New York, NY – October 1, 2021 – The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) announced its $47.5 million commitment to fund breast cancer research for 2021-22, supporting nearly 250 scientists at leading academic and medical institutions around the world across 14 countries. BCRF-funded research spans the entire spectrum of cancer—from studying the most basic biology of a cancer cell to developing innovative treatments and improving quality of life. "This year, breast cancer became the most common cancer worldwide—surpassing lung cancer for the first time and impacting 2.3 million people," s ..read more

Every October, BCRF’s esteemed researchers, and generous supporters come together for the Foundation’s highly anticipated Symposium and Awards Luncheon. It’s at this annual event that the Foundation announces our annual grant investment, recognizes our nearly 250 investigators and their achievements in breast cancer research, and raises critical funds for our mission. This year’s ticketed fundraising event will be held virtually on Friday, October 14 at 10 a.m. ET (for more information, click here). The program will open with a symposium featuring a panel of BCRF investigators who w ..read more

To nurture the careers of up-and-coming breast cancer researchers, BCRF has underwritten grants in partnership with Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation for the past 20 years. These awards provide vital funding at the start and middle of investigators’ careers—two critical junctures when research dollars and “protected time” (dedicated working hours for research) can be hard to secure. RELATED: Meet the Four Recipients of This Year’s Conquer Cancer–BCRF Awards D78nPLuWkAAnBql.jpg Thanks to this partnership’s longevity and BCRF’s sustained financial support, the Foundation is now funding seve ..read more

Though invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is the second most common form of invasive breast cancer—accounting for 10 to 15 percent of invasive breast cancer diagnoses and affecting nearly 40,000 people each year—it has unfortunately been understudied and misunderstood. ILC, also known as lobular breast cancer, originates in the milk-producing glands of the breast and presents differently than other invasive breast cancers, making it more difficult to detect by traditional screening and self-exam. Recent research has not only shown that ILC is its own distinct subtype of breast cancer, but also ..read more

When Angeles Almuna first got the news that she had breast cancer, she thought, “Wow, I’m going to die.” The Chile-born, Miami-based stylist, artist, photographer, dancer was diagnosed with stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer in June 2015 at the age of 45. She remembers her doctor saying, at the time, “Your life is going to change. But you are in good hands.” Because breast cancer had impacted her family, and her grandmother passed away from the disease, those words didn’t bring her any immediate comfort. Plus, she was still dealing with the emotional toll of a divorce two years prior. In t ..read more

Around Valentine’s Day in 2016, Aubrey Glencamp, then 33, was lying in bed when his wife, Stephanie, noticed a lump on his left-hand side. A few months later, he got a call from his doctor that he had stage II breast cancer. “It was very weird being a guy sitting in a waiting room,” Aubrey said. “I didn't know any men personally who had been impacted by breast cancer.” While preparing for his treatment plan––which involved surgery and chemotherapy––his doctors advised him to undergo genetic testing (which turned out not to reveal any inherited gene mutations) and to see a fertility specialist ..read more

Anne Thompson learned she had breast cancer by voicemail. As she sat at her desk in the newsroom and heard that the suspicious mass in her breast was malignant, she had one thought: I’m going to die. “I don't think anyone who gets cancer thinks anything else but that,” she said. That 2006 diagnosis felt so shocking, in part, because she had no family history of the disease, and her OB-GYN had discovered it during a routine exam. Anne was eventually diagnosed with stage 3 estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer. She underwent intense chemotherapy to shrink the five-centimeter tumor before she ..read more

Each year, BCRF features stories from people impacted by breast cancer as part of our annual storytelling initiative, Research Is the Reason. As BCRF’s New York City–based team was planning the 2020 initiative, the word “coronavirus” started popping up in news headlines. It became clear very quickly that in-person plans needed to change for the safety of participants, some of whom were in treatment, and BCRF’s staff. John Keatley photographed 15 women and men from their homes via FaceTime. Our longtime partners at Maiden Creative, breast cancer survivor Krista Liney and Josh Zimmerm ..read more

Go the distance for breast cancer research this October! BCRF is hosting two virtual fitness challenges on Facebook to raise funds for critical research. Join us as we come together as a community to get active. Do you like to walk or run? Sign-up for the 168,000 Step Challenge to honor those impacted by the disease and the 168,000 people living with metastatic breast cancer who are counting on research breakthroughs. That’s roughly 5,300 steps per day. Join the Facebook group to meet the other participants and get instructions to set up your Facebook fundraiser. Are you a cycling enthusias ..read more

Like many people, Rachelle Fong has had a few versions of a will at different points in her life. But as relationships changed and busy years passed by, they became outdated. She knew she needed to write a current will but struggled to “overcome the inertia” to do so. “I feel youthful, but I started to face the stark reality about how much sand was in the bottom of my hourglass versus the top,” the 64-year-old North Carolina–based clinical quality assurance/compliance consultant said with a laugh. “That realization finally gave me just enough impetus to go, ‘You really need to do something, R ..read more