In 2010, the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) set a deadline to know how to end breast cancer by January 2020. We knew achieving this audacious goal would require fundamental changes in research priorities, financial incentives, funding mechanisms and advocacy efforts. We knew it would require harnessing the energy and resources of researchers, public officials, business leaders, the philanthropic and funding community, breast cancer advocates and the general public. We knew we could fail. We did it anyway. We are gratified to report that we are remarkably close to reaching our goal.

This report tells the story of Deadline 2020—how the science, business and politics of breast cancer brought us to set a deadline, what we learned from taking on such a bold goal, our progress toward ending breast cancer and our next steps.