Breast Cancer Blogs

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The CancerLand Bookshelf: The Red Devil Revisited Alysa Cummings I am sitting at the dining room table, thumbing through the summer issue of CURE magazine, when a familiar name suddenly catches my eye, compelling me to stop and read the rest of the paragraph on page 14: "After having lived with metastatic breast cancer for nearly 25 years, writer Katherine Russell Rich, 56, died of the disease
Are You Aware? Carolyn Vachani, RN, MSN, AOCN I think everyone is aware that October is breast cancer awareness month - how could you miss the neon pink gloves on your favorite NFL receiver's hands? I guess all that pink has scared the other advocacy groups into other months. Take November for instance, it is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Pancreatic Cancer
Brown Bag Web Chat: Life After Breast Cancer Date: October 28, 2011 Time: 1:15 - 2:15 pm EST Join the OncoLink Team for a live, interactive webchat on breast cancer. Our experts will address your questions during the live event, or you can submit questions ahead of time. You can use your (public) Twitter account to participate during the live event (use the hashtag #oncochat). Focus on
The Impact of Vitamins & Supplements During and After Breast Cancer Treatment Date: March 13, 2013 Time: 6:30-8PM ET LIVE from Living Beyond Breast Cancer's March community meeting, learn how vitamins and supplements affect your breast cancer treatment plan and follow-up care, understand the latest research on the role of specific vitamins and supplements in reducing risk of recurrence and explore how to obtain
After Breast Cancer: Survivor Education Webinar Date: May 2, 2013 Time: 12:30-1:30PM ET Presented by: Dr. Kathryn Schmitz Dr. Schmitz is the Principal Investigator on the groundbreaking PAL trial, which demonstrated that exercise, and specifically weight training, is not only safe for breast cancer survivors, it actually decreased the risk of developing lymphedema. Join us to discuss issues
The CancerLand Bookshelf: Not Done Yet: Living Through Breast Cancer She was a great nodder: a person sitting in the audience smiling and nodding her head while I was speaking. I love great nodders. When I stand in front of a room full of people leading a workshop, I’m always on the lookout for them. Once the session begins, I scan the room and the minute I spot one, (head bobbing up and down with enthusiasm and
Life After Breast Cancer - Brown Bag Cha Ask the OncoLink experts your questions about life after breast cancer. Experts will address issues related to: Nutrition, Exercise, Fatigue, Sexuality, dating and relationships, Fear of recurrence, Living with advanced disease and Lymphedema. You can submit questions ahead of time or during the live event. A transcript will be available after
The CancerLand Bookshelf: How to Be a Friend to a Friend Who’s Sick Alysa Cummings Author: Letty Cottin Pogrebin Publisher: NY: Public Affairs, 2013 ISBN: 9781610392839 Cost: $24.99 US After fifteen years in CancerLand, I know this much is true. After patients hear their doctor say, “I’m sorry, it’s cancer,” they do one of two things. Either they broadcast their health crisis loud and clear to all of their
Let's Talk - Love in the Afternoon Date: Friday, May 17, 2013 at Time: 12:30PM ET Join us for a video presentation on sexuality and intimacy issues after a cancer diagnosis. After cancer diagnosis and treatment, intimacy issues may arise - this presentation will give you the information you need to help you stay close. In addition, learn how intimacy can help to detect skin
Women’s Health in the News - Brown Bag Chat Are you confused about the recent news reports about changes in breast cancer screening and Pap smear guidelines? Join us for a live Web Chat with OncoLink's Experts on November 24, 2009 at 12:30-1:30pm EST. Women’s Health in the News Experts Robert Prosnitz, MD, MPH is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the
CancerLand Bookshelf: The Summer of Her Baldness Twelve years later and not much has changed. Not much. Not really. Starting with the entrance. He knocks twice, opens the door and hurriedly strides into the examining room. His energy speaks volumes (Places to go; patients to see. So many patients; so little time. ). I am sitting there, a veteran oncology patient, waiting patiently, a
Nutrition Nuggets: Best foods? There is a certain amount of tug of war in nutrition as it relates to cancer. On the one hand there are frequent “discoveries” of chemicals founds in foods that seem to be helpful in “fighting” cancer. Often the chemical in question is just one of many found in a particular plant and it is studied in isolation. This information is very
How Many Lives Did She Save Just By Opening Her Mouth? Betty Ford, former First Lady, has passed away. She died at the age of 93. Mrs. Ford lead a remarkable life, most notably for her courage, speaking her mind and telling the truth. In 1974, shortly after her husband became President, Mrs. Ford was treated for breast cancer. It was made public, as was her treatment (mastectomy) and recovery. For
Greetings from CancerLand: Plastic Surgeon Photo Shoot I double click to open my journal – a computer folder on my desktop filled with lots and lots of Word files, some dating back to 1998. These are files packed full of details of everything that has happened to me - day by day, one doctor's appointment after another - since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. And as I glance at some text on
Daily Cancer Risk Fact: Men 23. Men True or false: Men can - and do - get breast cancer. True. Breast cancer in men accounts for about 1 percent of all breast cancers and about 0.2 percent of all cancers in men. There will be about 2,190 new cases of male breast cancer in 2012, compared with 229,000 cases in women. See complete information at www.philly.com/whatsmyrisk.
I wish u knew... the rewards of working in radiation oncology Tim Hampshire "I wish people knew that I remember all of my patients," said Dr. Christine Hill-Kayser. She was earnest. I could see her briefly abandoning her bright smile, which is habitual and always a little sly. She slowly cocked her head side to side: "Every single one." "And..." she looked down and blinked once to fact-check her well-kept
Nutrition Nugget: Apple Skin Many people are familiar with the phrase, "an apple-a-day keeps the doctor away." Recent studies show that the whole apple, skin included, may be helpful in keeping the oncologist away. Choosemyplate.org recommends that a healthy diet should include half a plate-full of fruits and vegetables for each meal. This recommendation includes whole, cut,
Managing the Side Effects of Hormonal Therapies for Breast Cancer A webinar in conjunction with Living Beyond Breast Cancer THIS WEBINAR HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER FORECASTS IN THE AREA WHERE IT WAS BEING HELD. PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR RESCHEDULING INFORMATION! Whether you are undergoing hormonal therapy or are considering it with your healthcare provider, understanding the possible side effects and
Be a Cancer Myth Buster One of the saddest days I ever experienced working in the cancer center was when a woman, newly diagnosed with breast cancer, broke down in tears and told me that she had caused her breast cancer. She further clarified that her sisters and mother had told her that you get cancer as a punishment for something you have done. Can you imagine this
CancerLand Bookshelf: When My World Was Very Small: a memoir of family, food, cancer and my couch "How's it going?" I ask the teenager sitting across from me. I choose my words carefully before speaking them aloud. Consciously avoid saying how are you? Or worse, how are you feeling? He's a kid with cancer getting chemo every three weeks. I'm his assigned English tutor, helping him keep up with his school assignments at home during the "down
A Review of Greetings from CancerLand: Writing the Journey to Recovery Author: Alysa Cummings Publisher: iUniverse.com, 2012 Hardcover: 160 pages ISBN: 1475909896 OncoLink Rating: I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996. Ever since, I've felt compelled to read personal accounts of others with cancer. There have been books that I've especially admired (e.g., Because Cowards Get Cancer Too by John Diamond and My
Advice For Those Newly Diagnosed The first few days following a cancer diagnosis are like riding on top of a speeding train. You're hanging on for dear life and can't quite see what's ahead. Although every situation is somewhat different, this is what I generally suggest: Focus on one step at a time. If you are having a biopsy next week, focus on that biopsy and do not let
Greetings from Cancerland: Dear Doctor Dear Doctor, I am writing to say I’m sorry. I know my apology is almost 11 years overdue, but I mean it. I really do. With so many doctors on the team working at the imaging center, what are the odds that you would be the one reading my films this year? But as luck would have it, after my Fall 2009 mammogram last week, I walked down the hall
Greetings from CancerLand: Donations Gratefully Accepted Donations. I’m a volunteer in charge of donations for a local office of a cancer organization. So for a few hours every week, I sort through bags stuffed full of donations. Cancer-related types of donations to be exact: wigs, hats, scarves, bras and breast prostheses. Special items that cancer survivors often need and don’t have the money (or
Greetings from CancerLand: Sometimes I Almost Forget Sometimes a day goes by, my breast cancer survivor buddy Lydia says wistfully, a whole day and I don't think about it once. Not once! I can almost forget I had cancer, you know what I mean? And she says those words with this incredulous expression on her face, shaking her head from side to side as if to say, can you believe it? can you imagine? is
CancerLand Bookshelf: Sound Travels on Water Alysa Cummings Author: Kyle Potvin Publisher: Finishing Line Press, 2012 \| $14.00 US Information: ISBN: 9781622291380 Sound Travels on Water Serendipity: that's the word that immediately comes to mind when I think about how I happened to connect with Kyle Potvin's delightful chapbook, Sound Travels on Water. Last week I was hungry for a new
Adjusting to the New Normal Bob Riter "The new normal" is a phrase used to describe how life changes for some people who have been through cancer. Here are some examples: A man treated for oral cancer who can no longer taste many foods. A woman treated for breast cancer whose arm is permanently swollen. A man treated for colorectal cancer who needs to use the bathroom
Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood? Rodney Warner, Esq When I started treatment, my sister suggested I write a journal of my experiences. I didn’t, because I couldn’t imagine wanting to keep a record of such an awful experience. Having survived it, and perhaps forgetting some of the really awful stuff, I wish I did keep a journal. The people I met were the best part of dealing with
CancerLand Bookshelf: My One-Night Stand with Cancer The CancerLand journey is made up of moments. Strange moments. Defining moments. Once-in-a-lifetime types of encounters, often intensely traumatic experiences that mark and change you: physically, emotionally, spiritually. Forever it seems. Ask any cancer survivor. Some will say it’s the moment of diagnosis - the day that a doctor says
CancerLand Bookshelf: Songs from a Lead-Lined Room Memoirs lined up on the CancerLand Bookshelf are often filled with powerful life lessons, painstakingly learned on the long journey to recovery. Last week, almost twelve years to the day after my own cancer diagnosis, I faced up to a daunting challenge that helped me finally make peace with my biggest cancer-related loss to date. My mind. If I
When to Hold a Hand, When to Kick an Ass It's a fine line. As an attorney, I worked with cancer survivors. I tried to make their lives easier, so they could focus on recovery and treatment. It could mean talking about planning issues, advanced medical directives, employment problems or family issues. I had a client in her 30's with stage three breast cancer. She was the single mother of
The CancerLand Bookshelf: Going Graphic Alysa Cummings Author: Alesia Shute Publisher: Writers of the Roundtable Press, 2011 Information: $14.95 US ISBN: 1610660145 OncoLink Rating: I stumbled upon Everything's Okay the way I usually do; browsing through the memoir shelves at Barnes & Noble. The cover of the book immediately caught my eye - a young girl rubbing noses with her
The CancerLand Bookshelf: A Letter to John Green Alysa Cummings The Fault in Our Stars Author: John Green Publisher: Dutton Juvenile Information: ISBN-13: 978-0525478812 \| $17.99 US OncoLink Rating: Dear John, The way I see it, John, it's your fault. Totally your fault that yesterday I was at my local public library begging a children's librarian for a copy of your latest young adult book,
I Have Cancer. What’s New With You? Affiliation: Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes Two days after being diagnosed with cancer, I received a call from the Red Cross asking if I'd give blood in an upcoming blood drive. I was a regular blood donor, so I received these calls a couple of times a year. This time, my head nearly exploded with a thousand thoughts: Should I tell
Daily Cancer Risk Fact: A Drink A Day 4. A Drink A Day True or false: Drinking one alcoholic beverage a day can increase cancer risk. True. Many people are aware that heavy alcohol use can cause health problems, but many are not aware that alcohol can increase your risk of developing several types of cancer, including cancers of themouth, throat (pharynx), voice box
Daily Cancer Risk Fact: Weight 5. Weight True or false: Being overweight increases your risk of developing cancer. True. Studies most strongly associate being overweight or obese with a higher risk of breast (postmenopausal women), colorectal, endometrial, esophagus and renal cell cancers. This is likely caused by excess fat raising hormone levels in the body. See complete
Daily Cancer Risk Fact: Exercise 12. Exercise True or false: Exercising regularly can help my heart health, but does not reduce cancer risk. False. Studies have found that exercise can reduce the risk of cancers of the breast, colon, prostate and endometrium (uterus). See all the facts at www.philly.com/whatsmyrisk. Join us every day this month for a special project between
@#$% Doctors and Hospitals Did That Really *%@@ed Me Off Rodney Warner, JD Hospitals are places where great efforts are made to save lives. They can be almost magical places. Sometimes, the magic just isn't there. I have great respect for doctors. They saved my life and I've been able to call a few, friend. We expect doctors to be as smart as Albert Einstein and as empathetic as Mother Theresa. It
Clinical Trials People diagnosed with cancer often wonder if they should participate in a clinical trial. When someone asks for my opinion, I begin by saying that clinical trials are essential for the advancement of medicine. For example, one clinical trial found that women with early-stage breast cancer did just as well after a lumpectomy (followed by
Communicating With Your Doctor I'm always struck that some people diagnosed with cancer want to know absolutely everything about their disease while others just want to be told when to show up for treatment. Some people complain that their doctors give them too much information while others complain that their doctors give them too little. Every doctor I've known will
I wish u knew... Healthcare Affordability Act Tim Hampshire "You can get me to talk about tort reform for three hours," said Dr. Neha Vapiwala. As a student of law and politics, out of my element with most of the people I interview, my ears perked up. Some people like to talk about truths, some about reality television, and some about situations that are truly screwed up. Dr. Vapiwala and
I wish u knew... the role of cancer biology and genetics in cancer Tim Hampshire If you give Dr. Timothy Rebbeck a good team of biologists, sociologists, and clinicians, he can look at a population of people and tell you about the cancer risks that affect it disproportionately. This is no small task. He's not just finding cancers in people and making sure they get treated; he's researching the biomarkers that
CancerLand Bookshelf: Looking at Light: 100 Poems in 100 Days after cancer Alysa Cummings Author: James Navé Publisher: Imaginative Storm Publications, 2012 Information: ISBN: 9780985752811 \| $12.99 US Somewhere in the middle of reading Looking at Light, a vivid moment from a cancer support group meeting plays back in my head, almost like a scene from a movie. Picture this: a woman sitting in a circle of breast
CancerLand Bookshelf: Chief Complaint: Brain Tumor Alysa Cummings Author: John Kerastas Publisher: Sunstone Press, 2012 \| $16.95 US Information: ISBN: 9780865349087 OncoLink Rating: At first glance, John Kerastas and I couldn't be more different from one another. For starters, he's a guy recovering from recent treatment for a brain tumor and I'm a 15 year breast cancer survivor. Then there's
Don't Look Back with Cancer Bob Riter It is easy to second guess yourself when you have cancer. It can take many forms: I wouldn't have cancer if I had taken better care of myself. I should have gone to the doctor sooner. I should have chosen Treatment B instead of Treatment A. I should have gone to a different hospital. I should have chosen "watchful waiting"
CancerLand Bookshelf: In the Body of the World Author: Eve Ensler Publisher: Metropolitan Books, 2013 \| $25.00 US Information: ISBN: 9780805095180 OncoLink Rating: At the very mention of her name - Eve Ensler –I'm transported back in time. Suddenly it's the year 2001 and I'm sitting in a darkened Philadelphia theater along with ten other women from my breast cancer support group. We are
CancerLand Bookshelf: The Cancer Poetry Project 2 Author: Karin B. Miller, editor ISBN#: 9781934690659 Information: Tasora Books, 2013 \| $19.95 US OncoLink Rating: Let me share my bias right up front: I'm a Cancer Poetry Project cheerleader from way back when. Going all the way back, in fact, to when the first Cancer Poetry Project book was published (Fairview Press, 2001). And as a major
In the Name of Pinkness I’m at the neighborhood Acme, standing in the produce aisle, reaching for some shiny red MacIntosh apples, when I hear a female voice behind me: Remind all the women in your life to get a mammogram... Startled, I drop the fruit into my shopping cart, look around the store, and try to figure out where the voice is coming from. Suddenly I
Physical Activity & Lymphedema (PAL) Trial Results with Dr. Kathryn Schmitz,PhD, MPH – Brown Bag Chat Date: Thursday December 9th, 2010 Time: 3:30-4:30 PM ET Dr. Schmitz hosted a live web chat for patients, fitness trainers and clinicians on www.oncolink.org at 3:30 ET on Thursday, Dec. 9. (See below for the latest results from the PAL trial). A transcript is available now in case you miss it. Physical Activity & Lymphedema (PAL) Weightlifting
I wish u knew... about breast cancer screening Tim Hampshire Welcome to the first in a series of interviews where oncology professionals talk about what they wish their patients and the public knew. These interviews were conducted by Tim, a third-year student at NYU. His interest in oncology comes from his family, which includes two cancer nurses, a radiation oncologist, and multiple relatives
Why I Chose Breast Oncology Carla Fisher, MD Like many others, my path into the field of oncology was not a direct one. After making the decision to enter medical school, I chose to pursue a career in surgery followed by a specialization in breast oncology. As I look back, each choice was made for different reasons at different times and ultimately I am so happy with the
Understanding Breast Cancer Supportive Care Issues - Brown Bag Chat Join us for a lunch time LIVE Web Chat with OncoLink's Breast Cancer Supportive Care Experts on October 22, 2009 at 12:30-1:30pm EST. You can submit questions during the chat or ahead of time. A transcript of the chat will be available after the event. Submit a Question Now! Understanding Breast Cancer Supportive Care Issues Have questions
The CancerLand Bookshelf: What Will I Look Like? What will I look like? The first time I ask the question, it's one week before my scheduled lumpectomy. What will I look like? I ask the nurse in the breast surgeon's office. Can you please tell me? You know, after... and my voice trails off because it's so hard to say the words, after he cuts the tumor out of my right breast. But I am asking