NZ’s first cancer patient webinar

News, 13 October 2016 (Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day)

NZ’s first cancer patient webinar: Living a normal(ish) life with advanced breast cancer

On Tuesday October 18, the NZ Breast Cancer Foundation will host what it believes is the first NZ-based webinar for cancer patients. Living a normal(ish) life with advanced breast cancer will feature three panellists discussing the challenges of getting on with life while dealing with medical uncertainty and physical and emotional challenges. The webinar will include an interactive question and answer session.

Today is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day, which can often get overlooked in the flurry of Breast Cancer Month activities. Metastatic or advanced breast cancer (ABC) is incurable but can be treated to prolong life and improve quality of life.

“October isn't just about breast cancer awareness. It's also about supporting everyone who's living with breast cancer,” said NZ Breast Cancer Foundation chief executive Evangelia Henderson. “An advanced breast cancer diagnosis prompts a ton of questions, and they’re not all medical. How do I manage uncertainty? How do I have those difficult conversations? How do I manage my own expectations, and the expectations of my loved ones? It can be hard to arrange physical meetings with a patient group that’s spread out across the country, so we figured a webinar is the ideal way to have this important conversation with ABC patients wherever they are.”

The free one-hour webinar will start at 7pm on Tuesday October 18. It is aimed at advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients, but their family and friends, early breast cancer patients and medical professionals are also welcome. People can join the webinar from any computer, tablet or smartphone.

Topics covered will include managing uncertainty, maintaining meaning and purpose, living well through highs and lows, dealing with anxiety and depression, and having difficult conversations. Members of the panel include a patient who has lived with advanced breast cancer for 12 years, an ABC support worker and a health psychologist who specialises in the cancer field.

Anyone want to join the webinar should register at www.nzbcf.org.nz/webinars . Instructions for how to connect will be emailed to participants.

The NZ Breast Cancer Foundation is planning a series of webinars for breast cancer patients over the next 12 months.

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