Category: blog

Empowering. Inspiring. Hopeful.

“I became a breast cancer advocate when I listened to women at my support group meetings explain that due to financial need, they had to continue working through chemo treatments…I was appalled! Having been through chemo myself, I don’t know how they were lucid enough to continue working. Today, I had the opportunity to advocate,…
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Breast Cancer Treatment and Cardiac Health

You may have seen all of the recent headlines about the decrease in cancer mortality.((https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2020/cancer-facts-and-figures-2020.pdf)) The breast cancer death rate alone has decreased by 40% since 1989. One big thing we have learned now that fewer people are dying from their initial cancer is that we need to have a better understanding of the effects…
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Flex Your Advocacy Muscles with Us

Join VBCF and fellow volunteer advocates for the 2020 Virginia State Breast Cancer Advocacy Day on Thursday, February 13, 2020. With many newly elected members and Democrats in control for the first time in over two decades, this year’s General Assembly session promises to be a very interesting one! If you have never been to…
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San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2019

By Susan Siegel Photo Caption: Thanks to VBCF Volunteer Extraordinaires – Lisa DeFerrari, Susan Siegel, and (ex-Virginian) Debbie Hayes as well as Marylinn Minor (not pictured) for attending the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and bringing this cutting-edge scientific knowledge back to our state! I am always excited to be able to attend the San Antonio Breast…
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Research Gone Viral: Hair Products & Breast Cancer

UPDATE June 2022 brought us more information on the way that hair care products interact with breast cancer in Black women. According to this study, parabens (chemicals found in lots of personal care products) were found to have more of an influence on a breast cancer cell line more commonly found in Black women compared…
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Community Partner Spotlight: White’s Travel Center

“When we first came up with the “White’s Goes Pink” concept, I said if we could impact just one person, I would be happy. I never thought it would be me….but I’m so glad it was!!” Mellyora Mason, White’s Travel Center VBCF is fortunate to have so many fantastic community partners from around the state,…
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How Can We Take Care of Ourselves?

Women who carry a genetic mutation are more likely to develop breast cancer, but 85% of breast cancer diagnoses are in women with no known family history. Being overweight increases the risk of breast cancer after menopause but could be a protective factor before menopause. Women who have children before the age of 30 have…
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Breast Cancer-Related Federal Legislation

VBCF monitors both state and national legislation related to breast cancer.  As you may know, this year, one of our top priorities is working with the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) to advocate for passage of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act.   VBCF is also tracking several other pieces of federal legislation working…
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