Living Beyond Breast Cancer Awarded Federal Grant for Programs Serving Young Women affected by Breast Cancer

Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) is pleased to announce it will receive a five-year $1.8 million cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to fund its Young Women’s Initiative, which provides dedicated programs and services for women under the age of 45 diagnosed with breast cancer.

This is the third consecutive cooperative agreement LBBC has received from the CDC for this program. The cooperative agreement is entitled Multiple Approaches to Support Young Breast Cancer Survivors and Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients and will begin on Sept. 30, 2019, and end on Sept. 29, 2024.  With this funding, LBBC will maintain and expand many of the programs it has developed in recent years.  These programs include the:

• Survivorship Series for Young Women, a four-part patient education series for young women, which is held at selected cancer centers by LBBC trained nurse navigators;
• Young Advocate Program, which trains young women to use their personal experience with breast cancer to make a difference in their communities by raising awareness, further their understanding of the disease, and connect other young women to resources and support; and
• Parenting program that provides reading materials and age-appropriate information to help children understand their parent’s diagnosis, and facilitate family communication.

"Living Beyond Breast Cancer is very proud to receive this cooperative agreement funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This funding and support from the CDC has allowed us to create materials that reflect the reality of the breast cancer experience for young women while also creating a community where they can find support," said Jean Sachs, MSS, MLSP, the organization’s CEO.  "We educate and support over 100,000 young women annually with our programs."

"A diagnosis of breast cancer before age 45 is never something a woman plans for or expects to happen. Over the last eight years, LBBC has been able to develop programs and services that help young women feel more informed and less alone as they navigate the medical and psychosocial impacts of this challenging disease. We are thrilled to be able to build on LBBC’s work with this new cooperative agreement." said Arin Ahlum Hanson, MPH, Associate Director of Outreach and Partnerships, who has led and managed LBBC’s Young Women’s Initiative since its founding in 2011. LBBC was first awarded a three year agreement of funding for young women in 2011 and a five year agreement in 2014.

In this next phase of program development, LBBC will work in partnership with other nonprofit organizations to reach more young women with early stage or metastatic breast cancer, and young women who live in under-resourced communities. New programs include a text-message based information and support program tailored to a young woman’s needs after a diagnosis of breast cancer, enhanced interactive online content, and expanded training for healthcare providers on how to address the unique needs of young women impacted by breast cancer.

About Living Beyond Breast Cancer: 

Living Beyond Breast Cancer is a national nonprofit organization that provides all people affected by breast cancer with a trusted source of information and a community of support. Through a national medical advisory board of leading oncologists and health care providers, LBBC delivers evidence-based information both in person and online to more than 600,000 women and men each year. A 4-star Charity Navigator organization for 14 consecutive years, the highest ranking possible, due to a commitment to excellent programs and outreach coupled with responsible financial management. For more information, visit LBBC.ORG or call (855) 807-6386.