Welcome
Erasing Breast Cancer one Breakthrough at a Time
Welcome to The Pink Eraser Project
A LETTER FROM PEP FOUNDER MICHELE YOUNG
Pink Eraser Project Supporters,
Welcome to the BIG Pink Eraser Project! That’s right, PEP is new and improved. We are no longer an eraser the size that fits on the end of a pencil; we’re now one of those big pink blocks that sits on your desk, ready to do some heavy erasing.
Our Expanded Mission
This is a moral crusade. A new era in breast cancer treatment is emerging, yet many women are still receiving care as if it were 50 years ago. Today, we can detect cancer years ahead of mammograms, equip the body to combat cancer without relying solely on chemotherapy, relieve suffering, and potentially extend lives or even cure cancer, even at advanced stages. However, while science has leaped forward, our laws and attitudes have not kept pace.
Since my stage 4 diagnosis six years ago and recent recurrence, I have redoubled my efforts to change this. Every 11 minutes, a life is lost that may have been saved with access to today’s science.
About Pink Eraser Project
A Scientific Revolution
Our team is made up of licensed therapists, social workers, and other mental health professionals who are passionate about supporting mentalIn recent years, breast cancer research has advanced dramatically. Innovative, personalized treatments based on genetic insights are here. We stand on the brink of turning breast cancer into a manageable condition, moving away from invasive procedures toward solutions that allow women not just to survive but to thrive.
When PEP launched, I was a survivor witnessing a medical revolution. Initially diagnosed in 2018, I faced bleak prospects due to outdated treatment paradigms. Thanks to Dr. Elyse Lower—one of the few who challenged these norms—and my determination to seek alternatives, I not only survived but thrived. Early detection and new therapies are vital; I advocated for these advancements loudly, resulting in increased awareness and legislative changes.
When my cancer returned shortly after PEP’s launch, I feared the worst. However, thanks to rapid advancements in science, we detected the lesion before it was even identified on a blood test. With targeted treatment, I was able to restore my health without harming healthy tissue—a testament to the progress we’ve made.
But there was another lesson: once cancer returns, it can truly come back. However, when it does, I will be prepared. I'll be moving forward, not by myself, but alongside all the amazing women getting the same top-notch treatment as I am.health and wellness in our community.
Expanding to Impact More Women
That’s why PEP’s mission is expanding beyond vaccines. While we support vaccine trials for late-stage triple-negative patients, the majority—80-90%—of breast cancer cases are estrogen-based, and effective on-the-market vaccines for these types are still years away. We do not have the time to wait, and we do not need to wait. Every woman has the right to survive breast cancer.
Every woman deserves affordable access to detection, treatment, and trials. I am dedicated to making the breast cancer epidemic a national—and eventually global—priority. We need to respect all who have been working for decades and be their angels, the ones who get the job done no matter what.
This is the vision I had from the start, when I learned that the opportunity for early detection was not available to all but determined by where one lived or insurance I lived in the wrong state with the wrong insurance. Now, Ohio is the right state, and everyone has the right to early detection. I see the path to survival for all of us. Please walk with me.
Why You Can Trust Me
You can count on my commitment to the cause. I am the lawyer who speaks for those who do not have a voice—who have been bullied, forgotten, or counted out. That’s what we women with breast cancer are! I have fought for justice for marginalized individuals, including securing a landmark settlement for the family of a bullied child and helping exonerate an innocent woman after decades in prison. I’ve worked to empower minority women in politics and supported trailblazing candidates in my community. I have been recognized for my work, most recently as Ohio Woman of the Year for 2024 by USA Today. I persevere. I do not give in or give up. I get it done.
How We Will Erase Breast Cancer
We can halve the deaths by providing access to early detection, personalized treatments, and trials. The science for earlier detection is here, and costs have decreased. After my advocacy, Ohio now mandates comprehensive breast imaging coverage, enabling thousands of women—especially those with dense breasts—to detect cancer earlier. This is the vision I had from the start, when I learned that the opportunity for early detection was not available to all but determined by where one lived or the insurance one had. Now, Ohio is the right state, and everyone has the right to early detection. We need this everywhere. And we can achieve it.
Together, we can rewrite the story of breast cancer and ensure that every woman has the chance to not just survive but thrive. For women who have not been diagnosed yet, early detection and preventive vaccines are key. For those who are diagnosed, personalized treatment will allow us to not only survive but thrive, attacking the cancer cells while sparing the healthy ones.
We are the angels, not of death, but of life, giving the necessary support to efforts that may have been abandoned for lack of hope or understanding. We are showing up where we are needed, erasing barriers one at a time to end breast cancer. We are moving the needle. We are the Pink Erasers.
I ask you to join us as a Pink Eraser. Each of us can do our part.
This is not the quixotic ravings of a woman with a terminal illness; it is the optimism of someone who has seen a medical revolution over the past six short years that saved my life and can save so many others. My condition is now viewed as chronic, and I must be vigilant for new flare-ups, but that is a far cry from the day I was told to complete my bucket list. A cure does not seem far off for me, for you, or for all women. As Bob Dylan sings, “Well, the times they are a-changing”
Then as now, I believe it takes only one to stand up. I am still standing. I ask each of you to stand with me. We are at a tipping point. Across the world, there are cancer centers, researchers, patients, and survivors in need of an angel. Together, we can.
For women who have not been diagnosed yet, early detection and preventive vaccines are key. For women who are diagnosed, personalized treatment will allow us to not only survive but thrive, as the cancer cells are attacked, not the healthy ones. Women like me need to be one step ahead; every new treatment keeps us going a while longer.
Our Partners
The following is what PEP will focus on, as each of these initiatives will move the needle forward, saving countless lives. In conjunction, we would witness the future unfold before us.
- Find It Early Act — We need to do all we can to pass this; the best way to stop breast cancer is to find it early.
- Ensuring Patient Success to Critical Breakthroughs Act — We need to bring medical breakthroughs to us faster and sooner.
- Biomarker Testing Legislation — Biomarker testing is needed to unlock the personalized therapies that target cancer. There are only 18 states—and not Medicare—that require coverage.
- Access to Clinical Trials — Clinical trials need to reach more individuals from every part of our community.
- Supporting Key Medical Breakthroughs — Whether it’s a vaccine for stage 4 women with metastatic estrogen-based breast cancer or an AI-enhanced MRI, we have the power of the dollar.
Together, let’s erase breast cancer.
With determination,
Michele Young
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