Breast cancer isn’t just common
It’s a crisis
1 in 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
And yet, what many don’t realize is that over 30% of those diagnoses will progress to metastatic breast cancer the only deadly stage of the disease. Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is incurable. It takes the lives of approximately 42,000 people every year in the U.S., including 1% who are men.
30+%
of breast cancer patients will go on to metastasize and die from the disease.
Metastatic Breast Cancer
Is a Growing Crisis -
And It’s Hitting Harder Than Ever
Every day, 116 people die from metastatic breast cancer (MBC). More people are being diagnosed, the age of diagnosis is getting younger, and the disease is getting more aggressive, especially for communities that are already underserved.
mBC takes
the lives of
118
women & men
Every.
Single.
Day.
Black women are dying from breast cancer at a rate 40% higher than white women..
Black women and patients of color, especially young patients, are more likely to face late diagnosis, more aggressive tumor types, and have less access to life-saving treatment. This isn’t just about biology, it’s about bias and inequality, and it’s about time for change.
Black women are
2X
as likely to be diagnosed with
TNBC
Stage IV Deserves More
It’s not just that only 2–11% of breast cancer research funding goes toward metastatic breast cancer, it’s that even this small slice is split three ways:
1. Prevention of metastasis
2. Mechanics of metastasis, understanding how and why it spreads, and 3. Developing life-extending therapies (translational research).
- By the time that funding reaches the research that could actually save lives, the resources are stretched thin and patients are left waiting.
This isn’t just a funding issue, it’s a priority issue.
Prevention Mechanics Therapies
The Most Fatal Stage,
The Least Funded.
Despite its severity, MBC receives the least funding of all breast cancer research. Of the billions raised each year in the name of breast cancer, it’s estimated that only 2–11% is allocated to metastatic research, the very research that could extend lives, improve quality of life, and bring us closer to a cure. This gap is unacceptable.
We can’t change outcomes without changing priorities.
It’s time to demand more, more research, more equity, more urgency.
Of the billions of dollars raised, ONLY 2-11% will be used to help fund
life-saving research.
Metastatic breast cancer
does not discriminate.
The system does.
We need more research, more funding, and more accountability, especially for those most at risk. Raise your voice, advocate for equity, and demand better outcomes for everyone!
