In this episode of the Breast Cancer Now podcast, returning guest Laura Ashurst shares her experience of living nearly 20 years with metastatic breast cancer.

Laura speaks about why she thinks she has survived so long with a metastatic diagnosis, about the importance of holistic care and the importance of mental wellbeing. Laura talks about her advocacy for improved treatment access, the need for more consistent support, and improved data collection for those with metastatic breast cancer.

Find out more about metupUK
Laura Ashurst's website

Key Topics
02:35 Laura's diagnoses
13:40 What happened next?
14:40 How it felt to be told you had 3-6 months to live
18:55 Reflections on treatment and knowledge
20:18 Letrozole
24:27 What needs to be done for in terms of treatment for breast cancer?
26:00 What Laura thinks has contributed to her survival, mental wellbeing
35:35 Survivors guilt
38:37 The metup UK charity
40:20 The importance of improving data collection for metastatic breast cancer diagnoses
41:40 Working with Rishi Sunak
44:40 What Laura is working on with metup UK
46:35 The importance of signs and symptoms of metastatic breast cancer
48:45 Where do you find hope?
50:18 "I will never say I am grateful that cancer entered my life."
50:43 How Laura's metastatic breast cancer diagnosis has affected her children
56:00 Advice for those diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer
56:46 What should people take away from this episode?
58:20 Information on metup UK

In this episode of the Breast Cancer Now podcast, documentary filmmaker Victoria Mapplebeck shares her experience of raising her son as a solo parent while documenting the journey over 20 years.

She talks to Laura about her film Motherboard, which captures the humour and heartbreak of parenting, and how her unexpected breast cancer diagnosis affected her teenage son Jim.

Victoria opens up about navigating breast cancer treatment without a partner, and how she uses creativity as a way to cope with and process those challenges.

Motherboard is now streaming on Apple, Amazon, BFI Player, Rakuten and YouTube Movies & TV.

Family Viewing – Capturing family life with your smartphone. A series of workshops for parents navigating family life with breast cancer – register for free.

Parenting support from Fruitfly Collective.
Breast cancer support from Breast Cancer Now.

Listen to our episode with Caroline Leek from Fruitfly Collective, about parenting with cancer.

01:26 Getting to know Victoria
03:00 Motherboard, filmed over 20 years
10:19 Being a solo parent
14:19 Victoria is diagnosed with breast cancer
15:56 Talking to a child about a breast cancer diagnosis
22:07 The emotional impact of Victoria's breast cancer
26:12 Mutual support between a child and a parent
32:06 The pitfalls searching for cancer information online
37:08 Working with Fruitfly Collective to help parents with cancer
40:19 How to get started documenting your experience
48:13 How to watch Motherboard

Laura speaks to Breast Cancer Now’s chief executive, Claire Rowney, about our long-term vision, and her own recent experience of being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Claire talks about the importance of attending mammogram screenings, and how her diagnosis was discovered through a routine screening. She reflects on the emotional impact of diagnosis, the lack of control she felt, and how the experience has given her a deeper understanding of what patient empowerment really means. They also talk about how Breast Cancer Now’s new strategy and look will help us achieve our bold vision. That by 2050, everyone with breast cancer will live and live well.

Listen to Fran's episode about the benefits of exercise with cancer or watch on YouTube.

Listen to Dr Sam Orange's episode on exercise after breast cancer or watch on YouTube.

You can subscribe to this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode is available to watch or listen to on the Breast Cancer Now website: https://www.breastcancernow.org/podcast

You can also watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:
04:01 What do the charity's goals actually mean?
05:10 Breast Cancer Now's new look
07:13 What does the charity's new strategy mean for people with breast cancer?
15:23 Reaching that 2050 goal
18:40 Claire's own breast cancer diagnosis
23:30 What empowerment really is
26:30 The importance of attending your breast cancer screening
29:05 What Breast Cancer Now is doing to help younger people with breast cancer
32:10 The importance of getting diagnosed early
33:30 Raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer
36:40 How the charity is going to support people post-treatment
38:50 How is Claire doing, now?
44:45 What work is being done into health inequalities
46:05 How close is a cure for breast cancer?
48:20 Research into what causes breast cancer
49:30 The colour pink
50:30 Why was it important to spend money on the new look?
51:20 They importance of fundraising
53:07 What did Claire learn as a result of her diagnosis?
53:40 What should the listener take away from this episode?

• why travel insurance matters, especially when you have a cancer diagnosis,
• how medical screening works and what insurers are really looking for,
• common myths about being “uninsurable” after your treatment changes or a progression,
• confusing terminology when applying for travel insurance and how to make sense of it,
• practical tips for planning trips, timing holidays around treatment, and talking to your medical team,
• Fiona’s own story, taking her frustration with the system and creating a travel insurance brand with people with cancer at its heart.