Join Dr. Susan Love, Avon and the Army of Women
Participate in Breast Cancer Research to Find Breast Cancer Causes
Sep 25, 2009
The Love/Avon Army of Women is a partnership between the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and the Avon Foundation for Women. The mission of the women’s health organization: Find out what causes breast cancer and how to prevent it by bringing together breast cancer research professionals and women around the world.
Beyond Breast Cancer Treatment
The Love/Avon Army of Women is made up of women who not only want a cure, but who are focused on breast cancer causes and breast cancer prevention. Dr. Susan Love is a breast surgeon, best-selling author and president of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to providing education about breast cancer risks, detection, prevention and treatment.
The Avon Foundation for Women and the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade provide funding for women’s health initiatives. The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade raises funds through the U.S. Avon Walk for Breast Cancer series, the sale of pink ribbon products, the Walk Around the World for Breast Cancer program and the annual Avon Foundation Gala. Both organizations are focused on promoting research to discover breast cancer causes.
Breast Cancer Research Challenges
The Army of Women was born out of the desire to address a key challenge faced by breast cancer researchers. “Over and over I’ve heard scientists lament how difficult it is for them to find the volunteers they need for research studies,” Love said on the Army of Women website. She believed that women would volunteer for research studies if they knew they were needed, and the Army of Women was born.
The strategy seems to be working. According to Prevention magazine’s October 2009 edition, 11 major national research projects have found the volunteers they needed for breast cancer research studies in the Army of Women’s ranks. In fact, Prevention reported that when UCLA researchers need 20 participants for a research study, more than 125 women volunteered in 12 hours.
Join the Love/Avon Army of Women
Signing up to join the Love/Avon Army of Women is as simple as submitting a name, age, city and state of residence, zip code, email address and ethnicity. Women of all ethnicities from all geographic areas are needed. Those who are breast cancer survivors, undergoing breast cancer treatment or have never had breast cancer are needed.
Although it is called Army of Women, male breast cancer survivors and men who have immediate relatives who’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer can sign up. Each person’s information is added to a list of volunteers who agree to receive updates and Call to Action emails that alert volunteers to the possibility of joining a breast cancer research study.
Breast Cancer Causes and Prevention
Joining the Army of Women does not require a commitment to join breast cancer research studies. Members receive email notifications of researchers who need participants in studies. “We’re like the eHarmony of breast cancer research, matching women with scientists,” Love told AARP Bulletin Today writer and editor Barbara Basler in the October 16, 2008, article, “Leading an Army of Women Against Breast Cancer.” Just like the online dating service, each study is a potential match for the volunteer but getting together is optional.
Participation in breast cancer studies is voluntary and different studies have different requirements. Some studies may require filling out a questionnaire or providing a sample of blood, urine, saliva, breast fluid, or breast tissue. Some studies might be clinical trials. To provide more women who don’t live near medical research facilities with the opportunity to participate, Army of Women research centers are being set up to collect samples from volunteers and pass them on to the breast cancer researchers who need them.
The Love/Avon Army of Women, the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and the Avon Foundation for Women are committed to finding breast cancer causes in order to eradicate the disease. A key obstacle to discovering what causes breast cancer has been a lack of volunteers for breast cancer research studies. The Army of Women’s goal is to connect the researchers who need volunteers with the women who want to help scientists find the causes of breast cancers and effective breast cancer prevention.
For more articles related to women, read Support Military Wives with Operation Shower, How to Show Respect for a Wife and Best Gift Ideas for a New Mom on Mother’s Day.
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