What is Michigan Breast Cancer Coalition (MiBCC)?
MiBCC is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to persuading lawmakers to do everything possible to end breast cancer, including to support research funding that focuses on how to prevent breast cancer morbidity and mortality.
- Educate: To be an effective advocate, one needs to be educated about breast cancer.
- Advocate: To increase our access, credibility, and influence with lawmakers, we need members and advocates from every Michigan district.
- Eradicate: Together, we can ensure that our nation’s limited research dollars are leveraged to identify promising new opportunities, tools, technologies and ideas to end breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in women in the US, and Michigan counties have some of the highest breast cancer incidence rates in the country.
See a map of breast cancer incidence rates in every Michigan County
On Saturday, February 24, 2024, from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM ET., the Program for Breast Cancer in Young Adults will be hosting their 2nd Annual Young Breast Cancer Symposium to address the unique challenges that young adult breast cancer survivors and metastatic thrivers face.
As advocates, our primary objective is to champion the passage of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act. This crucial legislation is designed to remove waiting periods for Medicare and Social Security benefits for eligible individuals dealing with metastatic breast cancer. While Senator Debbie Stabenow has been instrumental in these efforts, we urge you to contact Gary Peters and encourage him to co-sponsor the bill at 202-224-6221 or senator@peters.senate.gov. Your proactive engagement has the potential to bring about positive change in this important cause.
MiBCC is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to persuading lawmakers to make decisions that support the ending of breast cancer.
Join the Michigan Breast Cancer Coalition!
Take your hereditary cancer knowledge and friendships to the next level in the city of brotherly love for the 14th annual Joining FORCEs Against Hereditary Cancer Conference, which is the largest international gathering designed to empower individuals and families facing hereditary cancer.
An important part of cancer care is understanding Advance Care Planning. This involves taking steps to ensure goals, values, religious, and cultural beliefs are known to loved ones and the health care team in the event of a medical crisis or serious illness where an individual cannot advocate for themselves.
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This virtual event will feature two panels of survivors and thrivers sharing their personal experiences navigating cancer as a young adult. The keynote session will be about navigating the mental health obstacles of a cancer diagnosis. Symposium breakout sessions will cover various topics, including young breast cancer risk, navigating insurance and legal challenges, parenting with cancer, clinical trials, and more.
This symposium is FREE and open to ALL, offering learning opportunities tailored towards survivors, thrivers, community health workers, health care professionals, and anyone interested in learning more about breast cancer!
FREE continuing education credits for physicians (CME), nurses, social workers, and community health workers have been applied for. Approval is currently pending with more information to come! Certificates of attendance will also be available for all attendees upon request.
Feel free to share this learning opportunity with anyone that you think may be interested!
Register HERE: Young Breast Cancer Symposium - February 24, 2024 www.eventsquid.com/event.cfm?event_id=23068
Our group of dedicated advocates offers a voice for the women and men in our state to make available funding focused on research to end breast cancer. Make our voice louder by visiting www.mibcc.org.
#MIBCC #endbreastcancer
To actively support MiBCC, the best approach is to engage with Michigan lawmakers through both phone calls and emails. We will help you when you sign up to 'Become A Member' at www.mibcc.org.
Whether you are a survivor, previvor, caregiver or healthcare provider, Joining FORCEs is a golden opportunity to learn about the latest hereditary cancer information and research, while connecting with others sharing similar experiences. This will be our first time meeting in person since our 2018 conference, so you won’t want to miss it!
This year’s sessions will cover a variety of topics, including:
• Cancer risks, screening and prevention for different mutation types
• Targeted and immunotherapy cancer treatment
• Benefits of exercise, acupuncture, yoga and herbal therapies
• The latest in ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, endometrial, breast, and colorectal cancer treatment
• Options for breast reconstruction or going flat
• Early onset menopause management
• Talking about your mutation with children and family members
• Resources and self-care for caregivers
• Many more
With dozens of sessions to choose from and networking opportunities to participate in, knowledge will be gained and friendships will be made. We know this year’s conference is going to be our best yet. We hope you will join us!
Register at www.facingourrisk.org/conference.
Please email conference@facingourrisk.org with any questions you many have.
Key parts of advance care planning include:
• Conversations with family and friends
• Conversations with health care providers
• Documentation of personal wishes with an advance directive
Advance directives are documents that provide an idea of the treatments an individual would like to receive in the event of a medical emergency. The documents also provide a place to list a health care proxy. Advance directives can be changed or deleted at any time. Advance care planning is not just the completion of a form, but an ongoing process with family, friends, and your health care team about your wishes, changing health, and any updates that need to happen.
Sources:
Making Future Plans with Advanced Cancer - www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/advanced-cancer/planning
NCI and Cancer and Advance Care Planning | Advance Directives www.cancercare.org/publications/268-advance_care_planning_be_prepared
For more information on Advance Care Planning, check out the resources below:
• CancerCare– Advance Care Planning: Be Prepared media.cancercare.org/publications/original/268-fs_advance_care.pdf
• Cancer.net– Advanced Cancer Care Planning www.cancer.net/sites/cancer.net/files/advanced_cancer_care_planning.pdf
• National Institute on Aging – Advance Care Planning - Health Care Directives www.nia.nih.gov/health/advance-care-planning/advance-care-planning-advance-directives-health-care
Take Action!
Become A Member
Join Us! We invite you to become a member. Help us in our mission to see an end to breast cancer.
Get To Know Your Lawmakers
Help persuade your lawmakers to pass legislation that increases breast cancer research funding.
Donate
Michigan Breast Cancer Coalition gratefully accepts donations through our secure portal.
