Breast cancer: Audit of patients in Northern Ireland to take place

An audit of people living with secondary breast cancer in Northern Ireland is to be carried out.

It is being funded for two years by the charity Cancer Focus NI.

The study, the first of its kind, will be carried out by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry at Queen's University Belfast.

It will enable better information to be gathered, which will help the planning of services and support the needs of patients.

Secondary breast cancer is when the disease spreads to another part of the body, such as the liver, the lungs, the brain or the bones.

An estimated 35,000 people in the UK are living with secondary breast cancer - on average 31 people die each day from the disease.

Julie Anne Lillis, one of a group of women who have campaigned for an audit to be carried out, said it was "ground-breaking" and could lead to real change for those with secondary cancer.

"For people in our situation this can mean the difference in experiencing another milestone in our lives and precious extra time with our loved ones," said Julie Anne.

"Information is key - if you don't have the information there is no way you can improve outcomes or any sort of life chances."

Ms Lillis added: "It's something I have been campaigning for for a long time and I am just overwhelmed that it's actually happening.

"It shows you can make a change if you try, it probably won't help me but hopefully it will help people in the future."

New information was urgently needed to improve the lives of women in Northern Ireland, said Cancer Focus NI chief executive Richard Spratt.

"Without this information and the necessary resources, patients in Northern Ireland are losing out on the opportunity to have their lives extended for as long as possible," he said.