For 27 years, Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) has supported Australians impacted by breast cancer, ensuring their voices shape better care, stronger policy, and greater understanding. Australia’s progress has been driven by the leadership of New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria, who each demonstrated extraordinary commitment following BCNA’s 2023 National Roundtable. They undertook the work to develop new linked data methodologies to identify people living with metastatic breast cancer, setting the national benchmark for innovation. Their combined effort enabled the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) to leverage this knowledge and deliver Australia’s first-ever national estimates of MBC prevalence, supported by Cancer Australia and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. This moment will stand as one of BCNA’s legacies, but there is still much work to do. We remain committed to standing with all Australians living with MBC to ensure their voices create meaningful change. We will expand our information and supportive care to create more opportunities to feel connected and a sense of belonging to a Network that understands. We will continue to build national and international partnerships that bring about real change. Australia is now shaping the future of global cancer data and redefining what collaboration can deliver for health reform – BCNA will continue to play a key role by driving global leadership and action in breast cancer care. Vicki Durston Director, Policy, Advocacy & Support Services, BCNA
OUR ADVOCACY OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS HAS FOCUSED ON COUNTING THOSE LIVING WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER AND OUR ATTENTION AND DETERMINATION HAS LED TO THIS DEFINING MOMENT. THROUGH STRONG COLLABORATION WITH GOVERNMENTS, RESEARCHERS, DATA EXPERTS, AND CONSUMER ADVOCATES, WE HAVE ACHIEVED WHAT ONCE SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE - VISIBILITY FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER (MBC) IN OUR NATIONAL DATA SYSTEMS. THIS OUTCOME IS THE RESULT OF THE COLLECTIVE STRENGTH OF A SECTOR DETERMINED TO TRANSFORM INVISIBILITY INTO INSIGHT, AND INSIGHT INTO INFLUENCE.
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