Advancing Global Visibility For Metastatic Breast Cancer

A pledge from Breast Cancer Network Australia, Breast Cancer Now (UK), and Rethink Breast Cancer (Canada) to continue advocating for people living with metastatic breast cancer to be counted and cared for.

Breast cancer continues to be the leading cancer among women globally. In 2022, there were over 2.3 million people newly diagnosed worldwide, and these numbers are expected to increase nearly 40% by 2050. In addition to new breast cancer cases, there is a growing group of people living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). MBC is the most serious form of breast cancer. It is treatable but not curable.

People living with MBC are living longer due to better treatments, yet they have remained invisible in our health systems and policy frameworks for decades because cancer statistics have not counted them. There is an urgent need for better cancer data. New research methods have found that previous statistics significantly underestimated MBC prevalence due to historical gaps in how cancer data is collected and reported. Without accurate MBC prevalence data, governments cannot plan and invest in cancer research, workforce, and services to better support people living with MBC and their families.

Counting people with MBC ensures they get the care they need. This pledge shows our commitment as three leading breast cancer advocacy organisations in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada to work together and continue to call on governments to accurately count how many people are living with MBC. Together with our global networks, we can drive faster improvements to cancer data for MBC and other cancers.

Read the full pledge below.