This year, an estimated 316,950 women across the U.S. — more than the entire population of the City of St. Louis — will receive the gut-wrenching news that they have breast cancer, and more than 42,000 women will die from the disease.
But there is hope.
With many types and subtypes, breast cancer treatments are personalized for each patient at Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine. While extraordinary progress has been made, more answers are waiting to be discovered. Progress is only possible when people come together, driven by a common mission.
Read Stories of Women on a Mission to Improve Breast Cancer Care:
- From Dreaming to Doing: Penny Pennington is supporting community engagement, awareness, and prevention of breast cancer through her support of Katherine Weilbaecher, MD, a WashU Medicine medical oncologist at Siteman Cancer Center.
- Innovation Driven by Gratitude: Pam Nicholson is investing in improving quality of life and treatment options for breast cancer patients through her support of Julie Margenthaler, MD, FACS, a WashU Medicine surgical oncologist at Siteman Cancer Center.
- Share your breast cancer story and read others’ inspiring journeys.
The Trajectory of Breast Cancer Is Changing
Because of these collaborative efforts at Siteman Cancer Center and throughout the world, survival rates over the past 10 years have increased for most types of breast cancers. In fact, the death rate from breast cancer decreased by 42% from its peak in 1989 due to advances in screening and treatments.
Philanthropy makes this work possible. Every gift invested through the Foundation is multiplied alongside other generous gifts to support world-class physicians, breast cancer research, and patient care initiatives at Siteman Cancer Center. Through their generosity, donors like Penny, Pam, and many others inspire more hope every day.
By coming together, significant progress to save more lives has been made—and still, the mission continues.
Make a gift today to join our mission of changing the trajectory of breast cancer care.