Breast Cancer Foundation to change wording of campaign following complaints

The advert has upset members of the community.

The Breast Cancer Foundation has been forced to alter a breast cancer campaign advert after it received multiple complaints.

Breast cancer patients and survivors took issue with wording in the campaign calling breast cancer "contagious".

Featuring on television and radio the advert reads: "Breast cancer is contagious. It touches the whole family. But a mammogram gives a better chance of survival".

Breast Cancer Foundation chief executive Evangelia Henderson told the Herald it was not their intention to offend anyone but they are looking to change it.

"We've taken on the feedback, the most important thing is we want to good out of this. The only thing that needs to change is to take out that word actually.

"The ad is all about the fact that breast cancer affects the whole family and emotionally it's a big deal, for everybody," she said.

More than 3300 women in New Zealand are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and the campaign was trying to get more people to get screenings done.

The campaign was launched to reach out to the Kiwi women who aren't taking advantage of the free screenings, which could save their lives, Henderson said.

"We want to see more women go to get their screening and to realise sometimes it might hurt a little bit but the implications are breast cancer can kill you.

"We urge women to go and get a free mammogram and to take this seriously and get a free mammogram when they can," Henderson said.

She apologised if the wording in the campaign offended anyone and said it was not the Foundation's intention to do so.

"We see it as relatively quick change, the ad itself, the meaning, the context of the ad doesn't change at all," Henderson said.

"The important issue is to look after ourselves and ensure that we look after our women."