Research of post breast cancer treatment in BME patients
Significant funding has been awarded for a new research project looking at how to help patients from Black, South Asian and diverse socio-economic populations move on from breast cancer treatment, which is being carried out by the UK’s leading breast cancer support charity.
Researchers at Breast Cancer Care, along with Professor Emma Ream from the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery at King’s College London and Professor Seeromanie Harding from the Medical Research Council’s Social Public Health Science Unit, will use the funding to carry out the first ever UK study on the wellbeing of people from diverse backgrounds who have finished their treatment for breast cancer. It will also identify what support services are needed.
The grant has come from the Big Lottery Fund, which distributes half of the National Lottery good cause funding across the UK. The Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need.
Of the 2 million cancer survivors in the UK, 550,000 of them have been treated for breast cancer. People we support through our services have told us moving on after treatment is a particularly difficult time, and so Breast Cancer Care has developed a package of services called Moving Forward to help people to do this.
The findings of this research will help us to develop a similar service aimed at Black and South Asian patients and those from a diverse socio-economic background to address the physical and emotional issues they may be facing after their breast cancer treatment.
Breast Cancer Care’s chief executive Samia al Qadhi said: “Breast Cancer Care is committed to providing inclusive and accessible services to all people affected by breast cancer. We know from speaking to patients who use our services that the time after completing hospital treatment is particularly difficult. We are passionate about undertaking research into the experiences of these groups, and hope this research will inform Breast Cancer Care’s Moving Forward package of services for people who have completed treatment.“
The project will last for three-and-a-half years and will cover four NHS sites in Liverpool, Bradford, South London and Essex. It will include interviews with women from these areas exploring their experiences of being diagnosed with breast cancer and other issues they faced during and after treatment. The researchers will look at how best to develop services to help patients in this position.
Principal Investigator and Head of Research & Evaluation at Breast Cancer Care Karen Scanlon said: “We are delighted to have received this funding from the Big Lottery Fund. It’s exciting to be doing the first UK study to examine the well-being of patients from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and Black and South Asian groups who have completed treatment for breast cancer, and we’re looking forward to finding ways we can best support them in living with breast cancer.”
To find out more about the Moving Forward package of services go to: www.breastcancercare.org.uk/movingforward
For support and information about breast cancer go to www.breastcancercare.org.uk or call the freephone helpline on 0808 800 6000.