Lancet Breast Cancer Commission

Mez_BCNA

A landmark report by The Lancet Breast Cancer Commission has highlighted gross inequities in breast cancer care in both low and high-income countries globally.

“Many groups are being systemically left behind, ignored or forgotten” - Professor Charlotte Coles, Chair of the Lancet Commission.

People living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) make up one of those groups in the report.

People living with MBC tell us they feel left behind and invisible because they are not consistently counted on Australia's cancer registries.

In step with the Commission’s priorities to tackle breast cancer inequities, BCNA is proud to be leading the advocacy to have Australians living with MBC consistently counted on our cancer registries in all state and territories.

Watch the full Lancet video (below) and read BCNA’s Time to Count People with Metastatic Breast Cancer - A Way Forward .

https://youtu.be/flg60U-aL0c?si=UXTefBf7fpyXxx_t

Cath62

This is a great start @Mez_BCNA. Counting people with metastatic breast is definitely a must but also important is understanding the needs of those with mets.

 I have never been asked about my needs here or elsewhere and just really have to seek out help for myself. I am fortunate in Brisbane there is the Choices Program at the Wesley hospital which offers a range of services for cancer patients which are free. 

In terms of out of pockets costs for my care since early breast cancer in 2020 to metastatic breast cancer in 2023 via the private system it has been as follows:
2020 $23000
2021 $18000
2022 over $10000
2023 over $10000
2024 so far $3800. 

The financial strain is enormous. I am fortunate I got a redundancy from my job as this has helped this cost but if I didn't have that, I am not sure what my husband and I would do. 

Blossom1961

Whilst it is lovely we are going to be counted, I do not think it will make a difference, we will just be another number. Time will tell. We lost our business with my first diagnosis in Geelong which was our house purchase money. I couldn't work it so we went under. Our own fault, we never should have put the house money into a business. We were just starting to get on our feet again when I was diagnosed with mets. I had to quit work and can only now work the occasional day so our only income is my husbands. If it wasn't for him???? On the plus side, the public system where I now have my treatment in Bendigo has been great, mets or not.