In 2024, we started the process of developing our next strategy – the plan we’ll use to guide our work over the coming years. We wanted the experiences of people affected by breast cancer to be at the heart of it. And to do that, we needed to hear from as many people affected by breast cancer as possible.
That’s why we carried out the Big Breast Cancer Survey, in partnership with Kaleidoscope Health & Care and Ipsos. We wanted to understand the needs and challenges that people affected by breast cancer face and the kind of change they want to see. In this report, we set out what they told us.
What did we do?
Through interviews and surveys, we heard from nearly 3,000 people from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This includes people with primary and secondary breast cancer, people who are at – or worried they are at – increased risk because of their family history, and family and friends of people with the disease.
Why is it important?
While there’s been huge progress in diagnosing and treating breast cancer over the last few decades, it’s still one of the UK’s biggest health challenges. More people are being diagnosed than ever before, too many lives are being lost to the disease and having breast cancer can be a life-changing experience for people, during and beyond their diagnosis and treatment.
We have a bold vision – that by 2050, everyone diagnosed with breast cancer will live, and be supported to live well. But to make that a reality, we need to keep learning and adapting to the realities of breast cancer right now, and making sure we’re focusing on the ways we can have the biggest impact.
What did we find?
We learned about the distinct challenges each group faces, their support needs – and where they aren’t being met – and the kind of change they want to see.
We found that there were some significant gaps in support – for people with secondary breast cancer, support for mental health and wellbeing, or after people with primary breast cancer finish treatment, for example. And we found out that people consistently told us they wanted to see more funding for research, better availability of treatments and shorter waiting times, to name just a few.
What will we do next?
We’ll use what we’ve learnt – along with input from experts in breast cancer – to set out what we’ll do to make lasting change. And we’ll be publishing this in our strategy later in 2025.
Read the report
Learn about our next steps to making sure everyone with breast cancer lives and lives well by 2050.