Omagh to host panel discussion on secondary breast cancer

A PANEL discussion on improving support for those living with secondary/metastatic breast cancer will take place in Omagh on Thursday.

It follows the recent ‘Seen to be Heard’ photo exhibition in the town and will be held in the Strule Arts Centre at 11am on Thursday, February 23.

Women living with a secondary breast cancer diagnosis, their friends and families, healthcare professionals, cancer support organisations, politicians and others able to influence health policy are warmly welcomed to attend.

The focus of the discussion is why women living with secondary breast cancer need specialist care and what can be done locally to improve support.

Unfortunately, there is currently only one specialist Secondary Breast Cancer nurse in the whole of Northern Ireland.

The ‘Seen to be Heard’ touring exhibition by Jennifer Willis, recently presented in Strule Gallery, aimed to raise awareness as to how specialist nursing care would improve things for those living with this devastating disease.

Women affected who travel from within the Western Health and Social Care Trust area currently face the extra issues of additional travel, overnight stays when up in Belfast for treatment and the difficulties of hospital closures among others.

The touring exhibition, alongside this panel discussion, explores why women with secondary breast cancer do not feel that they can access the same level of care as those living with primary breast cancer.

The panel will consist of photographer, Jennifer Willis, one of the participants of the ‘Seen to be Heard’ exhibition, Genevieve Irwin and another member of Fermanagh cancer health and support group SWELL (Supported, We Live Life), and a representative from Western Health and Social Care Trust.

For more information on the panel discussion, please visit the Strule Arts Centre website: ‘struleartscentre.co.uk/whats-on’