Diane’s Story

Five words are scarred in Diane’s memory:
“I’m afraid it’s breast cancer.”

She first heard them when she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2020.

Not only did Diane endure chemotherapy, surgery to remove her right breast, and other gruelling treatments, she had to face heartbreaking conversations with the people she loves about the terrifying possibility that she might die.

There were times when all Diane wanted to do was read Eva , her seven-year-old daughter, a bedtime story, or sit and have dinner with her family, but she was too unwell to even get out of bed.

“I was terrified of leaving Eva and my husband Mike behind.  Mike was terrified of losing me and being left to raise Eva on his own.  It was awful thinking about all these scenarios.” 

For the past two years, Diane and her family have been living day to day and from result to result.

Hope was all Diane could hold on to when she was faced with fear.

That’s why our researchers are committed to clinical trials which aim to cure early-stage breast cancer and stop any chance of recurrence; reduce the side effects of treatment; and help patients with advanced or metastatic disease where their breast cancer has spread, to live longer with a good quality of life.

But clinical trials aren’t possible without the help of generous people like you.

Developed by our researchers and led by Professor Sherene Loi, the TUGETHER clinical trial aims to identify a new treatment option for people with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer.

Often a devastating outcome of HER2-positive breast cancer is that it spreads to the brain and causes neurological symptoms and a significant loss in a person’s quality of life.

Our clinical trials provide people like Diane with the chance to live longer, to receive new and effective treatments and bring fresh hope for their future.

“If my breast cancer returns, it’s clinical trials that make it possible for me to access new and innovative treatments, but that is only possible if there is funding available.” 

Your support will help fund critical clinical trials like the TUGETHER trial, which aims to find new treatments for patients who desperately want more time with their families.

Please give generously and fund clinical trials research to help keep families, like Diane’s, together.