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Breast cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in women worldwide – it is responsible for approximately 460,000 deaths per year. Every day in the UK, 32 women will die from breast cancer – that means 1,000 loved and needed women will die from the disease every month. One in 25 women will die from the disease within a year of being diagnosed, making the UK’s survival rates for breast cancer among the lowest in Europe.
Breast cancer is not just one disease. Currently there are more than 20 different types of breast cancer that we know of; this makes our understanding of the disease complex, and progress depends on long-term commitment and sustainable funding.
Breakthrough Breast Cancer’s ambition is clear – as a result of our work women will no longer die from breast cancer.
We will do this through a strategic and measured approach to understand, manage and overpower the disease:
- By finding the causes we will know how to prevent the disease.
- By promoting early detection more women will recognise the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.
- By finding ways to make diagnosis of breast cancer more accurate, more women will receive precise treatments.
- By discovering new and better treatments and improving health services, women will receive effective guaranteed treatments and care.
To support this work we:
- Fund 25% of the breast cancer research in the UK. This includes funding more than 270 scientists in the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre, the UK’s only dedicated breast cancer research centre. We also fund two research units, in Manchester and London. Our research focuses on developing a deep understanding of the disease, which is essential to finding new ways of diagnosing, treating and preventing breast cancer.
- Campaign to ensure that women receive the best breast cancer diagnostic services available, as well as timely and correct treatment to ensure their chances of surviving the disease are among the best in the world.
- Educate women in the UK to recognise the warning signs of breast cancer and encourage them to seek medical advice as soon as possible. Early diagnosis offers the best chance of survival.
Our work is only possible due to the generosity of the public – all the money we receive is donated. We need to raise £20 million a year and, with commitment and support, we’re confident that we can stop women dying from some types of breast cancer within the next ten years. Within 20 years, this could also be true of most kinds of breast cancer. The only thing that can stop this happening is lack of funds.