Aaaaaand we’re back! VBCF staff and volunteers spent September and October traveling and presenting to groups across the Commonwealth, totaling 30 educational events…27 in October. We got to speak to thousands of Virginians about breast health, from Wythe County to Portsmouth, from Fairfax to Suffolk. We donned hard hats and judged pumpkin painting contests. We…
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During the month of October, we had our inaugural Sole Stars campaign in Lynchburg. We had 14 community leaders don pink shoes and raise funds to support VBCF. The campaign started with a modest goal of $16,000. These Sole Stars are actually ROCK STARS and raised an astounding $63,847.31! A big thank you to each…
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Saturday, October 22, was an absolutely beautiful day in Abingdon, Virginia! We had 40+ in-person participants join us on the Virginia Creeper Trail to walk, bike, and run 13.1 Miles as part of the 2nd Annual Pink 13.1! We had another 15 participants join us virtually from Christiansburg, Roanoke, Harrisonburg, and Richmond. The Second Annual…
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The Power of Pink Luncheon took place on Monday, October 3 in Roanoke. The Second Annual Luncheon was a huge success -raising funds and awareness for the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation. It was sponsored by Blue Ridge Cancer Care, Kroger, Berglund Cars, Branch Group, Fink’s Jewelers and Boxley. We are so appreciative of all our sponsors. …
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We talk a lot about advocating for yourself as a patient here at VBCF, but what does that actually look like? Tara Daudani, the Vice President of our VBCF Board, talks about advocating for herself while going through her breast cancer treatment, what she looks for in a healthcare provider, and how she prepares to…
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On Friday, September 30th, VBCF kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a celebration of accomplishments in breast cancer education and advocacy in Virginia at our 3rd Annual More than a Pink Ribbon Awards luncheon held at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond.
Guest Blog by Drew DeMaree, Owner, The Freedom Companies
As I write this blog post all I can think about are unicorns! In fact I believe that unicorns are everywhere. They are ordinary people like you and me walking around doing extraordinarily hard things. So if you are a cancer survivor, a cancer patient currently, or have someone in your world that was a warrior, and you strive to keep their legacy alive, then you belong in a field of unicorns. I am truly humbled to be in your presence.
At the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference earlier this year, a new breast cancer drug received a standing ovation after researchers announced the results of their trial. This drug is Enhertu, and it was recently approved by the FDA to treat people with a certain type of metastatic breast cancer. VBCF doesn’t tend to report on specific drugs for breast cancer treatment because treatment is so individualized – one treatment that works wonders for one person could be ineffective for another. The reason Enhertu warrants some discussion is that it essentially creates a new type of breast cancer that can be a new research focus: HER2-low.
Join VBCF’s Erin Steigleder and Dr. Melanie Rutkowski to learn how the microbiome and breast cancer influence each other. Dr. Rutkowski is an Associate Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology at UVA. Learn about the gut microbiome, the breast microbiome (!), and how people can help to keep their beneficial bacteria balanced.
VBCF’s Education Manager, Erin Steigleder, chats with two oral health professionals about the importance of looking after your oral health before, during, and after breast cancer treatment. Dr. Sarah Glass is an oral and maxillofacial pathologist and an assistant professor at the VCU School of Dentistry. Dr. Nazy Zahedi is a hospital dentist with VCU.
VBCF is grateful to our inspiring advocates who helped make a significant impact during the 2022 National Breast Cancer Coalition’s (NBCC) annual breast cancer Lobby Day on May 3, 2022.
Last week, the website “Eat This, Not That” shared an article on breast cancer that VBCF finds misleading and, frankly, insulting to women. Their article “8 Bad Habits Leading to Breast Cancer” sets a disappointing tone from the beginning. This title suggests that women are to blame for their breast cancer diagnosis, that their illness is their fault, and that their fate could have been avoided if they had “followed the rules.”
May is Mental Health Month and National Cancer Research Month. Recently, the two have coincided as researchers continue to learn more about the mental health of those dealing with breast cancer, not just cancer’s effect on physical health.
When you read about “false positive” rates in mammograms, what comes to mind? Or about breast cancer “overdiagnoses”? There have been a few articles on those topics lately, so below is a brief explanation of what false positives and overdiagnoses are and what the latest findings mean to mammography screening. In “research speak,” a false…
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BMI is being used as an “easy” but murky indicator of health and how the relationship between overweight, obesity, and breast cancer is not as clear-cut as it is often made out to be.
When caring for someone with breast cancer, “busy” can be an understatement. Each caregiver’s situation is unique to them, but it’s more common than not to feel stressed, scared, and generally overwhelmed with balancing the unique challenges of it all. Know that you are not alone in this! We’ve put together a guide for our top four most requested resources from caregivers throughout Virginia.
The VBCF-led diagnostic breast imaging coverage bill, HR 1243, was “tabled” by the House Commerce and Energy Committee, thus ending consideration for this General Assembly Session. While the details are complicated (dealing with prohibiting additions to Virginia’s essential health benefits package), our bill and a group of similar insurance benefits-related bills were found to be…
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Women and alcohol have a complicated relationship, so we’re going to take some time to try and review that relationship in the U.S. for Dry January.
For patients and loved ones dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis, it can suddenly feel like your world has been turned upside down. We know that cancer doesn’t just affect the patient, but their whole community. From choosing a treatment plan to the everyday struggles of recovery, it’s common to feel scared, overwhelmed, or alone – no matter what your support system looks like. Sometimes we all need a little extra help as we navigate the difficulties in life – that is where Patient Navigators come in. We recently reached out to Navigators across the state for some great expert advice.
Recurrent metastatic breast cancer doesn’t get a lot of attention, either in the press or in research. We talk about the importance of early detection, but is that enough when it comes to increasing survival rates? The short answer is no.
The Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to the eradication of breast cancer through education and advocacy.
Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation
2821 Emerywood Parkway
Suite 203
Richmond, VA 23294
800-345-8223 | 804-285-1200
When you make a donation to VBCF, you make a difference for Virginians affected by breast cancer.
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