Research and cures

Cancer is a disease of the genes. Every woman’s tumor is genetically unique. The cures for breast cancer will come from specific, targeted therapies that will destroy cancer cells by correcting …read more ▼

Cancer is a disease of the genes. Every woman’s tumor is genetically unique. The cures for breast cancer will come from specific, targeted therapies that will destroy cancer cells by correcting the consequences of the genetic mutations responsible for each woman’s cancer.

Edith Sanford’s work is focused on a bold new approach called forward genomics, which will lead to the most critical breakthroughs in breast cancer research and help women today who are facing this disease.

To benefit everyone, all of the essential data from Edith Sanford’s work will be shared with our partners in research —all world-class leaders. Shared information and shared analysis of the data ensures that together, we can achieve our goal to end breast cancer faster.

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Edith Sanford’s focus on genomics holds the promise of truly personalized breast health care and treatments. Genomics involves the study of each patient’s DNA and RNA at the cellular level, and …read more ▼

Edith Sanford’s focus on genomics holds the promise of truly personalized breast health care and treatments. Genomics involves the study of each patient’s DNA and RNA at the cellular level, and is closely associated with the study of the proteins that can affect cancer proliferation.

We know the best way to fully understand a woman’s breast cancer is to use genomics to analyze each woman’s genetic sequence, including all 3.2 billion base pairs. We then use this genetic sequence to develop a map of each tumor that reveals its key genomic drivers, or mutated genes. Once we know the drivers, we can match targeted therapies to them, creating truly personalized approaches to each and every cancer.

Our goal is that every breast cancer patient will have their complete genome sequenced, allowing doctors to practice personalized medicine, tailoring care to ensure that each patient gets the right targeted treatment, at the right dosage, at the right time. This means treatments that are more easily tolerated– leading to a personalized cure for each woman’s breast cancer.

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Edith Sanford is committed to taking what we learn in clinical trials to speed the path to treatments and cures. Our extensive biobank will save precious time for our scientists, by giving them …read more ▼

Edith Sanford is committed to taking what we learn in clinical trials to speed the path to treatments and cures.

Our extensive biobank will save precious time for our scientists, by giving them ready access to collected blood and tissue. We’ll then be able to move faster into clinical trials, then ultimately help speed the field toward revolutionary new ways of treatment and prevention in the right direction to help find the cures.

Our biobank will serve breast cancer researchers across the country in their endeavors to unlock pieces of the genetic puzzle that could eventually lead to the eradication of the disease. Without the biobank, a researcher needing specific samples would need many months to undergo ethical reviews, which would delay treatment and slow the path to a cure.

A Proven Path to the Cure

We are conducting a pivotal clinical trial using forward genomics and DNA sequencing to show definitively how these solutions will revolutionize traditional breast cancer treatment. The success of this pioneering endeavor will show forward genomics to be the answer to ending the pain and suffering caused by breast cancer.

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We believe that a woman becomes a survivor the moment she is diagnosed with breast cancer, and we recognize that surviving the disease is a lifelong journey. This philosophy fuels our commitment …read more ▼

We believe that a woman becomes a survivor the moment she is diagnosed with breast cancer, and we recognize that surviving the disease is a lifelong journey. This philosophy fuels our commitment to improving the effectiveness of survivorship care and reducing the risk of recurrence through research and the development of new interventions and best practices.

We are particularly proud of our involvement with the embrace® program, which provides breast cancer survivors, as well as their family members, friends and caregivers, with much-needed information and guidance. This program is championed by Dr. Shelby Terstriep, an oncologist who specializes in attending to the unique and often ignored needs and concerns of survivors.

Dr. Terstriep is also a featured contributor to Edith Sanford’s blog, DeCoded.

DeCoded is our way of sparking a new line of conversation about breast cancer and providing survivors and their loved ones a place to find trustworthy advice, as well as fresh insights and perspectives about the fight against breast cancer. Most importantly, it’s about building a community of people who, like all of us, are just trying to make sense of this disease one day at a time.

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At the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation, we want to help women understand their risks of breast cancer and empower them with evidence-based guidance and programs to reduce that risk. The …read more ▼

At the Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation, we want to help women understand their risks of breast cancer and empower them with evidence-based guidance and programs to reduce that risk.

The Edith Sanford mission doesn’t stop with finding cures. We believe our genomic research holds an even greater promise for the future of prevention and risk reduction. It will help us identify new predictors of breast cancer, and translate those discoveries to the development of effective prognostic tools and treatments that would minimize or prevent the disease in high-risk individuals and their families.

And one day soon, we believe that this bold new approach to breast cancer will result in the life-changing discoveries that will ultimately eradicate breast cancer for all future generations.

Reducing Risk

While genes influence a woman’s risk of breast cancer, other factors also come into play to increase or decrease that risk.
General cancer prevention tips include avoiding tobacco, alcohol and sugar, keeping weight under control, eating a healthy diet and staying active throughout life. These healthy choices can be made by each of us, and are important to reducing the risk for breast cancer.

Talk to your doctor about other cancer risk factors and cancer prevention strategies. You can find more information on breast cancer facts and prevention at our partner’s site, Sanford Health.

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