More than 11,000 women die from secondary breast cancer each year in the UK. The Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre (ECRC) at the University of Edinburgh,  has received £100,000 from Make 2nds Count. 

Make 2nds count is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) registered in Scotland under Scottish Charity Number SC048268. It is dedicated to secondary breast cancer research – the funding for the ECRC will advance the study of tumour DNA in the blood.

Dr Olga Oikonomidou  of the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre said:

“Although secondary breast cancer remains incurable, it is treatable and, thanks to ongoing investment in research, patients with metastatic breast cancer can live well for many years.

“This form of breast cancer is constantly evolving and finding new ways to outsmart treatments, so there is a pressing need to understand it more fully. We are enormously grateful to Make 2nds Count for their generous donation.”

The team will sequence DNA from tumours, and draw up a genetic map that will help spot mutations involved in this form of cancer.

Their aim is to identify changes in a simple blood sample that could help predict response to treatment.

They also hope to identify mutations that will allow doctors to offer patients new targeted therapies.

Lisa Fleming fromMake 2nds Count said:

“Make 2nds Count are delighted to be in a position to help Dr Oikonomidou further her important research thanks to our generous supporters.

“Secondary breast cancer is still hugely underfunded compared with other forms of cancers and we hope that this funding will speed up efforts to find better treatments for families dealing with the disease.”