Blog

Emma Higginson was diagnosed with Secondary (Metastatic) Breast Cancer in December 2022. She works in IT for BSI and since her diagnosis her colleagues at BSI have really got behind Make 2nds Count to help raise funds.

We are sharing a very special blog today from one of our amazing fundraisers - Evan Moffitt, son of one of our Trustees, Heather.

He has chosen to share his personal story with us, and we are so proud and grateful to him for the opportunity to hear from him directly.

SBC & Me Date of Diagnosis 13/01/2023 Current Treatment Line I am just about to start a chemo drug called Abraxane and immunotherapy. I'll go in for treatments on a four week cycle, with three on and one off.

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.

SBC & Me Date of Diagnosis 08/04/2022 Current Treatment Line I am on my first line of treatment taking Letrozole and Palbociclib and about to start cycle 10. How does SBC effect your life?

SBC & Me Date of Diagnosis 26/05/2022 Current Treatment Line Abemaciclib 150mg twice a day Denosumab injections monthly Fulvestrant injections monthly oxycodone for pain relief How does SBC effect your life? I am a very strong & positive person & i try very hard to do as much as i did before diagnosis, The fatigue gets to me more than anything & some days i can sleep for 14 hours & others i don’t even have a nap.

Breast cancer spreading to the brain (brain metastases, or brain mets) can occur in up to 25-55% of HER2-positive secondary breast cancer patients. Brain metastases in secondary breast cancer patients is treated with radiotherapy and/or surgery.

Kirsten is taking part in the Great North Run in September 2023, her story is below: Can you tell me a little about yourself? My name is Kirsten, I am 38 years old and work as the Head of Finance for a Housing Association based in Midlothian.

SBC & Me Date of Diagnosis 01/06/2022 Current Treatment Line Ribociclib + Letrozole + Zoladex + Denosumab How does SBC effect your life? Where do you begin with this?

SBC & Me Date of Diagnosis 14/09/2022 Current Treatment Line Paclitaxel and Phesgo How does SBC effect your life? I am still very early on so I’m still getting use to it all.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has announced that trastuzumab deruxtecan (Enhertu®) has been approved for usage within NHSScotland for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer patients who have received one or more prior anti-HER2-based regimens. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved trastuzumab deruxtecan for this same patient cohort in NHS England & Wales in December 2022.

Can you tell me more about why you chose to fundraise for us? I am a big believer that sometimes the smaller charities often get overlooked and therefore do not get the same funding as some of the larger charities.

Sacituzumab govitecan-hziy (known by the trade name TRODELVY®) was approved for NHS usage in 2022 for secondary TNBC patients, who have had two or more systemic therapies (such as chemotherapies), with at least one of these being for advanced disease. TRODELVY® was approved for this demographic of secondary TNBC patients because a phase 3 clinical trial (known as the ASCENT trial) showed positive patient outcomes.

Make 2nds Count is aware that founder Lisa Fleming has spoken on social media about legal action she has brought against the charity. The charity will not comment about the active tribunal other than to confirm that we refute all aspects of the claim.

SBC & Me How does secondary breast cancer affect your life? I do get exhausted, the tiredness suddenly hits me.