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The National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund (NBCCF) is committed to providing the public and the breast cancer community with evidence-based and patient-centered information to increase meaningful breast cancer research, improve access to quality breast cancer care, and expand the role of breast cancer activists in making breast cancer policy. To further these goals, NBCCF has developed a number of informational formats including the following: Beyond the Headlines - analyses and fact sheets on recent developments in research and public policy that provide an informed, educated, and unbiased advocate perspective to emerging breast cancer issues; position papers whose topics are chosen by the NBCCF Board of Directors for their controversial nature and significance; and Breaking News which are immediate responses to breast cancer reports in the media. ANALYSES
NBCCF analyses assess breast cancer research in the scientific and medical literature, and significant research findings reported in the popular media in order to provide a more in-depth patient-centered perspective on current research for the public. NBCCF selects a particular clinical study or report for analysis based on its potential to advance and impact some aspect of breast cancer research in a significant way. NBCCF analyses consist of an outline of the study methodology, a critical evaluation of the conclusions in terms of their significance for women and for breast cancer research as a whole, and a decription of the limitations of the study. Recent NBCCF analyses were developed for results of the STAR Trial, the Carolina Breast Cancer Study, and the Women's Health Initiative Study. FACT SHEETS
Fact sheets summarize the statistics and current knowledge regarding key breast cancer topics. NBCCF fact sheets serve as background papers on complex topics, and as quick reference resources on topics such as common breast cancer drugs, and breast cancer statistics in the United States. NBCCF fact sheets also include frequently asked questions on topics including HER2/neu status and the Oncotype DX™ gene-expression profile test. POSITION PAPERS
Position papers are developed on key breast cancer topics that are either controversial, surrounded by popular myth, or that the NBCCF Board of Directors determines for other reasons would serve the public interest. These position papers outline the key issues for each topic and include an analysis of the best available research evidence on the various sides of the issue. NBCCF develops its positions through a lengthy research process that includes an evaluation of the quality and strength of evidence for each issue. All position papers are regularly reviewed and updated as new evidence is established, and all have been voted on and approved by the NBCCF Board of Directors. Examples of breast cancer topics for which NBCCF has developed a position paper include access to investigational interventions outside clinical trials, breast self-exam, and genetic testing for inherited predisposition for breast cancer. BREAKING NEWS
Breaking news items are generally written as a rapid response to media reports of important breast cancer research findings and are posted on the NBCCF website in a timely manner to alert the public. If the item is of relatively high significance, it may become a more in-depth NBCCF analysis. Examples of breaking news items are Radiation Therapy Shown to Decrease the Risk of Local Recurrence and Mortality in Some Breast Cancer Patients, and The Effect of Low-Fat Diet on Recurrence in Postmenopausal Women with Early Breast Cancer. |
