Telford groups unite against cancer stigma in minority ethnic communities

The breast cancer awareness event aimed at tackling the stigma of cancer among black and minority ethnic groups took place on Saturday.

The event was organised by the Seldom Heard Voices Forum, a collaboration between community groups including the Telford African & Afro-Caribbean (TAARC) and Telford's Chinese Art and Culture Centre.

Cancer fatalism is believed to be higher in ethnic minorities due to people not seeking timely help and support.

A report from the Macmillan Cancer Support showed that cancer awareness and help-seeking behaviours among BAME groups was the lowest across all minority ethnic groups, with cancer screening uptake also lower than average.

"It's a cultural thing," Natalie Headley from TAARC explained. "It's one of those things that's passed down through families.

"Growing up, conversations about cancer was a taboo in most households. A lot of people do think differently now, but it's just not spoken of in certain cultures.

"And it's not just the black community, we have realised how this is across the board among many different ethnic minority groups."

Dr Blossom Lake, a breast cancer surgeon and one of the co-founders of the forum, added: "As a clinician, if we have patients experiencing stigma and shame they may not engage with all of their treatment, so their prognosis may be poorer.

She said: "It's through research that we change how we treat cancer, but ethnic minorities are missing from the research. You can't expect people from minority ethnic groups to be involved in research if they don't feel comfortable enough to tell their family that they've got cancer in the first place.

"That's why the Seldom Heard Voices Forum was formed. Our mission is to empower community involvement in research, by amplifying the voice of those seldom heard."

The event featured a series of talks tackling different health myths as well as how to check for signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

After just a year of work the forum has been so successful engaging with BME communities that other local health groups have been reaching out to get on board.

For more information follow Seldom Heard Voices on Facebook at @seldom.heard.voices.forum