The diagnosis nobody wants to hear. The treatment that changes everything. The research that rewrites the odds. Anne, Katisha and Anika share why transforming breast cancer care in East London matters. We’re #HereForIt. Are you? Find out more and donate on bartscharity.org.uk/here-for…

What does the future of breast cancer care look like? And how can we make sure more women benefit from advances in treatment and research? Our Chief Executive, Fiona Miller Smith, joined breast cancer surgeon Laura Johnson on the @CancerNel Taking Control of Cancer podcast with @blandsteve to discuss the new Barts Health Breast Cancer Centre. Together, they explored: 🏥 Why the new Breast Cancer Centre was so needed 💗 How it's already making a difference for women receiving breast cancer care 🔬 How bringing treatment, research and patient voices together could help transform breast cancer care in East London and beyond We're here for the future of breast cancer care. 🎧 Listen to the conversation here: bit.ly/4yLPJLX

For Rowena, being there for breast cancer patients means supporting them long after surgery. Rowena Jackson is a Breast Reconstruction Clinical Nurse Specialist at St Bartholomew's Hospital. From answering questions in those first weeks of recovery to being a familiar face throughout the months and years that follow, Rowena provides patients with a dedicated point of contact – someone who knows them, their treatment and who they can turn to when they’re worried. She’s seen how this continuity of care can reassure patients, give them more confidence in their recovery and even help reduce hospital readmissions. The new Breast Cancer Centre will bring teams and services together in one place, making it easier for patients to get the joined-up care and support they need throughout their treatment and recovery. We’re here for it. Help support more people like Rowena by donating to the Breast Cancer Centre on bit.ly/3VjUayR

New research reported in The Guardian today highlights a concerning international trend: cancer rates are rising more quickly among younger people. This is a reminder of why we need research to understand not only how cancer is changing, but how those changes affect different communities. Here in East London, research supported by Barts Charity is already helping to build that picture. Professor Claude Chelala and colleagues at @QMBCI Barts Cancer Institute found that women of South Asian ancestry were diagnosed with breast cancer nearly seven years earlier than women of European ancestry. Women of African ancestry were diagnosed around five years earlier. Historically, most of our understanding of genetic cancer risk has been built using data from people of European ancestry. If research doesn’t reflect the people most affected by cancer, we risk missing important differences in who develops the disease, when they develop it and how best to diagnose and treat them. It’s one of the reasons the new Barts Health Breast Cancer Centre is so important. By bringing research and treatment closer together, the Centre can help more patients take part in research and clinical trials, while researchers learn from the incredible diversity of East London. This could help us understand and treat breast cancer across the globe. The research that rewrites the odds. We’re here for it. theguardian.com/society/2026…

What difference can charitable funding make to breast cancer care? Across Barts Health NHS Trust, our funding has helped NHS teams introduce new technology, test new ideas and provide additional support for patients - improving care at different stages of the breast cancer journey. And the impact of these grants can last long beyond the original funding, helping successful ideas become part of everyday care. Swipe through to discover some of the projects we’ve helped make possible 👉 Read more: bit.ly/4jondeA #breastcancerawarenessmonth

Today marks the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month 🎀 Now an advocate for better, more inclusive care, Katisha is sharing her story as part of our Here for it campaign and why the Barts Health Breast Cancer Centre matters for people across East London. Watch Katisha’s story 💜 This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, help us transform breast cancer care for those who most need it. We’re here for it. Are you? Watch Katisha’s story and support the campaign on bit.ly/46PtYie #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #BreastCancer #HereForIt #EastLondon

I’m Katisha, and when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, I had no idea just how much my life was about to change. The next couple of years were an endless rollercoaster of chemotherapy, medications and multiple surgeries. Through it all, I was supported by my family and friends, my faith and the amazing team at St Bartholomew's Hospital. Last year, I received the devastating news that the cancer had spread to my spine and is no longer curable I'm now adjusting to my new normal and am determined to make lots of new memories with my loved ones. Having been treated at St Bartholomew’s myself, I know how important it is to feel supported throughout every part of your care. And that's why I'm so proud to support Barts Charity’s Here for It campaign. The new Breast Cancer Centre will help so many more women like me, and it’s incredible to know that patients will have everything they need in one space. This is exactly what I think breast cancer care needs. 💜 You can read my full story and support the Breast Cancer Centre on bit.ly/46Phib2

Could a blood sample help doctors keep up with changes in breast cancer? Could understanding the biology around a tumour unlock new possibilities for care? Researchers in East London are exploring these questions and more, with our support 💜 To mark #WorldCancerResearchDay, we’re sharing four inspiring research projects that could help make future breast cancer care more effective and more personalised: 🔬 Making research more representative Historically, most genetic cancer research has involved people of European ancestry. Professors Claude Chelala and Louise Jones are helping address that gap. Their team is now analysing healthcare records from around 100,000 people who have attended breast assessment clinics at Barts Health 🩸 Getting a more up-to-date picture Cancer can change during treatment, so a tumour sample taken at diagnosis may not tell doctors everything they need to know later. We awarded Professor Peter Schmid and his team funding to investigate clues in patients’ blood, including tiny fragments of DNA released by tumours 🧬 Looking beyond the cancer cells With our seed funding, Professor Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke’s team studied the biology surrounding breast tumours in South Asian British, Black British and White British women. They’re now creating a detailed map of the differences they found, building understanding of populations historically underrepresented in research 💡 Taking promising research forward Professor Cleo Bishop’s team is investigating basal-like breast cancer, an aggressive form that often affects younger people. Working with the University of Dundee’s Drug Discovery Unit, they developed the approach featured here and are now seeking industry partners to help take it into the next stage of development Behind each project is a shared ambition: better care for breast cancer patients in East London and beyond. Explore the research below and read the full story: bit.ly/4AsSVgH

Patients coming to the Barts Health Breast Cancer Centre who are living with HER2-low breast cancer will now be able to get Enhertu - a life-extending treatment. The medical research behind Enhertu's approval included a major international trial, which recruited patients across seven UK sites, including North East London. Professor Peter Schmid, director of the Breast Cancer Centre and professor of cancer medicine at Queen Mary University of London, led the trial as principal investigator at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. This week, he explained to the BBC how the drug works: bbc.in/4jbR49W Even with Enhertu now available, more options are still needed. Right now it's only offered after chemotherapy has already been tried, it doesn't work for everyone, and cancers can become resistant to it over time. Combining the drug with other treatments, or offering it earlier, could help more people benefit for longer. Read more about this on Barts Health NHS Trust's website here: bit.ly/4y6SNlE You can help transform breast cancer care in East London. Support the Breast Cancer Centre on bit.ly/4xzCn4d

What if we could learn something from every person treated for breast cancer - and use those insights to improve care for future patients? That’s the ambition of Professor Peter Schmid, Director of the Barts Health Breast Cancer Centre. By bringing world-class research and clinical care closer together at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, the Centre has the potential to: 🔬 Cure more early-stage cancers and improve outcomes for people with advanced disease 🧬 Learn from every patient to develop more personalised and effective treatments 🏥 Bring pioneering research and clinical trials closer to patients in East London Watch Peter explain his ambitions for the Breast Cancer Centre - and how further philanthropic support could help make them possible. bit.ly/4rjTnKh Transforming breast cancer care in East London. We're here for it. Support the Breast Cancer Centre: bit.ly/4dmMKku @QMUL @QMBCI

When Anika was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at eight months pregnant, her world changed overnight. Now cancer-free, she’s supporting our 'Here for It' campaign and sharing why the new Barts Health Breast Cancer Centre will mean so much to patients and families across East London. Watch Anika’s story 💜 Donate today to support breast cancer care bit.ly/3V3U1PR & read Anika's story on bit.ly/4A2plid #Hereforit #breastcancerawareness #womenshealth #breastcancercare

My name's Anika, and last year, whilst eight months pregnant with my second child, I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. In that moment, life as I knew it turned upside down. Within just days, I'd given birth to my son Dara and began a whirlwind of tests and scans to figure out how bad the cancer was. I now had to go through chemotherapy and attend endless appointments whilst caring for my newborn son, and my daughter Mia. It was frightening and overwhelming, but throughout it all, the team at St Bartholomew’s Hospital made me feel safe and cared for. Now I am cancer-free, and I genuinely owe Barts my life. Because of the care I received, my children still have their mum. That’s why I’m so proud to be supporting Barts Charity’s Here for It campaign, helping to bring world-class cancer care to even more women in East London. The new Breast Cancer Centre will bring all elements of care into one place, so patients can feel safe and supported at a time when they need it most. I know first-hand just how much brilliant breast cancer care can mean to a family. I’m Here for It because I want every woman facing breast cancer in East London to have the very best care, support and hope for the future. If you want to read my whole story you can visit bit.ly/4gO46ZT 💜 #HereForIt #BreastCancerCare #StBartholomewsHospital

Could vitamin B5 help treat severe anaemia in people with rare blood cancers? With our funding, @QMUL researchers made a promising discovery. Now, £1m from @CR_UK will help take it into a Phase II clinical trial. A potential new treatment for people with MDS. 🩸 Read this & more stories in our latest Impact Report: bit.ly/3V7JdjG

What if AI could spot signs of heart disease that the human eye can’t see? Dr Vijay Shyam-Sundar is a Cardiologist and a Barts Charity Fellow who, thanks to our funding, is exploring how artificial intelligence and machine learning could unlock more information from heart MRI scan. His research that could help doctors make more personalised decisions for patients suffering from heart inflammation and lay the foundations for AI tools to become part of everyday heart care. We spoke to Vijay about his research, the potential of AI in healthcare and why he believes technology could help make advanced healthcare more accessible to patients in East London and beyond. Find out more on Linkedin 👉 bit.ly/4iM1YTx

Today, we’re proud to launch our latest Impact Report, sharing what we’ve achieved together with our supporters, partners and colleagues across East London. With the support of our donors, and working alongside @NHSBartsHealth, @QMUL and @CityStGeorges, we’re helping turn innovative ideas into real improvements in health for the people of East London. Over the past year, our funding has helped deliver: 🔬 441 scientific publications sharing new knowledge 🏥 29 pieces of new equipment and technology 💙 27 improved spaces for patients and loved ones 📈 £76.7m in further funding leveraged Behind those numbers are people and ideas making a real difference. From transforming blood transfusion safety across four hospitals, to ensuring HIV breakthroughs reach the communities that need them, and using art therapy to support NHS staff experiencing stress, grief and exhaustion. None of this happens alone. To our supporters, partners, researchers, clinicians and healthcare colleagues: thank you for the part you play in creating healthier East London lives. Discover the people and stories behind this year’s impact 👇 bit.ly/3V7JdjG