A woman who has been given the all-clear after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 is spearheading a campaign which aims to help people who have suffered the turmoil of a cancer diagnosis.

Emma Margo, 46, from Borehamwood, received the devastating news in 2013 that she had cancer.

But she remained strong and recovered from her diagnosis to be given the all clear.

Macmillan Cancer Support has warned people about the misconceptions about cancer and how it can “disempower” people with the disease. The charity wants to highlights that a cancer diagnosis turns lives upside down, leaving people struggling to even find the words and isolating them from friends and family.

It has launched a campaign ‘Whatever cancer throws your way, we’re right there with you’.

Ms Margo said: When I was diagnosed, I personally didn’t feel brave. I just dealt with what was in front of me. It’s not like I had a choice. I don’t really go for all of the ‘battle’ language with cancer but I know it might work for some people. You just have to treat your experience the way you can because it will be different for everyone.

“I found it difficult with friends around me not really knowing what to say. That tilted head on the shoulder with them saying ‘but you look great’ is never helpful. It’s also people not knowing how to react. I didn’t like terms like ‘is it genetic’ or ‘has it spread’.

Nearly one in three people living with cancer say they struggle to find the words to talk about it and a similar percentage have difficulty talking honestly about their feelings around it.

The poll by YouGov found 64 per cent of respondents, who were all people who have had or have cancer, found the word “died” was most appropriate when discussing the death of someone with cancer rather than “passed away”.

Euphemistic descriptions claiming someone had ‘lost their battle’ (44 per cent) or ‘lost their fight’ (37 per cent) to cancer were felt to be inappropriate by respondents , with many feeling that words such as these implied someone was defeated by cancer (61 per cent) and undermine someone’s strength and courage (44 per cent).

Karen Roberts, chief nursing officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “These results show just how divisive and ‘Marmite’ simple words and descriptions can be.

“Cancer throws all kinds of things your way, and struggling to find the words, and the emotional turmoil caused when our friends and family don’t get it ‘right’ only makes lives feel even more upended.

“By drawing attention to this we want to encourage more people to talk about the words they prefer to hear, and stop the damage that can be caused to people’s wellbeing and relationships.”

For more information go to www.macmillan.org.uk/righttherewithyou