My Density Matters, and their wonderful team of Leslie, Susan, and Dixie, inspired and motivated us throughout the event. Their advocacy and education work around dense breasts closely mirrors Michele's own experience of cancer being missed on a mammogram. They supported and encouraged us in the lead up to the day. Their collaboration with Touch, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance and Ricki Fairley on a breast density podcast provided an informative and inspiring video introduction to the issues we gathered to address.

The whole day was carried through song. Jess Lamb opened the event with a joyful performance of "Beautiful." Kent set the atmosphere throughout the afternoon with his music and warmth. Betsey Nuseibeh of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Cincinnati, who is directing efforts to heal through music, led us in a closing anthem of hope.

The speakers were deeply moving and educational. Dr. Lydia Hernandez, MD, spoke about her own fight with breast cancer and explained clearly how women can find their breast density score and advocate for further screening. She reflected on how important Michele's work on H.B. 371 has been in expanding access to early detection in Ohio.

Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney discussed her lifelong friendship with Ricki Fairley and her own experience with breast cancer. We heard the moving story of Caroline Johnson and her work with Twisted Pink, which has raised so much for stage 4 research in Kentucky. Renee Mahaffey Harris of Closing the Health Gap emphasized the necessity of self-advocacy within the African American community and the importance of culturally grounded education. Tiffany Mattingly spoke about the need to reach every woman and about her pioneering outreach through The Health Collaborative. Patti Collins, our dear friend, acted as MC alongside her talented grandson and kept the energy high throughout the afternoon.

We were also joined by new friends and partners, including the Karen Wellington Foundation, the Reds Community Fund, Know Your Lemons, and the Cancer Support Community. Their presence and the resources they shared demonstrated what is possible when organizations come together with a shared purpose.

We are especially grateful to Sed Denson and the team at Zola's Cafe for being such generous hosts, and to Gregory S. Young, Co., L.P.A. for sponsoring the brunch. La Soupe provided healthy cookies and resources that we all enjoyed.

Sister Sessions demonstrated that there is a real desire for clear, lifesaving information, supportive community, and spaces where women feel empowered to advocate for their own health. We believe that the cause of erasing breast cancer belongs to all women, and with each innovative effort we create new ways to come together and take control of our destinies.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with those who join us, from patients to oncologists and community leaders. Together, we can transform the lives and possibilities of breast cancer care.

Through gatherings like Sister Sessions, the Pink Eraser Project aims to expand education around early detection, strengthen partnerships across Greater Cincinnati, and ensure that resources reach communities that are too often underserved by health systems and insurance structures. At its heart, this work is about connection. It is about bringing together the women whose cancers were missed, the women who are in treatment, and the women whose cancers can be prevented or found early.

Sister Sessions reminded us that knowledge, community, and hope remain powerful tools in the effort to erase breast cancer.

That is the story of Michele Young, Founding Executive Director of the Pink Eraser Project. Her experience is not rare. It is a warning and a call to action for every woman to know her breast density.

Michele's Story: When Mammograms Are Not Enough

In September 2018, Michele felt a swelling in her breast and went to have it checked. She had no family history of breast cancer and had always received normal mammograms. A women's health specialist placed her at low risk.

On September 21, 2018, after years of normal results, her mammogram finally showed a suspected mass. Six days later, a targeted ultrasound revealed that the mass was 2.4 centimeters. Surgery and radiation were scheduled.

Then came the MRI on October 18. The tumor was not 2.4 centimeters. It was 4.8 centimeters. It had likely been missed for years. The diagnosis was stage 4. Surgery and radiation were cancelled because the cancer had already spread beyond her breast.

Dr. Elyse Lower, Director of UC Breast Care, explained why this happened. Tumors appear white on a mammogram. Fatty tissue in dense breasts also appears white. It is like trying to catch a snowflake in a snowstorm. Up to half of tumors can be missed in women with dense breasts.

Nearly half of all women have dense breasts. In many states, women are not told this. They are not informed that dense breast tissue increases cancer risk and makes cancer significantly harder to detect. They are not offered supplemental screening that could save their lives.

If Michele's cancer had been found early, she would have had a 99 percent chance of complete remission. Instead, she was given a 1 percent chance.

Almost eight years later, she is still here. Most women with her diagnosis are not. She also knows she was fortunate. The financial burden of stage 4 cancer is so overwhelming that many patients fear bankruptcy more than death. Her family was spared that fear. Many others are not.

Her story is a testament to survival and a stark reminder of the cost of missed detection.

Why Breast Density Matters

Breast density is not a minor detail. It is a critical risk factor that affects both the likelihood of developing breast cancer and the ability to detect it early.

Women with dense breasts face two challenges: a higher risk of developing breast cancer, and a lower likelihood that a mammogram will find it.

Dense tissue can mask tumors, delaying diagnosis until the cancer is larger and more advanced. Supplemental screening like ultrasound or MRI can find cancers that mammograms miss, but many women never learn they need it.

Knowing your breast density is not optional. It is lifesaving information.

A Day to Change the Story: Find Out My Breast Density Day – #FOMBDD

This is why the Pink Eraser Project is proud to stand with My Density Matters and partners for Find Out My Breast Density Day on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

Together we can change the story. No matter where you are in your breast health journey, My Density Matters offers resources that empower you to take control of your care.

One day. One place. Real answers.

The Bottom Line

Breast density is one of the most important and least discussed factors in breast cancer detection. Michele's story shows what is at stake when women are not informed. Early detection saves lives. Knowledge saves lives.

Every woman deserves to know her breast density. Every woman deserves access to the screening that can protect her future.

Despite my general experiences with the National Health Service and my work as a breast cancer advocate in the United States, I had no direct knowledge of breast cancer care in the UK. As a result, the conference provided the ideal setting to delve into the strengths and weaknesses of a nationalized healthcare system, and an opportunity to meet the doctors and advocates making a difference.

The first morning, following a walk along Birmingham's scenic canals (as seen in Peaky Blinders), was an overview of recent advances in care. Doctors Catherine Harper-Wynne and Alicia Okines highlighted the complicated pathways that now personalize treatment from early stage through to metastatic breast cancer. I particularly appreciated the translational discussion from Professor Leonie Young, which delved into the international biobanks collecting vital data from a range of patients, the importance of liquid biopsies for a full-scale genomic assay and ctDNA monitoring, integrative medicine, and the use of AI (artificial intelligence) in screening and digital pathology. Her talk set the scene for much of the later conference discussions.

Afterwards, a discussion of managing the gaps in care led to a particularly interesting presentation by Juanita Caseley, a nurse, who discussed that "for many patients, the hardest part of breast cancer is when treatment ends," as structured care goes away and many are expected to return to normal life (while facing physical and psychological distress). It emphasized the important role charity and advocacy organizations play as a long-term point of contact, providing space for survivorship and community and preventing isolation.

Throughout the conference, new regulations meant non-healthcare professionals were separated from the pharmaceutical and doctor section of the poster hall, and pharma lunchtime events. I heard quite a few complaints from advocates, and it was a stark difference from SABCS, where patients were an audience for new drugs and trials. I understand its importance in a system where some of these drugs are not approved and inaccessible, but this may also limit productive knowledge exchange and discussion between patients, doctors, and pharmaceutical representatives.

Two of the lunchtime symposia were led by legendary US researchers. Dr. Judy Garber, MD, MPH provided an overview of the landscape for breast cancer risk in numerous gene variants. Dr. Angela DeMichele, MD, MSCE highlighted the incredible work at UPenn into dormant tumor cells, providing hope for a future in which we can target and treat dormant cells to prevent, or eradicate recurrence. Both are completely changing the way we understand and treat cancer, personalizing and expanding a vision of care that envisions a future in which breast cancer is a chronic disease.

Having worked with Michele Young, PEP's Founding Executive Director, on breast cancer early detection advocacy in the United States, I was very interested to see where Europe was making progress with screening. Dr. Friedrich Strand, of Sweden, had two presentations evidencing how effective AI already is in terms of both spotting cancers on mammograms and evaluating patient risk for supplemental MRI screening. This led well into Professor Fiona Gilbert's discussion of the pioneering BRAID study, the effectiveness of MRIs and CEMs in spotting more cancers, and AI in stratifying risk and the regularity of screening for women. This can support the already established knowledge around breast density and risk, and she warned against using ultrasounds in the screening process.

We spoke afterwards, alongside Dr. Sarah Vinnicombe, a leading Consultant Radiologist, and discussed the current inefficacy of the NHS screening program which only requires a mammogram every 3 years for women between 50 and 72. They both stated how important it was to make the baseline screening every 2 years in line with the rest of the OECD. However, they also argued for the possibility of creating a new system of screening that establishes risk for women at age 40 and makes regular supplemental screening accessible for women at high risk. Both stated that it was unacceptable to be missing so many cancers due to delays in screening, and yet, they knew costs needed to be managed for the taxpayer. With risk-stratified screening and the costs saved by avoiding stage-4 cancers, it is possible this new system will more than pay for itself.

In Ohio, screening is for women of all ages, and supplemental screening is determined by the doctors who see the imaging. Integrating AI into the process also has the potential to catch even more cancers. These policies and decisions are a matter of life and death, and should not be determined by where a person lives. Just as science does not know boundaries, neither should our activism.

Other vital topics of the conference were advances in ctDNA, radiotherapy, integrative medicine, and metastatic care. Too much to cover in a single blog. I did appreciate the integration of disciplines and the discussion across charities, medical professionals, and advocates that the conference provided. Breast Cancer Now did a fantastic job organizing the conference.

Overall, the conference provided an insight into a health system in which advocates, doctors, policymakers, and researchers operate differently.

The taxpayer funds all aspects of the NHS. It would be incredible to give everyone access to whole genomic assays, regular ctDNA testing, CAR-T cell therapies, and annual MRIs. It would certainly save more lives, but all the voices emphasized pragmatism alongside innovation. As the ex-head of NHS England highlighted, it is vital to lobby for capacity, for diagnostics and screening, constitutional standards connected to cancer treatment, and genomics. Yet this must occur alongside speed of treatment, a clear spending plan, and efficient use of hospital equipment and beds.

The NHS is a wonderful system, and a model for much of the world in terms of access and affordability. However, such a system requires careful regulation, planning, and spending. It may be many years before some of the advances we witnessed become the standard of care in the UK. Nonetheless, the doctors, advocates, researchers, and patients driving innovation and change are inspiring, and by coming together, they will be the ones who lead us to a future where cancer is cured or simply viewed as a chronic illness.

Pink Eraser Project's Founding Executive Director Michele Young and Lead Advocate Luke spent time with doctors, scientists, and social health researchers who are pushing the boundaries of what is possible and turning hope into action. Their work represents years of dedication, innovation, and an unwavering demand for change.

From early detection and AI to immunotherapies, precision medicine, therapeutic vaccines, and access to care, these researchers are demonstrating the real, measurable benefits to patients as a result of their research. They are also highlighting where the gaps still exist. This work lays the foundation for future studies, treatments, and policy changes that will save lives and increase accessibility and affordability for all.

Progress like this does not happen without funding, collaboration, and courage. Every delay costs lives. That is where the Pink Eraser Project comes in.

At SABCS, we reconnected with nonprofit partners, advocates, and physicians who remind us why this work matters so deeply. Healing is found in people, in the voices of those living with metastatic breast cancer, in shared stories, and in collaboration that leads the way forward.

The Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation generously gave us space to share the mission and work behind the Pink Eraser Project, and we are deeply grateful for their kindness. At our advocacy table, we had the privilege of meeting so many passionate advocates, brilliant researchers, and dedicated doctors. We also had the opportunity to meet some of the fiercest breast cancer advocate rockstars: Ricki Fairley of TOUCH BBCA, Caroline Johnson of Twisted Pink, and Ellen Friebert Schupper of ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis. These conversations remind us why we fight, why we innovate, and why we refuse to accept the status quo.

Later that night, we surprised attendees and kicked off SABCS with Grammy-nominated artist Jess Lamb who joined us on our journey to fill the room with a soulful anthem of resilience, hope, and love with "Beautiful" at the Alamo Breast Cancer Advocate Gala!

Born from a promise between two friends, this anthem of friendship, strength, and survivorship became more than a song. It became a movement. Michele Young and Patti Collins, who is a lifelong advocate and host of Is Anybody Out There? Podcast, joined forces to honor every woman facing breast cancer and to turn personal resilience into collective action.

Together, they brought in Cincinnati artist Jess Lamb and funk legend Bootsy Collins to reimagine "Beautiful," a soul-funk anthem of resilience, hope, and love, which premiered globally during #LightUpMBC.

One of the greatest gifts of SABCS was getting to reconnect with the people who make this work meaningful. We loved catching up with our incredible partners and friends from My Density Matters in San Antonio. These moments remind us that this work is powered by relationships, shared purpose, and a deep commitment. When organizations come together, we're stronger, louder, and better equipped to create real change.

Research is where hope becomes action. Pink Eraser Project's Lead Advocate Luke also spent time with doctors, scientists and social health researchers who are evidencing the measurable patient benefits of scientific advances, and where the gaps and inadequacies still exist.

All in all, SABCS is more than a conference. It's a gathering of minds, hearts, and lived experience, all moving toward the same goal. Every conversation reaffirmed our mission at the Pink Eraser Project and why it is so important to amplify voices and help erase the barriers that stand in the way of healing.

As we begin 2026, we are committing to a catapult approach. One that accelerates research, removes barriers, and ensures lifesaving innovations reach patients sooner. We believe that neither biology, geography, wealth, nor outdated systems should ever determine someone's outcome.

This is what ending breast cancer looks like: science, advocacy, and action together. 2026 is the year we can make this happen.