Executive Summary

for  the Project

known as

Breast Cancer Prevention

And Treatment

B.C.P.A.T.

The idea of this project is to improve the preventive medical check-up system in Germany and subsequently all over Europe. Since we do not have to invent the wheel, we will cooperate with existing Cancer Associations, Entities established by affected women, Health Insurances and Governmental Departments and Institutions.

 One of the targets is to start a nationwide advertising campaign to encourage more women to participate in existing early prevention programs offered usually by health insurance companies. About a year ago we initiated a pilot project in the region of Baden-Baden, Black Forest, Germany, to inform and educate women about breast cancer and the chances to survive by practicing self-examination for an early stage detection of changes in the mammary tissue, which eventually could turn out to be cancerous growths.

The key person in this preliminary stage of the Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment Project is Mrs. Brigitte Melcher, a highly educated ward managing nurse at the Certified Breast Center, Stadtklinik Baden-Baden. In her capacity as certified BREAST CARE NURSE (BCN), she is responsible for the post-care of breast cancer patients of the clinic. Additionally she is a certified MAMMACARE INSTRUCTOR.

In cooperation with the Certified Senology Center Mittelbaden (Stadtklink Baden-Baden), a number of major health insurance companies such as f.e. Baden-Wuerttembergischer Sparkassenverband, and a Bank Holding unifying about 120 Banks (Sparkassen) in the black forest area, we have initiated to arrangements for informative events, where women are invited to learn about risks and chances for prevention of breast cancer and subsequently to participate in training to learn self-examination of their mammary using the MammaCare™ method. The response we experience is very positive. The percentage of women participating in the MammaCare™ training, following the informative lecture, is significant. Additionally we realize a substantial increase of interest by women with some kind of relationship to participants of our events based on word-of-mouth advertising.

This is a typical example of what we need to increase women’s consciousness for most cases of avoidable risk to die of breast cancer.

Information and education is the key to fight the increasing numbers of women suffering from the severe consequences of breast cancer such as mammary resection, partly or in whole, metastases in other parts of the body or death.

A good example that wide ranging publication is a very promising attempt to dramatically increase the awareness of women to improve their knowledge about breast cancer prevention opportunities, is a study which has been conducted by the Bavarian Country Women’s Association. Ten thousand women in Bavaria have participated in MammaCare training between November 2003 and April 2005 because of these publications. The result of the study was, that women are able to feel lumps of 3 to 5 mm in size. The exact number of women affected of breast cancer within this study is not reported, but there were about 25% of the participants who needed clarification of a biopsy taken.

The study also has proven that women need to overcome the fear of being confronted with the diagnosis of breast cancer. To overcome womens’ fear requires information about what happens to her body and specifically her breast. Surveys in this regard have shown that women become interested in more information if a female presents to midsized groups a rather simple structured, general information about the nature of breast cancer and the various appearances of the mammary, developing cancer, and the risks to fall ill with the disease because of family history etc. But the real breakthrough to their consciousness comes, according to the experience, if they are in groups of 4 to 5 to perform the actual training. The participants tend to open up and ask questions and exchange opinions. Of course, the instructor in this training needs to be female and preferably middle age.

All of the forgoing explanation of what we think is necessary to improve the precautionary thinking of women is very costly. Our impression is that the health insurance companies and the government, especially in Germany, are turning more and more restrictive in paying for preventive measures. On the other hand, due to unemployment and social regression less people can afford the extra costs.

This is the situation we also want to consider as necessary to support.

Since we are neither the first, nor the only people, engaged in improving breast cancer survival chances, we have associated with existing organizations such as f.e. mamazone and pink (Patients Initiatives National Koalition Breastcancer). The latter regards themselves as organized and oriented in accordance with the L.E.A.D. Project of the National Breast Cancer Coalition in the US.

These organizations have targets which are consistent with our objectives. In addition however, we want to support activities of such existing groups and combine them with reasonable activities and projects of other groups, mainly regionally oriented health insurance and governmental based options.

It is more than the management function however to coordinate and financially support already existing groups in their efforts to enhance precaution and prevention measures in Germany. There are two additional major targets, financial support for treatment and post-care of breast cancer patients. Because of the health insurance companies restrictive behavior, patients struggle to get the best treatment available. The Project Foundation will provide financial support to fill the gap between health insurance covered costs and real costs of the treatment.

In addition, the Project shall participate in science-based R & D for cancer detection and treatment and the financial support thereof.

To the best of our knowledge, the National Breast Cancer Coalition has extensive experience thru the L.E.A.D. Project, to implement a scientifically based training program involving group multipliers to improve and assist the American health-care system regarding the breast cancer. We wish to participate in their experience and organize similar activities in Germany.

The activities of the project range from the background of prevention and treatment to permanently extending the process due to the number of women falling ill and dying with breast cancer which continues to increase

We reference the website of the pilot project www.brigitte-melcher.de since this site reflects the major part of our ‘until now activities’ in Germany.

The project will be incorporated into the BREAST CANCER PREVENTION AND TREATMENT Foundation. This Foundation will finance and control all activities which are on the ‘need to do’ list.

The controlling capacity will be achieved with contractual regulations with the respective partner organization.