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Avon Foundation Support in the Boston Area through 2009
Advancing Access to Care and Finding A Cure
New awards will be announced at the Avon Walk Boston closing ceremony
Over $39 million has been awarded by the Avon Foundation to organizations and institutions in
Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including:
Research
 The Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)/Harvard Comprehensive Cancer Center has received
more than $20 million from the Avon Foundation for breast cancer research and access to care for
underserved patients since 2001. Research funds have supported over 30 pilot projects and the training of
dozens of new scientists in breast cancer research and clinical care. Avon Foundation funds have
supported pioneering “gene chip” research developing “gene signatures,” which can help predict which
patients can safely discontinue tamoxifen and other anti-estrogen therapies.
In addition, uninsured and underserved women in the Boston area receive “safety net” breast care at the
Avon-MGH Breast Care Program at MGH-Chelsea and the Avon Comprehensive Breast Evaluation Center
at MGH in Boston. The Avon-MGH efforts have screened and treated more than 2,800 uninsured and
under-insured patients in Latino, African-American, and lower income communities.
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The Avon Foundation has provided $2.9 million to support twelve clinical research projects in Boston
through the “Progress for Patients” partnership with the National Cancer Institute. These clinical projects
focus on promising directions in breast cancer cause, prevention and cure, including:
o Developing a new therapy to stop blood vessel growth to “kill” breast tumors.
o Two projects determining novel biomarkers (distinctive markers in one’s blood) to monitor a patient’s
response to aromatase inhibitor therapy or chemotherapy.
o Testing Herceptin and other novel drugs targeting HER2 in untreated operable breast cancer.
o A Phase 2 clinical trial for brain metastasis (spreading of cancer) in patients with certain forms of
breast cancer.
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Investigators at Boston University and Boston Medical Center received grants totaling $500,000 to
research the value and cost-effectiveness of patient navigation programs for breast cancer and a grant of
$300,000 to support a comprehensive genetic analysis of normal & premalignant breast tissue, identifying
early changes giving rise to breast cancer. At Boston University, work continues on a grant of $675,000
to support research to better understand the role environmental factors may play in breast cancer and to
devise novel ways to prevent the disease.
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Dana-Farber Cancer Institute received grants totaling $375,000 and the University of Massachusetts
Amherst received grants totaling $769,508 in initial and continuing support from the 2006 Avon Foundation
prevention research initiative to understand the natural ways pregnancy alters a woman’s risk of breast
cancer, with the goal of using this knowledge to develop ways to prevent breast cancer in all women. The
University of Massachusetts Amherst received a grant of $193,774 to support a research project to
determine if a virus plays a role in causing breast cancer or can serve as a marker of disease.

Silent Spring Institute has received $775,000 since 2004 to support their work in identifying and changing
the links between the environment and women’s health, especially breast cancer. Most recently, Avon
Foundation support has allowed for (i) updating population breast cancer diagnosis data for MA counties
into the Massachusetts Health and Environment Information System (MassHEIS) resource; (ii) a fellowship
in breast cancer and the environment epidemiology; and, (iii) work to identify exposure measures for
epidemiological studies.
“Safety Net” Care

The Avon Foundation supports “safety net” care through MGH by providing access-to-care and patient
navigation services through Mattapan, Chelsea and the Geiger Gibson Community Health Centers.

The Avon Foundation has provided nearly $3.7 million to Boston Medical Center since 2001 to provide
breast cancer screening, education, patient navigation, diagnostics and treatment to more than 6,900
uninsured and underserved women in Boston. Foundation funds support culturally-sensitive staff, the
purchase of breast imaging equipment, and research into the value and cost-effectiveness of patient
navigation programs for breast cancer.

The Foundation awarded over $1.2 million since 2004 to the Cambridge Health Alliance, which has been
used to provide thousands of women with breast health education and screening in the surrounding region
and to purchase modern equipment to upgrade MRI for breast screening.

Since 2005, the Avon Foundation has supported safety net care in Providence, Rhode Island through
grants totaling $1.25 million to LifeSpan for the support of culturally sensitive patient navigation at Rhode
Island Hospital and Miriam Hospital.

The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute of Boston, MA has received $500,000 since 2008 to support the
acquisition and implementation of a new mobile vehicle with state-of-the-art equipment, enabling DFCI to
continue its mobile mammography program.

Baystate Medical Center has received $150,000 since 2007 to support the comprehensive delivery of
quality medical services to uninsured and underserved populations.
Support Services
 Since 2000, the AVONCares program at CancerCare has provided direct financial assistance for
transportation, child care, or elder care so that lower income, medically underserved women do not face
logistical barriers to breast cancer screening or treatment. In New England, 919 women to date received a
total of $273,882, or about $300 each. Nationwide, support has been provided in 85% of all U.S. counties.

Community Servings has been awarded $475,000 since 2005 to develop nutrition education and meal
delivery to over 100 low-income homebound people (and their families) per year in the Boston area
suffering from breast cancer. Community Servings is one of six unique nutrition programs for breast
cancer patients supported by the Avon Foundation in the US, which together form a virtual network of
nutrition services among the underserved population. Other programs are in Denver, Los Angeles, New
York, San Francisco and Washington, DC.
Outreach and Education

Avon Foundation funding supports community-based outreach and education programs nationwide, which
in 2009 linked over 100,000 women to mammography and clinical breast exam and educated 1.5 million
about breast cancer. Organization supported in the greater Boston region include:
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Great Brook Valley Health Center (MA)
Latino Health Institute (MA)
Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health
Center (MA)
Tapestry Health in Northampton (MA)
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YWCA of Boston (MA)
YWCA of Northern Rhode Island (RI)
YWCA of Malden (MA)
YWCA of Southeastern Massachusetts (MA)
The Avon Foundation was founded in 1955 to improve the lives of women, and today is focused on the
issues of breast cancer and domestic violence. For information on funded programs and research
throughout the U.S., grant guidelines, breast cancer information and resources, and much more, visit
www.avonfoundation.org.
Program inquiries:
Marc Hurlbert - 212-282-5560 – [email protected]
Media inquiries:
Karyn Margolis – 212-282-5666 - [email protected]