Women Deserve More From The Stimulus Package

by Susan Love, MD Guest Writer {View Profile}

I have been a breast cancer doctor, researcher and advocate, for over 30 years.

So I probably shouldn't have been surprised when, at a recent meeting, I heard Dr. John Niederhuber, Director of the National Cancer Institute, discuss his plans for the more than $1 billion stimulus package that has been allocated to the NCI, and learned that none of the money would be going toward prevention research. But I was surprised – and frustrated too.

While I fully support treatment research, I think we need to think more broadly. I don’t just want to study how to “control” cancer after it has occurred. I want us to learn how to prevent it. Look at cancer of the cervix, where we now have a vaccine. Thanks to our understanding of how to prevent this cancer we will save countless lives. We need the same level of understanding for all types of cancer, including breast cancer.

Determining the cause of breast cancer is going to require not just more research, but a different type of research, not in mice and rats but focused on studying actual women from diverse backgrounds; women who don’t have breast cancer and women who do. To jumpstart this type of study, I joined forces with the Avon Foundation for Women to start the Love/Avon Army of Women. Our goal is to recruit one million women to participate in research into causes breast cancer and how to prevent it. Already nearly 300,000 women have joined the Army of Women, and more are signing up each day

We have to be the generation that stops breast cancer once and for all! I hope you will join me in this revolutionary movement at www.armyofwomen.org. If we work together we can end breast cancer in our lifetime!

First published June 2009

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I'm with you!!!!! I had not heard about the Army of Women campaign. It's a fabulous idea and one I will join. By the way, I read about this MORE article and therefore AVON campaign from the blog http://lulusandbar.blogspot.com/2009/07/happy‐summer‐vacation.html Proof that women DO make a difference and help spread this important message.

I hate to be cynical but one could certainly make the case that the pharmaceutical companies don't necessarily want us to prevent disease, it could cut into their profit margins. The whole system is unfortunately built around treating chronic disease, not preventing it. But, thank you for the call to action. This kind of change has to come from outside the system, that means us. My most recent blog post has more to say, but thanks for giving us an outlet for action. http://womenbloom.com/blog/?p=1030

Dr. Love, I have been a fan for years. You tipify the optimal research who conducts rigorous science but also thinks outside of the box and moves visionary ideas forward through networking, advocacy, political action and entrepreneurship. We met briefly when you gave the keynote for the University of Michigan's Sister's Fund first fundraiser. I am all about prevention for women. Since 1994 I have been conducting interdisciplinary and translational research that facilitates midlife women feeling entitled to make their own self-care/health a priority and learning how to sustain pleasure-based physically active lives. You are someone I try to emulate. If my ery targeted and applied research related to developing methods and strategies for facilitating sustainable health behavior among midlife women can be of service to any of your projects or endeavors please feel free to contact me. Keep up the outstanding work! Sincerely, Michelle