For the past 21 years, the CFDA Foundation has aimed to eliminate breast cancer through Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, which raises funding for patient navigator programs.
With the money raised in 2014, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer was able to add an additional three patient care facilities to its roster of grantees. Recently, the CFDA Fashion Targets Breast Cancer Advisory Board came together at one of the NYC grant centers – the Ralph Lauren Cancer Center located on 1919 Madison Avenue in Harlem – to ratify the three new grantees.
The new grant centers are Southern Los Angeles Patient Navigation and Wellness Center, Olive View Hospital, and Celebrate Life Cancer Ministry.
Several representatives from the CFDA and Ralph Lauren were in attendance (FTBC was created by Ralph Lauren in 1994). Also present were fellow Advisory Board and CFDA members Tracy Reese, Malia Mills, and Carole Hochman. Executives from The New York Community Trust joined the meeting and discussed that the new grantees would all be located in Southern Los Angeles—specifically targeting patient navigator programs in areas that contain women who present with a late-stage disease at the time of diagnosis.
In the U.S., nearly 207,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. Statistics demonstrate that early detection and treatment of breast cancer dramatically improves chances for a cure—five-year survival rates are as high as 86% among those diagnosed with early-stage tumors.
Patient navigators have proven to be effective in helping women get screened, and if diagnosed with cancer, seek treatment. Patient navigators undergo training and help patients understand the health care system, educate patients on the health care system, provide information on treatment options, and serve as the liaison between the patients and doctors. Since 2011, grants have helped four New York City groups that are leaders in the patient navigation.
The CFDA thanks Fashion Targets Breast Cancer supporters. Every dollar allocated is directly donated to serving women afflicted with breast cancer. We hope to continue to serve this niche community of patient navigators and continue to do impactful work, through fashion, that aims to eradicate this pernicious disease.
To date, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer has raised $55 million dollars.
