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Woman's Hour: Breast and cervical cancers; Clara Ponsati; Imposteress Rabbit Breeder; Scenes with Girls

23/01/2020

Breast and cervical cancers; Clara Ponsati; Imposteress Rabbit Breeder; Scenes with Girls

BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, Breast and cervical cancers; Clara Ponsati; Imposteress Rabbit Breeder; Scenes with Girls

Updates on breast and cervical cancers; Mary Toft, 'The Imposteress Rabbit Breeder'; highs and lows of female friendship; and, why Spain wants Scotland to extradite Clara Ponsati

A new scanning technique that can identify aggressive tumours could help to transform the treatment of breast cancer. Dr Ferdia Gallagher, an academic radiologist at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge explains. Meanwhile, cervical cancer affects more than 3,000 women a year, but there is concern that progress has stalled in tackling the disease. Dr Julie Sharp is head of health and patient information at Cancer Research UK and she discusses what needs to happen. 

How much do your girlfriends mean to you? A new play at the Royal Court theatre explores the highs - and the lows - of female friendship. The playwright Miriam Battye and actor Rebekah Murrell join Jenni to discuss.

In October 1726, newspapers began reporting a remarkable event: In the town of Godalming in Surrey, a woman named Mary Toft was giving birth to rabbits. Mary was examined by medics and the case drew the attention of the King, government and law courts. Historian Karen Harvey talks about her new book The Imposteress Rabbit Breeder.

And, Clara Ponsati is a highly regarded economics professor at the University of St Andrews, but in 2017, she was the Catalan minister of Education when the independence referendum was held. The Spanish government declared the vote illegal and it wants Ponsati to return to Spain to face a charge of sedition. The BBC’s Niall Gallagher takes a look at who she is and what is likely to happen next.

Presenter: Jenni Murray
Producer: Ruth Watts

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Breast and cervical cancers; Clara Ponsati; Imposteress Rabbit Breeder; Scenes with Girls

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