DonateWe are Make 2nds Count: a UK-wide patient and family focused charity dedicated to giving hope to women and men living with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer.
Research into secondary breast cancer is underfunded. We are committed to funding secondary breast cancer research which can contribute to advancing an increased quality of life for patients.
Our in-person and online Support programme helps our community with information sharing, practical advice and support, wellbeing activities and facilitating peer-to-peer friendship groups.
Education is key to everything that we do and we aim to raise awareness of secondary breast cancer through effective marketing and education programmes across the UK. We also empower our community by increasing their knowledge and understanding of research, treatments, trials and options.
Together we can Make 2nds Count!
Family Support Service
We are pleased to launch the pilot of a brand-new free Family Support Service, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland.
This service has been created especially for people living with secondary breast cancer, their partners, and children aged 21 or under. Our aim is to give families practical tools and emotional support to help reduce anxiety and strengthen resilience during an especially challenging time. At the heart of the service is EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) — a gentle, practical method (often called "tapping") designed to calm the nervous system and ease overwhelming emotions.
We have funding to help 50 families in Scotland to take part in this pilot and, if successful, we hope to secure more funding in the future to make this a permanent UK-wide service.
Email: familysupportservice@make2ndscount.co.uk
Signs & Symptoms of Secondary Breast Cancer
Secondary (metastatic) breast cancer is a cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body.
An estimated 61,000 men and women in the UK are living with this incurable disease, and symptoms can vary from person to person. It has a devastating impact on people affected and their families, yet many people have never heard of it. Secondary breast cancer is now one of the leading causes of death in the UK in women between the ages of 40-59*, with an estimated 1,000 women dying every month from the disease.
Secondary breast cancer can be treated but it cannot be cured. Treatments aim to control and slow down the disease to enable patients to have the best possible quality of life for as long as possible.
Office for National Statistics (ONS), released 20 May 2025, ONS website, statistical bulletin, Death registration summary statistics, England and Wales: 2024
Living with a secondary breast cancer diagnosis is both mentally and physically gruelling and can be incredibly isolating. Our support programme helps our community by informing, sharing, fostering important relationships, and offering practical advice.
- Tea & Chat - we have 21 regional in-person monthly groups that are safe spaces to build friendships and get peer-to-peer support.
- Wellbeing sessions - our weekly online activities including Pilates, Yoga, Breathwork and Mindfulness, all designed to help mental and physical health.
- Online community - join our closed Facebook group to connect with others, share information and get support.
Join our support sessions
Clinical Trials Service
Our free information and support service is here to help secondary breast cancer patients explore clinical trials as part of their treatment pathway.
Understanding and navigating the world of clinical trials can feel overwhelming. Our Clinical Trials Nurse Mel has years of experience in secondary breast cancer and clinical trials and is here to help answer your questions and conduct a trial database search on your behalf. If you are living with metastatic breast cancer and interested in finding out more, please complete a referral form using the button below.
Chiltern 50 Ultra Challenge
This 50km looped route covers some of the best of the Chilterns countryside. You can Walk, Jog, or Run along historic trails and
over rolling hills.
Over Six Million New Cancer Cases In England By 2040
A coalition of more than 60 cancer charities, including Make 2nds Count – known as One Cancer Voice – have united to urge the UK Government to deliver a bold, fully funded National Cancer Plan for England to save and improve more people’s lives. New analysis shows that by 2040, around 6.3 million new cancer cases are expected across England.
Patient Trustee Lesley Stephen is awarded MBE
We are delighted that our Patient Trustee, Lesley Stephen, has been awarded an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours list for services to secondary (metastatic) breast cancer. Lesley, from Edinburgh, was diagnosed with 'de novo' secondary breast cancer in March 2014.