About Us
Our charity’s purpose is to educate the public and health professionals about inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and to promote and fund IBC research in the United Kingdom. We are a scientific evidence and data-based charity and we provide a support service for IBC patients and their family members. Integrity is one of The Inflammatory Breast Cancer Network UK’s core values, and we apply the highest ethical standards to everything we do.
The Inflammatory Breast Cancer Network UK was founded by Caroline Ballinger whose daughter was diagnosed with IBC in 2011. At the time of her diagnosis it quickly became clear that there was no existing IBC-specific support, information or research in the UK.
Fortunately Caroline was able to get in touch with The IBC Network Foundation in the US which kindly offered some support for the UK. After seeing her daughter through treatment, in 2012 Caroline was asked by support group members to become a patient advocate. As a retired NHS nurse this role was a good fit for her to ensure IBC patients in the UK could receive proper support and access to the most appropriate and up-to-date information based on scientific evidence.
Very sadly, just in that first year, half of the patients Caroline supported passed away within a short three-month period. Those who were left behind felt that it was time to set up a UK charity dedicated to IBC. The charity’s initial aims were to fund IBC-specific research and to ensure that patients and clinicians are made aware of the International Standard of Care for IBC. Caroline was asked to help make this happen.
It was at this same point that luck was on our side. Caroline was introduced to Dr Fedor Berditchevski from the University of Birmingham Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences by Terry Arnold from The IBC Network Foundation (US) who had met him by chance at a conference.
Dr Berditchevski had an interest in IBC research and the rest is history. Our charity has continued to fund his research into IBC over a period of several years in the hope that one day we can find a cure for this cruel disease. Currently IBC still has a survival rate of only around 50% and remains the most aggressive and deadliest of all breast cancers.
Board of Trustees
Find out about our Board of Trustees and what they do for our charity by clicking the button below.
Charity Ambassadors
Find out about our Ambassadors and what they do for our charity by clicking the button below.
Mission Statement and Vision
Our mission statement and vision for the charity can be viewed by clicking the button below.
Our Volunteers
Find out about our Volunteers and what they do for our charity by clicking the button below.
Our Ribbon
Why is the IBC ribbon different to the pink ribbon that is usually seen in support of breast cancer patients?
The colours of the IBC ribbon have been carefully chosen and there is a very profound reason why pink, orange and black are featured.
Pink is used as a recognisable and well-established colour associated with breast cancer.
Orange or salmon is used to reflect the unique skin presentation of IBC: the peau d’orange (orange peel appearance), red skin rash or other changes not usually associated with breast cancer.
And finally, black is used as a thin stripe to reflect that IBC is an aggressive form of cancer, and it encourages people to remember those we have lost.
The ribbon is one of hope and solidarity.
