About.com Breast Cancer

Mammography Guidelines Cause Confusion, Division

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:01:54 +0000

Film Mammography
A.D.A.M.

The new guidelines for breast screening, released on Monday by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, have been causing confusion, division, outrage, and much discussion. Health professionals, breast cancer support organizations, breast cancer survivors, and health journalists have been speaking out on the recommendation to move screening mammograms from age 40 to age 50. Emotions have been running high, and the barrage of commentary is generating a fog of confusion and misunderstanding about mammography guidelines in general.

The Task Force based its study on traditional film mammography - but most radiology clinics now use digital mammography. In the report explaining their recommendations, the Task Force rated digital mammograms as having "insufficient data" as to their accuracy. The USPSTF is a fairly conservative organization in how they view data - they may have been using statistics that were not quite current. Now we know that digital mammograms are superior to film mammograms: they are faster, use less radiation, and according to the National Cancer Institute, they are more accurate than film at finding cancer in women less than 50 years old, and women who have dense (not fatty) breast tissue.

Based on current facts like these, many prominent agencies are not changing their breast screening guidelines. The American Cancer Society as well as the National Cancer Institute have issued statements maintaining their current recommendations to begin screening mammography at age 40, doing monthly breast self-exams, and having a physician do a clinical breast exam once a year. Other notable organizations are sticking with the "start at 40" guidelines - the American College of Radiology, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network stood together citing that the benefits of screening mammography from age 40 and monthly BSEs outweigh the risks. State regulations, which affect insurance coverage, will also affect the age at which women will be covered for their first screening mammogram.

Dr. Susan Love has come out on the side of the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, saying, "While this is a shift in guidelines, it was long overdue, and now brings us into line with most other countries, many of which have government funded mammography screening programs." Some advocacy groups like Breast Cancer Action and the National Breast Cancer Coalition say that, "fewer mammograms is good news."

The United States is currently haggling over health care reform, and some fear that mammograms will in future be rationed, leaving many without screening when they actually need it. Dr. Gail Lebovic, a breast surgeon with 20 years experience, reminds women that, "Here in the United States, over 50% of the cancers we find are found on a mammogram. They cannot be felt by a woman, they cannot be felt by a doctor. So, without screening mammography, we would not have been able to make the progress that we have been able to make over the last 30 years." The American Society of Breast Disease, for which Dr. Lebovic is president, is concerned that the new USPSTF Guidelines are aimed primarily at cost effectiveness.

Let me have your comments on this controversy. Would you give up screening mammograms before you turn 40? Would you give up monthly breast self-exams?

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Mammography Guidelines Cause Confusion, Division originally appeared on About.com Breast Cancer on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 11:01:54.

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Screening Mammography Guidelines to Change

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:01:17 +0000

Start When You Are 50

The standard schedule of starting screening mammograms at age 40 may soon change, and breast cancer prevention strategies would be improved, according to the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force. Women may not begin to have screening mammograms until they are 50, and they may cease doing breast self-exams altogether, if the newest guidelines for breast cancer screening from the USPSTF are widely adopted. In Canada and the United Kingdom, 50 is already the age at which screening mammography is begun. These new guidelines may have an impact on what health insurance providers will pay for.

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has updated its recommendations for breast cancer screening.� After using computer simulation models to project the results of different screening strategies, the task force said that they recommend the changes because they want to cut down on the "harms" and risks of testing, which they believe do not outweigh the benefits. They cite too many false positives, unnecessary biopsies, anxiety, or in short, overdiagnosis. Their November 2009 guidelines suggest:

Women between 40 and 49 years old should not be having routine screening mammograms.� Instead, they say that women should make an informed decision about screening mammography before 50, and weigh their potential risks and benefits with their doctors.
Women who are 50 to 74 years old should be having a screening mammogram every other year, because the risk for breast cancer increases as you age.�
Women over 74 years old are not given specific guidelines about routine screening mammography - as their risk of death from heart disease and other ailments is greater than from breast cancer.
Women of any age should not be taught to do breast self-exams, but BSE is not forbidden.
Clinical breast exams will not be required before screening mammograms, because CBE appears to add no benefit to the information gained from a mammogram.

In 2002, the USPSTF guidelines for breast cancer screening stated that women 40 and older should have annual mammograms to screen for breast cancer.� The American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute have also agreed on screening mammograms for women ages 40 to 70. The The American Cancer Society will maintain their recommendation to start screening mammograms at age 40.

Mammography is not a perfect tool and neither is a breast self-exam. But it seems odd to take away these two tools, which we have been told are important, for women aged 40 - 49. This same battle has been fought before, in the mid-1990s. It was resolved by 1997, when the National Cancer Institute agreed to support mammograms for women in their forties.

In an editorial published in Annals of Internal Medicine, Dr. Karla Kerlikowske says that the focus should shift from screening and early detection to breast cancer prevention interventions.� But for this to be effective, Dr. Kerlikowske says that we need a better risk model, more research on prevention, and standards "for routinely assessing risk factors, calculating breast cancer risk, and reporting risk to women and providers in an easily understandable format." Couldn't we wait, until more research has been done, before we change screening guidelines? Won't women be more at risk for ten years of their lives, if they are not having a mammogram and doing their self-exams?

I'm all in favor of better prevention - but I want it to include lifestyle changes, diet recommendations, exercise programs, and ways to detoxify your environment, as well as better breast imaging technologies and guidelines, and better risk assessment.� Yes, I still want The Cure - but I want to prevent breast cancer even more - so that someday soon, nobody will have to hear the words, "You have breast cancer."

How do you feel about these guidlines changing? Would you give up your monthly BSEs? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

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Screening Mammography Guidelines to Change originally appeared on About.com Breast Cancer on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 17:01:17.

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PTSD: Veterans and Breast Cancer Survivors Can Benefit From Therapy

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:48:01 +0000

Ben Simons, SeaBee, WW2
Photo �
Dora Simons

Veterans' Day is being celebrated today, but after the mass shooting at Ft. Hood, and other events going on this week, my thoughts are circling around our veterans and what they may face during military service and after.� My father, Ben Simons, signed up with the SeaBees when he was just days away from his 18th birthday.� The son of hard-working people who grew up in the dustbowl of Oklahoma, Dad was determined to join up and make a difference - and come home to a better life.� He spent almost three years in the South Pacific with the SeaBees, got married to my mother when he returned, and went to college on the G.I. Bill.� He became a civil engineer, and to this day still has a fine eye for lines, dimensions, and well-built roads and bridges.� He seldom speaks of his time in the Navy, but always remembers it in positive terms when he does mention it.� For the record, Dad is my hero.

Many war veterans experience PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome.� Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, upsetting memories, or physical responses to trauma that are similar to the fight or flight reaction.� When a person has PTSD, they may find it hard to talk about it, or might avoid the place or people related to the trauma.� PTSD can make you feel disconnected from other people, or as if death is around every corner.� You may feel jumpy, easily irritable, or be prone to emotional outbursts.� If these symptoms sound familiar to you, it's because breast cancer survivors can also experience PTSD.

After I fired my first oncologist, I could barely stand to drive by that cancer clinic, or even go near the part of town where it was located.� My heart would constrict, I sometimes felt nauseous, I would feel like weeping.� Eventually, as I moved past those feelings, I felt happy when I passed that way.� Mainly, I was happy that I never had to go there again and have the experience of being a widget on a cancer treadmill - a widget that had never fit into their program!� Maybe I had a light case of PTSD, it's hard to say from a distance of seven years.

There are many treatments available to anyone who has PTSD.� Therapy can be tailored to your particular type of trauma, and medication may also help.� I recently read about EMDR - Eye Motion Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy.� It requires a trained therapist to successfully treat PTSD with EMDR.� But one veteran of the war in Iraq calls EMDR a cure for PTSD.� It has helped people recover from abusive childhoods, from catastrophic loss of loved ones, sexual abuse, chemical dependancy, and from the psychological impact of breast cancer diagnosis.� Getting help for PTSD can be part of recovering from treatment for breast cancer.

If you're a veteran of the armed services, I salute you and thank you for your service.� You've put your life at risk for my freedom.� You've made this country a place that people all around the world would love to live in.� And if you are a breast cancer survivor, I also salute you, as a fellow veteran of the war on cancer, no matter where you are in the fight.� Let us fight on, until the world is free for all to live in, and free of cancer.

Have you tried EMDR therapy for trauma?� Let me know how it worked for you.

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PTSD: Veterans and Breast Cancer Survivors Can Benefit From Therapy originally appeared on About.com Breast Cancer on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 23:48:01.

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Get Your Dirty, Sexy Plastic Off My Food and Water!

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:06:42 +0000

First it was just bottled water in those bisphenol A (BPA) plastic bottles. We were told not to drink water that "smelled like plastic" or that had sat in sun-warmed bottles. They told us that the BPA in hard plastics could cause prostate and breast cancers, diabetes and heart disease, as well as reproductive problems. BPA is everywhere: baby bottles, toys, and packaging for some microwaveable foods. So now we use BPA-free bottles, toys, and nuke our food in glass containers. That's good!

But what if your food is already tainted with BPA plastic? Well, next time you look into a can of beans, soup, tomatoes, or baby formula, check out the inside of the metal can. If it has a white coating on the inner surface, you may be seeing BPA right in there with your food. Now, aside from heating a can of bean directly over a campfire in case of emergency, most of us don't cook food right in the product cans. But when canned foods are processed and sealed into those cans, what happens to the BPA in contact with your beans, soup, or Similac Infant Forumla?

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a man-made hormone that acts like estrogen, binding to the same receptors that Tamoxifen or natural estrogen would target in your body. So canned foods packaged with epoxy and BPA coatings are like getting sex hormones in a can. Most cases of breast cancer are fueled by estrogen, which is why we need to be aware of products that may look innocent and healthy, but may be potentially harmful. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control say that low levels of BPA exposure are safe for humans. The American Chemistry Council agrees with the FDA and the CDC, but they also speak for the plastics industry - a significant economic power, as so many products in our world are formed of plastics, wrapped in plastics, or blended with polymers.

Consumer Reports magazine did a study, published in December 2008, that revealed levels of BPA in Del Monte Fresh Cut Blue Lake Green Beans, Progresso Vegetable Soup and Campbell's Condensed Chicken Soup. You'll also find BPA in cans of Nestle Juicy Juice, tomatoes, citrus products, and acidic drinks like cokes. BPA may also be used to line canned alcoholic beverages, so in addition to alcohol raising your estrogen levels, the BPA may be kicking in, too.

Current FDA guidelines, which were formulated in the 1980's, state that the upper limit of safe exposure to BPA is 50 micrograms of BPA for each kilogram of body weight. Word has it that the FDA is revising their BPA guidelines and will get those out to us soon. Dr. Steven G. Hentges, of the CDC, says that our average exposure to BPA is about "1,000 times below government safety limits." But Dr. Urvashi Rangan of Consumer Reports thinks that if a young child is drinking several servings of canned Nestle Juicy Juice every day, "a child still could exceed a level that Consumers Union thinks would provide an adequate margin of safety."

I can remember when canned food came only in glass jars. Milk was delivered in glass jugs. Fresh fruit and vegetables might arrive in wooden boxes or burlap bags. Meat was cut to order and wrapped in paper. Were we as a nation healthier then? Perhaps we were. Nowadays, I use a stainless steel travel mug, a BPA-free water jug, and I microwave foods in paper or glass containers. But I will also be looking for foods that are not packaged with BPA epoxy coatings, because I just don't want to put my health at risk. Just as I try to live green and detoxify my personal environment, I'll try to keep my food and drink as pure as I can.

Does the idea of BPA in your canned or bottled foods bother you? Leave a comment or visit my Forum to discuss BPA, diet, and cancer risk.

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Get Your Dirty, Sexy Plastic Off My Food and Water! originally appeared on About.com Breast Cancer on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 14:06:42.

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Medical Marijuana Laws Loosened at Federal Level

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:24:39 +0000

Medical Marijuana
Photo �
Getty Images

President Obama has changed the policy that allows federal prosecutors to pursue those who sell and use medical marijuana, when the state laws permit. At present, only 14 U. S. states have legalized the medical use of marijuana - which means you need a prescription for it, and access to a pharmacy certified to dispense it. This does not relax the laws governing recreational use of pot, so don't head out to your greenhouse and start harvesting a little extra weed to sell, even in a state where medical marijuana is legal. The new policy on pot simply says that federal prosecutors should stop targeting people who use or sell medical marijuana, when it is done so within the boundaries of state laws.

Thirty years ago, when my husband's mother was taking some experimental chemotherapy for a relapse of breast cancer, she was very ill with side effects. There were not many premedications to help ward off nausea and vomiting back then, but there were drugs that could be taken after these symptoms began. She wanted to live, to be there for her newly-engaged daughter, her newly-wed son, her devoted husband, and her elderly mother. Already petite and slender, she lost weight from side effects and loss of appetite, and said that one of the drugs she was given impaired her perception of colors. The world seemed to look black and white, itself a hard thing for an artist like her to bear, so she stopped taking that drug. But her other side effects continued as she soldiered on, making as little complaint as possible. Her husband said admiringly, "She's tough!" But a couple of her wilder nephews thought they could help. They put out the word that a little marijuana was needed, and the next time they visited her, they hustled into her room and closed the door. She accepted some home-made marijuana cigarettes as graciously as she could and promised to try it. Later, she said that it didn't help her side effects, but was fun while it lasted. She finished chemotherapy and used her last six months doing things that were very important to her - spending time with loved ones. After she died, just before her 50th birthday, we found some leftover marijuana in a jacket pocket - I don't remember how it was disposed of - but it gave us a chuckle. My mother-in-law was a beautiful, elegant, well-mannered educator and artist, and the thought of her lighting up a curled paper of pot doesn't seem to go with my image of her.

As for her being caught and prosecuted, can you see the cops coming in and busting a 90-pound sick, bald, night-gown swathed breast cancer patient? Her husband was in the Police Reserves, so perhaps he could have gotten some leniency for her. But if she had been arrested, they would have had to take her down to the cop shop on a gurney. That would not have made the local police look very good, now would it?

For some cancer patients, medical marijuana may be a real blessing. For others it may seem like a legal loophole for addicts to claim a medical necessity. I never wanted to try it, myself. How do you feel about medical marijuana? Leave a comment or take a poll to voice your opinion. Is it still the "evil weed" - or is it time for a change, at least for medical marijuana?

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Medical Marijuana Laws Loosened at Federal Level originally appeared on About.com Breast Cancer on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 12:24:39.

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Michelle Obama Pins on Pink Ribbon But Pushes Legislative Reform Over Research and Prevention

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:44:12 +0000

Michelle Obama
Photo �
Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla

"In this country, getting sick shouldn't mean going bankrupt," declared Michelle Obama to members of the House and Senate as well as cancer survivors. "If you've already fought cancer, you shouldn't also have to fight with insurance companies to get the coverage that you need at a price that you can afford." Speaking to a group gathered in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden on October 23, the First Lady said that it is "unacceptable" that insurance companies can charge higher rates or refuse to cover people with pre-existing conditions, like breast cancer. Sharing the spotlight with Second Lady Jill Biden, Mrs. Obama addressed a gathering held to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Usually a BCAM event focuses on the basics of breast cancer - like prevention, early detection, raising awareness, and promising new research, all details that Jill Biden, who helped found the Biden Breast Health Initiative would have been familiar with. The BBHI is raising awareness and providing education about breast health, breast self-exams, and healthy lifestyle choices - all aimed at prevention. Perhaps Mrs. Biden spoke about the basics, but her speech didn't get as much attention.

Michelle Obama used the occasion to talk about healthcare reform - a hot topic and one her husband wants very much to drive through the legislature. I'm glad she cares about insurance issues, even though she and all the First Family are on the presidential private insurance plan (possibly the world's best coverage). I'm glad she knows that having cancer treatments can cause financial stress and sometimes ruin. It's nice that she wore a pink ribbon and had big pink ribbons hung on the North Portico columns for the weekend.

But Mrs. Obama chose to skip all the basic information about breast cancer, and instead did her own spin on the event, using breast cancer as an issue to help sell healthcare reform. I understand, she is the First Lady and she's got to support the President. That's all fine and good. But as the headliner at a Breast Cancer Awareness event, couldn't she set aside the debate over legislation long enough to talk about the drop in deaths from breast cancer and the increase in survival rates? As a black woman, couldn't she have mentioned the exciting new research on Triple Negative Breast Cancer? I think she could have talked about new imaging technology, or about making early detection safe and affordable.

Michelle Obama's emphasis always came back to healthcare reform and insurance issues. "We have a health care system in this country that simply is not working for too many people with breast cancer and too many people who are surviving with breast cancer," said Mrs. Obama, "That's why it is so critically important that we finally reform our health care system that is causing so much heartache for so many people affected by this disease. Now is the time."

I agree that our health care system needs help - and that uninsured people especially need better care, regardless of income - cancer ignores your position on the social ladder as well as the size of your wallet. But the heartbreak of breast cancer is that we still have no cure, no effective prevention, no clear understanding of why genes mutate and allow cancer to develop, no strong measures to protect our environment from toxic pollution that correlates with cancer outbreaks, and not enough targeted treatments that kill cancer without wrecking the quality of life for the hundreds of thousands of women and men that are diagnosed every year. I'd rather hear Mrs. Obama boost more research and praise what progress we have made, than have another pitch for healthcare reform, especially at an event honoring survivors of breast cancer. What do you think? Should she have stayed on the topic of the day? Or should she keep touting insurance legislation? I know it's hard to tease these two things apart, but gee Mrs. Obama - pin on your pink ribbon and please stick to the basics. We still have a long way to go for the cure.

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Michelle Obama Pins on Pink Ribbon But Pushes Legislative Reform Over Research and Prevention originally appeared on About.com Breast Cancer on Saturday, October 24th, 2009 at 18:44:12.

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Pittsburgh Goes Pink For Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:26:30 +0000

Pink Fountain, Pittsburgh
Photo �
Karl D. Stephan

Pittsburgh kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness Month by turning it's fountains pink. The Pennsylvania Commission for Women is sponsoring this display of pink water, in Pittsburgh and in cities all across the state of Pennsylvania. PCW isn't just about outdoor decoration though - they also work year-round to advocate for health needs of women and girls, provides information, education, and opportunities for improvement of quality of life.

The pink fountains certainly get your attention - they aren't a sweet, shy, pale shade of pink - these are hot pink surges of spray, coursing into the air at fountains that are already landmarks. You can't ignore something as showy and fabulous as these! "These pink fountains are truly a spectacle, but our mission in turning fountains pink is a serious one: we want to raise awareness about breast cancer and, in turn, save lives," said Leslie Stiles, executive director of the Pennsylvania Commission for Women. "We hope that the pink fountains will serve as a reminder for women to do their monthly breast self exams, schedule their yearly mammogram, and for those women and families affected by the disease, we hope the fountains let them know that they are on our mind," said Stiles.

You can celebrate BCAM in October or all year, by being proactive about your health:

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Pittsburgh Goes Pink For Breast Cancer Awareness Month originally appeared on About.com Breast Cancer on Monday, October 19th, 2009 at 12:26:30.

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Swiffer Making Sweeping Changes for The Cause

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:41:07 +0000

Swiffer Pink Limited Edition
Photo �
Procter & Gamble

Don't look now, but your Swiffer is blushing Pink. Yes, the traditionally apple-green sweepers have come out this October in Breast Cancer Awareness Pink. This is the first time Swiffer has created a limited edition Pink sweeper or Starter Kit (sweep, dust, and mop). Procter & Gamble, makers of the popular cleaning tools, is going Pink on many products this year to raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. They also want to encourage early breast cancer detection; a happy coincidence, because some hospitals actually use Swiffer Dusters to clean their mammogram machines.

The pink dusters will be around only during October, and will cost $4.99, just like the regular green dusters. "We know that research and education can help change the lives of many, which is why P&G is contributing a minimum of $50,000 through the sale of our limited edition pink Swiffer Sweeper and Swiffer Duster," said Victoria Maybee, of External Relations, Procter & Gamble.

You'll see many pink-labeled products all this month in grocery stores, big box retailers, almost everywhere except, perhaps, auto parts stores. Some of these pink products raise money for the cause, and some are just pink. My bottom line on this annual tide of pinkness is this: if you like pink, this is your lucky month. Read the product labels, if you're really interested in whether or not your pink purchase actually generates a contribution to breast cancer support, or if it's just pinked up to sell a product. The economy is still pretty tight right now, so choose your purchases carefully - if you were going to buy a duster anyway, why not get a pink one? Procter & Gamble will actually donate funds to two large breast cancer support organizations this year. I'd like to see them keep at least one pink product on the market, generating donations all year. Sure, it wouldn't be a limited edition, but it would serve as a constant reminder that the battle against breast cancer never stops, and that research and support is always needed.

If you want to donate directly to the cause, write a check to a responsible charity - that's something you can do all year long.

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Swiffer Making Sweeping Changes for The Cause originally appeared on About.com Breast Cancer on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 11:41:07.

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Little Bag Gets Big Donations for The Cause

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:04:14 +0000

AmeriBag Cause Bag
Photo �
AmeriBag

Margery Gaffin took 18 months of treatment for breast cancer, and has been giving back to the cause ever since. Gaffin is the co-founder of AmeriBag, which makes the The Healthy Back Bag� Cause Bag. Having trouble with standard bags after back surgery, Gaffin worked with health professionals to design the distinctive one-strapped back pack. But after recovering from breast cancer treatment, Gaffin designed the Cause Bag - a sleek black bag sporting a pink ribbon outside and a pink lining inside. Sales of the "Cause Bag" have generated substantial donations from proceeds of its sales to deserving charities in 2008, and AmeriBag expects donations will increase in 2009. "I am very fortunate," says Gaffin. "I had wonderful support from family and friends, and tremendous encouragement from some very special organizations." In their honor, she decided to "give back."

The AmeriBag was developed with help from a doctor and a chiropractor and can be carried comfortably on either shoulder or across your back, even after breast surgery. This one-strap bag distributes weight asymmetrically instead of hanging from one point on the shoulder which reduces stress to your neck, shoulders and back.

The Cause Bag has a retail price of $25.00 and may be ordered from the AmeriBag site, or by calling 888.758.1636. The majority of proceeds from the sales of the Cause Bag will be donated to a charity in support of breast cancer initiatives.

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Little Bag Gets Big Donations for The Cause originally appeared on About.com Breast Cancer on Monday, October 5th, 2009 at 11:04:14.

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Pink Ribbon Crafting For The Cure Supports Survivors

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:49:41 +0000

Pink Ribbon Pumpkin
Photo �
Kellie Walenciak

Are you big on heart - but low on cash? Have time, materials and some creativity? Then you can make a gift to support and encourage a breast cancer survivor. Today marks the start of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the 25th Year of BCAM!

I've always enjoyed sewing, knitting, ceramics, cooking and gardening - those are skills I can use to give support to anyone who is fighting, or recovering from breast cancer. I was given small comfort pillows to use during my treatment - those were made by a church sewing group. My hair went on vacation when I started chemo, so I needed fitted caps and scarves - if you knit, there are many free patterns out there for these. Speaking of knitting, have you seen the knitted breasts? I haven't had the nerve to work on these while watching football with my father.

Whatever your craft, this month is a good time to dig out your stash of fabric scraps, unpack your leftover skeins of yarn, or paint a pumpkin pink! What will you do to celebrate National Breast Cancer Awareness Month? If you're a survivor in recovery, this is a good time to give back to other cancer patients, and if you're a creative person, whip up something good to share with someone that needs their spirit lifted. Your gift will be appreciated, no matter how little the cost, because it shows your love and support.

Have you made a gift for a breast cancer survivor? Please share your story and a photo of your craft with me. Your gift may inspire others to create something of lasting value that gives support when it is needed most.

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Pink Ribbon Crafting For The Cure Supports Survivors originally appeared on About.com Breast Cancer on Thursday, October 1st, 2009 at 14:49:41.

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