Blog

SBC & Me How does secondary breast cancer affect your life? It’s always there lurking in the background!

In October Make 2nds Count supporter, Sharon, took on the incredible challenge of swimming a mile a day for a week. She has kindly agreed to share why she took on this challenge and why Make 2nds Count is so important to her and her family.

“I'm Adam, I’m 33 and am an Actor and Puppeteer by trade. Since graduating The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, I have been fortunate to tour the UK and the world in Theatre shows mainly aimed for families.

SBC & Me How does secondary breast cancer affect your life? SBC is in my life everyday, from the aches and pains to the fatigue.

Today the NHS England has announced that Pembrolizumab (brand name, Keytruda®) has become available as an NHS England & Wales treatment option for patients with primary Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) after a deal was struck between the NHS and the manufacturer (MSD). In October 2022 Keytruda® was made available by the Scottish Medicine Consortium (SMC) for secondary TNBC and Keytruda® was also made available by NICE for this same patient cohort in May 2022 for usage in NHS England & Wales.

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.

SBC & Me Date of Diagnosis: December 2019 Current Treatment Line Abemaciclib, Letrozole and denosumab How does secondary breast cancer affect your life? When I was first diagnosed I was in a lot of pain and could barely walk.

SBC & Me Date of Diagnosis: September 2019 Current Treatment Line Capecitabine Denosumab Zoladex How does secondary breast cancer affect your life? Fatigue and pain are the main problems with my health.

SBC & My Treatment: Has your treatment line changed since you completed SBC & Me last year? In terms of SBC treatments no it hasn't, so 2.5 years on I'm lucky to be still on my first line treatment of Palbocicliib (75mg), Letrozole and Denosumab.

SBC & Me Date of Diagnosis: August 2020 Current Treatment Line Pabociclib Letrozole Denusomab How does secondary breast cancer affect your life? Tiredness is the worst but otherwise just being careful in todays climate What advice would you give to someone newly diagnosed?

SBC & Me Date of Diagnosis: 13.12.21 Current Treatment Line Abemaciclib, letrozole, denosumab, zoladex How does secondary breast cancer affect your life? It has changed it completely.

SBC & Me Date of Diagnosis: I was diagnosed with primary breast cancer in March 2020 just days before first lockdown and got told I had nodules in my lungs. When I got my first check up CT scan in the June the nodules had shrunk so had secondary diagnosis in July 2020.

Rachel is an incredible supporter of Make 2nds Count and today I would like to share her story with you. Rachel was diagnosed with 2 different types of breast cancer in 2016.

In the summer of 2021 Make 2nds Count awarded a 1-year grant to the Sussex Health Outcomes, Research & Education in Cancer (SHORE-C) group who conduct research in psychosocial oncology at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School. SHORE-C used this grant to conduct a UK Survey measuring informational needs & quality of life in women Living with Metastatic Breast CancER (the LIMBER study).

SBC & My Treatment: Has your treatment line changed since you completed SBC & Me last year? No, luckily I am still on the same treatment.