So I have breast cancer, what now?

So, I have breast cancer, what now? is Australia’s first comprehensive guide for women with breast cancer and their families.

The two 90 Minute DVDs feature interviews with Australia’s leading physicians, counsellors and specialists as well as candid accounts from women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Breast cancer accounts for approximately 32 per cent of all newly diagnosed cancers in women. After diagnosis women and those close to them, are confronted by a vast number of new issues.

Not everyone has immediate access to support networks to sustain them through their treatment period and beyond.

The DVD So, I have breast cancer, what now? was produced by the Women’s Health Program, which includes the NHMRC Centre for Clinical Research Excellence for the Study of Women’s Health, in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University.

The Women’s Health Program, directed by Professor Susan Davis, aims to enable Australian women to experience the best possible quality of life through research, critical evaluation of available information and professional and community education.

So, I have breast cancer, what now? has been developed as part of the Woman’s Health Program’s strong focus on the quality of life after breast cancer.

The DVD is a novel, comprehensive and accessible resource for Australian women diagnosed with breast cancer, their partners, families and others close to them. It provides information for women of all ages.

Contributions have been made by a number of health professionals involved in the care of women with breast cancer, breast cancer survivors, their partners and children. The personal stories of those who have been affected by breast cancer are shared in a way that will give support to all women travelling the path of treatment for this common condition.

The DVD format is user friendly. Information provided by health care professionals is interspersed with the shared experiences of women who have been treated for breast cancer, and their family members.

The DVD can be explored via different chapters in separate viewings or from end to end in a single viewing.

The DVD will be sold through Amcal and Guardian chemists throughout Australia.

Topics covered in the DVD include:

Diagnosis and related issues

• Early treatment issues including:

- Lumpectomy or mastectomy - surgical options
- Pathology: understanding the different kinds of breast cancer
- Breast reconstruction options
- What about lymphoedema?

• Further treatment issues including:

- The ins and outs of chemotherap
- The experience of radiotherapy
- Hormone therapy
- Managing menopause

• Special issues such as:

- Participating in a cancer trial
- Genetic issues
- Coping at work
- Financial concerns
- Living in a rural area

• Community supports:

- Are support groups for me – or my family?
- Boost your image, lift your spirits
- Lifestyle issues and complementary therapies

• Relationship issues:

- The impact of breast cancer on relationships
- What should I tell my children?
- Friends: should I count on them?
- Special issues of young women:

• The road ahead:

- After treatment
- Moving forward: long-term emotional issues

Participating Health Professionals

Ms Jenny Senior, Breast Surgeon, Cabrini Hospital
Mr David Speakman, Breast Surgeon, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Miss Caroline Baker, Breast Surgeon, Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre
Miss Suzanne Neil, Breast Surgeon, Mercy Private Hospital Breast Clinic
Mr Stuart Eaton, Breast Surgeon, Ballarat Base Hospital
Miss Gillian Farrell, Plastic Surgeon Mercy Private Hospital
Dr Romayne Holmes, Medical Oncologist, Cabrini Hospital
Dr Prue Francis, Medical Oncologist, Peter Macallum Cancer Centre
Associate Professor Max Schwarz, Medical Oncologist, Alfred Hospital, Monash University
Dr Lara Lipton, Medical Oncologist, Cabrini Medical Centre
Dr Karen Taylor, Radiation Oncologist, William Buckland Centre, The Alfred Hospital
Dr William Downey, Pathologist, Melbourne Pathology
Dr Kate Stern, Fertility Specialist, Mercy Hospital
Dr Sharon Woolf, General Practitioner
Dr Di Clifton, Psychiatrist/Psycho-Oncologist
Professor Susan R. Davis, Women’s Health Program, Monash University
Kerryn Day, Specialist Breast Care Nurse
Alexa Rosengarten, Sex Therapist
Leeanne White, Breast Care Nurse, Ballarat Health Services
Avis Macphee, Coordinator, Breast Cancer Support Group, Cancer Council of Victoria
Di Missen, Service Manager, BreaCan
Keegan Bone, Recreation Officer, CanTeen
Carie Richardson, State Program Manager, Look Good....Feel Better

To Order "So, I have breast cancer, what now?"

The DVD can be ordered through the Women' s Health Program, Monash Univesity  and AMCAL and Gurdian Pharmacies.

To order through Monash University:

By Cheque

Please make cheques payable to:          MonashUniversity

And Mailed to:
The Women's Health Program
Monash Medical School
Alfred Hospital 
Commercial Road, Prahran Vic, 3181

(Please include your  name, organisation and mailing address)

To order using credit card please click on the link below.

 http://ecommerce.med.monash.edu.au/categories.asp?cID=10

To order through AMCAL and Guardian Pharmacies:

The DVD is also available through AMCAL and Guardian Pharmacies. Please call 03 9542 9776 to obtain a copy

For  more information about this DVD please call the Women's Health Program on   03 9903 0827   or   1800 034 348