Secondary Breast Cancer Patients Cannot Afford to Wait

18 years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My diagnosis was delayed after I was initially sent away by a GP, and by the time my cancer was identified it had spread to my lymph glands. They had to be removed, and I continue to live with the consequences today.

I was fortunate. My treatment, which included 2 operations, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, was successful.

For thousands of people living with secondary breast cancer, however, there is no cure.

Secondary breast cancer occurs when the disease spreads beyond the breast to other parts of the body. Treatments can slow its progression, ease symptoms and extend life, but they cannot eliminate the disease.

Around 11,500 women and 90 men die from breast cancer every year in the UK, and almost all those deaths are caused by secondary breast cancer.

For those patients, every additional month matters. Every family milestone and every precious moment counts. Yet too often, people living with secondary breast cancer are overlooked by the very systems designed to support them.

One of the most shocking realities is that we still do not know exactly how many people are living with secondary breast cancer in the UK. The best estimate is around 61,000 people, but the truth is that nobody knows for certain.

For decades, campaigners and clinicians have highlighted the urgent need for better data collection. While some progress has been made, the first two National Audits of Metastatic Breast Cancer were unable to provide a complete picture because recurrence data remains incomplete and inconsistent.

This is more than a bureaucratic problem. Without accurate data, the NHS cannot properly plan services, allocate resources or understand where support is most needed. Patients are left feeling invisible because they are effectively invisible within the system.

The principle is simple: if we do not count people, we cannot support them.

That is why the Government’s commitment in the National Cancer Plan to define and count recurrent cancers, beginning with metastatic breast cancer in 2026, is so important.

I was the first MP in this Parliament to call for a National Cancer Plan, and welcomed it’s launch after months of campaigning. But the Plan must now be delivered in full, so these promises become reality.

Alongside better data, we must improve access to life-extending treatments.

Medical innovation has transformed outcomes for many people with secondary breast cancer. New therapies are helping patients live longer and maintain a better quality of life. Yet far too many cannot access these treatments through the NHS.

The case of Enhertu illustrates the problem. The treatment has shown significant benefits for patients with HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, yet it was rejected for NHS use in England on cost-effectiveness grounds. Meanwhile, patients in Scotland and many other European countries already have access to it.

England risks falling behind at precisely the moment when advances in cancer treatment are accelerating.

Recent changes to NICE’s cost-effectiveness framework create an opportunity to revisit decisions. Pharmaceutical companies, regulators and NHS leaders must work together to ensure patients are not denied treatments that could provide valuable additional time with their loved ones.

The wider challenge is ensuring that our assessment and approval processes keep pace with medical innovation. Life-extending treatments exist. Patients should not be left waiting unnecessarily while barriers to access remain unresolved.

Support services also require urgent attention.

Clinical Nurse Specialists are often the cornerstone of care for people living with secondary breast cancer, helping them navigate complex treatment pathways while providing vital emotional support.

Yet too many patients still do not have access to a specialist nurse, or receive limited support due to overstretched caseloads.

The NHS Long Term Plan promised every cancer patient access to a Clinical Nurse Specialist or support worker. That commitment must be honoured.

People living with secondary breast cancer do not have time on their side. They cannot afford years of delay while data systems are improved, treatments are negotiated or workforce shortages are addressed.

They need to be counted. They need access to specialist support. And they need timely access to treatments that can give them more precious time with the people they love.

That should be the minimum standard of care in a modern health service.