Andres Forero, M.D., head of the UAB breast cancer research program, left, Carol Myers, president of the BCRFA Board of Directors, and Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D.The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama presented $950,000 — its largest donation to date — to the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center on Feb. 2. BCRFA has donated more than $7.7 million to UAB since its inception in 1996.
BCRFA makes an annual donation to the Cancer Center with proceeds from its fundraising efforts during the previous year, including BCRFA events, corporate and individual donations, and sales of the breast cancer specialty license plate tags.
“The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama has been central to providing the critical monies for the development and maintenance of the breast cancer research program, making our program one of the most prominent breast cancer programs in the country,” said Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., the new director of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. “BCRFA is a perfect example of motivating the community to support new and evolving research.”
BCRFA’s pilot funding has provided the seed money for many projects to get off the ground. For example, one research project evaluated a new compound, UAB-30, for its ability to prevent breast cancer. The project has evolved now into a clinical trial and, furthermore, secured additional national funding based on data provided by BCRFA seed money.
Other projects range from examining biomarkers for immunotherapy response to focusing on inhibitors and their impact on chemo drug effectiveness, to a study on the spread of metastatic breast cancer to the brain.
“Patients come to the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center because they can be seen by clinical breast cancer experts and receive ‘cutting-edge’ therapies based upon the ongoing research program,” Birrer said.
All BCRFA donations remain in Alabama to support research at the UAB Cancer Center and its collaborative partners, providing a lifesaving impact both locally and globally. Community partners for this year’s gift include Tameron Automotive, Belk, The Thompson Family Foundation, Sirote & Permutt, The Alabama Power Foundation, Renasant Bank, Wind Creek Wetumpka, Protective Life Foundation, Thrivent Financial, Spectrum Reach, and iHeart Media, among many others.