Olubukola Ayodele, Breast Cancer Lead at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, shared on LinkedIn:
“Last Sunday, I joined Walk4Hope London in support of Make 2nds Count, and I had such a wonderful time.
I walked alongside people living with metastatic breast cancer, their families, friends and supporters.
We walked. We laughed. We talked.
Some of the most important moments were the conversations along the way.
Conversations about living with metastatic breast cancer. About treatment, uncertainty, family, research and what support really looks like when you are living with a cancer that cannot currently be cured.
As a breast oncologist, these are conversations I have every day.
But metastatic breast cancer is also deeply personal to me. My mother died from metastatic breast cancer.
I know this disease as an oncologist, but I also know it as a daughter.
Around 20 – 30% of people diagnosed with early breast cancer will go on to develop metastatic breast cancer.
Yet despite metastatic disease being responsible for virtually all breast cancer deaths, research specifically focused on metastatic breast cancer has historically received a disproportionately small share of breast cancer research funding.
We need to change that.
Next month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and once again the world will turn pink.
Awareness has achieved a great deal. But ribbons alone will not stop people dying from breast cancer. Research will.
We need research that helps us understand why some cancers recur years after apparently successful treatment. We need better treatments.
We need more clinical trials. We need to understand and overcome treatment resistance. And while we search for cures, we need better support for people who are living with metastatic breast cancer today.
That is why the work of Make 2nds Count is so important to me, and why I am proud to serve as a Trustee.
Thanks to your generosity, I have already exceeded my original £500 target and raised more than £600.
So, shall we go further?
Can we get to £1,000?
If you can donate £5, £10, £20 or more, please do. If you have already donated, thank you. And if you cannot donate, please share.
The walk is finished.
The work isn’t.”
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