The American Breast Cancer Foundation’s (ABCF) mission is to provide education, access, and financial assistance to aid in the early detection, treatment, and survival of breast cancer for uninsured and underserved individuals, regardless of age, race, or gender. This is achieved, in part, by the Breast Cancer Assistance Program, Community Partnership Program, Community Advocacy, and Education Program, and the newly developed Animated Breast Cancer Patient Education Program.
These strategic programs individually and combined provide financial assistance and referrals to local resources and information that is ethnically and linguistically appropriate to clients’ needs. The overarching goal of each program is to reduce disparities to enable the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, particularly among disadvantaged populations. These interventions are leading to modification of negative factors and improvement in survival rates.
Minorities and individuals living in a lower socioeconomic status are deprived in terms of breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survival. ABCF is presently placing priority importance on the prevalent concerns for greater breast cancer awareness, screening, and proactive detection of early signs and symptoms of breast cancer. These outreach strategies that educate women in understanding the importance of screening and help to facilitate diagnosis and treatment are crucial in achieving equality in breast cancer outcomes.
Recently, ABCF launched a nationwide educational campaign on breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer to initiate a strategy towards educating our key public: Animated Patient’s Guide to Breast Cancer and Metastatic Disease www.YouAndBreastCancer.com.
ABCF’s mission is consistent with the CDC Healthy People 2020, to assist a national audience to better understand breast cancer and help reduce the incidence of metastatic breast cancer in the United States; by promoting breast cancer awareness, effective behavior-changing education, and facilitating life-saving early detection services.
