Survey

SURVEY FINDINGS

On the Move

It is possible to live a full, healthy and active life with breast cancer. Each day is an opportunity to celebrate the freedom associated with staying on the move. However, many women like you do feel that their diagnosis with HER2-positive breast cancer has affected much of their active lifestyles as indicated below:

• Nearly 50 percent of women with HER2-positive breast cancer have not been able to do a particular activity since their diagnosis, including exercising, having sexual relations, working, enjoying hobbies and traveling. And they really miss doing those things!

We strongly encourage you to check out the various pages of this site to learn about the different activities you can be doing to help brighten your spirits and enjoy life again.

• When asked if they had done anything outrageous or daring since their diagnosis – something that they had never done before being diagnosed with breast cancer – more than three-fourths of the respondents (81 percent) said no.

Now is the time to act on your impulse and try something daring and fun. Be sure to check out Best Destinations for some great ideas!

Travel

Travel brings new and different experiences to each and every woman. Whether it’s taking a road trip with your family, going on an adventure with your girlfriends, or flying to another coast to attend a family celebration, any form of travel can be a great getaway treat. Traveling after a breast cancer diagnosis can be invigorating…and also a little daunting. Read below to find out what some women with HER2-positive breast cancer had to say about oral therapy and traveling:

• When asked if they have “splurged” on a special treat or reward for themselves since their diagnosis, 56 percent said yes, but only 14 percent said they splurged on a vacation. The HER Move Travel section may provide motivation to take a vacation or go somewhere overnight for relaxation and rejuvenation.
• Treatment regimens seem to have an impact on travel. Of those patients who have
  never tried an oral therapy, the top two activities they think would improve completely or strongly by taking an oral therapy is going on vacation and doing work-related travel (58 percent combined). Women who have tried oral therapy support this finding—according to the survey, going on vacation is the number one activity that improves completely or strongly by taking an oral therapy.

Love Life

Relationships may be challenging, whether you are newly diagnosed or have been battling HER2-positive breast cancer for a while. In fact, our survey found:

• Nearly 50 percent of women diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer say their treatment completely or strongly interferes with their ability to have sexual relations.

Keeping the lines of communication open is important as you and your loved one will come to rely on each other both emotionally and physically throughout your cancer treatment. Check out the Love Life section to read more.

Mind & Body

It’s important to keep your mind and body healthy, especially while you are living with HER2-positive breast cancer. Here’s what some women with HER2-positive breast cancer had to say about staying active:

• Both yoga and meditation are two activities in the top 10 list of activities that women with HER2-positive breast cancer have tried since their diagnosis. Additional activities include swimming, skiing and kayaking.
• Nearly 30 percent of respondents stated that their treatment completely or strongly interfered with their mood and 29 percent said their treatment interfered with their ability to exercise. This is all the more reason why it’s important to find different activities that please both your mind and body, and the Mind & Body section offers some great suggestions to do just that.

Caregivers Corner

Being a caregiver, whether you’re a family member or a friend, provides your loved one with the support and help they need as they try to maintain an active life with breast cancer. Our survey found that:

• Nearly 80 percent of women with HER2-positive breast cancer said that since their diagnosis, they have spent more time with friends and family.
• In fact, 75 percent of respondents said that maintaining their relationships with friends and family was one of the top regular activities that their treatment has not or slightly interfered with.

Survey Overview

The survey results are based on 206 online interviews with women who suffer from HER2-positive breast cancer. Respondents were comprised of members of HER2 Support Group who were invited to take part in the survey. Interviews were conducted between April 8 and May 13, 2008 by Ipsos, a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals.

With a sample of 206 people, the overall results are within ±6.8 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire population of HER2-positive breast cancer patients been interviewed. This survey was funded by GlaxoSmithKline.