News & Alerts

Call to Action Online – May 29, 2020

May 29, 2020

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NBCC’s Advocate Leadership Summit is in Full Swing!

For the past two weeks, more than 200 advocates from across the country have joined virtually to participate in exciting plenaries and workshops, designed to stimulate discussion and further hone their advocacy skills. In addition, participants have joined in online networking sessions, allowing them to engage in thought-provoking discussions with their fellow advocates, sharing ideas and stories during these difficult times.

Highlights of the Summit so far include:

• “The Artemis Project in 2020 and Beyond” – At this session, Drs. Keith Knutson, Alana Welm, and Cyrus Ghajar discussed how NBCC’s Artemis project has impacted their research and where that research is headed in the future. And NBCC advocate, Michele Atlan, shared her experience after attending her first Artemis meeting in 2020. The session also included an update on the status of trials of a preventative breast cancer vaccine.
• “Secrets to Effective Advocacy From a Capitol Hill Staffer” – Hill staffer and former NBCC staff member Dana Richter spoke with NBCC advocate Nancy Ryan, and participating advocates about the best practices and strategies to engage your elected representatives and their offices, and how best to maintain those relationships over time.
• “Advocacy in the Digital Age” – Advocates heard from social media expert Melissa Horn and longtime NBCC advocate, Bethany Zell about how best to use social media for advocacy, including tips on how to engage followers, grab the attention of elected officials, and craft messaging that will get the most traction online.
• “Models of Breast Cancer” and “Precision Oncology – Using Patient-Derived Models for Personalized Therapy Choice in Advanced Breast Cancer” – In this two-part workshop, Dr. Alana Welm discussed the work currently being done in her lab and the various methods by which they create models to study breast cancer.
• “Perspectives on Oncology Drug Approval in 2020” – At this engaging plenary, advocates heard from Drs. Jonathan Darrow, Gregg Gonsalves, Jonathan Kimmelman, and NBCC advocate Judi Hirshfield-Bartek about the regulations and approval processes surrounding new oncology drugs, as well as the risks and challenges these processes pose.

We have more excellent programming scheduled for the coming weeks, including presentations on disparities in breast cancer, research advocacy, screening, and how the 2020 elections will affect policy surrounding breast cancer. The Summit will culminate in a Virtual Lobby Day on June 16.

To learn more or to register for the Summit, please visit our website.

Tell us your NBCC Advocacy Story

NBCC Advocates are fierce! Through training, education, and networking, NBCC Advocates have influenced policy on both the local and national levels, pushed for access to healthcare for all, and supported research focused on ending breast cancer. We are focused on the day when breast cancer is over and done. Impossible? We don’t think so.

We are part of NBCC for a reason, and that reason is different for each of you. You may be a survivor or the family member of someone who has breast cancer or has lost their life to breast cancer. Or, another reason entirely. We need your stories. Why are you an NBCC advocate? We need to expand our advocate outreach if we are going to achieve our mission. Sharing your BOLD personal advocacy story can motivate others to get involved, drive progress, influence policy, and change the future. We want to share your story with others so they, too, can become a catalyst in our fight to end breast cancer. Let them know it is not only possible to change the world, but that each one of us can help make that happen. We all have a story.

Tell Your Story

Measuring the Coronavirus Impact on the Breast Cancer Community

Even if you responded to prior NBCC surveys, we are asking you to help us share the Breast Cancer and Coronavirus survey with your network, so that NBCC can assess the impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in real-time.

On an ongoing basis, NBCC is working to determine what public policies we should be focusing on to make certain the needs of the breast cancer community met. We need your help and would like to hear more about the challenges breast cancer patients and caregivers are facing because of the pandemic, including accessing care in their community.​

Please click here to answer this quick survey. We will publish the results and analyze them to determine what policy steps NBCC can take moving forward.

Make an Impact – Your Donation is Doubled Through June 15th

We are stronger together, and real progress can be made if we use our collective power to bring focus to ending breast cancer. Help us educate leaders and the public about evidence-based decision making in breast cancer issues. A special thank you to our generous donors at the Vance Wall Foundation who will match your donation between now and June 15^th. Make your gift now.