Dr Mary Buchanan

15 September 2026

The Cancer community has lost a remarkable leader. Dr Mary Buchanan, co‑founder of Europa Donna, passed away on 18 June 2026.

Dr Buchanan devoted over thirty years to advancing breast cancer prevention, education, screening, and patient advocacy. As Europa Donna’s President (2000–2003), she strengthened partnerships across Europe, elevated patient voices in policy discussions, and helped launch the Coalition’s first advocacy training programme—now a cornerstone of its work.

 

She will be remembered as a kind, inspiring, and formidable woman whose impact reached far beyond the organisations she served. Her vision and dedication continue to shape breast cancer advocacy across Europe.

 

British Association of Surgical Oncology and the wider cancer community extend its deepest condolences to Dr Buchanan’s family, friends, colleagues, and the entire Europa Donna community. Her legacy lives on through the generations of advocates she inspired, the partnerships she forged, and the enduring movement she helped build—one that continues to improve the lives of people affected by breast cancer across Europe.

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