Network News - Winter/Spring 2010 - Canadian Breast Cancer ...

Executive Director’s Report
By Jackie Manthorne
This special issue of Network News
is about the BRCA 1/2 genes.
Some articles have been written
by doctors or researchers, others by
women living with a BRCA diagnosis.
Share the information in this issue with
your friends and colleagues so that
we can raise awareness about familial
breast cancer. Feedback is always
appreciated, and if you would like to
add to the discussion, we will consider
printing letters, personal stories and
additional articles in future issues of
Network News. Send your comments to
cbcn@cbcn.ca .
CBCN Stakeholder’s Consultation
The Canadian Breast Cancer Network
held its Stakeholder’s Consultation
from October 16-17, 2009, in Ottawa,
Ontario. Participants from across
the country were invited, and
nearly every province and territory
was represented at the meeting.
Attendees included CBCN Board
members, the Public Health Agency
of Canada (PHAC), representatives
from provincial and territorial breast
and women’s cancer networks,
representatives from national and
regional breast and women’s cancer
organizations, and representatives
from other organizations interested in
women’s health, including the Tom
Baker Cancer Centre; the Hereditary
Breast and Ovarian Cancer Society of
Alberta; Disabled Women’s Network
Canada; the Canadian Breast Cancer
Foundation; CancerCare Manitoba;
the Atlantic Centre of Excellence for
Women’s Health; Ovarian Cancer
Canada; ReThink Breast Cancer and
Breast Cancer Action Ottawa.
During the consultation, the Canadian
Breast Cancer Network priorities
established during its 2002 Stakeholder
Consultation were reviewed. These
priorities were (in no particular order):
Priority 1: A Clearinghouse
(bilingual website)
Priority 2: Funding
a) Sustainability for CBCN
b) To enhance the capacity
of other breast cancer
organizations
c) Treatment-related
expenses
Priority 3: Young Women with Breast
Cancer
Priority 4: Rural Women and Men
with Breast Cancer
Priority 5: Building Unity and
CBCN Image
Priority 6: Improving
Communications and
Information Sharing
Priority 7: Women and Men with
Metastatic Breast Disease
Priority 8: Genetic Testing
Priority 9: Prevention & Planning
Priority 10: Policy Development
and Advocacy
Regional challenges and priorities
were considered, CBCN’s vision was
discussed, and work was done on
defining areas for action by CBCN in
the next five years, which will be finetuned
by the CBCN staff and Board.
There was strong affirmation of the
important leadership role that CBCN
plays in serving as the voice of breast
cancer survivors, and the importance
of making that role more visible. This
requires an emphasis on branding,
public relations and sustainability.
There was also recognition that at
the national level, CBCN can best
provide a leadership role in advocating
for equitable policies for all women
with cancer by partnering with other
cancer organizations and linking with
provincial and territorial networks.
Photo: Brian Jackson
Jackie Manthorne,
Executive Director of the
Canadian Breast Cancer Network
After reviewing the 10 priorities,
participants suggested that CBCN
concentrate on the following priorities:
Building Unity and the Network
Image
• Branding and Communication
– as the voice of survivors
• Organizational Planning and
Sustainability
Policy Development and Advocacy
• Advocacy and Capacity
Building (for advocacy)
• Provincial Territorial
Partnerships
• Partnering with Related
Organizations
Research and diversity are themes
that can be linked throughout other
priorities above and below, such as:
Communication and Information
Sharing
Quality of Life and Survivorship
Issues
Rural and Young Women
By the end of the weekend, the
following consensus statement was
developed:
In five years, the Canadian Breast
Cancer Network will be a financially
stable organization that is viable,
active and known as the voice of
breast cancer survivors, reaching out
to and representative of people that
are underserved, providing leadership
built on research, collaborating with
others, assuming a leadership role
in survivorship issues, educating
and raising awareness on hereditary
4 Network News Winter/Spring 2010