aware of what BCNA does and what more needs to be done to improve breast cancer treatment in our health system.

Our members have so many wonderful and important stories, and we want to help you to share them with a wider audience. We're creating a list of BCNA members who are keen to share their stories with the media, so we can draw on them if and when required.

Here are some examples of stories our media team has worked on with our members and the news media:

Long wait times for breast reconstruction surgery in Cairns, QLD:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-27/breast-cancer-survivors-agonising-wait-reconstruction-north-qld/9089424

The impact of sexual side effects of breast cancer treatment (featuring @SoldierCrab):
https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/life/health/article/2018/02/26/breaking-taboos-talking-about-sexual-side-effects-breast-cancer-treatment

Men's breast cancer awareness day:
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/5000764/wollongong-man-raises-awareness-after-mastectomy/

If you are willing to be interviewed please direct message either @Marianne_BCNA or myself @Sophie_BCNA with your name, state and topic you’d like to speak about. It can be any topic related to your breast cancer journey - good or bad, happy or sad.

We fully respect that many people do not want to publicly share their story which is why we will only contact people who register their interest to be involved. You will be contacted by a BCNA staff member to check whether you are still interested before your details are passed on to a journalist.

Published 8 years ago

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Sophie_BCNA

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Joined February 13, 2017

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Anonymous
7 years ago

Jane221 said:

Hi @Romla and @kmakm, this was the discussion thread you were talking about earlier: http://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/17376/advice-to-medical-students-your-thoughts/p1

The comments I received from this discussion were fantastic and were presented to 2nd Yr Sydney University Medical Oncology students as part of my talk and gave them a great insight into the positive and negative experiences we often deal with in relation to the medical community.

With regard to this thread; having had a little bit of experience dealing with the media, I would agree that stories need to be packaged and presented to them in a way that works a particular angle (local / tie in with broader current issues etc) and that personal stories and photos are important to grab their attention. Good on everyone who has offered to help with their stories, I'm sure this will be of great assistance to BCNA as part of their ongoing public awareness work. Jane xx

Well done Jane, all treating doctors need to be aware of the people they are treating. Even though it's like sticking your neck out there, it causes conversation and increases awareness. Go you happening thing you xx
Anonymous
7 years ago

primek said:

I'd be happy to help and can give a rural perspective. Travelling 1000 k round trips to see a breast surgeon and 600k round trip for gated blood pool scan. Iptaas wouldn't cover a flight when my husband couldn't come on one trip and I was incapable of handling that trip on my own. I had to withdraw against my life insurance as we couldn't even get a carers allowance for my husband or sickness benefits and my son couldn't get unemployment when he lost his job (and living 300k away) even though I wasn't working...but they base the assessment on previous 2 years.

That's right PrimeK ......the further away we live, the more challenging it can be. If we continue to make these things public and increase awareness, create conversation and represent our communities, also lobbying our politicians hopefully, something might be done to improve the current situation.
kmakm
Member
7 years ago
Thanks @Jane221. I am looking forward to reading that!
Romla
Member
7 years ago
@Jane221 am hoping other medical schools can be as enlightened as Sydney. The human dimension to breast cancer and it’s treatment needs to be known as well as the medical aspects. Am glad you gave this talk - Thankyou!
Jane221
Member
7 years ago
Hi @Romla and @kmakm, this was the discussion thread you were talking about earlier: http://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/17376/advice-to-medical-students-your-thoughts/p1

The comments I received from this discussion were fantastic and were presented to 2nd Yr Sydney University Medical Oncology students as part of my talk and gave them a great insight into the positive and negative experiences we often deal with in relation to the medical community.

With regard to this thread; having had a little bit of experience dealing with the media, I would agree that stories need to be packaged and presented to them in a way that works a particular angle (local / tie in with broader current issues etc) and that personal stories and photos are important to grab their attention. Good on everyone who has offered to help with their stories, I'm sure this will be of great assistance to BCNA as part of their ongoing public awareness work. Jane xx
primek
Member
7 years ago
I'd be happy to help and can give a rural perspective. Travelling 1000 k round trips to see a breast surgeon and 600k round trip for gated blood pool scan. Iptaas wouldn't cover a flight when my husband couldn't come on one trip and I was incapable of handling that trip on my own. I had to withdraw against my life insurance as we couldn't even get a carers allowance for my husband or sickness benefits and my son couldn't get unemployment when he lost his job (and living 300k away) even though I wasn't working...but they base the assessment on previous 2 years.
PatsyN
Member
7 years ago
I worked in publishing most of my life. What the media wants is a hook. Something that will get them maximum viewers and be slightly sensational. @SoldierCrab had the right idea. Much more interesting to talk about vaginas than metastatic nodes. I hate to say it but you've gotta make breast cancer look attractive somehow or other. To be hip to have it! That would be news.
My tongue is planted firmly in my cheek but humour is how I handle all disasters.
Romla
Member
7 years ago
@SoldierCrab and @kmakm I guess information imparts better if it is personalised rather just stats or facts without context. I also get that many prefer to retain their privacy rather than be the subject of a media story - tbh to a degree so do I. There is such a lot on here we discuss that the public do not know and should - there are aspects of this that I had not realised too.The blog is useful for primary research and does highlight current issues uppermost in members minds . Thanks for clarifying.
kmakm
Member
7 years ago
To get your point across in the media, to catch people's attention, a photo is often considered advantageous.
SoldierCrab
Member
7 years ago
Romla, I can say from sharing my experience with the media regarding the group "Let's talk about vaginas" we need to raise specific information to the media in the correct way and also with the right content....Both KP and myself where interviewed in regards to the side effects on sexual health after a BC diagnosis this is so that the Media can actually do a story that is relevant to the topic. There are quite a few members who would rather just have support and not partake in any media stories etc... hence why BCNA have asked who wants to share their story....