WOMEN KICKING THAT CANCER FOR GOOD!

Women who survive breast cancer are often haunted by the fear that it might come back. But new research indicates that letrozole, which is sold under the brand name Femara, was effective in cutting the recurrence risk for women of all ages, including those older than 70.
many more women than had been thought can do something to protect themselves.

Currently, women whose tumors were fueled by the hormone estrogen can take the drug tamoxifen after undergoing surgery, radiation and chemotherapy to reduce their risk of a recurrence. But tamoxifen only helps for five years. After that, it may be dangerous.

Five years ago, researchers stopped a large international study early when it showed that women who had early-stage breast cancer and who took another drug, known as an aromatase inhibitor, after tamoxifen were nearly half as likely to suffer a relapse. But many questions remained, including whether it would work for women who had been diagnosed. Check out the answer to theses questions with the rest of this story with Rob Stein, Washington Post Staff Writer

THE PANCREATIC CANCER CLUB: PATRICK SWAYZE, MICHAEL LANDON, LUCIANO PAVORATI AND MY FATHER… MEMBERSHIP HAS NO PRIVILEGE

Patrick with Whoopi Goldberg---GHOST

Patrick and Jennifer Gray---DIRTY DANCING

How much longer does actor Patrick Swayze have to live? It is not an awful question. It is not a morose question. It is a hard question. So perhaps we should be asking, how would Patrick or any of us like to spend the rest of our life. Radiation, Chemotherapy it’s ugly and not effective. Pancreatic Cancer is one of the most ruthless cancers, because of these four main reasons.

1) It is one of the hardest cancers to detect. Your pancreas hides behind your stomach and a lot of other organs and there is no test for this type of cancer.
2) Usually by time it is detected it has made a major impact on your body that is irreversible.
3) Pancreatic cancer research is one of the most under funded cancers. It is not a glamour cancer, like lung cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer, ovarian cancer or even throat cancer. These are the cancers that get all the publicity. These cancers get all the celebrities to turn out for fundraising. .

I dedicate the rest of this story to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network National , an organization that in the next weeks is going to Washington D. C., seeking to get more funding for this horrible cancer. Go to their site and see how they are making a difference.

PANCAN - 2141 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 7000, El Segundo, CA 90245
Toll Free: 877-272-6226, Phone: 310-725-0025, Fax: 310-725-0029

ABC'S ROBIN ROBERTS IS MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER BALD BLACK ANCHOR ON THE CATWALK... SHE'S A SURVIVOR!

New York's Fashion Week Never Looked So Good! [Details]

Folks Who Get It: GMA's Robin Roberts Has African Americans And The Internet Cheering Her On!

ABC’s Good Morning America Anchor Is Making Black Folks Proud As She Stands Up To Cancer

Robin Roberts, 47, let cameras film her as she made the decision to shave her head on camera. Roberts has been losing her hair due to chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. In her own words:

"It was devastating and draining. And as so many who have traveled this path before me had encouraged, as hard as it was, I knew what I had to do. I shaved it all off. You know everyone tells you to shave your head preemptively. To go ahead and do it before it starts falling out and I thought, no, not me, that’s not going to be me, because some chemotherapy patients don’t lose their hair. But let me tell you, I’ve joined that choir. That’s a bit of advice I now preach, because when it starts to fall out, phew, that’s rough. To wear a wig or not to wear a wig is a very personal decision for everyone who goes through this. This is my work, and I love my job, being part of your morning each day, but I never want to distract you from the story I’m reporting.

Source: ROBIN ROBERTS SHAVES HEAD ON T.V. [concrete loop]

Because I lost my father to cancer almost a year ago, everytime I hear that someone else is dealing with this bitch of a disease, I can help but feel connected to them. Keep your head up Robin. You got even more love coming your way then you could ever imagine.

My folks would have celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary November 29th and everybody, especially my mother, is dealing with this incredible loss the best way we can. Love em while they're here family. You never know when it's your turn.

DARK NEWS FOR ROBIN ROBERTS

Good Morning America co-anchor Robin "Rockin'" Roberts announced today that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. "I never thought I'd be writing...I have breast cancer," she writes in a message posted on ABCNews.com.

According to Roberts, she performed what is suggested for all women over the age of 20 do: a self-breast exam every month. She found a lump and immediately went to a doctor the next day where it was determined that she has an early form of breast cancer.

"Hearing the doctor say those words out loud was surreal," Robert writes.

But the 46-year-old telejournalist is remaining upbeat. More than 250,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, but the survival rate has climbed thanks to increased education about the disease and early screenings to help catch it before it spreads.

As fans of our blogsite know, we kid around a lot, but cancer--of any kind--is no joke, so in the spirit of ultimate health and wellness, we wish and pray for the best for our sister.

Keep rockin' it Robin!

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION LINKED TO BREAST CANCER

Black women who feel they've been victims of racial discrimination are more likely than their peers to develop breast cancer, a large study suggests.

The study, which followed 59,000 African-American women for six years, found that those who reported more incidents of racial discrimination had a higher risk of breast cancer.

The relationship was stronger among women younger than 50, researchers found. This finding is particularly interesting, they note, in light of the fact that, unlike the case with older women, breast cancer is more common among young black women than young white women.

It's possible that racial discrimination plays some role, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Teletia R. Taylor of Howard University in Washington, D.C.

They report their findings in the American Journal of Epidemiology.