Councillor's brave decision to go public

11:16am Thursday 20th December 2007

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IN the vast majority of instances, asking a politician if they would like to appear in the local newspaper is like asking the late George Best if he fancied a beer.

Only on rare occasions are there cases where the politician hesitates, and the story about Councillor Anne Hawkesworth and her recent diagnosis of breast cancer is just such a one.

Sticking your face in every photo opportunity is one thing, but agreeing to share the most intimate details of a very personal and traumatic experience is another. It takes a brave person to expose themselves in that way.

For most of us, serious illness is a private matter which will be reluctantly shared with close family and friends only on a need to know' basis. However, there are experiences which would not only benefit the individual privately but also help the wider public if they are shared.

The most striking thing to come out of the whole episode is the positive way the health services can respond to an early diagnosis of a malignant tumour. There is a lesson to be learned, an experience to be passed on to others who could be in the same position. Women between the age of 50 and 70 should take every opportunity to undergo a scan for breast cancer.

The slightest change could be the start of something serious or nothing at all to worry about - either way it is preferable to know as early as possible. If there is nothing to worry about, months or even years of anxiety can be ended in a short time and if there is a problem, leaving it without professional help does nothing but lessen the odds of any treatment being effective.

If just one woman receives an early diagnosis of malignancy after being prompted by the publicity Councillor Hawkesworth's experience, then it was a job well done.