DonateBreast Cancer Awareness Month 2024
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we are launching our 1,000 Truths campaign.
Every month, 1,000 people will lose their lives to secondary (metastatic) breast cancer. It's a sobering and devastating statistic.
Recent research* tells us that 1 in 3 people in the UK don’t actually know what secondary breast cancer is - and 72% of breast cancer survivors don’t know where in the body secondary breast cancer is most likely to appear.
Secondary breast cancer is not talked about enough or understood enough. Across the UK, women and men are losing their lives to this incurable disease leaving behind a trail of stories untold, voices unheard, and deeply cherished connections.
Their stories cannot go unheard.
* Source: GenesisCare
Make 2nds Count is 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. Make 2nds Count’s mission is to fund secondary breast cancer research which contributes to advancing an increased quality of life for patients.
Our Support programme has a focus on quality of life and helping patients affected by this incurable disease by informing, sharing and offering practical advice & support.
Education is an integral part in 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 patients through increasing their knowledge and understanding of research, treatments and options.
Together we can Make 2nds Count!
Signs & Symptoms of Secondary Breast Cancer
We hear about breast cancer on almost a daily basis, yet many people have never heard of secondary (metastatic) breast cancer even though the disease kills on average 1,000 people every single month in the UK alone. Secondary (metastatic) breast cancer is the biggest killer of women under 50 in the UK, and approximately 67,000 women are living with this incurable form of breast cancer in the UK alone.
Secondary breast cancer, also known as metastatic, advanced or stage IV breast cancer, is a cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body. Parts of the body affected are usually the bones, liver, lungs, brain or the skin.
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.
Support
Make 2nds Count is a charity that aims to enable people affected by secondary breast cancer to live as long and as fulfilled a life as possible.
Being diagnosed with secondary breast cancer and coping with treatment plans can put pressure on not only your physical health but also your mental health and wellbeing.
With a focus on quality of life, our support programmes helps patients and families affected by this incurable disease by informing, sharing and offering practical advice & support.
To find out about all our upcoming Community Support Events visit Community Support Events Calander
Patient Trials Advocate Service
The Patient Trial Advocate service is here to help secondary breast cancer patients potentially find a clinical trial and to support them through the clinical trial process.
The Patient Trials Advocates (PTA) are senior research nurses with experience in secondary breast cancer and clinical trials. If you are a patient with metastatic breast cancer and interested in seeking advice about a clinical trial, please complete a referral form and book a slot to speak with one of our Patient Trial Advocates.
UK Clinical Trial Registry
In 2021 Make 2nds Count conducted a the MSBC research study and from this survey 87% of secondary breast cancer patients said they would likely use a patient friendly clinical trial registry specific to secondary breast cancer.
The aim of the registry is to provide secondary breast cancer patients with a single list of actively recruiting trials, alongside their locations.
Cardiff Half Marathon
Since it was founded in 2003, the Cardiff Half Marathon has established itself as one of the UK’s leading road races and one of the biggest events in Europe. The route takes in all of the city’s most iconic landmarks including Cardiff Bay, the Civic Centre and Cardiff Castle, plus a series of Junior Races across the weekend give runners of all ages and ability a chance to get in on the action. Read more
LAB FACTOR partners with Make 2nds Count in memory of beloved family member
We are thrilled to announce an inspiring partnership between Make 2nds Count and LAB FACTOR, a UK-based professional beauty supplier. This collaboration is driven by a personal and heartfelt connection to honour Toni, sister to Lab Factor’s founder Angelina Salacinski, who tragically passed away aged just 47 after receiving her secondary breast cancer (SBC) diagnosis.
Secondary Breast Cancer Patient Summit Success in Liverpool
"The Summit was so brilliant and informative, please repeat it next year. It's the first and only thing of its type that I have seen and it was so needed." We were thrilled that our Secondary Breast Cancer Patient Summit in Liverpool, in partnership with ECMC and The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, went so well last week.