Lancashire woman backs national campaign to raise awareness of secondary breast cancer
A woman from Morecambe in Lancashire is using her personal experience to help raise awareness of a new campaign from the charity, Make 2nds Count, ahead of Secondary Breast Cancer Awareness day on October 13th.
The ‘Truth Be Told’ campaign is part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and was created in recognition of secondary (metastatic) breast cancer.
Secondary (metastatic) breast cancer affects an estimated 61,000 people in the UK, but remains under-recognised and under-discussed. It’s an incurable form of cancer that spreads beyond the breast to other parts of the body, often bringing immense emotional, physical and mental toll to patients and their families. An estimated 1,000 women in the UK die from the disease every month [1].
Janet Butler, 64, has been living with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer for six years. She said: “I had never heard of secondary breast cancer before. I had no idea what it was. People think you’ll have no hair and look poorly. Sometimes that’s true – but other times, you look fine. They don’t realise it’s incurable. It’s treatable, but the treatment will eventually stop working.
“I was diagnosed straight to secondary – de novo – and I’ve got lobular breast cancer, which is harder to detect. Originally, they thought it was primary, so they gave me a mastectomy. But then they found it had already spread to my liver. They put me on targeted therapy – a new drug at the time. I asked what my prognosis was and they said two to three years. You just feel like your life is over.
“But I’ve been lucky – I’ve done six years now and I’m still on my first line of treatment, which is amazing. What cancer has shown me is how important it is to value every moment with the people I love.”
As part of the campaign the charity undertook a new YouGov survey which showed 40% of adults in the North West have never heard of secondary (metastatic) breast cancer and 34% don’t know what any of the signs and symptoms are, despite it being leading cause of death for UK women between the ages of 40-59. [2]
Figures of how many women and men are actually living with the disease are estimated because data collection is inaccurate and patchy across the UK. Audits are being attempted across some of the four nations with only Northern Ireland currently having accurate data, so that services and support can be more adequately provided.
Despite the charity’s ongoing drive to improve awareness, the statistics also indicate regional uncertainty around the disease. 28% of North West adults believe secondary (metastatic) breast cancer can (wrongly) be cured and only 8% selected the correct range “1,000 to 1999” for the approximate number of people secondary (metastatic) breast cancer kills every month.
Make 2nds Count is a UK patient and family focused charity dedicated to supporting those affected by secondary (metastatic) breast cancer also known as ‘stage 4’ or ‘advanced breast cancer’.
Sam Dixon, CEO of Make 2nds Count, said: “’Truth Be Told’ is more than an awareness initiative – it's a movement of empowerment which aims to give hope. This disease is real, relentless – and invisible to so many. Our goal is to ensure that the voices of those living with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer in the North West are heard, respected, and supported.
“This research shows that a high percentage of adults in the North West have never even heard of secondary (metastatic) breast cancer even though approximately 1,000 people die UK wide every month from the disease.We’re here to change that and give a voice to the unseen struggles of this community and show their strength through our campaign.”
The poll also highlighted that:
- Nearly a third (32%) of North West adults didn’t know if men can get secondary (metastatic) breast cancer or not.
- 36% of North West men didn’t know if they can get secondary (metastatic) breast cancer or not.
At the heart of Truth Be Told is a striking collection of photographic portraits, which includes Janet, by renowned Irish photographer Jennifer Willis, which give a candid look at the lived experience of those with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer and capture the strength, vulnerability, and authenticity of those individuals living with the disease in an unfiltered way.
The campaign is part of the charity’s broader vision to support people with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer live longer and better lives. It provides advice about treatment options and clinical trials, connects patients through peer-to-peer and online support groups, wellbeing activities, and retreats and funds research, supporting more than 2,000 patients a year.
For more information about the Truth Be Told campaign or to get involved,
[1] Approximately 1,000 people die each month from secondary (metastatic) breast cancer in the UK.
England & Wales - Office for National Statistics (ONS), released 20 May 2025, ONS website, statistical bulletin, Death registration summary statistics, England and Wales: 2024
Scotland - National Records of Scotland, Vital Events Reference Tables 2023, Table 6.02 Deaths, numbers and rates, by sex, age and cause, Scotland, 2023 https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/vital-events-reference-tables-2023
Northern Ireland - Northern Ireland Cancer Registry 2024. Female breast cancer: 1993-2022. Available at: www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr.
[2] Secondary breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the UK in women between the ages of 40-59. Office for National Statistics (ONS), released 20 May 2025, ONS website, statistical bulletin, Death registration summary statistics, England and Wales: 2024