Protect Our Breasts’ Research Gleanings from California

Lia Delaney-5456 This past weekend I had the honor of representing Protect Our Breasts at the California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP) Symposium, along with one of our newest members, Natasha Merchant and our Executive Director, Cynthia Barstow. We had an amazing time, because in addition to attending the conference, Protect Our Breasts was exhibiting! This gave us the opportunity to display the many projects of the organization, explain our mission, and recruit interest from others.

One aspect of this symposium that most inspired me was the number of people that dedicate their lives to activism and advocacy of breast cancer prevention. The powerful, strong, and vocal women that made up this conference struck me, and how it is their persistence that is responsible for the advocates’ role in research.

I was able to learn an incredible amount, meeting and attending information sessions from some of the top researchers in the country. There were a few that resonated with me most that I would like to share. One was a study by The Silent Spring Institute, which tested whether endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as BPA and phthalate DEHP could be reduced by diet choices. Families that avoided packaged and processed foods for just three days, instead choosing safer alternatives and fresh food, halved the levels of chemicals in their body.

I also learned a lot about the culture of breast cancer research. Not surprisingly, the most funded aspects of research are the treatment and biology of the disease. But I was upset to discover that among all other focuses, prevention and causes are the least funded areas. During the symposium, I was pleased to learn that California is unique in that their focus is more on the etiology of the disease. The CBCRP is actually a funder, but requires that advocates be involved in the design of the research, a very progressive move, and one that is shaping the Breast Cancer research coming out of California.

The CBCRP was celebrating its twentieth year at this symposium. For twenty years, they have been funding breast cancer research that has been changing the effect of this disease. I am so fortunate to have had this exposure to the “movers and shakers” in this field of work; and their expression of gratitude for the work of Protect Our Breasts was true validation of our efforts. At the conclusion of the weekend, the director of CBCRP, Mhel Kavanaugh-Lynch vocalized what everyone present was working towards, “We truly hope that we put ourselves out of business.”

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