Sharing Research With Scientists and the Public

The legislation that established the California Breast Cancer Research Program calls on the Program to disseminate the results of its research. This is because the sponsors of the legislation recognized that funding high quality research is necessary but not sufficient to fulfill the Program’s mission. If the research is going to be effective in reducing or ending the suffering caused by breast cancer, then people need to know the results. The scientific community needs to know, to make progress against the disease. The medical community needs to know, to improve prevention and treatment. People with breast cancer need the opportunity to learn about new prevention and treatment options. Breast cancer activists and policy makers need information about research results to shape their advocacy agenda. Communities affected by breast cancer need to know what’s been proven to work in other communities. And the taxpayers of California need to know what their taxes are funding.

The scientists whose projects are funded by the CBCRP publish their results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and present them at scientific conferences. The California Breast Cancer Research Program is committed to going beyond this venue, and makes the results and progress of research it funds available to a much wider audience. The CBCRP publishes and distributes summaries of Program-funded research widely, in print and over the Internet. The CBCRP is one of the few research funding programs in the world to publish annual summaries of research while the studies are still in progress, so that scientists and other interested people can make use of the information as soon as possible. Research results and research progress are disseminated in a variety of ways:

Research Symposia
The CBCRP regularly hosts a research symposium, a statewide conference presenting the results of the research the CBCRP funds. A research symposium typically draws 500 or more attendees.

The CBCRP’s most recent symposium, “From Research to Action: Breaking New Ground,” was held in Los Angeles, September 7-9, 2007.

These statewide conferences provide a forum where research scientists present their findings to a concerned public. Equally important, women whose lives have been affected by the disease share their priorities and hopes with researchers. The CBCRP makes a special effort to bring women who have, had, or are at risk for breast cancer to the Program’s symposia. Scholarships that cover travel and accommodations are provided. Artwork that portrays the breast cancer experience is on display. California community organizations also send representatives who provide information on their breast-cancer related programs. In addition, scientists can get information on how to obtain CBCRP funding for their investigations.

Reports, free to the public in book form and available on the CBCRP Web site, provide summaries of presentations made at the 2005 and 2007 symposia. The next symposium, the CBCRP’s seventh, will be held in 2010.

Web site
The CBCRP Web site (www.CABreastCancer.org) has summaries of all completed research projects and annual progress reports for ongoing projects, in language accessible to the general reader. All research on the CBCRP Web site is fully searchable, and visitors who want to keep up with the latest research can search to access the most recently posted findings. A featured researcher section, which changes three times per year, profiles one researcher and her or his findings. Visitors to the Web site can ask this expert questions, and receive answers, via email. Progress on the development of the CBCRP’s Special Research Initiatives is also reported on the Web site.

Publication abstracts supported by CBCRP funding have links to the National Institutes of Health’s PubMed, a public-access database of biomedical journals. The CBCRP Web site also contains a list of each year’s awards and information on applying for grants. In addition, all CBCRP publications are available and downloadable. Another feature allows visitors to listen to a presentation made at the CBCRP’s 2007 symposium.

The Web site includes an opportunity to join the Program’s volunteer team, request specific information from the CBCRP, and make online donations to the CBCRP.

Publications
All CBCRP publications are available free to the public in printed form and on the CBCRP Web site. Multiple copies are available free of charge to organizations.

Compendium of Awards: To make it easy for scientists and the public to follow CBCRP-funded research from the beginning, a description of newly funded projects is published each year.

Formal Evaluations of the CBCRP: Formal evaluations let the public understand the success and improvement efforts of CBCRP work.

Community Research Collaboration Awards Abstract Booklet: The CBCRP’s Community Research Collaboration awards bring together members of community groups and academic scientists to conduct breast cancer research. This booklet, with abstracts of many past community research collaboration projects funded by the CBCRP, is designed to make community groups aware of this opportunity.

Newsletter: The CBCRP’s newsletters report on new awards, research results, scientific meetings where the CBCRP is presenting an exhibit of Program work, and other Program news.

Breast Cancer in California: A Closer Look/El Cancer de Seno en California: Una Mirada Mas de Cerca: This 40-page booklet provides a picture of breast cancer’s effect on the lives of California women. It is available in both English and Spanish.

Identifying Gaps in Breast Cancer Research: This research paper reviews previous research in the areas covered under the CBCRP’s Special Research Initiatives: environmental links to breast cancer, the reasons why some groups of women bear a greater burden of the disease, and the intersections of complex factors that impact breast cancer. The draft is available on the CBCRP Web site. During 2009, the CBCRP will publish a booklet that will include a summary of the most important findings from this research paper. The booklet will also include ideas for breakthrough breast cancer research that were developed by teams of experts who used “Identifying Gaps in Breast Cancer Research” as a starting point.

California Breast Cancer Research Program brochure: An overview of the CBCRP, our philosophy, and opportunities to get involved. The brochure is available in English and Spanish.

Further Methods of Sharing Research
Scientific Presentations at Conferences: The CBCRP and CBCRP-funded researchers present research results at scientific conferences. During 2008, the CBCRP gave presentations at the international meeting of the American Association of Cancer Researchers and the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Association on the Program’s Special Research Initiatives and the methods used to develop the research questions for the initiatives. The CBCRP also gave presentations on community based participatory research at the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations.

E-Newsletter: The CBCRP’s email newsletter gives subscribers timely announcements of funding opportunities, early notification of new research resources and breast cancer conferences, and avenues to stay involved, informed, and active in the fight against breast cancer. It is distributed to over 2,000 stakeholders each month.

Expressions: The Art of Healing Breast Cancer: The CBCRP owns a collection of wearable breast art created by California artists to reflect on the breast cancer epidemic. The entire collection is on exhibit at CBCRP symposia. During 2008, portions of Expressions: the Art of Healing Breast Cancer were displayed, along with the CBCRP’s exhibit, at scientific meetings. An art catalog of this collection is available online at the CBCRP Web site.

Exhibits at Scientific and Community Meetings: The CBCRP presented displays of the Program’s work at a number of scientific and community meetings during 2008. The meetings included:

Serving the Media: The CBCRP does regular outreach to the media about the Program and about CBCRP-funded research projects that are of interest to the general public. When reporters from TV, newspapers, magazines, or other media need information on breast cancer research, the CBCRP links them with the appropriate experts.

Speakers and Educational Bureau: When community organizations want speakers on breast cancer research for meetings and public events, the CBCRP provides referrals from the Program’s network of researchers and advocates. The Program also refers research experts to teach continuing education classes for healthcare professionals.