What They're Saying About the CBCRP
To End the Suffering
By bringing the research, advocacy, and treatment communities into closer collaboration, the California Breast Cancer Research Program pushes the boundaries of research, mobilizing greater creativity and resources toward decreasing—and ending—the suffering and death caused by breast cancer.
The Envy of Many a Breast Cancer Researcher
“The CBCRP is the envy of many a breast cancer researcher elsewhere in the country. This program provides a competitive edge for innovative ideas to be developed into full-fledged research programs. I had the privilege of serving on the Pathogenesis Review Committee for the past three years. This participation was indeed a great learning experience for me. I enjoyed reading many high-quality proposals as well as the cordial, yet highly professional, atmosphere of the review meetings. During the meeting, each proposal was given sufficient time for thorough deliberations, instead of being tossed on the floor once it got triaged. It is the goal of the review committee to provide young investigators with constructive critiques to help their research. I wish the CBCRP program continued success.”
Ching-Shih Chen, Ph.D.
Professor of Medicinal Chemistry
College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
Having a Voice
“As a member of The Young Survival Coalition-an advocacy and outreach network for breast cancer survivors 40 and younger-it means a lot to me to have a voice as to how the CBCRP's research dollars get allocated. Pre-menopausal women are often times forgotten about in research studies. I think that my participation in the decision making process has made a significant impact with research scientists participating in the program.”
Joy Simha
Advocacy Officer, Young Survival Coalition
New York, NY
Seed Funding for Innovative Ideas
“The CBCRP has aunique mission-to fund work that might not be supported by the more traditional funding agencies like the National Cancer Institute, but has the potential to advance the field. Our studies aim to rigorously study herbal medicine, but given the infancy of the field, we had to generate the preliminary data. Our early work on Tibetan Medicine for advanced breast cancer was funded by the CBCRP and has now been presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. The funding for pilot projects such as these will serve as a basis for more definitive studies that can eventually address the value and limitations of alternative medicine and other innovative ideas to treat breast cancer.”
Debu Tripathy, M.D.
Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine
Director of Research
UCSF Breast Care Center
UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Challenging Current Dogma
“The fact that the state of California can put money into projects that are novel and challenge current dogma is very important. Many times national review panels stick to a conservative approach. The ability to fund new ideas and new investigators makes the California Breast Cancer Research Program crucial.”
Anne Hamburger, Ph.D.
Professor of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Greenebaum Cancer Center
Baltimore, MD
A Model for Other States
“It was an honor to be asked to serve as a consumer reviewer for the California Breast Cancer Research Program for the first time in April 2001, and I hope I will have other opportunities to serve. Bringing consumers, scientists, and clinicians together around a table to discuss research proposals has led to more innovative approaches to difficult research problems and engendered mutual respect for all involved in the difficult fight against breast cancer. The CBCRP is the only state program of its kind funded by the tobacco tax. It is an outstanding model I wish other states would adopt.”
Karin Noss
Board Member, Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization
Vice President, Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation
Board Member, National Breast Cancer Coalition
Vienna, VA
Funding for New Discoveries
“We're doing very basic research trying to DNA in breast cancer cells and test if there is any difference in the amount of these proteins between breast cancer cells and non-malignant cells. We have been able to identify such candidate proteins, which are much increased in breast cancer, and found that some of them are potentially good targets for breast cancer gene therapy. These discoveries have come as a result of funding from the CBCRP. Without the CBCRP, we could never have pursued this project.”
Terumi Kohwi-Shigematsu, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California
Berkeley, CA
Helpful, Dedicated
“The CBCRP administrators and staff are always very helpful and responsive to my questions and suggestions, and they seem truly dedicated to the mission of the organization. CBCRP provided unique funding opportunities that allowed me to pursue my interest in breast cancer research as a postdoctoral fellow and that helped me develop my research program as a new investigator.”
Shelley M. Enger, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Research Scientist
Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Southern California
Pasadena, CA
Well-Run
“My experience reviewing research proposals for the CBCRP has been very positive. Because the program is well-run, it gets the expertise of good reviewers from all over the country. I appreciate the input on the review panels from women who have had personal experience with breast cancer. They keep the focus on the patient. For a basic scientist like me, that's quality of the research proposals the CBCRP receives.”
Debra F. Skafar, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Physiology
Wayne State University School of Medicine and
Barbara Ann
Karmanos Cancer Institute
Detroit, MI
Stimulating New Breast Cancer Research
“California's Breast Cancer Research Program has to the detection, management and understanding of breast cancer. The biology with research in community outreach and patient care has generated novel projects by established investigators and has attracted new investigators to the field. I have worked in breast cancer for 15 years, and I can speak to the impact the program has had on stimulating research in breast cancer at our institution. Investigators at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have benefited from the on new ideas in basic biology, which supports research deemed too preliminary for funding by some federal funding agencies.”
Mary Helen Barcellos-Hoff, Ph.D.
Group Leader, Cancer and Tissue Biology
Cell and Molecular Biology Department
Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Berkeley, CA
Extremely Pleased
“I am extremely pleased that the California Breast Cancer Research Program is encouraging cancer chemo-prevention research on natural chemicals found in plants. Lack of stringently controlled pre-clinical studies on these relatively nontoxic phytochemicals represents a major limitation on documenting their potential for prevention and treatment of clinical breast cancer.”
Nitin Telang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Weil Medical College
Cornell University, and
Director, Division of Carcinogenesis and Prevention
Strang Cancer Research Laboratory
Rockefeller University
New York, NY
