Dear Friend,
As the year comes to a close, I’m reaching out not just as a physician, but as a witness—one who sees breast cancer in a way many never do.
Every day in my lab, I examine tissue slides under a microscope—searching for the signs of breast cancer. Behind every sample is a woman, a daughter, a sister, a mother, a grandmother. Behind every diagnosis is a family holding its breath. This is something I am acutely aware of with each slide I examine. These are my patients.
My role as a pathologist is to give answers. But too often, I wish I had more than answers. I wish I had a cure.
Recently, I was touched by breast cancer not as a pathologist but as a friend, and I saw and felt firsthand how emotionally and physically devastating the diagnosis and treatment can be. I was able to help diagnose the disease and find a targeted therapy that fortunately led to remission for her. For this, I am thankful. Sadly, for many, this is not the case.
This year alone, over 300,000 women in the U.S. will have been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. While survival rates have improved, too many still lose their battle—especially those with aggressive subtypes or limited access to care.
That’s why we need your help.
Your gift to the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) directly supports our work to find the causes of breast cancer, so that we can stop it before it starts. MBCC is committed to preventing environmental causes of breast cancer through community education, research advocacy, and changes to public policy.
As someone who sees the earliest clues of breast cancer—the silent beginnings—I can tell you that every dollar you give has the power to save time, save suffering, and save lives.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation. Join me in a pledge for renewed hope, stronger science, and a commitment to a future where no one loses a loved one to breast cancer.
With gratitude,
Michael Misialek, MD
Medical Advisor, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition
Chair of Pathology, Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Mass General Brigham Site Chief for NWH Pathology
