THE health authority should reconsider their decision to lose the services of their two breast care nurses (LET, April 3). By removing facilities which have heightened our awareness of breast cancer, we are going back to the Dark Ages.

In March, 1996, the Mayor of Blackburn and Darwen staged an exhibition in King George's Hall on International Women's Day, where information was available on all aspects of women's health, education, welfare, church, family planning, politics and so on.

The breast care nurses, Wendy Birtwistle and Hazel James, were on the next stand to mine, promoting breast self-examination and distributing information on screening programmes. They were busy all day, and helped hundreds of women at the exhibition.

In 1991, three weeks after my breast biopsy, I attended the clinic for the results. I was quite optimistic, so I attended alone. The consultant gave me the diagnosis of breast cancer, and then I was in the hospital's corridors alone, and wondering what to do next. I knew that I could contact the breast care nurse in the next few days, but naturally one person could not be everywhere.

Over the years, the situation has changed enormously and, through her suberb efficiency, the breast care adviser is always there at the point of a breast cancer diagnosis and available throughout the time of operation and treatment. This has come about through her hard work, sympathetic approach and total commitment to patients, backed up by the other two breast care nurses whose added role in health promotion is vital.

In the UK breast cancer deaths are down (14,500 compared with 15,000 six years ago), but diagnoses of breast cancer have increased (30,000 compared with 25,000), due to a national screening programme and earlier diagnosis. This surely calls for more breast care nurses, not fewer.

Finally, it was a breast care nurse in 1991 who, realising there was a problem, referred me for a mammogram. This was when we had breast screening for all, not just the over 50s. Without it, I probably would not be here today. After successful surgery in Christie's, another breast care nurse said: "As time goes by you will become more confident." And she was right.

Thank God for breast care nurses. Don't lose them.

RUTH LOFT (Mrs), Ryburn Avenue, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.