Advancing the legal rights of people with advanced breast cancer: a global expert review and call-to-action for 2025–2035 (Goal 10)

A diagnosis of advanced breast cancer (ABC) can be life-altering, presenting challenges that extend far beyond the clinical domain. Among these challenges is the ability to continue or return to work, a decision often influenced by financial necessity, social support, and the psychological desire for normalcy. Yet, systemic barriers such as treatment-related side effects, physical and cognitive impairments, and workplace stigma frequently hinders people with ABC from maintaining employment. The right to work is fundamental to dignity, independence, and quality of life, but for people with ABC this right is too often denied due to a lack of workplace support and insufficient legal protection. This manuscript explores the current landscape and future opportunities to advance the legal rights of people with ABC. It summarizes research conducted for the ABC Global Alliance's Global Decade Report 2.0. The main findings are: a) ABC diagnosis severely limits work participation and employment retention; b) Legal protections for ABC patients and informal caregivers (often unpaid family members and friends) remain inconsistent globally; c) Flexible work policies can reduce economic loss and support workplace inclusion; d) ABC informal caregiver burden causes significant economic and social impact. The findings from the ABC Global Alliance's Global Decade Report 2.0 have informed the development of a new ABC Global Charter. The ABC Global Charter 2.0 defines ten new achievable and measurable goals for the decade 2025-2035, aiming at improving the lives of people living with ABC worldwide.