mo' better mammograms?

A new study suggests that breast cancer survivors may live longer with twice yearly mammograms.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AdditionalMeetings/20091

Anything that saves survivor's lives is worth pursuing. Still, it's hard to be really gleeful because most of us, if a recurrence is found, will need a mastectomy. I also suspect I am not the only one not thrilled at facing test-time anxiety twice a year.

Besides that, have a happy holiday weekend!

Raise money for breast cancer and cut clutter at the same time!

Here is a great way to raise money for a charity and get extra room in your home. Have a tag sale!
http://www.thehour.com/story/487068

Canadian study shows breast cancer takes a toll on bodies and bank accounts

I participate in a message board that includes American and Canadian women, among others. While the Canadians do not fear losing their insurance the way U.S. women do, this study shows, there is still a steep cost to having breast cancer. Here is the link to a summary of the study.
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2010/27/c6976.html

Unique program uses basketball to help women recover from breast cancer treatment

I am always looking for unique opportunities to help women recover from breast cancer. I got this note about a program that uses basketball to hep women get moving after surgery.

Suzanne

My name is Amina Gilyard and I am the Education Specialist at the George Washington Cancer Institute. We currently offer a free program to breast cancer survivors in the DC metro area called Healing with Basketball (HwB). The clinics are designed to help survivors regain upper body strength and recover range of motion after treatment, as well as provide them with a strong support system of fellow survivors.  Healing with Basketball clinics take place one Saturday a month from 1:00-3:00 PM at GW's Mt. Vernon campus. They are run by survivor and psychotherapist Lynn Grodzki who also founded HwB and is the volunteer program manager and Andrew Weiss, coach and CPT.

Recently, we were featured in the health section of the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/26/AR2010042603438.html

Minnesota women create "Rapunzel Project" to help pay for cold caps.

It's a little tricky writing about "cold caps" for breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. I have heard from people who swear by them, and I have heard from people who say they don't work. My personal oncologist does not support their use, but one of my surgeons says she has seem good results. Still, this next article from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune was interesting to me, It's about two Minnesota women who started a charity to help women pay for cold caps.

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/94666214.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUHPYDiaK7DUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUr

Breast cancer patient copes with treatment and civil unrest

When I was doing my first searches on the web after diagnosis, I remember reading somewhere about what to do if a natural disaster strikes while you are going through treatment. It was probably written post-Katrina, but I can not imagine how scary it would be to have a flood strike following surgery or during chemo or radiation.

Two of our followers have been dealing with extraordinary obstacles. Chemobabe has had to deal with flooding in Nashville during her radiation, and now feistybluegecko writes of having to work around political protesters and curfews in Thailand.

http://feistybluegeckofightsback.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/bunkered-down-bangkoks-breast-cancer-correspondent/

Suzanne

Charity focuses awareness on dense tissue and breast cancer risk

One of my memories from my time in the hospital is hearing several medical personnel comment that I had exceptionally dense breast tissue. I think the word concrete was used. It's almost funny, I ran into one of the radiologists who did my wire insertion and she did not recognize me until I said, "I was the one with the really dense tissue?"

"Oh yeah, I remember you!"

Since that time, just last year, more information has come out pointing to dense tissue as a risk factor. It also makes screening trickier, especially for many young women.

Today I discovered a website and a charity dedicated to raising awareness on just this issue. It's got a cute name, and they even have a music festival fundraiser.
http://www.areyoudense.org/

Suzanne

The Psychology of Prevention

Whether you are concerned about preventing breast cancer, or preventing a recurrence, the number of factors to consider can be overwhelming. Lifestyle changes can improve your odds, but you can do everything right, and still come up short.

I thought this article from Psychology Today was interesting. It looks at why high-risk women, who have not had cancer usually decline Tamoxifen as a preventative treatment.
http://www.psychologytoday.co/blog/beyond-apples/201005/why-is-pill-prevent-breast-cancer-so-hard-swallo

Suzanne