Taking Control of Cancer

In this episode of Taking Control of Cancer, Steve Bland is joined by Dani Binnington, the founder of the charity Menopause and Cancer, to talk about coping with, you guessed it...menopause and cancer.
 
Navigating menopause after a cancer diagnosis can leave you feeling unsupported, isolated and not knowing what your options are. Support is out there, and we explore this with help from Dani, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 30s.
 
She went on to create Menopause and Cancer, which provides support for all those affected by menopause and cancer and more information about their work is on their website: https://menopauseandcancer.org/
 
Cancer treatment often triggers the menopause. In fact, 40% of women under 40 and 70%-90% of women over 40 enter permanent menopause as a result of their treatment. Many women say that navigating menopause after cancer feels harder than chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery altogether.
 
We discuss the facts about cancer and menopause, look at what to expect after a cancer diagnosis and when going through treatment. We talk through experiences of women going through menopause after cancer treatment, and look at the support that is available.
 
This episode provides some top tips on how to access support, how to connect with other women going through similar experiences, and the importance of getting access to the right information so you can make informed choices.

What is Taking Control of Cancer?

Welcome to Taking Control of Cancer, the podcast from the North East London Cancer Alliance. Think of us as your ‘how to’ guide when it comes to busting common cancer myths, overcoming fears and barriers, and improving cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.

This series aims to provide both patients and healthcare professionals with tangible things they can do to help when it comes to cancer. Whilst we know not all cancers are preventable, there are things we can all do that could make a positive difference to the health and wellbeing of our family, friends and colleagues.

There are two underlying themes across all episodes – the importance of early diagnosis, and reducing health inequalities.

Host:
Steve Bland is an award-winning podcaster and producer and one of the three presenters of the BBC podcast You, Me and the Big C, which was set up by his first wife - BBC presenter Rachael Bland - before her death from triple negative breast cancer in 2018.

Regular guests:
Dr Angela Wong, Chief Medical Officer, North East London Cancer Alliance:
Angela is a driving force behind improving cancer diagnostics for residents across north east London. As Chief Medical Officer for the North East London Cancer Alliance, Angela works tirelessly on delivering innovation and service improvements for cancer patients.

Femi Odewale, Managing Director, North East London Cancer Alliance:
Femi leads the programme teams from the North East London Cancer Alliance across three core areas of work: Early Diagnosis, Diagnosis and Treatment, and Personalised Care.