By Jenna Lebovits
Thirty years ago, five friends sat around a kitchen table in Greenwich, Connecticut, with a burning question: How could they help their friend battling breast cancer? From their conversation came Breast Cancer Alliance, a nonprofit that has since awarded more than $40 million in grants funding innovative breast cancer research, surgical training and low- or no-cost screening and diagnostics. Today, it’s a small but very mighty team of three paid employees and an equally passionate board of volunteers.
For BCA president Lori Kron, the mission is as personal as it gets. “I got involved with BCA as the daughter of a survivor, and loved the community,” she says. “I loved everything about what they were doing and became a board member. Then I was diagnosed through regular mammograms. I had DCIS [ductal carcinoma in situ], or stage zero breast cancer.”
After a double mastectomy and thinking the cancer was behind her, an unrelated heart test 16 months later revealed enlarged lymph nodes, a sign the cancer was back. She underwent two more surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, all while serving on BCA’s board and eventually as president. “This was my rock,” says Kron. “I used everything—our medical advisory doctors, anything I could—from the resources that we have.”
Through its funding—of which it commits more than $1.4 million annually—BCA supports nearly every stage of the breast cancer journey: breakthrough research, surgical training and accessible screenings. It helps close some of the gaps that exist between a promising new idea and the early results often needed to pursue federal grants. “These are the people who are going to change the course of cancer treatment,” says Kron. It’s also currently the only nonprofit to fund breast surgical oncology fellowships which support an additional year of specialized training.
The organization also helps underserved and underinsured patients receive free or low-cost mammograms and follow-up diagnostics, with programs like Hartford Hospital’s “Take the Time” Mobile Mammography Van, a BCA grantee, bringing screenings directly into communities. “I had a mammogram one day, the next day I had a biopsy, and then quickly had my diagnosis,” recalls Kron. “We want everyone to have that.”
As BCA celebrates its 30th anniversary, its three decades of direct impact and tight-knit community will take center stage at its 30th Annual Breast Cancer Alliance Luncheon and Fashion Show in Westchester County on October 22. This year’s soirée will honor actor, breast cancer advocate and Purist cover star Olivia Munn, whose own public story has brought greater awareness to risk assessment—which can be calculated with a free, five-minute online test, Kron notes—and early detection.
“We’ve accomplished so much in our first 30 years, but there’s still much more to do,” says Kron. “I hope we can fund even more early-stage research, invest in the next generation of fellows, expand access to screening and early detection, and continue to support those impacted.”
Learn more at breastcanceralliance.org and calculate your potential risk at magview.com/ibis-risk-calculator