Category: News

In 2019 Make 2nds Count awarded it's first research grant to Dr Olga Oikonomidou, Consultant Medical Oncologist and Leader of The University of Edinburgh Breast Cancer Translational Research Group at the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre. This grant was used to fund a 3-year post-doctoral researcher post, held by Dr Fiona Semple within Dr Oikonomidou's team.

Patient Trials Advocate, Vivienne Wilson, has been highly commended for her inspiring work at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards for 2023. During the awards ceremony held at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh on 21 June, Vivienne was a finalist in the Inspiring Excellence - Nursing Innovation and Research Award category for her leadership in the delivery of the Patient Trials Advocate (PTA) service, developed by Make 2nds Count.

Over the last five years, we have been so grateful and overwhelmed by the support from our whole community - there are so many we couldn't possibly name everyone! On what is our 5th birthday we want to take a moment to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been involved in our journey along the way, including those sadly no longer with us.

Make 2nds Count is proud to announce that £219,560 in research funding, across 3 years, has been awarded to a new study taking place across the UK & Ireland investigating screening secondary breast cancer patients for brain metastases before they become symptomatic. Recruitment of patients will start in 2024.

The government has scrapped the specific NHS England 10-year cancer strategy for a new blended 5-year Major Conditions Strategy. England’s health and social care secretary, Steve Barclay, told the House of Commons on 24 January that the Department of Health and Social Care is currently developing a new 5-year Major Conditions Strategy that will tackle the major conditions that contribute to the burden of disease in England.

What is ESMO?The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) is a leading professional organisation with more than 25,000 members from over 160 countries. The 2022 ESMO congress took place in Paris, France in a hybrid manner between the 9th - 13th September with an estimated 29,300 attendees.

We are delighted that on October 10th 2022 the Scottish Medicine Consortium (SMC) announced a decision to approve a new medicine that will be made available in NHS Scotland for certain patients with advanced or secondary Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). Pembrolizumab, also known under the brand name Keytruda®, is an immunotherapy drug for the treatment of patients with TNBC.

Thank you to Erin & the MyTomorrow's team for taking the time to talk to Claire about our work with secondary breast cancer patients. 

Find out more about the work of MyTomorrows here 

Karen Henderson Legacy Fund and ‘The 500 mile challenge’ launch in aid of Make 2nds Count The Karen Henderson Legacy Fund and the first fundraising challenge, in aid of Make 2nds Count, will be officially launching on 2 May at The Restoration Yard. The event will be hosted by one of Karen’s favourite entertainers, Grant Stott, and will bring together family and friends in a small celebration of Karen’s life.

Having recently received a significant donation in memory of Abigail Goswell, we asked her sister Emma to tell us about the decision to make the donation. In October 2020 my beautiful ‘little’ sister Abigail passed away from secondary breast cancer aged just 47.

We are delighted to open the next round of Make 2nds Count grant applications for research into secondary breast cancer. At a time when research funding and progress has been severely impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic then it is even more vital that research dedicated to secondary breast cancer patients continues.

The PRIMROSE study CI: Prof Carlo Palmieri Co-funding grant awarded to the University of Liverpool to support the study of the genomic landscape of brain metastasis secondary to breast cancer utilising cell-free DNA derived from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in the UK.

Living with a secondary breast cancer diagnosis is both mentally and physically gruelling for patients and those closest to them. With a focus on quality of life, our support programme helps patients and families affected by this incurable disease by informing, sharing and offering practical advice & support.

It's official, Make 2nds Count are one of the partner charities for Walk The Walk’s “Men Get Breast Cancer Too” campaign. Breast cancer charity Walk the Walk has brought together a global group of charities, collaborating to spread awareness that Men Get Breast Cancer Too.

Board member Lesley has had a busy month representing the secondary breast cancer community. The Conversation This podcast, part of a series called 'Medicine Made For You' looks at genes, clinical trials and how it might be possible for the NHS to take on a more personalised approach when it comes to our health.