Breast Health Handbook
complied by Caryn Franklin and Georgina Goodman
Published by Pandora
ISBN 0 04 440 979 6
Price 4.99
The Breast Health Handbook is part of the FASHION TARGETS BREAST CANCER CAMPAIGN and all royalties go to the charity BREAKTHROUGH Breast Cancer. The book has an unusual square format and the cover is dominated by the eye-catching Fashion Target's Breast Cancer logo.
Any book which raises awareness of breast cancer in Britain must be welcomed and the Breast Health Handbook succeeds in making difficult issues and information accessible. The book addresses a broad range of breast care and breast cancer topics and a section of "Useful Information" which includes a list of "Further reading." Patient experiences are re-counted in relation to several aspects of diagnosis and treatment. The Breast Health Handbook is in nine parts and contains contributions from over 25 authors. Consequently, the content is variable and there are overlaps and omissions. The book is unreferenced, adding to the impression that the information contained within is generalised and superficial.
Rita Carter's contribution, a revised version of an article which appeared in You magazine, addresses "Common questions about breast cancer." These apparently include "Is breast cancer catching?" and "I've heard wearing a bra is dangerous. Is there any truth in this?" Carter's answer to the much-researched question "Is HRT a risk?" fills five lines and contains the same snippets of information as in Dr. Cathy Read's chapter "Breast cancer and western women." Dr. Read's contribution and Dr. Miriam Stoppard's "Understanding breast cancer" are the most clear, comprehensive and succinct in the book.
Vivienne Parry, in her chapter "Breast Cancer research: tomorrow's world," discusses research into prevention, screening to identify women at high risk, improved detection of breast cancer and improvements in treatment. Parry notes that "improved treatments are perhaps the area of research where there is most good news to report" without analysing why this might be the case. Who is funding research into improved treatments and who will benefit in financial terms? Parry states that "Survival rates are increasing all the time." Nevertheless, as Dr. Cathy Read points out, "Britain still has one of the highest death rate's from breast cancer in the world." This is despite having a lower incidence rate than the US.
The greatest value of the Breast Health Handbook lies in the hope that it will reach a new audience of potential breast cancer activists. Breast cancer is ugly. Profit from breast cancer is ugly. Fashion and cosmetic industry support in fighting breast cancer must complement informed activism, not decorate the unacceptable face of drug companies in a 'race for the cure.' Louder voices are needed in calling for minimum standards of care, and government funded, monitored and coordinated research which looks at prevention, screening and detection as well as treatment. Perhaps the trendy young women seen wearing the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer T-shirts on the high street and in the oncology clinic will adopt a more 'in yer face' direct action approach.
(Review by Marie Nally.)
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