Donna,

Thank you for sharing this. One of my colleagues' mother died of breast cancer a week ago. I was more angry than sad because she lived only one year after her diagnosis of stage IV breast cancer. The medical field needs to move faster to cure this disease. I travel 6-7 hours to see a 74-year-old oncologist and used a chemo regime that has been used for 20 or 30 years. I chose to do that because the long-term survival rate of his patients 10 or 20 years ago is still better than what the standard of care can produce today. That is really sad. If the younger generations of oncologists are no better than a 74-year-old doctor, what kind of future do we and our children have? This got to change! More research is needed to improve the standard of care!


Edited by positive_attitude - Feb 03 2015 at 9:16am

The success rate for getting NCI (National Cancer Institute) grants is between 10%-20%. The most experienced investigators have a success rate approaching 30%. That means 70%-90% of people doing cancer research are not funded. "https://gsspubssl.nci.nih.gov/blog/articles?funding_patterns/2013" It is crucial that non-profits with hundreds of millions of dollars participate to cover these costs. Awareness and early detection is a small part of the puzzle. And, may be doing more harm that good. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/magazine/our-feel-good-war-on-breast-cancer.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Bill Gates recently answered this question: "Do you have thoughts on (medical) research back here in the USA? Governmental funding is reaching dangerously low levels, and many bright and talented clinicians and scientists aren't even applying for federal grants knowing they have little chance of being funded. What can we do about this?

His answer: 

"Research is very underfunded compared to the ideal. Society captures so much benefit from innovation that inventors don't so there is not enough risk taking. Government (and Foundation) funding of research helps but it still should be more. The United States funds a lot more than any other country even relative to its success. It should do more medical and energy and educational and other research"

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2tzjp7/hi_reddit_im_bill_gates_and_im_back_for_my_third/co3ql3c?context=3

His foundation focuses health in 3rd world countries and has done amazing work, with millions of lives saved because of him. Can Komen say that? How many millions of lives do you think they have saved, comparatively? 

Yet, progress is being made. Look at thishttp://www.wsls.com/story/28012747/uva-researchers-discover-key-to-cancers-spread. It is not breast cancer and different cancers behave differently, yet finding how one works can lead to discoveries into how they all work. 

We need a three-pronged attack: the government, the drug companies, and the non-profits. Right now, we have one (drug companies) and 1/4 (government funding). We barely have non-profits involved, considering the 5% estimated number linked in my petition. Find the key to why cancer metastasizes and you have found a lot. 

Please keep passing this petition along and sharing it. You can share it twice or three times - not everybody sees everything the first time! Tell any of your friends who have supported you in your cancer struggle, or have been a caregiver in cancer, or who have a heart, to sign this petition and convince the big non-profits, most especially Komen, that all we want is what we deserve - 50% to go towards funding research. It is time.

I think this is a great opportunity for all of us to help raise some money for TNBC Research.  100% is going towards research!  We need to support the TNBC Foundation and all they do for us.  It's not too late to register.

I am so happy to know the TNBC Foundation is going to use 100% of the donated money from TNBC Day for research!  We should all step back and thank them for all they do for us and research.  I just wish more charities would do the same.  Maybe Komen needs to learn a lesson from the TNBC Foundation?  Thank you again for using the funds for TNBC Research!

Edited by 123Donna - Apr 12 2015 at 9:00pm

absolutely agree Donna. It's ridiculous.
A good percentage should go to research.
Whats the point of souvenirs in pink ribbons and
races when the point is to eradicate Cancer and to
Make living with it easier. These Charities are showing
a corrupt side and it's not Cool.

. . . ."The cancer marketing machines use this spin on feel-good cancer as well. Images of women linking arms as they “beat cancer,” inspires the raising of millions of dollars, some for the good of research and helping people, and too much to line the corporate pockets of disease greed. Out of every $100 raised by the NFL during its breast cancer awareness campaign, for instance, only $11.25 went to the American Cancer Society. . . .

    Society seems to find a way to bank on anything including the misfortune of others.

    This whole business is amounting to greed and is truly criminal.

Hello All,