Support with diet and exercise after breast cancer

What’s the study about?

You can read more about this Breast Cancer Now funded research on our website, but in brief:

There’s good evidence that leading a healthy lifestyle can improve your wellbeing after breast cancer. It could also lower the risk of breast cancer coming back. But most women don’t get support on physical activity and diet.

So, our researchers want to improve women's access to diet and physical activity support after they finish breast cancer treatment. They’ll do this by:

• developing a new referral pathway, allowing healthcare professionals to refer women to services in the community;
• training community services providers how to adapt their exist physical activity services to specifically support women after breast cancer treatment.

To do this, the researchers want to hear about your views and experiences of physical activity after you finished your main treatment for breast cancer.

They’re also really keen to hear from a diversity of voices, and need more input from women from black, Asian and other ethnic groups.

Who can take part?

To be eligible to take part, you must:

• Be a woman aged 18 years or older
• Have been diagnosed with stage 1, 2 or 3 breast cancer
• Have finished your primary hospital-based treatment (usually surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy)
• Have received your treatment in the UK (and are currently living in the UK)

Why do you want me to be involved?

We need to learn more about women's views, experiences, and preferences of physical activity after breast cancer. This is so that we can develop the best support programme for women in the future.

What will you ask me to do?

You'll be asked to take part in a group discussion (known as a 'focus group') with a small number of other women. A researcher will ask you and the other women questions about your views and experiences of physical activity after your breast cancer treatment.

There are now right or wrong answers, the researchers are interested in your own views and experiences.

The focus group will last around 90 minutes, but you can talk for as long as you want to. It will be audio-recorded.

The researchers intend to hold the focus groups online via videoconferencing (e.g., Zoom). However, if you’d prefer, they may be able to hold the focus group in person at a local venue (such as a university or local cafe).

You can also ask to have a one-to-one discussion with the researcher, rather than a group discussion. You can tell us your preferences on the registration form.

To thank you for your time, you’ll receive a £25 high street shopping voucher.