In 1990, after years of encountering government agencies and organizations that provided inadequate and superficial information rather than scientific evidence about breast cancer, Elenore Pred grew angry. She shared her anger with other women who had metastatic breast cancer. Together they formed Breast Cancer Action (BCA), now a national organization at the forefront of the breast cancer activist movement. Since Elenore Pred’s death in October 1991, BCA has continued the work she began.
BCA is a grassroots organization comprised of women with breast cancer and their supporters — ordinary people who, by educating themselves on the facts and the issues related to breast cancer, have empowered themselves and others to create needed change. BCA works in coalition with other organizations to bring about important policy changes on the local, state, and federal levels.
In our work to change the conversation around breast cancer, Breast Cancer Action identified three strategic priority areas on which to focus:
- Advocating for more effective and less toxic breast cancer treatments by shifting the balance of power in the Food and Drug Administration away from the pharmaceutical industry and toward the public interest.
- Decreasing involuntary environmental exposures that put people at risk for breast cancer.
- Creating awareness that not just genes, but social injustices — political, economic, and racial inequities — lead to disparities in breast cancer outcomes.
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Recent Victories
2011
- BCAction convened the Latina Roundtable with staff from organizations serving Latinas with breast cancer in the Bay Area to determine how we can best work together to achieve health equity.
- BCAction partnered with First Exposures, a local mentorship program for underserved teens. Thirty young photographers attended our presentations on food justice, toxins in our environment, and communities carrying a toxic burden. Students created educational posters, which were exhibited at a well-attended event, “Environmental Injustice: It Ain’t A Pretty Picture”, co-sponsored by BCAction.
- BCAction launched our Raise a Stink! campaign, in response to Susan G. Komen’s perfume called Promise Me, which contains unlisted chemicals that are regulated as toxic and hazardous, have not been adequately evaluated for human safety, and have demonstrated negative health effects. Our campaign asked the public to send letters to Komen, urging it to recall Promise Me perfume and sign BCAction’s Pledge to Prevent Pinkwashing. The campaign:
- Received fantastic media coverage across the United States in Marie Claire magazine, the New York Times, the Dallas Morning News, the Chicago Tribune, and NPR’s On Point, and was picked up by all the major TV stations, among other media outlets
- Activated nearly 5,000 people to send letters to Komen leadership
- Forced Komen to issue a public statement “in response to questions raised about ingredients in Promise Me perfume” and was held accountable for its failure to put patients before profits
- Obtained a promise from Komen to reformulate their Promise Me perfume for 2012
- BCAction rolled out it’s first-ever Think Before You Pink® Toolkit. The content rich toolkit is designed to help consumers understand the issues and concerns surrounding ‘pinkwashing’ and pink ribbon marketing. The toolkit provides readers explicit tips and tools for taking action to ensure that companies stop promoting toxic products in the name of breast cancer. Since its launch, we have been actively distributing the toolkit to our members and partner organizations.
- The ACLU filed a petition seeking Supreme Court review of Myriad Genetics patents on two human genes associated with hereditary breast cancer and ovarian cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2. BCAction is the only national breast cancer organization that has signed on as a plaintiff in this suit against Myriad Genetics.
- After years of advocacy by BCAction against approval of the drug Avastin, the FDA revoked the use of Avastin for metastatic breast cancer based on existing science. Since 2007, BCAction has actively opposed the use of Avastin for metastatic breast cancer patients because of its failure to improve overall survival or quality of life and its serious side effects. This decision is the right one, but it’s not a victory. We will continue to demand and support the approval of more effective, less toxic, and more affordable treatment options for all women with breast cancer.
2010
- Celebrates 20th anniversary year.
- Successfully advocates at the FDA to deny Genentech accelerated approval for TDM-1 for metastatic breast cancer patients based on one single-armed trial that has not given sufficient information on efficacy and safety. BCA continues to uphold stringent drug approval standards over hasty access without legitimate clinical benefit. BCA will continue to monitor how TDM-1 performs in Phase III trials.
- Activates over 6,700 people to take action through BCA’s Milking Cancer campaign. Milking Cancer demands that Eli Lilly stop manufacturing rBGH (artificial recombinant bovine growth hormone) because it is linked to breast cancer. Eli Lilly also makes breast cancer “prevention” and treatment drugs.
- Successfully advocates at the FDA to stop the use of Avastin as treatment for metastatic breast cancer. In 2007, BCA was the only breast cancer organization to put patients first by actively opposing the use of Avastin for metastatic breast cancer because of its failure to improve overall survival or quality of life, its side effects, and high price tag. In 2010, BCA’s position was endorsed by a number of breast cancer organizations.
- Launches “What the Cluck?” an award-winning advocacy campaign that demands an end to Kentucky Fried Chicken and Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s pinkwashing campaign, “Buckets for the Cure.” Over 5,200 take action. The campaign wins a second place Path to Victory Award from Business Ethics Network, and is covered by bloggers and national news outlets, including NPR, Huffington Post, Fox News, and The Colbert Report.
- Forms Screening Task Force in response to the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force’s breast cancer screening recommendations released in November 2009. While BCA’s screening policy is hailed as a leader in the field, the task force revised the policy to address the needs of all affected communities.
- Wins the first round of lawsuits against Myriad Genetics by challenging the company’s patents on breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. Patents were ruled invalid by a U.S. federal judge on March 29, 2010.
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2009
- General Mills announced that it would remove the cancer-linked synthetic growth hormone rBGH from Yoplait Yogurt.
- Dannon followed suit, announcing they will be rBGH-free by 2010. Together General Mills and Dannon represent two-thirds of the U.S. dairy market.
- Congress funds Comparative Effectiveness Research effort as part of the federal economic stimulus.
- BCA’s victorious 2008 Think Before You Pink campaign, “Yoplait: Put a Lid on It,” won the first place 2009 BENNY Award from the Business Ethics Network. The annual BENNY Awards recognize outstanding corporate campaign victories.
- Launched Milking Cancer campaign, demanding that Eli Lilly stop making rBGH, thus removing it from the world market. Thousands take action in the first week.
- On behalf of patients, successfully testified at the FDA against the approval of Doxil for metastatic breast cancer.
- Joined ACLU in lawsuit against Myriad Genetics for its patents on breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2.
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2008
- Activated 1,500 people to take action against pinkwashing just two weeks into our Think Before You Pink campaign.
- Met with Genentech (Avastin) and Amgen (anemia drugs) representatives to air concerns about their products.
- Launched five-year strategic plan — challenging assumptions and inspiring change in breast cancer advocacy.
- Published its 100th edition of the bimonthly newsletter The Source.
- Successfully advocated for removal of phthalates in cosmetics made by Secret, Arrid, and Christian Dior.
- Think Before You Pink Critical Questions appear in promotional literature and media statements from Komen and the American Cancer Society.
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2007
- Initiated First National Breast Cancer Research Summit, a gathering of funders, scientists, and key activists from around the nation.
- Think Before You Pink website was Yahoo’s pick of the month for October.
- Asserted a unique perspective, focusing on cost and effectiveness, in opposition to approval of Avastin as a treatment for breast cancer.
- Successfully argued for cancellation of STELLAR Trial, maintaining that pills for prevention always results in disease substitution.
- Published initial Aromatase Inhibitor Side Effects Survey results.
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2006
- Founding member of CHANGE, a coalition of organizations working to create a better system for regulating toxic chemicals in California.
- Fenton Communications featured BCA’s Think Before You Pink campaign as a case study in its presentation “Because It’s Worth It: 10 Ways to Measure the Impact of Your Communications.”
- BAWG, cofounded by BCA, wins “Pioneers of Precaution” award at the First National Conference on the Precautionary Principle in Baltimore, Maryland.
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2005
- BCA’s California Safe Cosmetics Act of 2005 (SB 484) enacted.
- BCA’s Think Before You Pink campaign inspired Komen and Breast Cancer Research Foundation to post their own questions consumers should ask before buying pink ribbon products.
- Successfully advanced dialogue among stakeholders concerning the California Biomonitoring Program (SB 1379), monitoring presence and concentration of chemicals in California.
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For The Record
- 2002 — Research confirms BCA’s longstanding concerns about hormone therapy and breast cancer risk.
- 1998 — BCA opposes use of tamoxifen for reduction of risk of breast cancer in healthy women.
- 1998 — BCA successfully calls for release of data showing high dose chemotherapy/bone marrow transplant does not work for breast cancer patients.
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