The COVID-19 situation caused unacceptable delays to breast cancer diagnoses with more than 400 cases going undetected during lockdown. Breast Cancer Foundation NZ says dealing with the backlog must not be an excuse for the Government to break its promise to develop an early access programme for new cancer medicines.
Our call comes after two clinical trials using new drugs released promising results. The HER2CLIMB trial resulted in 70% one-year survival for people with HER2+ advanced breast cancer that has spread to the brain, compared with 47% for patients taking a placebo. Meanwhile, the phase 2 LOTUS trial showed advanced triple-negative breast cancer patients receiving ipatasertib with paclitaxel gained an extra nine months in survival.
The Pink Caravan is back on the road!
Our Pink Caravan tour restarted in Level 2, and our nurses are sharing advice around the South Island. We've loved meeting everyone who stopped by in Dunedin and Christchurch, answering your questions and hearing your stories 💕 Next week Pinkie is in Blenheim - keep an eye out for it in your town!
Well done to everyone who worked hard so we could get to Level 1! If you have worries or questions about what Level 1 may mean for you or if you’re having difficulty accessing services, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our nurses 💗 Call for free on 0800 226 8773 or email breastnurse@bcf.org.nz.
Come together for good
Pink Ribbon Breakfast is back for July! We’re excited to see our hosts get creative this year, from hosting a virtual breakfast to organising a mufti day. The most important thing is enjoying yourself and helping us work towards our vision of zero deaths from breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Register goes north!
Northland and Tairawhiti DHBs recently joined the Breast Cancer Foundation National Register, which tracks patient treatments to ensure everyone gets the same standard of care. Dr Maxine Ronald, a breast surgeon in Whangarei, says the Register “will play a huge part in making sure we can deliver services that are culturally appropriate, safe and competent.” Read more.
Exercising safely with breast cancer
If you're want to get back into exercise after breast cancer but you're worried about how to start, this blog post is for you! We shares tips on how to safely work up a sweat during and after breast cancer treatment. The top tips? Take your time and talk to your team! Read the full blog post here.
