Thursday, Oct 1, 2026
South San Francisco, CA -- October 1, 2026 --
Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROP; OTCQX: RHHBY), and Breastcancer.org today launched About Damn Time (www.aboutdamntime.com), a new campaign created in collaboration with women and leading breast cancer organizations. The campaign will shine a light on an often overlooked part of the HR+/HER2- early breast cancer experience: the years that can follow surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. While the world may see a survivor moving on, in reality she may be transitioning to long-term treatment, which is often not as visible as initial treatment. Just as patients reach this turning point in their care, the initial wave of support from family and friends often tapers off, leaving patients to navigate long-term decisions and what comes next with fewer care team touchpoints.
Finishing initial treatment can be an important milestone associated with celebration, survivorship and getting back to “normal.” But for many women with HR+ early breast cancer, treatment designed to reduce the risk of recurrence may continue for years, alongside questions about treatment decisions and impacts on work, relationships, intimacy, menopause, side effects and daily life.3 Recent data confirm that disease recurrence remains a pressing reality for HR+, HER2- early breast cancer patients, validating the deep-seated fears many survivors live with every day.4 About Damn Time aims to close the gap between how this phase is perceived and what women may actually experience and need, encouraging women to speak up and discuss the long-term treatment options with their care teams.
Dani Trops (age 39), Breast Cancer Survivor
“When I finished active treatment, everyone was ready to celebrate. I was too, but I quickly realized breast cancer wasn’t behind me. On the outside, I look fine, but I’m still managing questions about recurrence, the daily reality of continuous treatment and ongoing side effects. You can be deeply grateful to be a survivor and still be dealing with breast cancer. I want other women to know they aren't alone—it's About Damn Time we start talking about it.”
Charlotte Owens, M.D., FACOG, Senior Vice President and Head of US Medical, Genentech
"Progress in breast cancer care cannot only be measured by how long people live, but by how well they live. As a physician and caregiver, I say it’s About Damn Time we focus on caring for the whole patient, not just treating the disease. That’s why Genentech supports this critical campaign: to empower women with breast cancer to speak with their care teams about the realities of long-term treatment so they can get the support they need to thrive in the years that follow.”
The stakes during this phase extend beyond treatment itself. HR+ early breast cancer can recur years, and even decades, after diagnosis, which is why hormone therapy designed to reduce the risk of recurrence is typically recommended for at least five years, and for some women, longer.2 During those years, women may experience menopausal symptoms, joint and muscle pain, fatigue, sleep disruption, sexual health concerns, and the persistent fear that their cancer could return.
Marisa C. Weiss, M.D., Founder and Chief Medical Officer, Breastcancer.org
“I've spent 25 years listening to people describe this exact moment – the calendar says treatment is over, appointments thin out, but the body and the mind are still catching up while you’re managing hormone therapy side effects, watching for recurrence and trying to remember who you were before this started. Breast cancer care doesn't end when initial treatment stops. For many, it's just entering its longest phase. We have let this phase stay invisible for too long, and invisible problems don't get solved. We have to acknowledge it, study it and offer people solutions to live the lives they deserve.”
According to Breastcancer.org, hormonal therapy affects everyone differently, and your age, other health conditions, and menopausal status can all affect how your body responds. Research has shown that these experiences can affect quality of life and may make staying on therapy more challenging, underscoring the importance of helping women anticipate what may come next and have ongoing conversations with their care teams.5
Developed with women living this experience and in collaboration with Breastcancer.org; Young Survival Coalition; Latinas Contra Cancer and TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance, About Damn Time turns that often unspoken experience into practical support. Through candid stories, educational resources and tools, the campaign helps women understand what may come next, prepare questions and have more informed conversations with their care teams.
Question |
Answer |
What is About Damn Time? |
A campaign created to help people feel more informed and prepared for the long-term treatment phase of HR+/HER2- early breast cancer. |
Who is it for? |
Women navigating survivorship after initial treatment, especially those facing ongoing therapy, side effects, recurrence anxiety, or questions about what comes next. |
Why is About Damn Time needed? |
About Damn Time is built around a simple truth: breast cancer does not always feel “over” when initial treatment ends. The campaign is designed to make this quieter phase more visible and help women feel more informed and better prepared for what comes next – including conversations with their care teams about long-term treatment options, side effect management, recurrence anxiety, daily life and finding support. |
What is the long-term treatment phase? |
The period after initial intensive treatment — such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation — when ongoing therapy, follow-up care and survivorship needs continue for years. This can include side effects, recurrence anxiety, emotional burden and care-team conversations. |
Who are the partners? |
Breastcancer.org; Young Survival Coalition; Latinas Contra Cancer; TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance and Genentech. |
What does the campaign offer? |
Educational resources, real-life stories, and practical tools to help women prepare for discussions with their care teams. |
Where can people learn more? |
Visit AboutDamnTime.com |
What will women find at AboutDamnTime.com?
The campaign hub includes resources designed to help women:
The website is designed to serve as a starting point for women who may feel unsure of what comes next and want credible, patient-centered information and support.
Multimedia resources
A media kit containing a campaign video and related logos can be downloaded here.
About Breastcancer.org
Breastcancer.org is a patient-focused resource dedicated to providing information and support to those affected by breast cancer. Founded in 2000 by Chief Medical Officer Marisa C. Weiss, M.D., it empowers people with research, expert information and a dynamic peer support community to help them make the best decisions for their lives. Since its inception, the nonprofit organization has reached 256 million people worldwide.
About Genentech in Breast Cancer
Genentech has revolutionized the breast cancer landscape for more than 30 years. From pioneering backbone therapies for HER2-positive care to developing new approaches to target resistance in HR-positive disease, our goal is to deliver transformational therapies from early- to late-stage disease to help as many people living with breast cancer as possible. By collaborating across the oncology ecosystem, delivering groundbreaking science and applying advanced technologies, we are committed to achieving the best outcomes and building a future where people with cancer can thrive, in spite of their diagnosis.
About Genentech
Founded 50 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious and life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.
References:
1) National Cancer Institute, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program (n.d.). Cancer Stat Facts: Female Breast Cancer
https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
2) National Cancer Institute, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. (n.d.). Female breast cancer subtypes—Cancer stat facts. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast-subtypes.html
3) American Cancer Society. (2026, June 24). Key statistics for breast cancer. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/key-statistics.html
4) O'Shaughnessy J, Tolaney SM, Yardley DA, Hart L, Razavi P, Fasching PA, Janni W, Schwartzberg L, Kim J, Akdere M, McDermott C, Khakwani A, Pathak P, Graff SL. (2025, March 7). Real-world risk of recurrence and treatment outcomes with adjuvant endocrine therapy in patients with stage II-III HR+/HER2- early breast cancer.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40157276/
5) DePolo, J. (2023, August 24). What helps women stick to hormonal therapy treatment plans after surgery? Breastcancer.org. https://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/hormonal-therapy-adh