founder's greeting

In 1993-1994, our first year, we awarded a total of $159,000 to eight researchers all located here in the U.S. To really make an impact, our goal as the Foundation grew was to fund researchers around the world. This became reality in 2001. "When we started funding an Israeli extension of the New York Breast Cancer Study, we were not only supporting quality science, but beginning a global approach to a global problem," Dr. Larry Norton explained. BCRF has supported research internationally at a rapidly increasing pace ever since. And this year we expect to award approximately $35 million, which is $3 million more than last year, to more than 150 of the world's leading researchers.

A global approach is critical since public health indicators suggest that by 2020, 70 percent of all breast cancers cases will be in developing countries. Some collaborations are between U.S.-based researchers working with significant populations of women with breast cancer and oncologists and cancer researchers based in other countries. Other projects are initiated locally but have international implications; they range from novel laboratory research about the molecular basis of breast cancer, to new approaches to improving and standardizing patient care. Our goal is to be able to offer better outcomes to women with breast cancer, and to prevent healthy women from developing it, no matter where they live.

We have created a world map showing all the countries where BCRF grants are making an impact. You can find this at www.bcrfcure.org. I am sure you will be impressed, as I was, to see how expansively BCRF's research network has spread. In total, BCRF has raised more than $215 million to date. Our overhead is the lowest of any breast cancer organization. We are truly playing a global role in the fight against breast cancer.

Please continue to support us as we continue our worldwide effort to end breast cancer in our lifetime.

Evelyn H. Lauder