Alive to do those things
Building a UK healthcare system that works for young people with breast cancer.
Alive to do those things. That’s the vision CoppaFeel! was founded on – a world where every young person is alive to do whatever “those things” are for them.
A world where breast cancer is caught early, treated fast, and no young person is left behind because the system wasn’t built for them.
Our new report – Alive To Do Those Things – shows that right now, that world doesn’t exist.
We understand the challenge. We’re already driving change. Since 2009, we’ve encouraged millions of young people to check their chests, understand how their bodies usually look and feel, and see their GPs for anything that’s not ‘normal’.
Together, we can build a healthcare system that works for young people with breast cancer.
CoppaFeel! Policy Report 2026
Our community
This report exists because of what you told us.
When we relaunched ourselves in the policy space, the breast cancer community was our first port of call. Last year, we talked to over 450 of you. You told us what mattered most, what the biggest challenges were, and what change you’d most like to see.
You told us: greater awareness, access to screening, more research and better treatments. You will see those themes reflected in our three policy recommendations.
It includes your words and experiences, your photos, alongside data on the outcomes experienced by younger people and those from underserved communities. With thanks, and with you always in mind.
"CoppaFeel! has taught me the importance of checking my chest and has given me confidence in understanding and owning my body. If something isn’t right, I will now feel more confident going to the doctors and seeking help."![]()
This report contains some data you might find upsetting, including statistics on life expectancy for young people with breast cancer.
We know that information might land differently for you – because you are the lives those numbers reflect. We know that parts of this report will be a tough read for many of you.
Communicating what we know to decision-makers in a way that conveys the urgency while remaining sensitive to your needs and experiences, is a challenge we’ve carried throughout this work.
We hope we’ve got that balance right.
The problem
Breast cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death in women under 50 in the UK.
Cases in younger people are rising – yet younger people face later diagnoses, more aggressive cancers, and worse survival rates than older age groups.
Without a formal screening programme for under-50s, early diagnosis depends almost entirely on whether a young person knows to check, whether their GP takes them seriously, and whether they can access the right care.
"I could have been told so many times throughout my youth about boobs and taking care of them. I never was, and it would have dramatically changed my outcome if I had."![]()
Three priorities to build a better system
1 Embedding awareness across society
Knowing how to check your chest shouldn’t come down to chance. We want brief, structured conversations about breast awareness built into routine health appointments – from cervical screening to NHS Health Checks – so that awareness becomes second nature for everyone.
2 Screening people based on risk, not just age
More than half of all breast cancer cases occur outside the national screening age of 50–70. We’re calling for a pilot seven-minute risk assessment for people aged 18–49, so those at higher risk are invited to earlier or more frequent screening – before a crisis, not after.
3 Investing in age-inclusive research for more meaningful insights
Most breast cancer drugs have been developed and tested predominantly on older, postmenopausal women. We need age-diverse clinical trials, disaggregated data, and dedicated funding to understand the unique biology, needs and experiences of younger people with breast cancer.
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