A NEW telephone counselling service aims to help Border and North East people cope better with secondary breast cancer.
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The free national resource opened by Breast Cancer Network Australia offers advice from experienced oncology counsellors.
Network chief executive Christine Nolan said the one-on-one confidential sessions would try to help people cope with anxiety about the future, concerns about their loved ones and financial pressures.
Secondary (metastatic) breast cancer occurred when the cancer spread from the breast to another part of the body, such as the bones, liver, lungs and more rarely the brain.
Although incurable, recent advances in treatment meant secondary breast cancer could be controlled, often for many years.
A 2014 study by the network found one-third of people living with this form of cancer felt they were not receiving enough emotional support from their treating team. The research showed people really wanted strategies for coping with their illness.
“Women with secondary breast cancer have a much more complex treatment pathway and a poorer prognosis than women with early breast cancer yet they tend to have less access to information and support programs specific to their individual needs,” Ms Nolan said.
“We also know that people living in rural and regional areas can feel particularly isolated by their diagnosis due to a lack of access to local support services.”
To make an appointment for telephone counselling, call 1800 500 258 or email beacon@bcna.org.au.