Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Do Your Part to Help Women Worldwide

The month of October is not just marked by Halloween costumes and candy. For more than twenty years, the month has also been host to National Breast Cancer Awareness. It is a month for us to remember the strength of those we have lost and of those who have survived the disease. We wear pink ribbons in memory and support of these women as well as promote awareness and methods of early detection.

Be Prepared

Early detection of breast cancer is vital in helping women to fight and survive the disease. The most common signs of breast cancer are lumps, discoloration of the breast and thickening of the tissue. These signs do not guarantee cancer; however, it does mean that you should seek further treatment by talking to your doctor. Other signs include dimpling of the skin, change in breast size or shape and consistent pain in one spot.

In order to join the fight against breast cancer and help women worldwide, communities throughout the nation need to get involved and raise awareness. Every October in Santa Clarita, California Valencia Acura partners with the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Health Foundation in organizing community events to help support the cause. In the last eleven years, Valencia Acura has raised over $500,000 toward breast cancer awareness and for the local Sheila R. Veloz Breast Imaging Center.

A Journey to Survival

As a kick-off to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Soroptimist International of the Santa Clarita Valley, an organization that moves to advance the rights and status of women worldwide, hosted a meeting on October 1st in support of the cause. Guest speaker, Gail McCroskey, owner of the catering company An Affaire Extraordinaire and a close friend, spoke of her struggle with breast cancer starting in 2007. After a lumpectomy and 33 doses of radiation therapy over a period of eight weeks, McCroskey continues to be a devote supporter of breast cancer awareness.

Do Your Part

I feel that giving back to the community is very important - even the smallest of efforts can create a domino effect and bring awareness to hundreds of people. If you would like to help support the cause, you can wear Pink Ribbon Pins available all month at the following locations: Henry Mayo Gift Shop, Valencia Acura, Vantage Oncology, Santa Clarita Cancer Center, Sheila R. Veloz Breast Imaging Center, UCLA Cancer Center and Tower Imaging. Also Brighton Breast Cancer Awareness bracelets can be bought at Cobblestone Cottage. For each bracelet sold, five dollars will be donated to the Sheila R. Veloz Breast Imaging Center and other breast cancer related organizations.

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Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast cancer is one of the most serious diseases that can strike women of almost any age. Cancer awareness is important to help women find the first signs of cancer. The survival rate for cancer that was found early is almost 96%. However, over 40,000 women die per year due to cancer. This means that these women did not detect their breast cancer in the early stages. Statistics like this show that there is not enough breast cancer awareness among women of the world.

There are many simple ways to raise cancer awareness. There are many cancer products such as tee shirts, bracelets, and tote bags that when purchased, provide much needed money to cancer research projects. Some online sites have partnered with sponsors to fund cancer research when certain links or advertisements are clicked on. Visitors to these sites do not even have to pay anything.

The Susan G. Komen race for the cure is another great way to help raise cancer awareness. Most people will sponsor someone participating in a charitable race like that one. In addition to the money gathered for the race, they often give tee shirts to participants. Just wearing a shirt that mentions breast cancer is a way to raise breast cancer awareness.

Many women in the United States know about breast cancer and the devastating effect that it can have on both a woman's life and her family's life. However, many women ignore the procedures that they should be doing to help catch any signs of possible cancer. Women over 40 should have a mammogram every year. However, many women do not even go to the doctor at all once a year. This is negligence that can cause serious problems. The best thing to do in this situation is to encourage every female you know to get periodic breast exams. This is especially important if the woman is over 40. However, younger women should get checked as well.

There are some breast examinations that can be preformed at home. Many doctors recommend that a woman periodically check her own breasts for any possible lumps or irregularities. This can easily be done in the shower. It is important that women take the time to care for themselves. Cancer can be very deadly if ignored. Considering that the chances of survival is close to 100% if the cancer is caught early, it is irresponsible to not check for breast cancer on a regular basis.

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Breast Cancer Awareness Gifts

As part of raising cancer awareness to the minds of the public, breast cancer awareness gifts such as bracelets, ribbons and other jewelry, among others, are available to strengthen the campaign. There are so many online stores that cater to this and some ever have charity options.

You can also get them and purchase them at the online stores that offer their proceeds to the cancer societies and foundations. Necklaces & pendants, pins & brooches are also available among them.

There are so various online stores that sell accessories like pink ribbons, car magnets and pink breast cancer logo bracelets. They also sell t-shirts, sweatshirts and scrubs, socks. For those who are planning to give breast cancer products away as gifts to their friends, the following are some ideas: representative jewelry such as handmade watches and necklaces and bracelets made of beads.

Cancer is one of the most prevailing diseases in today's modern society. The bad news is that over 2.6 million women have breast cancer in the US. So many people are afflicted by this debilitating disease.

In battling this disease, the most important thing to remember in mind is to Keep Healthy and Keep Strong. You are not alone in your struggles because there are so many online resources where you can find the same story shared by millions of people out there. You can also check some vital information about cancer. Online surfing has come to its new level already.

As concerned individuals that are not on the frontline of battling this disease but we can certainly do our share of helping spread important information that prevent or help delay the progress of cancer by making ourselves more informed. We can follow the medical screening guidelines and recommendations and help to offer our assistance to our friends who are having this disease.

There are many organizations that are looking for volunteers work in their various fundraising campaign for the benefit of the breast cancer research and development. Donations and offerings are welcome from all parts of the globe if you have the heart and compassion to help.

There are various factors that help and prevent the development of cancer. It is very essential to follow them because once cancer hits you; it does not have a cure. You will only get supportive treatments in delaying the disease progression.

The good thing about this breast cancer awareness gifts is that the proceeds of the sale goes towards the various breast cancer organizations in helping the victims, families, friends and relatives in combating the disease in their everyday survival as they go through the painful journey of from diagnosis to recovery. Shopping for cancer awareness merchandise is one of your small ways to tell them that you care about them.

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Discover How Breast Cancer Awareness Can Benefit You

You have undoubted run across many of the breast cancer awareness days and sessions that appear around the country sporadically. These are usually put on by a local group, a church, or sponsored by the American Cancer Society to promote breast cancer awareness in the community.

You might be wondering why your breast cancer awareness level should be raised and what benefit that represents for you, but all you need to do is look at the statistics about the reported cases of breast cancer. The reported cases of breast cancer has been rising steadily year after year, and for the coming year, the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be more than 200,000 diagnosed cases. Even scarier is that they also estimate that more than 40,000 of those cases of breast cancer will die from it.

Here is an even scarier fact for you -- did you know that breast cancer is not limited to women? Yes it is true. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 1600 cases of breast cancer in MEN this year, and that about 400 of them will die. So are you starting to see where breast cancer awareness is starting to be important to you and your health? With statistics like this, it is no wonder that they want to promote breast cancer awareness as much as possible.

Many people do not take this disease seriously, even despite these statistics. Although it is difficult to believe, there are many people who have not had a checkup or medical exam in the past 4, 5, or 10 years or more. How can you possibly take your health seriously if you do not have regular checkups and exams from your doctor or medical professional? One way is of course to raise your breast cancer awareness level since that is a disease where there is currently not a known cure.

Your best option for fighting breast cancer is to get early detection and early diagnosis. When breast cancer is detected early, your chances of being able to cope with it, to fight it, and via treatments like chemo, there are many documented cases of people who have beat it. But if it had not been detected and diagnosed early, those would almost certainly be different stories with radically different outcomes. What about those people who have not had a medical examination in the past 4 or 5 years? If they have developed breast cancer in that timeframe, it will certainly not be considered an early diagnosis and could even mean another fatality from breast cancer.

You need to become knowledgeable about the typical symptoms of breast cancer, and if you detect any of those symptoms at home, you should schedule a checkup with your doctor as soon as possible. For women of ages 18 to about 40, you should plan to schedule a checkup with your doctor once about every 2-3 years. For women over 40, that checkup should be not less than annually. Although breast cancer has not conclusively been determined to be hereditary, you might want to consider having checkups even more often is there is a history of cancer in your family tree. Keeping these statistics in mind, your level of breast cancer awareness should be raised where these regular checkups should be at the forefront of your mind.

Raise your breast cancer awareness levels and get those checkups. Be aware of the symptoms and if you see any of them, be sure to get an exam soon. Remember, the best chances for beating breast cancer are early detection and early diagnosis.

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Find Out What Breast Cancer Awareness Can Mean For You

Unless you have been living in a cave for the past several years, you have probably encountered many of the breast cancer awareness days that have been happening in various communities around the country. These are put on by local groups and the American Cancer Society for a very good reason -- to raise your breast cancer awareness level.

You may be asking yourself why should my awareness be raised, since I am already familiar with the possibility of breast cancer. The big problem is that there is not a known cure at this point for breast cancer, so your best defense is early detection and early diagnosis. Someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer in its very early stages has a significantly higher chance of being able to beat it with the treatments that are available today.

Did you know that the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be more than 200,000 reported cases of breast cancer this year? The number of reported cases is rising every year, but for some reason, there are also many people who do not take this disease seriously. Believe it or not, there are some women who have gone more than 4 or 5 years without an examination, which is just asking for trouble. If they develop breast cancer in the meantime, it will clearly not qualify as an "early detection" and it could be fatal for them.

Did you know that breast cancer is not limited to women? That's right, the American Cancer Society estimate that approximately 1600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and that about 400 of them will die from it.

You should become aware of the typical symptoms of breast cancer and be sure to see your doctor if any of those symptoms occur. For women, a checkup should be planned at least once every 2 or 3 years, and over age 40, at least every year. You may want to have exams more often if there is a history of breast cancer in your family, although studies to date are inconclusive as to whether or not breast cancer can be termed hereditary.

Raise your breast cancer awareness levels and get those checkups. Be aware of the symptoms and if you see any of them, be sure to get an exam soon. Remember, the best chances for beating breast cancer are early detection and early diagnosis.

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Is Your Heart Into It?

Try a little experiment next time you're out and about. Stop any woman on the street. It doesn't matter if the woman is of Asian, Indian, European or African descent, any random woman will do. Ask her if she knows someone who either has had or has survived breast cancer. Odds are she does. She may have had it herself. Or, it might be her mother, her sister, her best friend or even her daughter. Despite advances in early detection, prevention and cure, those two words still strike fear into the hearts of women all over the world.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Offices and schools all over the U.S. will hold "Denim Day" on October 2. Runners in Houston will "race for the cure" in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Walkers in San Francisco and Atlanta will "walk for the cure" in two- or three-day walkathons. Talk show hosts will mention the significance of the month. Yogurt manufacturers will run campaigns to collect pink lids. Pen makers and cleaning supply manufacturers will donate part of the purchase price of select pink items to breast cancer research. During October, breast cancer will be front and center in our national awareness.

What are your feelings about dedicating an entire month to focus on this sometimes deadly disease, pass out small pink ribbons and raise awareness? Apathetic maybe? Totally involved? Jealous that a disease impacting your own life doesn't get equal treatment? Does it matter to you at all, and should it? That is something only you can answer.

Many younger women with no family history, myself included, remain distanced from it - until a mammogram comes back with abnormal findings or a friend is diagnosed. Then it hits home that you could be vulnerable to this disease also. Up until then there is a certain amount of denial. We may wear the ribbon or even donate to the cause, but our hearts aren't really in it. But when it hits home, it's a rare woman who ever looks at breast cancer half-heartedly again.

Don't wait until you or someone you know gets breast cancer to begin caring about its cure and prevention. Make this the October to help raise awareness. Learn something new about it. (Did you know that you don't need a lump to have breast cancer? It's true.)  Wear a pink ribbon, save the yogurt tops, when you have a choice to purchase a product that has part of the price donated to breast cancer research, choose that product. Make a donation directly. Volunteer at a hospice. Drive a woman to her chemotherapy treatment. Participate in some way. Thousands of women, maybe someone you love, might benefit in the future from your act of caring right now.

Deborrah Walker lives in northern New Hampshire with her family of people and pets. She is a distributor for Fuller Brush and Watkins, and writes for Examiner.com as the Northern New Hampshire Everyday People Editor. She also writes for http://Triond.com and publishes several blogs, including Thoughts From Rural America. She is involved in her local women's club and Grafton County 4H programs. Visit http://FullerBrushAmerica.com for more information about Inflammatory Breast Cancer and Fuller Brush products.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

You'll find a variety of stores to be host to a vast selection of awareness jewelry. Some of the most popular items in the collection are those designed to increase breast cancer awareness. Items like bracelets, necklaces, cookies, lollipops are now available to show support. A Breast Cancer Awareness Pin is an excellent example. A sophisticated and elegant lapel pin featuring dozens of beautiful pink Swarovski crystals, the purchase of this item is an excellent way to show your support.

The Breast Cancer Loop is another very popular piece of awareness jewelry. The great thing about this product is its versatility. It can be used as a purse or briefcase charm as well as an ornament for the car, diaper bag or even Christmas tree. Featuring handsome pink and clear Swarovski crystals and a Bali silver awareness ribbon, this tiny bracelet is as practical as it is beautiful.

You will still find, however, the Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelet to be the most popular. Featuring sterling silver, pink Swarovski crystals and delicate pearls, bracelets are ideal for the individual who wants to keep the cause close to her heart. Many bracelets include ribbon charms in silver, pink or crystals.

So, whether you are wearing a bracelet to show your support this year or sending of some delicious snacks or treats to a family, friend or loved one, be sure to think pink and help spread the word.

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Ways to Raise Funds For Breast Cancer Awareness

Are you or someone you know a victim of breast cancer? Are you interested in getting donations for your cause? There are many ways you can do this. By reading this article, you will learn fund raising ideas for breast cancer awareness.

First: You can hold a race. In fact, St. Louis, Missouri has an annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure foot race.

Second: Every year Major League Baseball recognizes breast cancer awareness on a Sunday by having the ballplayers use a pink bat or wear a pink patch. The baseball teams and other sports franchises should take advantage of this occasion to charge a little extra for the admission fee and give those proceeds to breast cancer awareness charities.

Third: Sometimes there are events such as hot dog or pie eating contests. Proceeds from these events should go toward cancer victims.

Fourth: A contest could be held to judge who bakes the best pies or cakes. The money raised should be used as proceeds.

Fifth: Having bake sales is another idea. Numerous food businesses could hold this to help out.

Sixth: How about using clothes as an option? Pink shirt sales can be held.

Seventh: Considering that diseases are treated with medicines, why not use them to raise funds? Special medicine sales can be held.

Eighth: Why not involve a variety of items to sell? You could hold a special sale for numerous items that are pink or have a connection with awareness causes or the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Ninth: Many cancer patients go to the hospital and wear a gown. Clothes stores should sell pink gowns to raise funds.

Tenth: Hospital patients are often pushed around in a wheelchair before they are released. Why not have several famous actors and athletes sign a wheelchair that is used by a patient and then auction it off on eBay with a starting bid of thousands of dollars? Jay Leno has had success auctioning off one of his motorcycles with a lot of celebrity signatures on it through his television show.

Eleventh: Grocery stores can help out. They can hold a sale for some items.

Twelfth: Because the media is useful for raising awareness, why not take advantage of it? A special newspaper can be printed to raise funds. You have learned fund raising ideas for breast cancer awareness. Incorporate these ideas and others you think of to accomplish your goal!

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month is Almost Here

One of the most important events that you can get involved with this October is breast cancer awareness. National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is recognized across the country every year as a way to educate people about the risks associated with the disease. There are tons of groups that organize to get out the message, as well as to raise money for breast cancer research. There are plenty of ways to get involved with promoting awareness, but let's examine a couple of the most popular ones. You will also see how breast cancer awareness promotional items can help inform people about the dangers of the disease, as well as encourage them to get involved with raising money for the cure.

The most popular event that takes place during Breast Cancer Awareness Month is the "Race for the Cure". This event, sponsored by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure nonprofit organization first started in Dallas in 1983. It grew from one local race to about 120 races that now exist worldwide, making it the largest fundraising event for breast cancer in the world. The "Race for the Cure" is actually a sequence of 5K runs and fitness walks which raise a significant amount of donation money for breast cancer research. The race also commemorates woman who have survived breast cancer, as well as honors those who succumbed to the disease. If you are interested in participating in the "Race for the Cure" this year, you can find the race which is closest to you at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure website.

For a very easy way to show your support in the workplace, you can participate in a "pink day". On these pink days, people wear pink clothing as a way to recognize the struggle of breast cancer victims. A pink day may also involve some type of theme party that is designed to raise money to find a cure. Many companies will participate in this activity, so see if your employer is interested in having a pink day this year.

If you have a local fundraising organization, or you just want to do your part in educating the public, there are several custom breast cancer awareness items that can help you get the word out about this issue. To start, there is the obvious choice of an item that has a pink ribbon. The pink ribbon is the universal symbol for breast cancer awareness, and it is widely recognized by almost everyone who sees it. There are plenty of items to choose from whose visual presentation involve the pink ribbon in some way.

The awareness ribbon lapel stickers for instance are a great promotional item for commemorating this occasion. You can have these stickers custom imprinted with the name of your charity event, and give them out to everyone you know. Stickers stay put wherever the recipient places them, so they will be reminded of your cause every time they see this item.

Another good pink ribbon item is the breast self exam bookmark. This item is both educational and functional. On the bookmark is a series of diagrams which explain how to give yourself a self exam in order to catch any signs of the disease in their earliest stage. Of course, this item also makes a nice placeholder for the book that you happen to be reading. This item is a fantastic way to inform people about cancer prevention, and you will save lives by passing these out.

There are other breast cancer awareness promotional items without the pink ribbon that will do equally well for promoting your message. For one, translucent pink beach balls are a great way to inform people about the disease. Even though breast cancer awareness month is not until the fall, you'll be ahead of the curve when you give these balls out to everyone on the beach before the summer is over. You want to spread an early bird message in the months before October to create as much of a buzz as possible about the upcoming awareness event. This way, people have time to clear their schedule and save some money and they will be much more likely to donate or participate in a walk.

A final suggestion for breast cancer awareness promotional items is to purchase some custom awareness bracelets. The great thing about these bracelets is that they have already been established as a symbol of cancer research support. (Lance Armstrong started the LiveStrong wristband campaign for testicular cancer several years ago.) The obvious choice is to purchase bracelets which are pink. These bracelets can be imprinted with any message you prefer. Have the name of your charity embossed on these bracelets, and hand them out as a gift when people make a donation.

Make sure to get involved this October in any way that you can. Every dollar you spend, and every minute of your time advances the effort towards finding a cure. As an added reminder, when you purchase custom breast cancer awareness items from Motivators, 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, Inc.

Daniel Namm is an e-marketing specialist for Motivators, Inc., a Long Island based promotional products distributor. The company's website, Motivators.com has over 40,000 e-commerce enabled promotional products. Check out the latest selection of Breast Cancer Awareness promotional items to educate people about the disease.

Saving Lives Through Breast Cancer Awareness

The insidiousness of breast cancer is without parallel - affecting over a million people a year worldwide and claiming the lives of women at a rate second only to lung cancer. As women battle for their lives on a daily basis, a grassroots movement to educate the women of the world continues to surge.

Those who are affected by breast cancer know that recovery stems from early detection and proper treatment; and in order to detect symptoms and find effective treatment, women need to have access to up-to-date information; thus evolved the promotion of breast cancer awareness.

Breast cancer awareness encompasses the education and empowerment of women and men worldwide and encourages them to act as advocates for their own care; it includes a comprehensive plan for focusing on the whole person and the many ways in which breast cancer and prevention can be approached.

One of the first components of raising breast cancer awareness includes awareness of education, literacy, and research. There is so much research being done on a daily basis to further the cause of treatment and to one day find a permanent cure. In order for patients and families to feel connected to the process, they must be kept informed as to what advancements have been made.

The breast cancer awareness campaign works to make sufferers and families aware of the places in which to find comprehensive information. In today's age of technology, most people find their information via the Internet; there are a host of reputable and valuable websites that provide a wealth of continually updated information.

Prevention is a large part of awareness and part of the work of the campaign is to make people aware of the ways in which they can prevent breast cancer. This includes making people aware of up-to-date information regarding diet and exercise, as well as the effects of other lifestyle and environmental stressors on the possibility of getting this cancer.

Most importantly, awareness focuses on the importance of screening for early detection so that treatment options are immediately available to increase the chance of survival and ongoing health. Doctors recommend screenings from 35 years of age and up; more than 50% of diagnosed cases of breast cancer are found in women over the age of fifty. Such screenings include routine gynecological examinations, mammograms, breast ultrasound and, most importantly, breast self-examination. Spreading the message of screenings is especially important in low-income areas where women tend to avoid medical care because of the cost.

Of course, breast cancer awareness also includes knowing where to turn for treatment and what that treatment may entail. In the spirit of providing people with accurate and up-to-date information, many of the websites and other informational centers that feature educational resources, will also include comprehensive information regarding treatment options. This is vitally important for people struggling to make choices regarding their health.

But one of the most important aspects of awareness is reminding the people that are engrossed in the fight that they are a part of a larger community where they can find support and camaraderie.

Breast cancer awareness saves people's lives. It can be the bridge from people - to information. And for those who are faced with a frightening diagnosis and unsure of where to turn, the information imparted through the awareness campaign can be a beacon of hope.

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Breast Cancer Awareness Facts Every Woman Should Know

Nothing is more important than your health-you have heard this for years and years and finally realize that this true. A major disease that strikes thousands of women every year can be detected early and the survival rate is increasing.

Did you know that every two minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer or that more than 211,000 new cases of breast cancer are expected in the United States? You should know a few simple facts about breast cancer awareness that could save your life.

You know the routine and that you should follow your doctor's recommendations to get a mammogram on a regular basis--whether every 3 years or every year, this simple test can detect early changes in your breasts.

There are also self examinations that you should perform every month at home. I know what you are thinking-what a pain, but you can make this a simple procedure you do the first of every month when taking your shower. This is a particularly good time because your body is wet and the soap helps your hands move quickly and easily over your skin as you check for lumps.

Other than these two proactive items you can do, what else can help you be more diligent about breast cancer awareness? This is also simple and easy to follow. Be aware of the different symptoms of breast cancer. These include but are not limited to feeling a small, firm and painless lump; checking your skin for unusual swelling or appearance; a difference in size or shape that was never there before.

Also, you should know what your nipples look like-as women, we usually neglect ourselves to take care of others. Do you know what your nipples look like and would you know if there was a change in them? If the skin on your nipples changes texture, has a rash or discharge or suddenly become inverted-this is a great time to go and see your doctor.

Knowing everything you can about breast cancer awareness will provide you with an opportunity to not only take care of yourself but also your mother, sisters, daughters and friends. As women, we are bound by our common fear and misunderstanding of this terrible disease, but it does not have to be a death sentence. Early detection and treatment has increased the survival rate of breast cancer survivors to over 90%.

Become active in your community whether helping to coordinate a mammogram day at your church or office where women can sign up for the test. If you are already a survivor, sign up with your local hospital to talk to women currently being treated for the disease--they need to see that life will once again be normal for them.

We are all sisters in this battle to educate each other about breast cancer awareness and to help each other through our morale support and love for each other.

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Today Is Breast Cancer Awareness Day

There are a lot of women who have breast cancer that are still here because their cancer was found early. This is showing that death by breast cancer is falling due to an advanced method of screening and that the treatments available are much better than they were years ago. The best day for breast cancer awareness is today.

We are living in a time of apparent breast cancer, and we should be happy for the progress that has been made against this disease that affects so many people across the world. This also means that progress must be continued to be made if we are going to want to see it stop having such a huge affect on families. This is the most common form of cancer found in women.

The death rate for breast cancer for women has actually dropped since 1986 and that is mainly due to proper screenings and breast examinations, which are the most reliable way of discovering cancer, which in turn leads to a lower number of deaths. Everyone knows that it works, but more work needs to be done to prevent even more women from developing breast cancer and that more will survive from it.

There are certain guidelines that one can follow to be more aware of breast cancer. All women once they reach adulthood should be going for mammograms every few years and more so as you get older, for the older you get the higher risk you have of developing it. You should have a talk with your doctor about any concerns you may have, and only have your breast exams done by a professional. We are all made to be aware of our bodies and how to check for changes, and this is especially true for your breasts. Even if you don't think something you've noticed is a big deal, it is still a good idea to let your doctor know, and let them decide whether further action should be taken.

It is always best to be well informed about the normal and aberrant conditions of your breasts. You may often suddenly find something wrong, and there may be nothing worrying about it, you should take that as a sign and make sure you eliminate the possibility of it being breast cancer. Lumps, in both women and men, are often benign and do not develop cancer cells, but knowledge is never wasted.

When it comes to breast cancer, the only way to overcome it and find a way to prevent more women and men from developing it is to plow ahead with research, and by doing so, hopefully it will show why some people are becoming more prone to developing it and how to combat it in such a way that everyone's quality of life is improved.

Make today to your breast cancer awareness day and find out what is the best breast cancer treatment option for you.

Advertise Your Breast Cancer Awareness Affair With Wholesale Promotional Bags

The celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness month provide companies an opportunity to publicize their brand while raising breast cancer awareness. Commemorated during October every year, the occasion involves a range of activities ranging from cancer marches wherein patients and survivors of the dreaded disease as well as civic-minded citizens march across public streets while getting media exposure.

Non-profit organizations as well as other businesses take advantage of the function in increase their brand while showing their concern for breast cancer awareness. During the various activities, you can heighten the exposure of your business by doling out wholesale promotional bags to the attendees of the benefit walk. By publicizing cancer awareness through corporate gifts, you are creating a positive impression on your target customers.

One of the benefits of discharging logo imprinted bags during the contest is instant brand recall. With your company name and logo as well as a message imprinted on the handout item, you can donate a certain percentage of the treasuries raised to breast cancer research or to local foundations. There is a wide chain of pink promotional bags that you can deliberate for spreading breast cancer awareness.

Breast cancer is among the most general diversity of cancer afflicting women. Recent statistics exhibit that the disease account for 10.4 percent of cancer cases, 7 percent of cancer deaths, and 1 percent of all deaths. Patients will frequently welcome remission for more than ten years.

Integrating social awareness when strengthening your brand can have a positive attraction on your business. Potential buyers have high regard for companies that pitch and support social causes. By spreading an awareness campaign, potential customers will look at your company as one that shows concern for the desires and welfare of the community.

Exposing your brand is a critical aspect in running a business. Participating in cause-oriented activities is one of the mediums that you need to capitalize one if your goal is to snag the attention of shoppers. Combining corporate gifts with awareness campaigns is an impressive tool in boosting your brand as well as your cause.

Cheryl D. Miller is a freelance writer for promotional cancer item and awareness promotional items. Read more articles by Cheryl D. Miller here.

Does Breast Cancer Awareness Saves Lives?

As Sidney Poiter said on the Oprah Winfrey show in March 2007, "I was left with the responsibility to effectuate my own survival." As adults, we're all accountable for our own survival. Yet as decent human beings, we need to ensure each other's survival by learning what is not always easily discovered, but necessary to know. This is especially true when one is newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

By raising our awareness, we can literally keep death at bay by spreading knowledge, wisdom and courage. It takes either personal experience, or a special dedication to a vision of a better future for girls and women, in order to make a deep, ongoing commitment to breast cancer awareness.

It is so important to get an early diagnosis. In 2006, the American Cancer Society estimated that there would be 212,920 new cases, and of these, 40,970 women would die. Each year, around 1,600 men will be diagnosed and 400 die.

About 30% of patients are women under 40. Women with a family history or other concerns might need to begin screening tests earlier than the recommended annual exam at age 40. Clinical breast exams need to be done at least every 3 years starting at age 20, and every year after 40.

Breast cancer is unique in that it is a disease where

there is no known prevention, like there often is with other cancers. We must rely on measures that improve the chances of early detection.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer among women in the United States, behind lung cancer. The five-year survival rate is 90%. For breast cancer detected early, having not spread to the lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate is 98%. Awareness could help save tens of thousands of lives each year by helping women get diagnosed earlier through regular screening.

The death rate dropped significantly from 1989 to 2003, a decline mostly due to the increasing role of mammography in detecting early-stage tumors, as well as improvements in therapy.

New diagnostic methods are coming soon. According to Science Daily, in the future, dentists may be able to administer a simple, non-invasive saliva test for at regular dental checkups. Though not yet approved by the FDA, if this method of diagnosis does receive approval, dentists and physicians could collaborate to diagnose breast cancer earlier.

You raise your own awareness when you:

* Talk with doctors, nurses, advocates, and survivors.

* Read books and articles and visit websites.

* Participate in the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month events in October, as well as year-round awareness events such as those sponsored by Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

* Do monthly self-exams. Though not all lumps are detectable by touch, 70% is found through monthly breast self-exams.

* Have regular mammograms starting at age 40.

You or someone you know may be the one woman in eight who will develop breast cancer during her lifetime. Develop your awareness and give yourself and someone else the gift of life!

For more information on breast cancer try visiting http://www.breastcanceranalysis.com - a website that specializes in providing breast cancer related information and resources including information on breast cancer awareness.

Haven't You Got Your Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelet Yet?

By now you should be familiar with the yellow 'LiveStrong' rubber cancer awareness bracelets. They were popularized by seven-time Tour de France cycling champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. The money from their proceeds goes for cancer research.

If he has planning to pitchfork cancer awareness into society's consciousness, Lance Armstrong has done a really good job. His rubber bracelets are ubiquitous today, an ever present awareness tool for cancer, and a fund-raising tool for cancer research.

Among cancer awareness bracelets, next to Armstrong's rubber wristbands come the breast cancer awareness bracelets. However, unlike the 'LiveStrong' rubber band bracelets, these breast cancer awareness bracelets come in different colors. The most popular color for breast cancer awareness bracelets is pink.

But why pink? There is a story behind it: Charlotte Haley, a 68-year-old woman, began making and distributing peach ribbons in the 1990s with cards that read: "The National Cancer Institute annual budget is $1.8 billion, only 5 percent goes for cancer prevention. Help us wake up our legislators and America by wearing this ribbon." Haley's daughter, sister and grandmother had breast cancer. Self magazine wanted to use Haley's ribbon but she refused saying they were too commercial. The magazine came up with another color then -- pink. Focus groups say pink is 'soothing, comforting and healing.' Soon the pink ribbon became the worldwide symbol for breast cancer, and Charlotte Haley's peach ribbon was history.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. says that more than 211,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in America in 2005. Of these 43,300 will die. One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year.

However, the breast cancer awareness bracelets can come in all colors, a rainbow of them, depending on the organization or charity selling them. These bracelets usually have some message, such as 'Support Breast Cancer Research And Education' stamped on them.

Well, the breast cancer awareness bracelets needn't be made of rubber or silicone either. The bracelets can be made of pearl, or cats eye, or metal, or any other suitable material. There are even stainless steel breast cancer awareness bracelets! The difference between them is, of course, the price. The rubber ones would sell for around $1 a piece. The metal ones would sell higher. Some pearl breast cancer awareness bracelets sell for around $30 a piece. Such bracelets serve two purposes -- they are jewelry and also spread the message of charity and breast cancer research.

The advantage with rubber breast cancer awareness bracelets, apart from the price, is that they are infinitely customizable. Yes, you can order them in any color and with any message stamped on them. You needn't take them off while washing or playing -- they are all-weather bracelets. And you don't have to worry about losing them, unlike the pearl or cats eye ones.

The rubber breast cancer awareness bracelets can be ordered in bulk or bought in packets of a dozen or so from many Web sites.

Shannan Barrett is an avid reader and market researcher. She dedicates much of her free time helping the underprivileged and finds the charitable aspect of the 'bracelet craze' amazing, especially with Lance Armstrong?s 'Live Strong' foundation. Barrett analyzes why breast cancer awareness bracelets are becoming ubiquitous, and why they come mostly in pink color. Learn more about breast cancer at http://www.a1-awareness-bracelets.com/breast-cancer-awareness-bracelet.html

Health board

The Irish Times - Tuesday, October 5, 2010 SYLVIA THOMPSON

Ireland’s first breast cancer dragon boat team, Plurabelle Paddlers, has just bought two dragon boats, which will be launched on Saturday at 2.30pm at Dublin’s Grand Canal Quay.

Dragon-boating for women with breast cancer was first pioneered in Canada 12 years ago by Dr Don McKenzie of the University of British Columbia. All are welcome to come along and launch the new boats.

A public information talk on the Nursing Home Support Scheme will be held in the Education and Research Centre, St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin, on Tuesday, October 12th, at 7.30pm. Speakers include Kevin Brady, senior manager for Older Persons Services at the HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster. Tel: 01-2214286.

Mental health and general wellbeing is the theme of bi-monthly public discussions which will be held on the second and fourth Wednesday evening of each month in Psychosocial Medicine, 2 Eden Park, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.

Chaired by psychotherapist Dr Áine Tubridy, they aim to continue the work of Depression and Psychosis Dialogues run by Dr Michael Corry who died earlier this year. Anxiety and panic will be discussed at the first meeting on Wednesday, October 13th, at 7.15pm. Donation €10. Tel: 01-2800084 or visit wellbeingfoundation.com

Improve Your Wellbeing – Mind Over Matter is the title of counsellor Fiona Hoban’s talk on Wednesday, October 13th, at 7.30pm in the Silver Springs Moran Hotel, Cork city. Dietitian Paula Mee will also speak at the event organised by the National Dairy Council.

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Increased expression of glycodelin in human adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung and lung metastases of colonic adenocarcinoma

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Funnies pages go pink for a serious cause: Breast cancer

The Sunday funnies will add a touch of pink this weekend as more than 50 cartoonists include a breast cancer awareness theme in their newspaper and online comic strips.Beyond Blondie's pink blouse, Hagar the Horrible's pink beard and Popeye's pink corncob pipe, every strip from the King Features Syndicate will feature a pink ribbon and the tagline "Cartoonists Care."

"Nearly everyone has a connection to this heart-wrenching disease, and we felt it was important to make a powerful statement," says Brendan Burford, King Features' comics editor. "We could think of no better way to do that than by turning the funny pages pink."

See all the strips at comicsgopink.com.

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Scientists Discover New Therapeutic Target For Some Breast Cancers

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
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A protein that pumps calcium out of cells also moonlights as a signal to get massive quantities of the stuff to flow in, according to Johns Hopkins scientists. Their discovery of this surprisingly opposite function, reported Oct. 1 in Cell, highlights the link between calcium and cancer and holds the promise of a new therapeutic target for certain breast cancers.

The Hopkins study, a good example, the scientists say, of the value of following unexpected "detours" in biomedical research, focused on the enigmatic molecular machines known as SPCA2 that are found in very high levels in human breast cancer cells. Historically, SPCA2 were assumed to be redundant and less essential versions of better-known calcium pumps that scavenge calcium inside of cells everywhere in the body and store it away.

Mingye Feng, a graduate student of physiology in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, learned that wasn't necessarily the case as he conducted a standard control experiment and put the gene that codes for the SPCA2 pump into an ordinary human cell. He expected that if the pump were functional, calcium levels in the cell would decrease and if it were not, the levels wouldn't change much or at all. Instead, the calcium levels rose dramatically.

"Rather than push this surprising turn of events under the rug, Feng kept probing," says Rajini Rao, Ph.D., a professor of physiology in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "Eventually, what turned up was this very unusual calcium signaling mechanism."

Experiments showed that SPCA2 actually moves from its normal location inside cells to the cell surface, where it interacts with porelike openings called calcium channels. SPCA2 activated the channels, essentially calling all calcium into the cells.

"This signaling role was overriding its pumping and scavenging function," Rao explains. "By overwhelming the pump's ability to put away the calcium, the net effect was an elevation of calcium."

Rao speculates that nature evolved this unusual mechanism because under certain conditions, tissues need to secrete a lot of calcium. One

example: lactating mammary glands during breast feeding.

"Human milk is extremely high in calcium, and all that calcium gets there because SPCA2, along with an elaborate network of other proteins, is turned on during lactation," says Rao. "SPCA2's normal purpose, we think, is to signal calcium channels to open so lots and lots of calcium comes into the cells of mammary tissue, where it is packaged and pumped out to the milk."

Efficient as the process is, however, it's also susceptible to misregulation, Rao says. Further studies by her team found that in cells taken from human breast tumors, the SPCA2 gene normally turned off except during lactation is on.

"When regulation of SPCA2 goes wrong, that's when you have breast cancer," Rao says, probably because in breast tumor cells, the lack of regulation of the pump/signaling mechanism lets vast amounts of calcium into the cells, which stimulates the cell cycle, and triggers high levels of proliferation.

When the researchers studied human breast cancer cell lines in which they knocked down expression of the SPCA2 pump, they saw calcium levels fall, along with a loss of tumorlike properties such as rapid growth and loss of contact inhibition by other cells. On the other hand, if they inserted the gene coding for the SPCA2 pump into noncancerous human breast cells, these cells behaved like tumor cells.

In another set of experiments, they injected the breast cancer cells into mouse flanks, where they formed tumors. However, when they injected the mice with breast cancer cells in which the SPCA2 gene was knocked out, those cells failed to form tumors, suggesting that the SPCA2 protein is a trigger in breast cancer.

This newly discovered mechanism may provide an underlying cause for the microcalcifications (deposits of calcium) in breast tissue that, detectable by mammograms, may signal cancer, says Rao.

"No one knew why these appear or where they are coming from," Rao adds. "But our work shows that these calcium-handling proteins are very misregulated in breast cancer."

In the future, Rao says, drugs might be used to disrupt the pump-channel interaction and block proliferation of breast cancer cells: "Some of the best-selling drugs in the world target channel and transporter proteins that reside in cell membranes because they are so available and accessible."

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Health and Medical Research and Cancer Council Queensland.

Johns Hopkins authors of the study, in addition to Rao and Feng, are Nguyen Nguyen, Sharon Leitch, Yingyu Wang, Sabina Muend and Saraswati Sukumar.

Other authors are Paraic A. Kenny of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and Desma M. Grice, Helen M. Faddy, Sarah J. Roberts-Thomson and Gregory R. Monteith of the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine

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Genomic Health Launches "Pass It On... Until Every Woman Knows," To Educate People About Personalized Breast Cancer Treatment And Oncotype DX

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Women's Health / Gynecology
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Genomic Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: GHDX) announced the launch of an online campaign, Pass It On... Until Every Woman Knows, to educate people about personalized breast cancer treatment and the Oncotype DX® breast cancer test. The campaign uses online sharing tools and social networks to spread the information not only to patients, but also to the many people in their lives who are their sources of information, so that when they are touched by breast cancer -- whether it's their own diagnosis or that of someone they love -- they are empowered with the knowledge to ask their doctor if Oncotype DX is right for them.

"Every year, over one million women worldwide are newly diagnosed with breast cancer. It is still not well known that in some types of early breast cancer, if 100 women are treated with chemotherapy, only one or two, if any, will benefit, whereas in other types, more than 30 women in 100 will benefit from the treatment," said Steven Shak, Chief Medical Officer of Genomic Health. "The Oncotype DX breast cancer test can help determine this for certain newly diagnosed patients with the most common type of early breast cancer, by analyzing 21 genes within her tumor to predict the likelihood of chemotherapy benefit as well as disease recurrence. It has been used by more than 10,000 physicians to help over 150,000 patients worldwide make personalized treatment decisions."

Understanding that a breast cancer patient relies on many sources of information when making her treatment decision, including family and friends, Genomic Health created Pass It On... Until Every Woman Knows to help educate everyone touched by breast cancer. The campaign utilizes online sharing tools and social networks including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to share a powerful video featuring three breast cancer survivors whose treatment paths changed based on their individual Oncotype DX test results.

"When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, traditional assessment methods indicated that I did not need chemotherapy, but I wanted to be sure," said Susan B., a breast cancer survivor. "After hearing about the Oncotype DX test from a friend, I asked my doctor about it and found out that I was an appropriate candidate for the test. My results showed that I would in fact benefit from chemotherapy, and gave me confidence to undergo this treatment. I am passing this on to empower all newly diagnosed patients to ask their doctor if this test is right for them."

About Oncotype DX® Breast Cancer Test

The Oncotype DX breast cancer test is the first and only multigene expression test to be included in the published guidelines of both the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, to predict the likelihood of chemotherapy benefit as well as recurrence, for patients with node-negative breast cancer that is estrogen-receptor positive and/or progesterone-receptor positive. Additionally, physicians use Oncotype DX to make treatment recommendations for certain node-positive breast cancer patients, and the test report also provides quantitative scores for select individual genes. Oncotype DX has been extensively evaluated in thirteen clinical studies involving more than 4,000 breast cancer patients worldwide, including a large validation study published in The New England Journal of Medicine and a chemotherapy benefit study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Both Medicare and private health plans covering over 90 percent of U.S. insured lives provided reimbursement for Oncotype DX for patients with node-negative breast cancer that is estrogen-receptor positive and/or progesterone-receptor positive through contracts, agreements or policy decisions.

Source:
Genomic Health

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

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Scott & White breast cancer program receives accreditation

Public release date: 5-Oct-2010
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Contact: Katherine Voss
kvoss@swmail.sw.org
254-724-4097
Scott & White Healthcare

The Scott & White Cancer Center's Breast Cancer Clinic program has earned a three-year Full Accreditation designation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a program administered by the American College of Surgeons.

"At Scott & White breast cancer is managed by a team, and the combined skills of the members result in excellent care," said Christopher O. Ruud, M.D., director of the Scott & White Breast Cancer Clinic. "That we have received this accreditation means we are delivering care at a level we expect of ourselves, as well as what others have come to expect of us."

Accreditation by the NAPBC is only given to those centers that have voluntarily committed to provide the highest level of quality breast care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. During the survey process, the center must demonstrate compliance with standards established by the NAPBC for treating women who are diagnosed with the full spectrum of breast disease. The standards include proficiency in the areas of: center leadership, clinical management, research, community outreach, professional education, and quality improvement. A breast center that achieves NAPBC accreditation has demonstrated a firm commitment to offer its patients every significant advantage in their battle against breast disease.

The NAPBC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and monitoring of outcomes of patients with diseases of the breast. This mission is pursued through standard-setting, scientific validation, and patient and professional education. Its board membership includes professionals from 15 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of breast care.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimated that there would be 192,370 patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the United States in 20091. In addition, hundreds of thousands of women who will deal with benign breast disease this year will require medical evaluation for treatment options.

Receiving care at a NAPBC-accredited center ensures that a patient will have access to:

Comprehensive care, including a full range of state-of-the-art services A multidisciplinary team approach to coordinate the best treatment options Information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options

And, most importantly,

Quality breast care close to home.

For more information about the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, visit their Web site at www.accreditedbreastcenters.org.

About Scott & White (http://sw.org )

Scott & White Healthcare is a non-profit collaborative health care system established in 1897. Scott & White is the principal clinical teaching facility affiliated with the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, with a Temple campus that includes a four-year medical curriculum. As one of the nation's largest multi-specialty group practice systems, with more than 900 physicians and scientists, Scott & White includes its 636-bed flagship hospital and clinic facility in Temple, Texas along with 11 other hospitals or hospital partners, and over 60 clinic locations throughout Central Texas.

1. American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures 2009. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2009.

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Secondhand smoke linked to breast cancer

Published: Oct. 5, 2010 at 12:52 AM

MIAMI, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- A study of Mexican women finds those exposed to secondhand smoke have three times the risk for breast cancer as women not exposed, researchers say.

Lizbeth Lopez-Carrillo, a professor of epidemiology at the National Institute for Public Health in Mexico City, says 6 million Mexican women ages 12-65 who have never-smoked are being exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke.

Lopez-Carrillo and colleagues examined 504 women with confirmed breast cancer and compared them with 504 healthy women of similar age. In direct interviews, they asked the women about their smoking and secondhand smoking exposure at home and at work.

Compared with women who never smoked and had no secondhand smoking exposure, women with passive smoking exposure had a threefold higher risk for breast cancer -- regardless of menopausal status.

Among women who smoked, the study found an increased breast cancer risk, but this association was only significant if women began smoking between puberty and the birth of their first child.

"Active and passive smoke exposure is a modifiable risk factor for breast cancer," Lopez-Carrillo says in a statement. "Reducing not only active smoking, but also passive smoking, will prevent new breast cancer cases in this population -- everyone should avoid secondhand smoke."

The findings were presented at the Third American Association for Cancer Research Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Miami.

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Quality-of-Life Considerations in the Treatment of Early-Stage Breast Cancer in the Elderly

Abstract:

Breast cancer is a common tumour in the elderly population and management of early disease in particular is a major challenge for oncologists and geriatricians alike. An important aspect is a differentiated knowledge about the short-term effects and long-term perspectives regarding levels of functioning and subjective well-being associated with different treatment strategies. The article focuses on available quality-of-life (QOL) measurement instruments in elderly patients with early breast cancer and the impact of various local or systemic treatments on QOL scores. A selective literature search was carried out in the PubMed database from January 2000 to May 2010 using the terms `early breast cancer', `elderly' and `quality of life'. Contributions to international congresses on breast cancer in 2009 were also included. Of the 80 articles retrieved, 46 publications were excluded from further consideration due to failure to fulfil inclusion criteria (e.g. not restricted to the elderly, inclusion of patients with metastatic disease, no adjuvant treatment). Sixteen papers focusing on complementary treatment were also rejected. The remaining 18 articles were extensively reviewed. The selection of described QOL measurements was very heterogeneous in these 18 studies. Commonly used QOL instruments were the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QOL questionnaires (EORTC QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQ-BR23) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy questionnaires (FACT-G, FACT-B) and its subscales. Additionally, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (MOS-SF-36), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) approach were used by various study groups. The general limitations of QOL assessment in the elderly population are discussed in the review. Surgery, when considered from a technical point of view, does not differ significantly with patient age. Furthermore, age in itself should not be a contraindication to breast-conserving surgery (BCS) because QOL appears somewhat better after conservative surgical treatment. Avoiding axillary surgery and undergoing sentinel lymph node dissection in elderly patients are both associated with better short-term QOL. However, conventional axillary surgery has little effect on long-term QOL in older women. The advent of innovative radiotherapy techniques has resulted in marked improvements in short-term tolerability together with reductions in the incidence and severity of late normal tissue damage. A potential alternative to conventional postoperative radiotherapy after BCS in the future is the intraoperative radiotherapy technique. Chemotherapy has considerable effects on QOL in breast cancer patients. Most studies found that overall QOL was maintained or improved in patients receiving either aromatase inhibitors or tamoxifen but patients reported different adverse effects. For the majority of older breast cancer survivors, cancer-specific well-being and general emotional health do not change substantially after a breast cancer diagnosis. In summary, issues related to baseline co-morbidities in frail elderly, the adverse effects of novel chemotherapeutic agents (e.g. nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel) or target drugs (biologicals) and compliance in the elderly population should receive more attention in evaluations of QOL in elderly breast cancer patients. Future studies that include QOL measurements should also provide details on the data collection and quality control methodologies used.

Keywords: Breast-cancer; Elderly; Quality-of-life

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rostock, Klinikum Suedstadt, Rostock, Germany

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Breast cancer iPhone app available

Monday 4th October 2010

A new iPhone application to remind women to check for signs of breast cancer has been launched after it was revealed that 50% of females are not carrying out regular checks.

Designed to improve understanding of the disease, the iBreastCheck application allows women to set a personalised alert to check for any unusual symptoms after a study for Breakthrough Breast Cancer revealed that half of women questioned did not examine themselves on a regular basis.

The survey also revealed that 53% of women do not know that drinking alcohol can increase their risk of developing breast cancer, 47% do not think putting on weight could have the same effect, and 44% do not know they could reduce their chances of the disease by exercising regularly.

Dr Sarah Rawlings, head of policy at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "While most breast cancers are in women aged over 50, a woman can develop the disease at any time so it is vital that all women are breast aware."

The iBreastCheck application is free to download from iTunes and the www.iBreastCheck.com website.

Copyright ? Press Association 2010

Breakthrough Breast Cancer

Your comments (terms and conditions apply):

"It is friendly reminder for every women to have conscious about their health and breast cancer" - Sr.Lima Josephine, India

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Breast Cancer 101: Are All Cancers the Same?

Breast cancer remains the disease most feared by women, no matter their race, ethnicity, or age. Hardly a week goes by without someone learning that a friend, neighbor, or colleague has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

And yet, all women who are diagnosed don't get the same treatment. Why not?

One reason for this is that treatment depends a lot on what type of breast cancer it is. Treatment also depends on the stage of the breast cancer in question--how far along it is, how it has spread, and how large it is in the breast. Finally, treatment will depend on the way that a particular kind of breast cancer is known to behave over time--that is, its predictive or prognostic factors.

Let's first look at the different types of breast cancer and their nuances.

Invasive-ductal carcinoma or infiltrating-ductal carcinoma

The most common form of breast cancer is called invasive-ductal or infiltrating-ductal carcinoma, which on average makes up 80 percent of all invasive forms of breast cancer. This form of breast cancer begins inside a single duct of the breast (ducts carry the milk from the lobule--where the milk is actually made--to the nipple) but in time it manages to bore a hole through the wall of the duct; from there, it finds its way into the fatty tissue of the breast. Think of the duct as a water pipe that has rusted through and sprung a leak--although, thank heavens, breast cancer doesn't pour out of the duct like water would!

Invasive-lobular breast carcinoma, or infiltrating-lobular carcinoma

The second most common type of breast cancer, a type that accounts for about 15 percent of them, is known as invasive-lobular or infiltrating-lobular carcinoma. Invasive-lobular disease begins in the lobules, where the milk is made. Invasive-lobular disease, although it can be less aggressive than some forms of the invasive-ductal type, can deceive. Its untrustworthiness stems from the fact that the image of an invasive-lobular carcinoma seen in a mammogram often looks smaller than the tumor really is. This is because the invasive-lobular type grows into a star shape, a star with points that are of different lengths--and these points do not always show up clearly on breast-imaging studies. Ductal carcinoma, on the other hand, usually grows more evenly, so that its true size can be assessed pretty accurately by a mammogram or other breast-imaging technology.

A few other kinds of breast cancer

So, let's see: If invasive-ductal carcinomas account for 80 percent of invasive breast cancers, and invasive-lobular carcinomas for 15 percent, that only equals 95 percent. What makes up the other 5 percent of invasive tumors? There are some rarer ones, such as the phyllodes tumors and metaplastic tumors, which I won't discuss in detail here. But then there's one more that you should be particularly aware of, one with a misleadingly innocent-sounding name: inflammatory breast cancer.

Inflammatory breast cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer is extremely sneaky. First of all, it doesn't present as a lump and it usually doesn't even show up on breast-imaging studies. It in fact begins inside the tiny lymphatic vessels within the skin of the breast, and so it presents as a rash on the breast, a rash that's commonly accompanied by swelling and a sensation of heat.

This characteristic "skin trouble," however, means that inflammatory breast cancer is commonly misdiagnosed as mastitis or dermatitis. A round of antibiotic therapy is usually tried first, but if there's no response after 5 days, then mastitis is unlikely. (In fact, mastitis is unlikely in any woman who is not breastfeeding.) A definite diagnosis is done by taking a biopsy of the skin of the breast. The pathology report will describe "the presence of breast-cancer cells in the dermal lymphatic channels."

Why am I emphasizing inflammatory breast cancer so much? First, because it is the most commonly misdiagnosed type of breast cancer, and second, it is the most aggressive type of all.

At its onset, inflammatory breast cancer is from the very first classified as stage-III breast cancer, despite there being no large mass inside the breast. Treatment always starts with chemo, then goes on to mastectomy (never lumpectomy). And when the mastectomy is done, none of the skin of the breast is ever saved. Reconstruction also must be done later, well after chest-wall radiation is completed. 

Ductal carcinoma in situ

One other type of breast cancer is worth mentioning, and it's one that is being diagnosed more and more: ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). DCIS is becoming more common now because, as more women become aware of the value of mammography, more of them are going for their annual screening studies--and ductal carcinoma in situ can only be found by using mammography.

DCIS is the earliest form of breast cancer; that is, it is noninvasive and is also known as stage-0 breast cancer. This type is very difficult to detect because it is inside the duct and cannot get out to travel to a node or anywhere else. Usually, lumpectomy with radiation is enough to vanquish DCIS, but in some cases there may be a lot of it, which might require that the surgeon do a mastectomy with reconstruction. No matter how much DCIS is present, however, it remains as a stage-0 breast cancer, which is good news.

So now you see how different breast cancers can be from each other. In a future blog, I'll talk about the stages of  breast cancer and how a tumor is matched with its treatment.

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Big Pharma hired ghostwriters to distort truth about hormone replacement therapy drugs

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(NaturalNews) When medical journals and journal supplements publish scientific information about drug research, you know the information has been carefully reviewed and is accurate and factual, right? Wrong. It has now been documented that Big Pharma has literally paid writers to twist the truth about bad outcomes and to sneak distorted information and marketing messages into so-called "serious" medical journal articles.

Those facts have been revealed by the first academic analysis of 1500 documents unsealed in a lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Wyeth (now part of Pfizer). The litigation was filed in July of last year against menopausal hormone manufacturers by 14,000 plaintiffs whose claims related to the development of breast cancer while taking the hormone therapy (HT) Prempro (conjugated equine estrogens). The shocking facts that came out during the case resulted in a US federal court decision to release the documents to the public.

An investigation of these documents, which was just published in PLoS Medicine, reveals precisely how pharmaceutical companies used ghostwriters to insert what amounts to ads-in-disguise into articles published in medical journals and journal supplements. For example, Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman, associate professor in the Department of Physiology at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington DC, analyzed dozens of ghostwritten reviews and commentaries about Prempro which were published in medical journals and journal supplements.

She found that facts were manipulated within the articles to promote unproven benefits and to downplay the harms of Prempro. What's more, the articles were deliberately written in a way to place any competing therapies in a negative light. These articles were widely circulated to physicians directly as well as to Big Pharma drug reps who used them to convince doctors about how wonderful Prempro was and why the drug should be prescribed -- and prescribed it was, by the millions.

So how did Wyeth accomplish this misleading spinning of medical information to sell more drugs? The Big Pharma giant hired a medical education and communication company, DesignWrite, to produce the ghostwritten articles. The hired writers were instructed to mitigate the perceived risks of breast cancer associated with HT and to defend and promote alleged cardiovascular benefits of HT -- even though the supposed facts presented were unsupported by scientific evidence. Wyeth didn't stop there, either. The drug company also had the ghostwriters push for off-label, unproven uses of HT for the prevention of dementia, Parkinson's disease, vision problems, and even wrinkles, according to Dr. Fugh-Berman.

Putting inaccurate and misleading spin on scientific research to pump up drug sales was a profitable business for Wyeth -- and folks at DesignWrite who did the spinning made out well, too. The analysis revealed that DesignWrite was paid $25,000 to ghostwrite articles reporting clinical trials, including four manuscripts about trials of low-dose Prempro. In addition, DesignWrite was assigned to write 20 review articles about the drug, for which they were paid $20,000 per article.

"Given the growing evidence that ghostwriting has been used to promote HT and other highly promoted drugs, the medical profession must take steps to ensure that prescribers renounce participation in ghostwriting, and to ensure that unscrupulous relationships between industry and academia are avoided rather than courted," Dr. Adriane Fugh-Berman concluded in her study.

For more information:
http://www.plosmedicine.org/static/... http://dida.library.ucsf.edu/docume...

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Vitamin D low in blacks with breast cancer

Published: Oct. 4, 2010 at 11:42 PM

MIAMI, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers found 60 percent of African-American women with breast cancer were low in vitamin D.

However, only 15 percent of white women with breast cancer in the study tested low for the "sunshine" vitamin.

The study found mean serum concentration of vitamin D was 29.8 ng/ml in white women and 19.3 ng/ml in African-American women. Researchers defined vitamin D deficiency as a serum concentration less than 20 ng/ml.

Serum levels were lowest among patients with triple-negative breast cancer, and aggressive disease was eight times more likely among patients with vitamin D deficiency, the study says.

"We know that darker skin pigmentation acts somewhat as a block to producing vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, which is the primary source of vitamin D in most people," Susan Stock of the University of South Carolina in Columbia says in a statement.

Stock and colleagues tested vitamin D levels in the blood of 107 women diagnosed with breast cancer in the previous five years. Sixty of the women were African-American, the remaining 47 were white.

The findings are being presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Miami.

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Funny pages go pink for a serious cause: Breast cancer

The Sunday funnies will add a touch of pink this weekend as more than 50 cartoonists include a breast cancer awareness theme in their newspaper and online comic strips.Beyond Blondie's pink blouse, Hagar the Horrible's pink beard and Popeye's pink corncob pipe, every strip from the King Features Syndicate will feature a pink ribbon and the tagline "Cartoonists Care."

"Nearly everyone has a connection to this heart-wrenching disease, and we felt it was important to make a powerful statement," says Brendan Burford, King Features' comics editor. "We could think of no better way to do that than by turning the funny pages pink."

See all the strips at comicsgopink.com.

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Alcohol companies' pink campaigns anger breast cancer survivors

 WOMEN & DRINKING

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans defines moderate drinking as no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men.

? 60% of U.S. women have at least one drink a year.

? 13% of women who drink have more than seven per week.

What is a drink?
? One 12-ounce bottle of beer
? One 5-ounce glass of wine
? 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.

Source: The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Consumers who want to support breast cancer research through shopping can choose from pink T-shirts, lip gloss and, increasingly, booze.Mike's Hard Lemonade now comes in a pink variety. Pink wines sport pink ribbons. And Chambord, which markets pink vodka and liqueurs, urges people to "pink their drink," saying that "by adding a splash of Chambord to any cocktail, you're supporting breast cancer awareness year-round."

All of them have given money to breast cancer causes — and highlight the donations in their ads.

That has led to criticism by some breast cancer survivors, who say it's hypocritical to raise money for research while selling a product that contributes to the disease.

Both the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute say even moderate drinking increases breast cancer risk.

"Anybody trying to sell alcohol to promote breast cancer awareness should be ashamed of themselves," says Barbara Brenner, executive director of Breast Cancer Action, an advocacy group.

Chambord's website notes that its Pink Your Drink campaign has raised more than $50,000 in donations for the Breast Cancer Network of Strength and other patient groups.

Mike's Hard Lemonade has given $500,000 over the past two years to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, company President Phil O'Neil says. The company was inspired by the loss of an employee named Jacqueline who died after a long battle with breast cancer.

"The donations we make to breast cancer research are not tied to sales; they are our way of honoring Jacqueline," O'Neil said in a statement.

In many cases, cause-related marketing is not about charity, says Dwight Burlingame, associate executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University: "These businesses are promoting their product."

At least one breast cancer charity is walking away from alcohol-related gifts. "We have a partnership with alcohol, and I don't understand it, either," says Cindy Geoghegan, the new interim CEO at Breast Cancer Network for Strength. "Those kinds of relationships will not continue."

And though the Breast Cancer Research Foundation appreciates donations from Mike's Hard Lemonade, spokeswoman Anna DeLuca says, the group "in no way, shape or form endorses the consumption of alcohol."

"This donation does not constitute a partnership," DeLuca says.

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We're changing the face of breast Cancer

Cancer battler Emma

Three women are helping to fight breast cancer by being ambassadors trying to improve the care women receive. Here they tell their stories.

The Campaigner

EMMA Freeborn, 33, a civil servant from Surrey, is on a mission to raise awareness of secondary breast cancer

Five-and-a-half years ago I beat breast cancer. A lump I noticed in my right breast turned out to be malignant and I had a fast round of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy to stop it in its tracks.

It was a massive shock but my boyfriend David and I coped well. I kept a positive attitude and knew it was something I could beat.

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To celebrate the end of the treatment David and I got married in 2006 and had a fantastic honeymoon in Las Vegas and Hawaii. By the time we got back I had constant pain in my back and knew I had to get it checked out. A scan showed that not only had the cancer come back, it had spread: I had two tumours in my spine. My first reaction was, oh my God, I?m going to die.However, a visit to my oncologist reset my attitude when I discovered that people can live for years, even decades, with secondary cancer. Although I faced a long road of ongoing treatment and there was no 100 per cent cure, he convinced me that it was something I could learn to live with.

I took back some control by fundraising, organising charity balls and even walking the Great Wall of China with my best friend Laura. I raised more than ?60,000 for breast cancer research and awareness.

There have been times when I?ve been terrified, like when I had to have the tumours removed from my spinal cord. Last year the cancer became active again and I lost my appetite and lots of weight. Then I met an amazing woman who?d been living with secondary breast cancer for 15 years. She was still working and feeling positive so that gave me a renewed energy.

Once I?d come to terms with my own diagnosis I felt more passionate than ever about raising awareness.

There are treatments but there?s so little information women may not realise they have options and they see it as an immediate death sentence. When you have secondary breast cancer it?s much more about adapting your life to make it easier.

I?ve been working with Southern Trains to develop a priority seating scheme across its network for people with hidden disabilities. It is exhausting to stand when I?m going to and from treatment and these small things can make a big difference.

Also, there are only a handful of secondary support nurses in the entire country and when you have secondary cancer the support they can provide is invaluable. I?ve been working with Breast Cancer Care to launch its first ever Secondary Breast Cancer Awareness Day on October 13.

All my treatment has paid off and I?ve now been in remission for 10 months. I still have regular hormone therapy, IV treatments and oncologist appointments but while I feel really good there?s still so much more for me to tackle. I?m continuing to fight for cancer drugs such as Herceptin to be made available to more people.

It helps when the message comes from someone who is living with cancer, rather than just another man in a suit.

They may seem expensive, especially when it only prolongs people?s lives for a few short months, however, with the right treatment women like me can earn a living, support themselves and their families, pay taxes and be involved in their local communities.

I want people to understand that even when living with secondary cancer you can have an excellent quality of life. I?m living proof of that.

l For fundraising ideas visit www.breastcancercare.org.uk or call 0808 800 6000.

The Volunteer

HEIDI Worman, 36, a make-up artist from Essex, gives makeovers and beauty advice to cancer patients

Breast cancer has been in my life for almost as long as I can remember. I lost my grandmother to it when I was six. Then 15 years ago, when she was 49, my mum went for a routine breast examination and there was a shadow in her scan.

After more tests they confirmed what we?d been afraid of, that it was breast cancer. She was lucky to have caught it in the early stages but it was still a massive shock.

Mum was in hospital for two weeks but we went to have dinner with her every night. We really went through it together as a family. I?m a permanent make-up artist and my sister?s a beauty therapist and make-up artist so throughout mum?s treatment we really pampered her. It made her feel feminine and helped her forget about what she was going through for a while.

Then about three years ago I read about Look Good Feel Better in a magazine, a charity that invites women who have been diagnosed with cancer to a free two-hour beauty workshop run by trained beauty therapists. I?d seen first-hand the difference it had made to mum, so I volunteered right away.

People think putting make-up on is superficial but imagine what it?s like to feel every bit of you has been eaten up by illness. The women we see have lost hair, eyebrows and eyelashes because of chemotherapy and arrive barely saying a word with their heads down but after an hour the wigs are off and the room?s buzzing with laughter. When they leave they?re absolutely glowing.

It really boosts confidence and they leave armed with the knowledge of how to recreate that for themselves.

Helping women going through something so traumatic to forget all about it for a couple of hours, be spoiled and have a bit of fun is so humbling and the women I meet are a huge inspiration.

I?m so proud that after two years of campaigning Look Good Feel Better is coming to my local hospital in Southend, Essex, where I have my own regular breast checks.

Looking good from the outside means women feel good within and that is the best health boost of all.

l Visit www.lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk for details or call 01372 747 500.

The Pioneer

Becky MEASURES, 28, a radio presenter from Derbyshire, mentors young women facing a mastectomy

When I was 10 my mum went into hospital to have a preventative double mastectomy.

She was the first woman in the UK to have the operation so it was hugely controversial. She felt it was important to go public with it and the phone didn?t stop ringing. Reporterswere even camped outside our front door because women just didn?t have their breasts removed for ?no reason? back then.

I was too young to understand the significance at the time but my parents drove home the message that this was a positive decision ? she was having this operation to make sure she didn?t become ill. She was offered reconstructive surgery after six months but didn?t accept it so she was left without breasts.

After her operation mum started a helpline to support anyone worried about their family history of breast cancer and in the intervening 14 years it?s received more than 80,000 calls. Though breast cancer was something I grew up with ? it has affected nine out of 12 women in my family with both of my grandmothers dying from the disease ? for years I pushed questions of my own mortality out of my mind.

Then my cousin was diagnosed with the disease at 28. Doctors said her tumour?s size indicated she?d probably had it for at least three years. For the first time I felt really, truly frightened. I booked in to have a blood test which confirmed my worst fears ? I?m one of the three per cent of women in the UK who carry the faulty BRCA1 gene and had an 85 per cent chance of developing the disease. Having a double mastectomy would reduce my risk to two per cent.

Even though I?d grown up knowing about my mum?s operation I was shocked by the stark choice I had to make. However, having seen so many of my relatives die or battle the disease, it was soon replaced by an overwhelming feeling of how lucky I was to be able to prevent it.

It brought home to me how difficult it is to make the decision to remove your healthy breasts and how little support there is out there for young women. I felt like I must be the only woman alive at my age who had even considered it, let alone had it done. I decided to join my mum?s team of volunteers, helping other young women facing the fear of developing cancer, so while meeting with doctors and discovering that they would be able to do a double mastectomy and reconstruction at the same time, I began on the helpline taking the calls from younger women going through the same thing as me.

I think it can really help them to hear another young person at the end of the line who understands what they?re going through.

Aged 24, I had a three-hour operation to remove my 36B breasts and reconstruct new ones: 38D this time. I felt I deserved to get the boobs I wanted and my improved chest is now more in proportion to my 5ft 9in frame. Buoyed by the success of my operation, I set up a Facebook group which has more than 5,000 followers and a Twitter account where I talk about my experiences.

Every year I organise a charity ball at Chatsworth House to which I make a point of wearing something low-cut and fitted to show off my cleavage. This year we raised ?11,000.

Mine has been a largely positive experience and four years on I?m able to tell other girls in my position that the scars are like faded biro lines. My mum is still my hero. Her brave decision to have a double mastectomy 17 years ago has paved the way for me and thousands of young women to be able to face a cancer-free future. That?s the kind of cancer message I?m determined to shout about. This article appears in Zest magazine out now.

l Call the National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline (01629 813000) for information and support if there is a history of breast cancer in your family.

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