Funding Needed Now for Lobular Breast Cancer Research

Last month, I attended the Lobular Moon Shot Project vigil outside Downing Street alongside campaigners and families affected by Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer (ILC). Twenty-two women, including Zoe from Newbury, stood in silence for 22 minutes to represent the 22 women diagnosed with ILC every single day in the UK. 

ILC continues to devastate lives every day, and it was a powerful moment not only to support the ceaseless campaigning by the Moon Shot Project, but to back their clear call for the Government to commit £20 million over five years towards a major research project aimed at improving diagnosis, treatment, and patient outcomes. 

ILC is the second most common form of breast cancer, accounting for around 15% of cases, but remains significantly under-researched and underfunded. It fundamentally differs from the more common ductal form of breast cancer and is harder to detect through standard mammograms. As a result, thousands of women diagnosed every year are still being denied the specialised treatment they desperately need. 

Following the vigil, I submitted Written Questions (UIN 2414 & 2415) to the Department for Health and Social Care pressing Ministers on additional funding for research and the availability of much-needed treatments. In their response, the Government acknowledged that it is open to supporting research proposals into ILC, and there are some encouraging developments. 

Two weeks ago, the Institute of Cancer Research and Breast Cancer Now announced an expanded five-year collaborative programme focused on ILC, investing more than £1 million a year into research aimed at improving detection methods and treatments. 

Another strand of research into the disease is very welcome, but after years of neglect, further biological research into what makes ILC distinct is absolutely crucial if we are to accelerate our understanding and deliver better outcomes for patients. 

The Government’s National Cancer Plan for England rightly emphasises the importance of early diagnosis and swifter treatment, with a goal for the NHS to become a “global leader on cancer survival by 2035.”  Ministers say their approach will be “unapologetically bold” – well, in that context, the £20 million that the Moon Shot Project is calling for, and which researchers believe could make significant progress, is not a huge leap. But it could have a life-changing impact for tens of thousands of women and families across the country who deserve far greater certainty and care. 

The wider human and economic case for immediate action continues to grow. Breast cancer already costs the UK economy around £3.2 billion a year and could rise to as much as £4.2 billion annually by 2050 unless rapid action is taken to improve diagnosis and treatment. By urgently expanding access to breast cancer screenings and delivering a step change in medical research through the Renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England, we have the opportunity to give people many more years with their loved ones while strengthening the sustainability of our NHS and wider economy at the same time.

With many young people standing side-by-side at the vigil, it is clear the inequalities in women’s healthcare must be tackled so that the next generation does not have to go through the same experiences of delayed diagnosis and being told there is no specific treatment for ILC. 

We need to see a shift, and the new Secretary of State must now commit to the funding that the Lobular Moon Shot Project is calling for. 

465 MPs support this, why are we still waiting?