Secondary Breast Cancer Patient Summit

We were delighted to hold our third Secondary Breast Cancer Patient Summit in Liverpool, 2-4 March 2026 - the UK’s biggest event dedicated to people living with secondary breast cancer. We heard from leading experts, researchers, and clinicians about the latest treatments, clinical trials, and supportive care - all explained in clear, accessible language.

Supported by our sponsors with no influence over the conference programme, apart from one breakout session. Sponsored breakout sessions are developed independently of Make 2nds Count and the Summit Strategic Committee.

Watch the Summit 2026 sessions

Thanks to our sponsors

Watch the Summit 2025 sessions

For our 2025 Summit, we were delighted to welcome 26 speakers from the breast cancer sector who shared the latest developments for each breast cancer sub-type; information about clinical trials, palliative care, and what really happens at an MDT; and gave advice on exercise and nutrition.

Each of the sessions were recorded, including the question and answer times, so that you can watch them at your own pace.

summit playlist

Thank you to everyone that attended and to our generous sponsors who enabled us to give 110 fully-funded places for this event to our community.

Programme

Day 1 - Monday 2 March

Time	Activity	Speaker
1 - 1.45pm	Lunch
2 - 2.15pm	Conference welcome	Sam Dixon, Prof Carlo Palmieri & Lesley Stephen
2.15 - 3pm	Metastatic breast cancer- an overview	Prof Carlo Palmieri
3 - 3.45pm	Side effects - the true cost of treatment	Prof Richard Simcock
4 - 4.45pm	In conversation with...	Community Ambassadors David & Diane

Day 2 - Tuesday 3 March

9.30 - 10.15am	Sponsored symposia
10.15 - 11am	Understanding clinical trials	Dr Olubukola Ayodele, Lesley Stephen & Mel Tolson
11 - 11.15am	BREAK
Parallel sessions
11.15 - 12.15pm	Subtypes: TNBC	Prof Jean Abraham
11.15 - 12.15pm	Subtypes: HER2+	Prof Iain MacPherson
11.15 - 12.15pm	Subtypes: ER+	Prof Andreas Makris
12.15 - 1pm	LUNCH
Parallel sessions
1 - 1.45pm	Update on exercise and lifestyle in advanced breast cancer	Dr Catherine Harper-Wynne
1 - 1.45pm	What is integrative oncology?	Dr Nina Fuller-Shavel
1 - 1.45pm	Mental health, coping and resilience	Dr James Woolley
1.45 - 2.30pm	What is genomics and how does it help?	Prof Ellen Copson
2.30 - 3pm	BREAK
3 - 3.45pm	Demystifying MDTs	Panel led by Dr Marina Parton Prof Ellen Copson, Dr Sheetal Sharma, Mr Matthew Rowland, Phil Walker, Dr Madhuri Warren & Dr Clare Hart
3.45 - 4.30pm	Supportive and palliative care	Dr Daniel Monnery

Day 3 - Wednesday 4 March

9.30-10.15am	Bench to bedside	Prof Nick Turner
10.15 - 11am	Patient advocacy: what is it and how to get involved	Lesley Stephen, Tatiana Gomes & Sammy Burrow
11 - 11.30am	BREAK
11.30 - 12.15pm	Ask us anything	Panel led by Prof Carlo Palmieri
12.15 - 12.30pm	Closing remarks & thanks	Prof Carlo Palmieri & Sam Dixon, CEO Make 2nds Count

Prof Carlo Palmieri, Secondary Breast Cancer Summit Clinical Lead

The Secondary Breast Cancer Summit is the only national patient-focused conference in the UK for secondary (metastatic) breast cancer.

In response to invaluable insights from recent LIMBER and Metastatic Breast Cancer research studies funded by the Make 2nds Count, we've identified critical knowledge gaps within the secondary breast cancer community, and the Summit will address these. From disease understanding to clinical trials, treatment, and side effects, our bespoke event programme will meet the research information needs of the secondary breast cancer community. Our goal is to educate and empower patients, and help them feel more confident in their understanding of the disease.

Lesley Stephen, Secondary Breast Cancer Summit Patient Lead

I’m delighted that we are held the Summit for the third year for patients with secondary breast cancer. I’ve been living with secondary breast cancer for 10 years, and in that time I have been to many cancer conferences with medical talks that can be difficult to follow if you don’t have a science background.

I’ve often thought it would be great to offer secondary breast cancer patients the opportunity to have their own conference, ask researchers and clinicians questions about their work and find out about the latest treatments, but all presented in a way that we patients can understand.