Allister presses Gov for £20m funding to tackle ‘longstanding failure’ in lobular breast cancer research

North Antrim MP Jim Allister KC

A call for urgent Government action on lobular breast cancer research has been made by Jim Allister KC MP, who warned that patients are continuing to receive treatments not designed for their specific disease due to decades of underinvestment.

The North Antrim MP said that while recent engagement between Ministers, senior scientists and the Lobular Moon Shot Project is welcome, it has so far failed to deliver the decisive commitment needed to address what he described as a systemic gap in funding.

“Structural problem” in research funding approach

Mr Allister said the issue goes beyond awareness, arguing that the way research funding is currently allocated has consistently left lobular breast cancer behind.

“For decades, lobular breast cancer has been treated as if it were simply another form of generic breast cancer, despite being biologically distinct,” he said.

“As a result, patients are still being treated with therapies that were never designed for their disease.”

He added that the Government’s current position — encouraging researchers to compete for funding through existing programmes — has repeatedly failed to deliver meaningful, disease-specific breakthroughs.

“This is not a question of awareness or intent,” he said.

“It is a structural problem in how research funding is allocated. Where a condition is consistently under-researched, continuing with the same approach will only produce the same outcomes.”

£20 million proposal for dedicated research

At the centre of the campaign is a detailed business case seeking £20 million in dedicated UK-wide discovery research funding for lobular breast cancer.

Mr Allister said ring-fenced investment is essential to drive progress, with the proposal outlining both the potential economic benefits of earlier intervention and the opportunity to accelerate the development of treatments specifically designed for the disease.

He stressed that without targeted funding, patients would continue to face limited treatment options shaped by research designed for other forms of breast cancer.

Call for clear Government commitment

Despite what he described as growing recognition of the issue, Mr Allister said a firm commitment from Government remains absent.

“The evidence has been presented and the need has been acknowledged,” he said.

“What is still missing is a clear commitment to act. Without targeted funding, lobular breast cancer will continue to lag behind other cancers, and patients will continue to bear the consequences.”

He confirmed he will continue pressing Ministers for a definitive decision on whether the £20 million required for dedicated research will be ring-fenced and delivered.

Focus shifts to next steps on funding decision

The intervention places renewed pressure on Government to move beyond engagement and provide clarity on future funding arrangements, with campaigners arguing that continued reliance on existing research structures risks prolonging delays in developing effective, tailored treatments.

For patients affected by lobular breast cancer, the outcome of that decision will determine whether research efforts begin to reflect the distinct nature of the disease — or remain tied to broader breast cancer studies that, according to critics, have already failed to deliver the breakthroughs needed.

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At a glance

• Jim Allister KC MP has called for urgent Government action on lobular breast cancer research funding

• He says patients are still receiving treatments not designed for their specific disease

• Lobular breast cancer is described as biologically distinct but historically treated as generic breast cancer

• Current funding model requires researchers to compete within existing programmes

• Mr Allister argues this approach has failed to deliver disease-specific breakthroughs

• A business case proposes £20 million in ring-fenced UK-wide research funding

• Proposal highlights economic benefits of early intervention and faster treatment development

• Government engagement with scientists and the Lobular Moon Shot Project has taken place

• However, no clear commitment to dedicated funding has yet been made

• Mr Allister says he will continue pressing Ministers for a decision