Macmillan's Cancer Information Blog

  • "It’s cancer" ... what now?

    FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Here on the 9th floor of an office block in Vauxhall, my colleagues and I produce information to help people cope and live with cancer. Many of our lives have personally been touched by cancer too. We know what a cancer diagnosis can do. It can turn your world upside down. Pull the rug from beneath your feet. Leave you in shock, feeling numb, confused and scared. If you or someone close has been diagnosed with cancer…

  • Preventative double mastectomies on the rise

    FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Angelina Jolie is the latest in a string of famed women to announce she’s had risk-reducing breast surgery after discovering she carries a breast cancer (BRCA) gene. Before her, Michelle Heaton and Sharon Osbourne have also had this major surgery, which can reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 95%. But what does surgery involve? What are the BRCA genes and how do you know whether you carry one? And while the benefits…

  • Bowel cancer – knowing the signs

    FormerMember
    FormerMember

    April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. In this blog, Vicky from the Cancer Information Development Team talks about her experience of bowel cancer and the importance of spotting it early.

    The facts

    Bowel cancer, also called colorectoal cancer, is the third most common cancer in the UK. More than 40,000 men and women are diagnosed with the disease every year.

    I was diagnosed with bowel cancer when I was 25, but…

  • Breast screening – to have or not to have it

    FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Breast screening certainly saves lives. It helps to diagnose breast cancer early, which we know improves the outcome of treatment. But is regular screening doing more harm than good? There’s varying opinion about breast screening – even among the experts – and this can be confusing for women who just want to do the best for their health.

    There’s been lots of talk in the media about the risks of breast…