Letters
Celebrity's death from cancer resulted in increased calls to CancerBACUP
BMJ 1998; 317 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.317.7164.1016 (Published 10 October 1998) Cite this as: BMJ 1998;317:1016
- Markella Boudioni (mboudioni@cancerbacup.org), Research officer,
- Jean Mossman, Chief executive,
- Alison L Jones, Consultant oncologist,
- Geraldine Leydon, Research fellow,
- Klim McPherson, Professor of Public Health Epidemiology
- CancerBACUP, London EC2A 3DR
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Royal Free Hospital, London NW3 2QG
- Cancer and Public Health Unit, Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT
EDITOR—It is known that a patient with cancer can be influenced in her choice of treatment by the choice made by a famous person with the same disease. When Nancy Reagan, the wife of the then American president, chose a mastectomy in 1987, there was a subsequent 25% decrease in the number of women choosing breast conserving surgery. 1 2 A celebrity's death can have a similar powerful effect. The death of Diana, Princess of Wales, resulted in unprecedented public and media response. 3 4 The death of Linda McCartney in April has also …