The News|Politics of Breast Cancer

October 24, 2000

Concerned about breast health? Read what renowned author Dr. Susan Love and Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition had to say about the politics of breast cancer.

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Women.com: Hello and Welcome to our chat with Dr. Susan Love and Fran Visco. Love is an author, surgeon, researcher, activist and mother. Visco is president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, a lawyer, activist, mother and breast cancer survivor. Welcome Susan and Fran!

Fran: Welcome, thank you very much, I'm very happy to be here, and I'm also pleased that we will have a chance to discuss breast cancer as a political issue. The National Breast Cancer Coalition, a 500 member organizations has been working very hard over the past ten years to raise the awareness of breast cancer as a political issue. So I'm pleased to be here with one of the founders of the Coalition, Dr. Susan Love.

Susan: Thank you Fran, it's a pleasure to be here, particularly as we are heading into a very important election, that has ramifications in the breast cancer world as well as in the greater world.

Mom4Us: How did the breast cancer advocacy movement start?

Fran: Well, there were a number of women across the country who saw the success of the AIDS movement, and understood the important of bringing political action to the fight against breast cancer. Susan Love was particularly positioned to bring the word across the country. She was going across the country on a book tour for "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book," which is a bible for women with breast cancer. And she was on her book tour and talked about breast cancer as a political issue, and got an incredible response from women in areas like Salt Lake City, where you wouldn't expect to have that many activists.

Susan: Much to my amazement!

Fran: And Susan Love worked with Susan Hester of the Mautner Project for Lesbians with Cancer, and Amy Langer of NABCO, Sharon Green of Why Me, and a number of other women, to bring together advocacy organizations from across the country to speak about eradicating breast cancer. And that was really the beginning of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, and organized political advocacy in the fight against breast cancer.

Susan: It was one of those things where the timing was exactly right. And there was a growing need for a different kind of voice on breast cancer. And, I was just a catalyst who threw a match into the pile, and it took off.

Shelby: What are some of the biggest political barriers to eradicating breast cancer?

Fran: I think the biggest political barrier is the pink ribbon mentality. The idea that resolutions and simply raising awareness about breast cancer is enough. What we have had to do is educate women and men, the policymakers, that there are very complex difficult issues that have to be dealt with to eradicate breast cancer, and pink ribbons and stamps are not enough.

Susan: What would you say, Fran, would be an important first step? So if it's not raising awareness, what is a positive thing people can do?

Fran: People need to get involved politically; we've launched a campaign called "Make Breast Cancer History, Vote!" And we are looking to collect 1 million pledges from voters that when they go into the voting booth they will keep in mind a candidate's positions on very substantive issues and the six priorities of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. The priorities are increased funding for the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research program, which to date has brought about more than one billion new dollars for quality research; the CDC Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, which we were successful in getting enacted into law this week, which will provide care for underserved women; laws that increase access to clinical trials; laws that protect against genetic discrimination in employment, and also in health insurance; and finally, a meaningful patient bill of rights. But anyone can help by becoming politically active through the National Breast Cancer Coalition. Through political action, we have brought about more money for breast cancer research than any run, race, any private foundation has ever done, and we've brought about policies that bring meaningful access to care for all women.

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