Join Living Beyond Breast Cancer for the next national teleconference, Bone Health After Breast Cancer, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Tuesday, September 11.

Adam Brufsky, MD, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, will give an overview of the topic of bone health for women after breast cancer diagnosis, including:

• Causes of bone loss
• How to measure bone health
• How breast cancer treatment impacts bone loss
• Strategies for monitoring bone health before and after treatment
• Using exercise, fitness and supplements to keep bones strong
• Bone-strengthening medications

When you're diagnosed with cancer, most likely you will receive some kind of surgery. Usually, your physician has a list of care instructions for you to prepare before surgery.

What about after-surgery preparations? When you return home it can really make you feel better if you are well prepared. You'll thank yourself for the steps you take beforehand while you're recuperating.

Seven ways to prepare for after surgery:

1. Take care of any pressing issues so you won't have to deal with them when you come home from the hospital. For example, pay bills that are due. You also might want to pay some bills that are due at a later date, or just get them ready to mail out.
2. Go to the grocery store and stock up on food. Hopefully someone will be catering to your every need but its always good to have a plan B.
3. Get prescriptions filled ahead of time that will be needed after surgery. Sometimes you only get the prescriptions after the surgery is over, but you can ask you doctor to give you what you need ahead of time. You don't want to be waiting in line for your drugs when you're in pain and just out of the hospital.
4. Treat yourself to some special things that you like. Examples: Aromatherapy candles, soothing music or videotapes/DVD's to watch.
5. If you like to read, buy some books to give you something to do when you're less active. If you have another hobby that you enjoy, stock up on that too.
6. Catch up on household chores so you won't feel stressed out and can relax when you return home.
7. Accept help that others offer. Plan to rest as you need and don't push yourself.

Norwegian researchers report that about 68 percent of patients who wish to have children manage to do so after successful treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The researchers studied both men and women survivors. They found that the type of treatment was significantly associated with successful parenthood. The highest probability was in patients treated with radiation only or with less damaging types of chemotherapy.

Dr. Kiserud told Reuters Health, "Information on fertility issues is important in clinical oncological practice, and fertility saving tasks should be discussed with patients at risk of post-treatment infertility. Females should be informed that both the treatment and their age at treatment influence their fertility potential."

This networking event called Let's Talk About Sex: Reclaiming Intimacy After Breast Cancer will focus on sexuality and intimacy after a breast cancer diagnosis.

Join Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) on Wednesday, May 30, 2007, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Philadelphia Marriott West in West Conschohocken, PA.

Featured speaker Kara Nakisbendi, MD will provide a candid and caring discussion about intimacy after a breast cancer diagnosis and how to reclaim sexuality to improve quality of life.

Hot flashes can be a lingering side effect for many breast cancer survivors. The hot flashes occur when changes in hormone levels interfere with the body's ability to regulate its temperature.

Hot flashes can affect younger women treated with chemotherapy (which can shut down their ovaries), and also is one of the main side effects of the commonly prescribed hormone therapies, such as tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor such as Arimidex.

Hormone replacement therapy can be used to control hot flashes, but breast cancer survivors are recommended not use them because of concerns the hormones may increase the risk of their breast cancer returning.

An article published in the Annals of Oncology reported on a German study that was conducted to compare Effexor and clonidine therapy. Effexor is an antidepressant and clonidine is a drug used to treat high blood pressure.

The researchers concluded that Effexor significantly reduces the frequency of hot flashes compared with Catapres (clonidine) among patients with breast cancer who suffer from at least two hot flashes a day.

There are other anti-depressive agents that also reduce the amount of hot flashes throughout the day. Talk to your doctor to see if any of these drugs can give you some relief.

Those who have been treated for Hodgkin's disease have a 3.6 fold increased risk of heart attack and a 4.9 fold increased risk of congestive heart failure than the general population.

A study was conducted to assess the long-term cardiovascular disease risk in a group of 1474 patients, who survived Hodgkin's lymphoma for at least five years.

Records showed that 28 percent received radiation only; 5 percent had chemotherapy only; 38 percent were treated with radiation and chemotherapy, which did not include anthracyclines, drugs known to damage the heart; and 29 percent received radiation plus chemotherapy with anthracyclines. Of these patients, a total of 84 percent were treated with radiation to the chest.

The study group detected 160 cases of valve disorders, 134 cases of angina, 102 heart attacks and 52 cases of congestive heart failure. Among subjects treated before the age of 20, the risk of angina and congestive heart failure were significantly higher than for those treated when they were older, suggesting that "immature cardiovascular tissue may be more vulnerable to radiation and chemotherapy."

The study team hopes that the outlook for survivors of Hodgkin's lymphoma will brighten over time, as fewer patients are receiving radiation therapy, and when they do, dosages are reduced and patients' hearts are at least partially shielded.

The recommendation for those treated for Hodgkin's is to consider some risk reducing strategies, such as treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol and advising patients to eliminate controllable risk factors.

This post isn't meant to scare anyone diagnosed with Hodgkin's that has been treated with radiation or chemotherapy. I was given an anthracycline as therapy for my breast cancer -- it does linger in the back of my mind that this drug is harmful to the heart and could cause problems later on in my life. I think that those treated for Hodgkin's, especially at a young age when treatments might have been less safe, should think about their lifestyle choices. Talk to your doctor about ways to decrease your risk of these heart problems.

OK, we all know young women get breast cancer. But the way some talk about the pair -- young women and the deadly disease -- it would seem finding a young one living with this type of cancer is like locating that needle in a haystack. Many a young woman -- like me -- have heard doctors and nurses and technicians and family and friends remark, "you are too young for the disease," and then dismiss cancer suspicions as needless worry.

The median age for women diagnosed with breast cancer is 65. But think about this fact, published in the Spring/Summer edition of Beyond: Live & Thrive After Breast Cancer.

More than 240,000 women in the United States age 40 and under are living with breast cancer. Each year in this country, more than 14,000 women 40 years old and younger are diagnosed with breast cancer, says Boston oncologist Ann Partridge, M.D., of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

That's a lot of young women. That's a lot of breast cancer. And yet, mammograms still are not recommended for women under the age of 40.

Tomorrow, the second issue of Beyond: Live & Thrive After Breast Cancer hits newsstands. And I, for one, can't wait to pick up a copy of the Spring/Summer edition of this positively powerful publication.

If you read the first issue -- the Fall/Winter magazine released in October -- you know what this glossy book has to offer. There are personal stories and interviews, shared wisdom and sound advice. There are exercise tips and health tips and survival tips. There are stories about chemo brain and fertility and relationships. There is information about breast cancer research and resources and products that are tried and true.

I want to tell you so much more -- but really, I want you find out for yourself just how moving and soothing this magazine can be.

So plan to get your copy -- tomorrow -- and tell all your friends to do the same. If you need a gift for a loved one newly diagnosed or someone who has long survived this disease, try this on for size. Buy a few copies and donate them to your favorite doctors' offices -- a fresh magazine can do wonders for any waiting room. Share one with a neighbor, a relative, a new acquaintance.

Do what you can, will you -- to both reap the benefits of this solid source of inspiration and help sustain the life of this magazine? Because magazines are only as strong as the readers who embrace them. And trust me, this is one catch we cannot afford to lose.

The second issue of the magazine Beyond: Live & Thrive After Breast Cancer will hit newsstands March 20.

The magazine, one of many targeting individuals with manageable conditions and diseases, such as allergies, heart disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis, stands out as an upbeat, positive, feel-good package of information and inspiration.

University of Mississippi journalism professor Samir Husni says magazines of this sort that succeed are the ones offering up a good dose of chicken soup for the soul. This is definitely a magazine good for the soul.

Beyond editor Martha Miller Johnson calls the magazine a purveyor of hope and information, a source of reliable facts, figures, and features for the growing community of survivors living with breast cancer. Beyond is for "the women who has been through her initial treatment and now sees her life through a different prism," says Johnson.

"Her body's changed, her skin's changed. To her, it's not a death sentence; it's a condition she just has to live with. More and more women are living with breast cancer."

The soon-to-be-released publication spotlights breast cancer survivor Deanna Favre with husband Brett Favre and includes stories about breast cancer and black women, chemotherapy and weight gain, and the most important questions to ask your doctor.

Why pick up a copy of Beyond's Spring/Summer issue this March 20? Because breast cancer attacks so many aspects of our well-being, says one survivor of the disease.

"It's your identity, it's your sexuality, it's your womanhood. Fertility. For many of us, it throws us into menopause early," she says. "Every aspect of your emotional and psychological well-being is impacted by cancer and the treatment. So that kind of puts it in its own category, I think. So you combine that with the fact that there are so many women going through it, and I think you do have a market there for something like this."

I couldn't have said it better.

Puja Thomson, counselor, healing facilitator, educator, and minister, has a newly-released book -- After Shock: From Cancer Diagnosis to Healing: A step-by-step guide to help you navigate your way -- that is just perfect for just about anyone dealing with cancer.

Thomson, surviving her own bout with cancer, offers practical suggestions to help others clarify their cancer journeys in this book that features topics such as reaching out for help, designing your own personal wellness program, crafting challenges into hopeful perspectives, and organizing financial records and medical paperwork in simple ways.

Thomson shares her own firsthand stories and borrows reflections from other fellow cancer travelers. She offers a well-balanced sampling of ideas from which readers can pick and choose as they create their navigation plans. She does it all because she knows cancer can come as a shock. She also knows life goes on after the shock.

If you live near the Philadelphia area you can attend Living Beyond Breast Cancer's next networking meeting called Nutrition for the New Year: Managing Weight and Nutrition Through Diagnosis and Beyond.

The event will be held on Tuesday, January 30, 2007, from 6:00 p.m to 8:30 p.m. at the Philadelphia Marriott West in West Conshohocken. Debra Demille, an oncology nutrition counselor at the Joan Karnell Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital will discuss the benefits of adequate nutrition during and beyond treatment and will answer questions about nutrition and fitness.

Ms. Demille will help women understand how to use eating strategies and exercise to maintain weight and well-being during treatment, manage side effects and reclaim their bodies after treatment. She also will discuss nutritional needs of families affected by breast cancer, strategies for adopting healthier eating habits, healthful eating and workout tips to reduce the risk of developing a new or recurrent breast cancer.

Contacts for the event: Janine Guglielmino or Anna Shaffer. Email janine@ibbc.org or anna@ibbc.org.

Its never too late to quit smoking, says a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Its even beneficial if you have already been diagnosed with lung cancer.

The research showed that those who quit smoking after being diagnosed became less severely impaired by the disease than those that continued to smoke. The ability for the person to care for themselves and handle daily routines was increased when they gave up the habit.

Even though the study did not show an increased survival benefit for those that quit, they noted that continued smoking may deteriorate a lung cancer patient's quality of life by starving their tissues of oxygen, which worsens outcomes from chemotherapy and radiation.

Don't ever think its pointless to quit!

Young women that receive a diagnosis of breast cancer are usually told to wait at least two years after treatment ends to try and conceive. This is because the longer the patient goes without a recurrence the better the chance that they will remain cancer free.

There are not many studies available to give physicians a good idea of how long women should wait to become pregnant after breast cancer. Is it safe? Some previous studies have suggested that becoming pregnant after breast cancer could provide a survival benefit.

Researchers from Western Australia wanted to investigate the effects of pregnancy after breast cancer. They looked at 123 women aged 15-44 who were diagnosed with breast cancer and had at least one pregnancy after their diagnoses.

There findings were as follows:

• Sixty two women, 50 percent, conceived within two years of their diagnoses.
• Twenty seven of these women gave birth.
• Women who became pregnant had improved overall survival compared with those who didn't.
• The protective effect was seen in women who waited at least six months to become pregnant.
• The protective effect was stronger in women who waited two years after treatment.

The authors of the study say that their evidence does not support the current medical advice given to premenopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer to wait two years before attempting to conceive. They also said this recommendation was for women with early stage disease. They concluded that early conception after completion of treatment is unlikely to adversely affect their survival.

Eugenia Calle, PhD, of the American Cancer Society believes that this study is too small for these researchers to claim to have answered the question about pregnancy and breast cancer. She says "I don't think that anyone believes that pregnancy, with its huge surge in hormones, will be in any way protective against breast cancer."

For women who are thinking of becoming pregnant after a diagnosis of breast cancer, talk to your doctor about the risks. I agree that the study seems too small to come up with any definite conclusions.

Today might be the day. I think I finally am going to let my oncologist do tumor markers. I'm scared. I haven't had tumor markers done in about three years. After my treatment ended four years ago I let my doctor do the tumor markers for one year. I thought I was going to go crazy -- living my life in three month increments. I would say to myself, "Well, I can't plan that because what if my tumor markers show something in three months."

Testing and the anxiety that goes with it is something that all cancer survivors have to deal with. I just decided not to deal with it at the time because I didn't feel like I was living and it was ruining my quality of life. When I first started writing for The Cancer Blog one of my first posts was about how I felt about tumor markers. It's not that I don't feel that way anymore but I do feel a new strength that I can deal with whatever happens.

I still have my port in. It will be five years in December since I have been diagnosed with breast cancer. I need to get this port out and move on with my life. I feel stuck. I need to know if I really am okay and if not I need to fight what is going on inside of me. I can't hide from it. I haven't told anyone I was going to do this but woke up this morning and I felt it was something I needed to do -- today.

I wonder if I will chicken out! I hope not.

A member of the Young Survival Coalition named Julie agreed to share her story of having a child after breast cancer.

I asked Julie if she thought that hearing other stories of women having a baby after breast cancer gave her comfort knowing it could happen for her. (That was my reason for me wanting to write this blog post in the first place.) Julie says "I did find comfort in hearing about success stories but I was also very cautious." She was unsure when she met with a fertility specialist how far she wanted to go with the treatments to help her get pregnant. Julie's advice is to find a fertility specialist that will make all medical procedures open to you.

Julie was diagnosed with and 8cm tumor of DCIS and two other tumors that were invasive. Julie received four rounds of Adriamycin and Cytoxen and then four rounds of Taxol. She was told to wait two years before she could try and get pregnant. Her tumor was estrogen negative. Julie was worried that the chemotherapy regime she received would affect her fertility.

She was told there was not much hope in her getting pregnant on her own however Julie was able to get pregnant with no medical intervention. She was 38 at the time. She now has a boy named Michael.

She would like to tell other young breast cancer patients that there is always hope. She doesn't like to brag about getting pregnant to others because she knows that for every one of us that gets pregnant, there are many of us survivors that can't.

Julie says that "she believes Michael was a gift. I look at him everyday and am amazed that he is my son"