Breast Cancer Environment Centers and Advocacy: Baralt and McCormick Respond

Our findings regarding the Breast Cancer and Environment Research Centers (BCERCs) in which Wolff and Barlow are involved represent a broad overview of all four centers and are meant to portray several dimensions of the collaborative aspects of the work. In our article (Baralt and McCormick 2010), we aimed to advance the types of community-based participatory research projects exemplified by these centers. With this aim, we presented an analysis of the collaborative process to understand ways in which future funding can be better specified in the area of breast cancer and the environment. We sought to clarify how agencies can facilitate deepened participation in examining the potential underlying issues that may affect participatory research projects, particularly with regard to a lack of understanding of and training in community- based participatory research on the part of many scientists and advocates, as well as potentially divergent priorities or desired outcomes regarding the research.