WASHINGTON – The George Washington University Medical Center received $400,000 in the form of two grants from the Avon Foundation to support patient navigation services and research to develop a new test to assess risk of breast cancer. Christina Cianflone, director of the division of cancer prevention and community health at the GW Cancer Institute (GWCI), accepted a check on May 1, as part of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer closing ceremony in Washington, D.C.
“We are grateful for the generous support from the Avon Foundation,” said Cianflone. “This support allows us to continue to provide access to screenings and follow up care for more women in the most vulnerable populations and also expand our services to provide a patient navigator in the GW Breast Imaging Center."
The $250,000 grant given to GWCI will be used for support of the patient navigation services in the GW Breast Imaging and Intervention Center; for support of a screening outreach navigator in partnership with the Capital Breast Care Center to help under-served women in D.C. receive screening and follow up care; and for continued support to grow the mHealth Self-Breast Exam Reminder Text Message Program.
The $150,000 grant will support a research project led by Patricia Berg, Ph.D., professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, to develop a new test to assess risk of breast cancer.
"Avon's support of breast cancer research gives an important boost to those of us looking for unique ways to improve early diagnosis and treatment of this disease, which kills about 40,000 American women each year,” said Dr. Berg. “We very much appreciate this grant, which is the third year of Avon support for our laboratory."
The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Washington, D.C. – the second of nine Avon Walks this year – attracted more than 2,200 participants from 47 states, including 215 breast cancer survivors, who joined together to raise life-saving funds and awareness for breast cancer. The D.C. event raised more than $5 million to advance access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer. The George Washington University Medical Center was one of the nine local organizations awarded grants at the closing ceremony.
