Policy and advocacy in the quest for effective translational breast care research

If breast cancer were viewed among siblings as a family of diseases, it might be easily identified as the favorite child. Policy, advocacy, and funding initiatives have supported this disease in such abundance that the “pink ribbon” has become almost synonymous in America with the terms “motherhood and apple pie”. So, why have we still not found a cure after the launch of the war on cancer in the 1970s? This article delves deeply into the translational breast cancer research maze to capture thoughtful insights through interviews with noted researchers and by exploring the vision and strategies of major funders who invest in translational research. Common barriers within the United States systems are explored and compared to European models. Innovations that offer new paradigm shifts in the delivery of more timely, cost-effective, patient-centered, accountable, transparent, and collaborative research focused on responding to public health priorities and access are urgently needed to find the cure.