YOUR BREAST CANCER WAS / IS NOT YOUR FAULT - BCUK - - 'Push for Prevention' warning !!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.

As a 32yr old female just diagnosed I absolutely feel societal pressures almost accusing me of bringing this on myself. I’ve recently noticed (before my diagnosis) a push towards being told we can prevent cancer from exercising, eating well and avoiding alcohol. 

I actually told my mum the other day that I hope my genetic tests come back as positive and I’ll feel less guilty for all my past faults. Sad really. 

Thanks again x

Thank you Carolyn and for your posts. I can relate to this. I have lost count of the number of people who, when told of my diagnosis, have said something to the effect of "how can you have cancer? You're really fit.... aren't you?" People would sometimes start to ask me about my diet. I have always been a fitness fanatic, teetotal for ten years, eat healthily. I agree that a healthy diet and exercise are of course very important in terms of general health, but in my case this did not prevent BC at the age of 51. there are so many factors at play. I somehow felt guilty at my diagnosis, like I had failed or done something wrong. This feeling does not help you to be strong and battle to get through treatment, and will only add to the stress levels. Sometimes, I still struggle to convince myself that it really isn't my fault. You have helped to remind me.  Sending hugs to everyone xx

I agree! Thanks so much for this. I was given a book on diet to fight cancer not long after being diagnosed when with all the information I had to deal with it was a kick in the guts, was meant well so the intention was good! I actually do think I increased my likelihood of creating the conditions in my body for cancer to take hold, I drink or rather drank far too much. There’s no way of knowing but I just should have looked after myself better as I used booze as a prop or way to cope, celebrate, relax, socialise, you name it, plus just a bad habit of drinking a bottle of wine alone and justifying as a good quality one, who am I kidding! I actually lied in the surgery form about my intake and swore that would NEVER happen again. Weirdly I have had no booze for FOUR months, feel better, sleep better and am shocked as at THE most stressful time of my life, when would normally be reaching for the wine, don’t need it, believe now that I never really did. I will find it socially very hard especially if people tell me it’s a small price to pay (as they already have countless times) as every English occasion include a drink…. also there’s a weird pressure in our country to drink… or be boring, how can that be right?

I’ve gone on a bit as I do know am fit, slim, don’t smoke so booze only vice but guess like many people thought I was going to live to 100. im going forward thinking of this a a new reinvented me and trying not to beat myself up… also don’t want to send out message to others that I’m signalling  they are killing themselves by drinking when I’m out. Hears the final truth… wine has not served me for years anyway, dehydrate, get cross, don’t actually socialise better like used to and wipe out days feeling ropey after a few glasses. It was time to quit!!! 

Not sure the family Christmas will be easy to bear!!!

I used to hate this narrative. Also super fit octogenarians boasting about what they can do. I was very fit, and still got 2 primary cancers. Fortunately  I am at present NED. I feel very lucky. I was helped by someone on Facebook saying that my previous fitness would enable a good outcome. Seems she was right. Take care all x

These posts are spot on! At my results I actually said to the consultant "So much for women being told breast feeding prevents cancer". His reply was that breast feeding is only 25% protection. I breast fed for two years without interruption. There is no breast cancer in my family. Evidently there are so many other factors as causation and it is not just a modern day disease, ancient Egyptians were the first to note the disease of the breast.

I was cycling 50 miles in a day, running and gym  several times a week, I had always had a healthy diet , only drank alcohol occasionally then only one or two.  I had children young, breast fed and have no family history.  It's just luck because we are women and have breasts and hormones. 

It's no one's fault.

A few years ago my employer, a local authority, said they were putting in talks along similar line for staff to attend.  3 of us in office who had been treated for cancer plus a few who had lost family to cancer were outraged at the blaming.  We all emailed individually to the organiser his it was victim blaming and inappropriate/upsetting etc.  which could be far reaching to parents of children with cancer etc.  They did not have the courtesy to reply but the talks never went ahead .  

I ranted about it on here community.macmillan.org.uk/.../breast-cancer-uk-prevention-campagin

This just seems out and out victim blaming. It’s really made my blood boil. 
My consultant surgeon said the biggest risk by far was being female. 

hi all, happy Easter, I hope you're all able to enjoy it a bit. 

I get that people find it a comfort to have a varying viewpoint on the cause of your breast cancer and I was happy to supply it. 

I don't hang around here much any more but you can still tag me and private message me using the @ symbol 

Do feel free to have a look around on any of the male cancer specific web sites to see how you'd be treated if you were a bloke with, for example, testicular cancer.  It's very enlightening.  There's rarely any personal factors mentioned in male cancers. 

Eating sensibly, exercising, enjoying a drink in moderation are all things you should be doing anyway but remember it's the drooling years it extends. I hope to be fit and active into my 80s but my aunt was in a care home for the last 10 years, disabled by a stroke and unable to even have a conversation. Eventually the only way out for her was to refuse to take medication.

Nobody has a crystal ball, my father died at 61, he went to bed and just didn't wake up in the morning, my mother died at 60 and was ill for a good five years with leukaemia. 

Covid opened up a whole new range of potential causes of my demise, including glue like mucus. 

I am now going back into the garden to fight with a few stubborn weeds

then I will roast a nice piece of beef and I might even eat a bit of chocolate

big hugs to everyone

Carolyn

xx

diagnosed in 2015, after a routine scan missed a tumour in 2012, Her2+++, chemo August to Christmas

been there, seen it, done it, got the T shirt.

Hi all this post is almost 1 year old and I'm not quite sure why people, are posting in it now? Im concerned  that if anyone new came in and saw this post they may think that they have somehow done something to cause their Breast Cancer which we know is not true