When you have cancer, posing in your under wear is a bit ‘so what?’
Brave drug campaigner Lesley tells how she overcame her nerves to strip off for fundraising M&S adverts
Macpherson, brimming with confidence.
“It was one of the best experiences of my life and has given me loads more confidence.
“Because I’m stage 4, I will never be cured of it so I’ve had to go to some very dark places in the last three-anda-half years or so of a rollercoaster of treatment.
“In a way, standing there in your underwear is a bit, ‘So what?’
“It’s absolutely not the worst thing that could happen to you. I’ve already had one of the worst things that could happen.”
Earlier this year, Lesley was involved in a campaign backed by the Daily Record, working with Breast Cancer Now, calling for the crucial drug Kadcyla to be made available for all who need it.
The Scottish Medicines Consortium approved the drug in April.
Lesley wanted to get involved in the M&S campaign to raise awareness of secondary breast cancer.
She said: “Many women don’t realise that when the disease spreads to other parts of the body, it cannot be cured.
“I wanted to be the voice of those women who are on permanent treatment, and often too ill to speak out.
“It was also a chance to spread a message of hope – I have been on a clinical trial for almost two years and I am doing incredibly well.
“Science is catching up with cancer, and having secondary breast cancer isn’t necessarily the death sentence it once was, especially if you are proactive and take part in trials and research.”
When Lesley was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, the disease had already spread to her lungs, liver and bones.
She began chemotherapy treatment but in 2015, she discovered she had three brain tumours and started full brain radiotherapy.
Lesley went on a family holiday to Majorca not knowing how much longer she had to live – and then was offered a place on a drug trial. She said: “If somebody had said two years ago I’d be here with this very good quality of life I have now, I would have been astonished. “I’d say don’t ever give up hope – even when things are looking really bleak.” Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. One in eight women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime and every day in the UK, more than 30 women will die from the disease. The money raised from the M&S campaign will go towards the company’s goal to raise £13million for Breast Cancer Now over five years, to help prevent 9000 cases of breast cancer a year by 2025. Meaghan Annear, corporate partnerships manager at Breast Cancer Now, said: “We are so thrilled that these seven incredible and inspiring women have come together for this year’s M&S Breast Cancer Awareness Month campaign.
“They are sharing their personal experiences of breast cancer, as well as helping to raise awareness of and money for Breast Cancer Now’s lifesaving research.
“We are very grateful to M&S and their customers for their continued support in raising vital funds for Breast Cancer Now.
“It enables our scientists to take that all-important next step to ultimately start preventing breast cancer, sparing women and their loved ones the fear and uncertainty breast cancer can bring.” ● For more information, visit www.breastcancernow. org. Buy the pink bras online at marksandspencer.com
It’s a chance to spread a message of hope. Never give up even when things look bleak