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Involve people affected by breast cancer in your work

Breast Cancer Voices bring the voice of people affected by breast cancer to the heart of policy, research and care. They create change by participating in research studies, PPI opportunities, and other projects.

1. Who are Breast Cancer Voices?

The community has over 1,600 members who all want to use their experiences of breast cancer to make a difference.

It includes:

  • Current and former primary breast cancer patients
  • People living with metastatic breast cancer
  • People who've cared for someone with, or lost someone to, breast cancer
  • Those who've engaged with family history services

Lived experience is so vital to give researchers insights. I was delighted to be involved in this project and I know my insight will lead to positive results.

Breast Cancer Voices member

2. How can they help?

We share approved research studies on our public research studies noticeboard. PPI and other opportunities are shared on our private Voices noticeboard.

All of the month’s opportunities, along with updates and case studies, are shared on the fourth Tuesday of every month in our Voices bulletin. You can look at an example of a previous bulletin to see what we share.

Occasionally, we may be able to identify specific individuals or groups to approach more directly – for example, if you need a patient expert speaker.

3. Where do I start?

Read our Voices engagement guidance and terms for more information about:

  1. What we can and can't help with
  2. The different ways we can contact the right people for you
  3. Our deadlines and lead times
  4. The documents you'll need to provide
  5. What we expect from you

Then simply complete our engagement request form with your details, copy and documents. We usually need around 3 weeks’ notice ahead of the bulletin mailout date.

Voices participants have shaped our findings, and how we approach the next stages of our work.

Dr Emma Davies

Contact us

Please get in touch if you need help with the form, or to discuss your requirements.

Email us

4. Other sources of support

Useful sources

We can't offer advice or support with PPI beyond advertising. But you may find these sources useful:

Working with Breast Cancer Now has not only provided high quality, accessible PPI, but also enriched my experience as a health care professional and researcher - creating new opportunities to work with our stakeholders, promote my profession, and interact with patient experience outside of my routine clinical practice.

Sairanne Wickers
Consultant breast radiographer at University College London Hospitals (UCLH)