Source: UCSF News Services
April 30, 2008

Safeway Foundation Gives $2 Million to UCSF for Breast Cancer Support

The Safeway Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Safeway Inc., has given the UCSF Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center $2 million to fund a combination of research initiatives and the debut of a unique, national website designed to match breast cancer patients with clinical trials nationwide.

The clinical trials website represents a major advance in the ability of individuals to conveniently find appropriate breast cancer trials. The research initiatives will directly benefit individuals who have, or are at risk of developing, breast cancer through their support of prevention, early detection, decision support tools and survivorship. UCSF also will be providing Safeway employees with a suite of educational products and services related to breast cancer.

"The Safeway Foundation has shown visionary and exemplary leadership in its commitment to raising awareness and funds for this critical health issue. In addition, they are taking an active role to improve the care of their customers and employees," said Laura Esserman, MD, MBA, professor and director of the UCSF Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center. "This donation will enable us to accelerate our ability to conduct very important research on breast cancer prevention, treatment and survivorship with the ultimate aim of improving the outcomes for those patients facing a breast cancer diagnosis."

The research and educational initiatives at UCSF supported by the Safeway Foundation have the potential to serve as models for other institutions, with the goals of further revolutionizing breast cancer research and treatment, improving outcomes by providing patients with access to more information and options, and engaging patients more actively in their individual care.

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