Finding a cure now...so our daughters won't have to.

Archive for the ‘Patient Advocacy’ Category

Medical Article: Quitting Tobacco After a Cancer Diagnosis

Posted By on November 15th, 2012 at 9:00 am | 0 comments.

New resources are available for those with cancer and their caregivers on quitting tobacco use. These resources are available free of charge from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Graham Warren provides a podcast and a Q & A article on the benefits of quitting after a cancer diagnosis. A booklet for healthcare providers is also available, offering tips on how to incorporate tobacco cessation into their practice.

PBCC President and Founder Pat Halpin-Murphy responds to breakthrough breast cancer study

Posted By on September 24th, 2012 at 2:38 pm | 0 comments.

Researchers have unveiled what they believe is a hallmark study for breast cancer patients and the doctors who treat them. Their findings, published Sunday in the journal Nature and the New York Times, are expected to pave the way for new treatment options in the coming years.

The project, funded by a larger federal grant, focused on a genetic analysis of breast cancer, which kills more than 12,000 women in Pennsylvania each year.  The scientists monitored the tumors of 825 breast cancer patients in the US. As a result, they found four distinctive types of breast cancer. Within those types, researchers say they identified at least 40 genetic alterations that might be attacked by drugs. Many of those drugs are already being developed for other types of cancers with the same mutations.

Researchers and patient advocates stress that it could still take years of research and clinical trials to incorporate the insights into new treatments. They say a wide variety of drugs will most likely need to be created and tailored to individual tumor types.

“This is a tremendous new development that will alter the way women with breast cancer are treated,” said PBCC President and Founder Pat Halpin-Murphy. “Of course, this is the first step, but I believe it’s the first step toward a cure for many types of breast cancer.”

The four types identified in the study are basal-like cancers, luminal A and B cancers, and HER2-enriched cancers. From here, doctors and researchers are hoping clinical trials and dozens of separate drug studies will help to develop new breakthroughs in treatment from the findings. Dr. Elizabeth Stark, a breast cancer patient and biochemist at Pfizer, says she knows it will take time, but she’s hopeful the research will lead to a cure. “In 10 years, it will be different,” she said. “I know I will be here in 10 years.”

To read the complete New York Times Article, visit this link: NY Times Article

To read the complete journal Nature study, visit this link: journal Nature study

The PA Breast Cancer Coalition represents, supports and serves breast cancer survivors and their families in Pennsylvania through educational programming, legislative advocacy and breast cancer research grants. The PBCC is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure now…so our daughters won’t have to. For more information, please call 800-377-8828 or visit www.PABreastCancer.org.

Take the FREE Online Course on the Free Treatment Program

Posted By on September 17th, 2012 at 11:58 am | 0 comments.

Over 800 people have taken the PBCC’s free online course on Pennsylvania’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Program, which provides free treatment for uninsured and underinsured women battling breast cancer – and YOU  should join them! The course is available for all who wish to take it, with free continuing education credits available for nurses and social workers. Click here to take it now!

Real case studies give practical examples of who is eligible for free treatment, how the program works, and the overall benefit to the women who are covered through the program. Those who take the course will have the knowledge necessary to direct women to the program so that they can get the care they need without worrying about how to pay for it.

Young Survivor Denied Coverage for Reconstruction

Posted By on August 16th, 2012 at 9:57 am | 0 comments.

The PBCC counts among its many legislative victories the Breast Cancer Reconstructive Surgery Coverage Act – which mandates that insurers cover the cost of reconstructive surgery for breast cancer survivors. So when the PBCC learned from WGAL that Courtney Morrison’s insurer was not going to cover a second reconstruction to correct a problem after her first, we knew we had to get to the bottom of the issue. Click here for the WGAL story.

The Breast Cancer Reconstructive Surgery Coverage Act, passed in 1997, requires insurers to cover the cost of reconstructive surgery after mastectomy and symmetry of the breasts within six years. However, Courtney’s employer is self-insured, and under the current legislation, self-insured employers are exempt from the requirement to cover the surgery. We hope that, with our help, Courtney’s situation will be resolved and she will be able to get coverage for the surgery.

Online Free Treatment Course Now Available!

Posted By on April 13th, 2012 at 8:58 am | 0 comments.

Since the launch of the PBCC’s online course on Pennsylvania’s FREE Treatment for Breast and Cervical Cancer program on March 7, more than 110 people have learned how to help uninsured and underinsured women get the treatment and care they need to fight a breast cancer diagnosis. You too can take the course and learn how this program saves lives! The free online course is open to all and the continuing education credits for nurses and social workers are free.

Here is some of the feedback the PBCC has received from those who took the online course:

“This was exceptional!! Thanks so much for providing this valuable info – I hope many people take advantage of the learning opportunity.”

“Thank you so much for offering this course. I am currently enrolled in the program and quite honestly it has been a true lifesaver. I would hate to think where I would be if this program did not exist. I wanted to learn more about the program so I could educate others.”

“I found this course to be very helpful. I work as an ER social worker and occasionally have women – especially young women with families – who would qualify for this program.”

Spring 2012 edition of FrontLine

Posted By on March 28th, 2012 at 11:56 am | 0 comments.

By now, if you’re on our mailing list, you should have received the latest edition of FrontLine. The PBCC sends out this print newsletter every quarter to let you know what we’re up to across the state and how YOU can get involved!

Take a read through our online edition and share it with your friends!

Take the PBCC’s Online FREE Treatment Course Today!

Posted By on March 16th, 2012 at 8:59 am | 0 comments.

Did you know that FREE treatment is available for uninsured and underinsured women battling breast or cervical cancer here in Pennsylvania? The PBCC is working to spread the word on this important program to all by offering a FREE online course. Check out our video! Nurses and social workers who take the course can earn free credits. Take the course today!

Those who take the course will have the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of this important program, and how it serves as a lifeline for those who are uninsured and underinsured battling breast cancer. As part of the course, you can review real-life case studies and read inspiring stories from survivors who benefitted from the program.

If you have any questions or problems with the course, please contact Jen at Jennifer@pabreastcancer.org or 800-377-8828 x101. Please note that the course is not compatible with mobile devices.

Free Online Course for FREE Treatment Coming Soon

Posted By on February 17th, 2012 at 8:57 am | 0 comments.

Ensuring that women with breast cancer have access to treatment has been critically important to the PBCC. Through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Program, free treatment is available to uninsured and underinsured women in Pennsylvania. In March, the PBCC will provide a free online course for all interested in learning more about the program, with 2 free credits available to nurses and social workers. Would you or a nurse, social worker, or advocate you know benefit from taking the course?

If you or someone you know may be interested in taking this free course, please let us know! We would love to put you on our list to receive more information once registration is open. While nurses and social workers are eligible to receive credit by taking the course, anyone who would like to learn more about the program and how it can benefit women in Pennsylvania is welcome to enroll.

Knowledge is power. Empower yourself with information that can help save the lives of uninsured and underinsured women battling breast cancer in Pennsylvania. Email Jennifer for more information today.

We Take Our Mission Seriously

Posted By on February 7th, 2012 at 2:54 pm | 0 comments.


It’s the PA Breast Cancer Coalition’s mission to give breast cancer survivors a voice within our Commonwealth. We believe we are that voice in the medical, legislative, insurance and corporate communities.

Since 1993, we have dedicated ourselves to finding a cure for breast cancer. Our many acclaimed statewide outreach efforts, along with our grassroots partners raise thousands of dollars for research each year. The money raised goes to people like Dr. Craig Meyers, a researcher at the Penn State College of Medicine. Dr. Meyers recently discovered a nondisease-causing virus that successfully kills breast cancer cells in the laboratory. With the help of our outreach efforts and grassroots partners we can give him the funding he needs to one day conduct human trials that will hopefully lead to a cure to breast cancer.

We believe that anyone can help make a difference in the lives of those fighting breast cancer and their families. It’s the creativity and talents of people like you that can truly make a difference. We know that the only way to end breast cancer is to find a cure and believe with your help we can do so.

My battle with breast cancer ignites my resolve to make certain that our generation is the last to ever fear breast cancer. As a mother and grandmother, I thank you for joining the PBCC’s efforts to find a cure now… so our daughters and granddaughters won’t have to.

Patient Advocacy: 2011 in Review

Posted By on January 16th, 2012 at 9:02 am | 0 comments.

The PBCC is committed to being the voice for women who might otherwise fall through the cracks in the health care system. Whenever we pick up the phone we know that on the other end of the line there might be a woman whose insurance company doesn’t want to cover the procedure that her doctor wants her to have. Or maybe her job is in jeopardy if she has to take time off from work for treatment. Or she has no health insurance and doesn’t know there are programs for which she might qualify.

In 2011, our patient advocate worked with over 60 women to help find the answers they needed. Some were easy referrals to the organization or program to fit her needs. Many were more complicated and involved lengthy follow-ups.

If you, or someone you know, need help please visit the “Needs Help” section of our website. If you don’t find the answer there, contact Dolores Magro at Dolores@PABreastCancer.org.

Dorothy from Lititz, PA wrote us, “My insurance company was refusing to cover a portion of the bill from my reconstructive surgery. They said it was cosmetic. Once I shared with them the information you gave me, they reversed the denial of my 3rd appeal. I never wanted something for nothing. I just wanted what was fair.”