Living with breast cancer, the most common cancer in the UK is never going to be easy and surviving five years is a reason to celebrate. 8 out of 10 women now reach this five-year marki thanks to the success of breast cancer treatmentii, with women all over the country still living life to the full.

The five-year point is even more of a milestone for those taking tamoxifen, the five-year hormone treatment known to be the gold standard for women with breast cancer. Yet with the relief of getting through treatment, it is easy to become complacent and forget to be extra vigilant at this stage. In fact, more than half of all cancers that return occur after women have completed their five-year course of tamoxifen treatment.iii

There is a surprising lack of knowledge amongst women who have completed their five-year course about the risk of recurrence. 1 in 4 post-menopausal women who have survived the past five years of breast cancer claim not to know if the risk of recurrence is higher for them than other breast cancer patients.iv More information is clearly needed for patients.

To combat this, a new website called www.lifeafterfive.co.uk launched on Tuesday 30th January, provides a support base for women five years after their diagnosis offering information about the disease and the risk of recurrence. The Life After Five website looks at how patients are now survivors living full and vivacious lives. With help on coping with the disease and patients’ real life experiences to read and download, The Life After Five website is an ideal online destination for people to learn more about life after breast cancer.

Vickki Harmer joins us live online at www.webchats.tv on Tuesday 30th January at 2.30pm to discuss the five year milestone

Chat spokesperson’s biog Vickki Harmer, St Mary’s Hospital London Vickki Harmer is the clinical nurse specialist for breast care at St Mary's Hospital London. Vickki’s passion within breast care is surgical treatment for breast cancer; psychosexual problems post treatment, what is left behind after completion of treatment, and what patients deem acceptable treatment trade-offs.

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