The Breast Cancer Fund's Mission

In response to the public health crisis of breast cancer, the Breast Cancer Fund identifies — and advocates for elimination of — the environmental and other preventable causes of the disease.


Our Vision

As a result of our work, we envision a world in which:

We live without fear of losing our breasts or our lives as a result of what we’ve eaten, touched or breathed because the environmental causes of breast cancer have been identified and eliminated. 

Most breast cancer can be prevented, while safe detection and treatment of the disease are the standard and available to all.

We have succeeded in informing and mobilizing a public that is unrelenting and holds government and business accountable for contaminating our bodies and our environment.

Public policy protects our health and is guided by the principle that credible evidence of harm rather than proof of harm is sufficient to mandate policy changes in the public’s best interest.

We have done justice to the women whose struggle and dedication inspired our resolve.

Our History: A Timeline of Accomplishments

2009
• The Breast Cancer Fund worked with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., to introduce the Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network Act in the House in July. The legislation would create a national program to combine data from disease registries, environmental pollution reporting and biomonitoring programs to help us understand the links between diseases like breast cancer and pollution in our environment.

• We worked closely with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., on the Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2009, introduced in March. The bill would ban the estrogenic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from all food and beverage containers. Throughout 2009, the Breast Cancer Fund helped lead efforts to convince manufacturers to stop using BPA, educate the public about its risks, and help legislators craft strong protections for American families.

• The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a project of the Breast Cancer Fund, uncovered two chemicals linked to cancer — formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane — hiding in popular baby shampoos and other cosmetics for kids. Our March release of the accompanying report, No More Toxic Tub, prompted an international outcry, and news articles appeared in hundreds of media outlets worldwide. In direct response to the report, Sen. Kristin Gillibrand, D-N.Y., introduced the Safe Baby Products Act, which directs the FDA to investigate and regulate hazardous contaminants in children’s personal care products cosmetics.

• A peer-reviewed version of the Breast Cancer Fund’s landmark report, State of the Evidence: The Connection Between Breast Cancer and the Environment, was published in the January issue of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health. It’s the first time the publication has been included in a journal, and included both the science and policy portions of the report.

2008
• California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs into law two bills that will protect state residents from hazardous chemicals in an array of consumer goods. These bills (AB 1879 and SB 509) give the state authority to monitor the use of chemicals in everyday products and create a public, online database of information about these chemicals. The legislation will also design a process to evaluate and, if necessary, regulate chemicals of concern in consumer products. Environmental and public health advocates see passage of these bills as having the potential to transform the way California deals with toxic chemicals.

• In a major victory for parents and public health advocates, President George W. Bush signs into law the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, including an amendment banning six toxic phthalates from children's toys and childcare articles. The Breast Cancer Fund leads efforts to include and pass the phthalate amendment, which builds on the organization's work to pass similar state laws in both California and Washington. The federal law requires that childcare products and children’s toys sold in the United States after February 2009 be free of specific chemical plasticizers called phthalates, which contribute to breast cancer risk.

• Along with our partners in Washington's Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition, the Breast Cancer Fund supports the successful passage and signing of the Children’s Safe Products Act (E2SHB 2647). The law gives Washington the nation’s strongest standards for three toxic chemicals – lead, cadmium and phthalates – in toys and other children’s products. It also requires manufacturers to report whether their products contain other chemicals that are harmful to children’s health; Washington is the first state in the nation to require this type of disclosure.

• The fifth edition of State of the Evidence: The Connection Between Breast Cancer and the Environment, edited by Janet Gray, Ph.D., is published. From more than 400 epidemiological and experimental studies, the report summarizes the evidence linking carcinogenic chemicals, radiation, hormones and endocrine-disrupting compounds to increased risk of breast cancer. The body of evidence reveals a complex web of causation, in which timing, mixtures and dose of environmental exposures interact with genes and lifestyle factors. State of the Evidence 2008 also includes recommendations for policy and research solutions to reduce exposures and help end the breast cancer epidemic.

2007
• The Breast Cancer Fund commissions ecologist and author Sandra Steingraber to write The Falling Age of Puberty in U.S. Girls: What We Know, What We Need to Know — the first comprehensive review of the literature on the timing of puberty — to help us better understand this phenomenon so we can protect our daughters’ health. Early puberty is a known risk factor for breast cancer and other mental and physical health problems, and is influenced by a combination of factors, including obesity, environmental chemicals, inactivity, premature birth, formula feeding and more. The report and an accompanying advocate's guide outline personal and political actions to reverse the trend.

• In partnership with Luna Bar, the Breast Cancer Fund launches the Pure Prevention campaign, aimed at inspiring women to ask, act and live to reduce their risk of breast cancer. The campaign introduces the concept of environmental links to breast cancer by focusing on five simple tips for healthier living, including creating a healthy home, eating smart, choosing safe cosmetics, getting outside and joining the Pure Prevention campaign.

• The Breast Cancer Fund supports the introduction of The Coordinated Environmental Public Health Network Act of 2007, introduced simultaneously by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in the House and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) in the Senate. This groundbreaking bill would examine the links between exposure to environmental contaminants increasing rates of breast cancer and other diseases.

• California becomes the first state in the nation to protect children from toxic toys by banning dangerous chemicals called phthalates, thanks to legislation co-sponsored by the Breast Cancer Fund and Environment California and authored by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco). Signed into law by Gov. Schwarzenegger in October,the Toxic Toys Bill (AB 1108) requires that all child care products and children’s toys sold in California are free of chemical plasticizers called phthalates starting in January 2009. Scientists worldwide have linked phthalates to lowered sperm counts, early onset of puberty, testicular cancer and liver problems. The ban is considered a model for other states.

2006
• The California Environmental Contaminant Biomonitoring Program, the nation's first statewide effort to measure human exposure to toxic chemicals linked to diseases such as cancer and asthma, is signed by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Breast Cancer Fund and co-sponsor Commonweal worked for four years to establish the program, which will measure the "pollution in people" by analyzing blood, urine and other biospecimens for the presence of toxic chemicals. The bill, SB 1379, was authored by Senate President pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) and Sen. Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento).

• Along with other founding members of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the Breast Cancer Fund helps convince leading salon nail polish manufacturer OPI to remove the most toxic ingredients from its nail polishes and treatments. The company announced in August that it will no longer use dibutyl phthalate in any of its products, followed by an announcement several months later that it will no longer use toluene in any of its products, and will remove formaldehyde from all polishes and most nail treatments. Several other nail polish manufacturers follow suit. OPI had been a target of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics since a March 2006 meeting during which OPI company executives refused to remove formaldehyde, toluene and DBP from products. Since then, OPI had been the object of more than 75 protests in dozens of cities and an advertising campaign that spoofed the brand's quirky shade names.

• In January, the Breast Cancer Fund and Breast Cancer Action publish the fourth edition of the landmark report, State of the Evidence: What Is the Connection Between the Environment and Breast Cancer? According to the report, as many as 50 percent of breast cancer cases remain unexplained by either genetics or lifestyle factors, such as a woman’s age at her first full-term pregnancy or alcohol consumption. Instead, the report points to some of the 100,000 synthetic chemicals in use today as contributing to the development of breast cancer, either by altering hormone function or gene expression. The report also identifies radiation exposure, such as that from X-rays and CT scans, as the “longest-established environmental cause of breast cancer.” This peer-reviewed report analyzes nearly 350 scientific studies on environmental links to breast cancer.

2005
• California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signs into law two of the four bills sponsored by the Breast Cancer Fund in 2005. In a landmark advance for the safety of cosmetics products, the governor signs SB 484, the Cosmetics Safety Act of 2005, bringing additional scrutiny to an industry accustomed to only minimal oversight. The chemical and cosmetic industries both vigorously oppose the bill despite evidence linking chemical ingredients in cosmetics to breast cancer. The governor also signs a radiation safety bill, AB 929, establishing quality and testing standards to make sure that patients receive the lowest possible dose of radiation without compromising image quality. Prior to this victory, X-ray equipment is only tested once every four to six years according to the state Department of Health Services and may overexpose patients to ionizing radiation, a known breast carcinogen.

• Seeking to prevent harm before it happens, the City of San Francisco passes a groundbreaking Precautionary Principle Purchasing Ordinance, which requires the city to weigh the environmental and health costs of its $600 million in annual purchases – for everything from cleaning supplies to computers. The Breast Cancer Fund, as part of the Bay Area Working Group on the Precautionary Principle, help bring this to fruition.

• As a founding member of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, the Breast Cancer Fund targets manufacturers that use known or suspected carcinogens, mutagens and reproductive toxins in personal care products, and pressures them to replace these ingredients with safe alternatives. Two industry leaders, L'Oreal and Revlon, take a first step by agreeing to reformulate globally to comply with European Union safety standards for cosmetics. More than 200 companies go several steps further by signing the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to remove chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, reproductive harm and other health effects from their products.

2004
• The Breast Cancer Fund sponsors the Healthy Californians Biomonitoring Program legislation, authored by California State Senator Deborah Ortiz, to create the first statewide biomonitoring program in the nation. The legislation attracts worldwide media attention about “the pollution in people” and the effect of environmental toxins on health.

• Following in the footsteps of those that climbed Mt. Aconcagua, Mt. Fuji, Mt. McKinley and Mt. Shasta, Breast Cancer Fund's fifth Climb Against the Odds mountain climbing expedition assembles a team of 24 breast cancer survivors and others affected by the disease in northern California to take on 14,162-foot Mt. Shasta.

2003
• Following a two-year struggle with brain cancer, the Breast Cancer Fund founder Andrea Ravinett Martin passes away at age 57.  She is survived by her daughter Mather Martin and her husband Richard Gelernter.

• The efforts of the Breast Cancer Fund and members of the Bay Area Working Group on the Precautionary Principle secure adoption of the Precautionary Principle by the City of San Francisco, establishing the first program of its kind in the United States.

• The Breast Cancer Fund launches Caminos Hacia La Prevencion, a series of three Spanish language brochures to help prevent breast cancer in the Latina community.  Within the first year, over 12,000 brochures were distributed to health clinics, ethnic health providers, and other service and advocacy groups.

• Climb Against the Odds: Celebrating Survival on the Mountain is published.  The book, written by the Breast Cancer Fund and Mary Pappenfuss, documents the stories and experiences of the inspiring men and women who have taken part in the BCF’s mountain climbs.

• The fourth Climb Against the Odds team attempts to summit Mt. Shasta in northern California, raising over $665,000 in support of the Breast Cancer Fund.

• The Breast Cancer Fund initiates the Andrea Ravinett Martin Strong Voices Leadership Development Program to help participants enhance their own leadership abilities to become advocates for breast cancer prevention.  The program creates a nationwide network of individuals willing to share their stories and inspire others to take action against breast cancer.

2002
• The Breast Cancer Fund and Breast Cancer Action publish the report State of the Evidence: What is the Connection Between Chemicals and Breast Cancer? summarizing the evidence linking toxins in the environment to breast cancer. The BCF continues to release updated versions of the report on an annual basis.

• The Breast Cancer Fund initiates the first International Summit on Breast Cancer and the Environment, sponsored by UC Berkeley and funded by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), drawing together researchers, advocates and community members to recommend breast cancer research and policy initiatives. Read the summit report here.

• The Breast Cancer Fund organizes the Informational Hearings on Breast Cancer and the Environment for the California legislature, resulting in the promised sponsorship of the Healthy Californians Biomonitoring Bill.

• The Breast Cancer Fund and Shanti establish the LifeLines program to provide meals, transportation, emergency funds, in-home care and other services to low-income and uninsured women with breast cancer.  The program is the first of its kind.

2001
• After facing a third cancer diagnosis of brain cancer, Andrea Martin passes the torch to Jeanne Rizzo to assume leadership of the Breast Cancer Fund as executive director.

• The Breast Cancer Fund adopts the mission of identifying – and advocating for elimination of – the environmental and other preventable causes of the disease.

2000
• The Obsessed with Breasts public awareness ad campaign appears on Bay Area bus shelters.  The shocking campaign of models with mastectomy scars asks, “Society is obsessed with breasts, but what are we doing about breast cancer?” and ignites public discussion around the world.

• The Breast Cancer Fund's third major mountain climb, Climb Against the Odds ~ Mt. Fuji, brings together 79 American and 400 Japanese climbers to raise nearly $1 million.

1999
• The Breast Cancer Fund works with legislators to increase the budget for the CDC’s Environmental Health Laboratory to identify the environmental causes of breast cancer.  The efforts result in President Bill Clinton raising the funding level from $7 million to $21 million for 1999.

• "Climb Against the Odds," an award-winning documentary film chronicling the experiences and events of the Breast Cancer Fund's 1998 mountain climbing expedition of Mt. McKinley, airs on PBS stations across the country and is later screened at film festivals around the world.

• "Climb Against the Odds'" soundtrack is released by PBS Records as a benefit for the Breast Cancer Fund.  Featured artists include Paula Cole, Celine Dion, K.D. Lang and the Indigo Girls.    

1998
• Art. Rage.Us., The Art and Rage of Breast Cancer, a collection of art and writing by women with breast cancer, premieres at San Francisco’s Main Library and then travels to Los Angeles, New Orleans, Michigan and Hong Kong to help showcase the sad and infuriating truth about breast cancer.   The Art.Rage.Us book is released the same year by Chronicle books.

• The Breast Cancer Fund generates grassroots support and works in concert with legislators to help establish the special first class breast cancer postage stamp.  A percentage of net proceeds from the sale of the stamp help fund breast cancer research.

• Inspired by the success of Expedition Aconcagua, the Breast Cancer Fund organizes a second mountain climbing expedition on Mt. McKinley, Alaska.  Five breast cancer survivors and seven young women spend 19 days attempting to summit the mountain, attracting worldwide attention.

1997
• The Breast Cancer Fund provides funding for and hosts the premiere screening for Rachel’s Daughters: Searching for the Causes of Breast Cancer, an investigative documentary film about breast cancer.  The film airs on HBO, reaching 3.2 million homes within the first month of viewing.  The BCF continues to take the film to community screenings across the country.

1995
• The belief that climbing mountains is parallel to facing breast cancer – each journey taken one step at a time – inspires Expedition Aconcagua where a team of 17 breast cancer survivors and supporters climb 23,000-foot Mt. Aconcagua in the Argentine Andes.  The climb raises over $1 million and distinguished the Breast Cancer Fund as the women who climb mountains.

1994
• The Breast Cancer Fund assists in writing and securing passage of landmark legislation in California for a 2-cent cigarette tax to finance breast cancer research and detection service for uninsured women.

1992
• Spurred by not one, but two breast cancer diagnoses by age 45, Andrea Ravinett Martin founds the Breast Cancer Fund in her living room to transform the increasing epidemic into a public health priority.  The objectives of the Breast Cancer Fund are advances in detection, treatment, prevention and access to care.

A Look Back: An Article on the Breast Cancer Fund's First 10 Years