Category: blog

Your Journey Beyond Breast Cancer – Tools for the Road

Guest Blogger: Louise B. Lubin PhD I know you remember the moment you heard, “You have breast cancer.” Those words began a long journey with many possible roadblocks and detours. You will all be at different points on your cancer timeline. Perhaps you have just been diagnosed, are continuing with treatment, or even managing a…
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Congratulations to our 2021 More Than A Pink Ribbon Awardees!

Our 2nd Annual More Than A Pink Ribbon Awards Event and 30th Anniversary Commemoration presented by Exact Sciences was held virtually on October 1st. We were so pleased to present awards to several outstanding Virginians to recognize their accomplishments in state and local breast cancer education and advocacy. We are grateful to all of our…
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30 Years of Essential Breast Cancer Resources

How do I support my loved one going through breast cancer treatment?  What do I ask my doctor during my follow-up visit? I’m a breast cancer survivor! What now? Over the last 30 years, VBCF has received many questions just like these and more. Our mission is to provide the very best information and tools…
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Revisiting Genetic Testing – An Update

An August 17th article from the New York Times detailed the risk of having a genetic mutation linked to breast cancer–not BRCA1 or BRCA2, but PALB2. The BRCA1 and 2 mutations are still major players when it comes to breast cancer risk, but a mutated PALB2 gene can increase someone’s risk of breast cancer anywhere…
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The Results are In: OUT National Cancer Survey

At the end of June, the National LGBT Cancer Center released the first summary of results from its OUT: National Cancer Survey, a survey of over 2,700 LGBTQI+ cancer survivors in the United States. LGBTQI+ cancer survivors are an under-researched group, and at least for breast cancer, they can also be disproportionately affected by the…
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VBCF Welcomes New Staff Member & Expands to Southwest VA

Please join us in welcoming Catherine Warren, the newest team member on VBCF’s staff! Catherine came on board on July 1st as VBCF’s Senior Director of Southwest Virginia, based in Roanoke. She will extend and strengthen VBCF’s reach into this region, offering education and advocacy program services and development. Based on the latest breast cancer…
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How to Get the Most Out of Your Doctor’s Appointments

Meeting with a doctor can be intimidating. It can feel like they have “secret” information about our health, and they hold all the power because they decide which of our health concerns are treated and how. Patients need to be their own health advocates! We want to be sure that we leave each appointment feeling…
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In Honor of Juneteenth: Black Pioneers in Medicine

In honor of Juneteenth, VBCF would like to highlight some African American medical pioneers and their roles in the field of cancer and in the state of Virginia. Thanks to these men, women, and institutions, medical advances have been made and continue to be made. Without their contributions, medical care would likely not be what it is today. Their influential contributions have had profound impacts in their respective fields.

30 Years of Breast Health Education

One of the founding reasons for the creation of VBCF in 1991 was the lack of education in the general public around breast cancer. For this reason, we remain committed to educating communities across the Commonwealth about breast cancer in any way that we can

A Marathon, Not a Sprint

“As someone with metastatic breast cancer, I know that this is a marathon, not a sprint. And, access to treatment is so important. Why should I have to wait up to 2 years for the benefits I already qualify for?” Anne, Virginia Advocate speaking about the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act VBCF volunteer…
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