The Breast Cancer Ribbon - A Worthy Cause

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These days almost every worthy cause finds itself a proper ribbon, without getting into the debate about the use of ribbons and how people use them, there are not many ribbons that I know of that are more important than the breast cancer ribbon.

Breast cancer is a dangerous enemy, while it is true that the awareness to its risks and the understanding of the prevention measures that need to be taken on a regular basis has increased over the years and had probably saved many lives, some people are still not aware of breast cancer and others prefer to live in some sort of denial.

So why is it important to use the pink ribbon and join the fight against breast cancer? First of all it shows the most important thing a person can show, it shows that you care, its shows that you are willing to give a little of your time or energy to try and educate more people, to warn some others and to maybe, just by doing this very small action contribute to saving a life. This is not a joke, sometimes awareness is all that separates the ill from the healthy and the dead from the living, we are at an age where people are learning of new dangers every day, and with all these upcoming potential dangers of terrorism and natural disasters breast cancer has been here long enough and has cause so much pain and suffering that it certainly deserves to be treated as something we should all remember, even on a daily basis.

Every October is the international breast cancer awareness month, this is the time to try and do the most to increase the public awareness of this disease, and educate woman about the ways they can fight breast cancer, this month is also dedicated to raising money for the many different organizations and foundations that are working all year round on helping victims of breast cancer, some of these patients have no money and no funds they can use to try and treat the cancer, and these organizations help them get the support that they need.

So all you got to do is just place one of these pink ribbons on your shirt of jacket, and show the solidarity you have with the breast cancer patients, the victims and the family and friends of those who have been effected by this terrible disease. Remember that you do not have to limit yourself only to the month of October, and that it is enough for only one person to ask you about this ribbon – once a year to make a huge difference, think about hundreds, if not thousands of people like you doing the same thing every day, and each one of these people is approached by an uneducated person, how many lives can be speared.

Lets hope that in the future the fight against breast cancer, as the fight against all kinds of cancer, will achieve its goals and that this disease will claim less victims, that modern medicine and science will find cures and that more and more people around the world will live healthier and happier lives.

Visit http://breastcancer.healthandcosmetics.com/ for more Breast Cancer information.

Why Am I Keeping this Wig After I Survived Cancer?

Like a lot of women I know I have fat pants in my closet. You know, the ones you kept from when you were at your heaviest so you can remind yourself how much weight you lost. They are usually one or two sizes bigger than you are now. Only some of us keep them because every now and then our weight creeps back up and we actually need a pair of bigger pants. We refuse to pay for fat clothes because we are convinced the weight will come off again. Some of us never even tell anyone but sisters and close girlfriends about our fat pants. Certainly my husband doesn’t know. When he comes with me to doctor’s offices I don’t even let my husband see the nurse weigh me or check my height; I don’t want to ruin his image of me as tall and thin, which isn’t easy to accomplish at my actual height and weight.

Well, like the fat pants, I have a wig stashed at the back of my closet. It’s my
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Breast Cancer and the Power of Napping

There is new information out of the University of California at Berkley that indicates that napping during the day boosts cognitive power. I like this! I am a napper. I don’t always get the opportunity for a short afternoon nap, but when I need it I take it. It might just be a few minutes before dinner or an evening class but it helps. When we go through chemotherapy or radiation one of the most distressing side effects is fatigue. Usually I worked in the morning and then went to Chemotherapy in the afternoon, returning to work the next day. This resulted in only a half day off from work. After a couple of months I would take the day after chemo off as I began to feel the cumulative effects of months of treatment. That would give me the whole day to rest.

I then learned that if I could get a nap in during the day when I was working I could sail through the day much easier. Problem is, most people don’t get the opportunity or have a place where they can get a nap in. I had an office so I could put my head on my desk and close my eyes which resulted in a 15 minute nap. It really did help. On warm days, I was not above napping in my car during lunch hour. It’s still a good idea.

I no longer need naps to get through breast cancer, but I don’t rule them out during stressful times. I started out with breast cancer treatment thinking I was a superhuman but soon learned that I am only human. Naps are a good thing and now we have the science to back them up.

Kathy-Ellen

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Fight Breast Cancer with Pomegranates

I love a lot of different fruits. Oranges are my favorite, but I love strawberries and blueberries too, but pomegranates are a special treat. When I was a little girl, every now and then my mom would buy one, which was a big deal when you consider we were living in a little tiny mining town in northern Ontario at the time.  She gave my sister and me each half and sat us outside to pick through the juicy seeds.  I’m sure part of her plan was to keep us occupied for a very long time. Since then I lost my patience for that delightful fruit until this fall. I couldn’t get enough pomegranates, I ate pretty much one a week until early this year when they went out of season.

I also love pomegranate juice. I keep a little bottle in my fridge all year round. When I am out to dinner or a special place, because I don’t drink alcohol, I will order a glass of pomegranate juice on ice with a twist of lime; it makes me feel cosmopolitan. Now researchers at Ohio State University cite a chemical in pomegranates that may slow or prevent the growth of breast cancer tumors. Yahoo! I love news like this. They even suggest you just have to have one every now and then to reap the benefits. The chemical is called ellagic acid. But who cares what it’s called. Something that looks good, tastes good and is fun and it helps us fight breast cancer too. What’s not to love?

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Soy: Safe for Survivors?

Soy milk on cereal? Your call. Photo: TheBusyBrain, Flickr

Soy doesn’t concern me much. It’s just not something I’ve ever really wanted to consume. So when docs and nutritionists advised me against it due to my breast cancer status, it never took much effort to steer clear of the stuff. For those who have been holding back, however, research is starting to say it’s A-OK to savor the soy. And not only is it maybe not dangerous, it could actually be good for you.

Why the initial soy scare? Says one article: “The concern stems from substances in soy called isoflavones, which behave like weak estrogen in the body. Estrogen, a hormone that controls the menstrual cycle, has been shown to increase the risk of breast cancer in women.”

There’s more to the story than this, but I don’t want to get all scientific on you, so feel free to study up in your spare time. Just know this: Soy may be safe, but of course, you still should be cautious, because, well, you just never know — just look at chocolate!

Tags: chocolate, soy

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How Does Estrogen Feed Breast Cancer Tumors?

Researchers found that estrogen inhibits a protein called MLK3 that causes normal cell death. Blocking MLK3 leads to uncontrolled growth of cancer cells and resistance to chemotherapy.
Researchers from Loyola University Health System and three other centers reported the findings in the journal Cancer Research.
"This could give us a new angle to treating breast cancer," said senior author Ajay Rana, PhD, a professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.
About 60 percent of all breast cancers are estrogen-positive or progesterone-positive. This means the cancer cells have receptors for the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Consequently, the hormones fuel the tumor's growth.

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How Does Estrogen Feed Breast Cancer Tumors?

Breast Cancer | Pill for bones may reduce risks

Pills commonly used to treat brittle bones may reduce the risk of breast cancer by more than a third, it was claimed.
Women who took the drugs, known as bisphosphonates, for two years or more cut their cancer risk by almost 40%, scientists found.
Researchers in the United States compared almost 3,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer with a similar number who did not have the disease.
Both groups, whose ages ranged from 20 to 69, were asked whether they had taken bisphosphonates for the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis. The condition most often affects older women after the menopause as their oestrogen levels drop. A strong association was seen between bisphosphonate use and reduced risk of breast cancer.
The longer women took the drugs, the more they appeared to be protected.
Those who used the medication for the longest period - two years - were 40% less likely to develop breast cancer than untreated women, researchers found.
Study leader Dr Polly Newcomb, from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, Washington, said: "These medications inhibit the growth of many cell types, and this large study suggests that the development of breast tumours may also be affected."
Earlier studies had indicated a reduced level of breast cancer recurrence in women receiving bisphosphonates as part of their therapy.
However the degree to which the drugs might reduce breast cancer risk has been unclear.
The findings were reported in the British Journal of Cancer, published by Cancer Research UK.




The Press Association: Bone care pill may cut cancer risk