EARLIER DETECTION
Alexandra Fiederlein, Earlier Detection for Breast Cancer
What about YOU if you are too young for a mammogram?
I went to my doctor for a lump I felt in my breast and she gave me a response that set off red flags: “Don’t worry about it”.
Reaching My Generation in Crisis
Being a researcher involved in breast density and breast cancer (I am 22 years old. I am a Cancer Researcher and Graduate of Molloy University), I knew that I had to take action.
I was fortunate enough to have my breast ultrasound training with Dr. Robert Bard (cancer imaging specialist, NYC) upcoming in the next week.
Dr. Bard showed me how to use the ultrasound to help me find two benign tumors in my breasts, and it was there that he reported that I have dense breasts.
Had I not taken action in getting screened at the young age of 22, I would have never known that I should be getting screened via ultrasound every 6 months (because having dense breasts puts me at a higher risk for breast cancer), nor would I have known that I had benign breast tumors.
I belong to the graduate-level age group that continues to witness the increasing number of breast cancer cases in our country.
The women in my generation also happen to be the next group that falls prey to being UNDER-DIAGNOSED. Insurance companies and the medical community have made little or no action to support or identify the need for women in their 20’s and 30’s to be approved for standardized early detection / breast cancer screening.
From the front-row perspective, younger women are as much at risk of getting cancer. Reports show an uptick in genetic predisposition for breast cancer, alongside a dangerous attitude of denial. Addressing this calls for widespread education and screening programs in our community as essentials to a life of wellness and prevention. To subscribe to a regular screening routine at the early stage of womanhood raises awareness and prevention for decades to come. Perhaps someday, installing breast cancer screening centers in college campuses may be commonplace and a powerful step toward a national prevention initiative.
Targeting the young working PROFESSIONAL is a major part of our population, where the vast majority tends to put off checkups and screenings because they are just “too busy”. Professional women need to value their health above anything else, and therefore the narrative needs to be amplified in that area. We find this problem to be quite prevalent in urban areas with the constant on-the-go culture. Offering local resources and improved access for personal scanning are just some progress driven programs.
GEN Z is a sensible focus group because these are the women who absolutely must receive routine scanning. We need to advocate for the narrative that age 40 is not the starting age where screening needs to begin – especially since we are now seeing cancer cases in younger ages are growing in numbers. Getting OB/GYN professionals on board is especially important because this is where women are getting their prescriptions.
We need to educate on the benefits of ultrasound. People need to know HOW it works, WHY it works, and why it holds certain benefits over a mammogram. People need to know that it is SAFE and EFFECTIVE, and this technology can save lives. I think it is especially important to emphasize the option of ultrasound for younger women. Many younger women have dense breasts and don’t even know it, putting them at a greater risk (I wouldn’t have known if it weren’t for all of you!). Ultrasound is obviously a safe and effective screening method for young women. It is also not linked with the stigma/fear of getting a mammogram like many women my age hold (X-Ray exposure, etc.).
If the drive for EARLIER DETECTION means proactive awareness, may this lead to turning social concern into clinical action. This includes clinicians joining hands with advocacy groups who recognize the many potential areas for at-risk women in my generation whose lives and safety continue to go unrecognized. And once the count of cancer cases and deaths rise exponentially due to inaction, perhaps then will the medical community find urgency in upgrading the required breast cancer screening age to (finally) include generations like mine. So say we all!
Reference: Global Increase in Breast Cancer Incidence: Risk Factors and Preventive Measures, PMC9038417. (NIH)- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9038417/
Roberta Kline M.D., ObGyn Physician
LINKING DENSE BREAST WITH BREAST CANCER
We have known for a very long time that there is an increased risk of breast cancer for women who have dense breasts. Until recently, the research has been lagging in terms of what’s the molecular mechanism, why do dense breasts present an increased risk of breast cancer? Without this knowledge, we can’t address the root causes, and are left with a lot of trial and error based on incomplete understanding.
It’s very encouraging to know that currently there are 124 clinical trials ongoing looking at dense breasts and the relationship with breast cancer, anywhere from improved diagnostics, to treatment, to prevention, and, what’s close to my heart, to understanding the molecular mechanisms – what’s happening at the cell level, at the genetic level that is causing different women to have an elevated risk of breast cancer.
One of the striking features that we’re learning about dense breasts and what is creating that density is the micro-environment, which means the environment in the supporting tissue surrounding the glands. This includes fibroblasts and collagen. It seems that rather than estrogen being the dominant factor, it is inflammation that is creating the increased density of breast tissue.
ESTROGEN VS INFLAMMATION
What’s fascinating to me is that even though we associate estrogen with the primary means by which women develop breast cancer, it may be a different process for breast cancers linked to breast density. Some of the research that has just come out in the last few years is showing us that rather than being hormonally driven, we think what’s happening is there is an increase in these inflammatory markers in the tissue that is denser, and this is what can also lead to cancer.
There is clearly a genetic, or hereditary component, because having dense breasts is noted to run in families. But while having dense breasts increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer by up to 4-6x, not all of these women actually get cancer. That means there are other factors that can potentially increase as well as reduce a woman’s risk. This is where genomic research has been a gamechanger in identifying these other factors including for women with inherited genetic mutations, such as BRCA.
We now know that there are multiple genes in multiple other pathways that can modify a woman’s risk of breast cancer even if she carries a BRCA mutation.
[1]. Researchers have identified smaller changes in genes called SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) that have a much lower individual impact than genetic mutations, but together can be additive. [2] In fact, women with specific patterns of SNPs had their risk of breast cancer significantly reduced. This can help explain why not all women with BRCA mutations get cancer, and provides insight into potential protective biological mechanisms.This is a really powerful paradigm shift, because now it opens the door for truly individualizing each woman’s risk – and potentially being able to change it through diet, lifestyle, or other modalities.
We now are also learning that gene SNPs can also play a role in a woman’s risk for dense breasts and breast cancer. While there’s much research that needs to be done, from my experience, there’s a lot we can do already to potentially intervene and help women with dense breasts. As we wait for more definitive research, we can learn from the nutritional genomics and functional medicine realms.
We have long known that pro-inflammatory conditions are underlying drivers for so many of the chronic diseases we see today, from cancer to heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, depression and more. The flip side of inflammation is oxidative stress. They go hand in hand. Some of the genes that drive these processes are now also being linked to dense breasts and potentially the increased breast cancer risk that women with dense breasts have.
My question is, why can’t we use some of these dietary lifestyle and nutritional supplement interventions that we already know decrease many of these pro-inflammatory pathways? Why can’t we start using those in clinical practice as we wait for research and clinical trials to better refine our knowledge? The fact is, we can! But it takes education, awareness and advocacy to implement these strategies more widely and make a difference now.
Source: Cancer Resource Alliance
Dr. Robert Bard
NATIONAL ADVOCACY HONORS BARD DIAGNOSTIC RESEARCH
FOR ADVANCEMENTS IN DENSE BREAST IMAGING
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Joseph Cappello, Co-Founder of the ‘Are You Dense?” Foundation and ICRA Sr. National Advisor for the Coalition for Women’s Cancer Resources, presented the first 2023 Cancer Research & Innovations award to cancer imaging specialist Dr. Robert Bard (NYC).
With over 200 nominations for the award, Dr. Bard was recognized for his lifetime of achievements in support of non-invasive screening of dense breast tissue. Mr. Cappello delivered the award with fellow executives Donna Johnson (Pres. Of Are You Dense Foundation) and Marion Bradley (Pres. Of Are You Dense Advocacy Foundation from Woodbury CT) to personally honor Dr. Bard at his midtown NYC practice for his life’s work.
Since 2019, Mr. Cappello’s Are You Dense Advocacy Foundation has succeeded in helping to pass national legislation to federally mandate breast screening centers to address the dense breast crisis with the ultrasound complement. Mr Cappello’s commitment to enforce this legislation nationally started with his wife, the late Dr. Nancy M. Cappello, who passed away due to complications with her late stage breast cancer treatment.
Since 1979, Dr. Bard’s radiology practice clinically promoted and published the critical need for using ultrasound breast imaging as a supplemental scan alongside regularly scheduled mammograms. (It is noted that ultrasound scans are able to detect growths and tumors behind dense tissue, what mammograms tend to miss).
At the time, no regulatory standard enforced the need for this 2nd scan, attributing to many undetected breast cancer tumors concealed by dense breast tissue. With the rise of breast cancer cases throughout the country, Dr. Bard’s theories about dense breast imaging has taken root with a growing population of OB-GYNs and Imaging specialists.
On a related note, in January of 2023, ARE YOU DENSE ADVOCACY continued to pursue the public importance of patients receiving their own personal medical information about the condition of their breast health. This initiative directs the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that mammography reports and summaries received by patients and their providers include appropriate information about breast density specified by the law. This also includes, at a minimum, the effect of breast density in masking the presence of breast cancer on a mammogram and the qualitative assessment of the provider who interpreted the mammogram.
Individuals with dense breast tissue should talk with their providers if they have any questions or concerns about their summary. From a prior report (3/28/2019), the Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA announced changes to the MQSA (Mammography Quality Standards Act) to include reporting of dense breast tissue to the patient, thanks to the Are You Dense Advocacy Foundation.
Decades since the advent of breast scanning technology,
a growing list of real-time innovations
in non-invasive diagnostic imaging
provide new options in the field of early detection.
These technologies directly align with breast density screening
that can easily and affordably
complement a woman’s regular mammography appointment.
By hybridizing the imaging process,
we can safely combine diagnostic modalities
and improve the assessment of disease
and guide therapeutic procedures.
– Dr. Robert Bard
Dr. Bard will go down in medical history
as one of the earliest change-makers in our crusade
to improve women’s early detection programs.
His innovative approach to combine technologies
makes him a true visionary
for the next generation of cancer professionals…
by standing his ground
about the crisis and aiding in (what is now)
a national legislation to save more lives!
– Mr. Cappello
This sparked Dr. Cappello to create the “Are You Dense?” Foundation – an international awareness crusade to better support dense breast diagnostics and initiatives pass legislation to enact laws requiring mammography centers to inform patients about their breast density and the associated cancer risks.
Dr. Cappello passed away on Nov 15, 2018, from secondary myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a bone marrow cancer that was a complication of her prior aggressive breast cancer treatments. But she ignited a legacy of fighting for improved policies, imaging technologies and advanced research to better address this health crisis that puts the est. 40% of the female population (women with dense breasts) at risk of a false negative reading.
Video News Release: Innovations in Early Detection
“Are You Dense?” Foundation Co-founder Joe Cappello joins the medical diagnostic community to promote the “Get Checked Now!” campaign. Dr. Robert Bard from the Bard Cancer Center (NYC) supports supplemental imaging including the 3D Doppler Ultrasound scanner to offer dense breast detection. This video presents some of the latest advancements in ultrasound features to detect tumors through dense breast tissue – reportedly a significant challenge with mammograms.
• Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age are more likely to have genetic mutations predisposing them to breast and other cancers.
• Younger women who have breast cancer may ignore the warning signs—such as a breast lump or unusual discharge—because they believe they are too young to get breast cancer. This can lead to a delay in diagnosis and poorer outcomes.
• Some healthcare providers may also dismiss breast lumps or other symptoms in young women or adopt a “wait and see” approach.
• Breast cancer poses additional challenges for younger women as it can involve issues concerning sexuality, fertility, and pregnancy after breast cancer treatment. [1]
Women diagnosed with dense breasts should continue to get regular screening mammograms. But there are additional screening tests that can help doctors detect tumors that may not be identified by conventional mammography or DBT. [2] Any woman who has dense breasts may want to consider supplemental screening, usually with breast ultrasound. Studies show that screening with ultrasound, in addition to mammography, improves detection of breast cancers in women with dense breasts. [3]
WHOLE BODY MRI (NO CONTRAST) FOR CANCER SCANNING:
In simplistic terms, having a full-body access comports to the fact that everything is connected in one way or another. Our full-body MRI provides early diagnosis and the largest view of the body, where finding any cancers in the body and/or where they may spread can provide the best chance of treatment success. In suspected cases of early breast malignancy, the exclusion of metastatic disease is clinically vital and emotionally supportive.
“Infographic: 7 Things to Know About Getting a Mammogram”- ACA/American Cancer Society: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/mammogram-tips-infographic.html#:~:text=Women%20between%2040%20and%2044,choose%20to%20continue%20yearly%20mammograms.
1) “Breast Cancer in Young Women”- Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/16805-breast-cancer-in-young-women
2) “What additional breast cancer screening tests are available for women who have dense breasts?”- Yale medicine- https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/dense-breasts#:~:text=Women%20diagnosed%20with%20dense%20breasts,(whole%2Dbreast%20ultrasound).
3) Columbia Doctors/ “What Are Dense Breasts? A radiologist offers guidance”:-Health Insights: October 14, 2022 https://www.columbiadoctors.org/news/what-are-dense-breasts#:~:text=Any%20woman%20who%20has%20dense,in%20women%20with%20dense%20breasts.
DENSE BREAST NEWS: 2023
Bexa Equity Alliance
Catalyzing A Movement To Improve Early Detection
We are on a mission to empower women to know their breast density and take control of their breast cancer screening. Women with high breast density have a 4 to 6 times greater risk for breast cancer compared with women with lower breast density. And Black women have 44.9% higher volumetric breast density than white women. You can’t “feel” your breast density. It requires breast screening. Mammograms are the standard of care for breast screening but they miss more than 50% of cancers in dense breasts. Black women are getting breast cancer well before the recommended age of 40 for a first mammogram. Black women under the age of 35 are twice as likely to get breast cancer than white women and three times more likely to die of breast cancer. Black women ages 20 to 29 have a 53% increased risk of breast cancer compared with white women of the same age group. Black women ages 30 to 39 have a 15% greater risk of breast cancer compared with white women of the same age range.
Don’t let breast cancer go undetected. Know your risks!
Meet our new iconic strategic partner, the Bexa Equity Alliance! We are working together to change the game on breast cancer early detection for young Black women.
This first-of-its-kind joint initiative is capable of providing millions of Black women, even those high risk and below traditional screening recommendations in the United States with life-saving education, and a proprietary and highly effective early detection process that uniquely employs high resolution elastography to produce a map of abnormal breast tissues and masses. A breast examination for women at any age, Bexa is quick, painless, involves no radiation and provides women with an immediate result.
Black women ages 40-49 are 80% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women. Black women under 35 get breast cancer at twice the rate of white women and die at 3 times the rate. Triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive breast cancer sub-type, is more common in young women, and those diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40 are twice as likely to have TNBC than those between the ages of 50 and 64.
Getting a first mammogram at age 40 is far too late for Black women. Women with extremely dense breasts have a four to six times greater risk of developing breast cancer than women with mostly fatty breasts. Black women have statistically significantly higher (21.1%) absolute breast area density than white women. Black women also have statistically significantly (44.9%) higher volumetric density than white women. You don’t know whether you have dense breasts until you have had a mammogram. Nearly 80% of lower income women in the U.S. do not get screening mammography, and Black women have the lowest participation rates in traditional breast cancer screening.
In 2023, TOUCHBBCA and the BEA worked together to screen over 300 Black women. The goal is to engage the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries through this first-of-its-kind, joint initiative strategically addressing three pillars of impact—health literacy, early detection and research—in order to increase educational outreach and screening across the U.S.
What is Metastatic Breast Cancer?
Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is different from early stage breast cancer. Once breast cancer moves from the breast to other organs it is considered stage IV and there is no cure. People who are diagnosed with MBC will remain in treatment for the remainder of their lives.
When breast cancer metastasizes, or travels from the breast to other organs, it most commonly travels to the brain, bone, liver, or lungs, Although some women and men with MBC live many years due to improving treatments, it is an incurable disease.
It is estimated that 168,000 people in the US are living with MBC.
MBC can be treated but not cured.
The median survival rate after a diagnosis of MBC is 3 years.
20-30% of people diagnosed with early stage breast cancer will experience a recurrence of MBC at some point in their lifetime.
Up to 10% of people diagnosed with breast cancer will receive an initial diagnosis of MBC.
Source: Twisted Pink.org
2for2Boobs
2for2 Boobs, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Breast Cancer Awareness-2-Action and African American Survivorship Advocacy non-profit. 2for2Boobs is an acronym – a call to action – to take 2 minutes 2 check your 2 breasts monthly.
We are dedicated towards providing culturally-relevant breast cancer education, information, and resources to increase knowledge about breast health and the importance of knowing your risks, preventive measures, and your family cancer genetic history. We also implement engaging survivorship outreach programs that empower, support, and connect women/men who have had a breast cancer diagnosis by helping them advocate by giving voice to their powerful breast cancer journey.
Our mission is to help to save African American/Black lives from breast cancer by educating, engaging, and empowering women, men, and teens about early detection, know their risks, preventive factors, address barriers and disparities to allow for managing their health pro-actively for better outcomes.
The organization was founded by a 3x breast cancer survivor-to-thriver who was able to detect her cancer early from conducting self-breast exams due to her family genetic breast cancer history.
ABA Breast Cancer Task Force
The Breast Cancer Advocacy Initiative was developed to provide legal advocacy training to lawyers, provide resources for lawyers and consumers dealing with breast cancer, and educating women, attorneys and policymakers on the range of legal issues impacting women’s health. Their website is a collection of resources from the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession and features stories of attorneys who have survived breast cancer.
African American Breast Cancer Alliance (AABCA)
AABCA is dedicated to building and sharing awareness, connections, education, resources and support for African American/black women, men, families and communities affected by breast cancer.
African Women’s Cancer Awareness Association (AWCAA)
AWCAA was established in 2004 by a coalition of African immigrant women health professionals in order to address disparities in awareness, prevention and access to healthcare for African immigrant and descent communities that face cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The group has grown to encompass healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs and concerned individuals dedicated to eliminating these disparities within the Washington metropolitan area, the continent of Africa, and beyond.
AlignRT Education
Empowers patients and caregivers with the resources, knowledge, and support necessary to help make an educated treatment decision about radiation therapy treatment options.
Alliance for Fertility Preservation
The mission is to increase information, resources, and access to fertility preservation for cancer patients and the healthcare professionals who treat them. To streamline the process of accessing fertility services, we created the online clinic locator and referral tool called Fertility Scout™, which is a free, web-based tool that enables patients and their healthcare providers to find local reproductive facilities.
American Breast Cancer Foundation
844 219 2223 or 410 730 5105
ABCF Breast Cancer Assistance Program
ABCF helps with the costs of breast cancer screenings and diagnostic tests for uninsured and underserved individuals. ABCF helps men and women of all ages with and without insurance residing in the United States. Since most people qualify for the program, ABCF helps fill the gap for men and women not eligible for other programs.
The application process is very quick and easy. Applications and grants are on a first come first serve basis. It is important to remember that you need to have a grant voucher set up before having testing for ABCF to assist with testing costs. To start the application process, please call or email ABCF.
ABCF Animated Breast Cancer Video
ABCF Breast Cancer Book
ABCF hopes to improve the chances of ruling out breast cancer or diagnosing the disease at an early stage so that it may be treated successfully and increase survivorship. The program also provides patient navigation services by sharing resources for breast cancer patients.
Spanish speaker available.
American Cancer Society (ACS)
Provides information and referrals to numerous education, community, and patient support services, including financial assistance and transportation programs. To reach your local ACS, contact the national office at 800 227 2345.
Angela Andrade Foundation
The Foundation is devoted to assisting metastatic breast cancer patients and their families to enjoy Angela’s “silver linings.” The Foundation enables patients to improve their quality of life from a grant for financial assistance.
The Foundation has made over $55,000 in grants to 40 women since July 2015. The grants have ranged from paying outstanding medical bills, mortgage payments, children’s tuition assistance, and financial assistance for vacations and trips.
Asian Breast Care Program
The CPACS Cosmo Health Center in Atlanta, Georgia aims to reduce the burden of breast cancer among uninsured and underinsured Asian American women by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering through culturally and language-appropriate health education and support for clinical preventive services.
- Get a mammogram every starting at the age of 40
- Affordable mammograms and clinical breast exams in partnership with Gwinnett Medical Center and St. Joseph’s Hospital. Please make an appointment at cpacs-cosmo health center 678 694- 379
Follow-up services for all women receiving mammogram services, connecting them with culturally and linguistically competent physician
Avon Foundation for Women
212 244 5368
Through the Avon Breast Health Outreach Program, Avon links medically-underserved women to breast health education and screening services. They also assist in obtaining regular mammograms and clinical breast exams to low-income, underinsured, and other marginalized populations.
Bay Area Cancer Connection
888 222 4401
Provides financial help to breast and ovarian cancer patients under age 40.
Best Face Forward Financial Assistance Program
Provides services and subsidies for eligible individuals for non-medical services that are critical to a woman’s quality of life and body image, and that are only partly covered by insurance companies, if at all. Best Face Forward 2.0 services include financial subsidies for wigs (cranial hair prosthesis), cold caps (scalp cooling treatment), and tattooing* (three-dimensional micropigmentation of the nipple and areola), tattooing* of the eyebrows (microblading), and yoga (where applicable). Additionally there are complementary and holistic offerings such as meditation and yoga.
*Available in select locations.
To be eligible for financial subsidy you must:
Be diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer, or be considered high risk for breast or ovarian cancer, with documentation to support this from a health care provider
Meet our financial eligibility guidelines
Betty J. Borry Breast Cancer Retreats
Providing empowerment, sisterhood, and adventure to women of all ages and stages of breast cancer.
At Betty J. Borry Breast Cancer Retreats, women living after breast cancer move from surviving to thriving. We use challenge-by-choice activities and expressive/healing arts to create a supportive, inclusive, invigorating environment. Participants gain confidence, make new friends, find healing in the outdoors, and discover their own strengths in the recovery process.
Beyond Breast Cancer
As Mayo Clinic medical oncologists who have devoted our clinical practice and research programs to breast cancer, we are honored to serve people at all stages of their breast cancer journeys.
Beyond Breast Cancer covers common topics that we as a team talk to our patients about during and after treatment for breast cancer at Mayo Clinic. We discuss lifestyle recommendations, cancer surveillance, side effects management, living with metastatic breast cancer, clinical trials, integrative therapies, sexual health, fertility and pregnancy, relationships and finances. We have also included a chapter specific to the needs of partners and caregivers of people with breast cancer.
For a limited time, we are offering an exclusive discount on this essential guide. Order your copy today.
Black Women’s’s Health Imperative
The Black Women’s Health Imperative is developing a national workplace equity and anti-racism initiative to improve the health and wellness of Black women, particularly their experiences in the workplace. There is a need for national standards that are elevated through awareness, accountability, partnership, and evidence-based resources.
We target the most pressing health issues that affect Black women and girls in the U.S. through investments in evidence based strategies, bold programs and advocacy outreach on health policies.
Breastcancer.org
A nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the most reliable, complete, and up-to-date information about breast cancer. The mission is to help women and their loved ones make sense of the complex medical and personal information about breast health and breast cancer so they can make the best decisions for their lives.
Breast Cancer Action
Breast Cancer Action is a national grassroots organization that advocates for legislative change and medical advances.
Breast Cancer Alliance
The mission of the Breast Cancer Alliance is to improve survival rates and quality of life for those impacted by breast cancer through better prevention, early detection, treatment and cure. In order to promote those goals, they invest in innovative research, breast surgery fellowships, regional education, and dignified support and screening for the underserved.
Breast Cancer Angels
[email protected]
Provides financial assistance (rental, utilities, medical co-pays, transportation, hospice, final expenses, school supplies, clothing, and food) to individuals undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Individuals must reside in certain counties of California.
Breast Cancer Assistance Fund
Provides financial assistance for non-medical costs of getting a patient to treatment and other living expenses that may be incurred.
Breast Cancer Charities of America
Our central focus is on educating, empowering, and encouraging all men and women to become pro-active in preventing breast cancer and, if diagnosed, survive breast cancer.
The Help Now Fund is a financial assistance program for breast cancer patients in active treatment.
Breast Cancer Comfort Foundation
[email protected]
Offers comfort baskets to those who recently underwent breast cancer surgery and also provides chemo comfort bags to those being treated with chemotherapy.
Breast Cancer Emergency Fund
Financial assistance for breast cancer patients in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties in California. Provides emergency financial assistance to low-income individuals battling breast cancer, enabling them to keep up vital medical treatments, avoid utility shut-off, prevent eviction, and maintain stable housing. Many clients are working women without access to employer-paid health insurance or disability coverage. Others find themselves under-insured once treatment begins. We help lighten the fiscal burden and emotional toll of unpaid bills so they can focus on what’s important: personal health and family.
BCEF covers …
Uninsured medical expenses … prescriptions, over-the-counter pharmacy items, medical co-pays, insurance premium/COBRA payments, complementary care, emergency dental care, lymphedema garments, optical services, physical therapy
Essential utilities … electricity/gas services, water, garbage, telephone
Housing expenses … rent, mortgage, property tax, homeowners fees
Assistance with funeral expenses
With the help of our extensive network of community service provider partners and resources, the staff determines and delivers a personalized assistance program that addresses each client’s unique needs and circumstances. We work quickly and assistance is usually available within five days (often within 48 hours).
Breast Cancer Freebies
There are generous people and organizations whose mission it is to make the journey a little easier and take the burden off your wallet with FREE wigs, hats, make-up, house cleaning, transportation and so much more.
Breast Cancer Legal Advocacy Initiative
Created by The American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession, this public education initiative is designed to protect the legal rights of breast cancer patients. Their site provides the history of the project and information on breast cancer law and advocacy.
Breast Cancer Resource Center in Texas
All assistance programs are available to clients regardless of employment status, ethnicity, sex, age or income, so long as funds are available.
Arranges free screening and diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds, and biopsies for uninsured or underinsured women living in Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, or Caldwell counties.
Can provide funding for basic financial needs such as rent, utilities, and prescription drugs. This type of funding tends to fluctuate, but if we can help, we will. And if we can’t help you, we may be able to connect you with another local or national resource that can meet your specific financial needs.
Breast Cancer Screenings
By 2020, the breast cancer diagnosis rate for women under 40 (20-39) has increased by an est. 23 cases per 100,000 women…
According to the American Cancer Society, women ages 45 to 54 and post-menopausal years are required to get mammograms every year. But for the underserved ages (20-40), the risk for breast cancer exists in growing numbers.
BARD DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING addresses the continuing concerns for breast cancer in the New York area by offering advanced early detection screening programs.
The medical community has identified over 5% of all breast cancer cases occur in women over 20 and under the age of 40. The increased risk for breast cancer in dense tissue also exists and is identified by the medical community. Bard Diagnostic Imaging provides the option to receive a preliminary screening with a preliminary and more affordable mammography protocol.
Breast cancer in younger women may be more aggressive and less likely to respond to treatment.
- Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age are more likely to have genetic mutations that predisposes them to breast and other cancers.
Younger women who have breast cancer may ignore the warning signs-such as a breast lump or unusual discharge-because they believe they are too young to get breast cancer. This can lead to a delay in diagnosis and poorer outcomes.
Some healthcare providers may also dismiss breast lumps or other symptoms in young women or adopt a “wait and see” approach.
Breast cancer poses additional challenges for younger women as it can involve issues concerning sexuality, fertility, and pregnancy after breast cancer treatment. - This program also includes detects dense breast tissue to determine appropriate proper imaging protocols for accurate diagnostics.
For more information or to schedule a FREE private consultation, call today 212.355.7017 (*) The “Earlier Detection program” is a clinical project comprised of breast cancer screening services, public education and breast cancer awareness initiatives sponsored by the “Are You Dense?” Foundation(501 c3), the AngioFoundation Institute (501c3) and a clinical partnership with the Bard Cancer Center (NYC). This program is also brought to you by other public supporters, public educational institutions and independent sponsors in support of women’s health resources.
Breast Cancer Solutions
Provides financial assistance to breast cancer patients living in Orange, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Breast Cancer Trials
This organization strives to match as many breast cancer patients to clinical trials as possible. On the website, you can fill out a personal health history to be matched with potential trials, or you can search for clinical trials currently offered.The website also has some information about why clinical trials are important and how to use them to benefit your care.
Breastoration Ink
Provides expert cosmetic 3D nipple and areola tattooing for anyone experiencing a financial hardship who is interested in having this beautiful work to help complete their breast reconstruction.
Clients can be recently diagnosed or might have been living without a nipple or areola for years. Many have had multiple surgeries to get to this point where they are DONE, and just want to return to their ‘whole’ self again. This process has a huge impact on body image and self-esteem.
The process involves a simple application process through email and a follow-up phone call. The tattooing is done in San Francisco through a partnership with Sasha Merritt at Dragonfly Ink, www.dragonflyink.com.
Anyone interested can reach out to Fern Orenstein through the web page inquiry form www.breastorationink.org or by sending a message to Fern Orenstein [email protected].
The organization can serve eligible individuals from anywhere as long as they can travel to San Francisco to receive the tattoo.
Can Do Cancer
[email protected]
Offers dinner, cleaning services, informational, motivational support for breast cancer patients undergoing treatments in the Des Moines and surrounding areas
Cancer Black Care (CBC)
Addresses the cultural and emotional needs of Black people affected by cancer, as well as their families, friends, and caregivers.
CancerCare
Provides limited financial assistance for homecare, childcare and transportation.
CancerCare’s Linking A.R.M.S.
Provides limited financial assistance for hormonal therapy, oral chemotherapy, pain and anti-nausea medication, lymphedema supplies, and durable medical equipment.
Cancer Resource Foundation
CRF and cancer1source provide financial assistance and free genetic testing for the BRCA1/2 genes, funding to provide post-mastectomy garments and prosthetics, and wigs for well-being.
Center for Pan Asian Community Services
The Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc. (CPACS) aims to reduce the burden of breast cancer among uninsured and underinsured Asian-American women by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering, through culturally and language-appropriate health education and support for clinical preventive services.
Chick Mission
We are a national community of patients, survivors, parents, doctors, advocates, friends, and loved ones working together to preserve hope, sanity, and choice for women battling cancer.
Our mission is to ensure every young woman newly diagnosed with cancer has the option to preserve fertility through direct financial support, educational programs, and advocacy for legislative change. We refuse to let the emotional, physical, and financial cost of a cancer diagnosis stand between young women and a full life after beating this disease.
Together, we have helped more than 167 women preserve their fertility ahead of lifesaving treatment, collectively saving patients and their families over $1 million in medical expenses, and creating countless opportunities for young women to fulfill their dreams of a future family.
We won’t stop until fertility preservation is covered by health insurance policies in all 50 states!
Chrysalis
The Chrysalis Initiative provides Breast Cancer Naviagtion and Support and exists to disrupt outcome disparities within breast cancer, so every patient receives care they deserve.
Cierra Sisters, Inc.
Cierra Sisters, Inc., is an African-American breast cancer survivor and support organization.
Community Breast Reconstruction Alliance
We are building a future where all breast reconstruction options are available through insurance in all communities and patients benefit from better long-term outcomes.
We empower patients to receive the best options for them through personal choice and informed clinical decision making. We support the work of providers who deliver excellent care to people affected by breast cancer. We acknowledge that healthy economic dynamics are essential to maintaining a healthy reconstructive environment.
The experiences of patients and caregivers enrich our understanding of successful breast reconstruction. As allies, we learn from each other and grow stronger together.
Make no mistake: women who want [DIEP flap] surgery and have money will always have access to it. The only people this coding change affects are women who need access through insurance.
-Dr. Elisabeth Potter, M.D.
Donna Saunders Foundation
The foundation was created to honor a remarkable daughter, sister, aunt, and friend who lost her battle with breast cancer in August 2010. Provides educational awareness to the public about the disease and financial support to breast cancer patients.
E Beauty
Provides all women access to wigs. Runs the only wig exchange program. Women who have completed cancer treatments can donate their used wigs.
EBeauty partners with beauty industry schools and professionals across the U.S. who volunteer their time to professionally clean and style donated wigs. The EBeauty Health Alliance Partnerships work with hospitals and cancer centers around the U.S. to provide on-site access to free wigs.
Ellie Fund
Our mission is to provide essential support services for breast cancer patients to ease the stresses of everyday life, allowing the focus to be on family, recovery and healing. Providing transportation to medical appointments, light housekeeping, nutritional and grocery assistance, childcare reimbursement, nutritious prepared/delivered meals and integrative therapy services free of charge through our Healing Together Patient and Family Care Program and Metastatic Breast Cancer Support Program help to relieve a patient’s burden while in treatment. The Ellie Fund is honored to provide assistance to breast cancer patients residing in and/or receiving treatment in Massachusetts.
Every Woman Counts
Provides free breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to California’s underserved populations. EWC is part of the Department of Health Care Services’ Cancer Detection and Treatment Branch.
Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE)
A nonprofit organization for women who are at high risk of getting breast and ovarian cancer due to their family history and genetic status, and for members of families in which a BRCA mutation may be present. FORCE’s web site can be a helpful resource for anyone who knows she is at risk, who wonders whether she might be at risk, or who cares about the issues and concerns that women-at-risk face.
Feel Your Boobies
Feel Your Boobies Foundation is a non-profit breast cancer organization that promotes proactive breast health to young women through strategic education and outreach programs. Their campaign and programs focus on education and outreach primarily for women under 40 (pre-mammogram age).
For Three Sisters
A national grassroots organization dedicated to raising awareness and improving the lives of men and women affected by breast cancer. It was founded by retired firefighter Marshall Moneymaker and his wife Shannon after he lost three older sisters to breast cancer.
Committed to supporting breast cancer fighters and survivors in any way possible, so no man or woman fights breast cancer alone.
Marshall’s story and the work of For 3 Sisters has been featured on Good Morning America, the Washington DC affiliates of FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC, The Washington Post, and CNN.
Forge Breast Cancer Survivor Center
Supports, empowers, and improves quality of life for Alabama breast cancer patients, survivors, and co-survivors from the date of diagnosis through the balance of life. Our FREE wrap-around services include professional mental health counseling, support groups (including our Young Breast Cancer Support Group), wellness education, lifestyle classes, rides to appointments, grocery cards, tip sheets, questions to ask doctors, volunteer peer advocates to support and attend medical visits, and help with any other obstacle that stands in the way of healing. We focus on caring for the whole person—mind, body, and spirit — by improving the lives and outcomes of those facing breast cancer and their loved ones.
Foundation for Breast and Prostate Health
Foundation for Breast and Prostate Health’s primary mission is to work with the best minds in breast and prostate cancer to create awareness and educate the public about these two diseases.
Foundation for Women’s Cancer
This is an interactive website dedicated to informing women about gynecologic cancer risk factors, diagnosis, treatment and clinical trials.
Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Spotlight on Breast Reconstruction
The Cancer Support Community, along with other partner organizations, is continually working on new research in various topic areas that are important to people impacted by cancer. This guide streamlines information about all breast reconstruction options and provides useful tools to help women speak openly with their physicians.
Recovery Grants are the heart of our mission. We award stay grants that extend and enhance recovery from any type of breast cancer treatment, including before, during, and after treatment, including reconstruction.
Respite Grants are awarded to StageIV Moms and offer the same benefits. They are designed to give that Mom a chance to rest and have a get-away from cancer.
Hadassah
Check It Out® is a breast cancer awareness program focused on disease prevention and screening for the purpose of early detection and treatment. Hadassah connects Jewish women and its website contains a video that teaches you how to do your own self-examination. Additionally, Hadassah has done extensive research with the BRCA gene mutation, which significantly increases a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.
Heaps of Hope
Provides financial support for women with cancer in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Hope Kit from National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.
National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.® is recognized as one of the leading breast cancer organizations in the world.
National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) is Helping Women Now® provides early detection, education, and support services to those affected by breast cancer. A recipient of Charity Navigator’s highest 4-star rating for thirteen years, NBCF provides support through their National Mammography Program, Patient Navigation, Beyond The Shock®, HOPE Kits, breast health education and research programs. For more information, please visit NBCF.org.
The HOPE Kit, a tangible expression of hope, is filled with thoughtful items that patients have told us are comforting and encouraging. Click here to request a HOPE Kit for yourself or a loved one currently undergoing breast cancer treatment. To learn more about HOPE Kits, please visit our HOPE Kit webpage for more details.
Hopi Cancer Support Services
The Hopi Cancer Support Services program helps women in the Native American Hopi Community gain access to breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services, including: clinical breast exams, mammograms, pap tests and pelvic exams, if screening results are abnormal. Referrals are made for treatment, as necessary. The Hopi Cancer Assistance Fund (HCAF) provides monetary support to assist with gas, meals, and lodging up to $600.00 per year for cancer patients.
Imerman Angels
Carefully matches and individually pairs a person touched by cancer (a cancer fighter or survivor) with someone who has fought and survived the same type of cancer (a Mentor Angel). Cancer caregivers (spouses, parents, children and other family and friends of fighters) also receive 1-on-1 connections with other caregivers and survivors. These relationships inspire hope and offer the chance to ask personal questions and receive support from someone who is uniquely familiar with the experience. The service is absolutely free and helps anyone touched by any type of cancer, at any cancer stage level, at any age, living anywhere in the world.
Infinite Strength
We are dedicated to helping underserved/underinsured single mothers affected by breast cancer. Our mission is to provide financial assistance to underserved single mothers in breast cancer treatment. And to provide hope that they do not have to be on this journey alone.
Inheritance of Hope
We serve families facing the loss of a parent due to metastatic breast cancer with resources and relationships for each family member. Inheritance of Hope does have in-person meetups, Legacy Retreats®, virtual weekend retreats, and legacy building through video storytelling. All of these resources are available to young families who are facing the loss of a parent due to terminal illness, so we are able to provide these services to families who have children under the age of 18. There are online groups that meet frequently to offer support to every member of the family – children, diagnosed parents, and spouses/partners. If you feel isolated or frustrated by illness, you are not alone – you are loved here!
The John W. Nick Foundation provides outreach and information to men diagnosed with breast cancer. Their website contains many personal stories, as well as brochures, resources and updates on the latest research pertaining to male breast cancer.
KAMM Cares Foundation
KAMM Cares offers financial assistance grants to women battling breast cancer and undergoing treatment, covering necessities such as child- care costs and groceries. The application requirements are listed on their website.
Karen Swanson Fund
Fulfills a special need or end-of-life request for those with active metastatic breast or ovarian cancer. The fund is not meant to be used for medical treatment or basic living expenses, but for improving the quality of life during the dying process. Amounts granted are up to $750. To receive funds from Bay Area Cancer Connections (BCC) Karen Swanson Fund, you must (1) have metastatic breast or ovarian cancer, (2) live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and (3) not be able to afford this extra expense without the support of this fund.
For more information, please call the BCC Helpline at 650 326 6686 or toll-free 888 222 4401.
Katie Rampen, Founder of Kicking Breast Cancer with Katie, Breast Cancer Recovery Advocate and Navigator, Wellness Empowerment Coach
Katie is a two-time cancer ‘thriver’, mother, and Breast Cancer Recovery Advocate, helping women navigate a breast cancer diagnosis, advocate for themselves, and avoid recurrence.
Katie offers classes focusing on education, enlightenment, empowerment, and encouragement.
Keep a Breast Foundation
The Keep A Breast Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to equip young people with breast health education early on in their lives. Through art events, educational programs and fundraising efforts, they seek to increase breast cancer awareness among young people so they are better prepared to make choices and develop habits that will benefit their long-term health and well-being.
Kristy Lasch Miracle Foundation
Provides financial assistance for medical expenses to women under 30 with breast cancer.
Liv & Let
Mission
Liv And Let is dedicated to giving strength and hope to those affected by breast cancer – previvors, survivors and caregivers. By nurturing and providing comprehensive knowledge, the hope is to provide emotional, mental and physical support as well as essential items to thrive through treatment and survivorship.
Vision: To Create A Community and Centralized Information Hub For People Impacted By Cancer
Living Beyond Breast Cancer
Living Beyond Breast Cancer is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to empowering all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life. LBBC’s programs are available at little or no cost and serve women of all ages and at all stages of diagnosis and recovery.
To fulfill our mission of providing trusted information and a community of support to those impacted by the disease, Living Beyond Breast Cancer offers in-person experiences and on-demand emotional, practical and evidence-based content that is meaningful to those newly diagnosed, in-treatment, post-treatment and living with metastatic disease. Programs include national educational conferences, monthly webinars, quarterly educational newsletters, educational publications, culturally-relevant community-based outreach and educational materials for medically underserved women of color, education, support, and networking opportunities for young women, an interactive web site, a toll-free peer support breast cancer Helpline, and small grants to women with financial needs.
Founded in 1991, LBBC has earned its reputation for delivering responsible, clear; credible and comforting information to women affected by breast cancer through its educational, support and outreach programs.
LympheDIVAs
Create medically correct compression apparel for women with post-breast cancer lymphedema. The founders want to inspire women cancer survivors to feel beautiful, strong and confident.
Malecare
212 673 4920
Provides true psychosocial support to over 38,000 men since our founding in 2004. We are a volunteer organization of social workers and psychologists, who found the more widely-used model of a monthly lecture as inadequate for facilitating peer to peer support. Our groups meet weekly or bi-weekly, are 90 minutes in length, and led by a social worker or psychologist who is diagnosed with prostate cancer, or has suffered the loss of their father from prostate cancer. Attendees are limited to men diagnosed with prostate cancer. We run both massive and intimate online groups, including video chats. We focus on underserved communities, such as Gay men (www.lgbtcancer.org) and African-American men. We also facilitate a leading Male Breast Cancer support network.
Male Breast Cancer Coalition
Since 2014, the Male Breast Cancer Coalition has provided an online space for men with breast cancer to share their stories and read the stories of others. The site includes a list of resources about male breast cancer.
MBCC’s mission is to ensure no man feels alone when he hears the words, “You have breast cancer.”
Male Breast Cancer Resource Center
The Male Breast Cancer Resource Center provides general information on male breast cancer and how diagnosis and treatment differ from breast cancer in women.
MBCBrainMets.org
mbcbrainmets.org is a web resource that offers women with metastatic breast cancer and their families a place to learn about brain metastases from a patient perspective. Their website provides information and resources about this form of the disease, as well as personal stories from women who are currently living with brain metastasis.
Men Against Breast Cancer
Men Against Breast Cancer (MABC) is the first and only national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designed to provide targeted support services that educate and empower men to be effective caregivers when cancer strikes. Since its founding in 1999, MABC has mobilized men across America, including underserved populations, to be active participants in the fight against breast cancer. Its philosophy is to leverage the support of the whole family to help the patient, with special emphasis on the important role of men in caring for the women they love.
Metastatic Breast Cancer Network
MBCN is a national, independent, non-profit, all volunteer, patient-led advocacy organization dedicated to the unique concerns of the women and men living with metastatic breast cancer. They strive to help those living with stage lV breast cancer be their own best advocate through providing education and information on treatments and coping with the disease.
More than Just Words
Black women with breast cancer are approximately 40% more likely to die compared to white women with breast cancer in the U.S. – and are also more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage with more aggressive disease.
Novartis will enlist multidisciplinary experts in breast cancer and health policy to identify the most pressing issues facing Black women in breast cancer and collaborate to build solutions.
With breast cancer surpassing lung cancer as the world’s most commonly diagnosed cancer and screenings drastically down due to COVID-19, now is the time to act.
More Than Just Words reflects the longstanding Novartis commitment to improving lives of patients with breast cancer
Mothers Supporting Daughters with Breast Cancer
Unique resource for mothers looking for support and guidance in helping their daughters deal with breast cancer.
My Hope Chest
Provides funding for uninsured women who desire reconstruction. Our goal is to enable these women to return to a normal life with feelings of hope, self-worth, and completeness.
My Sister My Friend Breast Cancer Support
My Sister My Friend Breast Cancer Support is a grassroots nonprofit 501©3 organization. Originally, formed in 2004 by four breast cancer survivors as the Long Beach affiliate chapter of Sister Network Inc. A National African American Breast Cancer Survivorship Organization. Later, in 2006 becoming My Sister My Friend Breast Cancer Support. The organization provides a host of supportive services to women battling breast cancer, their caregivers and families. The organization also provides breast health educational outreach and screening navigation to lay and vulnerable populations.
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
Provides breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services.
National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC)
A grassroots advocacy organization whose mission is to eradicate breast cancer through action and advocacy. Provides access to information about NBCC’s history, goals and accomplishments, how to become a member, their legislative agenda and political campaign, and current programs, including Project LEAD and Clinical Trials Project.
Ojai Cares
Breast Cancer Support Group Meets 4th Wednesday from 6-7pm @ Help of Ojal
108 S Montgomery St. Ojai, California
This facilitated peer group is an opportunity to feel connected with others sharing a similar experience. Gain information, advocacy skills, insights, and tools to navigate the outer and inner journey with greater ease, calm, and connection. Open to all anywhere on the continuum from newly diagnosed, in or having completed treatment, and/or living with breast cancer.
Call Susan Kapadia at 805-646-6433 for more information.
Outcomes4Me
Outcomes4Me is on a mission to empower breast cancer patients to take control of their cancer care. Outcomes4Me has created a free app that allows breast cancer patients regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or geographic location to get access to their medical records, understand their treatment options, and find clinical trials based on their diagnosis. The app is filled with free resources ranging from webinars with top oncologists to financial assistance programs. Patients can even track and manage their symptoms in order to share with their doctors in an effort to feel and live a better life.
PAN Foundation
Funds cover metastatic breast cancer. Provides grants of $500 to $10,000 per year to qualified patients for medications for these diseases. Since 2004, PAN has provided more than $186 million in assistance for out-of-pocket expenses to more than 130,000 patients in need.
PinkAid
Since 2010, Pink Aid’s mission is to help underserved breast cancer patients survive treatment with support and dignity, to provide screening and financial assistance to those in need, and to empower breast cancer survivors to heal by helping and inspiring others.
Our Pink Purse Fund, launched in 2015, provides emergency financial assistance to individuals in need during breast cancer treatment for non-medical household expenses, such as rent and utility payments.
Pink Daisy Project
Pink Daisy Project helps patients with meals, gas, groceries. Preference is given to women under 45, single mothers, women who are under-insured, and those most recently in treatment.
Pink Peppermint Cares
Provides programs, services, and resources to women and men affected by a breast cancer diagnosis. Our focus is to educate, empower, and encourage all women to be proactive in their breast health using the power of beauty. We provide free emotional and physical support to meet the needs of the uninsured and under-insured low-income women affected by breast cancer and their caregivers through our free programs.
Planned Parenthood
800 230 7526
Offers breast exams, cervical cancer screenings, mammograms, and other testing and treatments regarding reproductive health care.
Provision Project
Provide financial relief to women in active treatment for breast cancer. Provision Project makes a way for women in active breast cancer treatment to receive tangible help quickly.
Remember Betty
Our mission is to help minimize the financial burden associated with breast cancer for patients and survivors by providing direct financial support to them so that they can focus on recovery and quality of life.
Right Action for Women (RAW)
Founded by actress and breast cancer survivor Christina Applegate. Offers a financial assistance program, administered by Patient Services, Inc. (PSI), to help young women who are at high risk for breast cancer gain access to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) screening. Offers financial support to women who are facing the risk of early breast cancer as a result of a genetic predisposition. Assistance is only for those that are undiagnosed or no longer have breast cancer and have been prescribed an MRI based upon a family or personal history of breast cancer, those who have tested positive for a BRCA gene mutation, are genetically susceptibility to malignant neoplasm of breast, or those who were treated with therapeutic radiation for cancer prior to age 30. You are eligible to apply for assistance regardless of insurance status.
SHARE
SHARE is a national nonprofit that supports, educates, and empowers women affected by breast, ovarian, or metastatic breast cancer, with a special focus on medically underserved communities. Our mission is to connect these women with the unique support of survivors and peers, creating a community where no one has to face breast or ovarian cancer alone.
SHARE’s mission is to create and sustain a supportive network and community of women affected by breast and ovarian cancers. SHARE brings these women and their families and friends together with others who have experienced breast or ovarian cancer and provides participants with the opportunity to receive and exchange information, support, strength and hope. Services include hotlines in English and Spanish with capacity in 12 other languages, support groups, wellness programs, educational meetings, and advocacy activities.
Sharsheret
Sharsheret, Hebrew for “chain”, is a national not-for-profit organization supporting young women and their families, of all Jewish backgrounds, facing breast cancer. Our mission is to offer a community of support to women diagnosed with breast cancer or at increased genetic risk, by fostering culturally-relevant individualized connections with networks of peers, health professionals, and related resources.
Sharsheret provides culturally-sensitive support to young Jewish women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer as well as to those facing the risk of developing breast cancer, and offers related resources for Jewish communities and healthcare organizations.
Sisters Network, Inc.
Sisters Network Inc is committed to increasing local and national attention to the devastating impact that breast cancer has in the African American community. They offer the Breast Cancer Assistance Program (BCAP), a financial assistance program for but not limited to: medical related lodging, co-pay, office visits and prosthesis.
Sisters Working It Out
Our Mission … To serve as a catalytic force in the elimination of breast cancer disparities in the Chicagoland area. This is accomplished through programs that educate and empower women of color as well as connect them to quality preventive health services. SWIO provides compassionate care and support to women across the cancer continuum from outreach and screening through survivorship.
Our History … Dr. Monica Peek, an internal medicine physician at the University of Chicago, founded Sisters Working It Out, NFP in 2001 as a call to action to address the alarming breast cancer disparity rates across the city of Chicago. Throughout its 17-year history, SWIO has worked tirelessly to address the many barriers contributing to high breast cancer mortality rates for African-American women, such as lack of health information, mistrust of providers and health systems, and limited access to breast cancer screening (e.g., mammograms, clinical breast exams) and primary care.
Social Security Disability
Provides financial support to qualified applicants to cover all necessities, from daily living expenses to medical bills.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) defines“disability” as a condition that …
Has lasted or is expected to last a minimum of one year, or is terminal
Prevents you from doing the same type of work or any work you are qualified for, before the disabling condition set in
Places physical or mental limitations on your ability to learn a different occupation
Not all cases of breast cancer can be classified as “disabling” by the SSA, although women with more advanced cases can often qualify, sometimes in just a couple of weeks. When/if you do qualify, your benefits are not guaranteed to be indefinite in duration. If your cancer improves in response to treatment, your case will be reviewed and, if you are deemed able to work once again, your benefits be stopped.
What Disability Benefits Are Available?
There are two disability programs available through the SSA. Each program is intended for a different type of applicant.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI): If you have worked and paid Social Security taxes in your recent past, you will probably qualify for SSDI, which pays benefits to disabled workers and their eligible dependents. All SSDI recipients will be eligible for Medicare 24 months after the onset of their disability, which typically means when your breast cancer became severe enough to keep you from working.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI): SSI is a needs-based program aimed at individuals with little to no income or assets. Children, the blind, and the elderly are typical recipients of SSI benefits. In most states, approved applicants also receive Medicaid.
Medically Qualifying for Disability Benefits with Breast Cancer
When you apply for disability, the SSA will evaluate your eligibility by consulting the Blue Book, which is the organization’s official publication of disabling conditions The disability criteria for breast cancer are referenced in Listing 13.10: Cancer-Breast. When you apply, you must also submit medical documentation that confirms the diagnosis and outlines your treatment history. Your doctor will fill out a residual functional capacity (RFC) form which the SSA will use to evaluate how breast cancer has affected your ability to maintain gainful employment.
The Compassionate Allowances Program
Applicants with certain serious disabilities can receive benefits more quickly via the Compassionate Allowances program. If your breast cancer has spread to distant parts of your body and cannot be operated on or completely removed, you will qualify for expedited processing. Many women who have IBC (inflammatory breast cancer) or metastatic breast cancer will not be evaluated as frequently as those with other forms of breast cancer. This often means that you can keep your benefits for longer than others.
Disability Benefits Review
Once you have been approved for disability benefits, the SSA will periodically review your medical condition to confirm that you continue to have a qualifying disability. If your condition improves to the extent that you are able to work once, the benefits will stop.
For more information about applying for SSA benefits when you are living with breast cancer, visit the Social SecurityAdministration’s website, or make a schedule at your local SSA office, by calling 1-800-772-1213 toll free.
Be sure to update the SSA as you receive treatments after approval. If your treatments do not go as planned or if you have complications, you may be able to remain on Social Security benefits as long as you are still unable to work.
Stand Up 2 Breast Cancer: Navigating Breast Cancer Trials
Unveiling Racial Disparities in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatment Outcomes: Insights from a Retrospective Study
A retrospective cohort study revealed variations in pathologic complete response (pCR) and overall survival (OS) among triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, based on race/ethnicity. Black women showed lower odds of achieving pCR, while Hispanic women exhibited higher odds. Although unadjusted OS was significantly higher for those achieving pCR, this effect did not differ by race/ethnicity. However, after adjusting for variables, Hispanic and Asian race/ethnicities were associated with improved OS. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding biologic factors influencing treatment outcomes in TNBC, urging further research for more effective therapies. Notably, both Black and Hispanic women experienced delays in starting therapy compared to white women, suggesting potential biological sensitivities or resistance contributing to treatment response differences. This study underscores the need to explore and address racial disparities in breast cancer treatment outcomes.
Source & for more information:
https://www.medpagetoday.com/
Revolutionizing Genomic Research: All of Us Research Program Uncovers Over 275 Million New Genetic Variants
Researchers have identified over 275 million new genetic variants using data from nearly 250,000 participants in the NIH’s All of Us Research Program, with half of this data coming from individuals of non-European ancestry. This discovery opens new avenues for understanding genetic impacts on health and disease, especially in underrepresented communities. Key findings are published in Nature and three other Nature journals. Notably, around 4 million of these variants are potentially linked to disease risks. The All of Us dataset, available on the Researcher Workbench, enhances the inclusivity of scientific research, aiming to mitigate health disparities observed due to the lack of diverse genomic data in the past. Previous studies predominantly featured participants of European descent, limiting the scope of genetic research and its applicability to diverse populations. The All of Us Research Program, through its extensive and varied participant base, aims to facilitate precision medicine advancements for all population groups. The program has already enrolled over 750,000 people, with a goal of engaging at least one million participants from across the U.S. to create a comprehensive biomedical data resource
Source & for more information:
https://www.nih.gov/news-event
Long-term Air Pollution Linked to Higher Breast Cancer Incidence in U.S. Women
Researchers at the NIH found that living in areas with higher levels of fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) was associated with an 8% increase in breast cancer incidence, based on a study of over 500,000 women followed for 20 years. PM2.5 refers to tiny particles 2.5 microns or smaller that can be inhaled deep into the lungs. It comes from sources like vehicle exhaust, combustion, and industrial emissions.The study looked at historical PM2.5 exposure 10-15 years prior to enrollment, reflecting the long development period of cancers. Past exposures may be particularly relevant since air pollution levels used to be even higher.
The association was specifically with increased incidence of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast tumors, suggesting PM2.5 could act via a hormone disruption pathway, since ER+ tumors are the most common.Limitations include inability to explore regional differences in PM2.5 composition that could differentially impact breast cancer risk. Future work should investigate this as well as how PM2.5 exposure timing relates to risk.
Overall, the findings add to evidence linking ambient air pollution exposure, even at modest levels, to breast cancer incidence, with implications for ubiquitous environmental exposures impacting public health.
Source & For more information: https://www.nih.gov/news-
Thoughtful Ways to Care for a Friend with Breast Cancer
By Lisa Savage-Phillips, L.C.S.W
Receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer can be devastating for anyone. As a friend, you may want to show your support but may need help with how to help. While listening and offering kind words are always appreciated, sometimes actions speak louder. Here are some thoughtful ideas to lift your friend’s spirits during treatment and recovery:
1. Make Them Comfortable: Help your friend feel relaxed at home by gifting cozy blankets, soft pajamas, slipper socks, and pampering bath products. Delivering home-cooked meals that can be easily reheated and keeping their fridge stocked with nutritious snacks will provide comfort when they don’t feel up to shopping or cooking.
2. Lend a Helping Hand: Offer to drive your friend to treatments, watch their children so they can rest, walk their dog, tidy up their home, or assist with household errands like grocery shopping. Having one less thing to worry about can make a big difference.
3. Give the Gift of Self-Care: Mastectomy recovery essentials like a post-surgery camisole, lymphedema sleeve, and moisture-wicking bra can help your friend heal. Pampering gifts like lotions, lip balm, and dry shampoo renew spirits. Journaling and adult coloring books can also provide therapeutic outlets.
4. Brighten Their Day: Splash their living space with encouragement through fresh flower deliveries, positive quotes on decorative pillows, artwork with affirmations, and thoughtful greeting cards—photos of happy memories displayed around the home comfort the soul.
5. Lend an Ear: Being available to listen when they need to talk, cry, or sit silently shows you care. Though breast cancer is physically taxing, the emotional impact can be just as draining. Offer a judgment-free space for them to open up.
6. Rally the Troops: Consistent support from friends and family can lift a person’s resilience. Rally mutual friends to create a meal calendar, send inspirational care packages, organize visits, and show regular acts of kindness.
The journey through breast cancer treatment is different for everyone. By customizing your support to your friend’s needs, you can thoughtfully remind them they are not alone. Your compassion speaks volumes, even when you feel at a loss for words.
Take Care of Yourself Too
Supporting someone with breast cancer also takes an emotional toll on friends and caregivers. Make time for self-care by turning to your support systems for encouragement, whether family, a counselor, or a caregiver’s group. Set reasonable boundaries around your availability so you don’t become overwhelmed. Taking care of your mental health allows you to maintain the stamina to be fully present on this journey with your friend.
Steps to Finding a Clinical Trial
If you or someone you know is interested in participating in a breast cancer clinical trial, here are the steps to get started:
– Discuss with your oncologist or healthcare provider.
– Search for suitable trials on https://clinicaltrials.gov or Ancora.ai
– Contact the trial coordinator for more information.
– Reach out to us at [email protected] and we can assist with getting you connected with a research study.
The Decision to Join a Clinical Trial: Why Support Matters
Choosing to take part in a clinical trial is a big decision. It involves weighing complex information, undergoing new medical procedures, and contributing to scientific research. Given the significance of the choice, receiving support from loved ones can make a huge difference.
Clinical trials are vital for developing new treatments and cures. However, they do require a commitment from participants – attending study visits, following protocols, and sharing personal health data over an extended period. Having emotional backing from friends and family provides encouragement through this journey.
Your support network can help you thoroughly evaluate whether a trial is right for you. They can review study details, ask questions of the research team, and double check that enrollment aligns with your values and goals. Feeling like your decision has been vetted gives peace of mind.
Once enrolled, sustaining the routine of a trial gets easier with practical support. Loved ones can help arrange transportation, adjust schedules for appointments, and handle life’s daily responsibilities while you focus on the study procedures.
Participating in research can surface complex emotions too. Study participants may feel fatigued, frustrated by procedures, or anxious about results. Your inner circle provides a trusted space to share fears and setbacks without judgment.
Most crucially, support reminds you that you’re never alone on this journey. While contributing to vital research, stay connected to the voices that uplift you. Pursuing a clinical trial opportunity doesn’t mean going it alone. With seasoned advocates by your side, a new realm of possibilities opens up.
Featured Study: Improving Communication and Adherence in Black Breast Cancer Survivors (Sisters Informing Sisters) (SIS)
Our “Study of the Month” is Improving Communication and Adherence in Black Breast Cancer Survivors (Sisters Informing Sisters) (SIS). Black women continue experiencing poorer breast cancer outcomes, potentially due to suboptimal adherence to systemic therapies. Patient-centered communication approaches could enhance adherence. The Virginia Commonwealth University created and piloted Sisters Informing Sisters℠ (SIS), an intervention featuring survivor-led skill-building sessions and culturally-tailored materials to activate Black breast cancer survivors in medical visits. Pilot results were encouraging. This randomized controlled trial compares SIS to enhanced usual care’s (treatment recommendation summary) impact on patient-provider communication and therapy adherence. If effective, SIS tools could integrate into existing clinical and support services aiding this underserved group.
Am I Eligible?
You might be a candidate if you:
Female
Self-identify as Black
Newly diagnosed (~4 weeks post-definitive surgery and prior to initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy or endocrine therapy) patients (stage I-III)
Eligible for chemotherapy or endocrine therapy according to NCCN guidelines, but have not initiated systemic therapy
Ability to read and speak English
Ability to provide meaningful consent as determined by trained study personnel and/or a member of the patient’s care team
No prior cancer treatment (other than skin cancer) in the two years preceding enrollment
Physician must be a licensed doctor of study patient(s)
Ability to speak English
Additional Infromation
Find the research study on ClinicalTrials.gov –NCT05334732
For more information or to check eligibility for participation, please contact Vanessa B Sheppard, Ph.D at [email protected]
Surviving Breast Cancer
Empowering those diagnosed with breast cancer and their families from day one and beyond by providing education, community and support
Provides breast cancer education, support, events and webinars at no cost to you. Whether you are looking to gain more knowledge on a particular topic or meet up with other breast cancer survivors, we have something for everyone. Join our support group which meets every Thursday Night. Attend one of our Sunday Metastatic Breast Cancer Series or a webinar featuring experts in the field. Almost all of our webinars are recorded so if you can’t make an event, no problem.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
A grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures.
The 1 877 GO KOMEN helpline provides free professional support services to anyone with breast health and breast cancer concern. Susan G. Komen for the Cure has funded research grants and community-based outreach projects that focus on breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment for the medically underserved. Staff can respond to calls in Spanish, some publications are available in Spanish, and a version of their Web site is available in Spanish.
Offers free mammograms, biopsies, ultrasounds, care coordination, education, and financial assistance for breast cancer patients’ most critical needs during treatment. (serving San Diego residents)
858 573 2760
Susan G. Komen Treatment Assistance Program
Financial hardships shouldn’t keep patients from getting the treatments they need, which is why we created the Komen Treatment Assistance Program. We know medical treatments and care can be expensive, but there are additional costs that can prevent an individual from receiving the treatment they need.
Financial assistance for:
Transportation to and from treatment
Food
Child care/elder care
Lymphedema care and supplies
Durable medical equipment
Home and palliative care
Oral pain medication
Anti-nausea medication
Oral chemotherapy/hormone therapy
Breast cancer education
Psychosocial support
Information about local resources
Call the Susan G. Komen® Breast Care Helpline M–F 9AM–10PM ET
1 877 GO KOMEN (465 6636) or email [email protected]
Team Maggie’s Dream
Join Team Maggie’s Dream and our team of donors, sponsors, and volunteers to support, educate and provide financial assistance to teens and young adults with cancer seeking fertility preservation.
The Center for African American Health
The Center for African American Health assists African American men and women diagnosed with breast cancer or other chronic diseases by providing support services during and after treatment. It offers programs on diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer, as well as a wellness program for seniors, and health literacy training.
The Denise Roberts Cancer Foundation
The Denise Roberts Cancer Foundation (TDRCF) is dedicated to educating minority women and men about breast health, early detection, prevention and care, with the ultimate goal of enhancing each survivor’s quality of Life. They provide mammograms and refer millions of minority, uninsured women under 40.
The Insider’s Guide to Metastatic Breast Cancer
“The Insider’s Guide to Metastatic Breast Cancer” was penned by an MBC patient named Anne Loeser. The Guide provides comprehensive, up-to-date, science-based information that’s easy to read. Patients are encouraged to print sections of the book (and related studies) to discuss with their doctors when assessing treatment options and side effects, and it is helpful for caregivers as well.
The Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance
The Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance aims to improve the lives and outcomes for those living with metastatic breast cancer and their families by increasing awareness and education about the disease. The Alliance works to advocate for progress in research that focuses on extending life, enhancing quality of life and ultimately ending death from the disease.
The Pink Fund
Pink Fund provides financial support to help meet basic needs, decrease stress levels, and allow breast cancer patients in active treatment to focus on healing while improving survivorship outcomes. Our 90-day grant program allows us to meet their critical expenses for housing, transportation, utilities, and insurance.
To learn more click here.
The Pink Fund is a non-profit breast cancer organization that provides 90-day non-medical cost-of-living expenses to breast cancer patients in active treatment, so they can focus on healing, raising their families, and returning to the workplace.
The Pink Fund provides short-term financial aid during active treatment. While other organizations raise funds for early detection and research, many families facing breast cancer urgently need financial help to pay their basic living expenses.
The Pink Fund will make a direct bill payment for the maintenance of health insurance premiums and non-medical bills such as a house or rent payment, a car or vehicle lease payment, utility payments, car insurance payments, and/or license plate tabs. The Pink Fund provides financial support to help meet basic needs, decrease stress levels, and allow breast cancer patients to focus on healing while improving survivorship outcomes.
While fighting for their lives, women and men in treatment for breast cancer often lose their livelihoods.
– Molly MacDonald, Founder
The Sister Study
The Sister Study is a long-term study of women ages 35 to 74 whose sisters had breast cancer. The researchers are studying how shared environment, genes, and experiences affect the chances of getting breast cancer.
Thelma D. Jones Breast Cancer Fund
The Thelma D. Jones Breast Cancer Fund (TDJBCF) is a unique nonprofit grassroots organization whose mission is to advocate and improve the overall health and wellness for women and men through outreach, education, and support.
We promote early detection strategies for breast health and access to the best biomedical and evidence-based complementary therapies to reduce the incidences and mortality rates of breast cancer. Founded in September 2012 on the 60th Birthday Anniversary of Thelma D. Jones, the TDJBCF is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Established in April 2010 on a support group model at the World Bank Group, the Thelma D. Jones Breast Cancer Support Group is the signature program of the Thelma D. Jones Breast Cancer Fund, providing a warm, welcoming, safe and secure environment for participants to discuss their diagnosis and concerns while receiving hope, inspiration and courage during their journey. As someone who has traveled the journey with an extensive support system, Founder Thelma D. Jones strongly believes that no one should travel their cancer journey alone.
The highly-acclaimed and three-times nationally recognized support group meets regularly at 6:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month in Southwest DC, unless otherwise specified. Approximately 1,000 women, men and young girls have attended the meetings since its inception. Most participants are breast cancer survivors who attend on a regular basis and periodically invite other survivors who become regular members as well.
Our vision is to save lives and embrace and achieve a world community free of breast cancer. We plan to realize this vision with guiding principles of respect, collaboration, quality and patient-centered care, culturally sensitive approaches, and evidence-based strategies.
Guiding Principles
- Respect
- Collaboration
- Quality and Patient-Centered Care
- Culturally Sensitive Approach
- Evidence-Based Strategies
Outreach, Education, Nonclinical Navigation Services and Survivorship Support
Provide trained breast health speakers for events and media opportunities in and around the Washington, DC area.
Conduct breast health classes in a variety of venues with a focus on the historically underserved communities, such as public housing. Southwest DC has the largest concentration of public housing in the city.
Organize panel discussions on breast health, including identifying and recruiting panelists.
Host breast health presentations at workshops, conferences and seminars, including table presentations at health fairs, hospitals, schools, recreation centers, libraries, faith-based institutions, nonprofit organizations, public sector organizations, public housing events and malls.
Conduct special outreach for male breast cancer survivors and men’s health, including dedicating an entire support group meeting each February for this specific purpose.
Conduct outreach in Southwest DC for young girls and women in public housing through street organizing efforts at feeding programs and neighborhood outings, including giving mini talks and discussions or doing one-on-one conversations on prevention, education, complementary therapies, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. Also serves as a regular speaker and table presenter during the annual Mayor Youth Leadership Health and Fitness Expo and the popular Summer in Lansburgh in Southwest DC which attracts over 1000 participants annually.
Arrange screening appointments, accompany patients to appointments, help patients to apply and receive medical coverage, counsel patients experiencing fear and emotional challenges and refer to appropriate social service organizations, when necessary.
Identify and make referrals for breast cancer survivors for various social service programs, including domestic violence, shelter programs and food service programs.
Provide emotional support, hospital and home visits to breast cancer survivors, including speaking at memorial services and funerals and providing follow-up support to the extent possible
Tigerlily Foundation
Tigerlily Foundation is a national breast cancer foundation providing education, awareness, advocacy and hands-on support to young women (15-45) – before, during and after breast cancer.
We envision a future where breast cancer diagnosis doesn’t inspire fear, but ignites hope for a future because:
- We can inspire young women diagnosed with breast cancer to transform inside and out as they journey through treatment to live their best life going forward.
- We empower young women to be advocates for change
- Breast cancer will no longer be a terminal disease, but become a chronic disease that will someday be cured.
- We will end disparities – of age, stage and color, in our lifetime.
Through our programs, we seek to educate and empower women of all backgrounds, including those at heightened risk, those facing health disparities, and those with less access to care. We strive to improve the quality of life and end isolation among breast cancer survivors. Most importantly, we encourage and endeavor to empower fearless females in every stage of their journey, and to show them that they are not or alone, but are beautiful, strong like the tiger and the lily, and that they can be transformed – during and after breast cancer.
EDUCATION
Being diagnosed with breast cancer opens you up to a whole new world of jargon, experiences, and feelings. What gives you power as you begin your journey is understanding breast cancer and knowing your facts, so that you become an educated partner in your own treatment and recovery. Our goal is to offer you information that will help you better understand breast cancer, so that you are empowered and knowledgeable.
ADVOCACY
Although there is global awareness of breast cancer, people are not always aware that younger women can and do get breast cancer. There is a need for change in terms of ensuring better representation of issues facing younger women’s health in the community. Tigerlily Foundation works to advocate for that change.
EMPOWERMENT
At Tigerlily Foundation, our focus is on reminding of you how beautiful and strong you are, throughout your breast cancer journey. Our hope is that by the time treatment is over, you will not only have new life, but be transformed into a “New You.” Through our Fearless Female Program we can help you get there.
SUPPORT
Being a breast cancer survivor is not just a name we attribute to those who have made it through this journey. It is a way of life. Being a survivor means that you are part of a sisterhood, and it means that as strong as you are, you’ll need help along the way. Tigerily’s support programs offer everything from peer support, hope bags, meals and financial assistance, to a way to connect with other young survivors in real time. We are here to help you through this journey. Just reach out your hand and someone will be here to hold it, and guide you along the way.
To Celebrate Life for Breast Cancer Survivors
With the generous support of our sponsors, partners and volunteers, To Celebrate Life, implements the Foundation’s vision that no one in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area should face breast cancer alone. Since 1996, To Celebrate Life has granted over $4.83 million to fund emergency direct services and financial assistance for breast cancer patients.
TOUCH
Our vision: To save more black women.
Our vision: To humanize the black woman and her experience with breast cancer.
We NEVER want to see a patient without basic needs. When possible, we provide financial resources to assist patients with basic needs. Please call for more information (916 307 2419).
In our committed efforts to advance the science for Black Breast Cancer towards reducing the devastating mortality rate for Black Women, we are ecstatic to launch TOUCH Care.
TOUCH Care is the first ever breast cancer advocacy-led program to provide a nurse navigator service to support Black breast cancer patients in clinical trials. Our preemptive TOUCH Care program includes supporting our clinical trial partners with the development of culturally-agile patient recruiting materials, training trial staff to effectively engage and support Black Breasties, and providing Breastie-led nurse navigation to support patients throughout trials.
Led by TOUCH’s co-founder Valarie Worthy, MSN, RN—a 20+ year breast cancer survivor/thriver and Patient Navigator Manager at Duke Cancer Center—TOUCH Care will address both the logistical and the emotional barriers to clinical trial participation by Black women in real time. The TOUCH Care team works with pharmaceutical partners, researchers, and investigators to curate patient-centric trial experiences. The TOUCH Care program seeks to provide culturally-informed support to Black women diagnosed with breast cancer through the clinical trial interest, screening, enrollment, and treatment process with the ultimate goal of increasing Black women’s participation and retention in breast cancer clinical trials.
TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance has partnered with Carebox to provide Breasties, caregivers, and the entire Black community with an easy way to search and match to breast cancer clinical trials.
RALEIGH, N.C., January 16, 2024 (Newswire.com) – Carebox, a leading provider of clinical trial matching solutions, and the TOUCH, the Black Breast Cancer Alliance – which drives the collaborative efforts of patients, survivors, advocates, advocacy organizations, health care professionals, researchers and pharmaceutical companies to work collectively, with accountability, towards the common goal of eradicating Black Breast Cancer – today announced the launch of a Carebox Connect experience optimized for breast cancer patients.
The new web application gives patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals an easy and effective way to search and match to breast cancer clinical trials.
Carebox Connect can now be accessed from the When We Tri(al) website as an integral part of the movement to increase the participation of Black women in clinical trials. Black women are 41% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. Black women continue to be vastly underrepresented in clinical trials, accounting for only 3% of the clinical trial participants leading to FDA approval of cancer drugs between 2008 and 2018. Because the vast majority of people who participate in clinical trials are white, there simply is not enough research about how breast cancer treatments work for Black women or how they experience breast cancer differently. When We Tri(al) is a call to action of a fierce, resilient community of Black women and has successfully garnered over 15,000 Black women into clinical trial portals in the past year.
The Carebox Connect trial database is synchronized daily with the ClinicalTrials.gov clinical trial data maintained by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Applying its human-supervised AI, Carebox converts the unstructured text in ClinicalTrials.gov that describes eligibility criteria for enrollment into a searchable index of clinical criteria for matching with patient characteristics. This allows patients and families to complete a questionnaire about their particular diagnosis, treatment history, genetic testing, and other relevant information to then identify potentially relevant clinical trials automatically.
When We Tri(al) is about educating Black women about research with words they can spell from voices they can trust … The questionnaire-based trial matching approach of Carebox Connect makes clinical research more accessible to our community.
Ricki Fairley
CEO and Co-Founder
TOUCH, the Black Breast Cancer Alliance
We are on a mission to advance the science for Black Breast Cancer.
We must get more Black Breasties into clinical trials to get drugs that have been tested on our bodies.
Increasing diversity in clinical trial participants is an FDA mandate and top-of-mind for our pharma company customers that sponsor clinical trials.
Objectives for diversity and inclusion can only be achieved when the drug research industry partners with leading communities of patients like the Black Breasties of TOUCHBBCA.
TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance (TOUCHBBCA) and Unite for HER announce a strategic alliance to bring stellar culturally agile care to Black women in breast cancer clinical trials. Join us for The Doctor Is In as we launch our partnership! Here’s our press release:
Unite For HER Brings Integrative Services to TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance’s Pre-emptive Breast Cancer
Clinical Trial Recruitment & Retention Program
With an ever-growing breadth of supportive services, the TOUCH Care program aims to move the needle
on addressing breast cancer clinical trial disparities for Black women.
We are honoring our metastatic Breasties by continuing to elevate and amplify the message about the importance of clinical trials. We need to advance the science for metastatic breast cancer! We are not going to eradicate this horrible disease until we get better science!
The only way we will get better science is to have more of us participating in clinical trials. Join our When We Tri(al) Movement to get more information on clinical trials. Learn how you can get a better standard of care and have better outcomes.
Trials of Color Cancer Awareness 5K Run
Trials of Color is proud to announce their Inaugural Trials of Color 5K Run/Walk for Cancer Awareness organized and sponsored by Seagen, Daiichi Sankyo, and Saving Pennies 4 A Cure. This community event will take place at Petersburg High School with the mission of increasing cancer awareness and providing clinical trial education in underserved areas.
Trials of Color is dedicated to ending cancer disparities through education, advocacy, and community outreach. Proceeds from this charity race will support early detection screening, health education programs, and the Petersburg Athletic Department. Join us on race day as we take steps together to make a difference in the fight against cancer.
The registration fee for the 5K run/walk includes a race t-shirt, finisher medal, and post-race refreshments. Awards will be given to the top finishers in each age group. Register today and be part of this meaningful event bringing hope to those affected by cancer.
For more information visit: https://www.trialsofcolor.net/
Learn more by visiting www.inspiringlifetogether.org or contacting Inspiring Life Together directly. Your support can make a meaningful difference for families impacted by breast cancer.
Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation
This organization seeks to ignite interest in the study of triple-negative breast cancer among researchers, physicians, educators and scientist, support professionals seeking to identify the causes and discover new and effective treatment options, and increase public awareness and support of this subtype of breast cancer.
Triple Step Toward the Cure
Provides support to women as they undergo treatment for triple negative breast cancer. Some of the areas in which we provide financial support include, but are not limited to:
Meal delivery services
Emergency funds for rent, groceries, utilities
Transportation related to treatment
Housekeeping services
Childcare
Co-pay assistance
Prosthetics and wigs
Twisted Pink, Providing Hope and Connection to People Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer
The mission of Twisted Pink is to provide hope and connection to people living with metastatic breast cancer by funding bold breakthroughs in research and awareness of the disease.
Twisted Pink has been funding bold breakthroughs in research since 2015 to help advance science and provide new treatment options along with hope for people living with MBC. Twisted Pink also aims to provide education and awareness about MBC, which is widely misunderstood.
Twisted Pink has been shipping Boxes of Hope to people living with breast cancer since 2021 in collaboration with the United Breast Cancer Foundation. Each Box is carefully packaged by volunteers and staff at Twisted Pink, many of whom are breast cancer survivors themselves. Each Box of Hope contains breast cancer facts, resources, health and beauty items, and gifts of comfort that will bring hope and provide support to people diagnosed with breast cancer.
Provides scholarships.
United Breast Cancer Foundation
Are you a woman or man in need of a breast screening? UBCF will assist you with a free or low cost breast screening regardless of age, income, gender, race, ethnicity or health insurance coverage. UBCF funds a variety of breast screening technologies, from mammography and ultrasound to breast thermography and MRI.
UBCF covers 1 screening per 12 months per applicant.
Applicants may receive a screening of their choice from a provider of their choice.
UBCF assists with base-line thermography, however, the 2nd screening of a baseline is covered at a lesser amount.
UBCF will not pay for screenings that have taken place prior to an application being submitted, approved, and a Breast Screening Grant Award provided to the applicant.
UBCF pays providers directly OR reimburses the applicant for the cost of the screening (payment is no greater than the Breast Screening Grant Award).
Once awarded a Breast Screening Grant, the applicant has sixty (60) days from the date of the Grant Award to have their breast screening completed AND to submit the original invoice/receipt to UBCF for payment/reimbursement. If UBCF receives the invoice/receipt after the 60-day approval period, the Grant Award will expire.
Currently, the Individual Grant Program provides financial support for the following types of expenses: medical procedures, reconstructive surgery, prescription medications, COBRA insurance coverage, housing expenses, utilities, prosthetic devices, therapeutic treatments, transportation expenses, vehicle insurance, healthy and nutritious foods, house keeping services and holiday gifts.
Clients who apply for Holistic Care can expect to receive assistance with some of the following services: diet and nutritional counseling and supplements, counseling, mind-body therapies, energy healing, reflexology, lymphatic massage and acupuncture.
Services are tailored to individual needs and are conducted alongside conventional treatments.
Unite for HER (UFH) Wellness Program
The Unite for HER (UFH) Wellness Program is available to those diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer in the last 18 months, as well as for those living with metastatic breast cancer or recurrent ovarian cancer, renewing services for life. All patients in the Wellness Program receive a HER care box containing educational resources, healthy products, and a passport valid for one year and $2,000 of integrative therapies, including professional counseling, nutritional counseling, meal delivery services, virtual fitness and yoga classes, sexual health counseling, and meditation.
University Of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center Cancer Institute Outreach Program
Offers free cancer (breast, cervical, prostate, and skin cancer) screenings throughout the year.
Women’s Cancer Resource Center
Offers free services to all women with any cancer. We also offer emergency financial assistance to low income people living in Alameda and Contra Costa counties in California through two programs:
The Faith Fancher Breast Cancer Emergency Fund provides financial support of up to $600 to low-income people actively in treatment for breast cancer and living in Alameda and Contra Costa counties in California.
The Lindy Fund provides financial support of up to $600 to low-income women and men actively in treatment for all types of cancer (except breast) and living in Alameda and Contra Costa counties in California.
To apply for emergency financial assistance, please call us at 510 420 7900. We will work with you and a social worker to get you the referral you need.
Don’t just survive.
Thrive!
Holistic services in an equitable ‘whole-care’ model supporting breast cancer & marginalized groups.
Since 2005, we reside at the intersection of social justice & health equity by facilitating access to a volunteer-based accessible holistic services model in New York City & worldwide. Our mission offers resilience when people need it most & can afford it least.
Many events & services are free. Retail wellness offerings also pay it forward. Our outcome driven model provides proof of concept to uplift holistic care, allowing all to receive regardless of income. Together we level the field with consciousness expanding relief & education services through illuminated brand sponsors.
Corporate social responsibility & a strong volunteer core generate goodwill & impact social responsibility. Gifts are 100% tax deductible. With your support we transform health care into whole care.
The Recipe for Thriving
Our affordable model is designed to address all aspects of well-being.
Holistic Care
You Can Thrive! provides access to evidence based integrative modalities such as; therapeutic sound, meditation, acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage, reflexology, Reiki & more. Experienced & highly skilled practitioners provide these services to promote long term wellness & builds a healthier commUnity.
Our Mission represents a cycle of reciprocity to generates better outcomes for those diagnosed with breast cancer or in marginalized groups through free/low cost care.
Together we provide true relief for people in need!
Support
Do you need support after a Breast Cancer diagnosis? You Can Thrive! has trained survivor advocates and patient navigators on staff, here to help you navigate the tedious healthcare system, and show you how learn to advocate for yourself. We are here to listen, and be an ear and a shoulder for people in need.
Nutrition
At You Can Thrive! we have established a long-term track record of five star testimonials.
Our private sessions and group classes will educate and inspire you.
Our nutritional coaches help all people in maintaining health, with expertise in dis-ease.
For those with a diagnosis of breast or other cancer, we offer free sessions with resources to help you reducing risk factors. All people benefit from addressing the stress in their environment and you know that your session benefits someone in need. All paid services provide those most in need with a community approach to living a healthier, longer lifestyle.
Exercise
Regular exercise promotes long-term wellness, elevates mood, and can substantially reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. You Can Thrive! members are eligible for free yoga and meditation classes, 7 days a week, at Reflections Yoga near Union Square.
646-887-4102
535 W 23rd. St,
New York, New York
Young Breast Cancer Survivor Program
Young adults with breast cancer are defined as adults who are diagnosed with breast cancer when they are under the age of 45. For these young people, the disease comes at a time when they often have the most family and social responsibilities and also are working to establish financial independence. The disease, treatment and recovery can all impact both their physical and mental health.
This website serves as source of helpful resources and tools for young adults with breast cancer (including metastatic cancer), as well as their caregivers, health care providers, and others who are interested in learning more about the disease and helping them improve their quality of life.
Young Survival Coalition (YSC)
Young Survival Coalition is an international non-profit network of breast cancer survivors and supporters dedicated to the concerns and issues that are unique to young women who are living with breast cancer.
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