CancerGrief.com

For years IÂ’ve been frustrated that very little research has focused on finding the cause of breast cancer and how to prevent it. When I spoke with scientists about why this was true, I heard a common theme: itÂ’s easier to do research on rats and mice and cells than to do it on women.

It became clear to me that the only way we were going to make progress in understanding breast cancer in women was to get scientists to study human tissue and real women. This, in turn, meant figuring out a way that we could make that easy for them. And that’s what led me to think of the Army of Women—a group of volunteers who are willing to participate in research with the scientists who want to do it.

I found the perfect partner for this big project in the Avon Foundation. As most of you know, the Avon Foundation is a pioneer in funding breast cancer research in women, and they immediately “got it!” Now after a year of planning, this vision—an Army of Women—is becoming a reality!

Our goal is to recruit one million healthy women of all ages and ethnicities, including breast cancer survivors and women who are at high risk for developing breast cancer.

As you might imagine, I was the first person to join the Army! Please join me in this revolutionary new initiative. Sign up TODAY for the Love/Avon Army of Women.

Together, we can go Beyond a Cure and end this disease once and for all. MORE>

FRAX is the acronym for the World Health OrganizationÂ’s absolute fracture prediction calculator. The computer-based tool, which has just recently been introduced in the US, was created to help doctors identify patients at risk for osteoporosis. How does it work? MORE >

Women Needed for Groundbreaking DCIS Study The Foundation is looking for 30 Californian women who have been diagnosed recently with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) to take part in a groundbreaking new research project that involves injecting a small amount of a chemotherapy drug into the affected breast duct. Study participants will then have their DCIS surgery four to six weeks later. The breast tissue collected during the surgery will be carefully examined to see the effects of the drug on the DCIS. If the study successfully shows that the drug has an impact on the DCIS, it could lead to a nationwide clinical trial of intraductal therapy for DCIS.

This research project, which was funded by the California Breast Cancer Research Program, is being conducted in collaboration with Ellen Mahoney, MD, and the Humboldt Community Breast Health Project. Research participants will need to travel to Eureka, Calif., for the treatment and the surgery. Please call Ashley Casano at (310) 230-1712, Ext. 32, or send her an email for more information.