Please Join Us!

VBCF will host the 2nd Annual More Than a Pink Ribbon Awards and 30th Anniversary Commemoration event virtually on Friday, October 1, at 11:30 am. This event will kick off breast cancer awareness month and honor leaders in Virginia who are making a difference in the lives of those impacted by this disease. 

Our 2021 More Than A Pink Ribbon Awardees are:

Congressman A. Donald McEachin
Legislative Impact Award

Cheryl Tankersley, Planet Hair
Community Impact Award

Dr. David Trent
Sherry Kohlenberg Lifetime Achievement in Healthcare Award

VBCF is especially grateful to our Hero Presenting Sponsor - Exact Sciences - for making this event possible and our Champion Sponsor - Virginia Cancer Institute. 
Special Thanks to:
WIN A DIAMOND NECKLACE FROM DIAMONDS DIRECT!
This beautiful 14 karat white gold diamond cluster pendant was donated by Diamond’s Direct at Short Pump. The necklace features 3 brilliant round cut diamonds and is valued at $750.

To enter the raffle, make a donation of at least $30 in honor of VBCF’s 30 years of service to Virginians. Make a donation by midnight on October 1 to be entered into the raffle drawing.
Revisiting Genetic Testing – An Update
An August 17th article from the New York Times detailed the risk of having a genetic mutation linked to breast cancer–not BRCA1 or BRCA2, but PALB2. The BRCA1 and 2 mutations are still major players when it comes to breast cancer risk, but a mutated PALB2 gene can increase someone’s risk of breast cancer anywhere from 5-9 times, depending on age. For example, for a woman of average risk, the risk of developing breast cancer before the age of 50 is about 1.5%. With a PALB2 mutation, it’s about 14%. The PALB2 connection to breast cancer was discovered in 2014 and has been frequently researched since then, but there is concern that some who had BRCA mutation testing early on have not yet been tested for this mutation. Though there is now a push to monitor people with this mutation similarly to how those with BRCA are monitored, genetic testing for PALB2 still requires a copay even with significant family history while BRCA testing has no copay. 
The Results Are In - OUT National Cancer Survey
At the end of June, the National LGBT Cancer Center released the first summary of results from its OUT: National Cancer Survey, a survey of over 2,700 LGBTQI+ cancer survivors in the United States. LGBTQI+ cancer survivors are an under-researched group, and at least for breast cancer, they can also be disproportionately affected by the disease.
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