Dear Friends in Prevention,
As the calendar turns to October, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) is energized for all that awaits us this fall. At the forefront is our continued effort to refocus the discussion of Breast Cancer Awareness month, as we renew our call to define “awareness” in broader terms – to move away from the highly commercialized pink movement and towards the important message of prevention from exposure to toxic chemicals of concern. We strongly believe that without a redistribution of time, attention, and funding in support of preventive measures, the legacy of breast cancer and other diseases will remain largely unchanged for future generations.
On October 5th, MBCC will be at the State House with Representative Paul Frost, who will be hosting the Let’s Talk Prevention: Reducing Toxic Exposures tour. MBCC Board President Margo Simon Golden will present certificates of appreciation to legislators who supported Bill H.4166, An Act relative to drinking and ground water research.
On October 13th, MBCC will host an important webinar featuring Dr. John Erban on “Personalized Decision Making in Breast Cancer. Why Prevention Matters More than Ever.” Dr. Erban is the Clinical Director and Associate Director for Clinical Science at the Tufts Medical Center Cancer Center, and Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. He previously served as Director of Clinical Programs and Co-Director of the Gillette Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and was Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. We are honored that he will be our featured speaker.
Our Let’s Talk Prevention: Reducing Toxic Exposures tour continues to travel throughout Massachusetts to medical centers, libraries, and health and environmental fairs, and was recently hosted by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. We are now hard at work on adapting this medical program to be applicable in high school classrooms beginning in 2017, as we believe it is critically important to help young people better understand how to manage the toxic exposure they face in daily life.
October also brings the 19th Annual Lesbian & Friends (LGBTQA) Dance for Prevention. The dance will be held on October 22nd from 8 p.m. – Midnight, and will feature a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and great music from DJ Triana. As always, the wonderful Liz Nania of OUT to Dance will provide a free Merengue lesson from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. MBCC has supported and worked alongside the LGBTQA community with a common goal of breast cancer prevention, and looks forward to hosting this event once again.
As we continue to ask critical questions and advocate for changes to public policy, our efforts will extend well beyond “Breast Cancer Awareness” month. Education, advocacy, and research are needed to drive public policy change and affect change for the health and lives of future generations. “Prevention” may not sound as appealing as curing a disease, but efforts towards this goal would be far more impactful – isn’t that the aim of “Breast Cancer Awareness” month?
With gratitude,
Cheryl Osimo