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Monday 13 October 2025: International Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day

Metastatic Breast Cancer Action Australia (MBCAA)

Metastatic Breast Cancer Action Australia calls for greater visibility and support for people living with metastatic breast cancer  

Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day (13 October) marks the start of a week of fundraising, advocacy and awareness-raising activities for an often overlooked and incurable form of breast cancer. 

A year after its launch, Metastatic Breast Cancer Action Australia (MBCAA) has made significant progress in raising awareness of this treatable but not curable disease. Now, MBCAA is calling for urgent action following new research that reveals a much larger number of Australians are living with metastatic breast cancer than previously understood. This highlights the critical need to address gaps and inequities in support services, so that health systems and cancer organisations can better meet the needs of people living with metastatic breast cancer.

“For too long, people living with metastatic breast cancer have been invisible in our health data. Without knowing how many of us there are, it’s impossible to plan the services and support we need. That’s why I’ve spent years advocating for people with metastatic breast cancer to be counted — because every number represents a person, a family, a story. We deserve to be seen, heard, and supported.” Dr Andrea Smith, Chair of MBCAA and Senior Research Fellow, Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney, living with metastatic breast cancer

“The Cancer Institute NSW estimates that around 24,000 Australians are living with metastatic breast cancer — far more than previously thought,’ said Jen Byles, Director of MBCAA. “That's thousands of individuals and families navigating ongoing treatment, uncertainty and invisible challenges every day.”

Metastatic breast cancer — also known as stage IV, advanced or secondary breast cancer — occurs when cancer spreads beyond the breast or nearby lymph nodes to other parts of the body such as the bones, liver, lungs or brain. While it is not curable, it is treatable, and people with metastatic breast cancer can live for many years with the right care and support.  

A week of action: Plant Hope campaign and MBCAA’s first anniversary

On Monday 13 October 2025, MBCAA launches its first fundraising campaign: Plant Hope. This initiative invites Australians to plant seeds of awareness and support for people living with MBC. 

“Hope is about to bloom and it's not pink: it's purple,” said Jen Byles, Director of MBCAA. “Plant Hope is about turning something simple into something powerful. It’s a way for all of us to come together and do something meaningful — to connect, to care, and to keep hope alive.”

The campaign centres around MBCAA’s symbolic gardening gloves, which supporters can purchase or use to host a Plant Hope fundraising event. Funds raised will support MBCAA’s work to improve care, connection, and outcomes for people with metastatic breast cancer:

On Thursday 16 October, MBCAA celebrates its first anniversary, marking a year of impactful advocacy and community-building.

Donations to MBCAA can be made at: MBC Action Australia.

Key achievements in MBCAA’s first year

•  Advocating for better data: MBCAA supports the call for accurate data on the number of people living with metastatic breast cancer — a long-standing gap in Australia’s cancer data systems. 

“We can’t improve what we don’t measure," said Dr Andrea Smith. "For years, people with MBC weren’t counted. Through research and advocacy, that is changing, and it’s a critical step towards better care for people with metastatic breast cancer’.

• Raising awareness about metastatic breast cancer: MBCAA has been engaging with the breast cancer community, government, cancer organisations, researchers and key stakeholders to improve awareness of the unique needs of those with metastatic breast cancer.

“While survival remains low, it has improved thanks to advances in treatment,” said Professor Frances Boyle AM, medical oncologist and MBCAA Director. “People with metastatic breast cancer are living longer — but they do so from the shadows, rarely visible and barely heard.’

• Enhancing peer support: MBCAA is working to ensure that everyone who wants to can connect with others who understand what it’s like to live with metastatic breast cancer. This includes working with key cancer organisations and experts to improve access to metastatic breast cancer support groups around Australia. MBCAA is also about to launch Australia’s first, online, national support group for young women with metastatic breast cancer.

“A metastatic breast cancer diagnosis can feel very isolating,” said Brigitte Phillips, a young woman living with metastatic breast cancer. ‘The work that MBCAA does to create a voice for people living with metastatic breast cancer impacts at so many levels. The strength and passion of the women behind the organisation is inspiring, creating hope and community that is often difficult to find in the metastatic breast cancer space.”

• Highlighting the role of  metastatic breast care nurses. Specialist nurses are essential to quality care for people with MBC. MBCAA is advocating for better access to these vital roles.

About us:

About Metastatic Breast Cancer Australia

Metastatic Breast Cancer Action Australia (MBCAA) is the country’s first and only advocacy charity devoted to improving the lives and outcomes of people living with metastatic breast cancer. Led by people with lived experience, at MBCAA we use our collective voices to advocate for better policies, services, and supports that reflect the specific needs of our community.

We collaborate with supporters, researchers, and organisations on shared priorities, always striving to ensure people with metastatic breast cancer can live their lives to the fullest for as long as possible. 

“In just one year, MBCAA has created a national voice for people living with metastatic breast cancer,” said Dr Andrea Smith. “We’ve brought together researchers, clinicians, and people with lived experience to push for real change — from better data to better care. But this is just the beginning. We’re planting seeds of hope now, so that in the future, no one with metastatic breast cancer feels alone or overlooked.”

 

Contact details:

Media contacts

• Jen Byles, Director, MBC Action Australia 0413 896 396; email [email protected]

• Prof Frances Boyle, Director, MBC Action Australia 0419 128 168; email [email protected]

• General enquiries [email protected]

• Learn more at our website mbcaction.org.au