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| Science Forum Index » Medicine - Cancer Forum » Granite and Bay State groups battle breast cancer... |
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| Roman Bystrianyk... |
 Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 4:14 am |
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Bank tellers, teachers, scientists and doctors will be wearing jeans
today — and paying for the privilege. Since 1996, companies across the
country have participated in Lee National Denim Day, one of the
biggest single-day fundraisers for breast cancer.
For a $5 donation, employees can dress down a bit — and support breast
cancer awareness and research. More than 1 million people are expected
to participate today. The event has raised more than $75 million to
fight breast cancer since its inception.
But members of grassroots organizations in New Hampshire and
Massachusetts have been working daily for more than a decade to raise
breast cancer awareness, support women who have been diagnosed and
eradicate the disease.
The New Hampshire Breast Cancer Coalition was founded in 1992, a year
after the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition. Both were formed to
draw attention to the disease, which will kill an estimated 40,000
women in the United States this year.
Nancy Ryan, chairwoman of the NHBCC, is one of the organization's 10
founding members. The New Hampshire group is a member group of the
National Breast Care Coalition and supports that groups's legislative
priorities. Those priorities currently focus on the health-care reform
discussion, making sure there is adequate federal funding for breast
cancer research and ensuring educated consumers have a role in every
decision about breast cancer.
The most important program where the latter occurs is a Department of
Defense breast cancer research program.
"Many people are surprised to learn, in fact, there is a remarkable
breast cancer research program administered by the DOD. It came about
in the early 1990s as a direct result of our political action," Ryan
said. "One of the hallmarks of the program is that consumers are
involved at every level."
The NHBCC has about 1,500 people on its mailing list. Funding comes
from member donations, targeted fundraising and community-based
fundraisers.
The group's support services fund, which helps low-income and
underinsured women, recently received a $30,000 gift from a golf
tournament held by the Wentworth by the Sea Women's Golf Association.
That fund has helped some 25 women in its two years of existence, Ryan
said.
The Bay State group focuses primarily on the "green side" of breast
cancer prevention, according to executive director Deborah Shields.
"We work to get more research dollars going into the causes of breast
cancer, especially the toxins associated with the development of
breast cancer," she said. "Researchers know there are at least 216
chemicals in use in everyday products that are associated with the
development of breast cancer."
The MBCC works to educate people on the risks from various toxins —
household cleaners, lawn-care products, cosmetics, shower curtains.
"We're kind of surrounded, one could say, by a toxic soup," Shields
said.
They are supporting a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature, the Safer
Alternative Bill, which would get Bay State manufacturers to remove
some of the toxins from their products and substitute safer products."
This year, the group is trying to get pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly
to stop production of bovine growth hormone, a daunting task, Shields
admits. But she points to their success in getting Wal-Mart and
Starbucks to stop using dairy products produced from cows treated with
BGH.
The MBCC also focuses on the breast cancer disparity, with an annual
conference on black women and breast cancer.
Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are
saying, log on to eagletribune.com.
For more information
Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition: http://mbcc.org
New Hampshire Breast Care Coalition: http://www.nhbcc.org
Breast cancer facts
Breast cancer kills more women than any cancer except lung cancer.
Massachusetts has the fourth highest breast cancer rate in the
country.
This year, approximately 1,010 New Hampshire women will be diagnosed
with breast cancer and approximately 170 will die of the disease.
More than 12 percent of women — one in eight — born today will be
diagnosed with breast cancer sometime in their lifetime.
The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being
a woman) and age (growing older).
Source: New Hampshire and Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalitions
Source: Eagle-Tribune (full article reprint with permission)
Author: Jo-Anne MacKenzie
Link: http://www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh/local_story_275011228.html?keyword=secondarystory |
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| madiba... |
| Posted: Sat Oct 03, 2009 4:13 pm |
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Guest
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Roman Bystrianyk <rbystrianyk at (no spam) gmail.com> wrote:
[quote:dba9da3e62]This year, the group is trying to get pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly
to stop production of bovine growth hormone, a daunting task, Shields
admits.
Lilly do well with their anti-cancer drugs too... Wonder if there's a[/quote:dba9da3e62]
link? 
--
madiba |
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