According to Business First the Department of Health is reducing the number of facilities that will be funded to do breast cancer surgery. This means that women who are relying on Medicaid to cover their surgery will have 52 fewer hospitals to choose from. That could also leave women in some areas without a hospital nearby.

The changes took effect on March 1st. Now hospitals must have performed at least 30 breast cancer surgeries in the past year in order to continue receiving funding. This will be the new criteria that is used to decide which hospitals Medicaid will continue to fund.

Government claims that the reason behind these reductions is actually to help women receive better care, although how they imagine that can occur with fewer participating facilities is a bit of a mystery. It seems the hope is improved services will be available at the facilities that are covered because expertise will be better clumped.

How this will affect women won’t be seen for some time. It’s really a guess at this point whether the impact will be negative or not. One has to believe that the government is not doing anything that will jeopardize American women’s chances for quick intervention once breast cancer has been diagnosed, and thus a better prognosis for a full recovery.

If women are now going to have to wait to receive their surgery because fewer facilities will be trying to handle more of the work. then there could be trouble. Let’s hope that’s not what the outcome is. In the meantime we will just have to take a wait and see.

-According to Business Journal They are partnering with MedicExams a health care testing facility. The test will be available in 27 states. The purpose of this test is to add another tool to the diagnostic tools currently used which include mammograms. It’s hoped it will bridge a gap.

What the test does is look for multiple cancer related protein markers in the blood. Then this information is combined with the patient’s medical records giving the physicians a way to detect breast cancer earlier. -And  earlier detection increases survival risks significantly.

According to Provista Life Sciences the research has shown above 80% accuracy. You have to admit those are pretty impressive accuracy rates. The cost of the test is running around $195 USD. You can call them at 888-649-6636 for more information or to request your test kit.

Relax, although the media seems to still be running with the fat and breast cancer link, according to opposing views it seems more recent studies show that six cancers may be affected by being overweight. They are breast cancer, endometrium cancer, pancreas, oesophagus, and kidney cancer.

However, there is still no scientific support to back this claim, and the Natioanl Cancer Institute still questions this study. That’s not to say that being overweight or dealing obesity does not have health consequences, there are many including diabetes and heart disease, but the direct link to breast cancer is still not clear.

What we do know is that exercising 3 days a week, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants, and keeping a healthy weight are all important to good overal health and reducing your risk of developing breast cancer.

When a woman that’s overweight has a mammogram it may not be as accurate because it is difficult to see tumors through the fatty breast tissue. That is certainly one real risk associated with being overweight.

Diets low in fat and high in fiber are good for you. When your body is healthy you are less likely to get sick, and when your body is healthy your immune system may have the ability to destroy rogue cells that will turn into tumors that will become some form of breast cancer.

Another important note to mention is that there is some research that indicates that there is a link between physical activity in chilcren and breast cancer. Once again the scientific proof is missing however it certainly would not hurt to make sure that your children are active. They can thank you later when they avoid developing breast cancer. Remember 1 in 3 woman will develop breast cancer

1. Award for the Advancement of Breast Cancer Research: Associate Professor Christine Clarke 
Christine Clarke Associate Professor has contributed to the cause since its inception as a Trustee and Chair of the Research Advisory Committee. She brings a depth of breast cancer knowledge on research to the Boardroom. 

2. Award for Corporate Commitment: Hallmark
Since 2001 Hallmark has been supporting the cause. It began with the “Cards for Cure” Mother’s Day campaign and it now also includes the Christmas period.

3. Award for Innovation: QantasLink
Taking to the sky in a Pink Plane is not something you expect to see  but that’s jsut what QantasLink did. Launched in October 2007, the pink ribbon plane takes NBCF to regional and rural Australia with Pink Link days – raising funds for research and promoting the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

4. Award for Community Involvement: Rosemary Paul
Rosemary Paul has been passionately supporting breast cancer research since 2002.

5. Award for Team Participation: Circular Head Bosom Buddies Tasmania
In 2008 members of Circular Head Bosom Buddies walked from far North West Tasmania to Hobart over ten days, raising $145,000 for breast cancer research

6. Trustee’s Award for Staff Involvement: Libby Hayes
Joining NBCF in 2000, Libby has held a multitude of roles demonstrating loyalty, an ability to manage any challenge and the vital “yes” factor to doing anything that will assist and progress the cause and growth of the organisation.
<!– BREAST CANCER MONTH (OCTOBER)
Breast Cancer Month 2008 was launched with NBCF Patron, Sarah Murdoch addressing The National Press Club in Canberra. Click here to read Sarah’s full address about the current state of breast cancer and her vision for the future.

The NBCF hosted 13 gala events around the country as part of the Global Illumination campaign. Nearly 60 icons and buildings were illuminated pink, including 18 Australian universities; highlighting the NBCF’s focus on research. Click here for more.

FUNDRAISING
NBCF corporate partners continued their support by producing more than 60 pink products across a huge range of categories.

Over 32 major retail distributors sold pink ribbon merchandise through more than 7,000 retail outlets nationally. Our Pink Ribbon Ambassadors were also very busy selling over $500,000 worth of pink ribbon merchandise.

The official NBCF Pink Ribbon online shop sold a great range of product from pink ribbon balloons and feather boas to T shirts and pyjamas. Click here to visit the Pink Ribbon Shop.

More than 6,500 people registered to host a Pink Ribbon Breakfast and there were more than 350 big and small community fundraisers held to raise money for breast cancer research.

RESEARCH
On Pink Ribbon Day (October 27), the NBCF awarded two of the largest ever Career Fellowships for breast cancer in Australia. Click here to read more about the Fellowships and how they will help Australian families affected by breast cancer.

THANK YOU
The funds we have received from our community support are already being allocated to new research programs. Such success cannot be achieved without the overwhelming support of the community and business partners and we thank all who have contributed both time and money to help us reach our October fundraising target of $5 million.–>

A study collected data in Britain, Brazil, China, and the US and what researchers found was that those who exercised, ate healthy diets, and controlled their weight had a one-third less risk of developing breast cancer. It also found that those women who lived in countries with higher incomes had a significantly less chance of developing breast cancer and other types of cancer.

Healthier lifestyles prevented 38%  of breast cancer cases. What is considered a healthier lifestyle? Glad you asked.

Your diet should be rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, no smoking, moderate to no alcohol consumption, 30 minutes of exercise 4 times a week. Healthy lifestyle promotion should begin in school. It starts with healthy lunch programs and fitness classes at school.

You should have a BMI of 25 or less. Anything over means you are overweight. To calculate your BMI take your weight x703/height in inches = x then divide again by your height in inches.

While we have better treatment options than we used to, prevention of the development of breast cancer and all other cancers is the key. So why not start now?

Some women will undergo a mastecomy and some may even face a double mastectomy. For women that have either had a mastectomy or a lumpectomy there are many prosthesis choices these days. Manufacturers make a wide range of tyeps of protheses in varying shapes, colors, and sizes.

The type of prosthesis you will need will be determine by how much of your breast tissue must be removed. Your prosthesis can be worn inside a mastectomy bra, gainst the skin, or attached to your chest wall. They are designed to be comfortable while still looking feminine.

According to Health Watch there are various types of prosthesis to choose from. An external silicone breat prosthesis simulates natural breast tissue. A non silicone breast prosthesis made from foam or fiberfill to keep it lightweight and they are good for during exercise and hot weather. An adjustable breast that attaches to the chest wall is another option. A partial prosthesis is made from silicone, foam, or fiberfill and fills in the area from the lumpectomy to keep the breast full.

Mastectomy bras are readily available. It pays to have a certified mastecomy fitter help you ensure you get the most comfortable and natural fit.

This drug is called Zoladex and was shown to be as affective as Tomoxifen. This was after following the women for 15 years from their first treatments.

The study was first published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute today and it says women who used Zoladex and are premonpausal have a much lower risk of reoccurance. They also say that if you have been using Tomoxifen but are experiencing too many side effects that you might consider changing to Zoladex.

Both of these drugs are associated with hot flases and Zoladex may also cause bone loss. Of course you will need to discuss with your doctor all treatment options that are available to you. 

1 out of every 229 women under the age of 39 will be diagnosed wiht breast cancer. You’ll be glad to know that the five year survival rate for premenopausal women with breast cancer is 82%. More than 11,000 women over the age of 40 will be diagnoes with breast cancer and more than 1100 will die according to the American Cancer Society.

There is a need for continuous research so that new break throughs can be made and this is just one example of a small break through that can help reduce a woman’s risk of redeveloping breast cancer after an initial diagnosis.

Almost all of uw know someone that has fought breast cancer - a friends, a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a grandmother, a grandaughter - it doesn’t matter who. But it also tells all of us just why we need to continue to raise money so that further tratments can be found. Better yet so that a cure for breast cancer can be found!

According to Reuters it seems that a simple urine test can diagnosis the spread of the msot aggressive tyeps of breast cancer. These are the breast cancers with the Lipocalin 2 gene responsible for helping breast cancer spread throughout the body and changing the outcome a great deal.

Lipocalin 2 is associated with the estrogen receptor which helps to spread tumors throughout the body. So it’s with great excitement that the discovery has been made that a simple urine test can pick up on this. 

The estrogen negative tumors are the mose difficult to treat. Tamoxifin has been used for years and now therei s a new family of drugs called aromatase inhibitors that are used to treat other forms of breast cancer but have very little effect on the estrogen negative tumors. So without adquate treatment for this type of breast cancer it is imperative to catch spreading early.

Up until now there really was not any good tools to do that. Invasive breast cancer ic complex and the lack of drugs that will attack this type of breast cancer leaves oncologists happy to see any new tools that can help them diagnose it faster.

Testing took women that were breast cancer free and women with metastatic breast cancer and then measured their lipocalin 2. In women that had metastatic breast cancer the levels were significantly higher.  This new simple test is going to get a great deal of use!

Her employers asked her for a letter detailing her plan and that’s exactly what she produced so imagine her surpirse when her employers Geri and Doug McDonald from Weston Property Management in Toronto informed here that she no longer worked there as of Feb 12th. They also claimed the letter presented was a letter of resignation.

But according to  Elsa and the Human Rights Tribuanl who has seen the letter that’s not what it was at all and nowhere in the letter did she say she was quitting. Interesting even when she tried to return to work on Feb 13th she was asked for her keys and sent away.

Now none of us know the whole story here but all of us should be worried that in a situation where a woman is already at her darkest moment an employer has the right to let her go, and let her go in such a sleezy manner. Is this the exception let’s hope so but lets also hope others don’t use this same unethical technique to get rid of an employee.

As an employee we go to work give it our all and in return we receive a paycheck. Many of us go far beyond the call of duty and this example shows that many employers care little about their employees especially when they need them the most.

Then again the majority would be sickened by such actions. Perhaps this business with its no comment attitude will know just what it feels like to have your income yanked out from underneath you when you are counting on it the most.

It’s a great way to reach out into the community and bring on board all of those that love the game og baseball. The Night of Hope series is going to be July 29th and July 30th at Bluefield’s Bowen Field. For two nights it won’t be all about the final score on the final inning, instead focusing more on the dollar sign and how much money they can raise.

All the players are going to be showing off a new look both nights with these great looking pink hats and the bases are also going to be pink. Now remember you never have to wait to donate. Yes your participation for those two is definately desired but you can start donating right now.

It appears they have three different donation levels starting at as little as $10. Even during tough economic times we can put together $10 towards the fight against breast cancer. The women in our lives are worth so much more and each of them is at risk of developing breast cancer.

The hope is for a cure barring that we will take every nickle we can to help find a cure and help find drugs that are more effective. Please participate.