Force-Facing Our Risk Of Cancer Empowered

TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES FACING HEREDITARY CANCER.

PROJECT EXTRA: PROJECT EXTRA (EXPANDING XRAY THROUGH ALLIANCES) IS A PROJECT SUPPORTED BY A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT THROUGH THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION. THE GOAL IS TO IMPROVE BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS' ACCESS TO INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AND ADDRESS HEALTH DISPARITIES. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE DEVELOPING CULTURALLY-TAILORED XRAY ARTICLES, PROVIDING XRAY ARTICLES AND RESOURCES INTO SPANISH, DEVELOPING STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE PATIENT-DOCTOR COMMUNICATION, TRAINING HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO RECOGNIZE AND ADDRESS BARRIERS TO HEALTH LITERACY. THIS GRANT CONTINUES UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30, 2024.

AWARENESS: IN 2021, FORCE EXPANDED OUR AWARENESS PROGRAMS TO WELCOME MORE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES FACING HEREDITARY BREAST, COLORECTAL, ENDOMETRIAL, OVARIAN, PANCREATIC AND PROSTATE CANCERS. THROUGH VARIOUS EFFORTS SUCH AS SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH (BOTH ORGANIC AND PAID), PUBLIC RELATIONS, PARTNER PROGRAMS, WORKING WITH HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS, AS WELL AS WORKING WITH CONSTITUENTS TO SHARE THEIR PERSONAL STORIES, WE DROVE MORE THAN 360,000 VISITORS TO OUR WEBSITE TO LEARN ABOUT SPECIFIC GENE MUTATIONS THAT INCREASE CANCER RISK AND TO UNDERSTAND EXPERT GUIDELINES ON SCREENING, PREVENTION AND TREATMENT. THESE EFFORTS ALSO DROVE 2,248 PEOPLE TO ATTEND OUR VIRTUAL 2021 JOINING FORCE'S AGAINST HEREDITARY CANCER CONFERENCE WHERE PARTICIPANTS LEARNED ABOUT HEREDITARY CANCER FROM LEADING EXPERTS.

SUPPORT: VOLUNTEERS UNDERGO IN DEPTH TRAINING TO LEARN ABOUT HEREDITARY CANCER AND HOW TO EFFECTIVELY PROVIDE SUPPORT WITHOUT JUDGEMENT OR ADVICE. IN 2021, THE FOLLOWING SUPPORT PROGRAMS WERE AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF 390 TRAINED VOLUNTEERS TO MEET THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND TO ENSURE CONSTITUENTS DO NOT FACE HEREDITARY CANCER ALONE DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC: - 731 CONSTITUENTS WERE MATCHED TO A TRAINED VOLUNTEER WHO SHARES A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE FOR CONFIDENTIAL 1:1 PERSONALIZED SUPPORT AND A FREE EXPERT-REVIEWED RESOURCE GUIDE VIA OUR PEER NAVIGATION PROGRAM. - 164 VIRTUAL SUPPORT MEETINGS WERE HELD NATIONALLY ON ZOOM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS SPECIFIC MEETINGS FOR THE FOLLOWING COMMUNITIES (D/DEAF HARD OF HEARING, IDENTIFY AS LGBTQIA+, MEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR). - OVER 9,500 POSTS WERE SHARED ON OUR PRIVATE FORCE HEREDITARY CANCER COMMUNITY FACEBOOK GROUP AND OUR ONLINE MESSAGE BOARDS WITH PEERS. - 288 HELPLINE CALLS CONNECTED INDIVIDUALS TO RESOURCES AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS.