Breast Cancer Care: Mummy’s lump helps explain breast cancer

The UK’s first-ever book to help young children whose mums have been diagnosed with breast cancer has been launched by Breast Cancer Care.

Titled Mummy’s Lump, the book is aimed at children aged six and under and is available free of charge through Breast Cancer Care’s website and helpline.

The charity already offers a range of services specifically for younger women, including its Younger Womens Forums, internet discussion forums and publications.

Breast Cancer Care, which is the UK’s leading provider of information and practical support to people with breast cancer and their families, has now teamed up with Gillian Forrest, Consultant Child Psychiatrist and Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University, to produce the book.

Gillian, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990 when her children were five and seven, said:

“Even though I am an experienced child psychiatrist, I was very unsure how to talk to my children about my diagnosis. Nobody asked if I had any problems with explaining what was happening to my children, everything was focused on my condition.

“I was in a great state of anxiety about the children, how to tell them and what to say. In the end I just told them that I had a bad lump that had to be taken out. They coped very well, but at that time there was little available to help parents with their children’s needs.”

With colleagues from Oxford University, Gillian recently carried out a research project with more than 30 mothers with early breast cancer and their children, to find out more about the children’s needs during their mother’s initial treatment for breast cancer.1

“The clear message from the research was that the youngest children had much greater awareness of cancer than parents realised, and they also knew that something bad was going on with their mother, regardless of what they had, or hadn’t, been told,” Gillian said.

“Children are exposed to enormous amounts of information about breast cancer in ways we don’t really appreciate. Many of them have had grandparents and friends’ parents that have had cancer. While they knew the word cancer, they were too young to pick up that breast cancer had a different prognosis to other types of cancer, but they were aware that cancer was a bad thing and were confused about it.”

To help other parents facing the problem Gillian decided to write a book aimed at the under-sixes, which would explain what their mum was going through.

Mummy’s Lump follows Elly and Jack as they learn of their mother’s diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer. It has the look and feel of a normal story book, with illustrations by Sarah Garson.

Sarah said that picture books are an excellent tool to explain complex information in a way that children can relate to.

“Children are exposed to all sorts of influences, and so the chances are that they may well be aware that something is very wrong with their mum, and they may even have heard of breast cancer. What they lack is sufficient experience to deal with such issues, which is where Mummy’s Lump will come in useful,” she said.

“Children have a very special affection for and relationship with picture books. By reading a book with children, adults can broach subjects that may be difficult to discuss in normal conversation. The content of Mummy’s Lump is highly narrative, and it gives children the opportunity to become involved and relate to the characters in the story and their emotions.”

The book is funded by the Lavender Trust at Breast Cancer Care2, which raises money to provide information and support for younger women with breast cancer, and the Ashley Charitable Trust3, which works closely with the Oxford Radcliffe Healthcare Trust to help women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Care has also fully revised its booklet Talking with your children about breast cancer, which helps adults to talk to children of different ages and deal with emotional issues that may arise.

Richard Ashley, Trustee at the Ashley Charitable Trust, said: “The trust has been extremely supportive in Gillian Forrest’s research and the publication of Mummy’s Lump, and hopes that the book will be an invaluable support and information for children nationwide.”

. To get a free copy of Mummy’s Lump or Talking with you children about breast cancer, or to find out more about Breast Cancer Care, visit www.breastcancercare.org.uk or call 0808 800 6000.

Ends

For media enquiries contact Ian Manley on 0207 960 3450 or e-mail ianm@breastcancercare.org.uk

Notes to editors

1 – Breast cancer in the family-children’s perceptions of their mother’s cancer and its initial treatment: qualitative study. For full details, go to: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/332/7548/998

2 – The Lavender Trust at Breast Cancer Care was founded in 1998 by Justine Picardie and Beth Wagstaff, in memory of Justine’s sister Ruth, who died of breast cancer aged 33. For more information visit http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/content.php?page_id=512

3 – Since its establishment in 1995, the Ashley Charitable Trust has worked closely with the Oxford Radcliffe Healthcare Trust to help women suffering from Breast Cancer. The Trust was set up by Neil Ashley following the death of his wife Jane.

In addition to previous clinical research projects, part of their work has been the creation of the Radcliffe’s Jane Ashley Unit, which provides much needed equipment, furniture, sitting rooms and an adjacent garden where patients can find quiet space for themselves and a place to meet privately with their families throughout their treatment. The new Jane Ashley Centre is currently being constructed in the new Churchill Oncology centre in Oxford’. www.janeashleygarden.com

Breast Cancer Care has been working for over 30 years to make a difference in the lives of people affected by breast cancer. We provide accurate, easy to understand information as well as practical and emotional support. We are the only breast cancer charity working across the UK to provide these services.

Every year we respond to more than two million requests for support and information about breast cancer or breast health concerns. All our services are free. We are committed to campaigning for better treatment and support for people with breast cancer and their families.
Anyone with breast cancer or breast health concerns can get free, confidential support and information from the Breast Cancer Care helpline on 0808 800 6000 or by visiting www.breastcancercare.org.uk

For more information about breast cancer and the work of Breast Cancer Care visit www.breastcancercare.org.uk or contact the press office on 0845 092 0807.