August
to Decembe 2009
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812181429.htm
Lifting
Weights Reduces Lymphedema Symptoms Following Breast Cancer Surgery, Research
Shows
ScienceDaily (Aug. 17, 2009) — Breast cancer survivors who lift
weights are less likely than their non-
weightlifting peers to experience
worsening symptoms of lymphedema, the arm- and hand-swelling condition
that
plagues many women following surgery for their disease, according to new
University of Pennsylvania
School of Medicine research published in the
August 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The
findings challenge the advice commonly given to lymphedema sufferers, who may
worry that weight
training or even carrying children or bags of groceries
will exacerbate their symptoms.
"Our study challenges the historical
medical recommendations for women who get lymphedema after breast
cancer,
and is another example of well-meaning medical advice turning out to be
misguided," says lead
author Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, an associate
professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and a
member of Penn's Abramson
Cancer Center. "For instance, we used to tell those who had back pain to
rest, but we know now that in many cases, inactivity can actually make a
bad back worse. Too many
women have missed out on the health and fitness
benefits that weight lifting provides, including building bone
density. Our
study shows that breast cancer survivors can safely participate in slowly
progressive weight
lifting and gain those benefits without any increase in
their lymphedema symptoms. In fact, this type of
exercise may actually help
them feel better."
In the largest study to date to examine the impact of weight training on this sometimes debilitating, incurable
condition,
Schmitz's team enrolled 141 breast cancer survivors with a current diagnosis of
lymphedema. Half
were assigned to a weight-lifting group that participated
in small- group, twice-weekly, 90-minute exercise
classes for 13 weeks.
During that time, with guidance from trained fitness instructors in community
fitness
centers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, the women worked
up to greater resistance and more
sets of weightlifting exercise. For the
next 39 weeks, the women continued twice-weekly unsupervised
exercise, with
trainers calling to check in on women who missed more than one session per
week. The
women wore a custom-fitted compression garment on their affected
arm during their workouts, and each
week were asked about changes in
symptoms. Their arms were measured monthly to ensure any changes
were noted
as soon as they occurred. The 70 control group participants, meanwhile, were
asked not to
change their exercise level during study
participation.
During the course of the study, women in the
weightlifting group experienced fewer exacerbations of their
condition, and
a reduction in symptoms compared to the women who did not lift weights. There
were 19
women in the control group who experienced lymphedema exacerbations
that required treatment from a
physical therapist, compared to 9 in the
treatment group. The proportion of women who experienced an
increase of five percent or more in their limb swelling was similar in both groups -- 11 percent of the weight-
lifting group and 12 percent in the control group.
The researchers theorize that a controlled weightlifting
program may have
protective benefits, by boosting strength in affected limbs enough to ward off
injuries
from everyday activities that can aggravate lymphedema
symptoms.
"Our study shows that participating in a safe, structured
weight-lifting routine can help women with
lymphedema take control of their
symptoms and reap the many rewards that resistance training has on their
overall health as they begin life as a cancer survivor," Schmitz says. "We
did the intervention in community
fitness centers deliberately, in the hope
that positive results seen in our study would continue to be available
to
breast cancer survivors long beyond the end of the research study."
It
is recommended that women start with a slowly progressive program, supervised
by a certified fitness
professional, in order to learn how to do these
types of exercises properly. Women with lymphedema
should also wear a
well-fitting compression garment during all exercise sessions. The new research
was
conducted in partnership with YMCAs in Philadelphia, Montgomery and
Delaware Counties in Pennsylvania
and in Burlington County in New Jersey,
as well as Sisters-In-Shape Fitness in Philadelphia. Staff at the
Edison-Metuchen YMCA in New Jersey have also been trained to deliver this
intervention.
The research was supported by grants from the National
Cancer Institute and the National Center for
Research
Resources.
----------------------------------
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810122141.htm
Discovery
Brings Hope To Treatment Of Lymphatic Diseases
ScienceDaily (Aug. 14, 2009)
— Researchers in the laboratory of Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati at the University
of Kentucky have discovered the first naturally occurring molecule that
selectively blocks lymphatic vessel
growth. In an article in the Aug. 9,
2009 online edition of Nature Medicine, they report the identification of a
new molecule known as soluble VEGFR-2 that blocks lymphangiogenesis – the
growth of lymphatics – but
not blood vessel growth.
The twin
circulatory systems of mammals - blood and lymphatic - are intricately
intertwined, both
anatomically and functionally. Until now it has been
difficult to selectively target one without affecting the
other. The
lymphatic vessel network is essential for transporting fluids, molecules, and
immune cells. It is
crucial for wound healing and immune defense.
Disturbances in the lymphatics are involved in diseases as
varied as
lymphedema, transplant rejection, and tumor metastasis, which collectively
affect hundreds of
millions of people worldwide.
This article, whose
lead author is Dr. Romulo Albuquerque, currently a medical student in the UK
College of
Medicine, showed that soluble VEGFR-2 specifically blocks
lymphatic vessel growth both during
development and following injury by
blocking VEGF-C, a powerful lymphatic growth factor. It also reports
that
loss of soluble VEGFR-2 during development led to the spontaneous invasion of
lymphatic vessels, but
not blood vessels, into the cornea, solving the
long-standing mystery of why the cornea is normally devoid of
lymphatics.
Soluble VEGFR-2 was also required for normal development of lymphatics in the
skin.
Importantly, administration of soluble VEGFR-2 to mice following
corneal transplantation nearly eliminated
graft rejection. This finding
might also be applicable in kidney transplant rejection because it is known
that
lymphatic vessels are the culprit in the rejection of that organ as well. In addition, it challenges the prevailing
dogma that abnormal blood
vessels are responsible for transplant rejection.
The Ambati group also
studied a childhood tumor known as lymphangioma, which is estimated to affect 1
in
50 babies and for which there is no satisfactory medical treatment.
Administration of soluble VEGFR-2
blocked the growth of lymphangioma cells
isolated from children with this tumor. Because this molecule
spares blood
vessels, it might offer a safer and more targeted treatment for this pediatric
tumor. The
potential benefit of modulating soluble VEGFR-2 in other
diseases such lymphedema due to filariasis and or
following surgery for
breast cancer, as well as in tumor metastasis, are also under
study.
“This paper by Dr. Ambati and his coworkers represents another in
a line of highly novel and important
findings from their laboratory," said
Patricia A. D’Amore, Professor of Ophthalmology and Pathology,
Harvard
Medical School and Senior Scientist at the Schepens Eye Research
Institute.
"The report of the first endogenous inhibitor of
lymphangiogenesis is an exciting development and holds great
therapeutic
promise for a number of pathologies in which lymphatic growth is a serious
complication.”
This work was supported by research grants from the
National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of
Health and an
unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness. Ambati is also supported
by a Doris
Duke Distinguished Clinical Scientist Award and the Burroughs
Wellcome Translational Research Clinical
Scientist
Award.
Researchers in the Ambati lab are recognized leaders in the fight
to find a cure for blindness due to age-
related macular degeneration and
corneal neovascularization. Their previous studies have been published in
premier journals such as Nature, Nature Medicine and Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences.
Journal
reference:
1.Albuquerque et al. Alternatively spliced vascular
endothelial growth factor receptor-2 is an essential
endogenous inhibitor
of lymphatic vessel growth. Nature Medicine, 2009; DOI:
10.1038/nm.2018
Adapted from materials provided by University of
Kentucky.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.gcnews.com/news/2009/0814/Community/048.html
Lymphatic
Research Foundation Hosts 2009 Awards Gala
Garden City resident,
Jacqueline Reinhard, Executive Director of the Lymphatic Research Foundation,
announced today that the organization's premier 2009 fundraising event held
May 28th at Oheka Castle,
was a noteworthy financial success. "Considering
the uncertain economic climate, it is truly gratifying that
LRF friends and
supporters rallied on our behalf with generous contributions and enthusiastic
participation,"
said Reinhard in a recent interview. "The Gala not only
gave us a great opportunity to honor some of LRF's
most outstandingly
generous friends, it also provided needed financial support to bolster the
Foundation's
important programs."
One of the many highlights of the
evening was a reprise of LRF's Call to Action video followed by
fourteen-
year-old McKenna Johnson of Tennessee who spoke movingly of her
experience managing the effects of
extensive primary systemic lymphatic
disease. McKenna told the audience about extensive therapies and
medications that make it impossible for her to join her teenaged friends
for many activities. She thanked the
audience for supporting 'people like
me' who have lymphatic diseases:
LRF Board Chair, Philip Braginsky,
and Gala emcee, NY Islanders/Hockey Hall-of-Famer, Mike Bossy,
enjoy video
introductions of Gala honorees.
"My disease is very rare, but hundreds
of thousands of people - millions of people - suffer with many
different
forms of lymphatic disease . . . and there is very little out there for us. The
treatments are still the
same - wrapping legs or arms with bandages and
wearing special garments to keep from swelling. LRF's
work brings hope to
millions of families like mine. It creates exciting new research programs for
the scientists
who are working to find new treatments. I know that some day
they will find a cure; and I believe that LRF's
work is what will be behind
that discovery."
Gala Honorees included Mel Dubin, Chair and founder of
Slant/Fin Corporation whose corporate
headquarters in East Hills and Glen
Cove have generously hosted LRF's administrative offices for the past
four
years, saving the organization hundreds of thousands of dollars in operating
expenses; Allan and Tina
Neill of Alabama whose philanthropic leadership
established the first-ever endowed academic professorship
in Lymphatic
Research and Medicine; and Roy Reichbach, Corporate Counsel for the New York
Islanders
and General Counsel and a Director of JumpTV, Inc., a leading
internet protocol television company, who
has generously supported LRF's
work.
Gala Honorees welcomed to Oheka Castle's magnificent Library
for a pre-Gala reception right to left):
Maurice Segall of Pro Bono
Partnership; Mel Dubin, Slant/Fin Corporation; Tina and Allan Neill;
Jacqueline
Reinhard, LRF Executive Director; Roy Reichbach, New York
Islanders; Wendy Chaite, LRF Founder,
Dr. Stanley R. Rockson, Chair of
LRF's Scientific/Medical Advisory Board.
In addition, Stanley G.
Rockson, M.D., Allan and Tina Neill Professor of Lymphatic Research and
Medicine and Chief of Consultative Cardiology, Falk Cardiovascular Research
Center, Stanford University
School of Medicine, received LRF's first
"Pioneer Award" for outstanding leadership in the field of lymphatic
research and his years of service as Chair of LRF's Scientific/Medical
Advisory Board and as Editor-in-
Chief of Lymphatic Research and Biology,
LRF's official peer-reviewed journal.
LRF founder, Wendy Chaite, and
executive director, Jacqueline Reinhard, present award to Gala honoree,
Mel
Dubin, Chairman and Founder of Slant/Fin Corporation of East Hills, NY
New York Islander Hockey Hall-of-Famer, Mike Bossy, added celebrity
sparkle as the evening's emcee;
and Chris Robbins of Robbins-Wolfe
Eventeurs brought generosity-inspiring excitement to the live
auction.
The Lymphatic Research Foundation (LRF) is a not-for-profit
patient advocacy organization whose primary
mission is to advance
scientific research of the lymphatic system and to find improved treatments and
cures
for the broad spectrum of lymphatic diseases. Established in 1998 by
Roslyn resident Wendy Chaite, Esq.,
after her daughter was born with
lymphatic disorders, LRF has become a leader in patient advocacy and the
primary force behind advancements in lymphatic science worldwide. The
Foundation's efforts have been
transformative in elevating
scientific/medical research of the lymphatic system to what is now considered a
critical new field of cutting-edge investigatory research.
LRF's
advocacy programs have been effective in gaining Congressional and National
Institutes of Health
(NIH) support for lymphatic research at NIH and major
academic research centers, elevating lymphatic
diseases from relative
obscurity to a position on par with other national health priorities. The
organization's
two-year competitive Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Grants
Program enables promising young research
scientists to pursue cutting-edge
research in lymphatics with the premier scientists in the field. Among the
Foundation's other accomplishments is the conceptualizing and funding of
the first-ever endowed academic
Professorship in Lymphatic Research and
Medicine (Stanford University Medical School, 2008). LRF's
current
initiatives include the establishment of a National Lymphatic Disease Patient
Registry and Tissue
Bank and a national/international lymphatic disease
community-building and outreach initiative.
Lymphatic diseases and
disorders are estimated to affect millions of people - and possibly hundreds
of
millions - worldwide. While some lymphatic diseases are congenital,
others represent the aftermath of injury
or illness, such as insect-borne
illnesses or treatment for cancer. Most lymphatic disorders result in
lymphedema, a chronic condition that is estimated to affect at least 10
million people in the United States,
where various cancer treatments
represent the leading cause of secondary lymphedemas. Because the
lymphatic
system impacts nearly every organ of the human body, lymphatic dysfunction is
also implicated in
chronic infection, inflammation, trauma, arthritis,
autoimmune disorders, underlying vascular disease, and
obesity. Inherited
diseases of the lymphatic system are less common, but are often
life-threatening or life-
limiting. Scientific and medical advances in
lymphatic investigations are likely to contribute to advancing
medical
research in the related areas of cancer, inflammation, skin and joint disease,
metabolic disease,
obesity, autoimmune disease, and organ
transplantation-related illness.
To learn more about the Lymphatic
Research Foundation and its work, please visit www.lymphaticresearch.
org or
contact their Glen Cove, NY office at 516/625-9675. Copies of the LRF video,
"Call to Action" are
available upon
request.
---------------------------------------------
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/health/news-article.aspx?storyid=143253&provider=rss
Breast
Cancer Survivor Needs Simple Help: a Mattress
Jeannie Blaylock Taren Reed
Created: 8/12/2009 11:37:07 AM Updated: 8/12/2009 6:59:27 PM
Print
ArticleEmail ArticleLargerSmaller
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- It's been a rough
time lately for Nina. She lost her job and had a double
mastectomy. The
good thing is she did Buddy Check 12 and called our Mammogram
Hotline.
It's terrific she got a mammogram for free. She couldn't afford
to pay for one.
Turns out her cancer was deep inside her breast,
according to radiologist Dr. Barbara Sharp at Baptist. That
means she
couldn't have felt it with her fingers yet in a self exam.
Nina caught
her cancer in Stage 1, an early stage. That's a lifesaver.
It's
wonderful to Nina's daughter, a local high school student pursuing a nursing
career. Nina herself has
been going to Concorde Career Institute and is
almost finished with her studies to be a medical clerk or
receptionist.
Mom and daughter are very close. But now Nina could
use a hero. She needs a new mattress for her king-
sized bed.
She's
recovering from her double mastectomy and she's also developed lymphedema,
severe swelling in the
limbs. It's a chronic condition which happens to
some women who've had breast cancer surgery.
On top of that, she is in
continual pain from lower back problems.
So sleeping at night on her
old, saggy mattress has become almost impossible. Nina says she's tried to flip
the mattress numerous times, but that hasn't helped.
She's tried to
sleep sideways, across the bed, but that didn't help either.
So can you
be a hero to Nina?
CLICK HERE to BE A HERO. Put your name and email
there and indicate you have a king-sized mattress
to donate to
Nina.
A non-profit agency can pick up the mattress and deliver it to
Nina.
Also, if you can't afford a mammogram just call our Mammogram
Hotline at 1-877-9-MY-MAMO. A real
person will take your call.
And
don't forget Buddy Check 12 Day! Remind your buddy to get her mammogram if it's
time (once a
year) and do her self exam.
If you want a free Buddy
Check 12 kit just call Baptist at
902-202-CARE.
------------------------------------
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090811/New-molecule-blocks-lymphangiogenesis.aspx
New
molecule blocks lymphangiogenesis
11. August 2009
01:05
Researchers in the laboratory of Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati at the
University of Kentucky have discovered the
first naturally occurring
molecule that selectively blocks lymphatic vessel growth. In an article in the
Aug. 9,
2009 online edition of Nature Medicine, they report the
identification of a new molecule known as soluble
VEGFR-2 that blocks
lymphangiogenesis - the growth of lymphatics - but not blood vessel
growth.
The twin circulatory systems of mammals - blood and lymphatic - are
intricately intertwined, both
anatomically and functionally. Until now it
has been difficult to selectively target one without affecting the
other.
The lymphatic vessel network is essential for transporting fluids, molecules,
and immune cells. It is
crucial for wound healing and immune defense.
Disturbances in the lymphatics are involved in diseases as
varied as
lymphedema, transplant rejection, and tumor metastasis, which collectively
affect hundreds of
millions of people worldwide.
This article, whose
lead author is Dr. Romulo Albuquerque, currently a medical student in the UK
College of
Medicine, showed that soluble VEGFR-2 specifically blocks
lymphatic vessel growth both during
development and following injury by
blocking VEGF-C, a powerful lymphatic growth factor. It also reports
that
loss of soluble VEGFR-2 during development led to the spontaneous invasion of
lymphatic vessels, but
not blood vessels, into the cornea, solving the
long-standing mystery of why the cornea is normally devoid of
lymphatics.
Soluble VEGFR-2 was also required for normal development of lymphatics in the
skin.
Importantly, administration of soluble VEGFR-2 to mice following
corneal transplantation nearly eliminated
graft rejection. This finding
might also be applicable in kidney transplant rejection because it is known
that
lymphatic vessels are the culprit in the rejection of that organ as
well. In addition, it challenges the prevailing
dogma that abnormal blood
vessels are responsible for transplant rejection.
The Ambati group also
studied a childhood tumor known as lymphangioma, which is estimated to affect 1
in
50 babies and for which there is no satisfactory medical treatment.
Administration of soluble VEGFR-2
blocked the growth of lymphangioma cells
isolated from children with this tumor. Because this molecule
spares blood
vessels, it might offer a safer and more targeted treatment for this pediatric
tumor. The
potential benefit of modulating soluble VEGFR-2 in other
diseases such lymphedema due to filariasis and or
following surgery for
breast cancer, as well as in tumor metastasis, are also under
study.
"This paper by Dr. Ambati and his coworkers represents another in
a line of highly novel and important
findings from their laboratory," said
Patricia A. D'Amore, Professor of Ophthalmology and Pathology,
Harvard
Medical School and Senior Scientist at the Schepens Eye Research
Institute.
"The report of the first endogenous inhibitor of
lymphangiogenesis is an exciting development and holds great
therapeutic
promise for a number of pathologies in which lymphatic growth is a serious
complication."
http://www.uky.edu
---------------------------
http://www.thewesterlysun.com/articles/2009/08/09//news/local/doc4a76da5ecb521670949843.txt
The
art of healing runs in the family
Email this story | Print this story
By GLORIA RUSSELL / Sun Staff Writer
Barbara Petrie
helps people get back on track as they recover from a debilitating injury or
illness. Daniel
Hyland/SunPhotos
WESTERLY — You may
never have occasion to meet Barbara Petrie. But if you do, you’ll never forget
her, because she’s one of that vast army of healers who help people get
back on track as they recover from
a debilitating injury or
illness.
Employed by The Westerly Hospital Physical Therapy and
Rehabilitation Services, Petrie says she works
with a “great group of
people” — colleagues who are performing a rewarding service. “It’s very
satisfying
being able to help people even if it’s in some small
way.”
Upon reflection, she said, “I especially enjoy working with
[patient’s] hands and educating people about the
complexity of hand
function.” This comes into play when she treats them for fractures of the
hand.
She has administered to those suffering fractured wrists and
tennis elbows, but also treats patients suffering
from lymphedema, swelling
usually caused by removal of lymph nodes. This interrupts the lymphatic flow,
resulting in an accumulation of fluid, she said.
Petrie is the
daughter of Francis M. Petrie, who will be remembered by Westerly residents as
the
administrator who guided The Westerly Hospital for a quarter century.
Petrie and his wife, Jean, the parents
of four daughters, settled in
Westerly after his retirement.
Two of Barbara Petrie’s sisters, Jeanne
MacLaughlin and Cynthia Fiore, are Westerly residents while a third
sister,
Pamela Carle, lives in New Hampshire.
It’s apparent the apple
doesn’t fall far from the tree when you link her father’s life work to the
career she
finally chose.
Petrie graduated from Westerly High School
and went on to become a surgical technician — an occupation
she followed
for a dozen years before enrolling in Worcester State College to train as an
occupational
therapist, graduating summa cum laude in 1993.
Apart
from her work, she enjoys bicycling and taking out her kayak, especially on
Quonochontaug Pond
and East and West beaches. “I especially like salt
ponds,” she said “You see things you may not normally
see
otherwise.”
Another of her hobbies is reading American history and
science books. She also makes jewelry. “Pretty
much beaded jewelry —
earrings, necklaces and bracelets, for friends and family,” she
noted.
Her 26-year-old son, Peter Francis D’Agostino, a surfing
enthusiast, plans to start his second year of law
school at Columbia
University.
Petrie is married to Michael Pereira, an artist who
specializes in wood crafting and creates 1/12th scale
miniature furniture,
such as hutches and cabinets for dollhouses. The couple lives in South
Kingstown with
their dogs, Max and
Lucy.
------------------------------
Breast Cancer Survivors
Who Receive Lymphedema Education are More Likely to Have Fewer Symptoms
By
NYU Langone Medical Center
Aug 18, 2009 - 1:36:02 PM
http://www.healthnewsdigest.
com/news/Cancer_Issues_660/Breast_Cancer_Survivors_Who_Receive_Lymphedema_Education_are_M
ore_Likely_to_Have_Fewer_Symptoms.shtml
(HealthNewsDigest.com)
- New York, NY - Patients who receive additional information about
lymphedema report significantly fewer symptoms and practiced more
risk-reducing behaviors, according to
a recent study co-authored by Deborah
Axelrod, MD, associate professor in the department of surgery at
NYU
Langone Medical Center and a member of the NYU Cancer Institute. Risk reducing
behaviors
include elevating the affected limb to promote fluid drainage,
avoiding blood draws and injections to the
affected limb and avoiding tight
fitting clothing which can aggravate symptoms.
Lymphedema is a condition
resulting in the abnormal and debilitating swelling of the extremities that
can
follow breast cancer surgery. Approximately 30% of the 2.4 million
breast cancer survivors in the United
States have developed lymphedema and
all are at a lifetime risk. Physical symptoms include swelling,
firmness,
pain fatigue, numbness and impaired limb mobility, but also predisposes
patients to fibrosis,
cellulitis, infections and septicemia.
Psychologically, survivors often feel stigmatized because of the swollen
limb which often brings about anxiety, depression and disruption of
interpersonal relationships.
“I believe that anyone undergoing breast
cancer surgery – whether it is a sentinel node biopsy alone or more
extensive axillary surgery -- should be informed about the risks of
lymphedema,” says Dr. Axelrod. “Until
now, we had little evidence of the
effectiveness of the behaviors to recognize and reduce
symptoms.”
Co-author Mei R. Fu, RN, PhD, ACNS-BC assistant professor in
the College of Nursing at New York
University says this is the first study
to show that education can reduce risk of lymphedema. “Nurses can
play a
leadership role in educating patients about lymphedema and can play a role in
improving the quality of
life in cancer survivors,” says Fu.
“It is
important to identify the early warning signs and symptoms of the condition, as
well as determine what
interventions to take,” added Dr. Axelrod. “We also
enroll patients into ongoing behavior and risk
modification trials and work
with physical therapists to ensure symptom reduction.”
About NYU Cancer
Institute
The NYU Cancer Institute is an NCI-designated cancer center.
Its mission is to discover the origins of
human cancer and to use that
knowledge to eradicate the personal and societal burden of cancer in our
community, the nation and the world. The center and its multidisciplinary
team of experts provide access to
the latest treatment options and clinical
trials along with a variety of programs in cancer prevention,
screening,
diagnostics, genetic counseling and supportive services. For additional
information, please visit:
www.nyuci.org.
Plunge into fitness with
water aerobics
August 21, 11:25 PMHouston Women's Health ExaminerSusan
Murphy
Photo: Joyce Lynn Edwards HermanNeed to beat the heat while
getting in shape? Retiree Carol Shields
began a workout regimen, which
included water aerobics, more than a year ago at the Memorial
Hermann/HBU
Wellness Center in southwest Houston. She has lost 25 pounds, climbs stairs
with less
effort, has experienced increased flexibility in her neck and
shoulders, and was able to cut her diabetes
medication in
half.
“Exercising in the water puts less weight on my knee,” she said.
Carol began taking water aerobics classes
to help restore the flexibility
in her left knee after undergoing arthroscopic surgery. It quickly became one
of
her favorite activities. She considers her time spent in water aerobics
as her reward for regular land-based
workouts.
Carol also joins in
Ai Chi (Aqua Chi) classes, a form of T’ai Chi done in the water. She explains
that the
slow movements contribute to relaxation. “It feeds the soul," she
said.
The Aquatic Exercise Association reports that a body immersed in
water to the neck bears about 10
percent of its weight; a body in
chest-deep water bears 25-35 percent of its weight; and a body in
waist-
deep water bears 50 percent of its weight. Shallow water (waist to
chest deep) and deep water (chest to
shoulder deep) walking and jogging can
burn more calories than walking or jogging on a treadmill. The
density and
resistance offered by water allows for high levels of energy expenditure while
putting little strain
on the body. It is possible to strengthen muscles,
increase endurance and flexibility, improve body
composition, and develop
cardiovascular fitness during water aerobics.
Water workouts are good
for people of all ages and physical capabilities. Many women with a variety of
medical conditions, including arthritis, diabetes, lymphedema, and those
who simply want to stay in top
condition find water aerobics to be a safe,
fun and effective workout. The classes also provide social
interaction and
can produce friendships that will nourish the spirit.
Contact Susan
Murphy at [email protected]
http://www.examiner.com/x-19936-Houston-Womens-Health-Examiner~y2009m8d21-Plunge-into-fitness-
with-water-aerobics
------
Ebert
brings new vision to ACC program
Published August 23,
2009
ALVIN — As a doctor of chiropractic and certified acupuncturist,
using nonchemical and noninvasive
methods to help improve people’s health
is Stacy Ebert’s passion.
“I’ve been in the health and fitness industry
since I was an undergraduate in 1989 and I saw the benefits (of
alternative
medicine) and wanted to do more,” Ebert said. “I was also a patient of
chiropractic care and I
saw where (traditional Western) medicine failed me
and realized there are other treatments that are
effective.”
Desiring to share and inspire others with that passion,
she recently was appointed as the new director of the
Alternative Medicine
and Massage Therapy Program at Alvin Community College.
“Education is
essential for producing good, quality health care providers,” Ebert
said.
Although ACC has been training students for careers in massage
therapy since 1994, the evolution of the
program toward offering
alternative medicine training is new.
“Eventually, I would like to offer
certification programs in a variety of complementary medicine techniques
and integrate them with the medical community,” Ebert said. “I think that’s
essential because they go hand-in-
hand; there’s a time and a place for
each.”
Examples of courses that are being considered for the future
include traditional Chinese medicine, holistic
health care consultant, and
personal training.
In her chiropractic care, Ebert said she always has
included massage therapy as one of her modalities.
“Touch is important
to therapy,” she said. “It’s (massage therapy) good for pain relief, it
increases
endorphins to improve moods, increases bloodflow to tissue,
reduces swelling in people with lymphedema
— I could go on and
on.”
As a stress reliever, massage therapy also helps calm the mind so
it can better use its energy to heal the
body. Many of ACC’s graduates have
gone on to work in the medical field to help patients with various
ailments, including cancer.
ACC’s licensed massage therapist program
begins Sept. 14 and provides 550 hours of instruction and 50
hours of
internship to prepare students to take the national and state certification
exams and enjoy a fulfilling
career helping others.
The program’s
instructors are highly qualified, including Susan Hill, who is a licensed
massage therapy
instructor and has a master’s degree in food science, and
Dr. Connie Van Vliet, who is a doctor of podiatric
medicine.
For
information, contact Dr. Stacy Ebert at (281) 756-3806
http://thefacts.com/story.lasso?ewcd=51af5885d5ba05e3
-------------------------
25
August 2009 - Surgeon Training Found Effective In Breast Cancer Sentinel Lymph
Node Trial
Training methods for surgeons who perform breast cancer
sentinel lymph node resection were found to be
effective in almost 97% of
surgeons assessed, according to a new study published online August 24 in the
Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
The randomized National
Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-32 trial is evaluating whether
sentinel lymph node resection can achieve the same outcomes as axillary
lymph node resection - the surgical
procedure designed to maximize breast
cancer survival, provide regional control, and determine cancer
stage - but
with fewer side effects.
In this study, David N. Krag, M.D., of the
Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of
Vermont in
Burlington, Vt., and colleagues assessed the effectiveness of three training
methods (core-
trained, site trained, and expedited training (in the case of
those with extensive prior experience with the
technique)) for the sentinel
node resection, as well as overall protocol compliance and their relationship
to
technical outcomes.
Out of the 261 surgeons approved to randomly
assign patients to the B-32 trial (to receive sentinel lymph
node
resection), 224 trained surgeons had an overall success rate of 96.9%, with no
statistically significant
difference among the three training groups. Among
all surgeons, a statistically significant positive association
was observed
between the average number of procedural errors and the false-negative
rate.
"Subgroup analysis identified some variation in false-negative
rates that were related to audited outcome
performance measures, indicating
the value of similar auditing measures on future trials," the authors
write.
Source:
Steve Graff
Journal of the National Cancer
Institute
----------------
For The Body Conscious, 'Cankles'
Offer Another Focus For Obsession
Barbara Simone of Glen Burnie, Maryland,
considers herself terribly flawed. She refuses to show her ankles
and she'd
never allow them to be photographed. She barely wants to talk about them; in
fact, when asked
about her legs, she mumbles under her breath that she
hates them.
Posted: 10:30 AM Aug 24, 2009
Reporter:
CNN
Barbara Simone of Glen Burnie, Maryland, considers herself
terribly flawed. She refuses to show her ankles
and she'd never allow them
to be photographed. She barely wants to talk about them; in fact, when asked
about her legs, she mumbles under her breath that she hates
them.
Why would someone be so self-conscious about a certain part of her
body? "I have cankles -- that's all I
can say," she laments. "They are huge
and they are horrible. ... And I will never wear a skirt or dress
again."
Cankles? What are cankles? We've heard about saddle bags, muffin
tops and love handles, but it seems that
some women and men of the 21st
century are now focused on the chubby joints of their lower
extremities.
Far from being a medical term, "cankles" is slang for the
part of the leg where the ankle meets the calf when
there is no definition
or indentation. In most cases, cankles are just large ankles -- what used to be
called
"big bones." But in society's quest for all things thin and shapely,
big-boned ankles have taken on a name --
and a life -- of their
own.
According to podiatrists, the average ankle size is about 10 to 11
inches around; men's ankles may be a little
larger. The American Podiatric
Medical Association does not recognize cankles as a medical problem, but
according to Dr. Kathya Zinszer, a physician at Temple University's School
of Podiatric Medicine, cankles
can be caused by all types of medical
issues.
"Things like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular risks,
sometimes just lymphedema," says Zinszer. "All of
those can lend themselves
to deformed ankles or what people are [calling] cankles." But Zinszer says that
most cankles are "God-given." Watch more on cankles and what can be done
about them »
Zinszer has seen patients try to alter their cankles. Some
people turn to ankle liposuction, which can cost
anywhere between $4,000 to
$8,000, depending on how extensive the ankle-shaping need is.
But
Zinszer doesn't recommend liposuction because it can do more damage than good.
"The foot, the lower
extremity, has a lot of neuromuscular structures," she
says, explaining that by removing some of the tissue,
nerves and
vasculature can be damaged, creating an even bigger problem.
There are
exercises that can keep your ankles firm. However, they don't always work. Jeff
Timmons, a
personal trainer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, says he has
clients who constantly complain about the size of
their ankles. Many plead
with him to help them shape their legs and give their ankles
definition.
Although some exercises can make a little difference, he
says, most cankles are stubborn and stay put
because they're part of a
person's anatomy. "Sure, if you're heavy, you're going to have heavy ankles, so
losing weight will make a difference," he says. "But to be honest, most of
my clients who want to get rid of
their cankles are already in pretty good
shape."
Zinszer says people should stop worrying about the size of their
ankles and think more about how to take
care of them, because our lower
extremities can take a pounding. "When we think about ankles, we're
thinking about all the different ligaments that are there, all the
structures," she says. "They handle a lot of our
activities, our weight,
and we forget they're there until we've actually injured them or something has
happened to [draw] attention to them."
Zinszer says we take our feet
for granted. "You know, feet get abused. ... We expect them to always be
there when we need to do our activities," she says. She recommends that we
treat our ankles, Achilles and
arches by wearing supportive shoes,
maintaining an appropriate weight and eating a healthy diet -- and learn
to
deal with cankles as a part of life.
But Barbara Simone says that's
easier said than done. She has tried exercises, different shoes, weight-loss
programs -- and still, nothing. For now, she resorts to wearing long pants
and keeping away from the
camera.
"What more is there to say?" she
asks with frustration. "I'm still looking for ways to correct them."
http://www.wibw.com/nationalnews/headlines/54545147.html
====
Postoperative
Radiation May Be Beneficial in Vulvar Cancer
Rates of cancer-related death,
local relapses are reduced compared to pelvic node resection Publish date:
Aug 24, 2009
Del.icio.usDiggRedditFacebook
MONDAY, Aug. 24
(HealthDay News) -- In patients with groin node-positive vulvar cancer who
have
undergone radical vulvectomy and inguinal lymphadenectomy,
postoperative radiation is associated with a
significantly lower rate of
cancer-related death than postoperative pelvic node resection, according to a
study in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Charles
Kunos, M.D., of the University Hospitals of Cleveland, and colleagues randomly
assigned 114
patients (median age, 70 years) to receive either
postoperative pelvic and groin radiation or ipsilateral pelvic
node
resection.
After six years, the researchers found that the radiation
group had a significantly lower cancer-related death
rate than the pelvic
node resection group (29 versus 51 percent). They also found that radiation was
associated with a significantly lower number of local relapses and that
rates of late toxicities were similar in
both groups.
"This update
of Gynecologic Oncology Group #37 provides a new objective indication for groin
and pelvic
radiation when greater than 20 percent ipsilateral groin nodes
are present because radiation significantly
benefits treatment-related
survival," the authors conclude. "Long-term analysis of treatment-related
toxicities
shows similar rates of chronic skin and lymphedema complications
after radiation or pelvic node resection."
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Pathology/Postoperative-Radiation-May-Be-Beneficial-
in-Vulva/ArticleNewsFeed/Article/detail/621053?contextCategoryId=40149
------
http://www.macclesfield-express.co.uk/news/s/1133636_brave_dots_walk_of_thanks_for_hospiceBrave
Dot's walk of thanks for Hospice
August 26, 2009
DOT
Rutter and her super-fit colleagues are the latest walkers to sign up for the
Midnight Walk.
Dot, 66, of South West Avenue, said: "I am supporting the
hospice because they supported me when I
needed help."
The
Grandmother-of-four developed lymphedema in her left arm after battling breast
cancer.
She said: "Lymphedema is a build up of fluid in the arm and it
can be quite painful. I needed to find a way to
treat it myself and
unfortunately couldn't find anyone to help me.
"I was put in contact
with the hospice who have a lymphedema nurse, Joy, who showed me how to treat
it
through massage techniques - they gave me advice and help when nobody
else would."
Dot revisits the hospice every six months and hopes she
will be fit enough on the day to take part in the
Midnight Walk with
husband Carl, and colleagues from Bollington Leisure Centre, who have all
signed up to
take part.
Dot, who works part time at the centre,
said: "Natalie is going to be leading the warm up before the walk
and a
number of people from the leisure centre are doing it
too.
"Unfortunately I will have to wait and see if I am well enough but
hopefully I will be walking too."
The Midnight Walk is one of the
biggest events on the hospice's calendar and takes place on Saturday,
September 12.
It starts and finished at Macclesfield Leisure Centre
, Priory Lane, taking in Macclesfield Town Centre,
Tytherington and
Prestbury.
Every penny raised by the walk goes towards keeping the local
service going and phase one of its project to
extend its care
services.
To register, go to www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk or telephone
01625 433477. All enrolment forms must
be received by Friday, September
4.
------
http://www.newstreamz.com/2009/09/21/tanger-and-ctmc-partner-to-think-pink/
----------
What
To Do When a Wound Won’t Heal …
By Megan Loveless September 4, 2009 No
Comments Printer-Friendly ShareThis
We’ve all done it … purchased that
pair of shoes, with the extra high heel that requires a slight shuffle to
walk in, or bought the latest tennis shoe that is not exactly made for
playing tennis in … but they sure look
great on our
feet!
When making this sacrifice for the sake of fashion one
might assume she is compromising a little comfort, but
other than that this
choice may seem relatively harmless.
But what if that pair of shoes
caused a small blister that grew larger, until it turned into a wound, or
worse, a
wound that would not heal?
Suddenly, what was once a tiny
blister has grown to impact your everyday activities.
This is precisely
the situation in which Colleen Henline of Redding found herself in last
November.
“I wore a shoe that left a little blister on my ankle. I’m a
nurse, so I naturally treated it. But it didn’t go
away. I consulted my
general doctor and he treated it, as well. After a treatment it would start to
heal and
then stop and end up worse than before,” said Henline.
“I
talked about it a lot with my nurse friends. I am on my feet all day so it was
making things difficult. We
tried everything that would usually work, but
nothing seemed to heal it. I’ve seen a lot of wounds in my work
on patients
that can’t seem to heal. I kept thinking I was being dramatic, but a wound
takes on a whole new
meaning when its on your own body.”
Henline’s
doctor recommended she make an appointment at Mercy Medical Center Redding’s
(MMCR)
Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine Center. It was there that
Henline discovered her tiny blister was
now a painful “Venous Ulcer” or an
open sore that would not heal.
Why is it that some blisters, cuts or
scraps come and go and others seem to linger only to progressively get
worse?
“Chronic wounds often represent, or are the result of
significant underlying health problems, including
diabetes, peripheral
arterial disease, chronic venous insufficiency, lymphedema, underlying
infection, and
sometimes malignancy,” said Dr. Douglas G. Hatter, Vascular
Surgeon and Medical Director of the Wound
Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine
Center.
“It is because of these reasons and others that wounds sometimes
struggle to heal.”
How do you know when to worry, and when to let a
blister or scrape run its course?
“Chronic wounds are defined as those
being present for 30 days or longer,” Dr. Hatter said.
“These are the
wounds we see most commonly at our center, ones that have been evaluated and
treated
elsewhere and just aren’t healing. It’s our job to find out why,
and address the underlying problems in
addition to providing advanced,
state-of-the-art treatments to the wound itself to maximize chances for
recovery.”
Healing a wound is often a joint effort. The doctor
provides the appropriate treatment, but it is also
important for patients
to monitor their wounds and not hesitate to make an appointment should a wound
show no signs of healing after 30 days.
“Much of the success of a
patient’s treatment depends on the patient,” said Cindy Buhler, Director of
Mercy’s Wound Center.
“We will count on a patient to follow
directions carefully and watch the wound’s healing progress closely.
Patients will learn about caring for their wound at home, including how to
change dressings and how to
protect themselves from further
injuries.”
Henline began receiving treatments every Tuesday for three
weeks.
“After I completed my treatments I was told to give it about two
weeks but after only one week I was
healed,” Henline said.
Minor
cuts or scrapes can be treated at home to help prevent infection. Tips can be
found on Mercy
Medical Center’s website redding.mercy.org. To access this
information, click on the following link: http:
//redding.mercy.org/Medical_Services/189339.
Treatments
for chronic wounds will vary and be recommended by your doctor.
At
Mercy’s Wound Center it offers both traditional and advanced healing techniques
and procedures
including hyperbaric oxygen therapies with the use of HBO or
Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers that surround
the patient with 100 percent
oxygen at higher-than-normal atmospheric pressure in sessions, or “dives” that
last 90-minutes to two hours. This increases the amount of oxygen in the
patient’s blood and allows red
blood cells to pass more easily through the
plasma into the wounds to heal them from the inside out.
Introduced in
the mid ’60s, HBO chambers have evolved to treat patients who suffer from
diabetic ulcers,
pressure ulcers, infections, compromised skin grafts and
flaps and wounds that haven’t healed within 30
days.
Weighing more than 1 ton each, the HBO chambers
resemble a reclining bed that’s encased in a clear
acrylic shell nearly a
yard in diameter.
“Patients can listen to music or watch movies on
televisions mounted above the chamber while remaining in
constant contact
with those outside the chamber through an intercom and private handset,” said
Buhler. “The
only physical sensation resulting from the treatment is a
slight pressure on the eardrum, such as typically felt
when a plane lands,
as the air in the chamber is compressed.”
For many north state
residents, having this technology available locally has reduced travel time and
allowed
patients to continue living their lives with less
disruption.
“This sort of expertise and technology is often found in
larger cities,” Dr. Hatter said.
“We are very fortunate to have this
right here in Redding. Often times we see patients with wounds that have
been there for months, and sometimes years, and it truly has a great impact
on their life. Having a center
dedicated to the treatment of hard-to-heal
wounds, a center that has an extremely dedicated and hard-
working staff,
advanced wound-care techniques and hyperbaric oxygen chambers for healing the
most
difficult of wounds, is something our community has needed for a long
time.”
For those currently struggling with a hard-to-heal wound, Henline
offers some words of wisdom.
Megan Loveless is Mercy Medical Center’s
Public Relations Coordinator. She may be emailed at Megan.
[email protected].
For more information about the Mercy Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Medicine
Center, call (530) 245-4801or log onto redding.mercy.org.
Photos by
Michael Burke.
http://anewscafe.com/2009/09/04/megan-loveless-when-a-blister-turns-into-a-wound-that-just-won%E2%
80%99t-heal%E2%80%A6/
STAFF
REPORT
Tanger Outlet Centers has partnered with Central Texas Medical
Center (CTMC) in the ongoing fight
against breast cancer. From Sept. 21
through Oct. 20, Tanger will sell its Tanger Pink Style savings card
that
gives shoppers a 25-percent discount on a single item at participating
stores.
Each card can be purchased for a minimum of a $1 donation at the
Tanger Shopper Service Center, Suite
319, online at tangeroutlet.com, or
through the CTMC Foundation Office.
“Our Pink Style Savings Card
campaign is providing tremendous added-value to our shoppers’ visit this
fall,” stated Steven B. Tanger, President and Chief Executive Office for
Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.
“Tanger customers can feel good knowing
that each and every Pink Card they purchase is going to make a
big
difference to help in the fight against breast cancer in their
community.”
During the last 16 years Tanger, through its campaigns to
help stop breast cancer, has donated more than
$6.1 million to the cause.
Last year, Tanger Centers reached a milestone in the company’s history by
raising
more than $1 million over the course of a four week
period.
Tanger Outlet San Marcos funds from the pink cards will stay in
the community. The proceeds from the
campaign are being donated to CTMC’s
Lymphedema Therapy Program and mammography for the
uninsured through the
Stanley K. Tanger fund, named in honor of the company’s
founder.
Lymphedema therapy helps prevent swelling due to the build up
of a protein-rich fluid in the tissues of the
skin often following
treatment for breast cancer. Treatment by a Certified Lymphedema Therapist
helps to
manage the swelling and prevent tissue damage.
“We are very
excited and grateful to again be partnering with Tanger for such a worthy
cause,” said Gary
Jepson, CTMC President and CEO. “The funds raised by the
program last year were a huge help to our
Lymphedema program. We feel very
blessed to be able to provide such an important therapy program to
the
community, thanks in large part to the generosity of Tanger and to many in our
community.”
For more information about Central Texas Medical Center’s
breast cancer services, including its
Lymphedema Therapy program, call
(512)753-8687 or visit their website at ctmc.org. Pink Cards may be
purchased at CTMC every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Daily
Bread Cafe entrance through
Oct. 20. Central Texas Medical Center is
located at 1301 Wonder World Drive in San Marcos.
“By working closely
with our retail partners and those in the community, we hope to put an end to
breast
cancer,” said Michelle Carswell, General Manager of Tanger Factory
Outlet Centers, Inc. “We are grateful
for the support our campaign has
received and hope to continue to raise the funds needed to find a
cure.”
According to the American Cancer Society, yearly mammograms and
clinical breast exams for women age
40 and older are integral to detecting
the disease early when it is most treatable. Maintaining a diet rich in
fruits and vegetables, following a regular exercise routine and reducing
smoking and alcohol consumption are
important in helping to prevent the
disease
-------
http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=157730
journey
of a cancer survivorFood
Ask Dr. Weil : Forget lymph drainage unless nodes
were removed
Opinion by Andrew Weil
Universal Press Syndicate
Tucson,
Arizona | Published: 09.16.2009
advertisement Q: What is your take on
lymphatic drainage for general health?
A: Lymphatic drainage, also called
lymphatic massage or manual lymph drainage, is a technique developed
in
Germany. It is most useful in treating lymphedema, an accumulation of fluid
that can occur after lymph
nodes are removed during surgery, most often a
mastectomy for breast cancer. Up to 25 percent of breast
cancer patients
whose surgery includes removal of lymph nodes in the area of the armpit
eventually develop
this uncomfortable condition in the arm. Lymphedema also
can develop in the legs or other parts of the body
if lymph nodes are
removed in the course of other types of surgery — for melanoma, colon, prostate
or
bladder cancer, for example — or are damaged by radiation treatment,
infection or trauma. Symptoms are
swelling, pain and, sometimes, infection.
Lymphedema can occur immediately after radiation or surgery, or
weeks,
months and even years later.
If you don't have lymphedema, you don't need
lymphatic drainage, no matter what glowing claims are made
for it. I've
seen Internet sites that warn of the health consequences of "sluggish lymphatic
flow" and promote
lymphatic drainage for all manner of supposed benefits
ranging from detoxification of the body, regeneration
of burned, injured or
wrinkled tissue, anti-aging effects, and relief of sinusitis, bronchitis, ear
infections,
chronic pain, fibromyalgia, constipation, insomnia, memory
loss, cellulite and obesity. Lymphatic drainage is
even being promoted as a
beauty treatment. This is ridiculous.
Manual lymphatic drainage is not a
necessity for general health. Lymph fluid circulates as a result of muscular
contraction, including the muscles used in breathing that support normal
physical activity.
You don't have to worry about drainage as long as your
lymphatic tissues or lymph nodes have not been
damaged or removed.
If
you do have lymphedema, however, the procedure is worthwhile.
Q: My friend,
female, age 60, had surgery for a malignant brain tumor a year ago. She is now
cancer-free,
but soon she will discontinue the steroids she has been on
since the surgery. Are there alternative foods,
vitamins or herbs that
simulate the benefits of steroids?
A: I'm glad to hear that your friend is
doing well. After brain surgery, steroids are prescribed to counteract
swelling that can result from surgery, the tumor or
treatment.
Typically, the steroid dose is reduced when physicians are
confident that swelling no longer will be a
problem. The drug most often
used is dexamethasone (Decadron), which may help relieve headache and
other
symptoms that occur due to increased pressure caused by swelling. Patients
frequently need another
drug to prevent seizures — also a risk after brain
surgery.
Given that the steroids are not needed long term, don't worry that
your friend will be off them. As a matter
of fact, she should feel better,
because these powerful drugs have many side effects: weight gain and water
retention, increased appetite, diabetes, sleeping problems, mood changes,
stomach irritation, skin thinning,
an acne-type rash, flushing and night
sweats.
As far as natural alternatives, licorice root has steroidlike
effects and can help patients transition off the
drugs, but steroids should
not be stopped suddenly, and she should follow the tapering-off plan
prescribed
by her doctors.
Your friend also should follow these
lifestyle strategies, which can enhance cancer treatment:
• Get plenty of
antioxidants through foods or supplements (be sure to discuss any dietary
changes with your
health-care practitioner).
• Eat generous amounts of
vegetables and moderate amounts of fruit (preferably organic to minimize
exposure to pesticide residues).
• Drink green tea several times a
day.
• Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (walnuts and flaxseed, and
cold-water fish such as salmon and
sardines). Take fish-oil supplements if
you can't get these foods into your diet.
• Limit alcohol consumption.
•
Take cancer-protective supplements including Asian mushrooms, CoQ10, selenium
and vitamin D.
Readers who want to ask Dr. Weil a question can do so by
going to his Web site, www.drweil.com, and
clicking "Ask Dr. Weil" and then
"Ask Your Question." Because Weil receives so many questions, it's
impossible for him to personally respond to every one. If your question is
selected, look for Weil's response
in an upcoming Q&A
article.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/309
----------------
Tougher
than ever
‘Pink day’ shows rodeo fans’ breast cancer awareness
By
FLYNN ESPE
The East Oregonian
It's been oft described as a "sea of
pink," the grandstands filled with spectators - both men and women -
wearing pink shirts, pink bracelets and other pink accessories.
Down
on the grass, many of the rodeo participants prove their toughness, not simply
by riding angry bulls
and barreling horses, but by doing so while donning
rosy colors.
"What I think is really neat is to see these burly men with
a pink shirt," Terre Rasmussen said. "And they
look good in
them."
She was referring, of course, to the scene witnessed every
Thursday of Round-Up since 2006, otherwise
known as Tough Enough to Wear
Pink Day.
Volunteers such as Rasmussen greet rodeo fans with
complimentary pink beads as they enter the east and
west gates of the
Round-Up Grounds, while others remain on-hand to sell pink items and raffle
tickets, with
proceeds benefitting local breast cancer patients and
survivors.
"I can remember our first year we were just really excited
when somebody showed up with a pink shirt on,"
said Becca Hawkins Zollman,
co-chairwoman for the fundraiser. "Now, you don't really have to tell people
to wear pink."
Whereas the Tough Enough to Wear Pink movement began
spontaneously at the 2004 Wrangler National
Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas (on
short notice, cancer survivor Terry Wheatly and her cowboy son Wade
encouraged almost all contestants to perform one night in pink Western
shirts) the event has become a
perennial staple at rodeos across the
country.
For Zollman and her sister-in-law Jennifer Hawkins, bringing
the pink phenomenon to Pendleton was almost
a no-brainer. Zollman was a
nurse practitioner with a background in oncology, whose mother and sister
already had been afflicted with breast cancer before she too was
diagnosed.
"I think part of it was just our family history," she
said.
In Umatilla County, Zollman said, about 50 to 60 new breast cancer
patients are diagnosed each year.
Rasmussen, an employee at Regence
BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, credited her participation in part to
the
memory of former coworker Anna Boyer, a breast cancer patient Rasmussen
described as a sweet
southern woman who passed away in 1998.
"She
was very brave all during this four-year struggle," Bonnie Sager, another
Regence employee and event
volunteer, recalled. "And a lot of outsiders
would never have known what was going on in her body."
In the five years
since its inception, the national Tough Enough to Wear Pink organization has
raised more
than $5 million dollars, most of which has remained within the
communities where the fundraisers occurred.
That has been the case in
Pendleton, where in three years the Thursday fundraiser has brought in more
than
$60,000.
This year's proceeds will contribute to two local
sources: the SPIRIT Program of the Cancer Community
Renewal Project and a
breast cancer special needs fund at St. Anthony Hospital.
The former
program is geared to helping cancer survivors by providing free and
reduced-price access to
exercise, yoga and massage. Participants can work
with professional trainers at the Roundup Athletic Club.
"We're trying
to provide a bridge back to self-esteem, getting stronger," said Debra
Shampine, SPIRIT
Program fitness director.
The latter fund helps pay
for various services for women experiencing breast cancer treatment, such as
buying wigs or special garments for patients with lymphedema - a condition
that can cause a swelling of the
limbs after lymph nodes are
removed.
Breast cancer survivor and fundraiser coordinator Marcy Holton
remembered growing up during a time
when the news of breast cancer
diagnosis was a much more dire situation.
"There was a tremendous amount
of fear," Holton said.
But with advances in treatment and technology,
she said, early detection can lead to victory and recovery.
Having won her
own battle, she said her present life is no different than before her
diagnosis.
"I do everything I did before and I probably do more because
I'm more zealous for life," Holton said.
"We're very vibrant. We have a lot
of life left to live."
Today, Holton will join close to 35 cancer
survivors during a special ceremony at the rodeo, where they will
release
60 pink balloons.
"It's kind of a celebration day and we encourage
people to really enjoy themselves," Holton said.
As usual, Marcy's
husband Bill Holton will be among the many pink-clad supporters.
"I look
at him and feel that he's every much of a survivor as I am," Marcy said. "This
year he's got a hot pink
shirt."
While Bill admitted the new shirt
makes him slightly nervous, he fully intends to prove he, too, is tough
enough.
"If you're gonna do it, you might as well do it big," he
said.
http://eastoregonian.com/main.asp?
FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=97926&SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48
-----
Increase
In Cancer Risk After Northern Italian Industrial Accident - 17 September
2009
Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Public Health;
Lymphology/Lymphedema; Lymphoma / Leukemia / Myeloma
Article Date: 17 Sep
2009 - 0:00 PDT
People living in the Seveso area of Italy, which was
exposed to dioxin after an industrial accident in 1976,
have experienced an
increased risk of developing cancer. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's
open
access journal Environmental Health found an increased risk of breast
cancer in women from the most
exposed zone and an excess of lymphatic and
hematopoietic tissue neoplasms in all but the least exposed
zone.
Angela Pesatori led a team of researchers from the Fondazione
IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, a
local hospital associated with the
University of Milan, who extended a study of cancer incidence in the area,
which now covers the period 1977-96. She said, "The industrial accident
that occurred in the Seveso area in
1976 exposed a large residential
population to substantial amounts of TCDD
[2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-
dioxin]. Although the International Agency
for Research on Cancer and the US Environmental Protection
Agency have both
classified TCDD as human carcinogen, scientific debate still persists on the
actual cancer
risk posed to the general population. We've found that it
does pose a carcinogenic hazard, although lower
than anticipated from
animal studies, at least at the levels experienced by this population after
this accident".
The researchers studied the medical records of all
subjects living in the area at the date of the accident (July
10, 1976) and
those who migrated into, or were born in, the area during the following 10
years. Of these
36,589 files, 99.9% were successfully reviewed. There were
2122 cases of cancer, 660 of which occurred
after 1991. Specific and
significant increases in risk, compared to the general population, were
discovered
for breast cancer and lymphatic and hematopoietic neoplasms,
although based on a small number of cases.
Speaking about these results,
Pesatori said, "These increases were expected based on previous studies. The
mortality study, which covered a longer follow-up period, confirmed the
excess of lymphatic and
hematopoietic risk. We did not identify an
all-cancer excess, as seen in occupational cohorts which had
similar,
sometimes higher, and more complex exposures".
Notes:
Cancer
incidence in the population exposed to dioxin after the "Seveso accident":
twenty years of follow-up
Angela Cecilia Pesatori, Dario Consonni, Maurizia
Rubagotti, Paolo Grillo and Pier Alberto Bertazzi
Environmental Health (in
press)
http://www.ehjournal.net/
Source:
Graeme
Baldwin
BioMed Central
------
Plans underway for annual
fashion show
BY JULIE COLLINS
The Cape Breton Post
NORTH
SYDNEY — The Cape Breastoners Dragon Boat Society is finalizing plans for its
seventh annual
fashion show, to be held next month in Bras
d’Or.
“Last year’s show was sold out and we’re are hoping for a similar
response this year,” said society president
Emily Smith. “This is our only
fundraiser we’ll hold this year; proceeds go toward equipment and upkeep of
the society’s two boats.”
The show will take place Wednesday, Oct.
21, at 7 p.m. at the Bras d’Or Hall, Villa Drive, featuring
fashions from
DFX Designer Fashion Exchange in the North Sydney Mall with MC Blanche
Sophocleous.
The dragon boat project first originated when Dr. Don
MacKenzie, a Vancouver sports medicine specialist,
felt women being treated
for breast cancer can and should take part in sports like dragon boat racing.
In
1996 he launched Abreast in a Boat to test the myth that repetitive
upper body exercise in women treated
for breast cancer encourages
lymphedema and his theory proved correct. No new cases of lymphedema
occurred and none of the existing cases became worse.
Since that
time hundreds of breast cancer survivors across Canada have formed dragon boat
teams.
“We participate in various dragon boat races throughout the
year,” Smith said. “This year the Cape
Breastoners won gold in Sydney in
July and took silver in New Glasgow in August.”
A dragon boat is a
38-foot vessel that seats between 20 and 22 paddlers, a drummer, and a
steersperson.
Dragon boating is an ancient Chinese sport with a long
history and is thought by some to be one of the
fastest growing sports in
the world. The dragon is a symbol of success, prosperity and good luck. It is
believed by some that the spirit of the dragon boat guards its human cargo
from the forces of nature.
“The fashion show helps us keep
going.”
The Cape Breastoners, which is made up of members from across
the regional municipality, begin dryland
training in February and hit the
water in May.
“Being involved with the team helps breast cancer
survivors get back into an active lifestyle. It is a
tremendous physical
boost, as well as a psychological and spiritual lift. Along with the
camaraderie and
support, there is the joy of being on the
water.”
Smith noted that it is important for Cape Breastoners to give
back to the community.
The members recently prepared and served a corned
beef and cabbage dinner and dessert at the Loaves
and Fishes in Sydney.
They also participate in the Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and the CIBC Run
For
The Cure.
http://www.capebretonpost.com/index.cfm?sid=289596&sc=149
-------
Breast
cancer survivors try new methods to fight arm swelling
Updated 2h 53m ago |
Comments 3 | Recommend 4 E-mail | Save | Print |
Enlarge By
Jose Luis Magana, AP
Lymphedema specialist Johanna Murphy, left, shows
breast cancer survivor Anne Holman an exercise to
treat her lymphedema at
Georgetown University Hospital in Washington on Dec. 23.
BREAST
CANCER IN WOMEN
182,460: Estimated new cases in 2008
40,480:
Estimated deaths in 2008
89%: 5-year survival
rate
TESTS, CANCER AND AGE
Percentage of U.S. women
who had a mammogram in the previous two years:
40 to 49
• 2000:
64.2%
• 2005: 63.5%
50-64
• 2000: 78.6%
• 2005: 71.8%
65
and older
• 2000: 68%
• 2005: 63.8%
Source: Cancer,
2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Women
born today in the USA have a 1 in 8 chance of being diagnosed with breast
cancer at some point in
their lives. That risk increases with age.
•
30 to 39 years: 1 in 233
• 40 to 49: 1 in 69
• 50 to 59: 1 in 38
• 60
to 69: 1 in 27
Source: National Cancer Institute,
2007
DAILY HEALTH BLOG
Get wellness tips, medical
study roundups and news for healthy living here, including info on ...
•
Fitness and nutrition
• Parenting/kids' health
• Watercooler-worthy
bits
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iGoogleMore Netvibes myAOL
By Lauran Neergaard, Associated
Press
WASHINGTON — Hospitals in about a dozen states are testing whether
some simple steps, such as arm-
strengthening exercises, could reduce the
risk of one of breast cancer's troubling legacies — the painful and
sometimes severe arm swelling called lymphedema. Lymphedema has long been a
neglected side effect of
cancer surgery and radiation: Many women say they
never were warned, even though spotting this problem
early improves
outcomes.
And while less invasive surgical techniques mean fewer breast
cancer patients today than just a few years
ago should face lymphedema,
it's a lingering threat for tens of thousands of survivors because it can
strike
two decades after their tumor was treated.
FORUM: Living
with Cancer
BETTER LIFE: Cancer news and studies
"I have ladies tell
me the lymphedema is much worse than their cancer because the cancer's cured,"
says Dr.
Electra Paskett, an epidemiologist at Ohio State University who is
leading the first-of-its-kind research into
possible protective
steps.
Among them: Wearing elastic sleeves to counter temporary swelling
during things like airplane flight or heavy
lifting, and doing special
exercises with light weights designed to help keep open the lymph channels that
allow fluid to drain through the body.
"The theory is building up
muscles in your arm acts as a natural pneumatic pump to move the fluid,"
explains
Paskett, herself a breast cancer survivor who developed
lymphedema.
When lymph nodes under a breast cancer patient's arm are
removed or damaged by biopsy, surgery or
radiation, lymph fluid can build
up and cause anything from mild swelling to a ballooning of the
arm.
Lymphedema isn't just a legacy of breast cancer treatment. The leg
can swell if groin nodes are damaged
from other cancers, including
gynecologic cancer. Melanoma treatment left former presidential candidate
John McCain with facial swelling. Occasionally, rare diseases can trigger a
different form of lymphedema.
But lymphedema among breast cancer
survivors may be most common. It's been estimated to affect
between 20% and
30% of patients who have 10 or more under-the-arm nodes examined, called an
"axillary
lymph node dissection."
A surprising study published in
November's Journal of Clinical Oncology suggests few such women may be
diagnosed. University of Minnesota researchers analyzed records from the
huge Iowa Women's Health
study, to cull more than 1,200 patients who'd had
breast cancer between 1986 and 2003. Eight% had been
formally diagnosed
with lymphedema yet another 37% of the women suffered persistent lymphedema
symptoms, including a swollen arm.
Today, some women have far fewer
nodes examined in a "sentinel node biopsy," and separate research
suggests
those women are far less likely to get later lymphedema — possibly as low as 5%,
Paskett notes
— although many don't qualify for the smaller surgery because
of large tumors or other factors.
But perhaps most concerning from the
Iowa data, only 40% of the women with swollen arms but no
diagnosis had
heard of lymphedema and less than 2% had sought care for their arm
symptoms.
Yet early care is key, as Anne Holman of Washington, D.C., can
attest. In 2006, doctors found cancer in
eight of 18 lymph nodes. She was
undergoing chemotherapy to shrink her tumor before an eventual
mastectomy
when one day her arm turned red and itchy. Come in right away, said Minna
Manalo, a nurse
practitioner at Georgetown University Hospital's breast
cancer unit.
Along with a skin inflammation, Manalo diagnosed lymphedema
— Holman's arm was just starting to swell.
Daily for two weeks, she
underwent what's called complete decongestive therapy, where a machine
massaged fluid from her arm and it then was tightly bandaged to counter
swelling. Once her arm shrank,
Holman was prescribed a lifelong therapy: A
tight elastic sleeve and fingerless glove to wear regularly,
especially
during her job as an international flight attendant, plus arm exercises to help
push out returning
fluid.
"I'm trying to stay ahead of the game,"
says Holman, 61. "You can't cure this, but you can manage it."
Paskett's
study — now recruiting participants at Ohio State, Georgetown and a growing
number of other
hospitals — tests whether milder versions of those
techniques could prevent lymphedema in the first place.
Women recovering
from a large node removal are randomly assigned to either a regimen including
personalized arm exercises, or just lymphedema education.
Results
aren't due until 2012. Meanwhile, cancer groups advise:
•Be alert for
subtle swelling. Don't ignore a tight ring or watch, or clothes suddenly not
fitting.
•See a certified lymphedema specialist, who has proper training
in fitting compression garments and proper
use of decongestive therapy.
Improper use of either can worsen the condition.
•Obesity and arm
injuries are additional risk factors. So watch your weight; avoid injections in
the affected
arm; clean cuts and seek care for infections promptly; wear
gardening gloves and oven mitts; and avoid
temperature extremes, such as
hot tubs.
The Associated Press.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-12-30-lymphedema-breast-cancer_N.htm?csp=34
--------
Monday,
28 September 2009 17:42 Added by PT Editor Sameh A. Habeeb
.
London, September 28, (Pal Telegraph) - This information tells you
about an operation to remove your
breast cancer. It explains how the
operation is done, how it can help you, what the risks are and what to
expect afterwards.
The benefits and risks described here are based
on research studies and might be di fferent in your hospital.
You may want
to talk about this with the doctors and nurses treating you.
What is
breast-conserving surgery?
Breast-conserving surgery is an operation for
breast cancer that lets you keep your breast. Your surgeon
will remove only
the part of your breast that has cancer. The aim is to get rid of your breast
cancer while
changing the appearance of your breast as little as
possible.
Is this operation suitable for me?
You may be able
to have breast-conserving surgery if:[1]
You ha ve early breast cancer.
This means the cancer hasn't spread outside your breast, or has only spread
as far as the nearest lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are small, round or oval
lumps. They help fight infections in
your body. Breast cancer usually
spreads to the lymph nodes in your armpit before it spreads anywhere else
You have just one lump in your breast. If you have more than one lump, or
lots of small patches of cancer
cells, breast-conserving surgery may not be
suitable. It's hard to remove all the cancer cells without changing
the way
your breast looks. And if you have lots of small patches of cancer, it's more
likely to come back
than it is if you have a single lump. Removing your
breast can help stop this[2] [3] Your lump is small
compared with the size
of your breast. If you have a small lump, you'll only have a small scar, and
maybe a
small dent in your breast You can have rad iotherapy. You may need
radiotherapy after breast-conserving
surgery. Doctors try to avoid giving
radiotherapy to the same area twice, so you may not be able to have
breast-conserving surgery if you've had radiotherapy before. If you are
pregnant, you may want to avoid
radiotherapy as it can harm your
baby.
Up to 80 percent of women with early breast cancer are able to have
breast-conserving surgery. And
there's good evidence from lots of studies
that women who only have their lump removed live just as long as
women who
have a mastectomy.[4] [5]
But breast-conserving surgery isn't suitable
for everyone. If you have a large lump and a small breast, or if
you have
cancer under your nipple, it can be difficult to remove the cancer without
changing the way your
breast looks. You may get a better result with a
mastectomy and breast reconstruction. There are several
kinds of breast
reconstruction available, including surgery to put in implants.
If you
have a family history of cancer, or tests show you have a high risk of breast
cancer, there is a bigger
chance that the cancer will come back in the same
place.[6] In this case, some women choose to have a
mastectomy rather than
risk needing more surgery later.
Guidelines from the National Institute
for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the government body that
advises
doctors about treatments, say that:[1]
You should start treatment within
four weeks of being diagnosed with breast cancer You should be treated
in a
hospital by a team of specialists who are experienced in breast surgery. You
can ask your doctor to
refer you to a hospital with a specialist
breast-surgery unit. Each year, a specialist unit treats at least 100
women
who are newly diagnosed with cancer.
What happens during
breast-conserving surgery?
Your surgeon will remove the cancer from your
breast. He or she will probably also remove some or all of
the lymph nodes
from your armpit.
The breast tissue and lymph nodes the surgeon has
removed will be checked to see if they contain cancer.
You'll also have
radiotherapy to kill any stray cancer cells that were left
behind.
Removing cancer from your breast
You may have chemotherapy or
hormone therapy before your operation to shrink the cancer. It can make
your lump easier to remove, but it has side effects. You may wish to ask
your doctor about these.
Your surgeon may be able to feel the cancer in
your breast. But if he or she can't feel your lump, you may
need a
mammogram so that your doctor can see inside your breast. During a mammogram, a
thin wire is
threaded through your skin to mark the cancer. The wire is
left in place during surgery to show the surgeon
which part of your breast
to remove.
Most women have a general anaesthetic to make them sleep
during surgery. If your overall health isn't good,
you may just have a
local anaesthetic to numb your breast. Either way, you shouldn't feel any pain
during the
operation.
If you have a general anaesthetic, you won't
be able to eat anything for eight hours before the operation or
drink
anything for up to two hours before. Breast-conserving surgery usually takes
between 15 minutes and
40 minutes. You should be able to go home the same
day, although some women stay in hospital overnight.
Here's what
happens.
Your surgeon makes a small cut across your breast above the
cancer. He or she will try to make the cut as
small as possible. Your
surgeon shouldn't need to cut away any skin unless the cancer is just under the
skin's
surface.[7] The surgeon cuts away the cancer along with a small
amount (about 2 millimetres, or 1/12 of an
inch) of healthy-looking
tissue.[8] Removing tissue around the cancer or lump is called taking a margin.
It's
done to reduce the risk that any cancer cells are left behind. Your
surgeon will move the layers of breast
tissue around to fill the hole left
by the cancer and keep your breast as close to its original shape as possible.
The cut on your skin is usually sewn up with one long stitch that dissolves
later.
Occasionally, if your surgeon had to remove more of your breast, the
hole left behind can be filled with a
piece of muscle from your back.[9]
You can talk to your surgeon about whether this might happen to
you.
Removing your lymph nodes
For some types of breast cancer, your
surgeon will probably remove some or all of the lymph nodes in your
armpit.
This is because these nodes are usually the first place breast cancer spreads
to. If you have a type of
early breast cancer called ductal carcinoma in
situ (DCIS), you won't need any lymph nodes removed.
If your breast
cancer is in the upper part of your breast near your armpit, your surgeon may
be able to reach
your lymph nodes through the same cut he or she made in
your breast. But if your cancer is somewhere else,
the surgeon will need to
make another cut under your arm to reach the lymph nodes.
You may have
all 20 or so lymph nodes removed from your armpit. This is called an axillary
clearance. The
aim is to remove any cancer that might have spread there by
removing all of the lymph nodes. Or your
surgeon may remove between four
and 10 lymph nodes to see if they contain cancer cells. This is called
axillary sampling. If the nodes in the lowest part of your armpit are clear
of cancer, it's unlikely that any of
the nodes higher up will have cancer
in them. A newer treatment called a sentinel node biopsy uses a blue
dye
and a radioactive injection to find the lymph node, or nodes, that fluid from
your breast drains into first.
The dye is injected into your breast and
colours the nearest nodes. The nodes that the fluid from your breast
drains
into first are called the sentinel node s. The sentinel nodes are then tested
for cancer. If there are no
cancer cells in these nodes, it's likely that
the other lymph nodes are free from cancer as well.
You will have fewer side
effects if fewer nodes are removed.[10] You're likely to have less pain after
sentinel node biopsy than if you have more nodes removed. And you'll
probably be able to move your arm
more easily.[11] But this treatment is
still being tested to see how well it works.[12] Doctors who use this
test
need to be specially trained. Ask your doctor about this.
Testing the
breast tissue and lymph nodes
After surgery, the lump and lymph nodes are
checked under a microscope. If no cancer cells are found in
the surrounding
tissue, your surgeon might say you had a healthy or clear margin. A clear
margin reduces the
risk of your cancer coming back in that part of your
breast.[13]
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is used after surgery to kill
any cancer cells that may have been left behind. It uses X-rays to
destroy
cancer cells in your breast. You'll need to have radiotherapy five days a week
for between four
weeks and six weeks. Each session only takes a few
minutes. Radiotherapy doesn't hurt, but it has side
effects.
If
there's a high risk that your cancer will come back in your breast, or you
haven't had all your lymph nodes
removed, you may need radiotherapy to the
lymph nodes in your armpit.[4]
How can breast-conserving surgery help
me?
If you have early breast cancer, breast-conserving surgery can stop your
cancer spreading and help you live
longer.
Breast-conserving surgery
with radiotherapy works just as well as having your whole breast removed. This
is true for women of all ages. Studies involving thousands of women have
found that women are just as likely
to be alive 10 years or 20 years after
breast-conserving surgery as after a mastectomy.[4] [5] [14] [15] [16]
In
one study, a quarter of the women who'd had either operation died of breast
cancer within 20 years.
Some women had died of other things in the same
time.[14]
Breast-conserving surgery also has some advantages over a
mastectomy.
You'll be able to keep your breast, although it won't look
the same as it did before. Your scar will be small
compared with a
mastectomy scar. The exact size of your scar will depend on how much tissue is
taken
away. You won't need to wear a false breast or have surgery to
reconstruct your breast. You are likely to
feel better about the way your
body looks.[17] [18] Between 6 and 9 out of 10 women say their breast
looks
"good" or "excellent" after breast-conserving surgery.[19] You can wear the
same clothes, and you
may find it easier to get back to your life, go to
the gym and have sex.
Will the cancer come back?
There is a
chance that your cancer could come back in the same place. This chance is
bigger for younger
women.[20] And some women get a new breast cancer
somewhere else in their breast. Each year, less than
1 percent of women who
have had this operation get a new breast cancer.[21]
Radiotherapy can
help stop your cancer coming back.[22] Women who don't have radiotherapy are
three
times more likely to get their cancer back in the same place than
women who have radiotherapy.[22]
Only 7 in 100 women who have
radiotherapy have cancer again within five years. But 26 in 100 women
who
don't have radiotherapy have their cancer come back within five
years.
Radiotherapy also reduces the chance that you'll need to have your
breast removed later.[23]
If you have ductal carcinoma in situ, having
radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery reduces the risk
that your
breast cancer will come back by about half.[24] [25]
Radiotherapy after
breast-conserving surgery may also help women live longer.[22] But radiotherapy
has
side effects. So researchers are looking at whether some women (such as
older women or those with less
aggressive cancers) will do just as well
without it.[26]
Researchers are also looking at whether having
radiotherapy to the breast during surgery (intra operative
radiotherapy)
works as well as having radiotherapy after surgery.[27] [28]
We don't
know whether radiotherapy just around the part of your breast being removed is
better and safer
than radiotherapy to a wider area.[29] More research is
needed to be sure.
If the cancer does come back, you'll usually need to
have the rest of your breast removed.
What are the risks of
breast-conserving surgery?
All operations have risks, and your surgeon
should talk to you about the risks of surgery to remove cancer in
your
breast. If you have a medical condition such as a heart problem or have had a
blood clot, surgery may
be more risky for you.
Anaesthetics can have
side effects. These are more likely with a general anaesthetic. You may have an
allergic reaction to the anaesthetic or get breathing or heart problems.
These problems are serious but very
rare. If you have any allergies, you
must tell your doctor.
It's hard to say exactly how often other problems
happen because the research isn't very good. You can use
the figures we
give below as a guide, but it's important to discuss with your doctor how often
problems
happen in your hospital.
Risks of removing your breast
cancer
Sometimes, not enough tissue is removed from around the lump. This
may happen if the cancer has spread
further than your surgeon thought. The
tissue that has been removed during the operation will be checked,
and if
your surgeon thinks some cancer could be left behind, you may need a second
operation. About 1 in
10 women need another operation. You may either have
more of your breast removed or have a
mastectomy. Some women who need more
surgery say they wish they had chosen to have a mastectomy in
the first
place.[19] [30]
You may be unhappy with your breast shape.
Between 1 and 3 out of 10 women are disappointed with how
their breast
looks after surgery.[19] Your scar may be bigger than you expected, your breast
may look
distorted and your breasts may be uneven sizes. But you can have
more surgery to improve the way your
breast looks.
An infection can
make your wound hurt, and the surrounding skin may be hot and red. The risk of
infection
after breast-conserving surgery is around 1 in 50.[4]
Occasionally, the infection causes pus to collect around
the scar. You may
need antibiotics for this.
A clear fluid, called serous fluid, can
collect under the scar. This is called a seroma. It is part of the normal
healing process. About 1 in 5 women get a seroma after their breast cancer
is removed.[31] The fluid can
be drained with a needle by a doctor or
nurse.
You may get bleeding under the cut in your skin after the
operation. If the blood builds up and clots, you will
get a big bruise
called a haematoma. The area will be swollen and feel tender. If this happens,
you may need
surgery to remove the blood clot or stop any
bleeding.
Risks of removing lymph nodes
The pain and discomfort under
your arm can last for a few weeks.[10] Your arm may feel bruised and
heavy.
Shoulder stiffness can start because your upper arm is
painful after surgery. In one study, about 1 in 4
women had this
problem.[10] You need to take painkillers and do gentle arm exercises.[32]
Don't let your
shoulder stiffen up because it hurts to move it. Six months
after surgery, stiffness is more common in women
who have all, rather than
a few, of their lymph nodes removed.[33] Very few women who have sentinel
node biopsy get shoulder problems.[34]
You may get numbness or
tingling in your arm, shoulder or breast. This happens if the surgeon
accidentally
stretches or damages the nerves that run close to your lymph
nodes. Women who've had a few of their
lymph nodes removed and get this
problem tend to recover within a few months. About 2 to 4 out of 10
women
who have all their nodes removed get this problem.[10]
Swelling of the
arm and armpit (lymphoedema) can start straight away or years later. It may
last a few
weeks or become an ongoing problem. It can be very unpleasant.
Your arm may feel heavy and painful.
The risk of getting lymphoedema is
greater if you have radiotherapy to your armpit or if all the lymph nodes
in your armpit are removed. It's hard to say how common the problem is
because studies vary. About 2 or 3
out of 10 women get lymphoedema after
all their lymph nodes are removed. Some studies show that there's
no risk
of lymphoedema if only a few nodes are removed. But other studies show that up
to 2 in 10 women
get this problem after a few nodes are
removed.[35]
Wearing a close-fitting elastic sleeve can help prevent the
swelling. Gentle massage may also help.
Fluid can collect under the scar
in your armpit. This is part of the normal healing process. It happens to
between a quarter and a half of women who have all their lymph nodes
removed.[36]
Risks of radiotherapy
There aren't many studies on the
side effects of radiotherapy.[37] Different women have different
experiences, but many women cope well with the side effects.
Your
skin may itch or change colour after radiotherapy, and your breast may feel
tender.[38] In one study,
about 1 in 3 women who had radiotherapy after
surgery had breast pain six months later. This compared
with 1 in 5 women
who only had surgery. About 1 in 3 women who had radiotherapy had skin
irritation
three months later. This compared with 1 in 10 women who only
had surgery.[39]
Some women feel more tired than usual. These problems
are usually mild and go away after a few weeks.
If your doctor thinks
that there's a high risk of your breast cancer coming back, you may have an
extra
boost of radiotherapy to your breast. This can make your breast feel
hard and change shape. This problem
is called fibrosis.[40]
Side
effects that happen some time after your treatment include nerve damage and
inflammation in the lungs.
[41] These may sound serious, but they are rare
and can be treated. You may also find that hair stops
growing in your
armpit.
What will happen if I choose not to have surgery?
Although
some women have surgery within a few days of being diagnosed, don't feel you
have to rush into a
decision. Take the time you need to talk to your doctor
and consider your options. Taking a week or two to
make up your mind won't
do you any harm.
If you need more time to decide, you can have
chemotherapy or hormone therapy to stop the cancer
spreading.
If you
decide not to have your breast cancer removed, it may spread through your
breast tissue into your
skin, chest and the muscles below your breast. It
will then spread to other parts of your body. No one can
say for certain
how long you will live if you don't have the cancer removed. There aren't any
good studies to
tell us, as most women have treatment.
What other
treatments are available?
Some women choose a mastectomy instead of
breast-conserving surgery. It's a bigger operation and your
whole breast is
removed. If you have a mastectomy, you may wish to have breast reconstruction
surgery as
well.
You can have breast reconstruction surgery at the
same time as the mastectomy or later. Your surgeon may
be able to remove
your breast but keep the skin in place. The breast tissue is replaced with an
implant or a
piece of muscle from your back. This is called a skin-sparing
mastectomy.[42]
If you have a mastectomy:
You aren't likely to
live any longer than a woman who's had breast-conserving surgery[4] [5] [14]
[15] [16]
There is still a small risk that breast cancer will come back in
the scar, so removing all the breast tissue can't
guarantee that your
breast is free of cancer cells. The chances of your cancer coming back are the
same as a
woman who has had breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy[4]
You are likely to get more serious side
effects than someone who has had
breast-conserving surgery. There's a bigger chance that you'll get pain
and
swelling under your arm and in your wound You may miss your breast, and some
women say they feel
mutilated by losing a breast. You may find it hard to
look at your scar. You may also find it difficult to be
intimate and have
sex. Breast reconstruction can help.
Every woman's situation is different.
You may decide that removing your breast gives you more peace of
mind. You
may want to consider a mastectomy if you have a large cancer and a small
breast. In this case,
your breast may look very different after
breast-conserving surgery, and a mastectomy with reconstruction
might give
you a better result.
You may choose a mastectomy if, for some reason,
you can't have radiotherapy. But some women need
radiotherapy even after
they've had a mastectomy.
What can I expect after breast-conserving
surgery?
Immediately after your operation
When you leave the
operating theatre, you'll go to the recovery area until you are fully awake.
You'll
probably have a thin tube in the vein in the back of your hand where
you were given the anaesthetic. If you
had a local anaesthetic, the parts
of your breast and armpit where the cuts were made will feel numb for
several hours.
You'll have a bandage over your wound. You may have a
plastic tube running from your wounds to drain
away the blood and lymph
fluid that builds up during the healing process. But most women don't need
this.
[43]
Your breast, arm and shoulder will feel sore after the
operation. Your nurse will give you painkillers if you
need them. If the
first ones you try don't work, tell your nurse or doctor. You may need a
stronger dose or
another type of drug. Don't try to put up with pain, as
this can slow your recovery.
You'll be left with a scar on your breast,
and usually a separate scar in your armpit if your lymph nodes were
removed.
You'll be able to get up and move about after surgery. The
sooner you start to move, the better you'll feel.
You will be shown arm
exercises you can do to stop your arm getting stiff. Ask your doctor or nurse
for a
leaflet explaining the exercises.
Going home
Many women
feel anxious about seeing their breast for the first time after the operation.
Take your time and
remember that it takes a while for your breast to settle
down after surgery. You scar will also fade over the
next few
months.
You can wash your breast after a few days, but dry it carefully.
Wear a comfortable bra as soon as you can.
It will help support your
breasts.
Avoid strenuous activities such as lifting or sport until your
wounds have healed and there's no swelling in
your arm. You can go back to
work as soon as you feel ready.
It's important to avoid getting an
infection in your arm if you have lymphoedema. Protect your arm by
wearing
gloves if you are gardening or doing something that might injure your hand or
arm. Don't have your
blood pressure taken on the arm that has
lymphoedema.
Your breast will have changed in shape and size, depending
on how much tissue was removed. This can
affect how attractive you feel.
Many women say that it affects how they feel about sex. Give yourself time to
adjust. You can talk through your feelings and worries with those close to
you or your breast cancer nurse.
Further treatment
If tests show that
surgery may not have removed all the cancer, you might need a second operation.
This is
usually a mastectomy.
If your doctor thinks there's a risk
that your cancer has spread, you may have further treatment such as
chemotherapy or hormone therapy. These treat your whole body. They help
prevent the cancer coming
back and may help some women live longer, but
they have side effects. Talk to your doctor about whether
you will benefit
from these treatments.
References National Institute for Clinical
Excellence. Guidance on cancer services: improving outcomes in
breast
cancer. August 2002. NICE manual update. Available at
http://www.nice.org.uk/csgbcguidance
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Fisher ER, Sass R, Fisher B, et al. Pathologic findings from the National
Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project (protocol 6). II. Relation of local breast
recurrence to multicentricity.
Cancer. 1986; 57: 1717-1724. Kurtz JM,
Jacquemier J, Amalric R, et al. Breast-conserving therapy for
macroscopically multiple cancers. Annals of Surgery. 1990; 212: 38-44.
Early Breast Cancer Trialists'
Collaborative Group. Effects of radiotherapy
and surgery in early breast cancer: an overview of the
randomized trials.
New England Journal of Medicine. 1995; 333: 1444-1455. Fisher B, Anderson S,
Bryant J, et al. Twenty-year follow-up of a randomized trial comparing
total mastectomy, lumpectomy, and
lumpectomy plus irradiation for the
treatment of invasive breast cancer. New England Journal of Medicine.
2002;
347: 1233-1241. Pierce L, Leven A, Rebeck T, et al. Ten-year outcome of
breast-conserving
surgery (BCS) and radiotherapy (RT) in women with breast
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mutations: results from an international
collaboration. Breast Cancer Research and Therapy. 2003; 82
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early-stage breast
cancer. Journal of the American Medical Association.
1991; 265: 391-395. Vallasiadou K, Young OE,
Dixon JM. Current practices in
breast conservation surgery: results of a questionnaire. British Journal of
Surgery. 2003; 90 (supplement 1): 44. Dixon JM, Venizelos B, Chan P.
Latissimus dorsi mini-flap: a
technique for extending breast conservation.
Breast. 2002; 11: 58-65. Schijven MP, Vingerhoets AJ, Rutten
HJ, et al.
Comparison of morbidity between axillary lymph node dissection and sentinel
node biopsy.
European Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2003; 29: 341-350.
Purushotham AD, Upponi S, Klevesath MB,
et al. Morbidity after sentinel
lymph node biopsy in primary breast cancer: results from a randomized
controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2005; 23: 4312-4321. Clarke
D, Khonji NI, Mansel RE.
Sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer: ALMANAC
trial. World Journal of Surgery. 2001; 25: 819-822.
Smitt MC, Nowels KW,
Zdeblick MJ, et al. The importance of the lumpectomy surgical margin status in
long-term results of breast conservation. Cancer. 1995; 76: 259-267.
Veronesi U, Cascinelli N, Mariani L,
et al. Twenty-year follow-up of a
randomised study comparing breast-conserving surgery with radical
mastectomy for early breast cancer. New England Journal of Medicine. 2002;
347: 1227-1232. Poggi
MM, Danforth DN, Sciuto LC, et al. Eighteen-year
results in the treatment of early breast carcinoma with
mastectomy versus
breast conservation therapy: the National Cancer Institute Randomized Trial.
Cancer.
2003; 98: 697-702. Lee HD, Yoon DS, Koo JY, et al. Breast
conserving therapy in stage I and II breast
cancer in Korea. Breast Cancer
Research & Treatment. 1997; 44: 193-199. Al-Ghazal SK, Fallowfield L,
Blamey RW. Comparison of psychological aspects and patient satisfaction
following breast conserving
surgery, simple mastectomy and breast
reconstruction. European Journal of Cancer. 2000;36(15):1938-
1943. Schain
WS, d'Angelo TM, Dunn ME, et al. Mastectomy versus conservative surgery and
radiation
therapy: psychosocial consequences. Cancer. 1994; 73: 1221-1228.
Al-Ghazal SK, Blamey RW.
Cosmetic assessment of breast-conserving surgery
for primary breast cancer. Breast. 1999;8(4):162-168.
Kurtz JM. Factors
influencing the risk of local recurrence in the breast. European Journal of
Cancer. 1992;
28: 660-666. Smith TE, Lee D, Turner BC et al. True
recurrence vs. new primary ipsilateral breast tumor
relapse: an analysis of
clinical and pathologic differences and their implications in natural history,
prognoses,
and therapeutic management. International Journal of Radiation
Oncology, Biology, Physics. 2000; 48:
1281-1289. Early Breast Cancer
Trialists' Collaborative Group. Effects of radiotherapy and of differences
in the extent of surgery for early breast cancer on local recurrence and
survival: an overview of the
randomised trials. Lancet. 2005; 366:
2087-2106. Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group.
Favourable
and unfavourable effects on long-term survival of radiotherapy for early breast
cancer: an
overview of the randomised trials. Lancet. 2000; 355: 1757-1770.
Fisher B, Dignam J, Wolmark N, et al.
Lumpectomy and radiation therapy for
the treatment of intraductal breast cancer: findings from National
Surgical
Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-17. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 1998; 16:
441-452. Julien
JP, Bijker N, Fentiman IS, et al. Radiotherapy in
breast-conserving treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ:
first results of
the EORTC randomised phase III trial 10853. Lancet. 2000; 355: 528-533.
Bartelink H,
Horiot JC, Poortmans P, et al. Recurrence rates after
treatment of breast cancer with standard radiotherapy
with or without
additional radiation. New England Journal of Medicine. 2001; 345: 1378-1387.
Australian
Safety and Efficacy Register of New Interventional Procedures. A
systematic review of intraoperative
radiotherapy in early stage breast
cancer. October 2002. ASERNIP-S report 27. Available at
http://www.
surgeons.org (accessed on 14 September 2006). Coles CE, Moody
AM, Wilson CB, et al. Reduction of
radiotherapy-induced late complications
of early breast cancer: the role of intensity-modulation radiation
therapy
and partial breast irradiation. Part II: radiotherapy strategies to reduce
radiation-induced late effects.
Clinical Oncology. 2005; 17: 98-110.
Ribeiro GG, Magee B, Swindell R, et al. The Christie Hospital breast
conservation trial: an update at 8 years from inception. Clinical Oncology.
1993; 5: 278-283. Kurtz JM,
Jacquemier J, Amalric R, et al. Is breast
conservation after local recurrence feasible? European Journal of
Cancer.
1991; 27: 240-244. Gonzalez EA, Saltzstein EC, Riedner CS, et al. Seroma
formation following
breast cancer surgery. Breast Journal. 2003; 9:
385-388. Browse DJ, Goble D, Jones PA. Axillary node
clearance: who wants
to immobilize the shoulder? European Journal of Surgical Oncology. 1996; 22:
569-
570. Chetty U, Jack W, Prescott RJ, et al. Management of the axilla in
operable breast cancer treated by
breast conservation: a randomized
clinical trial. British Journal of Surgery. 2000; 87: 163-169. Mansel RE,
Goyal A, Newcombe RG. Objective assessment of lymphedema, shoulder function
and sensory deficit after
sentinel node biopsy for invasive breast cancer:
ALMANAC trial. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
2004; 88 (supplement
1): S12. Browning CJ. Lymphoedema: prevalence risk factors and management: a
review of research. 1997. NHMRC National Breast Cancer Centre resource.
Available at
http://www.nbcc.
org.au/resources/documents/LYM_lymphodema_review.pdf
(accessed on 21 September 2006). Chetty U,
Jack W, Prescott RJ, et al.
Management of the axilla in operable breast cancer treated by breast
conservation: a randomized clinical trial. British Journal of Surgery.
2000; 87: 163-169. Rutqvist LE, Rose
C, Cavallin-Stahl E. A systematic
overview of radiation therapy effects in breast cancer. Acta Oncologica.
2003; 42: 532-545. Fisher B, Bryant J, Dignam JJ, et al. Tamoxifen,
radiation therapy, or both for
prevention of ipsilateral breast tumor
recurrence after lumpectomy in women with invasive breast cancers of
one
centimeter or less. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2002; 20: 4141-4149. Whelan
TJ, Levine M, Julian J,
et al. The effects of radiation therapy on quality
for life of women with breast carcinoma: results of a
randomized trial.
Cancer. 2000; 88: 2260-2266. Kurtz JM. Impact of radiotherapy on breast
cosmesis.
Breast. 1995; 3: 163-169. Steering Committee on Clinical Practice
Guidelines for the Care and Treatment
of Breast Cancer. A Canadian
consensus document. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 1998; 158
(supplement 3): 1-84. Sotheran WJ, Rainsbury RM. Skin-sparing mastectomy in
the UK: a review of
current practice. Annals of the Royal College of
Surgeons of England. 2004; 86: 82-86. Purushotham AD,
McLatchie E, Young D,
et al. Randomized clinical trial of no wound drains and early discharge in the
treatment of women with breast cancer. British Journal of Surgery. 2002;
89: 286-292. Glossary
mastectomy A mastectomy is an operation that removes
all of the breast tissue, including skin and the nipple,
from the side of
the chest that has cancer. lymph nodes Lymph nodes (also called glands) are
small, bean-
shaped lumps that you cannot usually see or easily feel. They
are located in various parts of the body, such
as the neck, armpit and
groin. Lymph nodes filter and remove unwanted things, such as bacteria and
cancer
cells. general anaesthetic You may have a type of medicine called a
general anaesthetic when you have
surgery. It is given to make you
unconscious so you don't feel pain when you have surgery. local anaesthetic
Local anaesthetic is a painkiller for one area of the body. You usually get
it as an injection. It makes that
area numb. An example is the lidocaine
you may get when your dentist fills a cavity. X-ray X-rays are
pictures
taken of the inside of the body. They are made by passing small amounts of
radiation through the
body and onto film. Larger amounts of radiation are
used to treat some kinds of cancer. allergic reaction
You have an allergic
reaction when your overreacts to a substance that is normally harmless. You can
be
allergic to particles in the air you are breathing, like pollen (which
causes hay fever) or to chemicals on your
skin, like detergents (which can
cause a rash). People can also have an allergic reaction to drugs, like
penicillin. antibiotics These medicines are used to help the fight
infection. There are a number of different
types of antibiotics that work
in different ways to get rid of bacteria, parasites and other infectious
agents.
Antibiotics do not work against viruses. haematoma A haematoma is a
collection of blood in any part of
your body. The blood has usually clotted
or dried.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/panorama/health/2431-breast-conserving-surgery-lumpectomy
========================================
Dr.
Weiss offers one warning, though: Never place needles in the arm adjacent to
the affected breast, as this
may cause lymphedema, which is a
condition where the lymph system is damaged or blocked creating
swelling or
infection.
Photo: GETTY IMAGES
? Yoga
“Yoga brings a lot of
things; but the breathing is key as it brings relaxation and meditation.
Whether
anxiously awaiting test results or unable to sleep, yogic breathing
will help keep focus. Yoga also builds up
physical strength, corrects
posture, balance, flexibility and range of motion. Following diagnosis, women
often feel their body has betrayed them, yoga helps rebuild their body
confidence.” Photo: GETTY IMAGES
“It takes just two words, breast cancer, to
change someone’s life — I take a holistic approach to the care of
my
patients,” explains breast cancer oncologist Dr. Marisa Weiss.
The
way the mind connects to the body plays a huge part in the patient’s battle
against cancer.
In a hospital you’ll have doctors dealing with
physical issues but what is often neglected is the patient’s state
of mind.
“It’s essential doctors find out what’s going through a woman’s mind to address
underlying issues
including lack of sleep, anxiety or intimate concerns.
Breast cancer sufferers tend to place the blame on
themselves; heavily
questioning their lifestyle and the person they used to
be.”
Although they are not cures per se, holistic treatments focus
on getting women to take the time to address
their mind and their body
following the intrusion and exhaustion of surgery or
chemotherapy.
VISUALIZATION
Visualization focuses on the
subconscious, using meditation to focus the mind and relax. Patients are made
to
imagine a place that is comforting or inspiring to them, such as a beach
and the sound of waves. Many
women are paralyzed by fear, which makes it
difficult for them to stay grounded. Visualization helps reduce
anxiety and
cope with their illness.
BIOLOGICAL FEEDBACK
Biological feedback is
the repetitive training of the mind to relax. Physiologically, there is a
physical state of
relaxation defined as “state of being” which slows heart
rate, lowering blood pressure.
NUTRITION
Modern-day diets can be
unhealthy as most people eat processed foods daily. According to Weiss, “we
should be eating between five and nine fruit and vegetables a day, seeking
out organic sources when
possible.
Low-fat, nondairy options are
best and fried foods should be avoided alongside the frequent consumption of
red meat, which can contain hormones.
Dr. Weiss insists there is
a link between breast cancer and alcohol consumption, so, she says, “limiting
your
intake to five drinks a week is a good benchmark — the more you drink,
the higher your risk.”
http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/10/01/08/1837-82/index.xml
======================================
Wear
Ease Designs the Latest Fashions with Mastectomy Patients in Mind
Posted :
Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:35:56 GMT
Author : Wear Ease
Category : Press
Release
News Alerts by Email ( click here )
Press Release News | Home
BOISE, Idaho - (Business Wire) One in eight U.S.
women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their
lifetime, and
currently slightly more than half, 56 percent, undergo mastectomy. Few fashion
options exist for
those who don’t seek reconstructive surgery or postpone
it until after their treatment and recovery — a
condition the clothier Wear
Ease (www.WearEase.com) seeks to remedy.
“Fighting breast cancer is a
big enough challenge,” says Wear Ease owner Phyllis Keith. “We’re trying to
help ensure women don’t also lose their self-esteem, dignity, and
femininity.”
Wear Ease designs and markets post-surgery and mastectomy
bras, camisoles, loungewear, and lingerie.
According to several specialty
boutiques, its clothing is in vogue.
“We started ordering their Dawn
post-surgery camisole because it’s prettier than other brands, and they’re
flying off the shelves,” says Michele Yett, a certified mastectomy fitter
at Expressions Appearance Center at
St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton,
Calif. “They’re great products — they come with fiber-filled breast
forms
and a pair of pouches for drain tubes and bulb syringes, plus they’re
comfortable, they come in a
variety of colors, and they’re very desirable
in terms of femininity.”
Pamela Ludwig, who owns Pretty in Pink
Boutiques in Franklin and Nashville, Tenn., concurs. “The post-op
camisole
is so comfortable and stylish a lot of my patients wear them far beyond the
post-op period,”
Ludwig says. “Often they wear a black one as a fashion
camisole under a black blouse.”
Retailers also say the Wear Ease line
helps women feel whole. “They’re very up to date with fashion
trends,” says
Sheila Robertsdahl, a certified orthotic/mastectomy fitter and manager of the
Just for Women
boutique at MeritCare HealthCare Accessories in Fargo, N.D.
“And with the way the pockets for the
prostheses are designed, nobody can
even tell it’s a pocketed mastectomy garment.”
Ludwig, a registered
nurse who worked for 10 years in clinical oncology before opening Pretty in
Pink in
2005, agrees, adding, “With off-the-shelf products like these
available, women can achieve the look they
want without having to undergo
reconstructive surgery.” However, she says many patients undergoing breast
reconstruction use Wear Ease products, too. “A lot of times reconstruction
doesn’t give a woman the exact
symmetrical look she wants,” she says, “so
you can sometimes fix that with a bra or partial prosthesis.”
This month
Wear Ease is introducing a brand-new line: the Alicia adjustable-strap
camisole. “This beautiful
camisole enables a woman who has undergone breast
surgery to wear an alternative top just like she would
have worn
beforehand,” Keith says. “It is designed to accommodate her breast forms and
does not require
her to wear a special bra underneath.” Available in black,
coral, kiwi green, and aqua blue, the Alicia
camisole comes in S, M, L, XL,
1X, and 2X sizes.
The new product is a hit among retailers. “The new
Alicia camisole with the lace is going to be a super
seller,” Robertsdahl
says, and Yett says, “We all think it looks darling.” “I love the colors
available with the
Alicia,” Ludwig says. “They’re very fresh — there’s
nothing else on the market with colors like those.”
In addition to the
Alicia and Dawn mastectomy camisoles, Wear Ease sells post-surgery bras and
post-
mastectomy nightgowns and T-shirts with reversible necklines. It also
sells compression garments, including
compression bras, slimmers, and
shapers to facilitate healing after surgery or treat swelling in the trunk
caused by Lymphedema. Wear Ease garments come standard with shelf bras and
pockets for breast forms.
All insurance, including Medicare, covers breast
forms and pocketed breast-surgery bras and camisoles.
Keith founded Wear
Ease in 2001 to offer the Sarah Bra designed for women with limited mobility.
In 2005
the company diversified into the post-mastectomy specialty market
and has since grown to include 20
products across five lines.
Wear
Ease is a member of Essentially Women, a national purchasing group focused on
women's health, and
sells through boutiques, hospitals, and durable medical
equipment dealers nationwide and online via
WearEase.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6053029&lang=en
Wear
Ease
Phyllis Keith, 1-866-251-0076
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/wear-ease-designs-the-latest-fashions-with-mastectomy-patients-in-
mind,966349.shtml
-------------------------
Bahrain
breast cancer drive aims to raise $2.7m
Manama: Sat, 3 Oct 2009
A major campaign that aims to raise almost BD1 million ($2.65
million) for breast cancer treatment gets
underway this month in
Bahrain.
Think Pink Bahrain has set itself the ambitious target of
raising enough money to buy state-of-the-art
equipment that will
revolutionise the country's breast cancer screening programme.
The
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment, worth BD880,000, will be donated to
Salmaniya
Medical Complex (SMC) and is the main focus of a two-year
fundraising drive that kicks off this month.
It will be the country's
first MRI dedicated to detecting breast cancer and is described as the best
screening
tool for the condition in young women, according to SMC Oncology
Centre head Dr Shubbar Mohammed.
He said this was particularly important
for Bahrain, where it is more common to find breast cancer in women
aged in
their 20s and 30s than in the West - where it is more commonly found in those
aged 50 and above.
'In Europe and the US the best screening programme is
mammograms and it is accurate for women above
50, but in younger women it
is less accurate because the breasts are more dense,' Dr Mohammed told our
sister publication, the Gulf Daily News.
'In Bahrain we need to
screen women at the age of 30 and above, but if we expose them again and again
to
a low dose radiation (which is what happens with a mammogram) then we
may see the onset of radiation
induced cancer.
'A mammogram is not
good for our country, an MRI is more accurate and has no risk - but we don't
have
MRI screening yet, only diagnostic screening where we still use
mammograms.
'MRI has other purposes - it can be used to locate the exact
area of the cancer, which means we don't have
to remove much
tissue.'
In addition to purchasing an MRI, other targets of the Think
Pink Bahrain campaign include raising money
for Bahraini nurses and
physiotherapists at SMC to be trained as lymphedema specialists.
It
costs about BD756 to send each person on the three-week course in
Germany.
'Lymphadema massage is a special type of technique that helps
to drain the fluid that gets built up if you have
a mastectomy,' said Think
Pink Bahrain founder and chairwoman Jules Sprakel.
'There is no
lymphadema specialist in Bahrain, but by 2010 we will make sure there are
nurses who are
experts in this.'
In collaboration with the Royal
College of Surgeons in Ireland-Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI-MUB),
Think Pink is also sponsoring a two-year Master's degree in nursing with a
major in breast cancer for a
Bahraini nurse at SMC.
That two-year
course alone costs around BD8,000 and some of the money for these initiatives
will be raised
at two golf tournaments and a gala dinner taking place this
month.
The non-profit organisation is now preparing for its first Men's
Night Golf Tournament, which will take place
at the Royal Golf Club, Riffa,
on October 18 at 6.30 pm.
This will be followed by the fourth annual
Ladies Golf Tournament at the same venue on October 21,
starting at 8
am.
The tournaments are open to 100 women and 45 men and entrance costs
BD20 for members or BD35 to
BD50 for guests.
Sponsorship ranges from
BD100 to BD500 per hole.
'The original concept was to have a ladies golf
tournament, but the men also wanted to get involved so we
thought we would
hold one for them this year,' said Ms Sprakel.
'The men and women will
be wearing pink T-shirts sponsored by Optima.'
Think Pink Bahrain, now
in its fifth year, has already raised BD120,000 for the Bahrain Cancer Society
and
another BD30,000 in kind for the community. – TradeArabia News
Service
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/newsdetails.asp?Sn=HEAL&artid=168105
------
Linwood
surgeon pleads not guilty in $8.5 millon fraud case
Print this Article
Share this ArticleStoryDiscussionBy LYNDA COHEN Staff Writer, 609-272-7257 |
Posted: Monday, September 14, 2009 | 0 comments
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Dr. Khashayar Salartash.
Photo by:
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..Related Links
Related: Click here to read indictment.
MAYS
LANDING - A Linwood doctor will be acquitted of charges he falsified reports to
steal $8.5
million, his attorney insisted Monday.
Dr. Khashayar
Salartash, his office manager and a lawyer for his former treatment center
pleaded not guilty
Monday to charges of health care and Medicaid fraud
stemming from insurance claims they made through
the Egg Harbor
Township-based Center for Lymphatic Disorders.
"This is the beginning of
the beginning," attorney Jerome Ballarotto said after Salartash and the others
were
arraigned before Superior Court Judge James Isman. "We fully expect,
in the end, that's going to be the
jury's verdict: not
guilty."
Salartash, office manager Farah Iranipour Houtan and the center
were indicted in July on fraud charges for
allegedly mislabeling office
visits as surgical procedures. According to the indictment, when the office
was
questioned about the claims that showed the surgeries being performed
in the office, the code for the
location - not the procedure - was changed
in order to keep the claim for the larger amount.
Nearly $5 million was
taken from Medicare and more than a half-million from Medicaid, according to
the
Attorney General's Office. More than $3 million came from private
insurers.
The center treated people with lymphedema, swelling in the
arms or legs that is caused by a blockage of
lymph vessels.
During
Monday's brief hearing, Isman also made precautions to ensure there will be no
problems with him
handling the case.
Salartash, the judge noted, had
practicing privileges at Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point. Isman's
new law clerk is the son of the hospital's CEO, so the judge will "make
sure he does not touch this file in any
way."
Isman said he has
never dealt with Salartash directly, although the doctor's father was a witness
in a previous
case. The judge also has dealt with the hospital a lot as a
private citizen with his family, and in his previous
career as an
attorney.
As a result, he asked that a list of potential witnesses be
drawn up as soon as possible to make sure he does
not have any connection
to them. He wants character witnesses listed, if possible.
"Character
witnesses are not a big deal," he said. "But if I know 15 of them, it could be
a problem. And it's
very possible."
The case will be back before him
Oct. 28.
Neither Houtan's attorney, Mark Catanzaro, nor Lee S. Goldsmith
- who is representing the center -
wanted to comment after the
proceeding.
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield has also filed a suit against
Salartash, his father and several others in
connection with the alleged
fraud, saying it is owed $1.8 million.
According to the indictment,
Horizon began denying surgical claims in 2003, noting the service codes
indicated the surgeries took place in the office. Houtan later told the
office's billing company to change the
code to reflect the surgeries had
taken place in an outpatient hospital facility.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_23cfa534-a143-11de-8d11-001cc4c002e0.html
-----
Dear
Dr. Cheville or other reader:
I'm writing to you with concern over this
article I just
read:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/136665.php
Is this
true?
As the owner of one of the largest international lymphedema
support groups, I am appalled that such
outright discrimination would take
place. How can you treat cancer related lymphedema but not primary
lymphedema? It's lymphedema the same condition? How do we really know
that the "secondary" lymphers
are really secondary and not like me? I'm a
cancer patient BUT I'm a primary patient with secondary
causes one of them
being cancer?
I'm just very upset with this article and the prospect
that some of my members will no longer be able to get
the care they need.
To me, stating that you will not treat primary lymphers is pure and simple
discriminatory.
I am the content editor for ELymphNotes lymphedema
magazine sponsored by the Lymphedema
Awareness Foundation, I will be doing
my own story on this and I'm sure we will be discussing it on the sites
blog and in my support group. I really would like to hear your intake
before we do so we can present both
sides of the story and if in fact the
story is true.
Thank you.
Tina Budde
Lymphland International
Lymphedema Online
------------------------
No Treatment For
Southern Alberta Lymphedema Patients After March
26 Jan 2009
As of
March 31, Southern Alberta patients suffering from non-cancer-related
lymphedema, a progressive,
non-curable lymphatic disorder resulting in one
or more grossly swollen limbs and associated medical
complications, will no
longer have treatment services available in the city of Calgary or its
surrounds.
A recent decision by Alberta Health Services' Tom Baker
Cancer Centre to provide in-house lymphedema
treatment for cancer patients
means the city's only lymphedema clinic is shutting its doors.
Calgary
Lymphedema Rehabilitation and Consulting Services Inc., a private clinic, has
been the sole
provider of treatment services for Southern Alberta
lymphedema patients, regardless of cause.
Because more than 90 per cent
of the clinic's patients have cancer-caused lymphedema, the drastic loss of
patients to the new in-house program at Tom Baker means Calgary Lymphedema
Rehabilitation and
Consulting Services is no longer viable.
Patients
who have "primary" lymphedema (born with it), or "secondary" lymphedema not
caused by cancer
(causes include injury, infection, diseases other than
cancer, and Filariasis from a tropical mosquito bite) are
not eligible for
treatment at the new Tom Baker clinic - even though it will have the only
trained lymphedema
practitioners in Calgary.
Lymphedema is a
progressive, disfiguring and debilitative disorder. Uncontrolled lymphedema can
lead to
cellulitis and septicemia, fast-moving infections requiring I.V.
antibiotics and costly hospital stays. Patients
can lose their infected
limb(s) or worse. Without treatment to reduce volume, the buildup of lymph
fluid
continues to expand the limb (elephantiasis).
It is the
responsibility of Alberta Health Services to ensure non-cancer lymphedema
patients have access to
a specialized clinic to assess, treat, and manage
their condition, as well as to provide fair and equitable
treatment for all
lymphedema sufferers.
A secondary issue is funding. Treatment for
non-cancer patients is not covered. However, the Alberta
Cancer Board (now
part of the new Alberta Health Services) covers treatment for cancer
patients.
Prior to November 2006, treatment for Southern Alberta cancer
patients was not covered either. However,
following revelations that
Edmonton cancer patients received publicly funded in-house lymphedema
treatment, Southern Alberta's cancer patients also received funding.
Services were contracted to Calgary
Lymphedema Rehabilitation.
In
2006, the Alberta Lymphedema Association gathered signatures on a petition
requesting Alberta Health
Care coverage for all lymphedema sufferers. The
petition was tabled in the Alberta Legislature August 30,
2006, and still
has not been brought forward to the floor.
The continued non-funding for
non-cancer lymphedema treatment is inequitable. This disease is the same
regardless of cause, and treatment is neither optional nor
cosmetic.
Alberta Lymphedema Association
Article URL:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/136665.php
------------
623
Pound Woman Can't Find Help
Read Comments Print ArticleEmail This
ArticleLargerSmaller
Winston-Salem, NC -- A 600-pound woman that wants
to lose weight is quickly running out of options.
Sharon Purcell spent the
last month in Wake Forest Baptist Hospital. Now she is ready for discharge,
and
has no where to go because at 623 pounds, Sharon is just too large for
most weight rehabilitation centers.
She isn't a candidate for surgery, and
she can't go home, because her bed and lifts won't fit through the
door.
"To me, food is life and food is death. If I don't eat, I'm going
to die. If I eat, I'm going to die," said Purcell.
She says not being able
to say no to food brought her to her weight. And then that weight on her
lungs,
kidneys, and other organs put her in the hospital.
"Her legs
are so big in the middle she can't put them together to walk. She has
lymphedema, bad swelling,
she's in pain all the time," said Elizabeth
McLaurin, Purcell's daughter. McLaurin says now doctors want her
in weight
rehabilitation, but so far she's been turned down by more than 600 clinics in
North Carolina.
"Most places go anywhere from 200 pounds to 400 pounds
if that much," said Purcell. Even her own home
doesn't have the space she
needs. "They can't fit the stuff through our doorway that she needs, that's
why
she can't be at home. Her beds won't fit through the door, her lifts
won't fit through the door and we
physically can't take care of her," said
McLaurin.
Purcell knows time is running out. Doctor Tom Walsh, a
bariatrics surgeon, says at this weight, her body is
breaking down, "It
will not happen within hours or days, but certainly over months, we're not
talking year"
Around 5:00 on Wednesday, McLaurin said they may have
found a place in Illinois that can make
accommodations, but because the
facility is out of state, they'll have to pay the transportation fee out of
pocket. That's 6,500 dollars the family doesn't have. If you would like to
help, you can email the family at
[email protected].
Reported by:
Ashley Smith
http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=130403&catid=57
-------
N.S.
grapes growing nobler
SILVER DONALD CAMERON
Sun. Oct 4 - 4:46
AM
Grapes ripen on the vine at the Blomidon Winery in
Canning. (Ted Pritchard / Herald archive)
ON THIS COOL,
sunny September day, four young women in straw hats and short denim shorts are
stomping their bare feet in a child’s fibreglass wading pool outside a long
red barn. When they started, the
pool contained 42 pounds of pale green
Geisenheim grapes. As the women stomp, the grapes burst. Two of
the women
dipper the mush into a colander. The juice drains out into a pail.
At
the end of 10 minutes, the crowd counts down: FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE! The women
stop. The
juice is weighed. Twenty-six pounds! The Julie Skaling
Physiotherapy team from Kentville now leads the
competition in the
Gaspereau Vineyard Grape Stomp.
If they win, their prize money will
relieve lymphedema, a condition that leaves the upper arms of breast-
cancer
survivors swollen with fluid. My mother suffered from lymphedema. I hope this
team wins.
This is the vineyard’s fifth annual Autumn Food and Wine
Festival, and the loft of the adjoining barn hums
with happy conversation.
Gourmets and gluttons meander from table to table, sampling the wine from other
local wineries — Grand Pre (the original farm winery), Jost Vineyards
(which owns Gaspereau), Blomidon
Estates, Annapolis Highlands, Muir Murray,
Benjamin Bridge. A band called (I am not making this up) Swig
belts out
East coast standards like Sonny’s Dream and Coal Town Road.
At other
tables, local eateries like Paddy’s Pub, Pizzazz Bistro and the Fireside Cafe
serve spanakopita and
fat, succulent sausages from Al’s Home Style
Sausages. Glen Breton, North America’s only single-malt
whisky, faces an
innovative saponifier, Jennifer Christopherson of Creative Wanderings Bath and
Body.
Marjorie picks up a fragrant bar of Jack Frost peppermint soap.
Tangled Garden offers glorious jellies,
vinegars and liqueurs that combine
herbs from the proprietors’ garden with local wines and fruit. Hmm. The
Ginger Lime Thyme Jelly hits the palate like a starburst, and we take a
bottle of that, too.
Boutique vineyards like Gaspereau represent an
astonishing success story. Forty years ago, wines produced
in Nova Scotia
were slightly more appealing than varnish, though rather less palatable than
vinegar. Their
function was to provide a quick, inexpensive route to
oblivion. Meanwhile, though, a couple of daft
Dalhousie professors were
trying to grow wine grapes in the Annapolis Valley, and a German immigrant
family had planted a few vines in Malagash to produce wine for their own
table.
Thus began Grand Pre and Jost. As the years passed, growers
identified grape varieties suited to Nova
Scotian micro-climates. Marechal
Foch, Seyval Blanc, New York Muscat, L’Acadie Blanc. Vineyards
appeared in
Bear River, the LaHave Valley, Antigonish, even Cape Breton. The Jost family
developed a
very substantial winery. In 1986, provincial legislation
allowed wineries to sell directly to the public. The
wines — the ice wines
in particular — started winning national and international
awards.
Marjorie and I found ourselves buying local wines not out of
patriotism or curiosity, but because we liked
them. We discovered Jost’s
flavourful red Trilogy and aromatic Eagle Tree Muscat on the same evening,
and they have been favourites ever since. It turns out that muscats are
produced by several Nova Scotia
wineries, and we came home this time with
the Grand Pre version along with Gaspereau’s Vitis and Castel
reds.
The wines are transforming the province. Consider Gaspereau’s
winemaker, a young woman named Gina
Haverstock, whose family operates a
funeral parlour in Port Hawkesbury. Studying for admission to medical
school, Gina sequestered herself at the family summer cottage in Malagash,
working part-time at the nearby
Jost operation. She "fell in love with the
art of wine-making," scuttled her pre-med studies and took a
second degree
at Brock University in viticulture and oenology.
Nova Scotia vineyards
now cover about 1,000 hectares and sustain 11 wineries, though not all of the
wineries offer stores and tasting bars. It’s possible to take a modest
wine-country tour here, echoing Europe
and California. And the experts are
musing aloud that Nova Scotia may be Canada’s next big wine region.
I’ll
drink to that. And also to my physiotherapists, who won both the $300 prize for
the grape stomp, and a
$100 prize for the best-dressed team. Good fun, good
works, good wine. Does it get better?
to Decembe 2009
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812181429.htm
Lifting
Weights Reduces Lymphedema Symptoms Following Breast Cancer Surgery, Research
Shows
ScienceDaily (Aug. 17, 2009) — Breast cancer survivors who lift
weights are less likely than their non-
weightlifting peers to experience
worsening symptoms of lymphedema, the arm- and hand-swelling condition
that
plagues many women following surgery for their disease, according to new
University of Pennsylvania
School of Medicine research published in the
August 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The
findings challenge the advice commonly given to lymphedema sufferers, who may
worry that weight
training or even carrying children or bags of groceries
will exacerbate their symptoms.
"Our study challenges the historical
medical recommendations for women who get lymphedema after breast
cancer,
and is another example of well-meaning medical advice turning out to be
misguided," says lead
author Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, an associate
professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and a
member of Penn's Abramson
Cancer Center. "For instance, we used to tell those who had back pain to
rest, but we know now that in many cases, inactivity can actually make a
bad back worse. Too many
women have missed out on the health and fitness
benefits that weight lifting provides, including building bone
density. Our
study shows that breast cancer survivors can safely participate in slowly
progressive weight
lifting and gain those benefits without any increase in
their lymphedema symptoms. In fact, this type of
exercise may actually help
them feel better."
In the largest study to date to examine the impact of weight training on this sometimes debilitating, incurable
condition,
Schmitz's team enrolled 141 breast cancer survivors with a current diagnosis of
lymphedema. Half
were assigned to a weight-lifting group that participated
in small- group, twice-weekly, 90-minute exercise
classes for 13 weeks.
During that time, with guidance from trained fitness instructors in community
fitness
centers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, the women worked
up to greater resistance and more
sets of weightlifting exercise. For the
next 39 weeks, the women continued twice-weekly unsupervised
exercise, with
trainers calling to check in on women who missed more than one session per
week. The
women wore a custom-fitted compression garment on their affected
arm during their workouts, and each
week were asked about changes in
symptoms. Their arms were measured monthly to ensure any changes
were noted
as soon as they occurred. The 70 control group participants, meanwhile, were
asked not to
change their exercise level during study
participation.
During the course of the study, women in the
weightlifting group experienced fewer exacerbations of their
condition, and
a reduction in symptoms compared to the women who did not lift weights. There
were 19
women in the control group who experienced lymphedema exacerbations
that required treatment from a
physical therapist, compared to 9 in the
treatment group. The proportion of women who experienced an
increase of five percent or more in their limb swelling was similar in both groups -- 11 percent of the weight-
lifting group and 12 percent in the control group.
The researchers theorize that a controlled weightlifting
program may have
protective benefits, by boosting strength in affected limbs enough to ward off
injuries
from everyday activities that can aggravate lymphedema
symptoms.
"Our study shows that participating in a safe, structured
weight-lifting routine can help women with
lymphedema take control of their
symptoms and reap the many rewards that resistance training has on their
overall health as they begin life as a cancer survivor," Schmitz says. "We
did the intervention in community
fitness centers deliberately, in the hope
that positive results seen in our study would continue to be available
to
breast cancer survivors long beyond the end of the research study."
It
is recommended that women start with a slowly progressive program, supervised
by a certified fitness
professional, in order to learn how to do these
types of exercises properly. Women with lymphedema
should also wear a
well-fitting compression garment during all exercise sessions. The new research
was
conducted in partnership with YMCAs in Philadelphia, Montgomery and
Delaware Counties in Pennsylvania
and in Burlington County in New Jersey,
as well as Sisters-In-Shape Fitness in Philadelphia. Staff at the
Edison-Metuchen YMCA in New Jersey have also been trained to deliver this
intervention.
The research was supported by grants from the National
Cancer Institute and the National Center for
Research
Resources.
----------------------------------
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810122141.htm
Discovery
Brings Hope To Treatment Of Lymphatic Diseases
ScienceDaily (Aug. 14, 2009)
— Researchers in the laboratory of Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati at the University
of Kentucky have discovered the first naturally occurring molecule that
selectively blocks lymphatic vessel
growth. In an article in the Aug. 9,
2009 online edition of Nature Medicine, they report the identification of a
new molecule known as soluble VEGFR-2 that blocks lymphangiogenesis – the
growth of lymphatics – but
not blood vessel growth.
The twin
circulatory systems of mammals - blood and lymphatic - are intricately
intertwined, both
anatomically and functionally. Until now it has been
difficult to selectively target one without affecting the
other. The
lymphatic vessel network is essential for transporting fluids, molecules, and
immune cells. It is
crucial for wound healing and immune defense.
Disturbances in the lymphatics are involved in diseases as
varied as
lymphedema, transplant rejection, and tumor metastasis, which collectively
affect hundreds of
millions of people worldwide.
This article, whose
lead author is Dr. Romulo Albuquerque, currently a medical student in the UK
College of
Medicine, showed that soluble VEGFR-2 specifically blocks
lymphatic vessel growth both during
development and following injury by
blocking VEGF-C, a powerful lymphatic growth factor. It also reports
that
loss of soluble VEGFR-2 during development led to the spontaneous invasion of
lymphatic vessels, but
not blood vessels, into the cornea, solving the
long-standing mystery of why the cornea is normally devoid of
lymphatics.
Soluble VEGFR-2 was also required for normal development of lymphatics in the
skin.
Importantly, administration of soluble VEGFR-2 to mice following
corneal transplantation nearly eliminated
graft rejection. This finding
might also be applicable in kidney transplant rejection because it is known
that
lymphatic vessels are the culprit in the rejection of that organ as well. In addition, it challenges the prevailing
dogma that abnormal blood
vessels are responsible for transplant rejection.
The Ambati group also
studied a childhood tumor known as lymphangioma, which is estimated to affect 1
in
50 babies and for which there is no satisfactory medical treatment.
Administration of soluble VEGFR-2
blocked the growth of lymphangioma cells
isolated from children with this tumor. Because this molecule
spares blood
vessels, it might offer a safer and more targeted treatment for this pediatric
tumor. The
potential benefit of modulating soluble VEGFR-2 in other
diseases such lymphedema due to filariasis and or
following surgery for
breast cancer, as well as in tumor metastasis, are also under
study.
“This paper by Dr. Ambati and his coworkers represents another in
a line of highly novel and important
findings from their laboratory," said
Patricia A. D’Amore, Professor of Ophthalmology and Pathology,
Harvard
Medical School and Senior Scientist at the Schepens Eye Research
Institute.
"The report of the first endogenous inhibitor of
lymphangiogenesis is an exciting development and holds great
therapeutic
promise for a number of pathologies in which lymphatic growth is a serious
complication.”
This work was supported by research grants from the
National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of
Health and an
unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness. Ambati is also supported
by a Doris
Duke Distinguished Clinical Scientist Award and the Burroughs
Wellcome Translational Research Clinical
Scientist
Award.
Researchers in the Ambati lab are recognized leaders in the fight
to find a cure for blindness due to age-
related macular degeneration and
corneal neovascularization. Their previous studies have been published in
premier journals such as Nature, Nature Medicine and Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences.
Journal
reference:
1.Albuquerque et al. Alternatively spliced vascular
endothelial growth factor receptor-2 is an essential
endogenous inhibitor
of lymphatic vessel growth. Nature Medicine, 2009; DOI:
10.1038/nm.2018
Adapted from materials provided by University of
Kentucky.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.gcnews.com/news/2009/0814/Community/048.html
Lymphatic
Research Foundation Hosts 2009 Awards Gala
Garden City resident,
Jacqueline Reinhard, Executive Director of the Lymphatic Research Foundation,
announced today that the organization's premier 2009 fundraising event held
May 28th at Oheka Castle,
was a noteworthy financial success. "Considering
the uncertain economic climate, it is truly gratifying that
LRF friends and
supporters rallied on our behalf with generous contributions and enthusiastic
participation,"
said Reinhard in a recent interview. "The Gala not only
gave us a great opportunity to honor some of LRF's
most outstandingly
generous friends, it also provided needed financial support to bolster the
Foundation's
important programs."
One of the many highlights of the
evening was a reprise of LRF's Call to Action video followed by
fourteen-
year-old McKenna Johnson of Tennessee who spoke movingly of her
experience managing the effects of
extensive primary systemic lymphatic
disease. McKenna told the audience about extensive therapies and
medications that make it impossible for her to join her teenaged friends
for many activities. She thanked the
audience for supporting 'people like
me' who have lymphatic diseases:
LRF Board Chair, Philip Braginsky,
and Gala emcee, NY Islanders/Hockey Hall-of-Famer, Mike Bossy,
enjoy video
introductions of Gala honorees.
"My disease is very rare, but hundreds
of thousands of people - millions of people - suffer with many
different
forms of lymphatic disease . . . and there is very little out there for us. The
treatments are still the
same - wrapping legs or arms with bandages and
wearing special garments to keep from swelling. LRF's
work brings hope to
millions of families like mine. It creates exciting new research programs for
the scientists
who are working to find new treatments. I know that some day
they will find a cure; and I believe that LRF's
work is what will be behind
that discovery."
Gala Honorees included Mel Dubin, Chair and founder of
Slant/Fin Corporation whose corporate
headquarters in East Hills and Glen
Cove have generously hosted LRF's administrative offices for the past
four
years, saving the organization hundreds of thousands of dollars in operating
expenses; Allan and Tina
Neill of Alabama whose philanthropic leadership
established the first-ever endowed academic professorship
in Lymphatic
Research and Medicine; and Roy Reichbach, Corporate Counsel for the New York
Islanders
and General Counsel and a Director of JumpTV, Inc., a leading
internet protocol television company, who
has generously supported LRF's
work.
Gala Honorees welcomed to Oheka Castle's magnificent Library
for a pre-Gala reception right to left):
Maurice Segall of Pro Bono
Partnership; Mel Dubin, Slant/Fin Corporation; Tina and Allan Neill;
Jacqueline
Reinhard, LRF Executive Director; Roy Reichbach, New York
Islanders; Wendy Chaite, LRF Founder,
Dr. Stanley R. Rockson, Chair of
LRF's Scientific/Medical Advisory Board.
In addition, Stanley G.
Rockson, M.D., Allan and Tina Neill Professor of Lymphatic Research and
Medicine and Chief of Consultative Cardiology, Falk Cardiovascular Research
Center, Stanford University
School of Medicine, received LRF's first
"Pioneer Award" for outstanding leadership in the field of lymphatic
research and his years of service as Chair of LRF's Scientific/Medical
Advisory Board and as Editor-in-
Chief of Lymphatic Research and Biology,
LRF's official peer-reviewed journal.
LRF founder, Wendy Chaite, and
executive director, Jacqueline Reinhard, present award to Gala honoree,
Mel
Dubin, Chairman and Founder of Slant/Fin Corporation of East Hills, NY
New York Islander Hockey Hall-of-Famer, Mike Bossy, added celebrity
sparkle as the evening's emcee;
and Chris Robbins of Robbins-Wolfe
Eventeurs brought generosity-inspiring excitement to the live
auction.
The Lymphatic Research Foundation (LRF) is a not-for-profit
patient advocacy organization whose primary
mission is to advance
scientific research of the lymphatic system and to find improved treatments and
cures
for the broad spectrum of lymphatic diseases. Established in 1998 by
Roslyn resident Wendy Chaite, Esq.,
after her daughter was born with
lymphatic disorders, LRF has become a leader in patient advocacy and the
primary force behind advancements in lymphatic science worldwide. The
Foundation's efforts have been
transformative in elevating
scientific/medical research of the lymphatic system to what is now considered a
critical new field of cutting-edge investigatory research.
LRF's
advocacy programs have been effective in gaining Congressional and National
Institutes of Health
(NIH) support for lymphatic research at NIH and major
academic research centers, elevating lymphatic
diseases from relative
obscurity to a position on par with other national health priorities. The
organization's
two-year competitive Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Grants
Program enables promising young research
scientists to pursue cutting-edge
research in lymphatics with the premier scientists in the field. Among the
Foundation's other accomplishments is the conceptualizing and funding of
the first-ever endowed academic
Professorship in Lymphatic Research and
Medicine (Stanford University Medical School, 2008). LRF's
current
initiatives include the establishment of a National Lymphatic Disease Patient
Registry and Tissue
Bank and a national/international lymphatic disease
community-building and outreach initiative.
Lymphatic diseases and
disorders are estimated to affect millions of people - and possibly hundreds
of
millions - worldwide. While some lymphatic diseases are congenital,
others represent the aftermath of injury
or illness, such as insect-borne
illnesses or treatment for cancer. Most lymphatic disorders result in
lymphedema, a chronic condition that is estimated to affect at least 10
million people in the United States,
where various cancer treatments
represent the leading cause of secondary lymphedemas. Because the
lymphatic
system impacts nearly every organ of the human body, lymphatic dysfunction is
also implicated in
chronic infection, inflammation, trauma, arthritis,
autoimmune disorders, underlying vascular disease, and
obesity. Inherited
diseases of the lymphatic system are less common, but are often
life-threatening or life-
limiting. Scientific and medical advances in
lymphatic investigations are likely to contribute to advancing
medical
research in the related areas of cancer, inflammation, skin and joint disease,
metabolic disease,
obesity, autoimmune disease, and organ
transplantation-related illness.
To learn more about the Lymphatic
Research Foundation and its work, please visit www.lymphaticresearch.
org or
contact their Glen Cove, NY office at 516/625-9675. Copies of the LRF video,
"Call to Action" are
available upon
request.
---------------------------------------------
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/health/news-article.aspx?storyid=143253&provider=rss
Breast
Cancer Survivor Needs Simple Help: a Mattress
Jeannie Blaylock Taren Reed
Created: 8/12/2009 11:37:07 AM Updated: 8/12/2009 6:59:27 PM
ArticleEmail ArticleLargerSmaller
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- It's been a rough
time lately for Nina. She lost her job and had a double
mastectomy. The
good thing is she did Buddy Check 12 and called our Mammogram
Hotline.
It's terrific she got a mammogram for free. She couldn't afford
to pay for one.
Turns out her cancer was deep inside her breast,
according to radiologist Dr. Barbara Sharp at Baptist. That
means she
couldn't have felt it with her fingers yet in a self exam.
Nina caught
her cancer in Stage 1, an early stage. That's a lifesaver.
It's
wonderful to Nina's daughter, a local high school student pursuing a nursing
career. Nina herself has
been going to Concorde Career Institute and is
almost finished with her studies to be a medical clerk or
receptionist.
Mom and daughter are very close. But now Nina could
use a hero. She needs a new mattress for her king-
sized bed.
She's
recovering from her double mastectomy and she's also developed lymphedema,
severe swelling in the
limbs. It's a chronic condition which happens to
some women who've had breast cancer surgery.
On top of that, she is in
continual pain from lower back problems.
So sleeping at night on her
old, saggy mattress has become almost impossible. Nina says she's tried to flip
the mattress numerous times, but that hasn't helped.
She's tried to
sleep sideways, across the bed, but that didn't help either.
So can you
be a hero to Nina?
CLICK HERE to BE A HERO. Put your name and email
there and indicate you have a king-sized mattress
to donate to
Nina.
A non-profit agency can pick up the mattress and deliver it to
Nina.
Also, if you can't afford a mammogram just call our Mammogram
Hotline at 1-877-9-MY-MAMO. A real
person will take your call.
And
don't forget Buddy Check 12 Day! Remind your buddy to get her mammogram if it's
time (once a
year) and do her self exam.
If you want a free Buddy
Check 12 kit just call Baptist at
902-202-CARE.
------------------------------------
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20090811/New-molecule-blocks-lymphangiogenesis.aspx
New
molecule blocks lymphangiogenesis
11. August 2009
01:05
Researchers in the laboratory of Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati at the
University of Kentucky have discovered the
first naturally occurring
molecule that selectively blocks lymphatic vessel growth. In an article in the
Aug. 9,
2009 online edition of Nature Medicine, they report the
identification of a new molecule known as soluble
VEGFR-2 that blocks
lymphangiogenesis - the growth of lymphatics - but not blood vessel
growth.
The twin circulatory systems of mammals - blood and lymphatic - are
intricately intertwined, both
anatomically and functionally. Until now it
has been difficult to selectively target one without affecting the
other.
The lymphatic vessel network is essential for transporting fluids, molecules,
and immune cells. It is
crucial for wound healing and immune defense.
Disturbances in the lymphatics are involved in diseases as
varied as
lymphedema, transplant rejection, and tumor metastasis, which collectively
affect hundreds of
millions of people worldwide.
This article, whose
lead author is Dr. Romulo Albuquerque, currently a medical student in the UK
College of
Medicine, showed that soluble VEGFR-2 specifically blocks
lymphatic vessel growth both during
development and following injury by
blocking VEGF-C, a powerful lymphatic growth factor. It also reports
that
loss of soluble VEGFR-2 during development led to the spontaneous invasion of
lymphatic vessels, but
not blood vessels, into the cornea, solving the
long-standing mystery of why the cornea is normally devoid of
lymphatics.
Soluble VEGFR-2 was also required for normal development of lymphatics in the
skin.
Importantly, administration of soluble VEGFR-2 to mice following
corneal transplantation nearly eliminated
graft rejection. This finding
might also be applicable in kidney transplant rejection because it is known
that
lymphatic vessels are the culprit in the rejection of that organ as
well. In addition, it challenges the prevailing
dogma that abnormal blood
vessels are responsible for transplant rejection.
The Ambati group also
studied a childhood tumor known as lymphangioma, which is estimated to affect 1
in
50 babies and for which there is no satisfactory medical treatment.
Administration of soluble VEGFR-2
blocked the growth of lymphangioma cells
isolated from children with this tumor. Because this molecule
spares blood
vessels, it might offer a safer and more targeted treatment for this pediatric
tumor. The
potential benefit of modulating soluble VEGFR-2 in other
diseases such lymphedema due to filariasis and or
following surgery for
breast cancer, as well as in tumor metastasis, are also under
study.
"This paper by Dr. Ambati and his coworkers represents another in
a line of highly novel and important
findings from their laboratory," said
Patricia A. D'Amore, Professor of Ophthalmology and Pathology,
Harvard
Medical School and Senior Scientist at the Schepens Eye Research
Institute.
"The report of the first endogenous inhibitor of
lymphangiogenesis is an exciting development and holds great
therapeutic
promise for a number of pathologies in which lymphatic growth is a serious
complication."
http://www.uky.edu
---------------------------
http://www.thewesterlysun.com/articles/2009/08/09//news/local/doc4a76da5ecb521670949843.txt
The
art of healing runs in the family
Email this story | Print this story
By GLORIA RUSSELL / Sun Staff Writer
Barbara Petrie
helps people get back on track as they recover from a debilitating injury or
illness. Daniel
Hyland/SunPhotos
WESTERLY — You may
never have occasion to meet Barbara Petrie. But if you do, you’ll never forget
her, because she’s one of that vast army of healers who help people get
back on track as they recover from
a debilitating injury or
illness.
Employed by The Westerly Hospital Physical Therapy and
Rehabilitation Services, Petrie says she works
with a “great group of
people” — colleagues who are performing a rewarding service. “It’s very
satisfying
being able to help people even if it’s in some small
way.”
Upon reflection, she said, “I especially enjoy working with
[patient’s] hands and educating people about the
complexity of hand
function.” This comes into play when she treats them for fractures of the
hand.
She has administered to those suffering fractured wrists and
tennis elbows, but also treats patients suffering
from lymphedema, swelling
usually caused by removal of lymph nodes. This interrupts the lymphatic flow,
resulting in an accumulation of fluid, she said.
Petrie is the
daughter of Francis M. Petrie, who will be remembered by Westerly residents as
the
administrator who guided The Westerly Hospital for a quarter century.
Petrie and his wife, Jean, the parents
of four daughters, settled in
Westerly after his retirement.
Two of Barbara Petrie’s sisters, Jeanne
MacLaughlin and Cynthia Fiore, are Westerly residents while a third
sister,
Pamela Carle, lives in New Hampshire.
It’s apparent the apple
doesn’t fall far from the tree when you link her father’s life work to the
career she
finally chose.
Petrie graduated from Westerly High School
and went on to become a surgical technician — an occupation
she followed
for a dozen years before enrolling in Worcester State College to train as an
occupational
therapist, graduating summa cum laude in 1993.
Apart
from her work, she enjoys bicycling and taking out her kayak, especially on
Quonochontaug Pond
and East and West beaches. “I especially like salt
ponds,” she said “You see things you may not normally
see
otherwise.”
Another of her hobbies is reading American history and
science books. She also makes jewelry. “Pretty
much beaded jewelry —
earrings, necklaces and bracelets, for friends and family,” she
noted.
Her 26-year-old son, Peter Francis D’Agostino, a surfing
enthusiast, plans to start his second year of law
school at Columbia
University.
Petrie is married to Michael Pereira, an artist who
specializes in wood crafting and creates 1/12th scale
miniature furniture,
such as hutches and cabinets for dollhouses. The couple lives in South
Kingstown with
their dogs, Max and
Lucy.
------------------------------
Breast Cancer Survivors
Who Receive Lymphedema Education are More Likely to Have Fewer Symptoms
By
NYU Langone Medical Center
Aug 18, 2009 - 1:36:02 PM
http://www.healthnewsdigest.
com/news/Cancer_Issues_660/Breast_Cancer_Survivors_Who_Receive_Lymphedema_Education_are_M
ore_Likely_to_Have_Fewer_Symptoms.shtml
(HealthNewsDigest.com)
- New York, NY - Patients who receive additional information about
lymphedema report significantly fewer symptoms and practiced more
risk-reducing behaviors, according to
a recent study co-authored by Deborah
Axelrod, MD, associate professor in the department of surgery at
NYU
Langone Medical Center and a member of the NYU Cancer Institute. Risk reducing
behaviors
include elevating the affected limb to promote fluid drainage,
avoiding blood draws and injections to the
affected limb and avoiding tight
fitting clothing which can aggravate symptoms.
Lymphedema is a condition
resulting in the abnormal and debilitating swelling of the extremities that
can
follow breast cancer surgery. Approximately 30% of the 2.4 million
breast cancer survivors in the United
States have developed lymphedema and
all are at a lifetime risk. Physical symptoms include swelling,
firmness,
pain fatigue, numbness and impaired limb mobility, but also predisposes
patients to fibrosis,
cellulitis, infections and septicemia.
Psychologically, survivors often feel stigmatized because of the swollen
limb which often brings about anxiety, depression and disruption of
interpersonal relationships.
“I believe that anyone undergoing breast
cancer surgery – whether it is a sentinel node biopsy alone or more
extensive axillary surgery -- should be informed about the risks of
lymphedema,” says Dr. Axelrod. “Until
now, we had little evidence of the
effectiveness of the behaviors to recognize and reduce
symptoms.”
Co-author Mei R. Fu, RN, PhD, ACNS-BC assistant professor in
the College of Nursing at New York
University says this is the first study
to show that education can reduce risk of lymphedema. “Nurses can
play a
leadership role in educating patients about lymphedema and can play a role in
improving the quality of
life in cancer survivors,” says Fu.
“It is
important to identify the early warning signs and symptoms of the condition, as
well as determine what
interventions to take,” added Dr. Axelrod. “We also
enroll patients into ongoing behavior and risk
modification trials and work
with physical therapists to ensure symptom reduction.”
About NYU Cancer
Institute
The NYU Cancer Institute is an NCI-designated cancer center.
Its mission is to discover the origins of
human cancer and to use that
knowledge to eradicate the personal and societal burden of cancer in our
community, the nation and the world. The center and its multidisciplinary
team of experts provide access to
the latest treatment options and clinical
trials along with a variety of programs in cancer prevention,
screening,
diagnostics, genetic counseling and supportive services. For additional
information, please visit:
www.nyuci.org.
Plunge into fitness with
water aerobics
August 21, 11:25 PMHouston Women's Health ExaminerSusan
Murphy
Photo: Joyce Lynn Edwards HermanNeed to beat the heat while
getting in shape? Retiree Carol Shields
began a workout regimen, which
included water aerobics, more than a year ago at the Memorial
Hermann/HBU
Wellness Center in southwest Houston. She has lost 25 pounds, climbs stairs
with less
effort, has experienced increased flexibility in her neck and
shoulders, and was able to cut her diabetes
medication in
half.
“Exercising in the water puts less weight on my knee,” she said.
Carol began taking water aerobics classes
to help restore the flexibility
in her left knee after undergoing arthroscopic surgery. It quickly became one
of
her favorite activities. She considers her time spent in water aerobics
as her reward for regular land-based
workouts.
Carol also joins in
Ai Chi (Aqua Chi) classes, a form of T’ai Chi done in the water. She explains
that the
slow movements contribute to relaxation. “It feeds the soul," she
said.
The Aquatic Exercise Association reports that a body immersed in
water to the neck bears about 10
percent of its weight; a body in
chest-deep water bears 25-35 percent of its weight; and a body in
waist-
deep water bears 50 percent of its weight. Shallow water (waist to
chest deep) and deep water (chest to
shoulder deep) walking and jogging can
burn more calories than walking or jogging on a treadmill. The
density and
resistance offered by water allows for high levels of energy expenditure while
putting little strain
on the body. It is possible to strengthen muscles,
increase endurance and flexibility, improve body
composition, and develop
cardiovascular fitness during water aerobics.
Water workouts are good
for people of all ages and physical capabilities. Many women with a variety of
medical conditions, including arthritis, diabetes, lymphedema, and those
who simply want to stay in top
condition find water aerobics to be a safe,
fun and effective workout. The classes also provide social
interaction and
can produce friendships that will nourish the spirit.
Contact Susan
Murphy at [email protected]
http://www.examiner.com/x-19936-Houston-Womens-Health-Examiner~y2009m8d21-Plunge-into-fitness-
with-water-aerobics
------
Ebert
brings new vision to ACC program
Published August 23,
2009
ALVIN — As a doctor of chiropractic and certified acupuncturist,
using nonchemical and noninvasive
methods to help improve people’s health
is Stacy Ebert’s passion.
“I’ve been in the health and fitness industry
since I was an undergraduate in 1989 and I saw the benefits (of
alternative
medicine) and wanted to do more,” Ebert said. “I was also a patient of
chiropractic care and I
saw where (traditional Western) medicine failed me
and realized there are other treatments that are
effective.”
Desiring to share and inspire others with that passion,
she recently was appointed as the new director of the
Alternative Medicine
and Massage Therapy Program at Alvin Community College.
“Education is
essential for producing good, quality health care providers,” Ebert
said.
Although ACC has been training students for careers in massage
therapy since 1994, the evolution of the
program toward offering
alternative medicine training is new.
“Eventually, I would like to offer
certification programs in a variety of complementary medicine techniques
and integrate them with the medical community,” Ebert said. “I think that’s
essential because they go hand-in-
hand; there’s a time and a place for
each.”
Examples of courses that are being considered for the future
include traditional Chinese medicine, holistic
health care consultant, and
personal training.
In her chiropractic care, Ebert said she always has
included massage therapy as one of her modalities.
“Touch is important
to therapy,” she said. “It’s (massage therapy) good for pain relief, it
increases
endorphins to improve moods, increases bloodflow to tissue,
reduces swelling in people with lymphedema
— I could go on and
on.”
As a stress reliever, massage therapy also helps calm the mind so
it can better use its energy to heal the
body. Many of ACC’s graduates have
gone on to work in the medical field to help patients with various
ailments, including cancer.
ACC’s licensed massage therapist program
begins Sept. 14 and provides 550 hours of instruction and 50
hours of
internship to prepare students to take the national and state certification
exams and enjoy a fulfilling
career helping others.
The program’s
instructors are highly qualified, including Susan Hill, who is a licensed
massage therapy
instructor and has a master’s degree in food science, and
Dr. Connie Van Vliet, who is a doctor of podiatric
medicine.
For
information, contact Dr. Stacy Ebert at (281) 756-3806
http://thefacts.com/story.lasso?ewcd=51af5885d5ba05e3
-------------------------
25
August 2009 - Surgeon Training Found Effective In Breast Cancer Sentinel Lymph
Node Trial
Training methods for surgeons who perform breast cancer
sentinel lymph node resection were found to be
effective in almost 97% of
surgeons assessed, according to a new study published online August 24 in the
Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
The randomized National
Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-32 trial is evaluating whether
sentinel lymph node resection can achieve the same outcomes as axillary
lymph node resection - the surgical
procedure designed to maximize breast
cancer survival, provide regional control, and determine cancer
stage - but
with fewer side effects.
In this study, David N. Krag, M.D., of the
Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of
Vermont in
Burlington, Vt., and colleagues assessed the effectiveness of three training
methods (core-
trained, site trained, and expedited training (in the case of
those with extensive prior experience with the
technique)) for the sentinel
node resection, as well as overall protocol compliance and their relationship
to
technical outcomes.
Out of the 261 surgeons approved to randomly
assign patients to the B-32 trial (to receive sentinel lymph
node
resection), 224 trained surgeons had an overall success rate of 96.9%, with no
statistically significant
difference among the three training groups. Among
all surgeons, a statistically significant positive association
was observed
between the average number of procedural errors and the false-negative
rate.
"Subgroup analysis identified some variation in false-negative
rates that were related to audited outcome
performance measures, indicating
the value of similar auditing measures on future trials," the authors
write.
Source:
Steve Graff
Journal of the National Cancer
Institute
----------------
For The Body Conscious, 'Cankles'
Offer Another Focus For Obsession
Barbara Simone of Glen Burnie, Maryland,
considers herself terribly flawed. She refuses to show her ankles
and she'd
never allow them to be photographed. She barely wants to talk about them; in
fact, when asked
about her legs, she mumbles under her breath that she
hates them.
Posted: 10:30 AM Aug 24, 2009
Reporter:
CNN
Barbara Simone of Glen Burnie, Maryland, considers herself
terribly flawed. She refuses to show her ankles
and she'd never allow them
to be photographed. She barely wants to talk about them; in fact, when asked
about her legs, she mumbles under her breath that she hates
them.
Why would someone be so self-conscious about a certain part of her
body? "I have cankles -- that's all I
can say," she laments. "They are huge
and they are horrible. ... And I will never wear a skirt or dress
again."
Cankles? What are cankles? We've heard about saddle bags, muffin
tops and love handles, but it seems that
some women and men of the 21st
century are now focused on the chubby joints of their lower
extremities.
Far from being a medical term, "cankles" is slang for the
part of the leg where the ankle meets the calf when
there is no definition
or indentation. In most cases, cankles are just large ankles -- what used to be
called
"big bones." But in society's quest for all things thin and shapely,
big-boned ankles have taken on a name --
and a life -- of their
own.
According to podiatrists, the average ankle size is about 10 to 11
inches around; men's ankles may be a little
larger. The American Podiatric
Medical Association does not recognize cankles as a medical problem, but
according to Dr. Kathya Zinszer, a physician at Temple University's School
of Podiatric Medicine, cankles
can be caused by all types of medical
issues.
"Things like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular risks,
sometimes just lymphedema," says Zinszer. "All of
those can lend themselves
to deformed ankles or what people are [calling] cankles." But Zinszer says that
most cankles are "God-given." Watch more on cankles and what can be done
about them »
Zinszer has seen patients try to alter their cankles. Some
people turn to ankle liposuction, which can cost
anywhere between $4,000 to
$8,000, depending on how extensive the ankle-shaping need is.
But
Zinszer doesn't recommend liposuction because it can do more damage than good.
"The foot, the lower
extremity, has a lot of neuromuscular structures," she
says, explaining that by removing some of the tissue,
nerves and
vasculature can be damaged, creating an even bigger problem.
There are
exercises that can keep your ankles firm. However, they don't always work. Jeff
Timmons, a
personal trainer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, says he has
clients who constantly complain about the size of
their ankles. Many plead
with him to help them shape their legs and give their ankles
definition.
Although some exercises can make a little difference, he
says, most cankles are stubborn and stay put
because they're part of a
person's anatomy. "Sure, if you're heavy, you're going to have heavy ankles, so
losing weight will make a difference," he says. "But to be honest, most of
my clients who want to get rid of
their cankles are already in pretty good
shape."
Zinszer says people should stop worrying about the size of their
ankles and think more about how to take
care of them, because our lower
extremities can take a pounding. "When we think about ankles, we're
thinking about all the different ligaments that are there, all the
structures," she says. "They handle a lot of our
activities, our weight,
and we forget they're there until we've actually injured them or something has
happened to [draw] attention to them."
Zinszer says we take our feet
for granted. "You know, feet get abused. ... We expect them to always be
there when we need to do our activities," she says. She recommends that we
treat our ankles, Achilles and
arches by wearing supportive shoes,
maintaining an appropriate weight and eating a healthy diet -- and learn
to
deal with cankles as a part of life.
But Barbara Simone says that's
easier said than done. She has tried exercises, different shoes, weight-loss
programs -- and still, nothing. For now, she resorts to wearing long pants
and keeping away from the
camera.
"What more is there to say?" she
asks with frustration. "I'm still looking for ways to correct them."
http://www.wibw.com/nationalnews/headlines/54545147.html
====
Postoperative
Radiation May Be Beneficial in Vulvar Cancer
Rates of cancer-related death,
local relapses are reduced compared to pelvic node resection Publish date:
Aug 24, 2009
Del.icio.usDiggRedditFacebook
MONDAY, Aug. 24
(HealthDay News) -- In patients with groin node-positive vulvar cancer who
have
undergone radical vulvectomy and inguinal lymphadenectomy,
postoperative radiation is associated with a
significantly lower rate of
cancer-related death than postoperative pelvic node resection, according to a
study in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Charles
Kunos, M.D., of the University Hospitals of Cleveland, and colleagues randomly
assigned 114
patients (median age, 70 years) to receive either
postoperative pelvic and groin radiation or ipsilateral pelvic
node
resection.
After six years, the researchers found that the radiation
group had a significantly lower cancer-related death
rate than the pelvic
node resection group (29 versus 51 percent). They also found that radiation was
associated with a significantly lower number of local relapses and that
rates of late toxicities were similar in
both groups.
"This update
of Gynecologic Oncology Group #37 provides a new objective indication for groin
and pelvic
radiation when greater than 20 percent ipsilateral groin nodes
are present because radiation significantly
benefits treatment-related
survival," the authors conclude. "Long-term analysis of treatment-related
toxicities
shows similar rates of chronic skin and lymphedema complications
after radiation or pelvic node resection."
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Pathology/Postoperative-Radiation-May-Be-Beneficial-
in-Vulva/ArticleNewsFeed/Article/detail/621053?contextCategoryId=40149
------
http://www.macclesfield-express.co.uk/news/s/1133636_brave_dots_walk_of_thanks_for_hospiceBrave
Dot's walk of thanks for Hospice
August 26, 2009
DOT
Rutter and her super-fit colleagues are the latest walkers to sign up for the
Midnight Walk.
Dot, 66, of South West Avenue, said: "I am supporting the
hospice because they supported me when I
needed help."
The
Grandmother-of-four developed lymphedema in her left arm after battling breast
cancer.
She said: "Lymphedema is a build up of fluid in the arm and it
can be quite painful. I needed to find a way to
treat it myself and
unfortunately couldn't find anyone to help me.
"I was put in contact
with the hospice who have a lymphedema nurse, Joy, who showed me how to treat
it
through massage techniques - they gave me advice and help when nobody
else would."
Dot revisits the hospice every six months and hopes she
will be fit enough on the day to take part in the
Midnight Walk with
husband Carl, and colleagues from Bollington Leisure Centre, who have all
signed up to
take part.
Dot, who works part time at the centre,
said: "Natalie is going to be leading the warm up before the walk
and a
number of people from the leisure centre are doing it
too.
"Unfortunately I will have to wait and see if I am well enough but
hopefully I will be walking too."
The Midnight Walk is one of the
biggest events on the hospice's calendar and takes place on Saturday,
September 12.
It starts and finished at Macclesfield Leisure Centre
, Priory Lane, taking in Macclesfield Town Centre,
Tytherington and
Prestbury.
Every penny raised by the walk goes towards keeping the local
service going and phase one of its project to
extend its care
services.
To register, go to www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk or telephone
01625 433477. All enrolment forms must
be received by Friday, September
4.
------
http://www.newstreamz.com/2009/09/21/tanger-and-ctmc-partner-to-think-pink/
----------
What
To Do When a Wound Won’t Heal …
By Megan Loveless September 4, 2009 No
Comments Printer-Friendly ShareThis
We’ve all done it … purchased that
pair of shoes, with the extra high heel that requires a slight shuffle to
walk in, or bought the latest tennis shoe that is not exactly made for
playing tennis in … but they sure look
great on our
feet!
When making this sacrifice for the sake of fashion one
might assume she is compromising a little comfort, but
other than that this
choice may seem relatively harmless.
But what if that pair of shoes
caused a small blister that grew larger, until it turned into a wound, or
worse, a
wound that would not heal?
Suddenly, what was once a tiny
blister has grown to impact your everyday activities.
This is precisely
the situation in which Colleen Henline of Redding found herself in last
November.
“I wore a shoe that left a little blister on my ankle. I’m a
nurse, so I naturally treated it. But it didn’t go
away. I consulted my
general doctor and he treated it, as well. After a treatment it would start to
heal and
then stop and end up worse than before,” said Henline.
“I
talked about it a lot with my nurse friends. I am on my feet all day so it was
making things difficult. We
tried everything that would usually work, but
nothing seemed to heal it. I’ve seen a lot of wounds in my work
on patients
that can’t seem to heal. I kept thinking I was being dramatic, but a wound
takes on a whole new
meaning when its on your own body.”
Henline’s
doctor recommended she make an appointment at Mercy Medical Center Redding’s
(MMCR)
Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine Center. It was there that
Henline discovered her tiny blister was
now a painful “Venous Ulcer” or an
open sore that would not heal.
Why is it that some blisters, cuts or
scraps come and go and others seem to linger only to progressively get
worse?
“Chronic wounds often represent, or are the result of
significant underlying health problems, including
diabetes, peripheral
arterial disease, chronic venous insufficiency, lymphedema, underlying
infection, and
sometimes malignancy,” said Dr. Douglas G. Hatter, Vascular
Surgeon and Medical Director of the Wound
Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine
Center.
“It is because of these reasons and others that wounds sometimes
struggle to heal.”
How do you know when to worry, and when to let a
blister or scrape run its course?
“Chronic wounds are defined as those
being present for 30 days or longer,” Dr. Hatter said.
“These are the
wounds we see most commonly at our center, ones that have been evaluated and
treated
elsewhere and just aren’t healing. It’s our job to find out why,
and address the underlying problems in
addition to providing advanced,
state-of-the-art treatments to the wound itself to maximize chances for
recovery.”
Healing a wound is often a joint effort. The doctor
provides the appropriate treatment, but it is also
important for patients
to monitor their wounds and not hesitate to make an appointment should a wound
show no signs of healing after 30 days.
“Much of the success of a
patient’s treatment depends on the patient,” said Cindy Buhler, Director of
Mercy’s Wound Center.
“We will count on a patient to follow
directions carefully and watch the wound’s healing progress closely.
Patients will learn about caring for their wound at home, including how to
change dressings and how to
protect themselves from further
injuries.”
Henline began receiving treatments every Tuesday for three
weeks.
“After I completed my treatments I was told to give it about two
weeks but after only one week I was
healed,” Henline said.
Minor
cuts or scrapes can be treated at home to help prevent infection. Tips can be
found on Mercy
Medical Center’s website redding.mercy.org. To access this
information, click on the following link: http:
//redding.mercy.org/Medical_Services/189339.
Treatments
for chronic wounds will vary and be recommended by your doctor.
At
Mercy’s Wound Center it offers both traditional and advanced healing techniques
and procedures
including hyperbaric oxygen therapies with the use of HBO or
Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers that surround
the patient with 100 percent
oxygen at higher-than-normal atmospheric pressure in sessions, or “dives” that
last 90-minutes to two hours. This increases the amount of oxygen in the
patient’s blood and allows red
blood cells to pass more easily through the
plasma into the wounds to heal them from the inside out.
Introduced in
the mid ’60s, HBO chambers have evolved to treat patients who suffer from
diabetic ulcers,
pressure ulcers, infections, compromised skin grafts and
flaps and wounds that haven’t healed within 30
days.
Weighing more than 1 ton each, the HBO chambers
resemble a reclining bed that’s encased in a clear
acrylic shell nearly a
yard in diameter.
“Patients can listen to music or watch movies on
televisions mounted above the chamber while remaining in
constant contact
with those outside the chamber through an intercom and private handset,” said
Buhler. “The
only physical sensation resulting from the treatment is a
slight pressure on the eardrum, such as typically felt
when a plane lands,
as the air in the chamber is compressed.”
For many north state
residents, having this technology available locally has reduced travel time and
allowed
patients to continue living their lives with less
disruption.
“This sort of expertise and technology is often found in
larger cities,” Dr. Hatter said.
“We are very fortunate to have this
right here in Redding. Often times we see patients with wounds that have
been there for months, and sometimes years, and it truly has a great impact
on their life. Having a center
dedicated to the treatment of hard-to-heal
wounds, a center that has an extremely dedicated and hard-
working staff,
advanced wound-care techniques and hyperbaric oxygen chambers for healing the
most
difficult of wounds, is something our community has needed for a long
time.”
For those currently struggling with a hard-to-heal wound, Henline
offers some words of wisdom.
Megan Loveless is Mercy Medical Center’s
Public Relations Coordinator. She may be emailed at Megan.
[email protected].
For more information about the Mercy Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Medicine
Center, call (530) 245-4801or log onto redding.mercy.org.
Photos by
Michael Burke.
http://anewscafe.com/2009/09/04/megan-loveless-when-a-blister-turns-into-a-wound-that-just-won%E2%
80%99t-heal%E2%80%A6/
STAFF
REPORT
Tanger Outlet Centers has partnered with Central Texas Medical
Center (CTMC) in the ongoing fight
against breast cancer. From Sept. 21
through Oct. 20, Tanger will sell its Tanger Pink Style savings card
that
gives shoppers a 25-percent discount on a single item at participating
stores.
Each card can be purchased for a minimum of a $1 donation at the
Tanger Shopper Service Center, Suite
319, online at tangeroutlet.com, or
through the CTMC Foundation Office.
“Our Pink Style Savings Card
campaign is providing tremendous added-value to our shoppers’ visit this
fall,” stated Steven B. Tanger, President and Chief Executive Office for
Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.
“Tanger customers can feel good knowing
that each and every Pink Card they purchase is going to make a
big
difference to help in the fight against breast cancer in their
community.”
During the last 16 years Tanger, through its campaigns to
help stop breast cancer, has donated more than
$6.1 million to the cause.
Last year, Tanger Centers reached a milestone in the company’s history by
raising
more than $1 million over the course of a four week
period.
Tanger Outlet San Marcos funds from the pink cards will stay in
the community. The proceeds from the
campaign are being donated to CTMC’s
Lymphedema Therapy Program and mammography for the
uninsured through the
Stanley K. Tanger fund, named in honor of the company’s
founder.
Lymphedema therapy helps prevent swelling due to the build up
of a protein-rich fluid in the tissues of the
skin often following
treatment for breast cancer. Treatment by a Certified Lymphedema Therapist
helps to
manage the swelling and prevent tissue damage.
“We are very
excited and grateful to again be partnering with Tanger for such a worthy
cause,” said Gary
Jepson, CTMC President and CEO. “The funds raised by the
program last year were a huge help to our
Lymphedema program. We feel very
blessed to be able to provide such an important therapy program to
the
community, thanks in large part to the generosity of Tanger and to many in our
community.”
For more information about Central Texas Medical Center’s
breast cancer services, including its
Lymphedema Therapy program, call
(512)753-8687 or visit their website at ctmc.org. Pink Cards may be
purchased at CTMC every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Daily
Bread Cafe entrance through
Oct. 20. Central Texas Medical Center is
located at 1301 Wonder World Drive in San Marcos.
“By working closely
with our retail partners and those in the community, we hope to put an end to
breast
cancer,” said Michelle Carswell, General Manager of Tanger Factory
Outlet Centers, Inc. “We are grateful
for the support our campaign has
received and hope to continue to raise the funds needed to find a
cure.”
According to the American Cancer Society, yearly mammograms and
clinical breast exams for women age
40 and older are integral to detecting
the disease early when it is most treatable. Maintaining a diet rich in
fruits and vegetables, following a regular exercise routine and reducing
smoking and alcohol consumption are
important in helping to prevent the
disease
-------
http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=157730
journey
of a cancer survivorFood
Ask Dr. Weil : Forget lymph drainage unless nodes
were removed
Opinion by Andrew Weil
Universal Press Syndicate
Tucson,
Arizona | Published: 09.16.2009
advertisement Q: What is your take on
lymphatic drainage for general health?
A: Lymphatic drainage, also called
lymphatic massage or manual lymph drainage, is a technique developed
in
Germany. It is most useful in treating lymphedema, an accumulation of fluid
that can occur after lymph
nodes are removed during surgery, most often a
mastectomy for breast cancer. Up to 25 percent of breast
cancer patients
whose surgery includes removal of lymph nodes in the area of the armpit
eventually develop
this uncomfortable condition in the arm. Lymphedema also
can develop in the legs or other parts of the body
if lymph nodes are
removed in the course of other types of surgery — for melanoma, colon, prostate
or
bladder cancer, for example — or are damaged by radiation treatment,
infection or trauma. Symptoms are
swelling, pain and, sometimes, infection.
Lymphedema can occur immediately after radiation or surgery, or
weeks,
months and even years later.
If you don't have lymphedema, you don't need
lymphatic drainage, no matter what glowing claims are made
for it. I've
seen Internet sites that warn of the health consequences of "sluggish lymphatic
flow" and promote
lymphatic drainage for all manner of supposed benefits
ranging from detoxification of the body, regeneration
of burned, injured or
wrinkled tissue, anti-aging effects, and relief of sinusitis, bronchitis, ear
infections,
chronic pain, fibromyalgia, constipation, insomnia, memory
loss, cellulite and obesity. Lymphatic drainage is
even being promoted as a
beauty treatment. This is ridiculous.
Manual lymphatic drainage is not a
necessity for general health. Lymph fluid circulates as a result of muscular
contraction, including the muscles used in breathing that support normal
physical activity.
You don't have to worry about drainage as long as your
lymphatic tissues or lymph nodes have not been
damaged or removed.
If
you do have lymphedema, however, the procedure is worthwhile.
Q: My friend,
female, age 60, had surgery for a malignant brain tumor a year ago. She is now
cancer-free,
but soon she will discontinue the steroids she has been on
since the surgery. Are there alternative foods,
vitamins or herbs that
simulate the benefits of steroids?
A: I'm glad to hear that your friend is
doing well. After brain surgery, steroids are prescribed to counteract
swelling that can result from surgery, the tumor or
treatment.
Typically, the steroid dose is reduced when physicians are
confident that swelling no longer will be a
problem. The drug most often
used is dexamethasone (Decadron), which may help relieve headache and
other
symptoms that occur due to increased pressure caused by swelling. Patients
frequently need another
drug to prevent seizures — also a risk after brain
surgery.
Given that the steroids are not needed long term, don't worry that
your friend will be off them. As a matter
of fact, she should feel better,
because these powerful drugs have many side effects: weight gain and water
retention, increased appetite, diabetes, sleeping problems, mood changes,
stomach irritation, skin thinning,
an acne-type rash, flushing and night
sweats.
As far as natural alternatives, licorice root has steroidlike
effects and can help patients transition off the
drugs, but steroids should
not be stopped suddenly, and she should follow the tapering-off plan
prescribed
by her doctors.
Your friend also should follow these
lifestyle strategies, which can enhance cancer treatment:
• Get plenty of
antioxidants through foods or supplements (be sure to discuss any dietary
changes with your
health-care practitioner).
• Eat generous amounts of
vegetables and moderate amounts of fruit (preferably organic to minimize
exposure to pesticide residues).
• Drink green tea several times a
day.
• Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (walnuts and flaxseed, and
cold-water fish such as salmon and
sardines). Take fish-oil supplements if
you can't get these foods into your diet.
• Limit alcohol consumption.
•
Take cancer-protective supplements including Asian mushrooms, CoQ10, selenium
and vitamin D.
Readers who want to ask Dr. Weil a question can do so by
going to his Web site, www.drweil.com, and
clicking "Ask Dr. Weil" and then
"Ask Your Question." Because Weil receives so many questions, it's
impossible for him to personally respond to every one. If your question is
selected, look for Weil's response
in an upcoming Q&A
article.
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/309
----------------
Tougher
than ever
‘Pink day’ shows rodeo fans’ breast cancer awareness
By
FLYNN ESPE
The East Oregonian
It's been oft described as a "sea of
pink," the grandstands filled with spectators - both men and women -
wearing pink shirts, pink bracelets and other pink accessories.
Down
on the grass, many of the rodeo participants prove their toughness, not simply
by riding angry bulls
and barreling horses, but by doing so while donning
rosy colors.
"What I think is really neat is to see these burly men with
a pink shirt," Terre Rasmussen said. "And they
look good in
them."
She was referring, of course, to the scene witnessed every
Thursday of Round-Up since 2006, otherwise
known as Tough Enough to Wear
Pink Day.
Volunteers such as Rasmussen greet rodeo fans with
complimentary pink beads as they enter the east and
west gates of the
Round-Up Grounds, while others remain on-hand to sell pink items and raffle
tickets, with
proceeds benefitting local breast cancer patients and
survivors.
"I can remember our first year we were just really excited
when somebody showed up with a pink shirt on,"
said Becca Hawkins Zollman,
co-chairwoman for the fundraiser. "Now, you don't really have to tell people
to wear pink."
Whereas the Tough Enough to Wear Pink movement began
spontaneously at the 2004 Wrangler National
Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas (on
short notice, cancer survivor Terry Wheatly and her cowboy son Wade
encouraged almost all contestants to perform one night in pink Western
shirts) the event has become a
perennial staple at rodeos across the
country.
For Zollman and her sister-in-law Jennifer Hawkins, bringing
the pink phenomenon to Pendleton was almost
a no-brainer. Zollman was a
nurse practitioner with a background in oncology, whose mother and sister
already had been afflicted with breast cancer before she too was
diagnosed.
"I think part of it was just our family history," she
said.
In Umatilla County, Zollman said, about 50 to 60 new breast cancer
patients are diagnosed each year.
Rasmussen, an employee at Regence
BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, credited her participation in part to
the
memory of former coworker Anna Boyer, a breast cancer patient Rasmussen
described as a sweet
southern woman who passed away in 1998.
"She
was very brave all during this four-year struggle," Bonnie Sager, another
Regence employee and event
volunteer, recalled. "And a lot of outsiders
would never have known what was going on in her body."
In the five years
since its inception, the national Tough Enough to Wear Pink organization has
raised more
than $5 million dollars, most of which has remained within the
communities where the fundraisers occurred.
That has been the case in
Pendleton, where in three years the Thursday fundraiser has brought in more
than
$60,000.
This year's proceeds will contribute to two local
sources: the SPIRIT Program of the Cancer Community
Renewal Project and a
breast cancer special needs fund at St. Anthony Hospital.
The former
program is geared to helping cancer survivors by providing free and
reduced-price access to
exercise, yoga and massage. Participants can work
with professional trainers at the Roundup Athletic Club.
"We're trying
to provide a bridge back to self-esteem, getting stronger," said Debra
Shampine, SPIRIT
Program fitness director.
The latter fund helps pay
for various services for women experiencing breast cancer treatment, such as
buying wigs or special garments for patients with lymphedema - a condition
that can cause a swelling of the
limbs after lymph nodes are
removed.
Breast cancer survivor and fundraiser coordinator Marcy Holton
remembered growing up during a time
when the news of breast cancer
diagnosis was a much more dire situation.
"There was a tremendous amount
of fear," Holton said.
But with advances in treatment and technology,
she said, early detection can lead to victory and recovery.
Having won her
own battle, she said her present life is no different than before her
diagnosis.
"I do everything I did before and I probably do more because
I'm more zealous for life," Holton said.
"We're very vibrant. We have a lot
of life left to live."
Today, Holton will join close to 35 cancer
survivors during a special ceremony at the rodeo, where they will
release
60 pink balloons.
"It's kind of a celebration day and we encourage
people to really enjoy themselves," Holton said.
As usual, Marcy's
husband Bill Holton will be among the many pink-clad supporters.
"I look
at him and feel that he's every much of a survivor as I am," Marcy said. "This
year he's got a hot pink
shirt."
While Bill admitted the new shirt
makes him slightly nervous, he fully intends to prove he, too, is tough
enough.
"If you're gonna do it, you might as well do it big," he
said.
http://eastoregonian.com/main.asp?
FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=97926&SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48
-----
Increase
In Cancer Risk After Northern Italian Industrial Accident - 17 September
2009
Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Public Health;
Lymphology/Lymphedema; Lymphoma / Leukemia / Myeloma
Article Date: 17 Sep
2009 - 0:00 PDT
People living in the Seveso area of Italy, which was
exposed to dioxin after an industrial accident in 1976,
have experienced an
increased risk of developing cancer. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's
open
access journal Environmental Health found an increased risk of breast
cancer in women from the most
exposed zone and an excess of lymphatic and
hematopoietic tissue neoplasms in all but the least exposed
zone.
Angela Pesatori led a team of researchers from the Fondazione
IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, a
local hospital associated with the
University of Milan, who extended a study of cancer incidence in the area,
which now covers the period 1977-96. She said, "The industrial accident
that occurred in the Seveso area in
1976 exposed a large residential
population to substantial amounts of TCDD
[2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-
dioxin]. Although the International Agency
for Research on Cancer and the US Environmental Protection
Agency have both
classified TCDD as human carcinogen, scientific debate still persists on the
actual cancer
risk posed to the general population. We've found that it
does pose a carcinogenic hazard, although lower
than anticipated from
animal studies, at least at the levels experienced by this population after
this accident".
The researchers studied the medical records of all
subjects living in the area at the date of the accident (July
10, 1976) and
those who migrated into, or were born in, the area during the following 10
years. Of these
36,589 files, 99.9% were successfully reviewed. There were
2122 cases of cancer, 660 of which occurred
after 1991. Specific and
significant increases in risk, compared to the general population, were
discovered
for breast cancer and lymphatic and hematopoietic neoplasms,
although based on a small number of cases.
Speaking about these results,
Pesatori said, "These increases were expected based on previous studies. The
mortality study, which covered a longer follow-up period, confirmed the
excess of lymphatic and
hematopoietic risk. We did not identify an
all-cancer excess, as seen in occupational cohorts which had
similar,
sometimes higher, and more complex exposures".
Notes:
Cancer
incidence in the population exposed to dioxin after the "Seveso accident":
twenty years of follow-up
Angela Cecilia Pesatori, Dario Consonni, Maurizia
Rubagotti, Paolo Grillo and Pier Alberto Bertazzi
Environmental Health (in
press)
http://www.ehjournal.net/
Source:
Graeme
Baldwin
BioMed Central
------
Plans underway for annual
fashion show
BY JULIE COLLINS
The Cape Breton Post
NORTH
SYDNEY — The Cape Breastoners Dragon Boat Society is finalizing plans for its
seventh annual
fashion show, to be held next month in Bras
d’Or.
“Last year’s show was sold out and we’re are hoping for a similar
response this year,” said society president
Emily Smith. “This is our only
fundraiser we’ll hold this year; proceeds go toward equipment and upkeep of
the society’s two boats.”
The show will take place Wednesday, Oct.
21, at 7 p.m. at the Bras d’Or Hall, Villa Drive, featuring
fashions from
DFX Designer Fashion Exchange in the North Sydney Mall with MC Blanche
Sophocleous.
The dragon boat project first originated when Dr. Don
MacKenzie, a Vancouver sports medicine specialist,
felt women being treated
for breast cancer can and should take part in sports like dragon boat racing.
In
1996 he launched Abreast in a Boat to test the myth that repetitive
upper body exercise in women treated
for breast cancer encourages
lymphedema and his theory proved correct. No new cases of lymphedema
occurred and none of the existing cases became worse.
Since that
time hundreds of breast cancer survivors across Canada have formed dragon boat
teams.
“We participate in various dragon boat races throughout the
year,” Smith said. “This year the Cape
Breastoners won gold in Sydney in
July and took silver in New Glasgow in August.”
A dragon boat is a
38-foot vessel that seats between 20 and 22 paddlers, a drummer, and a
steersperson.
Dragon boating is an ancient Chinese sport with a long
history and is thought by some to be one of the
fastest growing sports in
the world. The dragon is a symbol of success, prosperity and good luck. It is
believed by some that the spirit of the dragon boat guards its human cargo
from the forces of nature.
“The fashion show helps us keep
going.”
The Cape Breastoners, which is made up of members from across
the regional municipality, begin dryland
training in February and hit the
water in May.
“Being involved with the team helps breast cancer
survivors get back into an active lifestyle. It is a
tremendous physical
boost, as well as a psychological and spiritual lift. Along with the
camaraderie and
support, there is the joy of being on the
water.”
Smith noted that it is important for Cape Breastoners to give
back to the community.
The members recently prepared and served a corned
beef and cabbage dinner and dessert at the Loaves
and Fishes in Sydney.
They also participate in the Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and the CIBC Run
For
The Cure.
http://www.capebretonpost.com/index.cfm?sid=289596&sc=149
-------
Breast
cancer survivors try new methods to fight arm swelling
Updated 2h 53m ago |
Comments 3 | Recommend 4 E-mail | Save | Print |
Enlarge By
Jose Luis Magana, AP
Lymphedema specialist Johanna Murphy, left, shows
breast cancer survivor Anne Holman an exercise to
treat her lymphedema at
Georgetown University Hospital in Washington on Dec. 23.
BREAST
CANCER IN WOMEN
182,460: Estimated new cases in 2008
40,480:
Estimated deaths in 2008
89%: 5-year survival
rate
TESTS, CANCER AND AGE
Percentage of U.S. women
who had a mammogram in the previous two years:
40 to 49
• 2000:
64.2%
• 2005: 63.5%
50-64
• 2000: 78.6%
• 2005: 71.8%
65
and older
• 2000: 68%
• 2005: 63.8%
Source: Cancer,
2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Women
born today in the USA have a 1 in 8 chance of being diagnosed with breast
cancer at some point in
their lives. That risk increases with age.
•
30 to 39 years: 1 in 233
• 40 to 49: 1 in 69
• 50 to 59: 1 in 38
• 60
to 69: 1 in 27
Source: National Cancer Institute,
2007
DAILY HEALTH BLOG
Get wellness tips, medical
study roundups and news for healthy living here, including info on ...
•
Fitness and nutrition
• Parenting/kids' health
• Watercooler-worthy
bits
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By Lauran Neergaard, Associated
Press
WASHINGTON — Hospitals in about a dozen states are testing whether
some simple steps, such as arm-
strengthening exercises, could reduce the
risk of one of breast cancer's troubling legacies — the painful and
sometimes severe arm swelling called lymphedema. Lymphedema has long been a
neglected side effect of
cancer surgery and radiation: Many women say they
never were warned, even though spotting this problem
early improves
outcomes.
And while less invasive surgical techniques mean fewer breast
cancer patients today than just a few years
ago should face lymphedema,
it's a lingering threat for tens of thousands of survivors because it can
strike
two decades after their tumor was treated.
FORUM: Living
with Cancer
BETTER LIFE: Cancer news and studies
"I have ladies tell
me the lymphedema is much worse than their cancer because the cancer's cured,"
says Dr.
Electra Paskett, an epidemiologist at Ohio State University who is
leading the first-of-its-kind research into
possible protective
steps.
Among them: Wearing elastic sleeves to counter temporary swelling
during things like airplane flight or heavy
lifting, and doing special
exercises with light weights designed to help keep open the lymph channels that
allow fluid to drain through the body.
"The theory is building up
muscles in your arm acts as a natural pneumatic pump to move the fluid,"
explains
Paskett, herself a breast cancer survivor who developed
lymphedema.
When lymph nodes under a breast cancer patient's arm are
removed or damaged by biopsy, surgery or
radiation, lymph fluid can build
up and cause anything from mild swelling to a ballooning of the
arm.
Lymphedema isn't just a legacy of breast cancer treatment. The leg
can swell if groin nodes are damaged
from other cancers, including
gynecologic cancer. Melanoma treatment left former presidential candidate
John McCain with facial swelling. Occasionally, rare diseases can trigger a
different form of lymphedema.
But lymphedema among breast cancer
survivors may be most common. It's been estimated to affect
between 20% and
30% of patients who have 10 or more under-the-arm nodes examined, called an
"axillary
lymph node dissection."
A surprising study published in
November's Journal of Clinical Oncology suggests few such women may be
diagnosed. University of Minnesota researchers analyzed records from the
huge Iowa Women's Health
study, to cull more than 1,200 patients who'd had
breast cancer between 1986 and 2003. Eight% had been
formally diagnosed
with lymphedema yet another 37% of the women suffered persistent lymphedema
symptoms, including a swollen arm.
Today, some women have far fewer
nodes examined in a "sentinel node biopsy," and separate research
suggests
those women are far less likely to get later lymphedema — possibly as low as 5%,
Paskett notes
— although many don't qualify for the smaller surgery because
of large tumors or other factors.
But perhaps most concerning from the
Iowa data, only 40% of the women with swollen arms but no
diagnosis had
heard of lymphedema and less than 2% had sought care for their arm
symptoms.
Yet early care is key, as Anne Holman of Washington, D.C., can
attest. In 2006, doctors found cancer in
eight of 18 lymph nodes. She was
undergoing chemotherapy to shrink her tumor before an eventual
mastectomy
when one day her arm turned red and itchy. Come in right away, said Minna
Manalo, a nurse
practitioner at Georgetown University Hospital's breast
cancer unit.
Along with a skin inflammation, Manalo diagnosed lymphedema
— Holman's arm was just starting to swell.
Daily for two weeks, she
underwent what's called complete decongestive therapy, where a machine
massaged fluid from her arm and it then was tightly bandaged to counter
swelling. Once her arm shrank,
Holman was prescribed a lifelong therapy: A
tight elastic sleeve and fingerless glove to wear regularly,
especially
during her job as an international flight attendant, plus arm exercises to help
push out returning
fluid.
"I'm trying to stay ahead of the game,"
says Holman, 61. "You can't cure this, but you can manage it."
Paskett's
study — now recruiting participants at Ohio State, Georgetown and a growing
number of other
hospitals — tests whether milder versions of those
techniques could prevent lymphedema in the first place.
Women recovering
from a large node removal are randomly assigned to either a regimen including
personalized arm exercises, or just lymphedema education.
Results
aren't due until 2012. Meanwhile, cancer groups advise:
•Be alert for
subtle swelling. Don't ignore a tight ring or watch, or clothes suddenly not
fitting.
•See a certified lymphedema specialist, who has proper training
in fitting compression garments and proper
use of decongestive therapy.
Improper use of either can worsen the condition.
•Obesity and arm
injuries are additional risk factors. So watch your weight; avoid injections in
the affected
arm; clean cuts and seek care for infections promptly; wear
gardening gloves and oven mitts; and avoid
temperature extremes, such as
hot tubs.
The Associated Press.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-12-30-lymphedema-breast-cancer_N.htm?csp=34
--------
Monday,
28 September 2009 17:42 Added by PT Editor Sameh A. Habeeb
.
London, September 28, (Pal Telegraph) - This information tells you
about an operation to remove your
breast cancer. It explains how the
operation is done, how it can help you, what the risks are and what to
expect afterwards.
The benefits and risks described here are based
on research studies and might be di fferent in your hospital.
You may want
to talk about this with the doctors and nurses treating you.
What is
breast-conserving surgery?
Breast-conserving surgery is an operation for
breast cancer that lets you keep your breast. Your surgeon
will remove only
the part of your breast that has cancer. The aim is to get rid of your breast
cancer while
changing the appearance of your breast as little as
possible.
Is this operation suitable for me?
You may be able
to have breast-conserving surgery if:[1]
You ha ve early breast cancer.
This means the cancer hasn't spread outside your breast, or has only spread
as far as the nearest lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are small, round or oval
lumps. They help fight infections in
your body. Breast cancer usually
spreads to the lymph nodes in your armpit before it spreads anywhere else
You have just one lump in your breast. If you have more than one lump, or
lots of small patches of cancer
cells, breast-conserving surgery may not be
suitable. It's hard to remove all the cancer cells without changing
the way
your breast looks. And if you have lots of small patches of cancer, it's more
likely to come back
than it is if you have a single lump. Removing your
breast can help stop this[2] [3] Your lump is small
compared with the size
of your breast. If you have a small lump, you'll only have a small scar, and
maybe a
small dent in your breast You can have rad iotherapy. You may need
radiotherapy after breast-conserving
surgery. Doctors try to avoid giving
radiotherapy to the same area twice, so you may not be able to have
breast-conserving surgery if you've had radiotherapy before. If you are
pregnant, you may want to avoid
radiotherapy as it can harm your
baby.
Up to 80 percent of women with early breast cancer are able to have
breast-conserving surgery. And
there's good evidence from lots of studies
that women who only have their lump removed live just as long as
women who
have a mastectomy.[4] [5]
But breast-conserving surgery isn't suitable
for everyone. If you have a large lump and a small breast, or if
you have
cancer under your nipple, it can be difficult to remove the cancer without
changing the way your
breast looks. You may get a better result with a
mastectomy and breast reconstruction. There are several
kinds of breast
reconstruction available, including surgery to put in implants.
If you
have a family history of cancer, or tests show you have a high risk of breast
cancer, there is a bigger
chance that the cancer will come back in the same
place.[6] In this case, some women choose to have a
mastectomy rather than
risk needing more surgery later.
Guidelines from the National Institute
for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the government body that
advises
doctors about treatments, say that:[1]
You should start treatment within
four weeks of being diagnosed with breast cancer You should be treated
in a
hospital by a team of specialists who are experienced in breast surgery. You
can ask your doctor to
refer you to a hospital with a specialist
breast-surgery unit. Each year, a specialist unit treats at least 100
women
who are newly diagnosed with cancer.
What happens during
breast-conserving surgery?
Your surgeon will remove the cancer from your
breast. He or she will probably also remove some or all of
the lymph nodes
from your armpit.
The breast tissue and lymph nodes the surgeon has
removed will be checked to see if they contain cancer.
You'll also have
radiotherapy to kill any stray cancer cells that were left
behind.
Removing cancer from your breast
You may have chemotherapy or
hormone therapy before your operation to shrink the cancer. It can make
your lump easier to remove, but it has side effects. You may wish to ask
your doctor about these.
Your surgeon may be able to feel the cancer in
your breast. But if he or she can't feel your lump, you may
need a
mammogram so that your doctor can see inside your breast. During a mammogram, a
thin wire is
threaded through your skin to mark the cancer. The wire is
left in place during surgery to show the surgeon
which part of your breast
to remove.
Most women have a general anaesthetic to make them sleep
during surgery. If your overall health isn't good,
you may just have a
local anaesthetic to numb your breast. Either way, you shouldn't feel any pain
during the
operation.
If you have a general anaesthetic, you won't
be able to eat anything for eight hours before the operation or
drink
anything for up to two hours before. Breast-conserving surgery usually takes
between 15 minutes and
40 minutes. You should be able to go home the same
day, although some women stay in hospital overnight.
Here's what
happens.
Your surgeon makes a small cut across your breast above the
cancer. He or she will try to make the cut as
small as possible. Your
surgeon shouldn't need to cut away any skin unless the cancer is just under the
skin's
surface.[7] The surgeon cuts away the cancer along with a small
amount (about 2 millimetres, or 1/12 of an
inch) of healthy-looking
tissue.[8] Removing tissue around the cancer or lump is called taking a margin.
It's
done to reduce the risk that any cancer cells are left behind. Your
surgeon will move the layers of breast
tissue around to fill the hole left
by the cancer and keep your breast as close to its original shape as possible.
The cut on your skin is usually sewn up with one long stitch that dissolves
later.
Occasionally, if your surgeon had to remove more of your breast, the
hole left behind can be filled with a
piece of muscle from your back.[9]
You can talk to your surgeon about whether this might happen to
you.
Removing your lymph nodes
For some types of breast cancer, your
surgeon will probably remove some or all of the lymph nodes in your
armpit.
This is because these nodes are usually the first place breast cancer spreads
to. If you have a type of
early breast cancer called ductal carcinoma in
situ (DCIS), you won't need any lymph nodes removed.
If your breast
cancer is in the upper part of your breast near your armpit, your surgeon may
be able to reach
your lymph nodes through the same cut he or she made in
your breast. But if your cancer is somewhere else,
the surgeon will need to
make another cut under your arm to reach the lymph nodes.
You may have
all 20 or so lymph nodes removed from your armpit. This is called an axillary
clearance. The
aim is to remove any cancer that might have spread there by
removing all of the lymph nodes. Or your
surgeon may remove between four
and 10 lymph nodes to see if they contain cancer cells. This is called
axillary sampling. If the nodes in the lowest part of your armpit are clear
of cancer, it's unlikely that any of
the nodes higher up will have cancer
in them. A newer treatment called a sentinel node biopsy uses a blue
dye
and a radioactive injection to find the lymph node, or nodes, that fluid from
your breast drains into first.
The dye is injected into your breast and
colours the nearest nodes. The nodes that the fluid from your breast
drains
into first are called the sentinel node s. The sentinel nodes are then tested
for cancer. If there are no
cancer cells in these nodes, it's likely that
the other lymph nodes are free from cancer as well.
You will have fewer side
effects if fewer nodes are removed.[10] You're likely to have less pain after
sentinel node biopsy than if you have more nodes removed. And you'll
probably be able to move your arm
more easily.[11] But this treatment is
still being tested to see how well it works.[12] Doctors who use this
test
need to be specially trained. Ask your doctor about this.
Testing the
breast tissue and lymph nodes
After surgery, the lump and lymph nodes are
checked under a microscope. If no cancer cells are found in
the surrounding
tissue, your surgeon might say you had a healthy or clear margin. A clear
margin reduces the
risk of your cancer coming back in that part of your
breast.[13]
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is used after surgery to kill
any cancer cells that may have been left behind. It uses X-rays to
destroy
cancer cells in your breast. You'll need to have radiotherapy five days a week
for between four
weeks and six weeks. Each session only takes a few
minutes. Radiotherapy doesn't hurt, but it has side
effects.
If
there's a high risk that your cancer will come back in your breast, or you
haven't had all your lymph nodes
removed, you may need radiotherapy to the
lymph nodes in your armpit.[4]
How can breast-conserving surgery help
me?
If you have early breast cancer, breast-conserving surgery can stop your
cancer spreading and help you live
longer.
Breast-conserving surgery
with radiotherapy works just as well as having your whole breast removed. This
is true for women of all ages. Studies involving thousands of women have
found that women are just as likely
to be alive 10 years or 20 years after
breast-conserving surgery as after a mastectomy.[4] [5] [14] [15] [16]
In
one study, a quarter of the women who'd had either operation died of breast
cancer within 20 years.
Some women had died of other things in the same
time.[14]
Breast-conserving surgery also has some advantages over a
mastectomy.
You'll be able to keep your breast, although it won't look
the same as it did before. Your scar will be small
compared with a
mastectomy scar. The exact size of your scar will depend on how much tissue is
taken
away. You won't need to wear a false breast or have surgery to
reconstruct your breast. You are likely to
feel better about the way your
body looks.[17] [18] Between 6 and 9 out of 10 women say their breast
looks
"good" or "excellent" after breast-conserving surgery.[19] You can wear the
same clothes, and you
may find it easier to get back to your life, go to
the gym and have sex.
Will the cancer come back?
There is a
chance that your cancer could come back in the same place. This chance is
bigger for younger
women.[20] And some women get a new breast cancer
somewhere else in their breast. Each year, less than
1 percent of women who
have had this operation get a new breast cancer.[21]
Radiotherapy can
help stop your cancer coming back.[22] Women who don't have radiotherapy are
three
times more likely to get their cancer back in the same place than
women who have radiotherapy.[22]
Only 7 in 100 women who have
radiotherapy have cancer again within five years. But 26 in 100 women
who
don't have radiotherapy have their cancer come back within five
years.
Radiotherapy also reduces the chance that you'll need to have your
breast removed later.[23]
If you have ductal carcinoma in situ, having
radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery reduces the risk
that your
breast cancer will come back by about half.[24] [25]
Radiotherapy after
breast-conserving surgery may also help women live longer.[22] But radiotherapy
has
side effects. So researchers are looking at whether some women (such as
older women or those with less
aggressive cancers) will do just as well
without it.[26]
Researchers are also looking at whether having
radiotherapy to the breast during surgery (intra operative
radiotherapy)
works as well as having radiotherapy after surgery.[27] [28]
We don't
know whether radiotherapy just around the part of your breast being removed is
better and safer
than radiotherapy to a wider area.[29] More research is
needed to be sure.
If the cancer does come back, you'll usually need to
have the rest of your breast removed.
What are the risks of
breast-conserving surgery?
All operations have risks, and your surgeon
should talk to you about the risks of surgery to remove cancer in
your
breast. If you have a medical condition such as a heart problem or have had a
blood clot, surgery may
be more risky for you.
Anaesthetics can have
side effects. These are more likely with a general anaesthetic. You may have an
allergic reaction to the anaesthetic or get breathing or heart problems.
These problems are serious but very
rare. If you have any allergies, you
must tell your doctor.
It's hard to say exactly how often other problems
happen because the research isn't very good. You can use
the figures we
give below as a guide, but it's important to discuss with your doctor how often
problems
happen in your hospital.
Risks of removing your breast
cancer
Sometimes, not enough tissue is removed from around the lump. This
may happen if the cancer has spread
further than your surgeon thought. The
tissue that has been removed during the operation will be checked,
and if
your surgeon thinks some cancer could be left behind, you may need a second
operation. About 1 in
10 women need another operation. You may either have
more of your breast removed or have a
mastectomy. Some women who need more
surgery say they wish they had chosen to have a mastectomy in
the first
place.[19] [30]
You may be unhappy with your breast shape.
Between 1 and 3 out of 10 women are disappointed with how
their breast
looks after surgery.[19] Your scar may be bigger than you expected, your breast
may look
distorted and your breasts may be uneven sizes. But you can have
more surgery to improve the way your
breast looks.
An infection can
make your wound hurt, and the surrounding skin may be hot and red. The risk of
infection
after breast-conserving surgery is around 1 in 50.[4]
Occasionally, the infection causes pus to collect around
the scar. You may
need antibiotics for this.
A clear fluid, called serous fluid, can
collect under the scar. This is called a seroma. It is part of the normal
healing process. About 1 in 5 women get a seroma after their breast cancer
is removed.[31] The fluid can
be drained with a needle by a doctor or
nurse.
You may get bleeding under the cut in your skin after the
operation. If the blood builds up and clots, you will
get a big bruise
called a haematoma. The area will be swollen and feel tender. If this happens,
you may need
surgery to remove the blood clot or stop any
bleeding.
Risks of removing lymph nodes
The pain and discomfort under
your arm can last for a few weeks.[10] Your arm may feel bruised and
heavy.
Shoulder stiffness can start because your upper arm is
painful after surgery. In one study, about 1 in 4
women had this
problem.[10] You need to take painkillers and do gentle arm exercises.[32]
Don't let your
shoulder stiffen up because it hurts to move it. Six months
after surgery, stiffness is more common in women
who have all, rather than
a few, of their lymph nodes removed.[33] Very few women who have sentinel
node biopsy get shoulder problems.[34]
You may get numbness or
tingling in your arm, shoulder or breast. This happens if the surgeon
accidentally
stretches or damages the nerves that run close to your lymph
nodes. Women who've had a few of their
lymph nodes removed and get this
problem tend to recover within a few months. About 2 to 4 out of 10
women
who have all their nodes removed get this problem.[10]
Swelling of the
arm and armpit (lymphoedema) can start straight away or years later. It may
last a few
weeks or become an ongoing problem. It can be very unpleasant.
Your arm may feel heavy and painful.
The risk of getting lymphoedema is
greater if you have radiotherapy to your armpit or if all the lymph nodes
in your armpit are removed. It's hard to say how common the problem is
because studies vary. About 2 or 3
out of 10 women get lymphoedema after
all their lymph nodes are removed. Some studies show that there's
no risk
of lymphoedema if only a few nodes are removed. But other studies show that up
to 2 in 10 women
get this problem after a few nodes are
removed.[35]
Wearing a close-fitting elastic sleeve can help prevent the
swelling. Gentle massage may also help.
Fluid can collect under the scar
in your armpit. This is part of the normal healing process. It happens to
between a quarter and a half of women who have all their lymph nodes
removed.[36]
Risks of radiotherapy
There aren't many studies on the
side effects of radiotherapy.[37] Different women have different
experiences, but many women cope well with the side effects.
Your
skin may itch or change colour after radiotherapy, and your breast may feel
tender.[38] In one study,
about 1 in 3 women who had radiotherapy after
surgery had breast pain six months later. This compared
with 1 in 5 women
who only had surgery. About 1 in 3 women who had radiotherapy had skin
irritation
three months later. This compared with 1 in 10 women who only
had surgery.[39]
Some women feel more tired than usual. These problems
are usually mild and go away after a few weeks.
If your doctor thinks
that there's a high risk of your breast cancer coming back, you may have an
extra
boost of radiotherapy to your breast. This can make your breast feel
hard and change shape. This problem
is called fibrosis.[40]
Side
effects that happen some time after your treatment include nerve damage and
inflammation in the lungs.
[41] These may sound serious, but they are rare
and can be treated. You may also find that hair stops
growing in your
armpit.
What will happen if I choose not to have surgery?
Although
some women have surgery within a few days of being diagnosed, don't feel you
have to rush into a
decision. Take the time you need to talk to your doctor
and consider your options. Taking a week or two to
make up your mind won't
do you any harm.
If you need more time to decide, you can have
chemotherapy or hormone therapy to stop the cancer
spreading.
If you
decide not to have your breast cancer removed, it may spread through your
breast tissue into your
skin, chest and the muscles below your breast. It
will then spread to other parts of your body. No one can
say for certain
how long you will live if you don't have the cancer removed. There aren't any
good studies to
tell us, as most women have treatment.
What other
treatments are available?
Some women choose a mastectomy instead of
breast-conserving surgery. It's a bigger operation and your
whole breast is
removed. If you have a mastectomy, you may wish to have breast reconstruction
surgery as
well.
You can have breast reconstruction surgery at the
same time as the mastectomy or later. Your surgeon may
be able to remove
your breast but keep the skin in place. The breast tissue is replaced with an
implant or a
piece of muscle from your back. This is called a skin-sparing
mastectomy.[42]
If you have a mastectomy:
You aren't likely to
live any longer than a woman who's had breast-conserving surgery[4] [5] [14]
[15] [16]
There is still a small risk that breast cancer will come back in
the scar, so removing all the breast tissue can't
guarantee that your
breast is free of cancer cells. The chances of your cancer coming back are the
same as a
woman who has had breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy[4]
You are likely to get more serious side
effects than someone who has had
breast-conserving surgery. There's a bigger chance that you'll get pain
and
swelling under your arm and in your wound You may miss your breast, and some
women say they feel
mutilated by losing a breast. You may find it hard to
look at your scar. You may also find it difficult to be
intimate and have
sex. Breast reconstruction can help.
Every woman's situation is different.
You may decide that removing your breast gives you more peace of
mind. You
may want to consider a mastectomy if you have a large cancer and a small
breast. In this case,
your breast may look very different after
breast-conserving surgery, and a mastectomy with reconstruction
might give
you a better result.
You may choose a mastectomy if, for some reason,
you can't have radiotherapy. But some women need
radiotherapy even after
they've had a mastectomy.
What can I expect after breast-conserving
surgery?
Immediately after your operation
When you leave the
operating theatre, you'll go to the recovery area until you are fully awake.
You'll
probably have a thin tube in the vein in the back of your hand where
you were given the anaesthetic. If you
had a local anaesthetic, the parts
of your breast and armpit where the cuts were made will feel numb for
several hours.
You'll have a bandage over your wound. You may have a
plastic tube running from your wounds to drain
away the blood and lymph
fluid that builds up during the healing process. But most women don't need
this.
[43]
Your breast, arm and shoulder will feel sore after the
operation. Your nurse will give you painkillers if you
need them. If the
first ones you try don't work, tell your nurse or doctor. You may need a
stronger dose or
another type of drug. Don't try to put up with pain, as
this can slow your recovery.
You'll be left with a scar on your breast,
and usually a separate scar in your armpit if your lymph nodes were
removed.
You'll be able to get up and move about after surgery. The
sooner you start to move, the better you'll feel.
You will be shown arm
exercises you can do to stop your arm getting stiff. Ask your doctor or nurse
for a
leaflet explaining the exercises.
Going home
Many women
feel anxious about seeing their breast for the first time after the operation.
Take your time and
remember that it takes a while for your breast to settle
down after surgery. You scar will also fade over the
next few
months.
You can wash your breast after a few days, but dry it carefully.
Wear a comfortable bra as soon as you can.
It will help support your
breasts.
Avoid strenuous activities such as lifting or sport until your
wounds have healed and there's no swelling in
your arm. You can go back to
work as soon as you feel ready.
It's important to avoid getting an
infection in your arm if you have lymphoedema. Protect your arm by
wearing
gloves if you are gardening or doing something that might injure your hand or
arm. Don't have your
blood pressure taken on the arm that has
lymphoedema.
Your breast will have changed in shape and size, depending
on how much tissue was removed. This can
affect how attractive you feel.
Many women say that it affects how they feel about sex. Give yourself time to
adjust. You can talk through your feelings and worries with those close to
you or your breast cancer nurse.
Further treatment
If tests show that
surgery may not have removed all the cancer, you might need a second operation.
This is
usually a mastectomy.
If your doctor thinks there's a risk
that your cancer has spread, you may have further treatment such as
chemotherapy or hormone therapy. These treat your whole body. They help
prevent the cancer coming
back and may help some women live longer, but
they have side effects. Talk to your doctor about whether
you will benefit
from these treatments.
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McLatchie E, Young D,
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treatment of women with breast cancer. British Journal of Surgery. 2002;
89: 286-292. Glossary
mastectomy A mastectomy is an operation that removes
all of the breast tissue, including skin and the nipple,
from the side of
the chest that has cancer. lymph nodes Lymph nodes (also called glands) are
small, bean-
shaped lumps that you cannot usually see or easily feel. They
are located in various parts of the body, such
as the neck, armpit and
groin. Lymph nodes filter and remove unwanted things, such as bacteria and
cancer
cells. general anaesthetic You may have a type of medicine called a
general anaesthetic when you have
surgery. It is given to make you
unconscious so you don't feel pain when you have surgery. local anaesthetic
Local anaesthetic is a painkiller for one area of the body. You usually get
it as an injection. It makes that
area numb. An example is the lidocaine
you may get when your dentist fills a cavity. X-ray X-rays are
pictures
taken of the inside of the body. They are made by passing small amounts of
radiation through the
body and onto film. Larger amounts of radiation are
used to treat some kinds of cancer. allergic reaction
You have an allergic
reaction when your overreacts to a substance that is normally harmless. You can
be
allergic to particles in the air you are breathing, like pollen (which
causes hay fever) or to chemicals on your
skin, like detergents (which can
cause a rash). People can also have an allergic reaction to drugs, like
penicillin. antibiotics These medicines are used to help the fight
infection. There are a number of different
types of antibiotics that work
in different ways to get rid of bacteria, parasites and other infectious
agents.
Antibiotics do not work against viruses. haematoma A haematoma is a
collection of blood in any part of
your body. The blood has usually clotted
or dried.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/panorama/health/2431-breast-conserving-surgery-lumpectomy
========================================
Dr.
Weiss offers one warning, though: Never place needles in the arm adjacent to
the affected breast, as this
may cause lymphedema, which is a
condition where the lymph system is damaged or blocked creating
swelling or
infection.
Photo: GETTY IMAGES
? Yoga
“Yoga brings a lot of
things; but the breathing is key as it brings relaxation and meditation.
Whether
anxiously awaiting test results or unable to sleep, yogic breathing
will help keep focus. Yoga also builds up
physical strength, corrects
posture, balance, flexibility and range of motion. Following diagnosis, women
often feel their body has betrayed them, yoga helps rebuild their body
confidence.” Photo: GETTY IMAGES
“It takes just two words, breast cancer, to
change someone’s life — I take a holistic approach to the care of
my
patients,” explains breast cancer oncologist Dr. Marisa Weiss.
The
way the mind connects to the body plays a huge part in the patient’s battle
against cancer.
In a hospital you’ll have doctors dealing with
physical issues but what is often neglected is the patient’s state
of mind.
“It’s essential doctors find out what’s going through a woman’s mind to address
underlying issues
including lack of sleep, anxiety or intimate concerns.
Breast cancer sufferers tend to place the blame on
themselves; heavily
questioning their lifestyle and the person they used to
be.”
Although they are not cures per se, holistic treatments focus
on getting women to take the time to address
their mind and their body
following the intrusion and exhaustion of surgery or
chemotherapy.
VISUALIZATION
Visualization focuses on the
subconscious, using meditation to focus the mind and relax. Patients are made
to
imagine a place that is comforting or inspiring to them, such as a beach
and the sound of waves. Many
women are paralyzed by fear, which makes it
difficult for them to stay grounded. Visualization helps reduce
anxiety and
cope with their illness.
BIOLOGICAL FEEDBACK
Biological feedback is
the repetitive training of the mind to relax. Physiologically, there is a
physical state of
relaxation defined as “state of being” which slows heart
rate, lowering blood pressure.
NUTRITION
Modern-day diets can be
unhealthy as most people eat processed foods daily. According to Weiss, “we
should be eating between five and nine fruit and vegetables a day, seeking
out organic sources when
possible.
Low-fat, nondairy options are
best and fried foods should be avoided alongside the frequent consumption of
red meat, which can contain hormones.
Dr. Weiss insists there is
a link between breast cancer and alcohol consumption, so, she says, “limiting
your
intake to five drinks a week is a good benchmark — the more you drink,
the higher your risk.”
http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/10/01/08/1837-82/index.xml
======================================
Wear
Ease Designs the Latest Fashions with Mastectomy Patients in Mind
Posted :
Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:35:56 GMT
Author : Wear Ease
Category : Press
Release
News Alerts by Email ( click here )
Press Release News | Home
BOISE, Idaho - (Business Wire) One in eight U.S.
women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their
lifetime, and
currently slightly more than half, 56 percent, undergo mastectomy. Few fashion
options exist for
those who don’t seek reconstructive surgery or postpone
it until after their treatment and recovery — a
condition the clothier Wear
Ease (www.WearEase.com) seeks to remedy.
“Fighting breast cancer is a
big enough challenge,” says Wear Ease owner Phyllis Keith. “We’re trying to
help ensure women don’t also lose their self-esteem, dignity, and
femininity.”
Wear Ease designs and markets post-surgery and mastectomy
bras, camisoles, loungewear, and lingerie.
According to several specialty
boutiques, its clothing is in vogue.
“We started ordering their Dawn
post-surgery camisole because it’s prettier than other brands, and they’re
flying off the shelves,” says Michele Yett, a certified mastectomy fitter
at Expressions Appearance Center at
St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton,
Calif. “They’re great products — they come with fiber-filled breast
forms
and a pair of pouches for drain tubes and bulb syringes, plus they’re
comfortable, they come in a
variety of colors, and they’re very desirable
in terms of femininity.”
Pamela Ludwig, who owns Pretty in Pink
Boutiques in Franklin and Nashville, Tenn., concurs. “The post-op
camisole
is so comfortable and stylish a lot of my patients wear them far beyond the
post-op period,”
Ludwig says. “Often they wear a black one as a fashion
camisole under a black blouse.”
Retailers also say the Wear Ease line
helps women feel whole. “They’re very up to date with fashion
trends,” says
Sheila Robertsdahl, a certified orthotic/mastectomy fitter and manager of the
Just for Women
boutique at MeritCare HealthCare Accessories in Fargo, N.D.
“And with the way the pockets for the
prostheses are designed, nobody can
even tell it’s a pocketed mastectomy garment.”
Ludwig, a registered
nurse who worked for 10 years in clinical oncology before opening Pretty in
Pink in
2005, agrees, adding, “With off-the-shelf products like these
available, women can achieve the look they
want without having to undergo
reconstructive surgery.” However, she says many patients undergoing breast
reconstruction use Wear Ease products, too. “A lot of times reconstruction
doesn’t give a woman the exact
symmetrical look she wants,” she says, “so
you can sometimes fix that with a bra or partial prosthesis.”
This month
Wear Ease is introducing a brand-new line: the Alicia adjustable-strap
camisole. “This beautiful
camisole enables a woman who has undergone breast
surgery to wear an alternative top just like she would
have worn
beforehand,” Keith says. “It is designed to accommodate her breast forms and
does not require
her to wear a special bra underneath.” Available in black,
coral, kiwi green, and aqua blue, the Alicia
camisole comes in S, M, L, XL,
1X, and 2X sizes.
The new product is a hit among retailers. “The new
Alicia camisole with the lace is going to be a super
seller,” Robertsdahl
says, and Yett says, “We all think it looks darling.” “I love the colors
available with the
Alicia,” Ludwig says. “They’re very fresh — there’s
nothing else on the market with colors like those.”
In addition to the
Alicia and Dawn mastectomy camisoles, Wear Ease sells post-surgery bras and
post-
mastectomy nightgowns and T-shirts with reversible necklines. It also
sells compression garments, including
compression bras, slimmers, and
shapers to facilitate healing after surgery or treat swelling in the trunk
caused by Lymphedema. Wear Ease garments come standard with shelf bras and
pockets for breast forms.
All insurance, including Medicare, covers breast
forms and pocketed breast-surgery bras and camisoles.
Keith founded Wear
Ease in 2001 to offer the Sarah Bra designed for women with limited mobility.
In 2005
the company diversified into the post-mastectomy specialty market
and has since grown to include 20
products across five lines.
Wear
Ease is a member of Essentially Women, a national purchasing group focused on
women's health, and
sells through boutiques, hospitals, and durable medical
equipment dealers nationwide and online via
WearEase.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6053029&lang=en
Wear
Ease
Phyllis Keith, 1-866-251-0076
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/wear-ease-designs-the-latest-fashions-with-mastectomy-patients-in-
mind,966349.shtml
-------------------------
Bahrain
breast cancer drive aims to raise $2.7m
Manama: Sat, 3 Oct 2009
A major campaign that aims to raise almost BD1 million ($2.65
million) for breast cancer treatment gets
underway this month in
Bahrain.
Think Pink Bahrain has set itself the ambitious target of
raising enough money to buy state-of-the-art
equipment that will
revolutionise the country's breast cancer screening programme.
The
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) equipment, worth BD880,000, will be donated to
Salmaniya
Medical Complex (SMC) and is the main focus of a two-year
fundraising drive that kicks off this month.
It will be the country's
first MRI dedicated to detecting breast cancer and is described as the best
screening
tool for the condition in young women, according to SMC Oncology
Centre head Dr Shubbar Mohammed.
He said this was particularly important
for Bahrain, where it is more common to find breast cancer in women
aged in
their 20s and 30s than in the West - where it is more commonly found in those
aged 50 and above.
'In Europe and the US the best screening programme is
mammograms and it is accurate for women above
50, but in younger women it
is less accurate because the breasts are more dense,' Dr Mohammed told our
sister publication, the Gulf Daily News.
'In Bahrain we need to
screen women at the age of 30 and above, but if we expose them again and again
to
a low dose radiation (which is what happens with a mammogram) then we
may see the onset of radiation
induced cancer.
'A mammogram is not
good for our country, an MRI is more accurate and has no risk - but we don't
have
MRI screening yet, only diagnostic screening where we still use
mammograms.
'MRI has other purposes - it can be used to locate the exact
area of the cancer, which means we don't have
to remove much
tissue.'
In addition to purchasing an MRI, other targets of the Think
Pink Bahrain campaign include raising money
for Bahraini nurses and
physiotherapists at SMC to be trained as lymphedema specialists.
It
costs about BD756 to send each person on the three-week course in
Germany.
'Lymphadema massage is a special type of technique that helps
to drain the fluid that gets built up if you have
a mastectomy,' said Think
Pink Bahrain founder and chairwoman Jules Sprakel.
'There is no
lymphadema specialist in Bahrain, but by 2010 we will make sure there are
nurses who are
experts in this.'
In collaboration with the Royal
College of Surgeons in Ireland-Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI-MUB),
Think Pink is also sponsoring a two-year Master's degree in nursing with a
major in breast cancer for a
Bahraini nurse at SMC.
That two-year
course alone costs around BD8,000 and some of the money for these initiatives
will be raised
at two golf tournaments and a gala dinner taking place this
month.
The non-profit organisation is now preparing for its first Men's
Night Golf Tournament, which will take place
at the Royal Golf Club, Riffa,
on October 18 at 6.30 pm.
This will be followed by the fourth annual
Ladies Golf Tournament at the same venue on October 21,
starting at 8
am.
The tournaments are open to 100 women and 45 men and entrance costs
BD20 for members or BD35 to
BD50 for guests.
Sponsorship ranges from
BD100 to BD500 per hole.
'The original concept was to have a ladies golf
tournament, but the men also wanted to get involved so we
thought we would
hold one for them this year,' said Ms Sprakel.
'The men and women will
be wearing pink T-shirts sponsored by Optima.'
Think Pink Bahrain, now
in its fifth year, has already raised BD120,000 for the Bahrain Cancer Society
and
another BD30,000 in kind for the community. – TradeArabia News
Service
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/newsdetails.asp?Sn=HEAL&artid=168105
------
Linwood
surgeon pleads not guilty in $8.5 millon fraud case
Print this Article
Share this ArticleStoryDiscussionBy LYNDA COHEN Staff Writer, 609-272-7257 |
Posted: Monday, September 14, 2009 | 0 comments
Font Size:Default
font sizeLarger font size.
Dr. Khashayar Salartash.
Photo by:
File
..Related Links
Related: Click here to read indictment.
MAYS
LANDING - A Linwood doctor will be acquitted of charges he falsified reports to
steal $8.5
million, his attorney insisted Monday.
Dr. Khashayar
Salartash, his office manager and a lawyer for his former treatment center
pleaded not guilty
Monday to charges of health care and Medicaid fraud
stemming from insurance claims they made through
the Egg Harbor
Township-based Center for Lymphatic Disorders.
"This is the beginning of
the beginning," attorney Jerome Ballarotto said after Salartash and the others
were
arraigned before Superior Court Judge James Isman. "We fully expect,
in the end, that's going to be the
jury's verdict: not
guilty."
Salartash, office manager Farah Iranipour Houtan and the center
were indicted in July on fraud charges for
allegedly mislabeling office
visits as surgical procedures. According to the indictment, when the office
was
questioned about the claims that showed the surgeries being performed
in the office, the code for the
location - not the procedure - was changed
in order to keep the claim for the larger amount.
Nearly $5 million was
taken from Medicare and more than a half-million from Medicaid, according to
the
Attorney General's Office. More than $3 million came from private
insurers.
The center treated people with lymphedema, swelling in the
arms or legs that is caused by a blockage of
lymph vessels.
During
Monday's brief hearing, Isman also made precautions to ensure there will be no
problems with him
handling the case.
Salartash, the judge noted, had
practicing privileges at Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point. Isman's
new law clerk is the son of the hospital's CEO, so the judge will "make
sure he does not touch this file in any
way."
Isman said he has
never dealt with Salartash directly, although the doctor's father was a witness
in a previous
case. The judge also has dealt with the hospital a lot as a
private citizen with his family, and in his previous
career as an
attorney.
As a result, he asked that a list of potential witnesses be
drawn up as soon as possible to make sure he does
not have any connection
to them. He wants character witnesses listed, if possible.
"Character
witnesses are not a big deal," he said. "But if I know 15 of them, it could be
a problem. And it's
very possible."
The case will be back before him
Oct. 28.
Neither Houtan's attorney, Mark Catanzaro, nor Lee S. Goldsmith
- who is representing the center -
wanted to comment after the
proceeding.
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield has also filed a suit against
Salartash, his father and several others in
connection with the alleged
fraud, saying it is owed $1.8 million.
According to the indictment,
Horizon began denying surgical claims in 2003, noting the service codes
indicated the surgeries took place in the office. Houtan later told the
office's billing company to change the
code to reflect the surgeries had
taken place in an outpatient hospital facility.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/article_23cfa534-a143-11de-8d11-001cc4c002e0.html
-----
Dear
Dr. Cheville or other reader:
I'm writing to you with concern over this
article I just
read:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/136665.php
Is this
true?
As the owner of one of the largest international lymphedema
support groups, I am appalled that such
outright discrimination would take
place. How can you treat cancer related lymphedema but not primary
lymphedema? It's lymphedema the same condition? How do we really know
that the "secondary" lymphers
are really secondary and not like me? I'm a
cancer patient BUT I'm a primary patient with secondary
causes one of them
being cancer?
I'm just very upset with this article and the prospect
that some of my members will no longer be able to get
the care they need.
To me, stating that you will not treat primary lymphers is pure and simple
discriminatory.
I am the content editor for ELymphNotes lymphedema
magazine sponsored by the Lymphedema
Awareness Foundation, I will be doing
my own story on this and I'm sure we will be discussing it on the sites
blog and in my support group. I really would like to hear your intake
before we do so we can present both
sides of the story and if in fact the
story is true.
Thank you.
Tina Budde
Lymphland International
Lymphedema Online
------------------------
No Treatment For
Southern Alberta Lymphedema Patients After March
26 Jan 2009
As of
March 31, Southern Alberta patients suffering from non-cancer-related
lymphedema, a progressive,
non-curable lymphatic disorder resulting in one
or more grossly swollen limbs and associated medical
complications, will no
longer have treatment services available in the city of Calgary or its
surrounds.
A recent decision by Alberta Health Services' Tom Baker
Cancer Centre to provide in-house lymphedema
treatment for cancer patients
means the city's only lymphedema clinic is shutting its doors.
Calgary
Lymphedema Rehabilitation and Consulting Services Inc., a private clinic, has
been the sole
provider of treatment services for Southern Alberta
lymphedema patients, regardless of cause.
Because more than 90 per cent
of the clinic's patients have cancer-caused lymphedema, the drastic loss of
patients to the new in-house program at Tom Baker means Calgary Lymphedema
Rehabilitation and
Consulting Services is no longer viable.
Patients
who have "primary" lymphedema (born with it), or "secondary" lymphedema not
caused by cancer
(causes include injury, infection, diseases other than
cancer, and Filariasis from a tropical mosquito bite) are
not eligible for
treatment at the new Tom Baker clinic - even though it will have the only
trained lymphedema
practitioners in Calgary.
Lymphedema is a
progressive, disfiguring and debilitative disorder. Uncontrolled lymphedema can
lead to
cellulitis and septicemia, fast-moving infections requiring I.V.
antibiotics and costly hospital stays. Patients
can lose their infected
limb(s) or worse. Without treatment to reduce volume, the buildup of lymph
fluid
continues to expand the limb (elephantiasis).
It is the
responsibility of Alberta Health Services to ensure non-cancer lymphedema
patients have access to
a specialized clinic to assess, treat, and manage
their condition, as well as to provide fair and equitable
treatment for all
lymphedema sufferers.
A secondary issue is funding. Treatment for
non-cancer patients is not covered. However, the Alberta
Cancer Board (now
part of the new Alberta Health Services) covers treatment for cancer
patients.
Prior to November 2006, treatment for Southern Alberta cancer
patients was not covered either. However,
following revelations that
Edmonton cancer patients received publicly funded in-house lymphedema
treatment, Southern Alberta's cancer patients also received funding.
Services were contracted to Calgary
Lymphedema Rehabilitation.
In
2006, the Alberta Lymphedema Association gathered signatures on a petition
requesting Alberta Health
Care coverage for all lymphedema sufferers. The
petition was tabled in the Alberta Legislature August 30,
2006, and still
has not been brought forward to the floor.
The continued non-funding for
non-cancer lymphedema treatment is inequitable. This disease is the same
regardless of cause, and treatment is neither optional nor
cosmetic.
Alberta Lymphedema Association
Article URL:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/136665.php
------------
623
Pound Woman Can't Find Help
Read Comments Print ArticleEmail This
ArticleLargerSmaller
Winston-Salem, NC -- A 600-pound woman that wants
to lose weight is quickly running out of options.
Sharon Purcell spent the
last month in Wake Forest Baptist Hospital. Now she is ready for discharge,
and
has no where to go because at 623 pounds, Sharon is just too large for
most weight rehabilitation centers.
She isn't a candidate for surgery, and
she can't go home, because her bed and lifts won't fit through the
door.
"To me, food is life and food is death. If I don't eat, I'm going
to die. If I eat, I'm going to die," said Purcell.
She says not being able
to say no to food brought her to her weight. And then that weight on her
lungs,
kidneys, and other organs put her in the hospital.
"Her legs
are so big in the middle she can't put them together to walk. She has
lymphedema, bad swelling,
she's in pain all the time," said Elizabeth
McLaurin, Purcell's daughter. McLaurin says now doctors want her
in weight
rehabilitation, but so far she's been turned down by more than 600 clinics in
North Carolina.
"Most places go anywhere from 200 pounds to 400 pounds
if that much," said Purcell. Even her own home
doesn't have the space she
needs. "They can't fit the stuff through our doorway that she needs, that's
why
she can't be at home. Her beds won't fit through the door, her lifts
won't fit through the door and we
physically can't take care of her," said
McLaurin.
Purcell knows time is running out. Doctor Tom Walsh, a
bariatrics surgeon, says at this weight, her body is
breaking down, "It
will not happen within hours or days, but certainly over months, we're not
talking year"
Around 5:00 on Wednesday, McLaurin said they may have
found a place in Illinois that can make
accommodations, but because the
facility is out of state, they'll have to pay the transportation fee out of
pocket. That's 6,500 dollars the family doesn't have. If you would like to
help, you can email the family at
[email protected].
Reported by:
Ashley Smith
http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=130403&catid=57
-------
N.S.
grapes growing nobler
SILVER DONALD CAMERON
Sun. Oct 4 - 4:46
AM
Grapes ripen on the vine at the Blomidon Winery in
Canning. (Ted Pritchard / Herald archive)
ON THIS COOL,
sunny September day, four young women in straw hats and short denim shorts are
stomping their bare feet in a child’s fibreglass wading pool outside a long
red barn. When they started, the
pool contained 42 pounds of pale green
Geisenheim grapes. As the women stomp, the grapes burst. Two of
the women
dipper the mush into a colander. The juice drains out into a pail.
At
the end of 10 minutes, the crowd counts down: FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE! The women
stop. The
juice is weighed. Twenty-six pounds! The Julie Skaling
Physiotherapy team from Kentville now leads the
competition in the
Gaspereau Vineyard Grape Stomp.
If they win, their prize money will
relieve lymphedema, a condition that leaves the upper arms of breast-
cancer
survivors swollen with fluid. My mother suffered from lymphedema. I hope this
team wins.
This is the vineyard’s fifth annual Autumn Food and Wine
Festival, and the loft of the adjoining barn hums
with happy conversation.
Gourmets and gluttons meander from table to table, sampling the wine from other
local wineries — Grand Pre (the original farm winery), Jost Vineyards
(which owns Gaspereau), Blomidon
Estates, Annapolis Highlands, Muir Murray,
Benjamin Bridge. A band called (I am not making this up) Swig
belts out
East coast standards like Sonny’s Dream and Coal Town Road.
At other
tables, local eateries like Paddy’s Pub, Pizzazz Bistro and the Fireside Cafe
serve spanakopita and
fat, succulent sausages from Al’s Home Style
Sausages. Glen Breton, North America’s only single-malt
whisky, faces an
innovative saponifier, Jennifer Christopherson of Creative Wanderings Bath and
Body.
Marjorie picks up a fragrant bar of Jack Frost peppermint soap.
Tangled Garden offers glorious jellies,
vinegars and liqueurs that combine
herbs from the proprietors’ garden with local wines and fruit. Hmm. The
Ginger Lime Thyme Jelly hits the palate like a starburst, and we take a
bottle of that, too.
Boutique vineyards like Gaspereau represent an
astonishing success story. Forty years ago, wines produced
in Nova Scotia
were slightly more appealing than varnish, though rather less palatable than
vinegar. Their
function was to provide a quick, inexpensive route to
oblivion. Meanwhile, though, a couple of daft
Dalhousie professors were
trying to grow wine grapes in the Annapolis Valley, and a German immigrant
family had planted a few vines in Malagash to produce wine for their own
table.
Thus began Grand Pre and Jost. As the years passed, growers
identified grape varieties suited to Nova
Scotian micro-climates. Marechal
Foch, Seyval Blanc, New York Muscat, L’Acadie Blanc. Vineyards
appeared in
Bear River, the LaHave Valley, Antigonish, even Cape Breton. The Jost family
developed a
very substantial winery. In 1986, provincial legislation
allowed wineries to sell directly to the public. The
wines — the ice wines
in particular — started winning national and international
awards.
Marjorie and I found ourselves buying local wines not out of
patriotism or curiosity, but because we liked
them. We discovered Jost’s
flavourful red Trilogy and aromatic Eagle Tree Muscat on the same evening,
and they have been favourites ever since. It turns out that muscats are
produced by several Nova Scotia
wineries, and we came home this time with
the Grand Pre version along with Gaspereau’s Vitis and Castel
reds.
The wines are transforming the province. Consider Gaspereau’s
winemaker, a young woman named Gina
Haverstock, whose family operates a
funeral parlour in Port Hawkesbury. Studying for admission to medical
school, Gina sequestered herself at the family summer cottage in Malagash,
working part-time at the nearby
Jost operation. She "fell in love with the
art of wine-making," scuttled her pre-med studies and took a
second degree
at Brock University in viticulture and oenology.
Nova Scotia vineyards
now cover about 1,000 hectares and sustain 11 wineries, though not all of the
wineries offer stores and tasting bars. It’s possible to take a modest
wine-country tour here, echoing Europe
and California. And the experts are
musing aloud that Nova Scotia may be Canada’s next big wine region.
I’ll
drink to that. And also to my physiotherapists, who won both the $300 prize for
the grape stomp, and a
$100 prize for the best-dressed team. Good fun, good
works, good wine. Does it get better?