A. The United States has a number of excellent groups whose current mission is devoted to political advocacy on breast cancer issues and/or support for breast cancer patients. IBCRF's sole mission is clinical research, which we believe is the key to ending breast cancer in our lifetime. Despite the fact that now 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer, the death rate is unchanged. IBCRF exists to sponsor and conduct worldwide research projects that promise to provide answers to critical questions about the causes and successful treatment of breast cancer. IBCRF believes that only through practical, cost-effective, break- through research that takes advantage of the most promising opportunities and ideas everywhere in the world, can we reach our goal of ending the suffering and death caused by breast cancer.
Q. Why is additional money needed when the federal government through the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports most cancer research?
A. There are three excellent reasons.
1. Breast cancer research is seriously under-funded. If you look at the allocation of all the money currently spent in the United States annually on education, diagnosis and treatment of all cancers, less than 5% is spent on research.
2. It will be difficult to change this current trend. The NIH research agenda is often driven by political and historical forces, which are difficult to overcome.
3. We are looking for answers now. The NIH system and the Department of Defense typically fund large established clinical studies with typically large expense structures. These studies tend to be very conservative in nature, with a discernible but safe and predictable end result.
IBCRF exists to fill the need by raising seed money for a portfolio of smaller, innovative, logical and responsible pilot research projects.
The results of these IBCRF funded pilot projects can then be used as leverage to get the NIH, Department of Defense and other sources to fund larger corresponding projects.
Q. How can IBCRF assure its supporters that financial support they donate is used wisely and honestly?
A. IBCRF is governed by the same state and federal regulations and laws as all nonprofit organizations, regardless of size. Both state
and federal laws have strict criteria that must be met in order for any charitable organization to obtain and maintain a tax-exempt status. State and federal regulations and laws also control fundraising activities and the role of the board of directors in overseeing an
organization such as IBCRF.
Herceptin.com – metastatic breast cancer treatment option.
Ibcresearch.org – Comprehensive info on Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC).
Nabco.org – Official site for the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations.
Natlbcc.org – NBCC website tracks the latest legislative funding issues on federal and state levels.
Oncolink.org – General cancer site. One of the best and most comprehensive.
Sistersnetworkinc.org – National African-American breast cancer survivor’s organization.
Y-ME.org – English/Spanish cancer support site for families.
