EP53: Navigating Breast Cancer, motherhood & the stigma of cancer in the South Asian community with Priyanka

October is Breast Cancer awareness month and did you know that 58% of people in the UK (31 million people) hold 'outdated’ views about cancer with that rising to 77% of people from ethnically diverse backgrounds according to Macmillan Cancer Support, one of the UK’s biggest cancer support charities. Cancer is not commonly spoken about in the south asian community and there is still a lot of stigma around the topic which those affected by cancer might not have anyone to turn to get the right support or have the right information. Macmillan is warning that with more people living with cancer than ever before it’s never been more important for people to be aware of the accurate and trusted support available. For information, support or just someone to talk to, call Macmillan’s free, confidential Support line 7-days a week on 0808 808 00 00 or visit macmillan.org.uk/whateveryouneed. Today I’m joined by Priyanka Pandya, a mother of two and children’s life coach who was diagnosed with Grade 3 triple negative breast cancer in May 2022 who joins the podcast to share her story with battling Breast Cancer and tackling the stigma of cancer within the South Asian Community. Timestamps: 00:00:00 intro00:01:56 what is breast cancer?00:02:28 priyanka’s cancer diagnosis 00:08:44 putting on a brave face 00:10:40 how priyanka told her children about her cancer diagnosis 00:16:26 navigating cancer as a family 00:18:38 tests after cancer diagnosis00:19:26 chemotherapy and cold capping00:24:10 mental health during chemotherapy 00:25:00 writing a children's book about cancer00:26:02 the side-effects of chemotherapy 00:27:21 misconceptions of cancer in the south asian community 00:28:27 advice to people going through cancer 00:29:29 becoming cancer-free 00:32:24 how cancer changed her outlook on life 00:32:41 life after cancer If this episode resonated, don’t forget to follow or subscribe to It’s Preeti Personal and leave a 5★ review as it helps other South Asian girls find the podcast and feel a little less alone 💛————————————————————MACMILLAN CANCER:  Website: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/ Cancer stats + new research————————————————————PRIYANKA:  Buy her book here: https://amzn.eu/d/ihgVNOE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/priyankapandya.lifecoach/————————————————————ABOUT IT’S PREETI PERSONAL:  This podcast is all about sharing South Asian stories and having everyday conversations but from the lens of being a brown girl so expect girl talk episodes covering topics like love, career, mental health, finances, friendships, female health and living life in our 20’s and 30’s. ————————————————————SOCIAL MEDIA:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preetipersonal/YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@itspreetipersonal⁠TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZSvmbM63/Email: [email protected]’t forget to subscribe and follow @itspreetipersonal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or the place you listen to podcasts————————————————————MUSIC:  Upbeat-party by scottholmesmusic.com