Executive Summary
While breast cancer is as serious a threat to women in other states across the U.S. as it is to the women of California. California is unique in the effort and resources it invests to find an end to this disease. In 1993, the California legislature, guided by breast cancer advocates across the state, recognized the need to respond to the breast cancer epidemic. With the passage of the Breast Cancer Act (sponsored by then Assemblywoman Barbara Friedman), the tobacco tax was increased by two cents per pack to create an ongoing source of funds to support what remains the largest effort by a state to decrease the human and economic cost of breast cancer. Each year, this tax provides new dollars ($16.7 million in 1999) devoted exclusively to research on the cause, prevention, detection, treatment and cure of breast cancer. Additional funds ($726,000 in 1999) come from taxpayer donations selected on the state income tax return, and from private donations. These funds are directed to the California Breast Cancer Research Program, administered by the University of California. The Program supports research projects awarded through a competitive process to scientists across the state at a variety of universities, research centers and other settings.
1999 was the California Breast Cancer Research Program's fifth year of operation, and marked another year of important achievements and growth for the CBCRP. With a budget of $17,432,000, CBCRP was able to award 62 new projects across the state. The projects include work in the areas of:
- the biology of the normal breast.
- factors that increase the risk of breast cancer.
- ways to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
- understanding how breast cancer develops.
- developing new treatments for breast cancer.
- detecting breast cancer earlier.
- exploring socio-cultural, behavioral, and psychological aspects of breast cancer.
Over the past five years, the Program has provided more than $75 million dollars to research on breast cancer. 193 research projects have been completed and another 133 projects are in progress. This report presents the discoveries and findings of the projects completed this year, interim reports on research in progress, as well as descriptions of the new projects begun this year. It also describes CBCRP's recent activities, goals, progress, and plans for the challenges that lie ahead on the road to decreasing the human and economic cost of breast cancer for the people of California.
