Using My Passion To Help Find A Cure

Evelyn Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President of The Estee Lauder Companies and Founder and Chairman of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, is passionately committed to the battle to defeat breast cancer. In 1989, Evelyn started the fundraising drive that established the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, the first-ever breast and diagnostic center that has become a model for similar facilities around the world.

In October 1992, she and Alexandra Penney, then editor of Self magazine, developed the pink ribbon, which we all recognize as the worldwide symbol of breast health. In 1993, she turned her attention to helping the world's top medical and scientific researchers, and established The Breast Cancer Research Foundation as an independent, not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and genetic research.

Since then, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation has raised more than $180 million. Evelyn devotes much of her time and boundless energy to finding creative ways to raise money. She's even turned one of her hobbies, photography, into a potent weapon in the race to find a cure for breast cancer. As her latest exhibition, Flowers, closes in New York City and she gears up for another, she shares her story with us. -Willow Bay

My efforts to join the fight against breast cancer all began around the fact that women were getting short-changed in the medical arena. I noticed that when it came to breast cancer, women were dying at twice the rate of people dying from AIDS and no one was talking about it.

One of the things I am most proud of is bringing breast cancer out of the closet and encouraging editors to write about breast health. It was a taboo subject and once editors began writing about it, it really hit a nerve with their readers. The more knowledge there was about the disease, the more open women were in discussing it, and the better they are equipped to deal with a diagnosis. Women are no longer as terrified as they were in the early 90s. The whole attitude changed. This was also a tremendous incentive to physicians to upgrade their diagnostic tools and their research. It helped to change the attitude about funding research. Also, at that time, no one was doing coordinated research on a national level. Since then, the BCRF has raised more than $180 million.

This October, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation will be giving $32 million to 151 researchers.

Over the years, I have done a variety of things to raise funds. I have a creative yen for photography. The art dealer, Holly Solomon saw some of my photographs and offered to give me a show. I was so excited because it was an opportunity to raise money for the BCRF. And that got me started. Today everything is done in a top-notch, professional way. I have a curator who works with me on my exhibitions. We sell only limited editions of my work.

My Takashimaya show in New York City has been up for the last week. The store invited me to show Flowers, but they asked for small photos because they don't have a large gallery space. I went back into my archives and selected my favorite photographs for this exhibition, and then printed them in a smaller format. People really liked the smaller sizes because they're a little bit different. For example, they can mix them with books on their bookshelves. This show really brings people a lot of delight.

Evelyn with her husband Leonard at Takashimaya

Next, I'm going to have a show at the Rhona Hoffman Gallery in Chicago in November where I will add a lot of new work. It will feature some of my photos of antique head vases. These are pictures I took for myself just because I loved them so much. I've photographed diminutive lady head vases in such a way that light and shadow heighten the drama of their expressions - be it coy, forlorn or frightening. I've placed flowers from my garden in the vases and it appears as if the flowers are bursting from their hats, adding to the eccentric charm of these ladies.

"Flower" by Evelyn Lauder, Flowers exhibition, Takashimaya

Larry Gagosian, the art dealer, saw my head vase photographs and told me he thought they were taken by a young artist. I said "Well, we can apply the Y word." And he gave me a show at his gallery in Beverly Hills last March. Next June, I am going to have a show in Paris at Galleries Lafayette.

"Intensity II" by Evelyn Lauder, Flowers exhibition, Takashimaya

Taking photographs is a hobby, and having these exhibitions and raising money for BCRF, justifies the time I spend taking all these pictures. I'm using my passion to give back. These exhibitions also allow me to connect with friends and supporters and spread the word about our work.

"Morning Tulips" by Evelyn Lauder, Flowers exhibition, Takashimaya

The gratification of helping others is a very American tradition and a Judeo-Christian tradition. Now it is great to see young people creating funds and giving back in all sorts of productive ways. It's a terrifically satisfying thing. Our fore-fathers had the right idea about this. Now we know there is science that backs this up. There is physical evidence of the body's response to doing good. Endorphins are released in the brain when you do something for someone else. Doing good really feels good.

For more on the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, visit www.bcrfcure.org.

Comments

[JayZee]

ask your Doctor for B R E A S T *** T H E R M O G R A P H Y.

How Accurate is Thermography of the Breast?

Breast thermography is very accurate in the hands of trained personnel using the correct type of thermography cameras. The accuracy of the examination varies around the world but varies from 87%-96% depending on how old the literature is. The 96% reference is from 1999, the most recent published approved study. (USC Norris Cancer Center, Parisky, MD et al)

http://www.healingwell.com/library/breastcancer/article.asp?author=cockburn&id=1

if this link doesn't work for some reason, just google breast thermography.

[olivine]

The "cure" is cleaning up the environment!!!For men, women and children..­.and dogs, and cats, and so on.There will never be a "cure"as long as toxins are in everything. I don't mean to sound like Mel Gibson in Conspiracy Theory,but there are too many governmental and cancer industry ties with agribusinesses, pharmaceutical companies, ad nauseum,for any of this to ever change without mutiny!

[SeanGardner]

I loved the post here. But I continue to have a slight problem with the fact that the attention regarding breast cancer is nearly exclusively "female-oriented". And this is surprising considering 3-4% of breast cancer victims are men. Where is the focus on them?

Actor Richard Rountree, had cancer and has been working with The Susan G. Komen Foundation, as shwon in this article, http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlight/2001-09-18-roundtree-cancer.htm.

In fact, the article points out some interesting facts:

"According to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, this year between 1,400-1,600 men will be diagnosed with the disease, and 400 men will die from it. While this pales in comparison to the more than 40,000 American women who will succumb to the disease in 2001 — the risk to men is all too real."

So I hope we can strengthen our resolve to find a cure in both Women...an­d Men.

[jackson93]

While I do not at all want to minimize the very real problem of men experiencing breast cancer, I have a problem with the complaint that the attention regarding breast cancer is too focused on women. Considering that women make up 97-96% of breast cancer patients and that breast cancer is the most common form of cancer that women experience, doesn't it make sense that the focus would be on women.

Breast cancer is one of the few medical issues that does focus on women. Medicine and medical studies have long focused on men, specifically white men. Women and minority health issues have long been overlooked until recently. For example, heart disease in the number one killer of women in the US. "More women than men die each year from heart attacks, stroke and other cardiovascular conditions, yet women are less likely than men to receive appropriate care." http://www.nmh.org/nmh/prentice/wcvi.htm

Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago will be opening a new women's health care center, Prentice Women's Hospital. That hospital will have a breast center and a cancer center. There will be a dedicated area in that hospital to treat men with breast cancer, which suggests that the medical community is become more aware of men's breast cancer needs.

The bottom line is that everyone regardless of gender or race deserves good and thorough medical treatment.

[SeanGardner]

"Considering that women make up 97-96% of breast cancer patients and that breast cancer is the most common form of cancer that women experience, doesn't it make sense that the focus would be on women."
jackson93

You're making a big deal out of nothing. Didn't I link an article above that pretty much confirms that WOMEN are the major sufferers of breast cancer? Yes I did.

But what is missing in report after report on tv and in newspapers are even some mentioning of the fact that men also suffer. I invite you to go on any of the thousands of search engines and confirm what I am saying.

I understand what you are saying: women suffer more so the attention will largely be on WOMEN. I understand. My point is that we need to see more reports on the progress that The Susan G. Komen FOundation and others in the struggle are making to highlight the plight of men with breast cancer. That is precisely the crux of my argument. I want to see more.

A good book that raises all of these questions and more is "Pink Ribbons, Inc.: Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy" by Samantha King. In fact, I'll link info of the book: http://www.amazon.com/Pink-Ribbons-Inc-Politics-Philanthropy/dp/0816648980.

[curiousasheck]

We're all on our own now. Poisoned food, poisoned air, poisoned water, no worker safety. Bush and the Repubs have destroyed government and it's oversight duties to it's citizens. All we have now are unscrupulous corporations doing whatever they please with zero government oversight.

[BonnieJW]

How about giving EVERY woman over 40 a mammogram, regardless of her ability to pay? I'd like to see funds going to that in addition to research. What about women on welfare who can't afford mammograms and are then left to die horrible deaths because they cannot afford treatment?

I agree with Olivine regarding cosmetics companies listing their ingredients and avoiding carcinogens in the first place.

[olivine]

Hello Bonnie, Regarding your comment about mammograms (and I didn't know this either until I started doing some research on it recently),the latest on them is that one a year for 10 years -starting at age 40, say-is WAY too much radiation!However, you will never hear anything about this from the American Cancer Society because of their close ties with the whole mammogram industry.

[olivine]

Well, that is just fine,about raising awareness.­..but how about raising some ANGER about the carcinogens in our air, food, water, cosmetics (also, I THINK your compamy refuses to list possible carcinogens in your products.h­mmmmmmmmmm­),etc.Anyw­ay, we are in the midst of a cancer epidemic and I am so embarassed when I see women walking, running, singing, whatever "for the cure" when they refuse to GRASP THE OBVIOUS and TACKLE THE POLLUTED ENVIRONMENT THAT IS GIVING EVERYONE CANCER IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!Get on www.preventcancer.com and read for yourselves about our toxic environment. This website belongs to Dr. Samuel Epstein ,who won the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award two years ago, among many other accomplish­ments.And , everyone, boycott the American Cancer Society while you are at it- it supports a tremendous ,I might say HUMONGOUS industry with a vested interests in people GETTING cancer, not PREVENTING it!

[Jain]

Yes! olivine is on it! Also go to the "Skin Deep" website and see how much cancer producing crap is in your favorite cosmetics!

[springsm]

Oh crap...giv­e it a rest. This woman is doing something good for women regarding breast cancer research and early detection. WE all need to put pressure on the powers that be to stop the pollution of our environment. My family does not use many cosmetics, but dammit give this woman a good word for giving so much. What have you done lately? Nag insurance politicians to get mammograms for all who don't HAVE the funds to pay or the place to go...do something, anything, for all.