Filed under: Breast Cancer , Celebrity spokesperson Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon has been chosen as Avon's first-ever global ambassador. Serving as honorary chairman of the Avon Foundation , the 31-year-old will focus on issues of breast cancer, domestic violence, and emergency relief. "I'm very excited about working with the Avon Foundation, with many different aspects of it," Witherspoon says. "First and foremost, breast cancer research and awareness, programs that they're working on. Someone very close to me is a breast-cancer survivor. It's a cause that's very close to my heart."

Filed under: All Cancers , Diets , Books , Thought for the Day Spring is here. Time to clean the house. And time to give the 'ol body a once-over too. According to Chinese medicine, spring is the best time of the year to cleanse the body. So if you're feeling lethargic, sluggish, and just plain weighed down, consider these invigorating tips from Penelope Sach's book Detox: Regaining your health and vitality . Think about this:

• Cut back on white flour products, sweets, and alcohol.
• Drink one glass of water every hour to flush out excess sugar in your system.
• Up your intake of herbal teas.
• Add natural detoxifying agents to your diet, such as cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, fish, and eggs.

Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Skin Cancer , Research , Daily news The skin cancer we so desperately try to avoid may be caused, in part, by the very thing we use to prevent the disease -- sunscreen. Scientists at the University of California report in the journal Free Radical Biology & Medicine that some of the chemicals found in sunscreen products can become cancer-causing agents once they are absorbed into the skin. And perhaps this is why more and more people are developing skin cancer, despite the increasing use of sun lotions. "Sunscreens may be doing more harm than good," says lead researcher Dr. Kerry Hanson. May is the important word here. Sunscreens may contribute in some way to the incidence of skin cancer. But the jury is still out. And experts are not sure right now how significant this research will be in the long run. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Events , Fundraisers , Blogs , Products , Cancer Survivors Survivor Crop, hosted by Ever After Scrapbooks, is an annual 24 hour scrapbooking marathon to raise money for breast cancer. Now in its fifth year, participants come together to scrapbook, attend classes, play games, hold a raffle, enjoy catered breakfast and dinner, receive a Survivor T-shirt and scrapbooking freebies. Breast cancer survivors attending will be telling their stories and the organizers promise a few scrapbooking surprises during the event. In the last four years this event has raised over $116,000 dollars for the San Diego Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the National MS Foundation, and each year the event gets bigger. The first one was held in a tent in the parking lot of the Ever After Scrapbooks store. This year's event will be held indoors in a much larger area on October 21st and 22nd. Each year, an Ultimate Survivor is chosen. For more information, visit the Ever After Scrapbooks website and the Survivor Crop blog . Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Blogs , Survivor Spotlight Independent thinker. Intelligent. Academic and street smart. Investigative by nature. Strong with compassionate realism. Journalist, teacher, mother and eight-year breast cancer survivor Jeanne Sather is a self-described outspoken advocate for the cancer patient's point of view. A vegetarian since the age of 16 and fairly active, she does not have any of the known risk factors for breast cancer. After an all-clear mammogram at the age of 40, she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 43. In an ironic twist of employment fate, the very job she was hired to do in chronicling her life online as a breast cancer patient, may have led to her firing because of the flexible work schedule breast cancer treatment required. With a sharp clarity and well-earned perspective, Sather is The Assertive Cancer Patient . To our good fortune here at The Cancer Blog, she has agreed to take part in our Survivor Spotlight series featuring interviews with breast cancer survivors. How did you find out you had breast cancer? Routine mammogram found DCIS, follow-up biopsies found a tumor. What types of breast cancer treatments were recommended? Mastectomy and chemotherapy. How did you research breast cancer and breast cancer treatments? When I was first diagnosed, I got a second opinion and then a third opinion. I chose the best doctors I could find, and then I relied on their advice. Of course, I took their suggestions and went away and researched them on the Web and by talking to other knowledgeable people -- but I am not one of those people who is always online looking for the latest, greatest miracle treatment. I trust my doctor to know what's new and what's effective and to give me some choices about my treatment. How did you manage through breast cancer treatment? Mostly, I am pretty positive, but I had one big crash and was hospitalized for depression. I get through it all with attitude, good friends, fun, exercise, great nurses and doctors, my therapist, and my writing about my life with cancer. That has been very good for me. I also cope by making sure my life is not all about cancer and not all about me. My kids, 22 and 16 now, are important, as is volunteering for causes I believe in that are not cancer-related. Homeless kids and homeless animals seem to be my thing. Of course, I am still in treatment. I've been in continuous treatment for the past five years, plus two series of treatments before that, when I was first diagnosed and when I had my first, local recurrence. I get treatment every three weeks with Herceptin and Avastin, which are targeted therapies, plus Zometa to keep my bones strong every six weeks. I also take an oral chemo drug, Cytoxan, daily, plus a bunch of meds to manage the side effects of treatment. What has been your worst breast cancer moment? There have been three -- the initial diagnosis; when I found out that my cancer had metastasized to my bones on New Year's Eve 2001; and very recently when my long-time medical oncologist left Seattle to take a position in Tucson at the cancer center there. I'm still working on finding a new doctor in Seattle and I will fly to Tucson to see my old doctor occasionally. What has been your best breast cancer moment? I'm not sure that there was one moment, but it was the realization that I could cope with this. The name of your blog is The Assertive Cancer Patient. What is your definition of an assertive patient and why is it important to be an assertive patient? There are at least three good reasons to be an assertive cancer patient -- you will get better care; you will probably live longer; and you will feel better about yourself and your illness. It is not my intention to encourage an adversarial relationship between cancer patients and their doctors or health-care teams. My goal is exactly the opposite. Cancer patients should feel that their doctors and other medical professionals are listening to them and are on their side. Given the fact that you are an outspoken critic of pink marketing, what do you see as an alternative solution to raising funds for breast cancer research? First, it's important to realize that most of these pink marketing efforts raise very small amounts of money compared to what cancer research and even cancer treatment cost. Where pink marketing really runs wild is in the for-profit sector. Retailers offer pink-themed merchandise, then donate only a tiny share of the profits to cancer research. I'm tripping over these products everywhere I go this month. At the pet store, a pink dog collar printed with pink ribbons sells for $9.99; the tag says 30 cents (30 cents!) from the sale of this product will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the 800-pound gorilla of cause marketing. But wait, there's more! At the tea shop, a pink tin of candy. At the supermarket, pink M&Ms-buy the M&Ms for $2.99, and Komen gets 50 cents. (Three dollars for an 8-ounce package amounts to four times the usual price, based on volume.) Other recent pink products: scarves, clothing, and nail polish. Nail polish? All of this just encourages us to indulge in retail therapy while trivializing a very serious disease. This is not about raising money for cancer research; this is about companies selling you stuff you don't need, just to make a profit. Don't fall for it. If people want to support cancer research, they should give money directly to organizations that do cancer research, not buy a bag of pink M&Ms for $5.48 and have 50 cents go to Komen, which then passes it on minus overhead. Give the whole $5.48! If they want to support people with cancer, give money directly to CancerLifeline in Seattle or to Gilda's Club, which has lots of programs for people with cancer. Or just write a check and give it to a friend or neighbor who is living with cancer. Believe me, they can use it. I've had friends give me money, and even total strangers who have read my cancer writing have sent me checks. That is totally humbling. But people seem to think that giving money to someone with cancer is crass. They might spend $50 or $100 on flowers, but maybe the person with cancer would rather have the money for groceries. Are you involved in any breast cancer support groups, fundraisers or breast cancer organizations? I have been. I've gone to support groups in the past, but I am not a huge fan of support groups. I've run the race for the cure, two or three times, much earlier in my life with cancer. At the time, it was good for me, but I wouldn't run it now. I've gone to Gilda's Club here in Seattle for events and meetings, and I used to go to CancerLifeline for yoga. I probably will go back when the weather gets colder and I don't want to exercise outside so much. What advice would you give to someone newly diagnosed with breast cancer? I don't believe in telling other people what to do. When someone who is newly diagnosed calls me, I listen more than talk and only answer the questions they ask. Having said that, I would probably try to introduce a couple of topics -- one being the value of getting a second opinion, and the other would be some suggestions (either to the person with cancer or to friends and family) on how to help. What advice would you give the family members and friends of someone diagnosed with breast cancer? It's not your disease. You don't get to make the decisions. If you disagree with the decisions the person with cancer makes, you only get to say that ONCE, and only if you are asked for your opinion. After that, shut up. It's not your disease. Focus on supporting the person who has cancer in ways that will be helpful to them. Get the support you need somewhere else, not from the sick person. As a breast cancer survivor, what thoughts do you have on surviving breast cancer and being a breast cancer survivor? Well, I'm a survivor, in the sense that I've lived eight years with this disease, but then again, I'm not. My cancer will never be cured, and I will be in cancer treatment for the rest of my life. So I am in a special category. I consider myself to be living with cancer. It's very tough. It's hard to feel safe. Every new pain has to be checked out. It could be a sign of disease progression or it could be a broken bone. I've had broken bones twice without realizing it. My quality of life has been good during most of this time, and that is a surprise and a blessing. Despite knowing that my cancer will never be cured, I enjoy my life. I love my children, my friends, my animals (a whole other topic -- the importance of animals to people who are living with serious, chronic illnesses), my garden, my new car -- a red, 1964 Corvair convertible -- and my work as a writer and teacher. Name three breast cancer books you would recommend: Mine, but I don't have a publisher yet. I hope it will be out by next year. Susan Love's book is the bible. I also like Breast Fitness, which makes a compelling case for exercise to help prevent breast cancer and also prevent recurrences. Being overweight greatly increases your chances of both. Name other breast cancer related resources, internet or offline, that you would recommend? I use the Web a lot, but that's because I write about cancer so much. The Web can be tricky. There are some good sources, some sources that provide good information but are almost impossible for the layperson to understand, and then some sources that are total garbage. How do you distinguish among them? It's not always easy. Having said that, most people go to the Web first when they are newly-diagnosed with cancer, we know that, so people need to be careful consumers of information. Again, not always easy when you are reeling from the bad news of a cancer diagnosis. It does get easier. I was not as savvy or as assertive when I was first diagnosed as I am now, but being a journalist certainly helped me get there. A blog like mine does not pretend to offer medical information. I offer support, and strategies to help people get what they need when they have cancer. It is so important to be assertive, and it is also important to know that you CAN be assertive and your doctor won't hate you or not take good care of you or any of those fears that we have about speaking up. In addition to maintaining The Assertive Cancer Patient blog, what other work are you doing? I teach nonfiction writing at the University of Washington Extension. I'm writing a screenplay -- The Best Summer of My Life -- a chick flick about a red Corvair, women friends, life, and cancer and also a book -- The Assertive Cancer Patient -- on the same topics covered in the blog. I teach Japanese as a volunteer at a school for homeless kids called First Place and care for homeless kittens as a volunteer with a feral cat rescue called Animal Talk. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Prevention , All Cancers , Environment , Diets , Stress Reduction , Exercise , Cancer prevention foods , Daily news

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Pink products , Opinion , Products Am I required to like pink? Although I am a breast cancer survivor, working at a cancer-related blog that will admittedly feature a whole lot of pink this month, personally I am not fond of the color pink. Much to the chagrin of family and friends, I am fond of black and white -- and of course the classic color of denim. It suits my personality. I began wearing black when my children were toddlers. Toddlers tend to hang on at knee and thigh level and toddlers are known for a tactile kinesthetic state of being that makes hands sticky with such things as peanut butter and jelly or finger paint. Black is very forgiving a color in that way. It's practical in sorting piles of clothing on laundry day. Black makes deciding what to wear in the morning a no-brainer. Function became my personal fashion as I stayed with black, and as trends come and go, some years I am in and some years I am out. I am drawn to, and will support, companies that operate from a social responsibility of giving back to the community. However, I take a rather jaded view of the true intention of some companies bandwagon approach to the pink breast cancer awareness theme. Advertising Age has an interesting article titled Breast Cancer Awareness Strategy Doubles Sales of Campbell's Soup that highlights the company's projected profits by introducing the classic red and white can of condensed tomato and chicken noodle soup in a pink ribbon version. In a normal month, Campbell's sells the Kroger chain of grocery stores 3.5 million cans of these two soups. With the pink ribbon cans, the company has sold 7 million cans to the grocery chain and has been given special placement displays outside the soup aisle at Kroger. Campbell's spokesman John Faulkner is quoted as saying, "We certainly think there is the possibility of greater sales since our typical soup consumers are women and breast cancer is a cause they're concerned about." Campbell's will donate 3.5 cents for every pink can of soup it sells, or $250,000 dollars to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. How much is 7 million cans of soup times 50 cents a can anyway? I am merely using Campbell's soup as an example of the mind-dizzying number of companies who have gone pink in October. I like Campbell's soup, it reminds me of childhood and simpler times. I will continue to feature companies promoting pink products this month. Part of the sales goes to breast cancer organizations. But I am more impressed with some than others. Before you purchase a product that is promoting itself pink as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, ask how much of the purchase price is going directly to breast cancer charity. When we get to a time when companies who promote a breast cancer awareness pink product donate ALL the profits from that product to breast cancer research and a cure, I will go pink. Ms. Black-and-White will buy pink, wear pink and own pink. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Opinion , Cancer Survivors I just read a breast cancer survivor's commentary about the color pink -- about how she hates pink, is sick of seeing pink, is tired of companies capitalizing on the breast cancer color in order to sell products. She calls the color wimpy and too feminine -- and while she accepts that she may just be grumpy about this topic, she is not too happy that pink is the color that symbolizes a serious disease. She would have preferred red or purple, colors that signify strength and power. But pink is what we've got -- and I happen to be okay with it. I'm okay with pink because I like the color. I'm okay with it because it's recognizable -- and there can't be too many people out there who don't know that pink and breast cancer go hand in hand. To me, the color itself raises awareness. If I buy a pink vacuum cleaner and am reminded of the words breast and cancer each time I suck up dirt from my carpet, then I'm in the loop -- even if minimally. And if it prompts me to check my own breasts or schedule a screening appointment, then I benefit. I'm not sure a green vacuum cleaner would have the same effect. And when I wear my new Key to the Cure t-shirt -- with a pink ribbon gracing the front -- and someone inquires about the shirt, I will have an opportunity to spread some words about breast cancer. Pink doesn't have to be wimpy. It can be powerful. There are surely companies out there taking advantage of the color pink because it sells. But if sales truly benefit breast cancer research, then it's a win-win situation in my opinion. I am happy that $31 of my $35 t-shirt goes directly to breast cancer initiatives. Sure, the shirt was a bit expensive. But so is breast cancer -- and I have the bills to prove it -- so if simply buying a pink ribbon t-shirt allows me to walk around as a billboard and allows breast cancer research some more momentum, then I am game. I will wear my new shirt when I run in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K event in two weeks. And I will wear a bright pink ribbon in my hair. And I may even wear pink shorts. Because I think pink is empowering. And I'm happy it's everywhere -- because it illustrates that breast cancer is everywhere. And that is not okay. Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Pink products , Cancer events , Blogs , Services As women facing the challenges of a breast cancer diagnosis and the triumphs of living beyond breast cancer, we share our stories and ourselves in the hope that it will help other women facing the same challenges in the fight to survive breast cancer and the special issues of breast cancer survivorship. Beginning today, and lasting through October, AOL People Connection's Think Pink! will be featuring breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship resources within a dynamic interactive online community for women to learn about breast cancer, share their breast cancer story and make connections with other breast cancer survivors. When you visit Think Pink! you will discover a blog featuring personal stories of breast cancer survivors told in their own words; a gallery of inspirational photos submitted by women going through breast cancer treatment and women who are living beyond breast cancer; articles and educational information about breast cancer; special profiles of breast cancer survivors; shop for a cause pink products; how to join a letter writing campaign to increase federal funding for breast cancer research and enhance the involvement and influence of trained breast cancer consumer advocates in all aspects of breast cancer policy and research; sign up for a breast check monthly reminder; learn about ongoing breast cancer events; and more. While there, you are invited to share your story , submit a photo, start your own blog or create an AIM page. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Pink products , Young Adult Cancers These days more and more pink products show up on the market. At the website called think before you pink you can find an array of items, some listed here, that are being sold in 2006. You can find out where your donations are going. The website also gives tips on asking questions before purchasing pink merchandise you might think is going toward breast cancer organizations. Some companies might want to cash in on breast cancer awareness month and can fool customers into thinking the money is going for a good cause. Here are some products and the donations that are being made to breast cancer organizations.