Welcome
On behalf of the Breast Cancer Research Program staff and Council, as well as the University of California, I am honored to welcome you to the 1999 California Breast Cancer Research Symposium.
The California Breast Cancer Research Program arose as a constructive expression of the anger and frustration of women with breast cancer. It was conceived of and developed through the energy, wisdom, and dreams of women that resulted from their experience with breast cancer. And their vision was that advocates' voices should be heard in all aspects of the Program.
I believe that health sciences research is moving towards a new paradigm — one in which partnerships between experts and lay people will become more commonplace and in which advocates, activists and community members will play a much more active role in decision-making and priority-setting. We have seen such a transformation in the practice of medicine — a previous paternalistic approach to medicine has been virtually replaced by a model in which the health care provider and the patient are seen as partners with equal roles in preserving and maintaining health. One of the goals of the California Breast Cancer Research Program is stimulate similar partnerships in breast cancer research. The Symposium is an opportunity to create these partnerships.
Our hope is that by creating this opportunity for activists, scientists, and all individuals concerned about breast cancer to hear the latest in progress from the innovative research funded by the Breast Cancer Research Program, you will interact with, and learn from, each other and expand your understanding of the breadth of breast cancer research.
The Plenary Panel arises from CBCRP's commitment to ensure that the research funded by the Program not only increases knowledge, but is also translated into public health practice. In this panel presentation, the most current knowledge about avenues to breast cancer prevention will be discussed from the perspective of actions we all can take today.
While the losses to breast cancer that we all continue to witness can discourage and anger us, I believe that we will all leave this Symposium with an appreciation of the progress being made and with renewed vigor for the work we each do to end the tragedy of breast cancer.
