Issue #28, Spring/Summer 2003

Stop the Epidemic is the Official Newsletter of the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition.

• IN YOUR MEMORY, WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE...
  This month we have lost two individuals who were very close to our organization. Their deaths have affect-ed each of us in different ways. May you find comfort in knowing that their contributions to our mutual goal of eradicating breast cancer were many and their memories will live on in our work and our hearts.
  
  
• U.S. LOSING THE WAR ON CANCER, IGNORING PREVENTION
  WASHINGTON, DC, February 20, 2003 Environmental News Service (ENS) - Leading players in the war on cancer should do more to educate the American public about how to mini-mize its risk of contracting the disease, according to a new report from the Cancer Prevention Coalition (CPC).
  
  
• ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS AND BREAST CANCER RISK:WHERE HAVE WE BEEN AND WHERE ARE WE HEADED?
  When I started my career as a senior staff fellow at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in the late 1980s, I often started my talks with the following quote from cancer researchers Irma and Jose Russo: "The complexity of breast cancer and our failure to stop the 120,000 cases (1987 figures) that strike American women annually, or the fact that one out of four women will die as a consequence of it, is basically rooted in our lack of knowledge of the disease."
  
  
• TREATMENT OR RESEARCH: DO WE HAVE TO DIVIDE THE RESOURCES?
  Like many other states, Massachusetts is making drastic cuts to its FY 04 budget, as a result of the uncertain economic climate. Health and human services usually receive a disproportionate share of cuts under these conditions, and this is exactly what is happening in our state this Spring.
  
  
• LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
  MBCC is carefully tracking legislation targeting potential environmental links to breast cancer as well as access to breast cancer treatment issues.
  
  
• DELINKING ABORTION AND BREAST CANCER
  A National Cancer Institute study has determined unequivocally that that there is no association between abortions and breast cancer; says if science prevails, new study should provide antidote to scaremongering by anti-abortion groups.
  
  
• NEW FACES AT MBCC
  Meet our new staff
  
  
• FUNDRAISING SUCCESSES...
  Because the devastating effects of breast cancer touch every family in every community, MBCC is often the recipient of fundraising efforts from many generous sources.
  
  
• FOLLOW THE MONEY: Think before you pink
  Through our pursuit of corporate accountability in breast cancer fundraising, the MBCC continues our work in alliance with other breast cancer organizations to ensure that massive fundraising events direct a significant percent-age of their proceeds to critically under funded environ-mental breast cancer research. One of the leaders in the Follow the Money Campaign is Breast Cancer Action. Here are some frequently asked questions about the Think Before You Pink Campaign.
  
  
• THE LATEST ON AVON THROUGH MBCC’S FOLLOW THE MONEY CAMPAIGN
  Investment Firms Join Breast Cancer Activists to Place Product Safety Resolution Before Avon Shareholders Resolution would require cosmetics company to study feasibility of removing possible carcinogen from its products