166 MPs now support a breast cancer campaign founded in Sussex

The 'Lobular Moon Shot Project' project was founded by Sussex resident Dr Susan Michaelis in 2023. MPs Dehenna Davison (Bishop Auckland) and Jeremy Quin (Horsham) were the first 2 MPs to get behind the project when they organised a 'Drop-in' day in parliament, last December. Since then, MPs from all political parties have stepped forward to support their constituents who all desereve to have a specific treatment for the disease.

In 2013, Susan had a tiny pale mark of about 1mm on her left breast, no lump, a mammogram and ultrasound were reassuring and she was told all was OK. The reality was very different. The tiny spot became slightly red and a biopsy confirmed it was lobular breast cancer, an MRI detected 2.5 cm of the disease but post surgery pathology confirmed it was 7cm. 7cm of breast cancer yet a mammogram and ultrasound saw nothing. This is typical of lobular and this is why people are frequently diagnosed late and at a more advanced stage.

The Institute of Cancer Research in London (ICR) have stated they can resolve this. Their top scientist Professor Chris Lord stated in the 2023 documentary film My Journey with Lobular:

"When the scientific community needed it to move extremely fast with the development of Covid vaccines, in the clinical trials, we moved incredibly fast. We need to have that similar kind of approach in terms of philosophy around lobular breast cancer” and "All of those things are achievable, they're just a matter of getting the money and doing the work. I'm quietly confident that we can get there, but I know what those barriers are in place. This is not an insignificant challenge, but it is fundamentally a financial challenge.”

Susan Michaelis commented: "To date the money and research have primarily gone to ductal breast cancer as it effects more people. However, with the high rate of breast cancer in society, the number of people being diagnosed with lobular is significant and we should not be forgotten. Currently the health department funding (NIHR) does not fund the basic science that the ICR need to initially undertake to resolve the inequalities afforded to this very different type of breast cancer. ICR can do this, they just need the funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to do this basic biology research."

Supported by Sussex MP Jeremy Quin, last week Dr Susan Michaelis and her lobular ally and friend Katie Swinburne, met with the Health Minister Andrew Stephenson. He confirmed that finding a way to fund the project was a priority for the Government which welcomed the huge support given by MPs of every political party.

Recently, Victoria Atkins, Health and Social Care Secretary, after meeting Susan and Katie, stated in a speech about the 2024 Women’s Health Strategy: “We will encourage research into lobular breast cancer”.

Susan Michaelis added: "Since I was first diagnosed with the disease in 2013, about 100,000 other people have been diagnosed with lobular breast cancer in the UK and scientifically, we are still no closer to resolving this issue. This project would help millions of people globally, has the support of 155 MPs already and I really hope the Government urgently delivers on this."