FitSugar

October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

FitSugar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 07:00:00 PDT

More than 20 years ago, two organizations created a partnership to increase breast cancer awareness. The partnership has grown to include a number of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies all working together to build awareness of the disease, share information and provide access to screening services for countless women.

They claimed October as their month to highlight the issue, so today, Oct. 1, marks the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There are so many great resources out there and here are just a few websites to help you locate any information you might need.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: More than just one month a year, the NBCAM has a website with breaking news on breast cancer, lists of patient services, and basic as well as detailed information on the disease.
American Cancer Society: The ACS is dedicated to educating women on how to reduce their risk of developing the disease and finding the best options for treating breast cancer. They believe in early detection and recommend that all women over 40 receive an annual mammogram. The ACS website is loaded with information and they have 24 hour telephone service to offer the comfort of live support and to answer questions about cancer, link callers with resources in their communities, and provide information on local events (1-800-ACS-2345).

There are two more so

Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Founded by Komen's sister, this foundation is dedicated to curing breast cancer at every stage - funding research on the causes and possible cures, as well as helping ease the pain and anxiety those diagnosed with the disease and their families. You can help raise funds for research by participating in the 3 Day Event. It is a three day, 60 mile walk that takes place in major cities all over the country throughout the summer and fall. If you missed the walk this year, you can always aim for next year.
National Breast Cancer Foundation: NBCF's mission is to provide educational programs and funding for free mammograms to women who cannot afford them, as well as provide online resources for women battling breast cancer.

Fab has the website for you!

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5 Other Ways You Can Help Support Breast Cancer Awareness

Jaime Richards — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 05:00:00 PDT

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is well underway, and while there are plenty of pink-themed products available you can purchase to benefit the cause, there are other ways you can lend a helping hand. See how you can make a difference when you read more.

Whitney Port Works Wine Country, Shares Her Sensible Style Tips For Fall

Brittney Stephens — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:00:15 PDT

Whitney Port has been on our style radar for quite some time now - we love her effortless appeal and inventive mix-and-match skills - and even though the star of The Hills and The City is "relieved to not have to dress [up] for the cameras anymore," it doesn't mean she's slowing down. Whitney has been hard at work designing the Spring '12 collection for her line Whitney Eve and recently teamed up with Chandon and the National Breast Cancer Foundation for a night of fashion, sparkling wine, and charity on a gorgeous evening in Napa. We headed to Domaine Chandon to check out the Whitney Eve presentation and talk to the style star about her work with the NBCF, her design inspiration, and her plans for Fall dressing.

FabSugar: What inspired you to get involved with the National Breast Cancer Foundation?
Whitney Port: I have family members that have been affected by the disease, and I really want to stress the importance of early detection. It's so crucial to go out and get tested, because the earlier they find something, the better chances you have of survival.

FS: You've lived in NYC and Los Angeles - how do you differentiate East Coast vs. West Coast dressing?
WP: When I lived in New York, I was inspired to dress up a lot more, and look more sophisticated. But when I'm in LA, I prefer to keep things casual - most days when I go to the office I'm in cutoffs, a t-shirt, and Converse sneakers. I'm so relieved to not have to dress up for the camera anymore. It's fun to go out and do events and get dolled up, but most of the time I'm just at a bar with friends, totally dressed down.

Click through to read more quotes from Whitney and see the ladylike, quirky-cool Spring collection for Whitney Eve.

Photos courtesy of Drew Altizer Photography

Melanoma Risk Factors: What You Need to Know

Jaime Richards — Tue, 10 May 2011 03:15:00 PDT

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, and unfortunately, it's a disease that's on the rise. However, melanoma, which can be described as the uncontrolled spread of pigment-producing cells, can be easily cured when detected early enough.

It's National Skin Cancer Awareness month, so for more tips on prevention, stay tuned. But first, discover more about this type of cancer and who has a greater risk for developing it, when you keep reading.

DrSugar: The 411 on Mammograms

DrSugar — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:26:33 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! This week she's explaining how mammograms work and why they're important.

This week on DrSugar, I'm going to discuss the hows, whys, and whens of mammograms. Inspired to research the topic given my positive family history of breast cancer in my grandmother, I wanted to share the information I found with FitSugar readers to help clear up any confusion you may all have on the matter.

The National Cancer Institute defines a mammogram as an X-ray picture of the breast. The actual procedure involves the breasts being compressed between two firm surfaces to spread out the breast tissue and then X-ray images are taken. There are two types of mammograms, screening and diagnostic. A screening mammogram is used to check for breast cancer in women with no signs or symptoms of the disease. Screening mammograms typically involve two X-ray pictures of each breast and can make it possible to detect tumors that cannot be felt. Diagnostic mammograms are obtained to check for breast cancer after a lump or other sign or symptom of disease has been found. These differ from the screening mammograms in that they take longer to perform because more X-rays are taken to obtain images of the breast from multiple different angles.

More information on mammograms after the break.

Christina Applegate Is Ready to Fight

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:30:42 PST

When the new guidelines for breast exams came out late last year, I admit that I was surprised. They were announced just as National Breast Cancer Awareness month was ending: women in their 40s should no longer have annual mammograms, and women between the ages of 50-74 should have one exam every other year. The United States Preventive Services Task Force also recommended that doctors stop teaching women how to examine their own breasts.

The panel defended its choice by stating that the harm of early testing far outweighs the benefit. The research it looked over indicated that mammograms produce false-positive results in about 10 of cases, which leads to more tests, anxiety, and unneeded treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. According to the study, early screening did little to prevent breast-cancer-related deaths or mastectomies in younger women.

To hear what breast cancer survivor and actress Christina Applegate thinks of the new testing guidelines,