October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast cancer is the number one cancer in women worldwide. Every woman has wondered, “What if ?” while awaiting the result of a mammogram. Sadly, about one in eight of these women, the question will become, “Oh no, what now?” The truth is that,while all women are at risk for breast cancer, there are proactive measures which lower the odds of contracting breast cancer. All of these choices are part of a healthy lifestyle. Alcohol raises the risk for breast cancer, even in small amounts. Women who drink in low or moderate amounts have an elevated risk over those who abstain. This fact is very important for you to keep in mind if there is a history of breast cancer in your family. Alcohol raises estrogen levels, making it easier for cancer to develop. Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fish, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. Limit red meat to one or two servings per week. When consuming red meat, try to purchase organic, grass fed, free range meat. When cows graze naturally their milk and meat contain high amounts of omega-3 fat. Omega-3 fat reduces the risk for many cancers, including breast cancer. Conventionally raised meat does not have the omega-3 benefit. Schedule your annual mammogram. Mammograms will detect 80% of early breast cancers. Examine your breasts regularly; you might feel a lump before it is time for your mammogram. Early detection leads to treating cancer while it is still small. Between 1990 and 2000 the deaths attributable to breast cancer fell 24%, largely due to early screening. Regular exercise is protective. Aim for daily aerobic exercise. If you are in NYC, please join our aerobic outings in Central Park. Be consistent in your workouts - think of them as "health appointments". Keep your weight under control. In adulthood, increased weight equals increased risk. Maintaining a normal, stable body weight lowers the risk for breast cancer. Increased body fat directly raises the levels of circulating hormones, such as insulin, insulin-like growth factor, and estrogen. These hormones encourage cancer development. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is essential for all of us. Let’s face it: our modern day environment encourages high sugar, high fat, high calorie foods, which have no benefit to our health. We need to become mindful of foods. Think about what you are eating. Make sure you are giving your body the exercise it deserves daily. If you need to lose weight, address the issue. Contact my office to schedule a consultation; we want to help. Every woman should know these important facts about breast cancer. Send this message to your friends and family and encourage them to be proactive about their health and well being. Good health to you, Jana Klauer, M.D.

Challenge Your Friends on ibeatyou.com!

Visit: http://www.ibeatyou.com/event/revlonrunwalk You can challenge all of your friends to see who can raise the most money for the EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women! In order to support the cause, Jessica Alba, Entertainment Industry Foundation and REVLON want to see you compete in the special competitions and support your ibeatyou EIF REVLON team by donating whatever you can. Top three winners in each competition will receive a REVLON Prize Pack (1st prize valued at $500)! See you there!

National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

Join Team NCCS in the Revlon Run/Walk for Women

Get your walking shoes on, do a few stretches, and gather your family and best friends - cancer survivors need you! Join the NCCS team and pound the pavement to honor and celebrate people affected by cancer. On Saturday, May 2, thousands of people will come together in New York City for the Revlon Run/Walk for Women to raise awareness about the disease and funds to help survivors.

It’s all hands on deck in New York City. To help us make this event a roaring success you can:

Volunteer: This is a huge event and we need people to support the team of runners and walkers. Help us staff our booth, pass out water, sign in participants, meet survivors, and celebrate survivorship. Volunteers can run/walk, too. Be sure to indicate team #3562 for the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship on your volunteer registration form. Sign up now >>

Participate: Gather your supporters and run/walk (even crawl, it’s not a race) to raise money for the cause. You do the walk and we’ll do the work: Just fill in your information to set up your personal fundraising page. To join the NCCS run/walk team, make sure your form indicates team #3562 for the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. Register now >>

Donate: We need your help to meet our $20,000 team fundraising goal. If you can’t make it to the race, you can still pitch in. Make a tax-deductible donation to support team NCCS (Team # 3562.) Donate now >>

Spread the word: Tell your family and friends you don’t want to miss out on this fun event; ask your local school to help raise money or sponsor you on the NCCS team; challenge your colleagues to a fundraising contest; inspire your neighbors to give back to the community.

It takes a team to fight cancer; join the team that’s making a difference. Learn more >>

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NCCS advocates for quality cancer care for all Americans and provides tools that empower people affected by cancer to advocate for themselves. Founded by and for cancer survivors in 1986, NCCS created the widely-accepted definition of survivorship and considers someone a cancer survivor from the time of diagnosis through the balance of life. Its free publications and resources include the award-winning Cancer Survival Toolbox®, a self-learning audio program created by leading cancer organizations to help people develop essential skills to meet the challenges of their illness. More information is available at www.canceradvocacy.org or 1-888-650-9127.

Cancer Schmancer

Hey all,

 

I want to share with you this article that a friend of mine forwarded to me; a story I hear much too often.  A woman in England’s ovarian cancer was misdiagnosed even after going to the doctor 20 times.  TWENTY TIMES!  

Cancer Schmancer addresses this very issue and it shows all the more how important it is to take control of your body!  Women with gynecologic cancers are very often misdiagnosed for benign illnesses.  We must educate ourselves on the early warning signs of cancer and be proactive in our own health care.  As medical consumers, we cannot worry about insulting our primary physicians.  It’s your life, it’s your body, so get a second opinion if you aren’t receiving the undivided attention you deserve.  It’s an absolute must!

 

So read the following article and spread the word.  Together, we can work together to ensure all women learn how to take control of their bodies so no more of these stories are told.  Stage 1 is the cure!

 

Be well,

Fran

- - - - - - 

 

Doctor Missed Woman's Cancer 20 Times
(March 4) - A British woman says her ovarian cancer was misdiagnosed even after she visited her doctor 20 times complaining of symptoms ranging from severe stomach pain to loss of bladder control, according to London’s Daily Mail.

One simple test would have found that Sue Edwards, of Nottinghamshire, England, had a mass in her stomach — a growth that eventually became so large it wouldn’t fit on the ultrasound screen, the newspaper reported.

Experts say about a third of women with ovarian cancer have a mass that would be easily detectable by a pelvic exam.  Over the period of a year, Edwards said she suffered from a range of symptoms that included fever, diarrhea, stomach pain, swelling, exhaustion and loss of bladder control. She went to see her doctor on 20 different occasions, but was told the symptoms were likely due to sinus infection and the fact she was overweight, the Daily Mail said.

The mass was only caught when a student doctor asked if she could examine Edwards as part of her training — and felt the large mass. The student doctor sent Edwards straight to the hospital. A few days later, the mass was removed. Tests found the growth was cancerous, but luckily, the cancer had not spread to other organs. The Mail said Edwards’ cancer is in remission following 4 1/2 months of chemotherapy.

“I am hopeful, but realistic about my chances of long-term survival,” she told the newspaper.

Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death among women in theUnited States, according to Johns Hopkins Pathology. It is sometimes called “the silent killer” because many times there are no symptoms until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage.

Early detection of ovarian cancer offers a 90 percent cure rate, but about 75 percent of ovarian cancer cases will have spread to the abdomen by the time they are detected. In those cases, the chance of five-year survival drops to less than 25 percent. In addition to a pelvic exam, a blood test or ultrasound scan also can help detect the cancer early.

 

http://news.aol.com/health/article/missed-diagnosis/369553#commentBottom

National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

Join Team NCCS in New York City!
NCCS is building a team to walk or run in the annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women, one of the nation’s largest 5K fundraising events. Money raised at this event helps fund important research into the cause and cure of women's cancers, prevention, education and support service programs.
 Join Team NCCS in New York City on Saturday, May 2, by registering for the Run/Walk or by volunteering to help us at the event. If you can’t attend, show your support by making a donation!

New Survivorship Program Offers Follow-Up Care Plans
NCCS is proud to be part of a new program providing tools and resources that pave the way for survivors and their physicians to build individualized plans of follow-up care after cancer treatment.

Journey Forward, a combined effort of NCCS, WellPoint, Inc., the UCLA Cancer Survivorship Center and Genentech launched in February 2009 in five pilot states for survivors of breast and colon cancers and will later include plans for survivors of other cancer types throughout the country.

Integrative Medicine Starts with the Empowered Patient
Last week, hundreds of key leaders in healthcare engaged in a national conversation about integrative medicine at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public. NCCS’s Acting President & CEO, Ellen Stovall, participated in a discussion panel with Dr. Mehmet Oz, Kaiser Permanente CEO George Halvorson, and AARP CEO William Novelli. Stovall emphasized the need for patients to be good self-advocates. Learn more about the summit.

Spotlight on Cancer Survivor, Rob Read
Last month Rob Read, a 27-year, two-time cancer survivor, participated in an honorary Breakaway Mile bike ride in his hometown of Santa Rosa, Calif. The ride, which is part of the Breakaway from Cancer initiative, (a complementary component of the Amgen Tour of California cycling race that raises awareness about the free resources and programs available to cancer survivors and their loved ones) celebrates a survivor and the support team that helped through his or her cancer journey. Rob was joined by his parents and friends in this fun and inspiring event that took place during Stage One of the Amgen Tour of California, just moments before professional cyclists including Lance Armstrong crossed the finish line. Thanks to Rob for sharing the story of his incredible cancer journey with the crowd in Santa Rosa!

CancerCare Telephone Workshops
Coping with cancer can be difficult and affect life in ways you never imagined. CancerCare partners with NCCS and other organizations to bring you free, informative telephone workshops addressing a wide range of these issues. Workshops coming up in the next few weeks include:

- March 5, 2009: Coping with Cancer Pain: What You Need to Know
- March 12, 2009: Balancing Cancer and Careers: Living and Working with Cancer
- April 14, 2009: The Seventh Annual Cancer Survivorship Series: Living With, Through and Beyond Cancer, Part I: Managing the Stress of Survivorship.

Cancer Survival Toolbox Series: Finding Information
Every person, regardless of the type of cancer they have or the treatment they choose, needs certain, basic information. The need for good information continues after treatment starts and even after it ends. Information is not only helpful for making educated decisions, but it can also be a source of comfort; easing doubt, fear, worry and stress. Good information can help you understand your kind of cancer and its treatment, how to pick the experts you respect and trust to be part of your healthcare team, and much more. The Finding Information module will teach you basic skills to help you determine which resources might be useful to you or your loved one during this difficult time.

The Actors Fund

Join The Women in the Biz May 2nd

As We Walk to Fight Women's Cancers!

Join The Women in the Biz and people from all corners of the entertainment world on Saturday, May 2nd, as part of The Actors Fund (Team 23) at the 12th Annual Revlon Run/Walk for Women and support The Fund’s Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative (PNWHI), created to address the myriad of concerns women face when dealing with a serious medical condition! 

 See you May 2nd for a great event and a great cause!

Photo Credit:  Tracey Huffman

The Actors Fund Women in the Biz NYC - Leadership Committee 2009

Lynn Redgrave: Trustee, The Actors Fund

Barbara Davis: Deputy Executive Director, The Actors Fund

Nina Lannan: General Manager, Nina Lannan & Associates

Lynne Meadow: Artistic Director, Manhattan Theatre Club

Phyllis Newman: Trustee, The Actors Fund

Wendy Orshan: General Manager, 101 Productions

Kathleen Raitt: Vice President-Corporate Relations, Nederlander Producing Company of America, Inc.

Roberta Reardon: National President, AFTRA

Kate Shindle: Actor, Actors’ Equity Council Member

Jae Je Simmons: New York Division Executive Director, Screen Actors Guild

Charlotte St. Martin: Executive Director, The Broadway League

Abbie Strassler: Broadway General Manager

Click here to register for Actors Fund Team 23

Click here to volunteer for Actors Fund Team 23

NOTE: When signing up to volunteer for The Actors Fund team 23, turn off your “pop-up” blocker and select team 23 under team number. Then hit “tab,” and The Actors Fund will pop up as your team. Then select “The Actors Fund” from the pull down menu under “Group/Organization,” but DO NOT select a job assignment. The assignment for The Fund is pre–selected for you.

Questions?  Please contact:

David Engelman, Manager, Special Events

The Actors Fund

212.221.7300 ext.134 or dengelman@actorsfund.org

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Please watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D_5tXybj-E

Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare, advanced form of breast cancer that is usually not detected by mammograms or ultrasounds. Inflammatory breast cancer accounts for only about 2% of breast cancers. Unlike other forms of breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer does not usually grow as a solid tumor. Instead, inflammatory breast cancer is characterized by breast cancer cells blocking the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast. Inflammatory breast cancer may cause the breast to become red, swollen, and warm. www.cancercenter.com

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is not a new type of breast cancer, but it is very important to distinguish IBC from other types of breast cancer because there are major differences in its symptoms, prognosis, and treatment.

"Inflammatory" or "inflammation" refers to changes in the body's tissues that can be caused by injury, irritation, or infection. This reaction typically involves redness, warmth, and swelling in the involved parts of the body. These symptoms are caused by increased blood flow and the buildup of white blood cells.

Common signs and symptoms of IBC can include: www.cancer.org

• breast swelling, which is usually sudden with one breast much larger than the other
• itching
• a pink, red, or dark colored area, sometimes with a texture like the skin of an orange
• ridges and thickened areas of the skin
• breast feeling warm to the touch
• nipple retraction
• breast pain