My Life, My Way: There’s no one way to live with secondary breast cancer
Living with a secondary breast cancer diagnosis is emotionally, mentally and physically gruelling for the estimated 61,000 people in the UK living with this disease. But behind every diagnosis is a life still being lived.
My Life, My Way celebrates the stories of how life continues beyond diagnosis — on individual terms.
Sam's story
"There's no point spending precious energy on "why me?" It's more about how I spend it on how I can make myself live as well as I can."
Sam, 46, a single deaf mother from Derbyshire, was diagnosed with de novo secondary breast cancer after almost two years of symptoms that had been attributed to other conditions. Two years on, Sam is medically retired and living well on her first treatment line.
"For me, living well with secondary breast cancer means consciously choosing how I spend my time alongside my parenting responsibilities. So for me, that means doing art."
Our recent survey showed that 85% of people living with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer feel pressure to appear positive.
Our survey also showed that:
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More than one in five (21%) now prioritise how they feel day-to-day rather than making long-term plans.
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Nearly a third (32%) say the most misunderstood fact about secondary (metastatic) breast cancer is that it is not curable.
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Only 37% feel very confident talking to family about their experience.
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Just 32% feel very confident talking to friends about what they are going through.
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17% say their work or career has been most impacted by their diagnosis.
Help us change the story around secondary breast cancer. Behind every diagnosis is a life still being lived.
The symptoms of secondary breast cancer will vary from person to person, so it is important that you listen to your body and notice anything new.
Please talk to your GP or clinical team as soon as possible if you develop any symptoms that are new, unexplained and persistent.
How you can help
- If you are active on social media, follow us @make2ndscount and share our content
- Have conversations with friends, family, neighbours and colleagues about secondary breast cancer - the facts, the signs & symptoms - and get alongside those living with it
- Make a donation to continue our work giving hope to those living with secondary breast cancer
- Sign up to our eNewsletter to find out more about the work we do.
read our my life my way stories