2. The California Breast Cancer Research Program
The CBCRP is the nation’s largest state-funded breast cancer
research effort and among the largest breast cancer research funders
in the world. The CBCRP was founded in 1993 by the California
legislature and through the efforts of breast cancer activists, scientists,
clinicians, state legislators, and University of California
officials [27]. The CBCRP is funded by a state tax on tobacco products,
voluntary state personal income tax form contributions and
individual contributions.
The CBCRP’s program funding recommendations and strategic
planning are the responsibility of the Breast Cancer Research Council(Council),
a groupof 15people chosento representthose affected
by breast cancer and the institutions that can help find a solution.
CBCRP supports new approaches that other agencies may be reluctant
to fund. Since 1994, the CBCRP has awarded more than $235
million in 966 grants to 107 institutions across the state.
Subsequent to a comprehensive review of CBCRP’s research
portfolio, in March 2004, the Council dedicated 30% of funds
between 2004 and 2009 to the coordinated, directive, collaborative
Special Research Initiatives (SRI) to support research that
addressed:
1. The identification and elimination of environmental causes of
breast cancer; and
2. The identification and elimination of disparities/inequities in the
burden of breast cancer in California.
The goal of the SRI was to fund research that not only increased
knowledge aboutthese questions, but also pointed to solutions that
would reduce the suffering from breast cancer and move science
closer to eliminating the disease. In total, 21 grants totaling $23 million
were awarded to address the environmental causes of breast
cancer and the unequal burden of the disease [28].
In March 2010, after another thorough programmatic review,
the Council built on the existing SRI by expanding the scope and
devoting 50% of its research funds during 2011–2015. This new
effort was titled the California Breast Cancer Prevention Initiatives
(CBCPI). They committed an anticipated $24 million to directed,
coordinated, and collaborative research to pursue the most compelling
and promising approaches to:
1. Identify and eliminate environmental causes of breast cancer.
2. Identify and eliminate disparities/inequities in the burden of
breast cancer in California.
3. Population-level interventions (including policy research) on
known or suspected breast cancer risk factors and protective
measures.
4. Targeted interventions for high-risk individuals, including new
methods for identifying or assessing risk.
Implementation of the CBCPI research agenda-setting began in
2010 and will be completed in 2015. This paper presents the CBCPI’s
methods and results of efforts to date to identify key research questions
addressing the four topic areas, and proposes future directions
in research to lead to the prevention of breast cance