Taxpayer Contributions Fund Breast Cancer Research
Tax check-off donations fund studies that help underserved people and under-researched areas
February 22, 2007—Oakland, CA—Few California taxpayers know that they can support breast cancer research that focuses specifically on the needs of California women and men. State Income Tax Form series 540 allows voluntary tax check-off contributions. Contributions to the Breast Cancer Research Fund go directly to the California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP), which is one of the largest breast cancer research funding agencies in the US. Since 1993, the CBCRP has funded over $174 million in 725 grants to 89 institutions across the state for research that focuses on innovative methods of preventing, detecting, and treating breast cancer.
Tax check-off contributions support studies that focus on underserved population groups and under-researched areas. These are unique studies that other funding agencies might hesitate to support, like finding ways to prevent cancer using natural agents like mushrooms and broccoli; searching for links between environmental factors and breast cancer risk; or accessing breast cancer services in remote areas.
Examples of research funded by tax check-off contributions:
- Drs. Thea Tlsty and Stefanie Jeffrey (UCSF and Stanford University) have been identifying genetic changes in specialized breast cells called fibroblasts that predict which pre-cancerous lesions will eventually form tumors.
- Dr. Barbara Berman and Heidi Kleiger (UCLA and the Greater Los Angeles Council on Deafness) are working together to develop breast cancer and breast health programs that are more accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing women, a population that is often overlooked in health access services.
“Every donation counts,” says Mhel Kavanaugh-Lynch, M.D., M.P.H., director of the California Breast Cancer Research Program. “If every California tax-payer contributed even one dollar to the fund, we would more than double our ability to fund cutting-edge research.”
More information about Tax Check-off contributions can be found at www.endbreastcancer.org.
About the CBCRP
The mission of the California Breast Cancer Research Program is to eliminate
breast cancer by leading innovation in research, communication, and collaboration
in the California scientific and lay communities.
Created by the State Legislature in 1993, the California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP) is the largest state-funded breast cancer research program in the nation and is administered by the University of California, Office of the President. To date, the CBCRP has awarded 725 grants to 89 scientific institutions and community entities, totaling more than $174 million for research in California to prevent, treat, and cure breast cancer. Grants from the CBCRP fill gaps not traditionally funded by other research programs to jump-start new areas of investigation that push the boundaries of research and foster new collaborations. The CBCRP is funded through the voluntary tax check-off program on personal income tax form 540, a portion of the state tobacco tax, and individual contributions. For more information call 888 313-2277, or visit www.cbcrp.org.
