Foiled Creative Fire: A study of remarkable women with breast cancer

After her own experience of breast cancer, Heather Goodare began to explore the connection between traumatic life events, depression and anxiety, and breast cancer in the lives of famous women in history.

From Anne of Austria (1601-1666) to Audre Lourde (1934-1992), the author found repeated instances of this same pattern of trauma, followed by depression, followed by cancer.

The book includes stories of women who experienced breast cancer at times when modern medicine was not available to help: in spite of this, several of the women recovered well and went on to live productive lives. One was the novelist Fanny Burney, whose mastectomy was performed by Napoleon's best surgeon; the Bloomsbury artist Vanessa Bell was another. In these two cases their creative fire was not foiled: they both went on to do more admirable work. The feminist theme of restrictions on women's use of their talents is another major theme in the book. The author argues that there is a connection between foiled creative expression and poor health outcomes and advocates strongly for a holistic approach to breast cancer treatment.

This book will be of interest to members of the general public who have experienced cancer, together with their doctors and nurses, and academics working in the field of cancer and the mind. It is unique in its approach to the subject.

A breast cancer survivor, Heather Goodare ran a breast cancer support group in Crawley, West Sussex, for many years. She was Chair of Breast Cancer UK for five years, and was the first patient representative on the British Medical Journal editorial board, from 1995 to 1999. She has peer-reviewed for medical and psychological books and journals, and written many articles on the patient's perspective in research.