A Letter from Pink Eraser Project®'s Michele Young

Dear Friends,

Seven years ago, I was diagnosed with stage-4 breast cancer. That moment changed my life and set me on a path to national breast cancer advocacy. I am alive today thanks to extraordinary care and groundbreaking science. But too many women are not as fortunate. Too many still face outdated, reactive treatments that rob them of hope and health.

These treatments respond, rather than prevent, targeting whole areas of tissue instead of carefully and strategically attacking the tumor. Women end up facing advanced-stage cancer that could have been prevented by early detection, and they endure harsh chemotherapy and medications with severe side effects before an early descent to death.  This is my expected lot in life.

My fight against cancer is something no one else should go through. In 2025, an estimated 42,170 women will lose their lives to breast cancer.¹ That is about 115 lives per day, or almost 5 women every hour.  Many of these lives can be saved with the tools we already have or by expanding and accelerating trailblazing research.

Over the last seven years, I have been fortunate enough to work with legends in the field of medicine, advocacy, and public policy. What I learned is that collaboration, not competition, will save these lives. It is exactly why I am bringing all walks of life together, including patients, oncologists, lawmakers, writers, artists, and nurses, to erase breast cancer.

The time is now. In recent years, breast cancer research has advanced dramatically. MRIs, AI, blood tests, and leaps in screening technology can ensure no cancer is missed on a mammogram. Innovative, personalized treatments, including CAR-T and CRISPR, and immunotherapy rooted in genomics are already here. Evidence-based holistic health is changing lifestyles and protecting the immune system. We stand on the brink of erasing breast cancer, turning it into a footnote in the chapter of our existence. 

Health equity is vital. Every woman deserves affordable access to detection, treatment, and trials. Each life is singularly important, and every hour we wait, 115 women die. I am focused on genomic therapies that can bring treatment straight to the molecular level and reboot the immune system. Cancer treatment should be a personalized continuum of care, from catching it early to minimizing the impacts of treatment, making interventions so noninvasive that they no longer affect a woman’s life. This new approach can change the paradigm of breast cancer nationally and eventually globally. It can and should reach every woman. 

I am here because of the doctors who placed me first and saved my life. Our approach should also proceed with compassion, minimizing risk for each patient. Science must go hand in hand with care. I also know that as a survivor, the cancer remains in my body. I live from month-to-month check-ups, like a library book renewed every 30 days. This gives me not only a sense of urgency but also the strength and perseverance to make every day count. 

Together, we can rewrite the story of breast cancer and ensure that every woman has the chance to not just survive but to thrive. For women who have not been diagnosed, early detection and preventive measures are key. For those fighting cancer, advances in treatment will allow them to reclaim their lives, targeting the cancer cells while sparing the healthy ones. We have the science. We have the solutions. Now, we must summon the will to work together, act urgently, and ensure that no woman faces cancer alone.

Join us as a Pink Eraser. Each of us can do our part. 

With determination, 

Michele Young

¹ American Cancer Society - https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html