Partnerships

MSD highlights progress on addressing health inequalities in cancer in England

May 2024

How can we learn from the work of Cancer Alliances in reducing health inequalities at a local level?

MSD in the UK have published the report, Driving health equity in cancer: Practical examples from Cancer Alliances, demonstrating the progress Cancer Alliances in England are making towards addressing health inequalities.

The publication, Driving health equity in cancer: Practical examples from Cancer Alliances, brings together a collection of case studies of local projects within Cancer Alliances across the country that aim to overcome the health inequalities in cancer care and outcomes in their area. It highlights practical steps that can be taken, such as working with organisations in the local community, to reach underserved or hard-to-reach populations – who are often more at risk of certain cancer types but don’t readily engage with the health system.

Bringing together practical examples in this way is intended to inspire cancer services and local communities to think differently about the opportunities available to support populations impacted by health inequalities by showcasing steps that can be taken to support them and extend and improve their lives.

Read the report

The project was funded and led by MSD in the UK, working with Cancer Alliances to bring together case studies of the crucial work they have been undertaking over the course of many years.

We are grateful to NHS England National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme Directors and to Macmillan Cancer Support for their endorsement for this project – providing feedback and forewords for the publication:

Professor Peter Johnson, National Clinical Director for Cancer, and Professor Bola Owolabi, Director of the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme, said:

“The case studies in this report showcase the innovative and responsive ways in which we hoped that Cancer Alliances and other organisations would implement the Core20PLUS5 programme – in their local communities, shaping their work around the community’s specific needs. We have enjoyed hearing about these case studies throughout the project and hope they inspire others, as they have inspired us, to continue our life-saving and important work in addressing health inequalities in cancer across England.”

Claire Taylor MBE, Chief Nursing Officer, and Professor Richard Simcock, Chief Medical Officer, at Macmillan Cancer Support, said:

“Eliminating health inequalities is becoming an increasing priority in the UK as we continue to see widening variation in cancer outcomes. This report offers positive and practical ways to improve health equity with useful insights from others’ key learnings and also further resources you may wish to access.”

Health inequalities have a direct impact on the risk of getting cancer, the speed with which someone is diagnosed, and their likelihood of surviving – MSD’s October 2022 report, Levelling up: what does it mean for the less survivable cancers in England?, analysed national data from some of the least survivable cancers and found that only 49% of people living in the most deprived quintile are diagnosed with cancer at an early stage (stage 1 or 2), compared to 58% of people from the least deprived quintile.¹

It is vital that the Government and NHS continue to focus on tackling inequalities to achieve the early diagnosis and survival ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.²

Benson Fayehun, MSD UK Oncology Business Unit Head

“Addressing health inequalities is deeply personal to me and is one of the biggest barriers we face to improving the nation’s health. National commitments and leadership help set the tone and direction – but it is through learning from, and innovating with, communities on the ground that we see the action needed to bring about positive change and improve people’s lives.

We are delighted to have been able to bring together some of the fantastic and inspiring work that Cancer Alliances have undertaken in partnership with local charities and community organisations to overcome cultural, physical or logistical barriers to equal healthcare. By sharing these positive examples we hope to inspire others within the health system, local authorities, charities and community groups to think differently about their roles in addressing health inequalities and the opportunities that there are to support their local populations.”

Examples of the fantastic projects Cancer Alliances have been delivering, include:

The Alright Me Liver? campaign in Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon & Gloucestershire to improve early detection of liver cancer – one of the less survivable cancers – in deprived communities, who have an increased risk of death from liver cancer.³

This Van Can is a mobile health clinic targeting groups at higher risk of prostate cancer in Greater Manchester.
You Need to Know campaign in Northeast London to tackle low awareness of womb cancer, where incidence and mortality rates are higher in people of non-white ethnicities and from more deprived communities.^4,5
Efforts in Southeast London to ensure patients with learning difficulties receive optimal care

[1] MSD, Levelling up: what does it mean for the less survivable cancers in England?, September 2022, job number: GB-NON-06239. Available: https://www.msd-uk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2022/10/Levelling-up_What-does-it-mean-for-the-less-survivable-cancers-in-England.pdf

[2] NHS England (2019). NHS long term plan: chapter three: cancer. Available: https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/online-version/chapter-3-further-progress-on-care-quality-and-outcomes/better-care-for-major-health-conditions/cancer/#:~:text=This%20Long%20Term%20Plan%20sets,least%20five%20years%20after%20diagnosis. Accessed April 2024

[3] Mayor of Bristol (2023). Alright my liver? Liver cancer awareness month. Available: https://thebristolmayor.com/2023/10/01/alright-my-liver/ Accessed JApril 2024.

[4] Cancer Research UK, Uterine cancer statistics. Available: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/uterine-cancer#heading-Zero Accessed April 2024.

[5] Cancer Research UK, Uterine cancer statistics,. Available: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/uterine-cancer#heading-Zero Accessed April 2024

GB-NON-09360 | May 2024

Responsibility

MSD for Mothers Reaches 30 Million Women Worldwide

May 2024

MSD has announced that MSD for Mothers has reached more than 30 million women through programs promoting safe, high-quality and respectful maternal health care – surpassing its goal of reaching 25 million women by 2025.

MSD for Mothers is dedicated to finding solutions to end maternal mortality with over 200 programs in more than 70 countries designed to deliver on the unique maternal health needs of women around the world.

While the maternal health landscape has experienced progress in recent years, maternal mortality remains a reality for too many. According to the World Health Organization, a maternal death occurred nearly every two minutes in 2020, with almost 95% occurring in low-income or lower middle-income countries. Through MSD for Mothers, the company upholds its commitment to expanding access to health and accelerating progress toward one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal targets: to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.

To advance this ambition, MSD for Mothers works closely with various public and private sector collaborators to strengthen health systems for the long-term and address the diverse needs of moms, babies and families globally.

“I am so proud of our company’s long-standing commitment to our MSD for Mothers initiative, which is dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes around the world,” said Allison Goldberg, president of our company’s foundation. “Through MSD for Mothers, we have now helped more than 30 million women access high-quality, life-saving care around pregnancy and childbirth – surpassing our goal of reaching 25 million women by 2025. This milestone serves as a reminder that much work is left to be done, and we remain committed to helping create a world where no woman has to die while giving life.”

To learn more about this milestone achievement, read the company’s full announcement here.

GB-NON-09434 | May 2024

Partnerships

Bridging the gap between industry and academic research with Open Targets

April 2024

MSD is pleased to be the latest partner to join the Open Targets Consortium, a public-private partnership that aims to tackle high attrition rates of potential new therapies in clinical trials, aiding MSD’s drug discovery efforts in London and globally.

Research shows that clinical trials are more likely to succeed when the link between the disease and the drug target is supported by evidence from genetics and genomics studies.[1] By generating and interpreting the evidence that informs decision making in drug target discovery, the consortium helps bridge the gap between industry and academic research.

Joining other industry and research partners, MSD will support Open Targets to accelerate the development of safe and effective medicines by leveraging cutting-edge technologies to identify, prioritise, and validate potential drug targets.

MSD’s expertise in drug discovery, combined with the consortium’s comprehensive tool that optimises target validation, extensive research portfolio and cutting-edge informatics approaches to address all elements of human health and disease, enables a specific focus on immunology and inflammation, oncology, and neurodegeneration.

Founded in 2014, the partnership endeavours to share data, methods and knowledge generated by the consortium with the wider scientific community.

“We are pleased to join the Open Targets consortium and believe this unique public-private model will allow us to leverage large-scale genomics data along with advances in AI and machine learning, so we can better understand the underlying drivers of disease and enable more efficient target discovery,” said Iya Khalil, Vice President and Head of Data, AI and genome sciences, MSD Research Laboratories. “We look forward to working closely with our partners at Open Targets.”

Maisy Szabo

+447852508960

maisy.szabo@msd.com

Ochoa et al. (2022) Human genetics evidence supports two-thirds of the 2021 FDA-approved drugs. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, Rusina et al. (2023) Genetic support for FDA-approved drugs over the past decade. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery

GB-NON-09349 | April 2024

Partnerships

MSD & the fight against Hepatitis C continues!

April 2024

How are we partnering with the NHS to deliver hepatitis C elimination?

Building on the success of the initial 5 year programme, the world leading initiative to find, test and treat people at risk of hepatitis C has been extended for another 2 years.

MSD is proud to be part of the NHS Elimination programme which is a first of its kind programme, involving a close collaboration between NHS England, the Hepatitis C Trust, Operational Delivery Networks (ODNs), the pharmaceutical industry (Abbvie, Gilead and MSD), His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSE) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Chronic hepatitis C infection, caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), is thought to affect over 62,600 people in England.^[1]Symptoms can take years to develop and as a result, many people are unaware that they are living with the virus. If left untreated, HCV can lead to serious health problems including cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver failure and liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC).^[2] This not only places a heavy burden on the individual, but on the NHS and the economy.^[3.4]

In 2016, the UK Government signed up to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Health Sector Strategy (GHSS) on Viral Hepatitis which commits participating countries to the elimination of HCV as a major public health threat by 2030. NHS England is working to surpass the WHO target through a number of initiatives including a unique and innovative partnership – The Hepatitis C Elimination Programme.^[2]

In this unique 7 year programme, a series of ‘elimination initiatives’ are being provided by the NHS and industry, which aim to identify potential patients, test for infection and offer treatment to everyone who needs it. Working with 24 Operational Delivery Networks, which were set up across England to help manage hepatitis C services at a local level, MSD has supported elimination through four elimination initiatives:

Point of Care Testing (POCT): In partnership with Cepheid, we are rolling out Cepheid rapid HCV RNA testing equipment to prisons, community projects and outreach services. Delivering rapid finger-prick testing that delivers results in 1 hour.

Patient Search Identification (PSI): A case-finding tool which searches for coded HCV risk factors in patient records in primary care settings to identify potentially at-risk patients that should be reviewed and, if appropriate, tested.

Peer-to-Peer Support (P2P): Through partnership with the Hepatitis C Trust (THCT), we are providing a network of peer volunteers with lived experience of HCV to provide education, encouragement and support directly to patients throughout the treatment and care journey. Through this partnership, we are also working to develop a community-led model to reach out to south Asian communities. These communities have a higher prevalence of HCV infection than the general population, but have often been excluded from receiving culturally relevant information and interventions.

Community Liaison Officers (CLO): Community Liaison Officers work with the ODN clinical teams to align and coordinate hepatitis C services and provide outreach to patients attending clinics, as well as working in homeless hostels, night shelters and drug treatment centres.

To speak to a member of the team, please contact Elimination Programme Lead, Kuldip Sembhi at: Kuldip.sembhi@msd.com

¹ UKHSA Hepatitis C in England 2023. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hepatitis-c-in-the-uk/hepatitis-c-in-england-2023. Last accessed March 2024

² UKHSA Hepatitis C in England 2022 Report: Working to eliminate hepatitis C as a public health problem Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1057271/HCV-in-England-2022-full-report.pdf. Last Accessed March 2024

³ Singh J, Longworth L, Estimating The Cost Of Liver Transplantation In Patients Diagnosed With Chronic Hepatitis C And B In The UK, 2014. Available online via: http://valueinhealthjournal.com/article/S1098-3015(14)02760-0/fulltext. Last accessed March 2024

^₄Wright M, Grieve R, Roberts J, Main J, Thomas HC, Alexander G, et al., Health benefits of antiviral therapy for mild chronic hepatitis C: Randomized controlled trial and economic evaluation. Health Technology Assessment. 2006:10

GB-NON-09120 | April 2024

Responsibility

Shining a light on our work in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

March 2024

MSD’s Chief Diversity Officer, Celeste Warren, strives to ensure that our policies and practices provide an equal opportunity for all so that our workforce reflects the diversity of the world. This she says “enables us to better understand the needs of the patients, health care providers and customers we serve,”

And that means embedding a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion at every level of the organisation, a commitment that’s central to our business growth as well as to our employees’ well-being.

At MSD in the UK, our work is more than just scientific: we recognise that we have an important part to play in tackling health disparities to drive improvements in healthcare access and outcomes for patients across the UK.

We believe in creating a more equitable and inclusive society where everyone has the best chance of staying healthy and well, regardless of their background, identity and circumstances.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) are at the centre of everything we do and is part of our ways of working. Our employees with shared experiences and their allies come together as Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRG’s). Providing a community and informing change across our business, our EBRGs help everyone at MSD bring their authentic selves to work, and ultimately champion and drive improvements externally in our mission to save and improve lives.

Prioritising diversity and inclusion benefits employees and our business

We’ve made a lot of progress on our diversity and inclusion efforts in our workplace, including:

- Strong membership growth across our 10 EBRGs globally with approximately 21,500 employees who belong to EBRGs, and many of our UK employees are active participants.
- Launch of an internal Ally Resource Centre to provide access to resources and educational materials to support each employee’s D&I learning journey.
- Development of an integrated disability inclusion strategy to create a disability-confident workplace culture where people with disabilities feel accepted, connected and can fully contribute.
- An annual UK Health Equity hackathon, hosted by our LEAD network (League of Employees of African Descent) in collaboration with Eli Lilly’s embRACE brings together over 55 undergraduate students from a range of diverse academic and cultural backgrounds, inviting curious minds to ‘hack’ the problem of health equity, explore potential solutions, and network. As well an increasing awareness of health equity, the event contributes to a pipeline of diverse talent as the winning group are accelerated through the early talent programme assessments.
- Our UK EBRG’s have recently driven the implementation of a new ‘Transitioning At Work’ policy, a new ‘Menopause Policy’ and a mandatory ‘Sexual Harassment’ training programme for all employees
- MSD is proud to be a member of the Patient Information Forum (PIF) and are part of their Trusted Information Creator accreditation scheme (the PIF TICK) – the UK’s only quality mark for health information. We commit that our public-facing materials are produced in line with PIF’s criteria, ensuring that our information is accessible and accurate.

We are on a journey, and are proud to be shining a light on our work so far. Watch our video and follow our stories on social media over the coming weeks.

GB-NON-09023 | February 2024

Our People

A leading people-first employer: Top Employer UK/Europe 2024

January 2024

The Top Employers Institute is the global authority on recognising excellence in people practices and for the seventh year running we have been recognised for demonstrating care for the development and well-being of our people.

What makes us a Top Employer?

MSD is certified in seven countries and growing. Being certified as a Top Employer showcases an organisation’s dedication to a better world of work and exhibits this through excellent HR policies and people practices. The certification covers six HR domains consisting of 20 assessment topics. A detailed analysis of our best practices scored us in areas such as People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) and Wellbeing.

Our top scoring sections were ‘Develop’, ‘Unite’ and ‘Engage’, and we were recognised for some of the important initiatives we have in place in these areas.

In the area of ‘Develop’, our support as well as our employee development programmes have taken us above benchmark, in particular our Talent Growth Framework and LEAD your career programme were identified as exemplar in supporting the individual in their development, acknowledging that development is different for everyone.

In ‘Unite’ we scored highly in ‘ethics and integrity’ and ‘purpose and values’ which is integral to our work as a pharmaceutical company and we were also recognised for our work in DE&I where we scored an increase of 9% from previous year for our approach and strategy. This past year we have focused on developing both ownership and accountability in the DE&I space.

Other stand out initiatives include the work of our Employee Resource Business Groups who have driven the implementation of a new ‘Transitioning At Work’ policy, a new ‘Menopause Policy’ and a mandatory ‘Sexual Harassment’ training programme for all employees.

Our focus on ‘Wellbeing’ includes our mental health network of trained first aiders, our new early talent mental health group and a varied and regular programme of education on available employee support and benefits.

It is an honour to be validated, certified, and recognised as an employer of choice UK and Europe. We will not rest on our laurels but are committed to continuously evolving and improving our people practices.

Top Employers Institute: For a Better World of Work

GB-NON-08845 | January 2024

Partnerships

Eliminating cervical cancer across the UK could save £2.6 billion, new research finds

January 2024

The UK could save £2.6 billion by achieving the WHO global targets for cervical cancer by 2046, landmark new research reveals.

An estimated 3,200 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year – nine women every day. 99.8% of cervical cancer cases in the UK are caused by HPV, which means that nearly every case of cervical cancer is preventable[i].

Under its global call to action towards elimination, the WHO has set a target incidence of 4 cases of cervical cancer per 100,000 women, to be achieved by countries ensuring that 90% of girls receive human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination by age 15, 70% of women access cervical screening aged 35 and 45, and 90% of women with pre-cancer and invasive cancer are appropriately treated and managed[ii]. According to the new report – undertaken by OHE and fully funded by MSD – the UK is anticipated to hit these targets by 2046, which would lead to a 23% reduction in the socioeconomic burden of cervical cancer between 2023 and 2046.

The new research comes soon after NHS England’s November announcement that it would be pursuing the elimination of cervical cancer by 2040, noting the potential to save thousands of lives [iii]. And the NHS Vaccination Strategy published in December puts England one step closer to elimination through a range of commitments to improve HPV vaccination coverage rates[iv].

But progress is not guaranteed and there is still a long road to elimination: the latest vaccine coverage data for the routine school-aged HPV immunisation programme in England for the 2022/23 academic year shows that whilst have been some gains, coverage is still behind that recorded pre-COVID-19 pandemic [v].

The report authors call on governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to follow England’s lead in pledging to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 – thereby accelerating the path to elimination across the UK and ensuring equality and consistency in the approach to elimination between the four nations.

To download a copy of the report, click here.

Ben Lucas, Managing Director, MSD UK & Ireland, who commissioned the research, said:

“At MSD, we are dedicated to inspiring country-wide action towards elimination by showcasing the success of areas already hitting WHO targets at the local and national levels. The OHE’s findings on the socioeconomic benefits of eliminating cervical cancer add even more impetus to the race to elimination, but we cannot forget the huge personal impact of this mission. The OHE rightly note the critical importance of overcoming existing inequalities in access to HPV vaccination and cervical screening if we are to make a success of elimination, and I am delighted to see the report set out recommendations on how elimination might work for every part of society.”

[i] Cancer Research UK, Cervical cancer statistics. Last accessed December 2023, available from: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/cervical-cancer#heading-Zero

[ii] World Health Organization, Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative. Last accessed December 2023, Available from: https://www.who.int/initiatives/cervical-cancer-elimination-initiative

[iii] NHS England, NHS sets ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, 15 November 2023. Last accessed December 2023, available from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2023/11/nhs-sets-ambition-to-eliminate-cervical-cancer-by-2040/

[iv] NHS England, NHS Vaccination Strategy, December 2023. Last accessed December 2023, available from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/nhs-vaccination-strategy/

[v] UK Health Security Agency, Official Statistics: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage in adolescents in England: 2022 to 2023. Last accessed January 2023, available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccine-coverage-estimates-in-england-2022-to-2023/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccination-coverage-in-adolescents-in-england-2022-to-2023

GB-NON-08825 | January 2024

Responsibility

MSD labs awarded certification for sustainable science

December 2023

After a thorough assessment of our equipment, practices, and products, MSD’s LBIC and Crick labs have been certified by My Green Lab.

For our LBIC site, we received the highest level, which is Green, and for the Crick we received Platinum which is the second highest level.

Recognised by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign as a key measure of progress towards a zero-carbon future, My Green Lab Certification is considered the gold standard for laboratory sustainability best practices around the world.

My Green Lab Certification is a proven, scalable program that helps organisations achieve their sustainability goals. It offers tried-and-true methods rooted in science to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of laboratories without disrupting the critical work underway.

Mehriban Akin, Safety and Environment Lead for MSD Research Labs (MRL) in the UK said:

“As we work toward a greener future, we are considering the impact of our scientific operations and striving to undertake our research sustainably to support the health of our planet and its people. Every step counts to make our labs more sustainable and we are committed to doing all that we can to make real and impactful changes to decrease the environmental footprint of our research.”

More information about the program can be found at www.mygreenlab.org/green-lab-certification

GB-NON-08730 | December 2023

Our People

MSD’s 3rd Hackathon: Unlocking health equity

November 2023

Health equity is crucial to ensuring accessible and efficient healthcare. But how can the pharmaceutical and wider healthcare industry work towards combatting disparities?

The Health Equity hackathon, hosted by MSD’s LEAD network (League of Employees of African Descent) in collaboration with Eli Lilly’s embRACE, returned to bring its third annual hackathon to life.

With over 55 undergraduate students attending from a range of diverse academic and cultural backgrounds, the hackathon invited curious minds to ‘hack’ the problem of health equity, explore potential solutions, and network.

The two-day event provided students with valuable insight into the pharmaceutical industry, encouraging them to think of viable solutions to real-world issues that the pharmaceutical and wider healthcare industry are facing.

All teams had the opportunity to present their solutions to a panel of industry experts on complex themes such as; addressing vaccine hesitancy, tackling obesity, and diversifying clinical trials. Finalists were invited to present head-to-head in front of an audience of attendees.

The winning team’s concept focused on how the pharmaceutical industry can support ethnic minority communities to reduce the prevalence of obesity. Their solution involved a detailed and descriptive 5 step programme called LEAN (Lifestyle, Exercise And Nutrition): To Lead A Better Life, which compromised of:

Preliminary Stage
Medication Management
Counselling
Education
Lifestyle Scheme
Review, Quantify and Adjust

It addressed the root causes of this health disparity, analysing the contributing factors that may lead to different health outcomes, debunked stereotypes, and also highlighted the importance of accountability and education; giving individuals the chance to make better informed decisions as well as seek mental health support.

Hackathon winner, Toni, reflected on the day, calling it “a whirlwind of research, collaboration and teamwork.”

MSD’s co-leads for LEAD, Jennifer Dominic and Tobi Adeyemi spoke about the day; “We are proud to celebrate the remarkable work of an incredibly talented group of individuals and firmly believe that representation is the cornerstone of progress, especially in improving health equity and access. Being part of such a significant initiative makes us even more proud.”

“The teams did a phenomenal job – this is the 3^rd year running and the level at which students are thinking and executing continues to blow us away.”

As well as the event raising awareness of the importance of health equity, MSD is proud of the hackathon’s role in continuing to develop partnerships and contribute to forming a pipeline of diverse talent; by attending the hackathon, the participants and winning group will be accelerated through both MSD and Lilly’s early talent programme assessment stages.

Making room for imagination, diversity and inclusion allows us to excel and help foster a positive environment which invests in our future leaders, giving them space to make a change.

GB-NON-08516 | Date of Preparation: Nov 2023

Partnerships

Triple Negative Breast Cancer Matters

November 2023

MSD, with advice and input from the UK Charity for TNBC, has launched the I count: Triple Negative Breast Cancer Matters campaign to ensure that people with Triple Negative Breast Cancer feel that they count and are being counted.

Whilst breast cancer remains the most common cancer in the UK for women^[1] , survival has doubled in the last 50 years^[2], exemplifying the advancements that can be made for patients. Despite this progress, there is more to do.

What is Triple Negative Breast Cancer?

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer. It accounts for around 10-20% of new breast cancer diagnoses^[^3] and is responsible for 30-40% of all breast cancer deaths,^3] according to international data. TNBC tumours generally spread faster than other types of breast cancer^[^3]. This type of breast cancer disproportionately affects women under the age of 40 and women who are black.^[^4] Due to the younger average age of those with TNBC, many are in the middle stages of their career and have caring responsibilities. A TNBC diagnosis can make a person feel like their world has come crashing down. ^[5]

“I was told that my life expectancy could be as little as 18 months… I remember just lying there all night, all these thoughts about kids going to university, seeing them graduate or get a job or find a partner or get married, you say, well… that’s no longer definitely my future anymore.”

– Becky Pernetta, a patient living with TNBC^[5]

What are the experiences of people with Triple Negative Breast Cancer?

Despite the wide-ranging impacts of TNBC, there is very little published information that focuses on the experiences of people with TNBC in England. We know from speaking to patients, healthcare professionals and those working in the charity sector that many people with TNBC feel their voice is not being heard^[6].

“We feel we’re a bit forgotten about because a lot of the focus has been on hormone positive cancers. When you’ve got triple negative breast cancer, there’s this sense that, well, what about us?”

– Emma Evans, a patient living with TNBC

We also know that there is a significant data gap around Triple Negative Breast Cancer^[7]. The recent data on TNBC published by the NHS^[8] is neither routinely published nor consistent with the common estimate of TNBC prevalence^[9]. The lack of accurate data and information on how many people are living with Triple Negative Breast Cancer in England, and the quality of care they receive, means that it is difficult to quantify the anecdotal experiences of people living with TNBC, so that their voices are not being heard by policymakers.

“The government have to be educated on triple negative breast cancer, to know the differences between that and other types of breast cancer.”

– Becky Pernetta

How can the experiences of people with Triple Negative Breast Cancer be improved?

We have sought to give a platform to the TNBC community through the ‘I count’ campaign. We want to shine a spotlight on TNBC to ensure that people with TNBC feel they count and are being counted by the people and institutions with the power to shape cancer services in England.

The I count campaign sets out a number of recommendations which, if realised, will ensure patients are put first. Achieving this includes more accessible and holistic support, refining treatment pathways and closing the data gap. Ultimately, we want every person with TNBC and their family to receive the very best care and support for them.

You can learn more about the I count campaign and our call to action by downloading thi s infographic.

You can also hear Emma and Mirella’s tell their stories on our YouTube. To find out how you can support the campaign, please contact natasha.silkin@msd.com

This campaign was funded and developed by MSD, with advice and input from the UK Charity for TNBC.

[1] Cancer Research UK. Breast cancer statistics: breast cancer incidence (invasive). https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/breast-cancer#heading-Zero

[2] Cancer Research UK. Breast cancer statistics: breast cancer mortality. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/breast-cancer#heading-Three

[3] Manzano, A. et al. Improving the care of women with triple-negative breast cancer. The Swedish Institute for Health Economics (IHE). 2023 https://ihe.se/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IHE-Report-2023_2_.pdf

[4] UK Charity for TNBC. What is Triple Negative Breast Cancer and What Does It Mean For Me? https://www.ukcharityfortnbc.org/what-is-tnbc-and-what-does-it-mean-for-me

[5] MSD. TNBC patient testimonial film, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87Ypqf99GIQ

[6] MSD. Narrative Health, commissioned on MSD behalf, conducted interviews with patients on their TNBC support needs in 2023.

[7] National Audit of Breast Cancer in Older Patients. New national audits of primary breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer. https://www.nabcop.org.uk/resources/naopri-and-naome/

[8] NHS Digital. Breast cancer incidence (ICD-10 C50) by hormone receptor status. 2023. https://digital.nhs.uk/supplementary-information/2023/breast-cancer-incidence-icd-10-c50-by-hormone-receptor-status

[9] Cancer Research UK. Triple negative breast cancer.https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/breast-cancer/types/triple-negative-breast-cancer

GB-NON-08612 | November 2023