Count Us In. From Australia to the World: Global Leaders Unite to End the Invisibility of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Network Australia
MEDIA RELEASE
Count Us In. From Australia to the World: Global Leaders Unite to End the Invisibility of Metastatic Breast Cancer
BCNA in London, United Kingdom – 10 July 2025
Today, three of the world's leading breast cancer organisations have united in a groundbreaking global call to action that could transform cancer care worldwide—demanding that people living with metastatic breast cancer are finally counted, recognised, and supported.
Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA), Breast Cancer Now (UK), and Rethink Breast Cancer (Canada) launched the historic 'Advancing Global Visibility for Metastatic Breast Cancer' Advocacy Pledge at the Australian High Commission in London, with support from the Australian Government and backed by members of the World Health Organisation Global Breast Cancer Initiative.
This landmark initiative brings together advocates, health leaders, and policymakers to tackle an urgent crisis. With over 2.3 million new breast cancer cases annually and a 40% increase projected by 2050, there's a growing population living longer with metastatic breast cancer thanks to better treatments. Yet governments worldwide remain blind to their existence.
"We live in a digital age, but too often when it comes to cancer, the data is decades behind," said MJ DeCoteau, Executive Director of Rethink Breast Cancer. "Without visibility, there's no accountability. That's why we're demanding change, and we won't stop until people living with MBC are counted and prioritised."
For decades, people with metastatic breast cancer have been hidden in plain sight — excluded from health data, overlooked in services, and denied a voice in decisions that shape their care. The failure to track staging and recurrence means people with MBC remain unseen, underserved, and unsupported.
Australia is leading the way. Thanks to persistent advocacy by BCNA and strong partnerships between the state cancer registries, Australia's three largest states have implemented world-first linked data methodologies. This focus of the willing revealed more than 16,000 people living with MBC in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland alone — 60% higher than the last national estimate.
"For over two decades, BCNA has fought for every person with MBC to be counted," said Vicki Durston, Director of Policy, Advocacy & Support Services at BCNA. "This pledge marks a global promise: we won't stop until this community is visible in every health system, everywhere."
"Numbers don't get sick—people do," said Claire Rowney, CEO of Breast Cancer Now. "Until people with MBC are visible in data, they'll continue to be left behind. We're standing together today to make sure that ends now."
Australian consumer advocate Lisa Rankin, who lives with MBC, said: "As someone living with metastatic breast cancer, I am incredibly excited it is now possible to be recognised. Until now we have been hidden in plain sight and vastly underestimated in numbers."
The Hon Mark Butler MP, Australia's Minister for Health and Aged Care, endorsed the initiative: "The groundbreaking work by New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland shows what's possible when governments work together to prioritise data for people with metastatic breast cancer. We are proud to support this global pledge alongside our Commonwealth partners."
The Advocacy Pledge calls on governments worldwide to prioritise MBC data collection and reporting, invest in data infrastructure and workforce, integrate MBC into global health initiatives like the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative, and ensure the voices of people living with MBC guide decisions about their care.
The Australian High Commission event is part of a global advocacy tour by BCNA, including engagement with the United Nations, WHO, and UICC in Geneva, concluding with the Commonwealth Pledge Panel in London.
At the heart of this pledge is a promise to those living with metastatic breast cancer: We see you. We count you. And we will not stop until you are recognised, supported, and prioritised.
Media Contact: Erin Craven, Media & Communications, BCNA
[email protected] | +61 3 9805 2540
