Message from Alan Herman, ICRF Executive Director – October 2026

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I imagine that almost everyone reading this knows someone whose life has been touched by breast cancer.

It can sometimes feel as though we are hearing about a new breast cancer diagnosis every day. And while the number of diagnoses continues to rise, there is another story that is equally important to tell: thanks to research, screening, earlier detection, and advances in treatment, far more people are surviving breast cancer. In fact, the breast cancer death rate in the United States has fallen 44% since its peak in 1989. That progress is a powerful reminder of what research can accomplish.

ICRF has been proud to play a role in that progress for decades. Our researchers have made important contributions to breast cancer research, including pioneering work related to BRCA and the RAD51 gene. Today, we continue to support innovative research focused on understanding breast cancer, improving early detection, and developing new approaches to prevention and treatment.

Israel is uniquely positioned to make important contributions in this field. In addition to having some of the world’s leading cancer researchers, Israel has a particularly large Ashkenazi Jewish population, in which BRCA mutations are more prevalent. This provides researchers with an extraordinary opportunity to study genetics, risk, prevention, and treatment in ways that can benefit patients around the world. ICRF is proud to help turn that opportunity into meaningful research.

We are incredibly proud of what ICRF and our researchers have accomplished, but we also know there is so much more to do. Cancer is too complex for any one organization, researcher, or institution to tackle alone. Fighting cancer truly takes a team.

That is why we are especially proud of our partnership with Sharsheret and our participation in the Sharsheret Summit. By bringing together researchers, clinicians, advocates, and community leaders, the Summit reflects the kind of collaboration that is essential to advancing breast and ovarian cancer research and supporting the families whose lives are affected by these diseases.

Of course, none of our work is possible without the incredible people who make it happen: our researchers, our Scientific Review Panel, our Board of Trustees, and, most importantly, our generous supporters. Every grant we fund represents an investment in a scientist, an idea, and the possibility of a breakthrough that can change a patient’s life.

We saw that spirit of partnership firsthand in September when ICRF joined with the Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation for our Chicago Drive Fore Research Golf Outing. Thanks to everyone who participated and supported the event, we raised more than $230,000 for pancreatic cancer research. It was an incredible day at a beautiful golf course, but more importantly, it was a day that will make a meaningful difference in the fight against one of the most challenging forms of cancer.

As we look ahead, I hope to see many of you at our October Galas in Connecticut and Chicago. These gatherings are wonderful opportunities to come together, celebrate our shared mission, and remind ourselves of the impact we can have when we work together.

Thank you for being part of the ICRF family. Together, we continue to make a difference in the fight against cancer and in strengthening Israel’s extraordinary scientific community.