Avon Breast Cancer Crusade at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

The Avon Foundation's generous gifts of $3.1 million are funding innovative research and providing funds to improve breast care for medically under-insured women. An additional gift of $1.25 million in September 2002 funds the Avon Breast Cancer Immunotherapy Research Initiative, an inter-institutional collaboration between FHCRC and University of Washington in Seattle and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

These gifts are making a significant impact on breast cancer research in Seattle by funding the following initiatives:

Avon Breast Cancer Crusade Opportunity Fund

• Avon initiative in immunotherapy for breast cancer
• Pilot project fund for innovative breast cancer research in all aspects of breast cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment
• Support for research of technologies for breast imaging and optimized screening strategies for specific groups of women
• Develop and enhance clinical research databases and breast specimen repositories

Initiatives to Improve Breast Care for Medically Underserved Women

• Diagnostic and treatment options and prevention strategies to medically underserved women through collaborations with Harborview Medical Center, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA)  , and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
• Funding for an integrated program of direct clinical care and qualitative research designed to improve and sustain access to high quality breast care for a racially and ethnically diverse population of low-income women in King County

Avon Breast Cancer Immunotherapy Research Initiative

• Fellowship in breast cancer immunotherapy
• Enhancement of our Immune Monitoring and GMP Cellular Therapy labs to strengthen collective research effort
• Developmental research projects utilizing novel approaches to understanding the immunobiology of breast cancer and investigate strategies for inducing effective tumor-specific immunity

Additional information:

• Hutchinson Center Center News article
• Avon Breast Cancer Crusade Web site
• Harborview Medical Center Web site
• Fred Hutchinson Oversees Two Grants Totaling Nearly $8 Million To Develop Blood Test For Breast Cancer (Oct. 3, 2002)
• Avon Foundation Awards $1.25 Million to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center for the Avon Breast Cancer Immunotherapy Initiative (August 11, 2002)
• Avon Products Foundation awards Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center $2.5 million for breast cancer research and clinical care (August 12, 2001)