American Breast Cancer Foundation

The American Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF) mission is to provide education, access and financial assistance to aid in the early detection, treatment, and survival of breast cancer for underserved and uninsured individuals, regardless of age or gender. This is achieved, in part, by the Breast Cancer Assistance Program (BCAP), the Community Partnership Program, and the newly designed Community Advocacy Program. The BCAP program and the Community Partnership Program are time honored and tried programs linking patients with facilities and assistance in their own areas. These programs have received letters of acclaim from throughout the country. The Community Advocacy Program is rooted in significant personal relationships with individuals, to assist them in gaining access to needed resources, services, and support. The strategic platform provided by these programs serve as a link and referral system to local resources and information that is ethnically and linguistically appropriate to the needs of the individual. It is the goal of each of these programs to reduce disparities in access to diagnosis and the treatment of breast cancer, particularly among the poor, the under- served, and the uninsured. These interventions may lead to modification of negative factors and improve the survival rate of clients served.