Foundation for Breast Cancer Care
Foundation for Breast Cancer Care (FFBCC) (2013 - 2023).
Originally named ‘Breast Surgeons Foundation’, this registered health charity based in Australia was formed in 2013 as part of the strategy of the newly established Breast Surgeons Society of Australia and New Zealand (BreastSurgANZ)[1]. Its role was as an independent philanthropic entity for aligned Breast Cancer Projects, reflecting its surgical origin. It was involved in successful fundraising, attracted sponsorship, and launched projects which reflected its causes. The COVID-19 pandemic limited the possibilities for community fundraising, causing the discontinuance of the Foundation.
The projects funded were in health promotion relating to Breast Cancer in Australia, matching the causes of the organization, and resulting in scientific papers in cancer immunology, quality assurance and indigenous health:
- Better outcomes for marginalized women
- Surgery to preserve body shape
- Chemotherapy before surgery
- World’s Best Practice
Fundraising and Sponsorship
After initial seed funding from BreastSurgANZ, successful fundraising events were held
- FFBCC Inaugural Gala Ball, Gold Coast 2014
- FFBCC Wagga Wagga Gala “Black and White with a Splash of Pink” 2015
- Castellorizian Ladies Cancer Lunch NSW 2015[2]
- Karlangu Aboriginal Art Centre 2016
- LORBEK and Thornton and Associates 2016[3]
- Ms Allison Fairbairn Private Function 2017
- Dr Annette Tyson and Dr John Evans Private Function, Bundaberg
Sponsorship
Apart from specific community fundraising, other philanthropic organizations donate part of the proceeds of their annual events to the Foundation. This ranged from novels, to campdrafting, to post-mastectomy fashions.
- Ms Lee Kim Proceeds of Novel "Dusty Pink" 2017
- Classic Ladies Foundation Campdrafting event at Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre 2019[4]
- Deb Elliott Memorial Pink Cutting Campdrafting Event Tatura, Victoria 2019[5]
- Erilan Post - Mastectomy Fashion 2020 - 2023[6]
Projects Funded
These reflected a focus on producing Quality Assurance indicators of the Breast Cancer Surgery, Preserving Body Shape via Neoadjuvant therapies by increasing the consequent rates of Breast Conservation therapy, and support for Indigenous and Rural, High Quality Performance Indicators communities. Quality assurance came in the form of KPIs for surgeons. Preserving body shape was provided by the promotion of neo-adjuvant therapies for breast cancer. Marginalized women, in the form of rural and Indigenous were served by innovative “co-designed” engagement of Aboriginal health Care workers in indigenous communities. The last of these three gained widespread recognition with the presentation of original research at National and International meetings.
- World's Best Practice
High Quality Performance Indicators for Surgery[7] Summarizing world's best surgical practice, these measurable outcomes included the immediate breast reconstruction rates >40%, breast conservation rates for small (T1) tumours >70%, neoadjuvant chemotherapy for women <40 years old > 15%.
- Chemotherapy Before Surgery, Preserving Body Shape
Early detection, training in Oncoplastic breast surgical techniques and higher rates of systemic therapy before surgery have all been shown to increase breast conservation rates. Reconstruction after a necessary mastectomy also preserves body shape. All of these causes were promoted by the foundation. In particular, bench research into neoadjuvant therapies was partly funded by competitive grant, looking at the complex interplay of the immune system in tumour biology:
- Marginalized Women
The foundation partly funded a PhD Scholarship in Aboriginal health, through Dr Vita Christie and the Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research and Education, Macquarie University. The project included a co-designed health worker-led health provision in the Armajun Aboriginal Health service around Armidale in New South Wales. Five separate articles have been published from this work:
- What is the evidence globally for culturally safe strategies to improve breast cancer outcomes for indigenous women in high income countries? A systematic review.[9]
- Improving breast cancer outcomes for Aboriginal women: a mixed-methods study protocol.[10]
- Does breast cancer policy meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Australia? a review.[11]
- “Everyone needs a Deb”: what Australian indigenous women say about breast cancer screening and treatment services.[12]
- Improving Breast Cancer Outcomes for Indigenous Women in Australia.[13]
Membership
Board (Pro bono)
- Chris Pyke PhD FRACS Chair ( 2014 – 2023)
- James Kollias MD FRACS (2014 – 2015)
- Chantel Thornton FRACS (2014 – 2020)
- Melanie Noden LLB (2014 – 2016)
- Karen Alexander MBA Secretary (2014 – 2023)
- Nick Karagiannis LLB (2014 – 2023)
- Vince Lagana FCPA (2014 – 2023)
- Ross O'Shea PSM (2017 – 2023)
- Lynette Riley PhD (2022 – 2023)
- Diane Harapin OAM, Secretariat (2014- 2017)
Ambassadors
The Ambassadors supported the Foundation through their presence at their many fundraising events and through their reputation:
- Evonne Cawley AC MBE
- Alice Tait OAM
- Heather Mitchell AM
- John Mangos
Other Significant Pro Bono Contributors
- HWLE, Adelaide Office – Legal Counsel
- Bongiornos NSW – Accounting and Financial Services
- John Viljoen PhD - Strategic Planning[14]
- Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, University of Sydney
- Kylie Gwynne PhD
- Uncle Boe Rambaldini
- Deborah Cheung FRACS
- Deb Green – Armajun Aboriginal Health Service
- Ann Louise Tolman
- David Littlejohn FRACS
- Sie Kitts Photography
- Jan Pyke[15]
References
- ↑ Surgeons of Australia and New Zealand, Breast. "BreastSurgANZ". BreastSurgANZ.
- ↑ Castellorizian, Ladies. "Castellorizian Association NSW". Castellorizian Association NSW.
- ↑ "Lorbek and Thornton".
- ↑ "Landmark Classic". Classic Ladies. Classic Ladies Foundation. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ↑ Elliott, Deb. "Deb Elliott Memorial Pink Cutting Event". Select Sires. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ↑ Fashion, Erilan Post-Mastectomy. "Post-Mastectomy Fashion". Erilan. Erin. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ↑ Salindera, S (Jun 2020). "What are the appropriate thresholds for High Quality Performance Indicators for breast surgery in Australia and New Zealand?". Breast. 51: 94–101. doi:10.1016/j.breast.2020.01.007. PMC 7375651 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 32252005 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Koirala, Rhiannon (2015). "Targeting the Immune System for Cancer Therapy: Lessons for Perioperative Management?". Curr Anesthesiol Rep. 5 (September): 257. doi:10.1007/s40140-015-0111-z.
- ↑ Christie, Vita (2021). "What Is the Evidence Globally for Culturally Safe Strategies to Improve Breast Cancer Outcomes for Indigenous Women in High Income Countries? A Systematic Review". Int J Environ Res Public Health. 18 (11): 6073. doi:10.3390/ijerph18116073. PMC 8200222 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 34199955 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Christie, Vita (2022). "Improving breast cancer outcomes for Aboriginal women: a mixed-methods study protocol". BMJ Open. 12 (1): e048003. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-048003. PMC 8788241 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 35074807 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Christie, Vita (2023). "Does breast cancer policy meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Australia? a review". Int J Equity Health. 22 (1): 129. doi:10.1186/s12939-023-01941-3. PMC 10324194 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 37408069 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Christie, Vita (2023). ""Everyone needs a Deb": what Australian indigenous women say about breast cancer screening and treatment services". BMC Health Serv Res. 23 (1): 672. doi:10.1186/s12913-023-09633-y. PMC 10283162 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 37344905 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Christie, Vita (2024). "Improving Breast Cancer Outcomes for Indigenous Women in Australia". Cancers (Basel). 16 (9): 1736. doi:10.3390/cancers16091736. PMC 11083011 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 38730687 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Viljoen, John. "Strategic Planning". Dexis.com. Dexis. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
- ↑ Pyke, Jan. "Audio Description at IMA". Institute of Modern Art. IMA. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
This article "Foundation for Breast Cancer Care" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Foundation for Breast Cancer Care. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
