Friday, April 13, 2007

Urgent!! Immediate Action Needed for $1M Breast Cancer Prevention Research

Welcome to Cape Cod Auctions very first blog post. This is a copy of an email from The Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, dated Wed, 11 Apr 2007 . Please read it and take action TODAY!


Urgent!! Immediate Action Needed for $1M Breast Cancer Prevention Research
The House Ways and Means Committee Released it’s Budget Recommendations Today and it Did Not Include Funding for this Vital Research Project!!!

DEADLINE IS THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 13TH , PLEASE PLACE CALLS NOW TO SUPPORT THIS IMPORTANT BREAST CANCER PREVENTION RESEARCH!!
ASK YOUR LEGISLATOR TO SIGN ONTO THE PETERSEN/TURNER BREAST CANCER PREVENTION RESEARCH AMENDMENT (See details below)
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Connecticut, Massachusetts , Minnesota , Oregon and Washington DC¦ What do these states have in common? The top 5 BREAST CANCER rates in the country, 10% higher than national average.
What can we do about it? Advance research that seeks to identify the primary cause of breast cancer so that we all can reduce our risk of developing the disease.
Approximately 70% of breast cancer risk remains unexplained by mainstream research. However, as a result of the ground-breaking work done by the Silent Spring Institute and others we now believe that the increased and unexplained risk is environmentally-related. Despite current attention and media focus on the following, only between 5-10% of breast cancer diagnosis is attributable to inherited genetic factors with another 20-30% linked to reproductive or hormonal factors.
To find more answers, MBCC is requesting $1 Million of state funded research dollars for the Silent Spring Institute, in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and others, that will seek to: 1) Strengthen evidence that links environmental chemical exposures to high-incidence breast cancer communities. 2) Propose practical solutions to reducing breast cancer risk. 3) Build a clearer picture of breast cancer in Massachusetts and 4) Stimulate innovative research.
PLEASE CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND ASK HIM/HER TO SUPPORT THE PETERSEN/TURNER AMENTMENT FOR BREAST CANCER PREVENTION RESEARCH PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $1M WITHIN A NEW UMASS-LOWELL LINE ITEM (7100-0400).
Talking with your legislator’s office is easy and takes only a minute. You do not have to be an expert on the project. Staff in his/her office will treat you kindly and appreciate your call. Here’s all you need to say:
1. When you reach your legislator’s office, you will most likely be speaking to his/her aide. Tell him/her your name and where you live.2. Say – I hope that [Your Legislator] will consider singing onto a critically important budget amendment related to breast cancer prevention sponsored by Representative Doug Petersen & Representative Cleon Turner. We are seeking funding in a new UMass-Lowell line item, number 7100-0400, in the amount of $1 Million for breast cancer prevention research. Will [Your Legislator] sign onto the amendment?
3. If the answer is - yes, please thank them and tell them that you appreciate his/her support and refer them to Ture Turnbull in Rep. Petersen’s office to sign onto the amendment, Contact info for Ture follows: (617) 722-2637 or ture.turnbull@hou.state.ma.us. If the answer is - I don’t know, tell the aide that you hope your legislator makes this a priority for the FY 08 budget debate and ask the office to call you back and tell you whether the Representative or Senator will sign onto the amendment or not, deadline Friday, April 13th. You can also email them the attached amendment fact sheet to assist in their consideration. If the answer is – no, politely ask for an explanation and ask if the legislator would reconsider if he/she had more information about the research project; and then send an email about this to eboles@mbcc.org.
To reach your legislator by phone, please call the main State House operator at (617) 722-2000.
To email your state representative, please visit www.mass.gov/legis/memmenuh.htm to look up your representative’s email address.
We appreciate your advocacy and will keep you updated as to the progress of this budget request.
Learn more about what is new at MBCC by visiting our website: www.mbcc.org.
This text is copyright 2006 of the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, all rights reserved. http://www.mbcc.org