Further information
If you would like to talk to someone else who has been through similar experiences, trained volunteers can be contacted through Breast Cancer Care (see below) or local self-help groups. The following national associations provide emotional support and practical help to women with breast cancer or to their friends and relatives.
Useful addresses
We have included the following organisations because, on preliminary investigation, they may be of use to the reader. However, we do not have first-hand experience of each organisation and so cannot guarantee the organisation’s integrity. The reader must therefore exercise his or her own discretion and judgement when making further enquiries.
Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Weston House, 3rd Floor, 246 High Holborn
London WC1V 7EX
Tel: 020 7025 2400 Freephone info line: 0808 010 0200 Website: www.breakthrough.org.uk
A charity with aims to raise awareness of breast cancer issues among the public and to campaign hard to keep breast cancer high on the media and political agendas. Has established a research centre for breast cancer research and treatment.
Breast Cancer Care
5–13 Great Suffolk Street London SE1 0NS Freephone: 0808 800 6000 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat 9am–2pm) Textphone: 0808 800 6001 Website: www.breastcancercare.org.uk
Specialist breast care nurses provide practical advice, medical information and support to women concerned about breast cancer. Volunteers who have had breast cancer themselves assist in giving emotional support to cancer patients and their partners. Free leaflets and a prosthesis-fitting service also provided.
Breast Cancer Care Scotland and Northern Ireland
169 Elderslie Street Glasgow G3 7JR Tel: 0845 077 1892
Specialist breast care nurses provide practical advice, medical information and support to women concerned about breast cancer. Volunteers who have had breast cancer themselves assist in giving emotional support to cancer patients and their partners. Free leaflets and a prosthesis-fitting service also provided.
Breast Cancer Haven
Effie Road
London SW6 1TB
Tel: 020 7384 0099
Website: www.breastcancerhaven.org.uk
A charity providing support centres for women with breast cancer. Provides complementary and alternative medicine to help heal the mind, body and spirit through group support and individual therapy programmes. Works with health-care professionals to promote integrated breast cancer care. Centres in London, Hereford and Leeds.
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
15 St John’s Business Park
Lutterworth LE17 4HB
Tel: 01455 883300
Website: www.counselling.co.uk
Registered charity working towards the promotion and regulation of counselling and psychotherapy, both for the profession and the public’s benefit.
Cancer Research UK
PO Box 123, Lincoln’s Inn Fields
London WC2A 3PX
Tel: 020 7121 6699 (customer services)
Tel: 020 7242 0200 (switchboard)
Tel: 0808 800 4040 (information nurses) Website: www.cancerresearchuk.org
Funds research into cancer and education. It provides information to people with cancer and their carers.
CancerHelp UK
Cancer Information Department, Cancer Research UK, PO Box 123, Lincoln’s Inn Fields London WC2A 3PX Freephone: 0808 800 4040 (Mon–Fri 9am–5pm) Website: www.cancerhelp.org.uk
A free information service about cancer and cancer care for people with cancer and their families. Brought to you by Cancer Research UK (see above). Believes that information about cancer should be freely available to all and written in a way that people can easily understand.
Carers UK
20 Great Dover Street London SE1 4LX Tel: 020 7378 4999 Carers’ line: 0808 808 7777 (Wed, Thurs 10am–12 noon, 2–4pm) Website: www.carersuk.org
Offers information and support to all people who are unpaid carers, looking after others with medical or other problems.
Crossroads Caring for Carers
10 Regent Place Rugby, Warwickshire CV21 2PN Helpline: 0845 450 0350 Website: www.crossroads.org.uk
Supports and delivers high-quality services for carers and people with care needs via its local branches.
The Daisy Network
PO Box 183 Rossendale BB4 6WZ Website: www.daisynetwork.org.uk
A premature menopause support group.
Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline
Information Centre, St Anne Cottage, Over Haddon Derby DE45 Tel: 01629 81300
Macmillan Cancer Relief (now merged with Cancerbackup)
89 Albert Embankment London SE1 7UQ Tel: 020 7840 7840 Freephone: 0800 808 0000 Website: www.macmillan.org.uk
A national charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with cancer and their families. Funds Macmillan Nursing Services for home care, hospital and hospice support. Financial help also given. Incorporates Cancerlink, which provides training and consultancy for the many self-help and support groups and organisations nationwide. Advises people setting up new groups; these are listed in a free and annually updated directory. Through merger with Cancerbackup, provides a very wide range of free publications available on a large number of different cancers, treatments and related issues.
Maggie’s Centres
Maggie’s Centre Edinburgh, The Stables, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road Edinburgh EH4 2XU Tel: 0131 537 2456 Website: www.maggiescentres.org
Founded in Edinburgh by a patient called Maggie Keswick Jenks who felt that there needed to be centres close to cancer hospitals where patients and relatives could go; these should be run especially for and by patients. Also provide valuable sources of information as well as support. Provide internet access in all their locations. The charity aims to help all people with cancer to be healthy in mind and body. There are centres throughout the country with plans to open further centres.
Marie Curie Cancer Care
89 Albert Embankment London SE1 7TP Tel: 020 7599 7777 Website: www.mariecurie.org.uk
A national charity that runs ten specialist palliative care hospices around the UK. Provides a national palliative care nursing service in the home. Involved in research and in the education of health-care professionals in a range of cancer and palliative care programmes.
National Association of Citizens Advice Bureau
Myddleton House, 115–123 Pentonville Road London N1 9LZ Tel: 020 7833 2181
Look in the local telephone directory or library for the address of the nearest Citizens Advice Bureau. There are 2,800 bureaux nationwide and all of these can provide free, impartial, confidential advice and help. Most specialist units have access to support funds and can help people who want to apply.
Tenovus Cancer Information Centre
9th Floor, Gleider House, Ty Glas Road, Llanishen Cardiff CF14 5BD Tel: 029 2076 8850 Website: www.tenovus.org.uk
Making a difference to people with cancer and their families by delivering cancer treatment and support in their local communities.
Ulster Cancer Foundation
40–44 Eglantine Avenue Belfast, Northern Ireland BT9 6DX Tel: 0800 783 3339 Website: www.ulstercancer.org
Activities supporting the vision of the day when cancer is no longer a life-threatening disease – from funding research into new and better treatments for cancer, undertaking education programmes to helping people reduce their risk of developing cancer.
Other useful addresses
Benefits Enquiry Line
Freephone: 0800 882200 (8.30am–6.30pm weekdays) Textphone: 0800 243355 Website: www.dwp.gov.uk
N. Ireland: 0800 220674
Government agency giving information and advice on sickness and disability benefits for people with disabilities and their carers.
National Cancer Institute
NCI Public Inquiries Office, Room 3036A, 6116 Executive Boulevard Bethesda, MD 20892-8322, USA Tel: + 1 800 422 6237 (Mon–Fri 09.00am–4.30pm local time) Website: www.cancer.gov
American organisation funded by the government that provides cancer-related health information and funding for scientific research throughout the USA. Offers consumer-oriented information on a wide range of topics as well as descriptions of its research programmes for the general public and health professionals. Scientists will find detailed information on specific areas of research and funding opportunities.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
MidCity Place, 71 High Holborn
London WC1V 6NA
Tel: 0845 003 7780
Website: www.nice.org.uk
Provides guidance on treatments and care for people using the NHS in England and Wales. Patient information leaflets are available for each piece of guidance issued.
NHS Direct
Tel: 0845 4647 (24 hours, 365 days a year)
Website: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
Offers confidential health-care advice, information and referral service. A good first port of call for any health advice.
NHS Smoking Helpline
Freephone: 0800 022 4332 (7am–11pm, 365 days a year)
Website: http://mokefree.nhs.uk
Pregnancy smoking helpline: 0800 169 9169 (12
noon–9pm, 365 days a year)
Have advice, help and encouragement on giving up smoking. Specialist advisers available to offer ongoing support to those who genuinely are trying to give up smoking. Can refer to local branches.
Patients’ Association
PO Box 935
Harrow HA1 3YJ
Tel: 020 8423 9111
Helpline: 0845 608 4455 Website: www.patients-association.com
Provides advice on patients’ rights, leaflets and directory of self-help groups.
Quit (Smoking Quitlines)
63 St Mary’s Axe London EC3 8AA Helpline: 0800 002200 (9am–9pm, 365 days a year) Tel: 020 7469 0400 Website: www.quit.org.uk
Offers individual advice on giving up smoking in English and Asian languages. Talks to schools on smoking and pregnancy and can refer to local support groups. Runs training courses for professionals.
Useful websites
BBC
A helpful website: easy to navigate and offers lots of useful advice and information. Also contains links to other related topics.
Patient UK
Patient care website.
mikedixon.org.uk
A website that acts as a portal to allow access to the websites listed above and provides sites of information endorsed by Professor Mike Dixon, one of the authors.
Tak Tent Cancer Support – Scotland
