Date: February 12, 2012 To: AJ Lechuga, English 1311 Students From: Juan Delgado Re: Breast Cancer

Research Foundation

Every year approximately 40,000 women die from breast cancer. In addition to this, there are about 230,000 new cases of breast cancer in women. These are extremely high numbers for a disease. Even worse, breast cancer affects not only women, but also men. Each year approximately 400 men die, and 2,000 new cases are reported. The alarming news is that breast cancer is difficult to detect. The main way people find out they have breast cancer, is by feeling a slight lump in their chest. Although sometimes a bump in a persons chest doesnt necessarily indicate breast cancer, the only way to be absolutely sure is to go get it analyzed by a certified physician. Being such an important disease, there are obviously many people trying to raise awareness or help those who need it. That is why the Breast Cancer Research Foundation was formed. On their website, they have a statement saying The mission of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation is to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for innovative clinical and translational research at leading medical centers worldwide, and increasing public awareness about good breast health. Although, the organization might not be able to cure the disease, their research has highly improved the quality of treatments. BCRF-funded research has helped save lives and significantly improved the quality of care and survivorship for tens of thousands of breast cancer patients in the past decade and a half. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation was founded by Evelyn H. Lauder in 1993. The current president of the organization is Myra J. Biblowit. Following the death of the founder Evelyn
H. Lauder, Myra was left with the responsibility of carrying on the organizations work and keep it alive. Myra performs most of her work alongside Larry Norton, MD, who has been the director of the

scientific activities ever since the organization was established. Larry Norton is in charge of recruiting the best researchers available and bringing them to the BCRF. Although being unsuccessful in finding a cure for breast cancer. In 2002, they expanded their goals to include prevention as well as cure. The organization also supports others and provides information needed to continue with life even after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The BCRF has Facebook and twitter accounts, they have their main webpage, and they sometimes advertise through television commercials. The BCRF has also had outside help mainly due to the dedication of the founder Evelyn H. Lauder. In 1993, the first BCRF public announcement was made through the New York Times newspaper. In 1994, Estee Lauder became the first major sponsor of the organization. Throughout the years, BCRF has gained more and more recognition worldwide. However, the volunteers have been a crucial part of their success. In their webpage, they have a section in which visitors can make donations towards research. The main way in which visitors can help the organization is by hosting fundraisers or by sponsoring research. This means that anyone interested in helping, can easily email the company, and state they will be hosting a fundraiser in which a certain amount of the money collected will go towards the organization, which will then use the money towards research. Although, they do allow the public to get in touch with the researchers, the BCRF is a more quiet type of organization. They are solely professional and focus on the ultimate goal which is to find a cure for breast cancer.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation helps the entire breast cancer community. Anyone who has breast cancer, or anyone who has a significant other dealing with breast cancer is benefited from the BCRF. In 2006, the collection of more than 1300 human genes related to breast cancer, which is now available to scientists worldwide, were provided by the research foundation. In 2008 and 2009, they discovered that increased vitamin D levels are directly related to breast cancer. With the continued hard work of the scientists, and the much needed help of the entire cancer community, there is soon to be a cure. The best effort and dedication are required to succeed; therefore, helping the BCRF in any possible way is highly encouraged. Below are the best ways to contact the organization. General Office: 646-497-2600 Fax: 646-497-0890 Email: bcrf@bcrfcure.org Toll-free: 1-866-FIND-A-CURE (346-3228) Mailing address: The Breast Cancer Research Foundation 60 East 56th Street 8th floor New York, NY 10022

Sources: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast http://www.bcrfcure.org/about_mission.html