On Saturday, October 9 2021, our Breast Cancer Symposium (Borstkankersymposium) took place for the seventh time.

To reflect all  themes from previous editions the title of this year’s symposium was:

Breast Cancer through the Years

Due to this year’s symposium being held online, a whole day would have been too much which is why we opted for a one-off afternoon program. 24 speakers stood by to make this event a success with participants able to choose which sessions they wanted to attend from “The Naked Truth”, the theme of 2015 to “Grip on your Life”, our theme from last year.

 The moment you are diagnosed with breast cancer, something changes and not only for you, but also for the people around you. You tend to live mainly in the present. For many it is the first time and they don’t know exactly what to expect. How do you deal with your fear and your concerns, for your own sake but also for that of your family? And breast cancer doesn’t end after 1 or 2 years, it stays with you for a long time due to the treatment and the side-effects, maybe you’re also not getting better and your needs are changing over the years.

 Some of the questions that were answered during this year’s symposium:

• How do I deal with guilt?
• What if I don’t get better?
• Where do I stand as a partner or child of a breast cancer patient?
• How do I choose between hormone treatment options?

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank Remco van der Molen Kuipers and Joliene Munier for their cooperation during this year’s symposium. Theirs and other contributions can be viewed on the Borstkankersymposium YouTube channel.

Sabine Wernars & Saskia Koopmans
Patient Advocates Inspire2Live