Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with one woman diagnosed every 10 minutes.
Around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed every year in the UK, that’s why we’re doing all we can to help breast cancer patients across Birmingham, the West Midlands and beyond while they are going through their treatment. From mobile screening units to try and catch cancer early to cold caps that help prevent hair loss.
Below are some of the ways in which we support breast cancer patients at our hospitals and in the community. Help us to continue supporting them further by donating or fundraising today. Thank You.
Breast Screening
We are continuously fundraising to help women and men get access to screening facilities to ensure everyone is checking themselves for breast cancer.
The sooner it’s caught the higher the survival rate, which is why we fund a Mobile Mammogram Unit, providing breast screenings out in the community for people who may not be able to access an examination at the hospital.
Equipment
We also fund imaging equipment for the Radiotherapy Department including Mammography Localiser Probes.
This technology allows our surgeons to determine the location of a tumour more accurately and prevent the unnecessary removal of healthy tissue during surgery. This reduces complications and scarring as well as speeding up recovery time.
We couldn't provide any of these items if it wasn't for our incredible supporters. You can show your support by:
Post-surgery Bras
We also provide specialist bras for patients, post-op, so they get the best support possible as many mainstream bras aren’t suitable after major surgery.
The Ameona bras are specially designed to help with the patients physical and psychological recovery.
Hair Loss
Cold Caps are something else we provide for patients during their Chemotherapy treatment to help reduce the side effects of hair loss.
Its cooling effect reduces blood flow to the scalp, which also reduces the amount of chemotherapy medication that reaches this area. This helps to prevent hair loss. It's usually worn for 15 minutes before each chemotherapy treatment.
“Cold Caps provided by the hospital charity gave me two more months with my hair to give me more time to come to terms with my diagnosis.”
Amy Dowden
Cancer Cloud Kits
Telling a loved one that you have cancer, is really difficult and telling a child can be even harder. We offer Cloud Kits to our cancer patients to help them explain to their children what they or a family member are going through.
Each kit has an age-appropriate booklet of information, colouring-in pages, cards, worry pegs and much more to help the child understand what their loved one is going through.
The Hedgehog Cloud Kit (3-5 yrs), The Tiger Cloud Kit (6-11yrs), and The Cancer Cloud Kit (12-14yrs) contain an age-appropriate set of tools designed to help children or young people to understand what cancer is, the treatments given, and the side-effects they may cause.
Each kit also includes a Parent Booklet which advises on how to speak to children about diagnosis and treatment.
They cost £40 each with a staff member showing the patient how the kit works. To help us fund these kits, please click the donate button below. Thank you.
Added Extras
Lollipops for chemotherapy patients across our hospitals may seem strange, but it solves a problem a lot of patients experience while undergoing treatment for cancer.
Side effects of chemotherapy can include dry mouth, nausea, loss of appetite, and it often leaves a metallic taste in the mouth. Offering our patients, young and old, a lollipop gives them something sweet to enjoy, as well as helping to get rid of the metallic taste, and sucking on something helps to produce saliva to get rid of the dry mouth.
We couldn't provide any of these items if it wasn't for our incredible supporters. You can show your support by donating £5 to give five patients going through chemo a lollipop each day for a week.