Coast-to-Coast Grassroots Events to Raise Funds and Build Awareness on Triple Negative Breast Cancer Day
Norwood, NJ (PRWEB) January 30, 2014 -- Kicking off a national campaign of grassroots, online and community events, The Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation (http://www.tnbcfoundation.org) announced its Second Annual Triple Negative Breast Cancer Day (http://tnbcfoundation.org/tnbcday2014) will be held on Monday, March 3, 2014 — with events leading up to the date as well. Thousands of supporters will come together at numerous events across the country to raise awareness of triple negative breast cancer and grow funding for research and support programs.
Among those who get breast cancer, 15-20% may be diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). This type of breast cancer, which is particularly aggressive, is diagnosed more frequently among younger women in the prime of their life, as well as African-American and Latina women.
"Triple Negative Breast Cancer Day is the only national event that spotlights the urgent need to develop targeted treatments and find a cure for this lesser-known type of breast cancer. Those most at-risk are all too often unaware. I've lost close friends to a cancer they once knew nothing about," said Hayley Dinerman, Executive Director of the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation. "With a national fundraising effort to organize activities and online events (http://tnbcfoundation.org/tnbcday2014), we hope to triple the success of last year's grassroots events, build public awareness and raise funds to help fuel advances in research, treatments and access to life-saving information and support.”
It is now commonly understood that breast cancer is not one form of cancer, but many different "subtypes" of cancer. These subtypes of breast cancer are generally diagnosed based upon the presence, or lack of, three "receptors" known to fuel most breast cancers: estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). The most successful treatments for breast cancer target these receptors.
Unfortunately, none of these receptors are found in women with triple negative breast cancer. TNBC can be acutely sensitive to chemotherapy, but it does not respond to the most effective treatment strategies in other subtypes of breast cancer. Better treatments are urgently needed.
Currently, multiple events are planned coast-to-coast, with the goal of tripling the $250,000 raised last year. A sampling of fundraising events includes:
Happy Birthday and Many More, online donation event; organizer in Simpsonville, SC
Give up Your Lattes and Sweets for a Week, online donation event; organizer in Imperial, CA
Don(ut)ation, free donut with donation to TNBC Day, Grand Rapids, MI
Mark's Marathon Run for TNBC, 5K run and fundraiser, Montgomery, TX
The list of events grows daily, as more people get involved and learn how easy it is to create a new online or in-person fundraising event (http://tnbcfoundation.org/tnbcday2014).
"I became a Triple Negative Breast Cancer Day Champion to help women like myself find the support and resources they need to fight this disease. As a three-year triple negative breast cancer survivor, I know that sharing experiences and knowledge is an essential part of the journey, especially for under-served African American and Latina communities. Triple Negative Breast Cancer Day is a vital way for survivors, advocates and supporters to share hope, raise much-needed funds and make a difference in the fight against triple negative breast cancer," said Roxanne Martinez of Fort Worth, Texas.
"Education efforts will target both women who may be diagnosed with breast cancer as well as medical professionals who may be less familiar with TNBC and its risk factors. All need to be aware of the higher risk of TNBC among young women (who are not necessarily undergoing mammographic screening) and among African American women. Also, patients diagnosed with TNBC should undergo genetic counseling to evaluate hereditary susceptibility regardless of whether they have a family history of breast cancer," said Dr. Lisa Newman, Director, Breast Care Center and Professor of Surgery, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
For more information about The Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation and the Second Annual Triple Negative Breast Cancer Day 3-3-14 (Monday, March 3, 2014) (http://tnbcfoundation.org/tnbcday2014), please visit http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/tnbcday.
About The Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation
The Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation was founded in 2006 in honor of Nancy Block-Zenna, who was diagnosed at the young age of 35 with triple negative breast cancer before succumbing to the disease in 2007. In response to Nancy’s diagnosis, her friends identified a dire need to create a central source of information for this dangerous and aggressive form of breast cancer, about which little was known just a short time ago. It is the Foundation’s mission to be a credible source for triple negative breast cancer information, a catalyst for science and patient advocacy groups, and a caring community with meaningful services for patients and their families. For more information about TNBCF, visit http://www.tnbcfoundation.org.
Triple Negative Breast Cancer Day is a national awareness day to be held on 3.3.14. The mission of this iconic event is for the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation to bring together communities across our nation to plan fundraisers and awareness events in each state to take place on (or around) Triple Negative Breast Cancer Day.
Janet Falk, Red Rooster Group, +1 (212) 677-5770, [email protected]
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