ABOUT

Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is an incurable disease and an end-of-life diagnosis. Breast cancer culture focuses on survivorship, winning the battle, and ending treatment. Those living with MBC are often lumped into this conversation due to misunderstandings about the disease itself - but that could not be further from the truth.

20–30% of those living with early breast cancer will go on to receive a metastatic diagnosis, and 10% of people with metastatic disease will be diagnosed de novo. Yet MBC still remains marginalised and underfunded, with those living with it left to feel ignored and worthless.

While the average survival rates for the disease stand at 2–3 years, due to incredible improvements in treatment, the rates of survival time are growing. Our campaign set out to prove that life doesn't end with a metastatic diagnosis, and there’s still value no matter how much time people have left .

Our campaign was created to not only demand greater investment in this devastating and incurable disease, but to show the world that all those living with it have immense value and worth still to offer, no matter how long they have left .

But how did we talk to a world that doesn’t speak the same language? We used a universal one that can cross any border. Money.

We created the most valuable currency in the world – The Cancer Currency – a suite of banknotes that each celebrate a real person, and the years they’ve lived with MBC. Created in collaboration with Brian Thompson – the journeyman banknote designer behind the current US $50 and $100 bills – it took months of painstaking design work, then followed a strict printing process to match that of legal tender.

The campaign was launched and shared across multiple channels and media starting with social networks (LinkedIn, Facebook, X/Twitter & Instagram), and the currency and campaign background was made available to share online via the website on June 14th 2023.

The Cancer Currency then went on to headline Europa Donna's pan-European conference between October 28th–29th in Zagreb, where individual notes were used as ‘payment’ for opinions and suggestions on how to value those living with metastatic disease, and was followed with a key presence at the ABC7 (Advanced Breast Cancer) International Consensus Conference between 9th–11th November.

We could tell you all about the impressions (100k+), the video views on Europa Donna’s social channels (30k+), and the new followers (125% improvement). We could even mention the unique website hits (25k+) or how many countries the hashtag has seen usage in (25+). And while it’s no small feat for a non-profit, European-based charity where English is often a second or even third language, to us, those stats are worthless.

What’s most valuable is on October 28, 2023, The Cancer Currency helped secure specific funding for metastatic disease. At the 16th EuropaDonna Conference Stella Kyriakides – the EU commissioner for health and food safety – proclaimed that for the first time metastatic disease will be included in Europe’s ‘Beating Cancer Plan’, with specific allocation of funding. A key milestone and first step to a world where all those living with MBC are not just counted, but valued properly.