Breast Cancer and Exercise

August 16, 2012 By admin

A healthy lifestyle combining nutrition and exercise can be beneficial in reducing breast cancer risks in some women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in 2009 and 2010,more than one-third of adults in the United States were obese. With a definitive relationship established between increased body weight/weight gain and breast cancer among women, the benefits of regular exercise play an important role in the fight against breast cancer.

Battling weight to battle cancer

Unfortunately for women, weight gain causes not only a tighter waistband but also an increase in hormone levels,particularly estrogen. A recent studied by the Institute of Cancer Research reported that among women fighting breast cancer, obese women usually have higher estrogen levels than women who are not obese. Since many breast cancers need estrogen to grow, doctors tend use hormone-blocking treatments. Treatment may include a drug such as an aromatase inhibitor, which is a hormone-suppressing drug. It is possible however; weight loss through exercise and nutrition also may be beneficial when attempting to reduce estrogen levels in breast cancer patients and those at risk for breast cancer.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) encourages regular, intentional physical activity or exercise to reduce the risk of breast cancer and other cancers. Regular exercise also may reduce the risk of other diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes. The ACS guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes (two and one-half hours) of moderately intense exercise/activity per week, 75 minutes (one hour and fifteen minutes) of vigorously intense exercise/activity per week or a combination of both moderate and vigorous exercise spread throughout a seven-day period.

Types of exercise

Women’s health and wellness routines must include some levels of exercise to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, especially when fighting breast cancer. Incorporating moderate and even intense exercise into a daily routine doesn’t have to be costly or stressful.

Moderate exercise should raise your heart rate, cause you to sweat yet you should still be able to hold a conversation without gasping for breath. Inexpensive ways to exercise moderately include taking a brisk/fast walk through your neighborhood or local park, pushing a lawn mower or riding a bicycle.

Vigorous exercise makes you breathe harder and it may be difficult to hold a conversation while exercising. Examples include jogging, playing a game of basketball, soccer or tennis and swimming laps (not leisurely swimming, concentrated strokes to raise the heart rate.)

Gardening, playing with your kids and household chores such as vacuuming and mopping are other ways simply to get moving. Every time you get up and do something active, you are helping your overall health. Reducing sedimentary habits can help fight weight gain as well.

In addition, it’s important to remember to eat nutritionally balanced meals that do not exceed recommended daily caloric intake. If you’re not sure what your caloric intake should be, talk to your doctor. Before beginning any exercise routine it is important to talk first to your doctor to determine what is best for your health.

Filed Under: Post home, Prevention

b fore pink Golf Tournament Donation Page

July 22, 2012 By admin

Thank you for your interest in registering for or sponsoring the b fore pink First Annual Breast Cancer Golf Tournament! You may select your participation/sponsorship level below to make a direct online payment through our secure PayPal store, or you may download and print this form and send payment to the address noted on it by mail by check. For more information or if you have questions, please contact Stephanie Hoogenbergen at 305.825.4081 or email stephanie@flbreasthealth.com.

 

Golf Tournament – $250 Individual Golfer

 

Golf Tournament – $10,000 Presenting Sponsor


 

Golf Tournament – $5,000 Pink Sponsor


 

Golf Tournament – $3,000 Diamond Sponsor


 

Golf Tournament – $2,000 Pearl Sponsor


 

Golf Tournament – $1,000 Ruby Sponsor


 

Golf Tournament – $1,500 Beverage Station Sponsor


 

Golf Tournament – $800 Corporate Foursome Sponsor


 

Golf Tournament – In-Kind Sponsor: $5,000 Shirts


 

Golf Tournament – In-Kind Sponsor: $2,500 VIP Bag


 

Golf Tournament – In-Kind Sponsor: $750 Golf Balls


 

Golf Tournament – In-Kind Sponsor: $500 Hats


 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

b fore pink Golf Tournament Participation Form

July 18, 2012 By admin

Please complete the form below to indicate your interest in registration or sponsorship for the b fore Pink Golf Tournament. After you submit the form, you will be given a link to a page for online PayPal Contributions if you wish to make your registration or sponsorship donation immediately. That page will also contain information about submitting your donation via regular mail.

I am interested in registering for or sponsoring the b fore pink First Annual Breast Cancer Golf Tournament at the following level:
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Please indicate how you wish your sponsorship to appear in print:
To prove you are not a computer, enter the characters you see in the box inside the field below the box.
To prove you are not a computer, enter the characters you see in the box inside the field below the box.
Filed Under: Uncategorized

b fore pink: First Annual Breast Cancer Golf Tournament

July 15, 2012 By admin

Join us Sept. 21 for the first annual b fore pink Golf Tournament, to help fund the Women’s Breast Health Initiative, FL Affliate’s (WBHI) efforts to reduce the incidence of undetected and untreated breast cancer.

 

Friday, September 21, 2012

 

Don Shula’s Golf Club
7601 Miami Lakes Dr.
Miami Lakes, FL 33014

 

10:30 am – Registration
11:00 am – Lunch
12:00 pm – Scramble
Awards Ceremony, Entertainment, Auction, Dinner, and Cocktails

 

Pink is the color of breast cancer. ALL women are at risk and 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer over their lifetime. Sadly, every year almost 40,000 women die from this disease. The good news is early detection and a healthy lifestyle saves lives. Help us help underserved women beat breast cancer through breast health education and early detection before they turn pink.

1 in 8 does not discriminate. Breast cancer attacks the insured and the uninsured. Fundsraised through this event will ensure that uninsured and underserved women in ourcommunity receive free breast health education at their homes and free mammograms in their neighborhoods.

Proceeds from the 2012 b fore pink Golf Tournament will help fund the Women’s BreastHealth Initiative, FL Affiliate’s (WBHI) efforts to reduce the incidence of undetected and untreated breast cancer. WBHI provides free breast health awareness, education, screening and referrals for uninsured and underserved women through a targeted neighborhood door-to-door outreach effort. WBHI’s targeted program has identified breast cancer at twice the national average, which not only saves women’s lives, but also tax payer dollars. With a mission to fight the life-threatening disease of breast cancer one household at a time, this annual tournament provides critical resources to meet these goals.

For more information or to become a sponsor or auction donor, please contact Stephanie Hoogenbergen at 305.825.4081 or email: stephanie@flbreasthealth.com for additional information. If you would like to download a printable version of our sponsorship form and information, please click here.

Filed Under: Featured Post

Latest News in Breast Cancer: Detection and Treatment

June 27, 2012 By admin

A number of recent studies have revealed exciting news in both the detection and treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer is second only to lung cancer when it comes to cancer deaths among women in the U.S. As we learn more about breast cancer, we are able to develop methods of reducing the incidence of it, which can help protect scores of women from this deadly disease.

In the area of breast cancer detection, two new developments can help in the area of early detection. Breast cancer early detection can make all the difference in a patient’s outcome; when breast cancer is caught at the localized stage, the five-year survival rate is 98%. Part of early detection is knowing whether you have an increased risk for breast cancer. For this reason, a number of women are opting for genetic testing to see whether they carry the markers for increased breast cancer risk. However, at this time, direct to consumer DNA tests are, for many people, prohibitively expensive, costing between $100 and $1500. Researchers at Johns Hopkins performed a focus group to find out what women were looking for in direct to consumer tests. Results revealed that women would be willing to buy tests that ranged in price from $10 to $20, and that they would be willing to test their children for increased risk of the disease. These findings can be used to make direct to consumer genetic testing more easily available.

In other detection news, with the successful completion of the mapping of the human genome, researchers are now focusing on proteins. By studying protein microarrays, doctors feel that they will be better able to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages. Until recently, this was a dauntingly time consuming process because of the need to isolate proteins. However, a new technique which does not require that the proteins be purified can speed up the process, allowing doctors to learn more quickly. Accuracy of the program is high; in a recent study where 28 antigens were identified, doctors were able to identify cancer with 80 to 100 percent accuracy.

In the area of treatment, a recent clinical trial on a cancer vaccine has had promising results. When women who had had cancer before were given the vaccine, their rate of recurrence dropped to around 10%, down from 18% without the vaccine over a period of 22 months. This represents a 43% drop in reoccurrence. Short term side effects of the vaccine were minimal, and included flu-like symptoms, redness at the injection area and bone pain. The vaccine works by teaching the body to recognize HER2, the oncoprotein that promotes tumor growth, as an invader.

Filed Under: Cancer News

Breast Cancer Risk and Nutrition

June 27, 2012 By admin

Diet is perhaps the single largest controllable factor in a woman’s breast cancer risk. There are foods that increase your risk, and also foods that can significantly reduce it. By maintaining a healthy, varied diet rich in cancer-preventative foods, you are able to substantially cut your chances of breast cancer. Plus, eating a wide variety of nutritious foods is also part of a healthy lifestyle that goes beyond reducing cancer risk.

Artistic image of mixed fruitAccording to The American Cancer Society, a large number of women’s health studies have suggested that a diet low in animal fats can lead to lower rates of breast cancer. Cancer rates are lower in parts of the world where people eat less animal fat. Additionally, in tests on rodents, higher fat diets led to higher incidence of mammary cancers. Seek out low-fat protein options to keep your fat intake within recommended guidelines. For instance, opt for a lentil salad or vegetarian black bean chili for dinner. Try tilapia for an affordable, low-fat mild fish entree. Pick lean cuts when eating red meat, and take the skin off chicken. Preliminary studies seem to indicate that the younger you are when you adopt a low-fat diet, the more cancer protection it provides.

While no clear cause and effect has been established between eating fruit and vegetable and breast cancer risk reduction, it is well-known that eating plenty of vegetables is necessary for proper women’s nutrition. Vegetables are low in fat, but high in filling fiber. Aim for five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Pick fruits and vegetables with colors through the rainbow to make sure you are getting a wide array of nutrients. Think yellow peppers, deep green kale, pale eggplant and vibrant red berries. Keeping cut veggies on the top shelf of your fridge makes them an easy snack.

One of the clearest dietary risks for cancer is alcohol consumption. Women who drink have a higher incidence of breast cancer than those who don’t. If you do imbibe, limit it to one alcoholic drink per day. This allows you to take advantage of the wellness benefits of beverages like red wine while limiting your cancer risk. Also, if you drink, be sure to consume plenty of folate-rich foods like fortified cereals and leafy greens. Although scientists don’t understand why, folate seems to help reduce cancer risk among women who drink.

Pursuing a healthy diet not only cuts down breast cancer risks, it helps reduce other health risk such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Plus, a good diet leaves you feeling more energetic and provides a general sense of wellness. Commit to maintaining a healthy diet to cut your breast cancer risk and enjoy better health overall.

Filed Under: Prevention

Guidelines for Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention

October 11, 2011 By admin

The American Cancer Society recently added guidelines for nutrition and physical activity for cancer prevention in the 2011-2012 Breast Cancer Factbook. These guidelines are meant to complement the guidelines for early detection, allowing women to take control over their health.

Maintain a healthy weight throughout life.

  • Balance calorie intake with physical activity.
  • Avoid excessive weight gain throughout life.
  • Achieve and maintain a healthy weight if currently overweight or obese.

Adopt a physically active lifestyle.

  • Adults should engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, above usual activities, on 5 or more days of the week; 45 to 60 minutes of intentional physical activity is preferable.
  • Children and adolescents should engage in at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity at least 5 days per week.

Eat a healthy diet, with an emphasis on plant sources.

  • Choose foods and drinks in amounts that help achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
  • Eat 5 or more servings of a variety of vegetables and fruits each day.
  • Choose whole grains over processed (refined) grains.
  • Limit intake of processed and red meats.

If you drink alcoholic beverages, limit your intake.

  • Women should drink no more than 1 drink per day (or 2 per day for men).
Filed Under: Cancer News, Prevention

Cut Your Cancer Risk – One Bite at a Time!

September 20, 2011 By admin

Change the way you eat and you could reduce your risk of becoming a cancer statistic. Eating fruits, vegetables and fiber protects healthy cells from cancer-causing free radicals and keeps weight in check. Fruits and veggies build up your immune system with cancer-fighting antioxidants. Fiber keeps food from lingering in the intestines where it can latch onto cancer-causing carcinogens.

If visions of spinach mounds and celery stalks make you cringe, try these tips to think outside the salad bowl!

  1. Morning makeover: Top off your oatmeal or cereal with berries or sliced bananas. Making scrambled eggs? Sauté mushrooms with cancer-busting garlic for a veggie scramble.
  2. Get saucy: Creamy pasta sauces can be loaded with fat, so use veggies and olive oil instead. Throw in tomatoes (lycopene), spinach (magnesium) and carrots (beta carotene).
  3. Go Asian: Chock full of veggies, stir fries spice up a weeknight meal. Use a small amount of canola oil with snow peas, scallions and reduced sodium soy sauce. Substitute brown rice for fried rice.
  4. Meatless Monday: Plant-based sources of protein, such as lentils, peas and beans provide nutrients, without the fat. Nuts supply protein too, but with higher fat, so be mindful of serving sizes. Keep red meat to a minimum, as it can contain more carcinogens when cooked.
  5. Mix it up: Create a dried fruit mixture with ingredients such as apricots, apples, cherries, figs and dates. Sprinkle cinnamon or ginger for an afternoon pick-me-up.
  6. Shred it: Carrots, apples and zucchinis can be grated and used in casseroles, pancakes, muffins and breads.
  7. Blend a smoothie: Blend unsweetened fresh or frozen berries with lowfat milk or yogurt and ice. For extra protein, add a handful of chopped walnuts – don’t worry, they’ll blend right in!
  8. Add flavor: Tempt your taste buds with antioxidant rich seasonings like rosemary, garlic, sage and olive oil. Roast vegetables with herbs and balsamic vinegar for a Mediterranean taste.

There are so many ways you can add fruits and vegetables to your diet. What are some of your favorites?? (comment below.)

Filed Under: Post home, Prevention

Women who eat lots of fiber have less breast cancer

July 29, 2011 By admin

(By Eric Schultz, Reuters Health) – A fresh look at the medical evidence shows women who eat more fiber are less likely to get breast cancer.

Chinese researchers found those who ate the most of the healthy plant components were 11 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than women who ate the least.

Their findings don’t prove fiber itself lowers cancer risk, however, because women who consume a lot of it might be healthier overall than those who don’t.

The results “can identify associations but cannot tell us what will happen if people change their behavior,” said John Pierce, a cancer research at the University of California, San Diego, who was not involved in the work.

While earlier research has yielded mixed conclusions on the link between cancer and fiber, it would make scientific sense: According to the Chinese researchers, people who eat high-fiber diets have lower levels of estrogen, which is a risk factor for breast tumors.

So to get more clarity, the researchers combined 10 earlier studies that looked at women’s diets and followed them over seven to 18 years to see who developed cancer.

Of more than 710,000 women, 2.4 percent ended up with breast cancer. And those in the top fifth of fiber intake were 11 percent less likely to do so than women in the bottom fifth.

That was after accounting for differences in risk factors like alcohol drinking, weight, hormone replacement therapy and family members with the disease.

Still, it’s impossible to rule out that big fiber eaters had healthier habits overall that would cut their risk, Jia-Yi Dong of Soochow University in Suzhou and his colleagues write in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

And the potential effect was “very small,” Dr. Eleni Linos of Stanford University, who wasn’t involved in the research, told Reuters Health in an email.

About one in eight American women get breast cancer at some point, with less than a quarter of them dying from it.

Although the connection between breast cancer risk and fiber is a small one, fiber is “something that we know is healthy for you anyway,” said Christina Clarke, a research scientist at the Cancer Prevention Institute of California in Fremont.

Known benefits of a high-fiber diet include lower cholesterol and weight loss. If it turns out to cut cancer risk as well, that would be an extra bonus, Clarke said.

Fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains are all high in fiber.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines, most Americans don’t get enough fiber. The guidelines recommend that women eat 25 grams of fiber per day and men eat 38 grams, while the average Americans gets just 15 grams a day.

“Increasing dietary fiber intake in the general public is of great public health significance,” the Chinese team concludes.

SOURCE: bit.ly/qKtsU2 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online July 20, 2011.

Filed Under: Cancer News

Expert Panel Issues Lymphedema White Paper: Calls for Early Detection and Intervention to Reduce Lymphedema Progression

July 28, 2011 By admin

Avon Foundation for Women-sponsored white paper reports latest lymphedema clinical advances that could benefit many of the 2.3 million U.S. breast cancer survivors 

New York City, July 27, 2011 –

An expert panel issued a white paper examining new evidence that shows early detection and intervention hold the greatest promise for reducing breast cancer-related lymphedema, which affects up to one-third of the 180,000 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients annually and 2.3 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. The Avon Foundation for Women, in partnership with the Lymphatic Research Foundation and the National Lymphedema Network, convened a group of leading scientists, clinicians and advocates in April 2011 to discuss recent advances in the early detection and early intervention of upper extremity lymphedema. The expert panel produced several recommendations, which are shared in a white paper released today, Recent Advances in Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema Detection and Treatment.

Breast cancer-related lymphedema is a chronic, debilitating disorder that may occur following surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy that causes limb swelling and chronic inflammation. According to the white paper, monitoring for lymphedema onset in breast cancer patients is essential—and medically necessary—and should include capturing baseline arm volume measurements prior to treatment and follow-up measurements at regular intervals once breast cancer treatment is completed.  By the time lymphedema is visually detectable, it has already progressed to advanced stages. Regular surveillance, using tools such as perometry or bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS), in the years following breast cancer treatment can reduce the development of irreversible lymphedema and improve quality of life.

“Lymphedema can have devastating physical and emotional consequences for breast cancer survivors,” said Marc Hurlbert, executive director of the Avon Foundation for Women Breast Cancer Crusade. “The expert panel’s recommendations for lymphedema care can dramatically change the lives of breast cancer patients. Early detection of lymphedema can identify sub-clinical lymphedema at a time when simple, cost-effective interventions can be used to prevent it from evolving into advanced stages of lymphedema and reduce the condition’s severity.”

The white paper recommends that breast cancer survivors be closely monitored for the development of lymphedema and learn how to reduce their risk of developing the disorder, such as by recognizing the physical triggers (e.g. cuts or burns on the fingers) that may transform the disease from latent to active and by maintaining meticulous skin care hygiene and a healthy body weight. Recent studies in weight lifting, exercise and weight loss also have demonstrated a benefit in preventing lymphedema: stretching, aerobics and arm and leg weight lifting resulted in fewer flare-ups among patients with lymphedema and reduced the chance of developing the condition among at-risk patients by 70%. 

“The Lymphatic Research Foundation (LRF) and our National Lymphatic Disease and Lymphedema Registry (NLDLR) were pleased to partner with the Avon Foundation for Women in co-sponsoring this important conference,” said Jacqueline Reinhard, executive director of the Lymphatic Research Foundation.  “Publication of the resulting White Paper – Recent Advances in Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema Detection and Treatment – provides a much-needed resource for the many patients living with lymphedema, as well as the researchers and treatment professionals involved in this field.”

At the Avon Foundation symposium, the National Lymphedema Network (NLN) also shared its recent position paper on lymphedema screening and treatment. The NLN’s position paper recommends all breast cancer patients receive pre- and post-treatment measurements on both arms, as well as consistent measurements throughout their treatment, and use bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) or infrared perometry as alternatives to a tape measure. These precautions have proven to reduce the occurrence of false negative and false positive results which could be obtained by using a tape measure.

For more information about lymphedema or to download Recent Advances in Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema Detection and Treatment or the National Lymphedema Network’s recent white paper, please visit www.avonfoundation.org/programs-and-events/lymphedema-information.html.

Filed Under: Cancer News, Early Detection
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