Raising awareness of male breast cancer (From Watford Observer)

Raising awareness of male breast cancer

10:30am Friday 17th February 2006 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

WHEN Liz Burns' husband, Mike, was diagnosed with breast cancer, she felt like she had been "run over by a bus".

The shock that her husband had a life threatening disease was compounded by the fact he had breast cancer which more commonly affects women.

Liz, 62, said: "It was hard, as I had never heard of men suffering from breast cancer, so I didn't have anyone to turn to who had been through it.

"Whenever we went to the hospital everyone in the waiting room assumed I was the patient.

"I wanted to gather as much information together as I could to help Mike. There were lots of leaflets about sufferers and what they are going through, but I found there was nothing out there with advice on how their partners can cope.

"Partners are never in the equation."

Now this information is available, thanks to Breast Cancer Care.

The charity has launched a guide called In It Together, specifically for partners of cancer sufferers to help come to terms with the news and support their loved one.

If you would like to obtain a copy of the In It Together leaflet, log onto www.breastcancercare.org.uk or telephone 020 7384 4629 to request a publication order form. For more information and support on breast cancer, telephone Breast Cancer Care's helpline on 0808 800 6000.

To read Mike's full story see this week's copy of the Watford Observer.