Campaign hits the headlines

If you read my blog on Monday 5 October you will have seen the information about the research which Dr Paul Edwards from the University of Cambridge has just published in the American journal Oncogene.

The story made front page headlines in the Daily Telegraph and was featured in the Daily Mail, The Times, The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, London Lite and The Evening Standard. It was also featured on BBC News Health online and the websites of all the national newspapers including The Guardian and The Scotsman.

It is exciting research and it is gratifying to see such a great response from the press to something which is significant and yet quite technical. The impact of this research on breast cancers and possibly a number of other cancers is still in the future but it takes us a step closer.

You can't be in this office and not be aware of BCAM and wear it pink - our major fundraising initiative on the last Friday of October. The Scottish Sun (see picture) brought together research, wear it pink and even politics (or at least politicians) in this month where politics is also high on the agenda.

But - the Parties are over....

The political party conference season that is: Breast Cancer Campaign worked in collaboration with Breast Cancer Care and Breakthrough Breast Cancer to host a breakfast forum at each conference to discuss health inequalities in people affected by breast cancer. They were very well attended and it was gratifying to see the interest from all of the parties. There are many successes in the field of breast cancer but there are still inequalities in knowledge, in treatment and very worryingly in outcomes.

There were not only politicians around the table but also a range of experts. All the discussion will be pulled together by our teams and we will act to address these inequalities during what will no doubt prove to be an interesting year. As the Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, said in his speech to the Health Hotel on Monday night - this time we know that there will be an election before the next party conference season.