The Pink Eraser Project Aims to Put an End to Breast Cancer

Michele Young, a breast cancer survivor who is also a Cincinnati attorney, and Kristen Dahlgren, an award-winning journalist, are founding a nonprofit organization with the goal of eradicating breast cancer permanently. This initiative is known as the Pink Eraser Project, and it represents a collaboration between the two high-profile cancer survivors and the leading experts in the field of breast cancer vaccine research. The project aims to expedite the development of a vaccine within 25 years and was officially launched on January 30. Its mission is to provide the necessary focus, practical support, collaboration, and funding to bring breast cancer vaccines to the market, as stated in a press release by Young and Dahlgren.The pair has joined forces with doctors from Memorial Sloan Kettering, Cleveland Clinic, MD Anderson, Dana-Farber, University of Washington’s Cancer Vaccine Institute, and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to collaborate on concepts and trials. Dr. Nora Disis, the head scientist of the Pink Eraser Project and director of the University of Washington’s Oncologist and Cancer Vaccine Institute, is leading the charge. Disis is currently conducting early-stage trials for a breast cancer vaccine.“After 30 years of working on cancer vaccines, we are finally at a tipping point in our research. We’ve created vaccines that train the immune system to locate and eliminate breast cancer cells. Our early phase studies have yielded promising results, with 80% of advanced breast cancer patients still alive more than a decade after vaccination,” stated Disis in a release. She added, “Unfortunately, the journey to this point has been too long. We cannot wait another three decades to bring breast cancer vaccines to the market. Too many lives are at stake.”Ultimately, Disis and the Pink Eraser Project are seeking to promote coordination among immunotherapy experts, pharmaceutical and biotech partners, government agencies, advocates, and individuals directly affected by breast cancer in order to effect real change.“Imagine a day when our mothers, friends, and young girls like my seven-year-old daughter won’t have to face breast cancer as a fatal disease,” stated Dahlgren. “This is everyone’s fight, and we hope to have everyone’s support. Together, we can accomplish this.”Having experienced their own battles with breast cancer, Dahlgren and Young have witnessed firsthand where changes can be made and how a future without breast cancer is attainable.“When I was diagnosed with stage 4 de novo breast cancer in 2018, I was advised to complete my bucket list. At that moment, I made the decision to save my life and the lives of others,” said Young, who has now been in complete remission for four years. She added, “Facing little hope of ever leading a healthy life again, I conducted research, traveled to meet with the leading experts in the field, and witnessed a revolution unfolding that could put an end to breast cancer.”“As a journalist, I’ve seen how even one individual can change the world,” remarked Dahlgren. “We find ourselves at a unique juncture where the right collaborative efforts and funding could mean the availability of breast cancer vaccines within a decade. I cannot overlook this opportunity to do everything possible to build a future in which no one has to endure what I went through.”Learn more at pinkeraserproject.org.

Author: OpenAI