A Little Extra Effort

Dear Blogger Family & Friends,

Greetings to one and all! Welcome to the Pink Crusader blog spot where we serve-up the best cyber-hugs in town! Glad you stopped by to spend some time with us. Grab a seat, join the gang, and read on ......
"God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest."
- J.G. Holland.

At the beginning of each year we shift into a new "cycle"......hopefully not the same old vicious cycle...but rather an opportunity to take what we didn't like about the past year and convert it into something more palatable. Whether we succeed or fail depends on how much of an effort we are willing to make to turn most situations around and get what we want.

Reaching goals can be serious business, one that requires commitment, consistency and flexibility. But don't lose your sense of humor in the process. Laughter, combined with a healthy, realistic and positive approach, will keep you moving forward and help you stay the course. Oh yes, did I mention that patience is a virtue?

And when there's just too many things to juggle, revise as you go along. Be selective and accomplish what you can....don't stress over what you can't do or add pressure on yourself with unrealistic deadlines and expectations. Stay focused, prioritize your choices and step around the distractions.

Above all, don't let the fear of failure sabotage your best plans. We can't always be prepared for bumps in the road or sudden twists and turns. Just remember that you have not failed as long as you don't dwell on the setbacks. Think of these temporary upsets as "character builders," and move on....

Okay my babies...slow and steady wins the race...See you at the finish line!

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SURVIVOR UPDATES:

Angie Elliott
January 22, 2008 - Miracle #2

Last Wednesday Colin and I went in for my regular weekly chemo appointment. We stopped by the breast clinic to see the triage nurse on duty to have some stitches removed. I’ve had them on my leg since I was unconscious in the hospital. They were just a couple small ones; I guess they held some tube in place. Why they didn’t use the dissolving kind is beyond me?!

While the nurse went to get supplies to remove the stitches, we got a surprise visit from our doctor. He came in and I immediately popped out of the wheelchair and gave him a huge hug. That was the first time I’d seen him since he was at my bedside in the ICU. Anyway, he had a great big smile on his face. He said, “I want to show you something.”

“Is it the results of the x ray from last week?”

He nods and pulls up on the computer screen in split images a view of the actual x ray on the left side and the transcribed pathology report on the right. He said, “Your lungs are clear.” I’m thinking, “Well, that’s great, no fluid, that’s what we were going for.” Then I see line 2 of the pathology report, NO METASTATIC DISEASE. I immediately, with gaping mouth, point at the computer screen in disbelief.

“Is that right?!”

“Yes, your lungs are clear”, he says.

I start tearing up and with my hands to heaven say, “Thank you God!” I look at my doctor and say, “I guess all those prayers are working. He smiles and says, “I guess so.” I look at Colin and we’re both speechless. I can barely describe the emotion we both felt in that moment.

And that my friends is Miracle #2. Now we’re shooting for Miracles 3 & 4 which would be a clean liver and clear bones, although both clear at the same time would suffice for Miracle # 3, then Miracle # 4 would be STAYING CLEAR! ; )

My next PET scan is on 2/4 which will show the effectiveness of the chemo on the rest of my body. We’ll get the results of the scan the following day.

So it’s been 4 weeks since I got home from the hospital and we’ve had a lot of changes. I’m now able to walk up and down the 48 stairs of our townhouse like a “normal” person. (We’re talking 4 stories here!) My voice is still a whisper. Apparently my vocal cords didn’t like sharing space with tubes and they’re still revolting.

Speaking of revolting, I found out my hair loss may not be fully caused by the chemo. The stress my body went through while in the ICU is probably making things worse. So, (you guessed it) I got my hair cut short. It’s in a bob just below my ears. I thought that might help things and the girls at the salon taught me some tricks and hooked me up with some good products. I thought it might hold on but it still continues to come out every time I wash my hair. This is still very distressing for me. I don’t know if it’s going to get so thin that I just need to shave it all off or not. It makes me very sad.

Okay, enough of that. I still have trouble walking long distances without getting so fatigued that I’m scrambling to find a place to sit down. Because of the voice issues and the mobility issues I will most likely have to do PT and Speech Therapy. The doctor just cleared me for lymphedema therapy to help get the swelling in my right arm down. There will be lots and lots of therapy in the near future. I’m not sure I’m looking forward to it. A necessary evil I suppose.

Colin’s parents came in town a couple weeks ago. It was so great to see them again. They basically blitzed the house. Anything and everything that needed to be done, they did - dusting, cooking, cleaning, and laundry. They helped restore some much needed order to our otherwise disorganized house. (We’re still not done with the renovation project. ) I am so blessed to have such loving, self-sacrificing, exceptionally generous in-laws.

We all went out for dinner the last night they were here. (HUGE!) I made it through the whole leisurely meal without having to leave early to lie down. What a triumph!...well, either that or it was the two sangrias I had. = ) It was the most I’ve felt like myself in a long time.

Colin started back to work and it’s been a little hard being alone in the house. I’m still struggling to be independent. It’s very hard when just going down the stairs to the kitchen to fix something to eat is exhausting. And there’s still no hopping in the car to run errands. My reflexes are still too slow both physically and mentally. The sooner I get my strength back the better. I have been
fighting a lot of fatigue.

My long time friend from St. Louis, Suzanne came down for the weekend. She’s an OT and an Ergonomic Specialist, so amongst our fun catching up she helped me with some daily exercises that I think will help a lot until I get into regular PT.

So as you can see there are still several reasons to keep the prayers and positive energy flowing. A big “THANK YOU” to all of you who have taken time to bring dinners, send gift cards to restaurants and donate to the Angie Fund at Wachovia Bank. Those of you that brought food, please don’t hesitate to let us know if you need your containers back. Evening meals are something we still need, especially with Colin back at work. In addition, if any of you are available during the day to drive, transportation is another need. I have a number of different therapists I need to see and as I mentioned earlier, I’m still unable to drive.

Our friend Cindy is coordinating both these needs (and any others that will come up) through the Lotsa Helping Hands website. If you are willing to help out with either of these needs please email her at cindy@cindywingo.com

Until next time…

Live In The Moment,

Angie

http://www.carepage.com/ The page name is AngieElliottsCarePage

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Stephanie Zerger

Congratulations to Stephanie on celebrating her second anniversary of survivorship! This is only the beginning of bigger and better things to come!

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Jackie Gilbreath

Thoughts and prayers to Jackie as she prepares for surgery on January 28th. We wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her smiling face at future Rosebud meetings and upcoming book events.

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FYI

From Cheryl P. Donlin:

Josie,

A good patient is an informed patient, and hopeful news is always welcome, so thought you might be interested in this short announcement from a recent issue of the Chronicle. Incidentally, AstraZeneca is also a supporter of Tour de Pink, the annual fundraising bike ride sponsored by Pink Ribbons Project to raise funds for breast cancer education and awareness. (For those who like to mark their calendars early, Tour de Pink 2008 is scheduled for Sunday, September 7!)

Work. Create. Grow. Give.
Cheryl

HEALTH - Lynn Cook
M. D. Anderson drug firm team up

The Univeristy of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is working with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to conduct research on neuropathic pain stemming from Chemotherapy.

Peripheral nerve dysfunction, such as tingling and numbness and, in some cases, extreme pain, can limit how large a dose of chemotherapy a cancer patient can receive.

The agreement is a new phase of an alliance Anderson and AstraZeneca struck in 2005 to collaborate on cancer therapy in the hopes of speeding new drugs and therapies to market.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/5487413.html

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From Victoria Silva, founder of Feminine Living:

Be aware that FORGIVENESS is a huge energy to work on during your time of
purification and inner change. When you hold on to anger, resentment and
hurt... you block the flow for a better and more positive life for yourself.
I believe so much in the power of FORGIVENESS... that I hold a FORGIVENESS CEREMONY every February. Look for all the details in February on my website www.feminineliving.com . Rena Leverance L.M.T, will also be available at the FORGIVENESS ceremony with mini massage to help with your release and healing! For details and RSVP, visit: http://www.feminineliving.com/ or call 713.849.3535

FORGIVENESS CEREMONY
A RITE OF PASSAGE
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9TH
7:00 PM to 9:30 PM
AT VICTORIA'S HEALING ROOM

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From Jane Weiner, Hope Stone, Inc.

Join us this week as Bumni puts you through the paces of West African Dance. Her energetic form and teaching will be sure to warm you up inside and out! And the following week the amazing Jo Yost Ulrich teaches the amazing Yamuna Body Rolling...a perfect class to help us teach ourselves to relax and revitalize. These two ladies are master teachers in their form and Hope Center is pleased to be able to offer you these classes!!!

January 26 WEST AFRICAN DANCE
February 2 YAMUNA BODY ROLLING
February 9 BELLY DANCE
February 16 PILATES
February 23 INTRO TO MODERN DANCE
March 1 CAPOEIRA MARTIAL ARTS

Cost is $100 for the remainder of the series, $18 drop in, class cards can be used as well! Aloha! Call now to register-713.526.1907 ext. 1

Note: We still have 2 (two) more scholarships open for our Teen Arts program (meets Tuesday & Thursday after school) Call the office or e-mail us if interested...and 1 (one) scholarship available for our children's Capoeira class Monday @ 4 p.m. An artist is a terrible thing to waste!!!!

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From Donna Fong:

This is a great website if you are interested in purchasing pink ribbon items for yourself. I have used them several times in the past and am pleased with the service and the confidentiality of credit card purchases

http://shop.thebreastcancersite.com/store/category.do?siteId=224&categoryId=470&origin=EEG_0121_C_470_m

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From American Cancer Society-Houston Metro Office:

2008 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Contact Ashley White, Community Manager-Distinguished Events
at 714-706-5645 Ashley.white@cancer.org

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DAILY REMINDER #1:
"Fund Free Mammograms" Go to The Breast Cancer Site at http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/tpc/EEB_0115_BCSm and help fund free mammograms for the homeless, working-poor, and un-insured women. It costs nothing to you, except one daily click on the pink "Fund Free Mammograms" button. You can even request automatic reminders via e-mail. Please make your free click now, and thanks for your continuing support! The Breast Cancer Site, One Union Square, 600 University Street, Suite 1000, Seattle, WA 98101 Phone: 1-888-811-5271

DAILY REMINDER #2:
Help eliminate Breast Cancer with a daily click at http://breastcancer.care2.com/ebc-about.html You'll be one of the first people to participate in the largest virtual mountain climb in the world! With every click, (or "step") you generate a donation to eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer--for free. Sponsors pay for your click and fund The Breast Cancer Fund's programs focusing on environmental links to breast cancer. It only takes a second! The Breast Cancer Fund is the leading national organization focused on identifying – and advocating for the elimination of – the environmental and preventable causes of the disease. For more details on the organization’s work, visit http://www.breastcancerfund.org/

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UPCOMING EVENTS: Mark Your Calendars and Save the Dates!


HOPE STONE, INC.
SATURDAY SAMPLER SERIES

Hit the winter blues and blahs with our new sampler series!!!! Hope Center offers a lovely sampling of classes for you to try out during the next few Saturdays....a great way to try a new movement class.....experience a novel way to move and care for your body....to be in the community with other awesome Hope Center students, and gosh darn it, to HAVE FUN. Our teachers are the best of the best!!!!!

February 2 YAMUNA BODY ROLLING
February 9 BELLY DANCE
February 16 PILATES
February 23 INTRO TO MODERN DANCE
March 1 CAPOEIRA MARTIAL ARTS

Cost is $110 for the entire series, $18 drop in
Call now to register-713.526.1907 ext. 1
http://www.hopestoneinc.org/

PINK RIBBONS PROJECT FUND RAISER
St. Thomas High School vs. Westside High School, 6 P.M., Saturday, February 2, 2008, St. Thomas High School - Hotze Field (in Granger Stadium), 4500 Memorial Drive Cost = $5.00
Proceeds from the day will benefit Pink Ribbons Project, in motion against breast cancer, and St. Thomas High School Rugby.

ROSEBUDS MEETING
February 5th, 5:45 - 7:30 pm
Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting
Open to all Breast Cancer Patients/Survivors
1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet
Future Meetings: FEBRUARY 19**, MARCH 4 &18
** The Rosebuds 17th Birthday Party

KNOCKOUT ROSES
A support group for women diagnosed under 40.
2nd Monday of each month, at 5:45 pm, February 11th, 2008.
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet.
Contact Amy Rigsby, Technical Director of The Rose, 713-660-6675.

SOS SURVIVOR MEETING
Held the second Tuesday of each month for those living in Fort Bend County.
February 12, 2008, La Madeline, Sugar Land.
Details TBA

FACES BEHIND BREAST CANCER BOOK EVENT
Thursday, Feb 14th, 11:00am - 3:30 pm
Appearances Breast Care Boutique
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Mays Clinic
2nd Floor
Houston, TX
Come and meet the author and participants from the book!

ROSEBUDS II MEETING
February 14, 5:45 - 7:30 pm
Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting
For those who have had or are at high risk for recurrence and/or metastasis, 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet.
Future Meetings: FEBRUARY 28, MARCH 13 & 27

FACES BEHIND BREAST CANCER BOOK EVENT
Save the Date! Valentine's Day Tea Party
Hosted by KnockOut Roses
Sunday, February 17th, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Randall's Community Resource Center
The Rose Medical Plaza
12700 North Featherwood
Houston, TX 77034
Meet the author and participants from the book.
BYOTC (Bring Your Own Tea Cup)
RSVP with Amy Rigsby at 713-254-1399
arigsby@the-rose.org , by Thursday, Feb. 14th


ROSEBUDS ANNUAL BIRTHDAY PARTY
6:00 p.m - Tuesday, February 19, 2008
At our annual birthday party we recognize those who have attained a 5 year,10 year, 15 year, etc. anniversary of diagnosis/treatment during the past year. If you are one of these people, please advise Donna Fong. 713-681-7716 or donnafong5948@yahoo.com Refreshments will be provided.

THE ALICE THOMSEN LYMPHEDEMA AWARENESS GROUP of Houston Meetings are scheduled on the 3rd Tuesday of every other month at the American cancer Society Building, 6301 Richmond (between Hillcroft and Fountainview). Please join us on March 18, 2008 at 7 pm. Hope to see you then, Cynthia Gdula.

Y-ME NATIONAL BREAST CANCER ORGANIZATION
Houston Walk to Empower, Non-Competitive 3-mile Walk
Mother's Day, Sunday, May 13, 2007
Check-In Begins: 7:30 a.m. Walk Begins: 9:00 a.m.
Sam Houston Park, Houston, Texas

During the past 15 years, Y-ME’s Mother’s Day Events have raised more than $26 million to help ensure that no one faces breast cancer alone. In 2006, $6 million was raised. Please join us this year -- you’ll be proud to know that your support will help Y-ME continue providing its essential programs and services to people and their loved ones touched by breast cancer.
For more details: http://houstonwalk.y-me.org/site/PageServer?pagename=MDE_HTX_homepage

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"SHARING is CARING"
As always, The Pink Crusader welcomes your contributions, comments, stories, poems, events and photographs! Posts are updated each week. Please send your written contributions to
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com
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"Men are made stronger on realization that the helping hand they need is at the end of their own arm." -Sidney J. Phillips


Until next week stay strong, stay well and keep on dancing with a little extra effort and a lot of determination!

Love, Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com

Brief Repose

Dear Blogger Family & Friends,

"A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book."

-Irish Proverb

The Pink Crusader is a bit under the weather but promises to be back next week...ready, willing and able. Until then take care, stay well, and have a most excellent week. Read on for updates....

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FYI:

From Paul A. Levine, MD, FHRS, FACC:

Spread the word!! We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends.

If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn't know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) Campaign.

The concept of "ICE" is catching on quickly. It is a method of contact during emergency situations. As cell phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name "ICE" ( In Case of Emergency).

The idea was conceived by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn't know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as "ICE." For more than one contact name, simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3 etc.

Let's spread the concept of ICE by storing an ICE number in our Mobile phones today! Please forward this. It won't take too many "forwards" before everybody will know about this It really could save your life, or put a loved one's mind at rest . ICE will speak for you when you are not able to.
Source: Circulated e-mail

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From Y-Me Advocacy:

Join the Y-ME Advocacy network as we influence legislation and progress in the fight to end breast cancer!

With the primary election season upon us and the general election only months away, 2008 is an exciting year for the breast cancer community. Get involved with Y-ME Advocacy and empower yourself to create change for better research, treatment, prevention and a cure.

Y-ME Advocacy constantly monitors key legislation affecting the breast cancer community. When you join Y-ME Advocacy, you will receive a special alert when the time is right to take action. We will provide you with the tools you need to contact your legislator and let them know where you stand. One individual cannot fight cancer alone, but together we can make a difference!

http://capwiz.com/y-me/mlm/signup/

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From M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Public Education Office:

National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service 1-800-4-CANCER
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and a critical strategy in cancer control efforts is the education of Americans about steps they can take to prevent cancer, detect it early when treatment is most likely to be effective, and choose the best treatment plan.

For nearly 30 years, the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service has been providing the latest and most accurate cancer information to patients, their families, health professionals, and the public. Through its network of regional offices and partnerships with nonprofit, private, and other government agencies, the CIS reaches people who do not traditionally seek health information. For those who do seek information, the CIS offers a toll-free telephone number (1-800-4-CANCER) and an instant messaging service (LiveHelp) on the NCI's Web site (http://www.cancer.gov/ ). You can learn more about CIS at www.cancer.gov/cis or by calling 1-800-4-CANCER.

M. D. Anderson is under contract with the National Cancer Institute (Contract #HHSN261200511010C) to administer the Cancer Information Service’s Partnership Program and Research Coordination Program. The Partnership Program serves Texas and Oklahoma, and the Research Coordination Program serves Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.

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From Jane Weiner:

Special 5 week Wednesday night 6:30-8 p.m. Modern Class Series with Jackie Nalett--- January 9-February 6 (Live music with Chris Shooner)

Jacqueline is adjunct faculty at the UH where she teaches modern dance, jazz, and creative movement. She is on staff at Rice University where she teaches jazz and hiphop dance and is a dance teaching artist with Young Audiences of Houston. Her technique classes are based in proper alignment and technique and are abundant in high energy and dynamic physicality. She received her B.A. in dance from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts where she focused on modern and jazz with former Bill Evans dancers Debbie Poulsen and Terese Freedman. While at MHC, staff musician/composer Peter Jones was a huge influence on Jackie's dance education. Her choreography has been presented at the American College Dance Festivals in New England and Texas, at Mount Holyoke College, the University of Houston, Rice University,and the Houston Jewish Community Center's Summer Series. During the summer of 2007 she choreographed and performed a solo work entitled "Impulse" as part of the Gathering at the Big Range Dance Festival.

Finally---
we still have 3 scholarships open for our Teen Arts program (meets Tuesday & Thursday after school) Call the office or e-mail us if interested...and two scholarships available for our children's Capoeira class Monday @ 4 p.m. An artist is a terrible thing to waste!!!!

Sincerely, Jane Weiner, Hope Stone, Inc.

Hope Stone, Inc. is a unique organization dedicated to presenting authentic dance, music and theater performances, as well as embracing and nurturing the creative and expressive side of children through the positive empowering expression of the performing arts. http://www.hopestoneinc.org/

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From Beth Irvine:

Hi Everyone,

I have been busy with my 10 city TV media tour, Healthy Living with Beth Irvine. I was trying to think of a way to stay connected with everyone while I was on the road as so many people have asked for me to stay in touch. So I have decided to keep a blog tour going about my month away. Check in every few days to hear the ups and downs of life on the road. Check out my first leg...Media Tour or Spiritual Journey?

I have decided that my media tour is going to be my "spiritual journey" through the month of January. Consider this your personal invitation. Come along on the road and join me. www.truewellbeing.net/TRUEWELLBEING/Blog/Blog.html

With very best wishes, Elizabeth Irvine, BSN
Truewellbeing

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From Cheryl Donlin:
Josie,

My beautiful daughter sent this link to me. Thought you'd find the article interesting. Work. Create. Grow. Give. - Cheryl

10 Breast Cancer Myths Debunked
If you believe any of them, you've been duped — or worse.
By Marisa Weiss, MD, with Barbara Loecher, Prevention

Could that sexy underwire bra cause breast cancer? What about that frozen yogurt you just ordered? Or hormone therapy? And how would you know if you had the disease until it was too late anyway? Don't some studies show that examining your breasts and getting mammograms are useless?
Amid all the rumors and controversies surrounding breast cancer these days what causes it, how to diagnose and treat it it's hard to know what to think. Or do. One thing we can tell you is that being able to separate fact from fiction could make the difference between life and death.

Myth 1: Having a risk factor for breast cancer means you'll develop the disease.

No risk factor either alone or in combination with others means you'll definitely get breast cancer. There are various factors that may increase your risk of developing the disease. Some of these appear to increase your risk only slightly. They include smoking, drinking (more than five alcoholic drinks per week year after year), getting your first menstrual period before age 12, continuing to have periods after age 55, and not having your first full-term pregnancy until after age 30. If you have a number of these, the increase in risk can start to be more meaningful.

That said, even an inherited genetic abnormality in your family doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get breast cancer. Abnormalities in the so-called breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are very strong risk indicators. But 20 to 60 percent of women with these inherited abnormalities will not develop breast cancer.

Myth 2: If there is no breast cancer in your family, then you're not at risk for the disease.

Every woman is at risk for breast cancer. So are some men! For any individual woman, an inherited abnormality is the strongest risk factor, but only about 10 percent of all cases of breast cancer are due to inherited abnormalities. About 85 percent of women who develop the disease don't have a family history. That's why it's important for all women to get screened regularly.

Myth 3: Breast cancer is passed only from your mother, not your father.

We now know that breast cancer genes can be inherited from your dad's side of the family. So ask relatives about cases on both sides and in both men and women. About 2,000 cases of male breast cancer are diagnosed in the US each year. In fact, male breast cancer is most closely associated with a BRCA2 abnormality. So if there's a man in the family who's had breast cancer, be sure to tell your doctor.

Myth 4: No matter what your risk factors are, you really don't have to worry about breast cancer until you're through menopause.

The odds of getting the disease do increase as you age. But breast cancer can occur at any age. That's why all women need to be vigilant. Though experts recommend yearly mammograms starting at age 40, your doctor may suggest that you start even earlier if you have a family history of breast cancer at a young age.

Mammography isn't the ideal screening test for women younger than 40 because it can't "see through" their dense breast tissue. So your doctor may also recommend ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). You may be able to enroll in a study of MRI for breast cancer detection for women at increased risk.

Myth 5: Wearing a bra or using antiperspirants and deodorants increases your risk of breast cancer.

These are two Internet rumors that never seem to quit. It's not true that wearing a bra, especially underwire bras, traps toxins by limiting lymph and bloodflow in your breasts, increasing risk. There's also no proof for the claims that antiperspirants and deodorants cause cancer by keeping the body from sweating out the cancer-causing substances that build up in the breasts, or because they contain harmful chemicals that are absorbed through the skin.

Myth 6: If you have small breasts, you're much less likely to get breast cancer.

Size doesn't matter. Anyone with breasts can get it.


Myth 7: Research shows that using hormone therapy (HT) ” even for a short period of time — causes breast cancer.

Many women were understandably concerned when a major study found that HT combining estrogen and progestin increased risks of invasive breast cancer slightly. Another study also showed that combination therapy boosts breast cancer risk somewhat, however, it was able to offer some reassurance: This risk appeared to return to normal within a year or so after women stopped using the therapy. This seems to be the case for women who've been on HT for just months and those who've used it for more than 5 years.

One more thing: It's important to note that no studies have found a boost in breast cancer risk for women using estrogen-only therapy. This type of therapy is prescribed solely for women who have had hysterectomies, because estrogen taken alone can cause cancer in the lining of the uterus (endometrial cancer).

Myth 8: Eating high-fat foods and dairy products boosts your risk.

A number of studies have found that women who live in countries where diets tend to be lower in fat have a lower risk of breast cancer. But the majority of studies focusing on women in the US haven't found a solid link between dietary fat consumption and breast cancer risk. Why are these findings contradictory? It may be that women in other countries are at lower risk for other reasons: They exercise more, eat less, weigh less, smoke less, or have a different genetic profile or environmental interaction that makes them less susceptible. One thing we do know: Postmenopausal obesity is a risk factor that does put you at risk for breast and other cancers, so it pays to maintain a healthy weight.

As for dairy products, the study results are mixed. But Harvard's Nurses' Health Study, a large-scale study of 120,000 women, recently found that premenopausal women who ate a lot of dairy products, especially low-fat and fat-free ones, ran a lower risk of breast cancer. The study found no link between dairy product consumption and breast cancer risk in women who are past menopause.

Myth 9: Mammograms can prevent breast cancer.

A 2003 Harris survey of more than 500 women found that about 30 percent thought mammograms could prevent breast cancer. The truth: While mammograms can detect breast cancer, they can't prevent it.

Myth 10: Some studies actually show mammograms are worthless.

Two studies, including a review study done by Danish scientists, did suggest that getting a regular mammogram didn't lower a woman's risk of dying of breast cancer. But several other studies, including one done by the US Preventive Services Task Force, totally disagree. You can maximize the benefit of mammography screening by seeking out the best facilities and staff in your area. Look for the radiology center that handles the most breast cancer cases in the region. Go to a radiologist who specializes in reading mammograms, and ask, "How many mammograms do you read each year?" More tends to be better. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that radiologists who read more than 300 mammograms a month were more accurate.

Source: - MSN Health & Fitness - Breast Cancer http://www.health.msn.com/

1=10803">http://health.msn.com/health-topics/breast-cancer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100171812>1=10803

Disclaimer: MSN Health & Fitness does not provide medical or any other health care advice, diagnosis or treatment. DO NOT RELY ON The MSN Web Sites OR ANY CONTENT ACCESSED ON OR THROUGH THEM FOR MEDICAL ADVICE - CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN.

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From Donna Fong:

Device can spot cancer cells in blood: U.S. Study
Wed Dec 19 20:21:14 UTC 2007
By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A highly sensitive microchip may help doctors detect rare traces of cancer circulating in the bloodstream, offering a way to better manage treatment, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

The device can isolate, count and analyze circulating tumor cells from a blood sample, the team at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston said. These circulating tumor cells, or CTCs, are the tiniest fragments of tumors, which are carried in the blood. Doctors have known about them for some time, but because they are so rare and so fragile, they have been hard to trap and study in a meaningful way.

"What our technology does is increase the sensitivity many, many fold, to a point where it can become a tool that can be used clinically," said Mehmet Toner, whose group developed the device. He said routine monitoring of these cells could help doctors tailor treatments to patients and may one day aid with diagnosis.

"Nine out 10 deaths in cancer are due to the metastatic process because the cancer spreads to other parts of the body," said Toner, whose study appears in the journal Nature. "These are really the cells that end up killing people."

Current blood tests to detect these rare cells involved many steps of mixing and spinning and shaking, often killing what few cells they found. "We went to the blackboard and designed it from scratch," Toner said in a telephone interview.

TRAPPING CANCER CELLS
The device they made uses a business-card sized silicon chip. It has microscopic posts that are coated with antibodies that recognize cancer cells. As blood flows over the chip, these posts act like glue, trapping cancer cells and leaving blood cells behind. Older methods may have produced one to five cells out of 60 billion cells screened in an 8-milliliter tube of blood. The new device can find 1,000 cancer cells.

The researchers tested their chip against blood samples from 68 patients with five types of tumors -- lung, prostate, breast, pancreatic and colorectal. Out of 116 samples, they found circulating tumor cells in all but one sample, and none were found in samples taken from healthy people. And the test was sensitive enough to detect changes in circulating tumor cell levels during treatment, with drops in detected CTC levels matching tumor shrinkage seen on standard CT scans.

"Suddenly, we have a great opportunity to have an impact in cancer in major ways," Toner said. He said the technology will allow for much more personalized cancer care. "You get a sense of how a patient is responding to treatment." Eventually, it also may prove useful for cancer screening. And ready access to live cancer cells will advance cancer research. "We will start to understand the biology of cancer much better," Toner said. (Editing by Maggie Fox and Xavier Briand)

© Copyright Reuters 2006 All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only.
© Reuters 2006. All rights reserved. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world
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Combined hormone therapy increases risk of lobular breast cancer fourfold after just three years of use [Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center]
SEATTLE — Jan. 15, 2008

Postmenopausal women who take combined estrogen/progestin hormone-replacement therapy for three years or more face a fourfold increased risk of developing various forms of lobular breast cancer, according to new findings by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

"Previous research indicated that five or more years of combined hormone-therapy use was necessary to increase overall breast-cancer risk," said Christopher I. Li, M.D., Ph.D., the lead author of the report, published in the January issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. "Our study, the first specifically designed to evaluate the relationship between combined HRT and lobular breast cancers, suggests that a significantly shorter length of exposure to such hormones may confer an increased risk."

The study, which confirms previous reports of the association between combined hormone-therapy use and increased risk of lobular breast cancers, is the largest study of combined HRT and lobular cancer risk in the United States. It is also the first such study to take into account the recency and duration of hormone use and the first to include a centralized pathological review of tumor specimens to confirm their histological type: ductal, lobular or mixed ductal-lobular.

Lobular cancer involves the lobules, or chambers, in the breast that contain milk-producing glands. While lobular carcinoma accounts for only about 15 percent of all invasive breast cancers, it is hormonally sensitive and therefore more treatable than the more common ductal variety, which arises in the ducts that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple. However, lobular breast tumors also present a clinical challenge because they are more difficult to detect both by clinical examination and by mammography than ductal cancers, which account for about 70 percent of invasive breast cancers in the United States.

The study assessed hormone-replacement status in more than 1,500 postmenopausal women in western Washington — 1,044 breast-cancer cases (324 lobular, 196 mixed ductal-lobular and 524 ductal) and 469 controls. The researchers also confirmed tumor status through centralized examination of breast tissue.

The researchers found that current users of combined HRT had a 2.7-fold and 3.3-fold elevated risk of lobular and ductal-lobular cancer, respectively, regardless of tumor stage, size or number of lymph nodes involved. Only women who used combined HRT for three or more years faced an increased risk of lobular cancer. Among mixed ductal-lobular cases, hormone therapy increased the risk of tumors that were predominantly lobular but not tumors that had predominantly ductal characteristics.

The incidence of invasive lobular and ductal-lobular breast cancers has risen rapidly in the United States, increasing 52 percent and 96 percent, respectively, between 1987 and 1999, whereas rates of ductal cancer have increased only 3 percent during this time.

"Our research suggests that the use of postmenopausal hormone-replacement therapy, specifically the use of combined estrogen-plus-progestin preparations, may be contributing to this increase," said Li, an associate member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division.

While the number of postmenopausal women taking combined HRT long-term has dropped by about half in recent years due to Women's Health Initiative reports of health risks associated with such therapy, such as an increase in heart-disease and breast-cancer risk, a substantial number of women are still taking HRT to manage the symptoms of menopause.

"These findings are still of considerable public-health importance considering the estimated 57 million prescriptions for menopausal hormone therapy that continue to be filled in the United States," Li said.

The National Cancer Institute funded this research, which involved researchers from the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences and Human Biology divisions as well as the University of Washington School of Medicine.

http://www.fhcrc.org/about/ne/news/2008/01/15/hormone_therapy.html
Source: Reprinted from web site at http://www.fhcrc.org/
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, our interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists and humanitarians work together to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Our researchers, including three Nobel laureates, bring a relentless pursuit and passion for health, knowledge and hope to their work and to the world. For more information, please visit www.fhcrc.org.

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From American Cancer Society-Houston Metro Office:

2008 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
We are looking for dedicated and energetic volunteers to serve on this year's committee. Please join us for our first meeting of the year to learn more about MSABC and how you can help!

Monday, January 21, 2008, 6:00 pm
American Cancer Society - Houston Metro Office
6301 Richmond Ave.
Houston, TX 77057

Contact Ashley White, Community Manager-Distinguised Events
at 714-706-5645 Ashley.white@cancer.org

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From Susan G. Komen for the Cure - Houston Affiliate:

Join the Komen Houston Affiliate for the Pink Tie Gala and After Party which will be held Saturday, February 16, 2008 at the InterContinental Hotel. This year’s event, which is sponsored by Kroger Food Stores, will begin with a cocktail reception and luxury silent auction, followed by a fabulous dinner and exciting live auction. This special evening will be hosted by KPRC-TV’s Khambrell Marshall and will feature entertainment by the legendary comedienne, Lily Tomlin. Winning numerous awards over the years for her amazing performances including six Emmys, two Tonys and a Grammy, Tomlin continues to awe crowds and be an extraordinary entertainer. Tomlin will revisit some of her most favorite characters like Edith Ann from Laugh-In...You don't want to miss this performance!! Individual Gala tickets can be purchased for $350. Tables can be purchased for $5,000. Click here to purchase an individual ticket to the Gala (includes admittance into After Party). https://secure2.convio.net/rfch/site/Ecommerce?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=1221&store_id=1421&JServSessionIdr003=zzj9gqasx1.app8b
NEW THIS YEAR!!
Grab your friends and put your dancin' shoes on! New to the Gala this year is an exciting After Party sponsored by CenterPoint Energy that will be held in the Discovery Center of the InterContinental Hotel from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. The After Party will feature extravagant dessert bars, music by Brotherhood, a party/funk/jazz band featuring vocalist Robert Berry, and dancing. Individual After Party tickets can be purchased for $100.

Click here to purchase an individual ticket to the After Party. https://secure2.convio.net/rfch/site/Ecommerce?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=1222&store_id=1421

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From Fran Visco, President:

National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC)
Dispatch from San Antonio

Last month, many from NBCC traveled to San Antonio for the 30th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. This meeting is touted as the largest gathering of scientists in the breast cancer research field. Doctors, researchers, advocates and health care professionals from across the country and around the globe met to share state-of-the-art breast cancer information, including briefings on ongoing and soon-to-be released studies, important new research findings, lectures by experts, and much more.

NBCC led a special advocacy session covering several subjects from the consumer advocate perspective. Erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs), which are used to stimulate the production of red blood cells to reverse anemia caused by chemotherapy, were discussed, as well as anthracyclines, drugs commonly administered in combination chemotherapies to prevent the spread of breast cancer. Discussions about these two forms of treatment are important because data are accumulating regarding their limited value at the cost of serious side effects.

The item in our session provoking the most audience interest was bevacizumab (Avastin) – an innovative therapy designed to inhibit tumor growth by stopping the formation of new blood vessels needed to nourish the tumor – in effect “starving” the tumor. This idea has been around for quite a while, and, despite spectacular cures of mice in the laboratory, results in humans are unclear and seemingly quite modest. Clinical trials have been conducted to see if this therapy will work in fighting breast cancer. The results of two trials were recently presented to the Oncology Drug Advisory Committee (ODAC) of the Food and Drug Administration. ODAC decided against recommending bevacizumab for approval, because data from the clinical trials did not demonstrate that this treatment prolongs the lives of women with advanced breast cancer beyond current treatments; in fact, there were more deaths and serious side effects in the treatment group that included bevacizumab. Another issue discussed among participants was the high cost of newer cancer therapies including bevacizumab. It was a timely discussion, since the FDA is slated to make a final decision on bevacizumab in February.

The failure of this drug to improve survival in patients with breast cancer is a disappointment. However, this story highlights the importance of analyzing full sets of data over the long term and of evaluating specific survival outcomes. Data released over two years earlier had raised expectations that did not pan out, while safety concerns only were revealed with longer follow up. We must keep in mind that when treatments are rushed to patients without solid evidence we can cause more harm than good.

Source: Call to Action Newsletter, January 2008
2008© National Breast Cancer Coalition

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DAILY REMINDER #1:
"Fund Free Mammograms" Go to The Breast Cancer Site at http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/tpc/EEB_0115_BCSm and help fund free mammograms for the homeless, working-poor, and un-insured women. It costs nothing to you, except one daily click on the pink "Fund Free Mammograms" button. You can even request automatic reminders via e-mail. Please make your free click now, and thanks for your continuing support! The Breast Cancer Site, One Union Square, 600 University Street, Suite 1000, Seattle, WA 98101 Phone: 1-888-811-5271

DAILY REMINDER #2:
Help eliminate Breast Cancer with a daily click at http://breastcancer.care2.com/ebc-about.html You'll be one of the first people to participate in the largest virtual mountain climb in the world! With every click, (or "step") you generate a donation to eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer--for free. Sponsors pay for your click and fund The Breast Cancer Fund's programs focusing on environmental links to breast cancer. It only takes a second! The Breast Cancer Fund is the leading national organization focused on identifying – and advocating for the elimination of – the environmental and preventable causes of the disease. For more details on the organization’s work, visit http://www.breastcancerfund.org/

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UPCOMING EVENTS: Mark Your Calendars and Save the Dates!

HOPE STONE, INC.
SATURDAY SAMPLER SERIES
January 19-March 1 11:45-1 p.m.

Hit the winter blues and blahs with our new sampler series!!!! Hope Center offers a lovely sampling of classes for you to try out during the next few Saturdays....a great way to try a new movement class.....experience a novel way to move and care for your body....to be in the community with other awesome Hope Center students, and gosh darn it, to HAVE FUN. Our teachers are the best of the best!!!!!

January 19 YOGA
January 26 WEST AFRICAN DANCE
February 2 YAMUNA BODY ROLLING
February 9 BELLY DANCE
February 16 PILATES
February 23 INTRO TO MODERN DANCE
March 1 CAPOEIRA MARTIAL ARTS

Cost is $110 for the entire series, $18 drop in
Call now to register-713.526.1907 ext. 1
http://www.hopestoneinc.org/

ROSEBUDS II MEETING
January 24th, 5:45 - 7:30 pm
Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting
For those who have had or are at high risk for recurrence and/or metastasis, 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet. Future Meetings: FEBRUARY 14 & 28, MARCH 13 & 27

PINK RIBBONS PROJECT FUND RAISER
St. Thomas High School vs. Westside High School, 6 P.M., Saturday, February 2, 2008, St. Thomas High School - Hotze Field (in Granger Stadium), 4500 Memorial Drive Cost = $5.00
Proceeds from the day will benefit Pink Ribbons Project, in motion against breast cancer, and St. Thomas High School Rugby.

ROSEBUDS MEETING
February 5th, 5:45 - 7:30 pm
Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting
Open to all Breast Cancer Patients/Survivors
1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet
Future Meetings: FEBRUARY 19**, MARCH 4 & 18
** The Rosebuds 17th Birthday Party

KNOCKOUT ROSES
A support group for women diagnosed under 40.
2nd Monday of each month, at 5:45 pm, February 11th, 2008.
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet.
Contact Amy Rigsby, Technical Director of The Rose, 713-660-6675.

SOS SURVIVOR MEETING
Held the second Tuesday of each month for those living in Fort Bend County.
February 12, 2008, La Madeline, Sugar Land. Details TBA

FACES BEHIND BREAST CANCER BOOK EVENT
Survivor Pink Tea Party
Sunday, February 17th, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Meet the author and participants from the book.
BYOTC (Bring Your Own Tea Cup)
Details TBA

ROSEBUDS ANNUAL BIRTHDAY PARTY
6:00 p.m - Tuesday, February 19, 2008
At our annual birthday party we recognize those who have attained a 5 year,10 year, 15 year, etc. anniversary of diagnosis/treatment during the past year. If you are one of these people, please advise Donna Fong. 713-681-7716 or donnafong5948@yahoo.com Refreshments will be provided.

THE ALICE THOMSEN LYMPHEDEMA AWARENESS GROUP of Houston Meetings are scheduled on the 3rd Tuesday of every other month at the American cancer Society Building, 6301 Richmond (between Hillcroft and Fountainview). Please join us on March 18, 2008 at
7 pm. Hope to see you then, Cynthia Gdula.

Y-ME NATIONAL BREAST CANCER ORGANIZATION
Houston Walk to Empower, Non-Competitive 3-mile Walk
Mother's Day, Sunday, May 13, 2007
Check-In Begins: 7:30 a.m.
Walk Begins: 9:00 a.m.
Sam Houston Park, Houston, Texas

During the past 15 years, Y-ME’s Mother’s Day Events have raised more than $26 million to help ensure that no one faces breast cancer alone. In 2006, $6 million was raised. Please join us this year -- you’ll be proud to know that your support will help Y-ME continue providing its essential programs and services to people and their loved ones touched by breast cancer.
For more details: http://houstonwalk.y-me.org/site/PageServer?pagename=MDE_HTX_homepage

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"SHARING is CARING"
As always, The Pink Crusader welcomes your contributions, comments, stories, poems, events and photographs! Posts are updated each week. Please send your written contributions to thepinkcrusader1@aol.com
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"I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead. Not sick. Not wounded. Dead." - Woody Allen

Until next week stay strong, stay well and keep on dancing with a tissue in one hand and some decongestant in the other!
Love, Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com

Getting Better at being Better

Dear Blogger Family & Friends,

The Pink Crusader extends pleasant greetings and warm cyber-hugs to all of our visitors. This is the place where everybody is somebody's friend! So come on in, join your "friends," and read on...

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man."
~Benjamin Franklin

Well, we are about half way through the first month of the new year.....how's everything going so far? Fulfilled any of those resolutions yet? What about the commitments to self-improvement and change for the better? Still working on it? Don't worry....there's plenty of time to get from here to there if you don't give up too soon.

Remember: A better year and a better you takes time and practice. We didn't learn bad habits overnight...and we won't get rid of them in 24 hours. Be patient. Keep a positive attitude, take a sensible approach and be better aware of the people and world around you. Become a thoughtful listener and stay well informed. Recognize the good in others as well as yourself. And, most of all, be grateful for the life that is yours and the blessing that is you!

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SURVIVOR UPDATES:

Susan B. Hill

It is with much sadness that the Pink Crusader reports the recent passing of Susan Hill on January 12, 2008. Susan, a certified oncology nurse, was also an avid runner and participant in many local charitable events. Services celebrating her life will be held on Monday, January 14th at 1:00 pm at the Chapelwood United Methodist Chruch, 1140 Greenbay. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Susan's name to "Golfers Against Cancer," at http://www.golfersagainstcancer.org/

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Angie Elliott
January 6, 2008

Hello Dear Family and Friends,

I bet you were wondering when you were going to hear from me. First let me say how honored and humbled I am at the messages we've received. I am so thankful for all of the thoughts, prayers, well wishes and positive energy that's being sent our way. I wanted you to know that Colin and I are praying for you all as well, that God would bless you for your faithfulness in praying for us.

On Wednesday, we went to the hospital. Between doing labs (blood work), visiting with the doctor and then getting intravenous chemotherapy, it took nine hours (yes 9). I was ready to jump out of my skin by the time we finally left. Our visit with the doctor was very encouraging. My circulating tumor cells (CTC) count was 1. CTC is a blood test, and my counts have continually decreased over the past several weeks, which is a very good thing.

As Colin may have alluded to in previous posts, there are a lot of things I don't remember. Things that happened before I was in the hospital, as well as, things that happened in the hospital. One of those things was finding out that the cancer had spread to my liver and bones. So for the past few days, I've been very depressed about that. But meeting with the doctor on Wednesday was very encouraging. I asked him if it was possible for me to be in remission again, and he said, "Yes it's possible." Huge sigh of relief for me. I was filled with a little bit of hope again. I can be healed; what a wonderful thought!

I have to give props to my husband. Colin has been amazing. I can't believe the load he's been bearing for the last month, taking care of so many things and never complaining. I don't know what I'd do without him. Somehow he makes everything okay during those times when I freak out.

Speaking of freaking out, I believe in a few short weeks I will become "follicularly" challenged. Every time I take a shower, there ends up being a pile of hair covering the whole drain when I'm finished. It's very distressing for me. The eyebrows and eyelashes are also barely holding on. Oh how I love having eyelashes. You don't really appreciate them as much until you've lost them all and then grown them back.

The thought of being bald again is very hard for me. When you have hair, you don't feel like you're sick. But when you lose your hair and everyone starts staring, you start to feel like you're sick. It becomes a much harder mental battle when you look in the mirror and all your hair is gone. So I don't know if it will be hats or wigs or the Kojak look. I guess we'll see. Anyway, that challenge is "around the corner". I have to remember to take things one day at a time.

I want to thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers; we need that support so much. The great thing is that when something good happens for us, it's not just our victory but your victory, too.

Until next time.

Much love, Angie
http://www.carepage.com/ The page name is AngieElliottsCarePage

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Patty Jennings

Dear Josie,

I am sorry to be so late answering, but I have been quite sick. I am under control now, but my cancer went wild for about 6 weeks and I almost didn’t make it through Christmas. Fortunately, the chemo they put me on began working just days before I was probably going to have to go on a ventilator. I had a chest drain tube put in yesterday so I am really sore today. I can breathe better now though! So I have had a bit of a set back but I am getting better.....Thank you, Patty

Personal Note: Many of you remember Patty Jennings as the keynote speaker at the Launch Party for The Faces behind Breast Cancer. Patty remains a tireless advocate for healthcare reform, in addition to raising millions of dollars with husband, Senator Tim Jennings (NM) for IBC research. Please keep Patty and her family in your prayers during this challenging time. Well-wishes can be sent to:

Patty Jennings, Executive Director
New Mexico Medical Insurance Pool
PO Box 1594
Roswell, NM 88202-1594

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Mary Shellington

Our condolences to Mary on the recent loss of her mother, Rena Curry. Please keep Mary and her family in your thoughts and prayers. The viewing and funeral service are going to be held this Sunday (1/13/08) at Bayshore Baptist Church in LaPorte, TX. Care Notes can be e-mailed to: mariforjcg@yahoo.com

Viewing: 1 to 2 pm

Service: 2 to 3 pm

Bayshore Baptist Church
11315 Spencer Hwy.
La Porte, Texas 77571
281-471-0332
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FYI:

From Y-Me Advocacy:

Y-ME Advocacy reminds you that the United States Presidential primary elections are right around the corner. Have you registered to vote yet? If not, register now! https://ssl.capwiz.com/y-me/e4/nvra/

Sincerely, Y-ME Advocacy

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From M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Public Education Office:

National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service 1-800-4-CANCER
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and a critical strategy in cancer control efforts is the education of Americans about steps they can take to prevent cancer, detect it early when treatment is most likely to be effective, and choose the best treatment plan.

For nearly 30 years, the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service has been providing the latest and most accurate cancer information to patients, their families, health professionals, and the public. Through its network of regional offices and partnerships with nonprofit, private, and other government agencies, the CIS reaches people who do not traditionally seek health information. For those who do seek information, the CIS offers a toll-free telephone number (1-800-4-CANCER) and an instant messaging service (LiveHelp) on the NCI's Web site (http://www.cancer.gov/ ). You can learn more about CIS at www.cancer.gov/cis or by calling 1-800-4-CANCER.

M. D. Anderson is under contract with the National Cancer Institute (Contract #HHSN261200511010C) to administer the Cancer Information Service’s Partnership Program and Research Coordination Program. The Partnership Program serves Texas and Oklahoma, and the Research Coordination Program serves Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.

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From Denise Hazen:

Dear Friends, As most of you know our son, Nicholas, is diagnosed with autism. Please watch the following video that not only educates about the alarming rise of the rate of autism, but it also explains some of the obstacles families with autism face. Together we can all make a difference. - Denise

Many thanks to those of you who watch the music video. The artists, the band, Five for Fighting, is generously donating $0.40 to Autism Speaks for *each time* the video is viewed. The funding goes toward research studies to help find a cure. When you have a moment, please visit the link below to watch the video and pass it along to your friends and family. They are aiming for 10,000 hits, but hopefully we can help them to surpass this goal.
Click here: Five for Fighting http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214

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From Cheryl Donlin:

Dear Josie!

Don't know if you know about this book, but a good friend of mine recommended it to me. I have e-mailed back and forth with the author, Kelly Corrigan, and she is a delight. I think I gave you her website info previously : http://www.circusofcancer.org/ .

Anyway, her book is called The Middle Place. It's about facing a breast-cancer diagnosis while raising two young kids and having her father diagnosed with cancer at the same time. Kelly has appeared on the Today show with her father, discussing the 'adventure' and she is an avid blogger and journalist. So, I'm passing it on to you and your readers. I have already ordered my copy from Amazon. It's also available through Barnes and Noble.

Work. Create. Grow. Give. - Cheryl

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From Donna Fong:

Some of you had requested photos of previous receptions, meetings, that we have attended and I am happy to enclose some of them. Other photos of our outings are on another memory card which can only be forwarded from a notebook computer, and when I am able to get the time and the notebook, I will forward them to you for your printing for your personal files.

These photos can be viewed in the scrapbook of the Rosebuds which I have just about finished with the exception of the Holiday Party in December. When those photos are e-mailed to me, I will also enclose them in the next e-mail to all of The Rosebuds. I will bring the scrapbook with me to our Annual Birthday Party next month at Janet's house. Hope you enjoy these photos!!! We had fun!! -Donna

Also

New Saliva Test May Help Dentists Test For Breast Cancer
Science Daily
Retrieved January 13, 2008

Many women’s lives could be saved if this cancer was diagnosed earlier, and early diagnosis could be achieved if there were more and easier opportunities to do so.

The researchers found that the protein levels in saliva have great potential to assist in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care of breast cancer. And general dentists are perfect candidates to assist with this diagnosis samples because they can easily remove saliva samples from a patient’s mouth during routine visits. As the AGD’s Vice-President Paula Jones, DDS, FAGD says, “Since a patient visits the dentist more frequently than their physician, it makes sense that this diagnostic tool could be very effective in the hands of the general dentist.”

Salivary testing has some advantages over blood testing. The authors of the study argue that saliva is a clear, colorless liquid, while blood undergoes changes in color, which might affect test results. The authors also say that saliva collection is safe (no needle punctures), non-invasive, and can be collected without causing a patient any pain.

This method of early diagnosis is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If it does receive approval, dentists and physicians could use it to collaboratively diagnose breast cancer.

But Dr. Jones also warns that this is not the only means for diagnosis. “It would not eliminate the need for regular mammogram screening or blood analysis; it would just be a first line of defense for women,” she says. “For example, if the salivary screening did show a positive result, a mammogram or other imaging test would be necessary to determine in which breast the cancer was located.”

Advantages of salivary testing:

Salivary testing is safe (no needle punctures) and can be collected without causing the patient any pain.

Salivary testing does not require any special training or equipment.

Patients who may not have access to or money for preventive care could easily be tested through saliva.

Reference: Sebastian Z. Paige and Charles F. Streckfus, DDS, MA, the authors of the study, “Salivary analysis in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer,” published in the March/April 2007 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry’s (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal, researched a new method of diagnosis.

Adapted from materials provided by Academy of General Dentistry.


Academy of General Dentistry (2007, March 21). New Saliva Test May Help Dentists Test For Breast Cancer. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 13, 2008,
from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070320191035.htm

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From American Cancer Society-Houston Metro Office

2008 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
We are looking for dedicated and energetic volunteers to serve on this year's committee. Please join us for our first meeting of the year to learn more about MSABC and how you can help! Monday, January 21, 2008
6:00 pm
American Cancer Society - Houston Metro Office
6301 Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77057
Contact Ashley White, Community Manager-Distinguised Events at 714-706-5645 Ashley.white@cancer.org

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From Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Advocacy Alliance - I Vote for the Cure

Great news! With the primaries just getting under way, thousands of people have already taken a stand and told the 2008 presidential candidates: I Vote for the Cure. It's all part of Komen's new campaign to put breast cancer at the center of the national debate this election season. From coast to coast, we're raising the cry: I Vote for the Cure. Are you with us? It couldn't be easier to tell America's next president that you want breast cancer to be a national priority. This is one of the biggest, boldest campaigns we have ever launched, and we're off to a great start. But it would be even better if you were on board!

Komen's I Vote for the Cure campaign challenges the candidates to tell us how they'll address three common-sense objectives:

More funding for research. How will our next leader ensure that we don't lose momentum - and that critical advances in the laboratory reach patients?

Screening for all. Will our next leader provide every low-income, uninsured, and underinsured woman in America access to early detection?

Access to quality treatment. Which candidates will promise to make sure that all women diagnosed with breast cancer - regardless of income or skin color - have access to high quality treatment?

Sign the petition now! Help us hit our goal of 100,000 signatures!

Ready? Sign the I Vote for the Cure petition today and let our next president know where you stand. http://komenpolicy.org/campaign/ivftc/8kgxk8n21757dnnw?

Thank you for all that you do in the fight against breast cancer.

Sincerely, Diane Balma
Susan G. Komen for the Cure Advocacy Alliance

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DAILY REMINDER #1:
"Fund Free Mammograms" Go to The Breast Cancer Site at http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/tpc/EEB_0115_BCSm and help fund free mammograms for the homeless, working-poor, and un-insured women. It costs nothing to you, except one daily click on the pink "Fund Free Mammograms" button. You can even request automatic reminders via e-mail. Please make your free click now, and thanks for your continuing support! The Breast Cancer Site, One Union Square, 600 University Street, Suite 1000, Seattle, WA 98101 Phone: 1-888-811-5271

DAILY REMINDER #2:
Help eliminate Breast Cancer with a daily click at http://breastcancer.care2.com/ebc-about.html You'll be one of the first people to participate in the largest virtual mountain climb in the world! With every click, (or "step") you generate a donation to eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer--for free. Sponsors pay for your click and fund The Breast Cancer Fund's programs focusing on environmental links to breast cancer. It only takes a second! The Breast Cancer Fund is the leading national organization focused on identifying – and advocating for the elimination of – the environmental and preventable causes of the disease. For more details on the organization’s work, visit http://www.breastcancerfund.org/

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UPCOMING EVENTS: Mark Your Calendars and Save the Dates!


KNOCKOUT ROSES
A support group for women diagnosed under 40.
2nd Monday of each month, at 5:45 pm, January 14th, 2008.
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet.
Contact Amy Rigsby, Technical Director of The Rose, 713-660-6675.

ROSEBUDS MEETING
January 15th, 5:45 - 7:30 pm
Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting
Open to all Breast Cancer Patients/Survivors
1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet
Future Meetings: FEBRUARY 5 & 19**, MARCH 4 & 18
** The Rosebuds 17th Birthday Party

THE ALICE THOMSEN LYMPHEDEMA AWARENESS GROUP of Houston
Meetings are scheduled on the 3rd Tuesday of every other month at the American cancer Society Building, 6301 Richmond (between Hillcroft and Fountainview) at 7:00pm. Due to numerous factors the January 2008 meeting is being cancelled. We are sorry for this disappointing news but hope you will join us on March 18, 2008 at 7 pm
Hope to see you then, Cynthia Gdula.

Y-ME SHARE RING NETWORK TELECONFERENCE
"Update on Breast Cancer Research"
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST, 6 p.m. MST, 5 p.m. PST)
Speaker: Larissa Korde, M.D., M.P.H.Staff Clinician
Clinical Genetics Branch Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics
National Cancer Institute
Register Now: Please note the new phone number and password below.
Phone number: 1-800-593-9038
Password: YME21340

About the speaker: Larissa Korde, M.D., M.P.H., is a clinical researcher in theClinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, at theNational Cancer Institute (NCI). Dr. Korde completed her residency in internal medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, and completed her medical oncology fellowship and a cancer prevention fellowship at the NCI. Her research interests include lifestyle factors and their effect on breast cancer risk, the identification of warning signs for cancer prevention, and designing intervention trials for populations at increased risk.

Her current projects include a pilot study of physical activity in a breast cancer population, an analysis of soy intake and measures of acculturation and their effect on breast cancer risk in Asian-American women and a study of gene expression profiles to predict response to chemotherapy in women with locally advanced breast cancer. She is also involved in a number of studies that relate to women at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer based on a genetics or family history.

M. D. ANDERSON CANCER CENTER - PUBLIC EDUCATION
A Journey to Wellness - Mindful Eating: Know Your Hunger

Speaker: Jean Kristeller, Ph.D, professor of psychology and the director of the Center for the Study of Health, Religion and Spirituality at Indiana State University, teaches people how to feel their hunger, trust their taste buds and become deeply satisfied with the quality rather than quantity of food they eat.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
5:00 p.m. - Check In
5:30 p.m. - Program

D. Anderson Cancer Center
Lowry and Peggy Mays Clinic
1220 Holcombe Boulevard

Free admission and parking
Registration deadline: January 14
To register, email publiced@mdanderson.org or call 713-745-0549

Parking: Parking is free underneath Mays Clinic. From Holcombe Boulevard, turn south on Bertner and enter the parking garage through Entrance 5, located on the right immediately before the first stop sign (see “P” for parking and make right turn into garage). Take the parking garage elevator to the 1st floor and follow the signs to Room 1.2325.

ROSEBUDS II MEETING
January 24th, 5:45 - 7:30 pm
Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting
For those who have had or are at high risk for recurrence and/or metastasis,
2nd and 4th Thursday of each month The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet.
Future Meetings: FEBRUARY 14 & 28, MARCH 13 & 27

PINK RIBBONS PROJECT FUND RAISER
St. Thomas High School vs. Westside High School, 6 P.M., Saturday, February 2, 2008
St. Thomas High School - Hotze Field (in Granger Stadium), 4500 Memorial Drive $5.00
Proceeds from the day will benefit Pink Ribbons Project, in motion against breast cancer, and St. Thomas High School Rugby.

ROSEBUDS 17th BIRTHDAY PARTY
6:00 p.m - Tuesday, February 19, 2008
At our annual birthday party we recognize those who have attained a 5 year,10 year, 15 year, etc. anniversary of diagnosis/treatment during the past year. If you are one of these people, please advise Donna Fong. 713-681-7716 or donnafong5948@yahoo.com Refreshments will be provided.
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"SHARING is CARING"As always, The Pink Crusader welcomes your comments, stories, poems, events and photographs! Posts are updated each week. Please send your written contributions to thepinkcrusader1@aol.com
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"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet
is fighting some kind of battle."

- Unknown

Until next week stay strong, stay well and keep on dancing for a brighter tomorrow and a better you!

Love, Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com

Clean Slate for 2008

Dear Blogger Family & Friends,

Happy New Year to one and all! Welcome to the Pink Crusader blogspot where we are handing out the first cyber-hugs of the new year! Grab a glass of bubbly, make a little noise, and read on...

"Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page. Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past." -Henry Ward Beecher

The month of January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was always shown as having two heads. He looked back to the last year and forward to the new one. And now that we've officially jumped off the 2007 merry-go-round, it's time to turn our back on one chapter and move forward to the promise of another....complete with 365 blank pages to fill-in as we go along.

The beginning of each year offers us a clean slate on which to collect our thoughts, make our resolutions and direct our energies in positive ways. With a little planning and a lot of hope, we'll all be off to a better start and increase the odds of reaching our goals over the next twelve months.

Okay my little babies....we are off and running! Raise your glass and make a toast that all our hopes, wishes and resolutions will be within reach during 2008....including those last 10 pounds! Cheers!
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SURVIVOR UPDATES:

Angie Elliott (update per Colin Elliott) January 2, 2008

First of all, Happy New Year to everyone. We pray that 2008 brings all of you and your families good health and happiness. We want to thank you for all of your continued thoughts and prayers.

It's been a couple days now and they've been pretty special. Angie did, in fact, make it out to a party on New Years Eve with me. She spent a couple hours sacked out in a spare bedroom, but she came out to ring in the new year and toasted with a cup (they were out of glasses) of champagne. I will mention here that champagne doesn't taste quite the same out of a plastic cup as from a glass champagne flute, but when you're with friends after an ordeal that we've had recently, it doesn't really matter.

We arrived at the party with Angie all dressed up riding in her rented wheelchair and me pushing her wearing a rainbow afro wig. Not sure what possessed me to wear it (and I wore it almost all night), but it kept my head warm amid the falling temperatures that evening. We had a good time and were happy to be out of the house with friends.

The house continues to get painted, and I understand that they might actually be done with everything by this Friday. Excellent. It'll take a few more days for the fumes to dissipate, but it definitely looks much warmer. It really is amazing what a coat of paint can do to the over all feel of a home. I've posted a picture in the photo gallery for you to see the new colors. The house is still a disaster, but things have started to get in a bit more semblance of order. We've dusted most of the house, trying to get rid of the aftermath of having new wood floors.

My asthma has flared up with all of the construction dust and fumes, and it's a good thing I got my inhaler filled up last year. I'd've been in the hospital myself if I didn't have those. Darn childhood asthma rearing its ugly head.

Anyway, Angie continues to gain strength and is remembering (sometimes through me) things that went on over the past six weeks. It hasn't always been easy as some things are better forgotten, but when things come up in conversation, it makes you face them sooner rather than later. Lymphadema continues to be an issue, especially with her having had a blood clot in the right arm which she is now on a blood thinner injection twice a day. She continues to get up and move around a bit and tries to do more (or at least the same amount of) activity every day.
Her strength is inspiring. She complains about being out of breath and needing to rest after two flights of stairs, but so do some "healthy" people who have come by our house to visit.

We're still trying to get her back to being able to be more self sufficient, but that will take time. We have to continue to be patient (something which a certain person we know and love sometimes has some troubles with being...)
Our love, Colin & Angie
http://www.carepage.com/ The page name is AngieElliottsCarePage
************************************

Michelle Amos

Good luck to Michelle as she recovers from recent surgery. ************************************

Cheryl P. Donlin

Thoughts and prayers remain with Cheryl and her family as she prepares for surgery this week.
************************************

Janice Duplessis

MAY GOD BE CLOSE WHEREVER YOU ARE AND BE YOUR GUIDE. LIKE THE CHRISTMAS STAR. MAY HAPPINESS BE YOURS TODAY AND ALL YEAR LONG. THIS IS MY PRAYER FOR YOU. - Janice
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FYI:

From Sandra Gomez:

A VERY VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU! I KNOW THIS YEAR WILL BE FABULOUS FOR EVERYONE.

THE ART SHOW FOR THE BOOTS "KICKING CANCER OUT OF TEXAS" INFORMATION WILL BE HELD ON JANUARY 10. SEE WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS: http://www.cancercounseling.info

LOTS OF LOVE ! SANDRA
*************************************

From Jane Weiner:

The Staff of Hope Center would like to wish you all a blessed & wonderous entrance to the NEW YEAR!!! Wishing you all health, happiness, good lessons, love and compassion for 2008!!!!We continue to pray for PEACE. Thank you for being a part of HOPE CENTER!!

LAST CALL (I promise) for TV sets-----
We move into the Theater tomorrow…so if you want to get rid of your TV set that is collecting dust in the garage…..bring it by Hope Center studio today (we will be there from 2 p.m-9 p.m.)…we especially want smaller ones now. 713-526-1907
Tax receipts available….know you are making art!!!!

Also, Reminder to purchase your tickets for the world premiere of "See Me," choreographed by Jane Weiner.
Tickets- http://www.hopestoneinc.org/ ½ price tickets- http://www.stubdog.com/
713.526.1907 ext. 3
*************************************

From Emma Jacobs:

Late Nite Catechism 2 opens this weekend at Houston's Stages Repertory Theatre. The tickets are normally $25-30 but if you use the code HEAVEN, you can see it for $10. Call quickly as tickets will go fast. - Emma

THE NUN-STOP LAUGHS CONTINUE IN LATE NITE CATECHISM 2!
Blessed with all the wit, wisdom and wackiness that made the original
an international hit, this follow-up to Late Nite Catechism really turns
up the heat - and the humor! Armed with a dizzying array of banners,
filmstrips, mimeographed handouts, historical facts and hysterical
insights, Sister sets out to conquer sin and conduct her class into
convulsions of laughter. Don't miss the latest installment in this
wildly popular series!

REMINDER:
The new musical Unbeatable is coming to town in September 2008 in a World Premiere production produced by Houston’s acclaimed Stages Repertory Theatre. To get a sneak peak, visit http://www.unbeatablemusical.com/

This brilliant new musical follows the true story of a strong-willed woman and her life-changing confrontation with Breast Cancer. It will touch the hearts of so many people, not only the ones who are in the struggle of their lives but those of you who have been affected by Breast Cancer. This musical will inspire and empower people whilst they laugh, cry and understand better what such a journey is really like.We are currently raising funds to support this ground-breaking event and by making a year-end donation you can be a huge help.

Here are some levels of support to consider:

$10,000 A Table for Eight to the opening night Gala
Eight Seats to the opening night performance
Eight invitations to a private cocktail party with cast and creators
Eight seats for the arrival party (when the cast comes from Phoenix)
An invitation to the first rehearsal
A signed copy of the script by cast and creators
A signed copy of the marketing poster by cast and creators

$5,000 Four Seats (1/2 table for the opening night Gala
Four Seats to the opening night performance
Four invitations to a private cocktail party with cast and creators
Four seats for the arrival party (when the cast comes from Phoenix)
An invitation to the first rehearsal
A signed copy of the script by cast and creators
A signed copy of the marketing poster by cast and creators

$2,500 Two Seats to the opening night gala
Two seats for the opening night performance
Two invitations to a private cocktail party with cast and creators
An invitation to the first rehearsal
A signed copy of the script by cast and creators
A signed copy of the marketing poster by cast and creators

$1,000 and above
Eight seats for the arrival party (when the cast comes from Phoenix)
Eight seats for first preview
An invitation to the first rehearsal
A signed copy of the script by cast and creators
A signed copy of the marketing poster by cast and creators

$500
Four seats for arrival party
Four seats for first preview
A signed copy of the marketing poster by cast and creators

$250
Two seats for the arrival party
Two seats for first preview
A signed copy of the marketing poster by cast and creators

$100
Two seats for first preview

$1.00 from every ticket sold must go to support a breast cancer care/research or housing facility in Houston. For those of you who have already donated you qualify at the level of your donation or you can increase your donation to qualify at a higher level. Thanks to your support we are well on our way to our goal of bringing Unbeatable to Houston!

Checks made payable to the Emma Jacobs Breast Cancer Foundation, 206 Terrace Drive, Houston, Texas 77007. OR, If you would like to make your donation via credit card you may contact Emma via the Pink Crusader (thepinkcrusader1@aol.com ) for additional instructions.

Thanks for your support, Emma Jacobs. Portions of your donation to the Emma Jacobs Breast Cancer Foundation (a 501c3 organization) may qualify for tax deductions under the laws of the State of Texas.
****************************************

From Cheryl Donlin:

I've attached an article that your readers might find of interest. You probably wish I'd quit reading the paper for a while, but for some reason (and it's a good thing!) there have been lots of good b/c articles running recently. Three cheers for awareness! - Cheryl

Study: MDs Mum on Breast Cancer Options
Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:42 AM EST
Marilynn Marchione, AP Medical Writer

Most doctors don't talk about breast reconstruction with women before cancer surgery, depriving them of key information that can sway their decision about whether to have the whole breast or just a lump removed, new research suggests. Only one-third of the roughly 1,200 women in the study said surgeons discussed cosmetic remedies with them in advance. When the topic did come up, women were four times more likely to choose the more drastic operation, mastectomy.

That could be because they liked the breast reconstruction options, which include implants that are not available for fixing odd-shaped defects left after lumpectomies. But mastectomies can be a dubious choice because breast-conserving lumpectomies usually suffice.

"Our point is not to say that one decision is better than another, but that women need to know all their options," said Dr. Amy Alderman, the University of Michigan plastic surgeon who led the study. "There are positives and negatives to both. We shouldn't be paternalistic and tell patients, 'This is what you need.'"

Dr. H. Kim Lyerly, a breast surgeon and director of Duke University's Comprehensive Cancer Center, agreed.

"This is an important issue," he said. "We clearly need to be better at it."

The study was published online Friday by the journal Cancer and will be in the Feb. 1 issue.
It is the second report in recent days to call attention to the often-neglected cosmetic consequences of cancer surgery. Studies at last week's San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium highlighted some of these, including the limited options for millions of women left with dimpled or cratered breasts after lumpectomies.

Doctors say the latest study, done in more than 100 hospitals in the Detroit and Los Angeles areas, may overstate the doctor-patient communication problem, but they acknowledge that one exists.

"I would bet that we have been so obsessed with treatment that this quality-of-life issue is one that we just haven't focused on," said Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.

Breast cancer is the most common major cancer in American women. More than 178,000 new cases are expected this year in the U.S., and more than 1 million worldwide. For cancer that has not widely spread, most women have a lumpectomy, but some need or prefer a mastectomy. Alderman studied whether knowing about breast reconstruction swayed which treatment women chose.

Researchers surveyed 1,178 women three months after breast cancer surgery, from 2001 to 2003. Two-thirds said reconstruction never came up in discussions with general surgeons before their operations. Younger women were more likely to have had this talk than older ones (the average age was 56 for those who did versus 61 for those who did not). More educated women also were more likely to discuss it. Who brought up the topic — patient or doctor — was not asked. The National Cancer Institute paid for the study.

Women who see breast specialists rather than general surgeons may be more apt to get plastic surgery consultations, Lyerly said. Many women want to conserve breast tissue, and a surgeon must make sure that medical issues are not outweighed by body image concerns.

"If we provide too much information, that's also not the more effective way of communicating either," he said. "It could be that they're so fixed on other issues that two sentences on breast reconstruction totally was not heard."

However, treatment guidelines do not spell out what doctors should say and when, so "this study is likely to get some traction for that very reason," Brawley said.

Dr. Sameer Patel, a reconstructive surgeon at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, said some doctors are too focused on the medical part of the decision about what operation to have.
"They're trying to take care of the cancer, and that (cosmetic impact) takes a back seat," he said.

Debbie Horwitz, 35, of Raleigh, N.C., encountered that attitude three years ago, when she found a cancerous lump. Her mother had died of breast cancer and her grandmother also had the disease, so when tests showed she had a mutated gene raising her risk of future tumors, she had a double mastectomy.

"I was really frustrated to find out there were no process pictures of what the reconstruction process would be like," she said. "It's a months-long process. There were a lot of before and after pictures, but there's a lot that happens in between."

She formed a support group and wrote a book featuring more than a dozen photos graphically depicting her own reconstruction — "Myself: Together Again" — sold on Amazon and other outlets.

If doctors do not discuss reconstruction options in advance, "it's unfair and I think it's unethical," she said. "If you were going to take off somebody's arm, or a leg had to be amputated, you would talk to them about prosthetics. I don't understand how doctors can leave that part out."

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
*************************************

From Donna Fong:

News Release For immediate use: Dec. 20, 2007

Hormone may be new drug target for preventing lymphedema, tumor spread

A hormone secreted by cells throughout the body and known to play a role in cardiovascular disease and other cell functions is also critical for proper formation of the lymphatic system in mice, according to research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

By targeting this hormone, called adrenomedullin, researchers may be able to treat the more than 100 million people worldwide affected by lymphedema, a condition that causes painful swelling in arms and legs.

“Our research also may lead to therapies to prevent cancer cells from traveling through these lymphatic vessels to infiltrate other parts of the body,” said Kathleen M. Caron, senior study author and assistant professor of cell and molecular physiology and genetics at UNC.

Adrenomedullin is a powerful vascular peptide that can widen existing blood vessels and even promote the growth of new ones. But it also has many more functions, such as helping control metabolism, heart rate, thirst and appetite, stress response, antibacterial activity and nerve signal transmission.

The study, published Dec. 20, 2007, in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, demonstrates that this peptide is necessary for yet another function in our bodies: without it, our lymphatic system – an important part of the body's immune system – does not form normally. The lymphatic system includes lymph nodes and a network of thin tubes that transport fluid and immune cells that have leached out of tissues back into the circulatory system. These tubes branch, like blood vessels, into all the tissues of the body. Between two and three liters of the almost colorless fluid called lymph go through the lymphatic system in a day.

If this system fails to function properly, excess fluid collects and swells in tissue, causing lymphedema. In rare instances, the condition is inherited through genetic mutations. For two to three million cancer survivors, it comes as a consequence of early treatment, as the surgical removal of lymph nodes and radiation therapy creates damage to the lymphatic system that lasts a lifetime. But the most common cause, affecting up to 120 million people worldwide, is a parasitic infection. “Lymphedema is a very serious problem,” Caron said. “Not only does it limit your mobility, but it can be quite painful and disfiguring.”

The only current treatments for the condition – using low-compression stockings and other garments, and massage – are not much help, Caron says. Before now, only a dozen or so genes had been implicated in the formation of lymphatic vessels, or lymphangiogenesis, and none of them have yet yielded an effective therapy. But through this study, the researchers have described three new targets, adrenomedullin and two of its partners in the cell, which together hold true promise for a pharmaceutical treatment for lymphedema.

Caron and her team of researchers discovered the importance of this hormone in the formation of the lymphatic system after genetically manipulating mice so that they completely lacked either adrenomedullin or its related cell partners. They found that these mice looked a lot like other mice with impaired lymphangiogenesis. Careful examination showed that the lymph sacs that normally take up excess fluid from the tissues were much smaller than they should be, and the sacs without adrenomedullin were made up of fewer cells than normal.

By increasing adrenomedullin within the cells of the lymphatic system, the researchers believe that they can encourage the lymph sacs to proliferate and take up more fluid. Not only could this approach provide a new treatment for lymphedema, but it may also prove useful in preventing the spread of cancer because invasive cancers sometimes penetrate the lymphatic vessels and metastasize to distant sites.

“In cancer treatments of the future, patients suffering from these aggressive cancers could be identified early and could be treated with a drug to inhibit the growth of the lymph vessels that transport the cancerous cells, thus keeping the cancer in check,” Caron said.

The research was funded in part by The Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.

Study co-authors are Kimberly L. Fritz-Six, William P. Dunworth and Manyu Li, all of the UNC School of Medicine. School of Medicine contacts: Les Lang, (919) 843-9687 or llang @med.unc.edu or Stephanie Crayton, (919) 966-2860 or matilto:scrayton@unch.unc.eduUNC News Services contact: Clinton Colmenares, (919) 843-1991 or clinton_colmenares@unc.edu
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DAILY REMINDER #1:
"Fund Free Mammograms" Go to The Breast Cancer Site at http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/tpc/EEB_0115_BCSm and help fund free mammograms for the homeless, working-poor, and un-insured women. It costs nothing to you, except one daily click on the pink "Fund Free Mammograms" button. You can even request automatic reminders via e-mail. Please make your free click now, and thanks for your continuing support! The Breast Cancer Site, One Union Square, 600 University Street, Suite 1000, Seattle, WA 98101 Phone: 1-888-811-5271

DAILY REMINDER #2:
Help eliminate Breast Cancer with a daily click at http://breastcancer.care2.com/ebc-about.html You'll be one of the first people to participate in the largest virtual mountain climb in the world! With every click, (or "step") you generate a donation to eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer--for free. Sponsors pay for your click and fund The Breast Cancer Fund's programs focusing on environmental links to breast cancer. It only takes a second! The Breast Cancer Fund is the leading national organization focused on identifying – and advocating for the elimination of – the environmental and preventable causes of the disease. For more details on the organization’s work, visit http://www.breastcancerfund.org/
---------------------------------------------------------------------
UPCOMING EVENTS: Mark Your Calendars and Save the Dates!

ASK THE EXPERT - M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Would you like to talk to an M. D. Anderson expert about Nutrition and Cancer?
Dena Norton, Senior Clinical Dietitian at M. D. Anderson, joins Ask the Expert January 7-11 to answer patients' and their caregivers' questions about nutrition and cancer. Ask the Expert, Anderson Network's online message board, allows cancer patients and caregivers to submit questions to M. D. Anderson experts on specific topics. Subscribe or log on to the board at www.mdanderson.org/asktheexpert to submit questions January 7-11, 2008 or to view past topics archived on the site. These topics include lymphedema, clinical trials, fatigue, cancer prevention, patient safety, exercise and bone health, as well as site-specific questions and answers.

ROSEBUDS II MEETING
January 10th, 5:45 - 7:30 pm
Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting
For those who have had or are at high risk for recurrence and/or metastasis,
2nd and 4th Thursday of each month The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet.
Future Meetings: JANUARY 24, FEBRUARY 14 & 28, MARCH 13 & 27

HOPE STONE
World Premiere of "See Me"Just hit our sweet new website (http://www.hopestoneinc.org/ ) go to the MONEY MATTERS tab and buy yourself some tickets for a good ole fashion art date! Hey, you can even buy one or two for a deserving child.....they make handy holiday gifts as well! Come early to see photographer Simon Gentry's silent no more photo exhibit in the green room (doors open 6:15 p.m.)Vitals: Jan 10 & 11, 2008, 7:30 p.m., Cullen Theater, Wortham CenterNote: SEE Me Tickets so on sale! http://www.hopestoneinc.org/ http://www.stubdog.com/ (1/2 price tickets...great for tight holiday budgets!)

KNOCKOUT ROSES
A support group for women diagnosed under 40.
2nd Monday of each month, at 5:45 pm, January 14th, 2008.
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet.
Contact Amy Rigsby, Technical Director of The Rose, 713-660-6675.

ROSEBUDS MEETING
January 15th, 5:45 - 7:30 pm
Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting
Open to all Breast Cancer Patients/Survivors
1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month
The Rose, 3400 Bissonnet
Future Meetings: FEBRUARY 5 & 19**, MARCH 4 & 18
** The Rosebuds 17th Birthday Party

THE ALICE THOMSEN LYMPHEDEMA AWARENESS GROUP of Houston
Meetings are scheduled on the 3rd Tuesday of every other month at the American cancer Society Building, 6301 Richmond (between Hillcroft and Fountainview) at 7:00pm.
Next scheduled meeting is Januaruy 15th, 2008.

PINK RIBBONS PROJECT FUND RAISER
St. Thomas High School vs. Westside High School, 6 P.M., Saturday, February 2, 2008
St. Thomas High School - Hotze Field (in Granger Stadium), 4500 Memorial Drive $5.00
Proceeds from the day will benefit Pink Ribbons Project, in motion against breast cancer, and St. Thomas High School Rugby.

ROSEBUDS 17th BIRTHDAY PARTY
6:00 p.m - Tuesday, February 19, 2008
At our annual birthday party we recognize those who have attained a 5 year,10 year, 15 year, etc. anniversary of diagnosis/treatment during the past year. If you are one of these people, please advise Donna Fong. 713-681-7716 or donnafong5948@yahoo.com
Refreshments will be provided.
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"SHARING is CARING"As always, The Pink Crusader welcomes your comments, stories, poems, events and photographs! Posts are updated each week. Please send your written contributions to thepinkcrusader1@aol.com
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"Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne."

- Robert Burns, Auld Lang Syne

Until next week stay strong, stay well and keep on dancing into the future.

Love, Josie
The Pink Crusader
thepinkcrusader1@aol.com