Media Contact:
Jason Merrill
314-286-0302

April 21, 2008, ST. LOUIS – Registering for the Komen-St. Louis Race for the Cure is more than just raising breast cancer awareness or honoring a survivor.  The contributions people make to support the Race make a difference in the lives of thousands of St. Louis women.

Up to seventy-five percent of net money raised by the Komen Race stays in the St. Louis area to fund education, screening, treatment and support programs.  The 2007 Race made possible over $1.8 million to 24 St. Louis-area programs.

From that $1.8 million, the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine received five grants at Komen''s 10th annual Grants Awards Reception April 18th at the Sheraton Clayton Hotel for breast cancer programs and an additional grant researching the role of estrogen in breast cancer.

“These are programs that would not be possible without Komen''s support,” says Susan Kraenzle, RN, manager of the Joanne Knight Breast Health Center at the Siteman Cancer Center.  The programs are:

• Tightening the Safety Net: Caring for Underserved People through Community Alliances and Navigation. Kraenzle and her team at the breast health center provide free screening mammograms for over 2,000 uninsured or underinsured women throughout the Komen St. Louis service area.
• The Navigator Project. This program addresses the needs of women from medically underserved areas in St. Louis who are undergoing diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer through direct contact, coordination of services and referral to community and social service resources.
• The St. Louis Witness Project. Witness “Role Models” share their stories in churches and community settings, linking low income and uninsured women to breast cancer screening and follow-up with special assistance.
• The Young Women''s Breast Cancer Program. Partners with young survivors to implement effective strategies to meet the age relevant needs of young women with breast cancer.
• The Daylight Project: Pushing Back Shadow Barriers to Breast Health, Early Detection and Timely Treatment for Metro St. Louis Refugee and Immigrant Women. A multidisciplinary effort that promotes linguistically and culturally appropriate dialogue about breast health and breast cancer that leads to healthy choices by women in refugee and immigrant communities.

In addition to those outreach programs, Matthew Ellis, MD, PhD, chief of medical oncology at the Siteman Cancer Center, was awarded a CRAFT grant which funds local research and clinical trials.  Dr. Ellis will use the grant to support his efforts to complete genomic profiling on over 250 tumor samples from women with estrogen positive breast cancer.<

The 2008 Komen-St. Louis Race for the Cure is June 21 in downtown St. Louis. To join the Siteman Cancer Center team visit http://www.komenstlouis.org/goto/Siteman and click on Join 08084 – Siteman Cancer Center.