Breast Cancer: Nurses

The metastatic breast cancer audit completed in 2025 highlighted several areas where the collection of data could be improved, and we are acting on these.

The Government has set out in the National Cancer Plan for England an ambition to define and count recurrent cancers, starting with metastatic breast cancer, from 2026.

The National Disease Registration Service (NDRS) is working with National Health Service trusts to improve the completion of the sections of the Cancer Outcomes and Services Data set that cover disease progression, recurrence, and the metastatic spread of breast cancer.

Additionally, Oxford University academics, alongside the NDRS, have developed an algorithm which can infer metastatic disease for breast cancer patients diagnosed by combining data sources. This new tool will support inferring estimates of the numbers of patients living with metastatic breast cancer, increasing data completeness.

The National Cancer Plan commits to provide every patient with a clinical nurse specialist or other named lead to support them through diagnosis and treatment. We will create new opportunities to make it easier for newly qualified and experienced nurses to pursue careers in cancer nursing.

We will prioritise grants for clinical nurse specialists to target the areas of highest need and expand the Aspirant Cancer Career and Education Development programme to provide more training opportunities and career pathways for cancer nurses and cancer support staff. This will narrow inequalities and ensure that more patients across the country get the support they need.