Ann Fonfa

Ann Fonfa was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 1993. She explored alternative therapies and started a study group in New York City. From summaries of the approximately 60 meetings this group held, Ann posted a website in June 1999 under the name The Annie Appleseed Project. It is now a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation serving 85,000 people monthly via the Internet.

Ann has attended several hundred scientific, medical, research and advocacy meetings since 1995. She and other volunteers gather and disseminate information via the website and talks that Ann gives around the country.

Ann has been featured in magazines, interviewed on the radio and TV and authored a published paper, “Patient Perspectives: Barriers to Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapies Create Problems for Patients and Survivors,” as well as numerous articles. She has presented at many meetings around the US and abroad. As an independent advocatr, Ann has raised questions about the environment, drug approvals, LGBT issues, research methodologies and much more.

Ann continues to review for the Department of Defense, Avon Foundation, California Breast Cancer Research Program and healthratings.org. She serves on many panels and is Florida field coordinator for the National Breast Cancer Coalition as well as advocacy co-chair for the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation. She is a member of the Society for Integrative Oncology and Susan G. Komen for the Cure LGBT National Advisory Council. 

Ann is a 2004 graduate of Food as Medicine and CancerGuides. She is the consumer advocate on the Adverse Effects Methods Group, Cochrane Collaboration, and a member of CUE – Consumers United for Evidence-based Healthcare. Ann recently served with a panel examining comparative effectiveness research for complementary/integrative medicine.

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