What you still don't know about breast cancer

The topic of breast cancer can feel familiar — from October walks to pink ribbons, Americans know breast cancer.

That is, until you or a loved one is diagnosed.

Suddenly, breast cancer moves from a topic that feels championed to a topic that is entirely too new, too unknown and too fresh. Suddenly, there is not enough information or resources to help a family cope.

Nearly all Americans are aware that breast cancer poses a serious health threat to both women and men, but despite the vast awareness, many don't know what it really means to fight this disease. According to a recent study conducted by Ford's breast cancer awareness initiative, Warriors in Pink, more than 40 percent of Americans are unfamiliar with the day-to-day challenges patients face while in treatment, and even more, nearly 75 percent admit that they are unsure how to best support patients.

Loved ones not knowing how to help makes a difference because family and friends are proven to be patients' greatest resources for getting through treatment. Supporters may not know where to start in providing support, feeling that the issues facing patients are too big for them to solve. But what you still don't know about breast cancer is that the little things matter more than ever. In fact, the ability to maintain day-to-day routines during treatment is one of breast cancer patients' top concerns — second only to life expectancy.

“In terms of the day-to-day, it's those tasks that were hardest for me,” says breast cancer survivor, Jenn Nudelman. “So my friends and family just came and did things. They didn't give me a choice. A lot of times people reach out and say, 'What can I do?' But I'm not a person who asks for help. It was those friends who didn't even ask, just acted, that I really shared the journey with.”

The key to care and being able to “just act” is being familiar with what types of support patients need most. When asked what type of support that is, patients report needing the most help with daily activities like household chores, errands and meal preparation while undergoing treatment.

“People brought meals to me,” says survivor Lisa Hedenstrom, “and my husband organized a lot of the logistics — taking me to appointments and helping me organize those appointments. Family and friends would come help with tasks for me, too. Because of them, I didn't have to worry about grocery shopping or other types of tiring daily chores.”

Another survivor, Lori Redunski, could relate. “My husband hired a cleaning crew to come in and my kids would come home and see the lines in the carpet, smell the cleanser and feel comfortable in their home. It made our life so much easier,” she says.

These daily tasks are often overlooked, but every action taken to help patients to focus on their health and fighting this disease makes a difference.

“There are missing things that people don't think about,” says survivor Heidi Floyd. “For example, if you need your sidewalk shoveled because of the snow, your lawn mowed or your pets cared for. Who has energy to walk their dog when they're doing eight or nine hours of chemo or daily radiation?”

While help with these daily tasks undeniably lessens the burden on breast cancer patients, it's important to remember that emotional care is also vital for those going through treatment.

“Through it all, you need at least one supporter who is genuinely there to do just that, to support you; to pray with you and to make you laugh,” says survivor Deborah Hayes. “Amidst trying to be strong throughout treatment and recovery, and making sure that everything in your personal life still gets accomplished, one really does need that supportive friend or group to share your innermost feelings.”

To empower friends and family to take action and support the breast cancer patients in their lives, Ford Warriors in Pink offers free support services that make it easy to respond to their greatest needs — including cleaning services, meal kit deliveries, alternative hospital wear, online scheduling tools and more. These resources, available on their website at www.fordcares.com, allow loved ones who don't know how to help to simply click and “just act” — without being asked. Additionally, the site offers tips and ideas on how to help patients have more good days during their journey.

“I was blessed with a great family and friends that were there to bring me support,” Redunski says. “But when people don't have that support, they really need to feel comfortable with the resources that are available to them — whether through their doctors or online.”

Take the time to learn how you can make the little things add up to a supportive journey for the breast cancer patients in your life.

Go Beyond Pink

BPT

This October, there will be lots of pink ribbons, shirts, and pins all across the United States supporting early breast cancer survivors. But, it is also important to acknowledge the approximately 151,000 U.S. women currently living with metastatic breast cancer, the most advanced stage of the disease.

These women can have a very different experience than those diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.

Seven months ago, Pam Pingeton began her journey. “I was in utter shock,” she recalls after receiving the news that her breast cancer had metastasized, or spread, to other areas of the body five years after her diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer. “I was in the best shape of my life and felt on top of the world, so I was floored.”

Following her diagnosis, Pingeton sought to learn as much as she could about the disease. “I didn't know what metastatic breast cancer meant. I had to educate myself,” Pingeton says. “I learned as much as I could by researching different websites, but found that much of the information focused on early breast cancer and didn't apply to me.”

To help educate women living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), in October 2015 AstraZeneca launched the Beyond Pink: Sharing Our Metastatic Breast Cancer Story educational campaign. Beyond Pink was created specifically for MBC patients and their loved ones to provide tools and information for their unique journey. This year, the Beyond Pink campaign is extending its reach by bringing experience centers to cities across the U.S. to help inform the general public about MBC and empower patients to drive their own journey through educational videos and photo-sharing opportunities.

“This campaign is critical in order to educate the public. Before reading the educational materials I didn't fully understand MBC, nor did I know that approximately 30 percent of women with early breast cancer will eventually have their breast cancer return as metastatic disease at some point in their lives,” Pingeton says.

Pingeton's best piece of advice for those living with MBC is, “Live for the moment and don't worry about the what-ifs. Live as normally as possible. Face the challenges/obstacles as they come but don't obsess about what might happen.”

To further help create awareness of MBC, find strength and solidarity in these experiences, and show support for this specific community, Pingeton is encouraging the MBC community to share their stories and photos to inspire others, using #MBCStrength on Twitter and Facebook, for a chance to be featured in the campaign. To learn more about MBC and how to go Beyond Pink, visit www.LifeBeyondPink.com.