Being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer means ongoing treatment to live as long, and as well, as possible. It also creates considerable need for emotional and practical support.
Many stage 4 breast cancer patients say that they don’t relate with the pink ribbon.
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October is awash in seas of pink T-shirts, balloons and ribbons in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But this messaging fails to recognize people who are not cured of the disease.
Many women with metastatic breast cancer feel left out of annual ‘Pinktober’ awareness drives because these campaigns tend to focus on earlier, more curable stages of the disease.
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A diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer means having cancer for the rest of one’s life – a situation with very different needs and concerns compared to earlier stages of the disease.