Skip to main content
Home
Click here to request your free "Step By Step" support pack.
Toggle menu
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our reports
    • Who we are
    • How we help
    • Our history
    • Our submissions and applications
    • Our member groups
    • Our supporters
    • Contact Us
  • About Breast Cancer
    • Detection
    • Diagnosis
    • Treatment
    • Clinical Trials
    • Books and Resources
  • Advanced Breast Cancer
    • Metavivors living life to the max
    • Legacy Videos
    • Treatment
    • Emotional Support
    • Support for Family and Friends
    • Further Support
    • Metavivors NZ
    • Metavivor Videos
    • Metavivors NZ - Action
    • Striving for Better Care
    • COVID-19 vaccination and breast cancer
    • Moana Papa: A secondary breast cancer diagnosis
  • Get Support
    • Support for You
    • Family Support
    • Getting on with Life
    • Support for Everyone
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Research News
    • BCAC press releases
    • Media Coverage
    • News from BCAC's member groups
    • BCAC's E Newsletters
  • Get Involved
    • Make a donation
    • Photo Gallery
    • Show Your Heart
  • Stories and Videos
    • Breast Cancer Foundation NZ webinars
    • Breast Cancer Trials Q and A sessions on video
    • Stories of Breast Cancer
    • Patient Videos
    • Advanced breast cancer - videos and photos
    • Tributes
  • Search

We Support

We provide a wide range of support and information to New Zealanders and their families who are experiencing breast cancer.

We Inform

We provide up to date information to empower those with breast cancer to make informed choices about their treatment and care.

We Represent

We provide a voice for those with breast cancer to ensure world-class detection, treatment and care is available in New Zealand.

Latest News

Kisqali free for HR+ HER2- advanced breast cancer

Good news for New Zealanders with advanced hormone receptor positive HER2 negative breast cancer. From 1st July Pharmac will fund Kisqali (ribociclib) for those who haven’t previously had funded access to Ibrance (palbociclib). BCAC asked Novartis to provide Kisqali free to patients until Pharmac funding kicks in and they agreed. So, if you’re starting or continuing on Kisqali you won’t have to pay medicine costs from now onwards. You’ll need to visit a private oncology clinic and pay their fees until July, but after that you can choose to have Kisqali administered for free in a public cancer treatment centre.

Read more

Māori cancer researcher award goes to BCAC committee member

Congratulations to BCAC Committee member Maria Marama, who has just received a Masters Scholarship from the Māori Cancer Researcher Awards scheme run by the Cancer Society (Te Kāhui Matepukupuku o Aotearoa) and Hei Āhuru Mōwai (Māori Cancer Leadership Aotearoa). 

Maria (Ngāti Whakaue, Tūhourangi) will explore the integration of traditional and complementary approaches to cancer care within conventional breast cancer treatment for wāhine Māori. She will use a Kaupapa Māori research approach to identify potential benefits and challenges for wāhine Māori. Maria’s research will be informed by her lived experience as a breast cancer patient and her passion for advocating for better outcomes for Māori across the healthcare system. 

Read more

Book review: It's Not (Just) About the Breast by Petrina Burnett

It's Not (Just) About the Breast: The Cancer Road Less Walked A Young Woman's Cancer Story tells the story of Aussie physio Petrina Burnett’s diagnosis with triple negative, BRCA-mutated breast cancer at age 31. It’s a refreshing and much-needed account of what it’s like to face breast cancer as a young woman and to grapple with a genetic disease. Petrina’s deep personal insights and her expertise as a health care provider mean her perspective is rare and valuable. She covers not only her personal treatment journey but also wider issues unique to younger women with breast cancer.

Read more

How well are we treating triple negative breast cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand?

BCAC Chair Libby Burgess reflected on this question after attending the premier international breast cancer research conference, SABCS 2023, in San Antonio Texas last month. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype lacking HER2 or hormone receptors. It is the most challenging type of breast cancer to treat, particularly at the advanced stage. However, research over the last 20 years has broadened treatment options and improved patient outcomes.

At SABCS, Libby was able to gain an in-depth understanding of current treatments offered overseas and the scientific evidence backing them, as well as learning about where the research is heading next. Libby noted with dismay how far New Zealand has fallen behind the rest of the developed world in treating both the…

Read more

Milestone to celebrate as College of Radiologists recommends breast density reporting

BCAC is delighted to see the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) recommend mandating of breast density reporting in both breast screening and diagnosis. The updated position statement notes that those with extremely high mammographic breast density (MBD) are at a 2.1-fold increased risk of breast cancer, and this is associated with higher rates of breast cancer death. 

Read more

What’s new in breast cancer research? Some impressions from the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

BCAC’s Louise Malone was among 10,000 attendees at this premier international breast cancer research conference held in Texas, 3-8 December. She shares some of the key themes she observed among the many workshops, posters and sessions.

“De-escalation” of therapies

Doing less, while still achieving good results, continues to be the driver behind much of the research in surgery and radiation therapy, with less invasive and time-consuming procedures being investigated. This trend is less evident in medical oncology, although there is a growing awareness that, with success in extending the lives of patients with breast cancer there is also now a need to reduce the toxicity of long-term side effects of treatments that can severely affect quality of life.

Read more

Treatment holidays most likely to be safe for HER2-positive and/or hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer

Treatment holidays, where therapy is temporarily stopped, are something that those living with advanced breast cancer sometimes have to contemplate. Perhaps there is an important occasion coming up – a wedding or other family celebration, or an overseas trip – where the side effects of the treatment would interfere with enjoyment of the occasion. In discussing this with their oncologist, it’s important to take into account the current evidence – for or against – taking treatment holidays.

Here's BCAC’s report of a talk on this topic at the recent ABC7 international advanced breast cancer conference:

Read more

Sharing prognostic information – what your oncologist can tell you

Not all patients are ready to discuss their prognosis soon after a diagnosis of advanced breast cancer (ABC) – and that is their choice – but the earlier this is discussed the more influence patients can have on their treatment plan and end of life options. Oncologists are not necessarily starting the conversations early enough but it is important that they do, taking into account their patients’ values and preferences. So, how do oncologists provide prognostic information to their patients, and how useful and accurate is the information when given?

Read more

Overcoming fear: Don’t lose the joy of living in the fear of dying

Claire has been living with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer since 2016; since her cancer progressed she has been processing the fears that inevitably accompany this. Claire’s story is one of overcoming her fears by facing them, and taking control.

Here's BCAC’s report of Claire’s talk at the recent ABC7 international advanced breast cancer conference:

Overcoming fear: Don’t lose the joy of living in the fear of dying
Claire Myerson, ABC Patient and Patient Advocate, Breast Cancer Now, UK

Read more

Relationship between diet and exercise in advanced breast cancer – the jury is still out

Very few studies have looked at the impact of diet or exercise in patients with advanced breast cancer (ABC). On a biological level, repeated exercise may limit tumour growth, and some dietary interventions, e.g., plant-based diets, can help improve fatigue. But more research is needed in all these areas. Until there is more evidence, there are things that patients can do to improve their quality of life with a diagnosis of advanced breast cancer. Avoid sitting still – and if you can, aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise (that’s a half hour walk 5 days a week). Even seated exercises help. The usual recommendations relating to increasing plant-based foods and reducing red/processed meats and sugar apply.

Read more

Pagination

  • First page « first
  • Previous page ‹ previous
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Current page 3
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • Page 6
  • Page 7
  • Page 8
  • Page 9
  • …
  • Next page next ›
  • Last page last »

Click here to donate

Upcoming events

Dr Jo Prendergast - Cancer and Cartwheels
24 May, 2025 - 4:30PM

Q Theatre Loft, 305 Queen St, Auckland.

Dr Jo has boobs behaving badly! Laugh through the tough stuff with an hilarious night of meaningful comedy! A light-hearted show about Dr Jo’s victory over cancer and her cartwheeling ability. Illness, menopause and aging! A comedy show about coping with change. 

"A cracker of a show with an important message" - Glam Adelaide

"A… Read more


About Us
Family Support
Patient Videos

About Us

The Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition (BCAC) provides a united voice for NZ women who are experiencing breast cancer. We support, inform and represent those with breast cancer so they can make informed choices about their treatment and care. Formed in 2004, BCAC is a registered charity run by breast cancer survivors. If you would like to join us to help improve breast cancer treatment and care in Aotearoa, New Zealand please email us to find out more. 

Connect online

Follow @BCACNZ
sfy39587stp18