Very interesting but i want to know how Yvette is 

Whilst I have not had cancer, I have supported a relative who was diagnosed last year.  Before this program was aired, I commented to them that I expected the presence of the camera's would play a pivotal role in attempting to project the "reality" of cancer.  I am saddened to say that I was not mistaken.

I do not dispute the accounts of the patients featured in the program expressing the impact of living with a cancer diagnosis, but I would dispute the portrayal of the medical professionals in the program. The presence of cameras has only served to portray how cancer care SHOULD be and how patients can expect to be treated.  Away from the camera's the reality of cancer care, is, I feel brutally different to the description given in the program.

The patients shown in the program, clearly have/had the support of their famlies and friends, but there was no mention/eference to the external support that is available to patients and/or their carers.  I appreciate that a years filming has had to be condensed into three hourly programs, but is the support patients/carers are able to receive from external agencies, as equally important as the support received from family and friends?

Whilst I will continue to watch the remaining two episodes because I feel that it is important that we should talk about cancer rather than treating it as a great taboo that it still appears to be, If I am totaly honest I have been very underwhelmed by what I have seen thus far.  

I know Yvette and she's still doing well. She has a vlog and website here: http://www.yvettecowles.com/

I have recently completed treatment for breast cancer (surgery, chemo and RT) and am now on 'maintenance' therapies to try and prevent recurrences.  

I found the programme disappointing.  In particular, the Yorkshire man with breast cancer,  by whose own admssion was overweight, never exercised, had very poor diet, smoked and had never looked after himself. He said was not surprsied to get cancer, and was a case waiting to happen. This re-inforces the recent media articles 'blaming' the patients for getting cancer - they get what they ask for due to their lifestyles.  I resent this portrayal and implication. I and many others, including my mother who also had BC, don't have any of these risk factors but still get cancer. 

I also did not appreciate Victoria Derbyshire narrating in the first person plural -  'we' on behalf the entire cancer community. She certainly doesn't speak for me. 

I also didn't think that the cases documented reperesent the most likely encounters the 'average' person will have with cancer - what about the more common colon, lung, stomach, throat, brain, bone , prostate, pancreatic cancers? It would be more useful to help people understand the symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and consequences of living with these.  The prolonged filming at the scene of the funeral and saying goodbye to the children was intrusive and unneccessary.  The repeated scenes of  chemo drips and scanning machines were unhelpful - why not explain what they are for and how they affect the patient ?  The interactions with health professionals did not ring true to me either. 

I don't feel that the programme did anything to help the 'public' perception of cancer. 

I agree totally with your comments, this programme could have been slightly more educational.  I do believe cancer should be more understood by people and not shyed away from.  Not sure the filming of a funeral of a young mother with 5 children is acceptable viewing?