During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we hear lots of stories about women who have survived their breast cancer. And yet, this year about 40,000 women and 450 men will die from this disease in the United States. It will take the lives of almost 500,000 women worldwide. It’s taken the lives of far too many women we have known and loved. It’s time to change these statistics. It’s time to change our approach. It’s time to end breast cancer.
A little more than two years ago when we set a deadline to end breast cancer by January 1, 2020—Breast Cancer Deadline 2020®—we were frustrated by the lack of progress and by the complacency in our nation’s approach to breast cancer. We continue to be frustrated that despite the advances in technology and our knowledge about the science of breast cancer, nearly 290,000 women and men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in this country next year. We are frustrated that while we watch policy makers proudly light up buildings in pink this month, they ignore the opportunities to do something meaningful toward ending this disease.
I am peeved, but not surprised that, although the National Breast Cancer Coalition has asked both Presidential candidates to make ending breast cancer by 2020 a national priority, during the Presidential debates on Wednesday there was no discussion about breast cancer. It is time to disrupt the business and system of breast cancer. It’s time to demand our President demonstrate leadership and commit to making the end of breast cancer a national priority. Time to create an innovative environment for breast cancer research that will lead us toward the eradication of the disease—once and for all.
NBCC is asking all those who want to see an end to breast cancer to sign our Petition to the President. We will collect 290,000 signatures—representing the number of women and men who will be diagnosed with breast cancer in this country next year. And we will deliver them to the President shortly after Inauguration Day. We are asking him to bring this nation's leadership, intellectual and creative forces to bear on a matter of utmost importance to everyone, around the world.
If you’ve not yet signed the Petition to the President, please do so now. If you have signed, please email five friends and ask them to sign the petition. Or download the petition to collect signatures and mail them to us.
The election is next month. Please help us focus the Presidential candidates’ attention on meaningful issues in breast cancer.
