United States
ELC’s Breast Cancer Campaign Convenes Thought Leaders in Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Company Feature, Oct 31, 2023
As a company committed to furthering women’s advancement and health, The Estée Lauder Companies’ (ELC) Breast Cancer Campaign (The Campaign) kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness Month by hosting a thought-provoking panel discussion on October 3 for media, influencers, and policymakers in New York City.
The conversation—moderated by Nicole Monson, Senior Vice President, Equity and Engagement, with welcome remarks by Erin Cohen, Vice President, Global Corporate Communications, Citizenship & Sustainability—shed light on the current landscape of breast cancer in the United States, including health disparities that continue to exist, and the importance of breast health advocacy. Panelists were thought leaders and medical experts from the breast cancer community, including:
- Dr. Dorraya El-Ashry, Chief Scientific Officer, Breast Cancer Research Foundation
- Dr. Lisa Newman, Chief, Breast Surgery Section and Director, Interdisciplinary, Breast Disease Program Founder and Medical Director, International Center for the Study of Breast Cancer Subtypes at Weill Cornell Medicine-New York, Presbyterian Hospital Network
- Sadia H. Zapp, Managing Director, Communications, Breast Cancer Research Foundation
- Elizabeth Hurley, Global Ambassador, The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign
ELC has been at the forefront of supporting the global breast cancer community for more than 30 years. At a time when breast cancer wasn’t spoken about openly, Evelyn H. Lauder saw an opportunity to bring awareness to the disease and address stigmas in women’s health. In 1992, she co-created the pink ribbon and founded The Campaign. Together, The Campaign and The Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation (ELCCF) have funded more than $131 million for lifesaving global research, education, and medical services, with more than $103 million funding medical research through the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). The Campaign supports more than 60 organizations around the world that align to the diverse needs of local communities.
“While breast cancer affects us all in some way, it also affects us differently,” Nicole shared during the discussion. “In the U.S., Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, despite slightly lower incidence rates.”
To help address breast cancer disparities and improve outcomes, ELCCF made a commitment in honor of The Campaign’s 30th anniversary in October 2022 to donate $15 million over 5 years to the BCRF to fund groundbreaking research. This comprehensive study of the intersection of social determinants of health, comorbidities, and the biology of breast cancer in Black women has the potential to significantly impact breast cancer disparities globally.
“Even with all the progress that we’ve made, we still have urgency to act,” said Dr. Dorraya El-Ashry. “We need to ensure that all of these treatments and all of this progress benefits all women equally.”
The event concluded with panelists offering their key takeaways to the audience. “Know your bodies and speak up if something feels wrong or if you notice a change,” shared Sadia Zapp, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 36 and now shares her personal journey in the hope that other women will advocate for their breast health.
The call to end breast cancer is more urgent than ever, as breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. As long as breast cancer is a life-threatening disease, ELC’s commitment remains unwavering. It’s #TimeToEndBreastCancer.
Learn more about The Campaign.