Cancer Trials Ireland Announces Research Survey of Women with Secondary Breast Cancer About their Cancer Journey

Cancer Trials Ireland, the national organisation dedicated to advancing cancer clinical trials, has announced details of a new research survey of women with breast cancer whose cancer has spread, also known as secondary or metastatic breast cancer. The survey – Ireland’s first-ever patient-led research to undergo rigorous ethics and scientific approval – is being spearheaded by Siobhan Gaynor, a former research scientist who has also been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer.

The survey will investigate patients’ experiences of their cancer journey – from discussions with medical teams to accessing information sources, from sexuality and fertility issues to financial stresses, from mental health impacts to conversations with family and children, from participating in exercise programmes to engaging with palliative care. Among a wide range of questions, respondents will also be asked how they felt their diagnosis was delivered, and how and when life expectancy should be discussed, if appropriate. The survey is aiming to recruit up to 300 patients who have been diagnosed with stage IV secondary breast cancer and is now available online at www.cancertrials.ie.