A poet has turned her cancer diagnosis into a 'candid' book that blends humour, honesty, and a call for awareness.
Dr Rose Drew, who lives in The Groves, York, is set to launch her new book Frankentit on September 5.
It offers a deeply personal account of her experience with breast cancer and mastectomy.
The book aims to raise awareness and encourage others to prioritise their health.
Dr Drew said: "It's a mindset I have had most of my life.
"It's certainly Buddhist - though I'm not religious - detachment with love can apply to ourselves too.
"Basically, others have gone through worse, living in a war zone, close family killed, house destroyed; I focus on what I have.
"We hide from death - we avoid talking about it.
"We need more Death Cafes, frankly.
"People really must be vigilant and proactive with health because, like tackling global warming, odds decrease and costs increase the longer you wait.
"Take heart - many come before you and tonnes of support is out there."
She described her experience of rapid medical care and the impact of her diagnosis.
Dr Drew added: "Exhaustion, muscle changes, elevated risks of other problems due to radiation.
"My daughter dying gave me a deep perception of how short life can be.
"The rest? Battle scars.
"A goofy boob.
"I am thankful my Drs moved so swiftly, from diagnosis to mastectomy took 22 days.
"I live in The Groves and was quite noisy when the previous council barred disabled people from the city centre - the widest, largest pedestrianised space in Western Europe.
"I am from Miami, by way of Connecticut - I am an immigrant."
She also spoke about the environmental factors she believes contribute to cancer risk.
Dr Drew said: "Frankly I realised decades ago all the plastics, hormones and excess antibiotics we ingest in all our food, water, and air would come back to haunt us.
"Buckle up.
"Stay brave.
"Take vaccines.
"Keep living."
A performance poet, Dr Drew uses poetry to process and share her experiences.
She said: "I wrote and publicly posted the opening poem right after diagnosis: 'My booby got me a pressie for my birthday.'
"I am a performance poet, I write about life, death, and politics; I did a TEDX talk 11 years ago about how freeing and community-creating poetry is."
Dr Drew and her husband Alan have long hosted one of the UK's longest-running monthly spoken word open mics.
She believes poetry creates powerful connections between people.
Dr Drew said: "If you read or listen to modern poetry, you will soon realise more unites us than divides us.
"My favourite part of the process is sharing a poem and seeing that moment of connection with another person."
She is also the founder of The MixTape Poetry Festival, which returns this year from September 23 to 27, 2026.
Rose recently shared her experience with Yorkshire Cancer Research, while the Poetry Pharmacy in York has expressed interest in stocking Frankentit.