MBC Allies: Here’s What’s Next (2020)

When we launched our campaign to rally 10,000 MBC Allies to support and stand with women living with metastatic breast cancer, we knew it was an ambitious goal. Metastatic disease isn’t easy to think about, but that only makes it that much more important. This was abundantly clear when planning with Rethink’s MBC Advisory Board.

In just one month, we’re nearly halfway to our goal, or should I say our recruiting goal. And I say that because we can’t lose sight of our real goal of doubling the median survival time from initial progression by 2025. It’s been stuck at just 2 to 3 years for more than a decade. And we’re committed to helping to change it.

This is no easy feat and there is no magic bullet. There are so many factors at play. So many stakeholders involved – Federal and provincial governments, drug manufacturers, healthcare professionals and researchers to name a few. But a tough challenge has never made us shy away before. You might say it’s the reason why Rethink exists.

Truly effective advocacy means more than just raising an issue or publishing a report. We believe in measurable goals and results. To influence stakeholders and the decisions that are made, we need meaningful recommendations and engaged Allies to demand those recommendations are adopted. Together, we help shape policies and practices that improve lives.

So, we ask for your patience, as we dig deep, do our research and layout the next steps. This is how every one of our advocacy successes began. We commit to coming back to this amazing group of MBC Allies ready to drastically improve the lives and clinical outcomes of women with breast cancer.

And in the meantime, please keep talking about MBC. Tell people why it’s important to understand and why they should sign the pledge too.