FitSugar

Why Did Susan G. Komen For the Cure Cut Off Funding to Planned Parenthood?

Annie Scudder — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:20:58 PST

For years Susan G. Komen for the Cure has provided Planned Parenthood grants for breast cancer screenings. It recently decided to cut off the women's health provider, causing outrage among many supporters of both groups. Petitions to Komen to change its mind have been circulating on Facebook and across the Internet.

After Komen's decision became public, Planned Parenthood told supporters that "after facing pressure from anti-women's health political organizations, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has announced that it is ending future funding for lifesaving breast cancer screenings and breast health education at Planned Parenthood health centers." Supporters know Planned Parenthood provides crucial services besides abortion, and critics of Komen's choice to stop funding assert the irony of cutting off life-saving cancer screenings to show you're pro-life.

As evidence that the decision was politically motivated, women's health activists could point to a recent backlash against Komen from the Evangelical Christian group LifeWay. LifeWay was selling pink Bibles to benefit Komen, when it discovered the breast cancer group gave money to Planned Parenthood. LifeWay immediately pulled the Bibles, getting the attention of pro-life activists. In addition, Komen's founder and CEO, Nancy G. Brinker, is a longtime Republican with ties to the Bush family, and the foundation's newly hired vice president is a former politician with known pro-life positions. Also, Komen cited a controversial investigation of Planned Parenthood in Congress started by a staunchly pro-life member.

Even so, Susan G. Komen's founder and CEO maintained its decision to not fund organizations under investigation is part of a broad effort to reorganize donations and make them more efficient. See Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Nancy G. Brinker explain the foundation's decision below.

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Show Your Support and Shop These Stylish Picks!

Chi Diem Chau — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:54:36 PDT

No one woman should be naive to breast cancer. It can happen to anyone - Sheryl Crow, Kylie Minogue, and Christina Applegate are just a few of the strong survivors out there - so it might be an obvious thing to say, but do your due diligence of getting checked out every year. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, we're showing you how you can shop to support the cause that affects about one in eight women in the US. From this cute cami for the cure top from Rebecca Taylor to pretty lingerie from H&M, click the slideshow to see and shop the many stylish ways you can support breast cancer awareness!

Watch Giuliana Rancic Open Up About Breast Cancer

Annie Scudder — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:45:23 PDT

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Giuliana Rancic announced she has breast cancer this morning on Today. The 37-year-old E! host and her husband Bill Rancic, the first Apprentice winner, are used to sharing their lives on TV, and today she shared this very personal news. On the final episode of the latest season of their reality show, Giuliana and Bill, the couple decided to try again to have a baby via in-vitro fertilization. But as Giuliana recounted, she discovered she had breast cancer during a mammogram her doctor suggested she have before beginning IVF. Watch Giuliana open up about the importance of mammograms, how supportive her husband has been, and hear her explain that she still wants to have a child "because this baby has saved my life."

How Exercise Reduces Your Breast Cancer Risk

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:54:11 PDT

We've heard it before: exercise can reduce a woman's risk for developing breast cancer. But how much and what types of exercise are we talking about? Here is some information on the relationship between breast cancer prevention and working out.

Exercising Often May Make You Reach Menopause Sooner
What? You're not thinking about menopause? If you're in your 20s or early 30s, I don't blame you, but a recent study shows that premenopausal women reached menopause sooner when they exercised often - eight to 10 hours per week. I know reaching menopause earlier, dealing with the hot flashes and irregular periods, isn't exactly every young woman's dream, but it may help with cancer prevention. During menopause a woman stops ovulating, which decreases her exposure to tumor-promoting estrogen. This is why early menopause is linked to lower breast cancer risk - another reason to get moving!

Keep on reading to find out three more ways exercise helps reduce your risk of developing breast cancer.

10 Things Every Woman Should Do to Prevent Breast Cancer

Leta Shy — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 03:06:27 PDT

There are several risk factors that can increase your chances of developing breast cancer. And while the risk increases as we age, there are certain preventative measures every women should do, whether she's in her 20s or in her mammogram years, to help reduce her risk of getting the disease. Read on for 10 things every women should do to help prevent breast cancer.

Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of developing breast cancer because fat cells produce small amounts of estrogen, which can fuel some cancers.
Check up on your family history. How many people in your family have had breast cancer? If you don't know, now's the time to check. Having close family members who developed breast cancer increases your risk as well since certain risk factors are genetic.
Don't be a stranger to your girls. Self breast exams may not have been given a ringing endorsement from the medical community, but you should still be familiar with how your breasts feel and look so you'll notice any changes.
Drink in moderation. While that glass of red is good for you, excessive alcohol drinking has been linked to an increased risk of cancer. Stick to a one-a-day mantra if you want to reduce your risk.
Keep exercising. Not only will working out help you maintain a healthy weight, exercising itself has been shown to reduce your risk of developing cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends 45 to 60 minutes of exercise, five times a week.

Read on to find out five more things you should do right now to help prevent breast cancer.

Strong and Courageous: Celebrity Breast Cancer Survivors

Michele Foley — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:34:33 PDT

In honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we're paying tribute to some of the celebrities who fought the disease in a very public way. We applaud both the courage of these women and the efforts they have made in speaking out for the cause.

5 Tips From Dr. Susan Love to Prevent Breast Cancer

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 09:39:16 PDT

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To help us all learn what we can do to prevent the disease, we talked to women's health expert Dr. Susan Love, author of The Breast Book. She shared a handful of tips every woman should know for breast cancer prevention. Watch our video to learn Dr. Love's opinion on mammograms and the role limiting alcohol may play in preventing the disease.

Elizabeth Hurley Reaches Out to Men With Breast Cancer

Miriam Lacey — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:35:55 PDT

Every October since 1993, Estée Lauder has painted the world pink while raising money for the Breast Cancer Research Fund; this year, more than 200 global landmarks will be lighted pink to raise awareness of the need for a cure. "Sometimes when we’re approaching BCA month, I think, 'Gosh, I hope the TV shows are going to have us on this year,'" Estée Lauder model Elizabeth Hurley recently said when asked what's changed since she began campaigning for breast cancer awareness. "I think that, but what never changes is that more and more people want to talk about it - because sadly, women are still being diagnosed with breast cancer." To find out what Elizabeth Hurley and the BCA campaign are doing to make 2011 different, just keep reading.

Think Pink! 5 Kids' Products in Support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

LilSugar — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:36:54 PDT

You don't need to wear rose-colored glasses to be seeing pink this month. It's October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which means it's annual shop for the boobies time! We've found a selection of child and baby products that give something to the cause with every purchase.

Clockwise from top left:

Infant Splatter Romper ($12): 25 percent of your purchase price will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Crane Drop Shaped Pink Cool Mist Humidifier ($45): Partial proceeds go toward the fight against breast cancer.
Kids Stainless Steel Scissors with Antimicrobial Pink Handles ($4): 10 cents from the sale of each product are being donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Plush Winter Bear ($12): 25 percent of your purchase price will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
California Baby I Love You Aromatherapy Bubble Bath ($14): A portion of the proceeds of the I Love You line of products is donated to the California Breast Cancer Research Program.

The Latest on Soy For the Ladies

Zelana Montminy — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 11:41:58 PDT

If all the mixed messages about soy products have you confused, you're not alone. Recent studies have certainly found mixed evidence on the benefits. I've been hearing mostly about soy's effect on heart disease and breast cancer, so here's the latest research on the topic.

Heart Disease
A recent comprehensive update of soy research by the American Heart Association's nutrition committee found that soy protein does not have as much of an effect on cholesterol as previously thought. The benefit for the heart is not due to a direct relationship to reduced cholesterol but rather because soy products are generally used as a substitute for unhealthy choices and also because they are low fat yet high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Breast Cancer
Soy products contain a wide range of compounds including isoflavones, which can act as antioxidants, but also function as phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are chemicals that plants make that are similar to human estrogen, and many of us have read that these phytoestrogens have been linked to breast cancer. In some cases these phytoestrogens may be able to mimic estrogen in the body or block the action of estrogen. Phytoestrogens acting as estrogen could possibly affect cell communication, prevent the formation of tumors, or change the way DNA is processed in cell multiplication.

For more on the relationship between soy and breast cancer, keep reading.