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President’s Corner: 3-D Breast Scans Aid in Early Detection, Lessening False Positives

Posted By on April 15th, 2011 at 9:00 am | 0 comments.

Recently approved by the FDA, 3-D breast scan systems provide radiologists with a clearer, spatially accurate representation of breast tissue to accompany the image provided by a mammogram. The 3-D reconstruction will make it easier to detect and identify possible malignancies in the breast tissue that may not have been visible prior to the 3-D technology.

The 3-D scan will provide radiologists with the ability to better analyze tumors found in the breast and help reduce the likelihood of false positives. A recent Philadelphia Inquirer article on the topic provided insights by radiologists familiar with the 3-D breast scan technology, formally called “tomosynthesis”. They showed that the 3-D breast scan will allow them to see any tumors more clearly than mammography alone. However, it is important to note that at this stage, the 3-D scan would not be a replacement for the traditional 2-D mammogram; rather, it would be used in conjunction with a traditional mammogram to provide a clearer picture of the inside of the breast. It is also important to remember that the 3-D scan provides a higher dose of radiation than do currently used mammograms, and the long-term effects of it on the breast are unknown.  Any woman considering this procedure should review it with her physician.

Information on cutting-edge breast cancer news and research will be available at the PA Breast Cancer Coalition Annual Conference on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 in Harrisburg. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Register today to join us for this inspirational and educational gathering of breast cancer advocates and survivors.

FrontLine, PBCC’s Print Newsletter: Spring 2011 Edition Online

Posted By on March 30th, 2011 at 3:54 pm | 2 comments.

The Spring 2011 edition of the PBCC’s print newsletter, FrontLine, is now available online! Thanks to Issuu, this newsletter is available to everyone though various websites including Facebook and PABreastCancer.org. Over the next few editions, we will be working to increase online content for FrontLine including videos, photos, and more!

Currently, FrontLine is mailed out to over 57,000 households and businesses across the state quarterly. If you receive FrontLine in the mail and wish to instead receive correspondence from the PBCC electronically, email us! We’ll be happy to make the change.

Enjoy the Spring 2011 edition!

Penn State Lady Lion Online Auction to benefit 2011 PinkZone

Posted By on February 15th, 2011 at 3:30 pm | 2 comments.

The Penn State Lady Lions announced today the launch of their annual WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State online auctions, and for the first time will sponsor two internet fundraisers to boost donations for breast cancer causes. The auctions will feature autographed memorabilia and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, including a Saturday Night Live package and a deluxe football weekend for the Penn State-Alabama game.

This year, the Lady Lions are teaming with CharityBuzz.com to raise additional funds for Pink Zone. The Charity Buzz auction will run through Wednesday, March 2 and features several Joe Paterno autographed items, including a used briefcase and football shoes. Other highlights include a behind-the-scenes tour of MLB Headquarters with Sports Illustrated Writer Tom Verducci, Penn State Fantasy Football Registration, Miraval Spa trip, Inaugural Big Ten Football Championship game package and a trip for two to the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament with the Lady Lions. For more information on the Charity Buzz Pink Zone Online Auction, visit the Charity Buzz auction website at www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/pennstate.

A second online auction, on GoPSUsports, will take place through Wednesday, March 2. Online auction proceeds will benefit Mount Nittany Medical Center, the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, the PA Breast Cancer Coalition, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital. For more information on the GoPSUsports.com Online Auction, visit the Pink Zone website at www.GoPSUsports.com/pinkzone.

Charity Buzz Pink Zone Online Auction items are:

  • Trip for two to the 2011 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis
  • Penn State-Alabama Football Package (Two-night stay at the Penn Stater, Athletic Director’s Friday Night Reception, President’s Tailgate, two tickets for Athletic Director’s box for the game)
  • Joe Paterno Briefcase (used and signed)
  • Autographed Joe Paterno Football Shoes
  • Autographed Joe Paterno Football
  • Football Pin from the Penn State-Alabama game in the 1959 Liberty Bowl
  • Fly Fishing Afternoon Lesson with Joe Humphries and lodging at the Carnegie House
  • Miraval Spa Trip (Four days, three nights for two people)
  • Spend a Day with Baseball Analyst and Sports Illustrated Writer, Tom Verducci, at the MLB Network Headquarters in Secaucus, N.J.
  • Behind the Scenes Tour of the New York Times with the Page One Conference Meeting.
  • Hotel Hershey Package (Two-night stay, two breakfasts, $100 credit for spa or golf)
  • Wayne Gretzky Autographed Jersey Package (Four jerseys – Edmonton, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis)
  • ESPN Duffel Bag
  • Press Row Experience for the Penn State-Alabama Football Game
  • Two Registrations for the Penn State Ladies X’s and O’s Camp
  • Dinner with Valerie Plame Wilson at her Home in Santa Fe, N.M.
  • Personalized Cover & Meet-n-Greet with Chip Kidd in New York City
  • Visit to the  Set of Goats
  • Modern Family Autographed Script
  • Penn State Men’s Football Fantasy Camp Registration
  • Inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Package in Indianapolis (Two tickets to Big Ten Football Championship game on Dec. 3, 2011, two-night stay at the Omni Hotel)
  • Meet-n-Greet with Tony Bennett in Houston, Texas
  • Pittsburgh Penguins Package (Four tickets to the Pittsburgh Penguins game vs. the Edmonton Oilers on March 13, one-night stay at the Marriott City Center)
  • Penn State Football Weekend vs. Indiana State (includes two-night stay at the Nittany Lion Inn, President’s tailgate and two game tickets)
  • Penn State Football Experience vs. Nebraska (includes one quarter in the radio booth, President’s tailgate and postgame press conference)
  • Toftrees Resort Package (One-night stay and round of golf for two)
  • Intern at Accuweather for the Day
  • Jonas Brothers Autographed Guitar
  • The Lodge at Woodloch Package (One-night stay for two, three gourmet meals, spa credit and regularly programmed activities)
  • Saturday Night Live Experience (Two tickets to Saturday Night Live, backstage tour with director as a guest of Penn State President Graham Spanier)
  • New York City Experience (One-night weekday stay at Phillips Club Lincoln Center, two tickets to a taping of The View, and a $250 gift certificate to Le Bernardin)
  • NCIS Set Visit and Gift Basket (Visit for two to the NCIS set and a gift basket with NCIS memorabilia)
  • Duke Basketball Package (Two tickets and a parking pass for a 2011-2012 Duke basketball game)
  • Autographed Franco Harris Football
  • Philadelphia Phillies Package (Two tickets to a game in 2011, pre-game visit to the broadcast booth with announcer & Penn State graduate Chris Wheeler, autographed baseball and autographed book by Wheeler)
  • Autographed Print from Joe Paterno’s 400th win
  • Limited Edition Star Trek Memorabilia
  • Host a Catered Event at Penn State’s new H.O. Smith Botanical Gardens, catering by Zola’s New World Bistro
  • 7 Points Marina Houseboat Rental on Raystown Lake
  • New Cara Mor Spa Retreat in Spruce Creek (package for eight women including 2 nights lodging, gourmet meals, and full professional staff for unlimited services)

GoPSUsports.com Pink Zone Online Auction items are:

  • San Antonio Spurs Tickets (Two tickets to the Spurs game on Sunday, Feb. 27 in San Antonio vs. Memphis)
  • 2011-12 Lady Lion Basketball Honorary Coach for a Game
  • Autographed Penn State Football by Joe Paterno, Sean Lee, Darryl Clark, Jared Odrick, Josh Hull and Kevin Cousins
  • Lady Lion Basketball Box Seats for a 2011-12 Game
  • Yanni Concert Package (Two tickets to Yanni concert at the Bryce Jordan Center and dinner for two at the Nittany Lion Inn or Penn Stater)
  • Celtic Woman Concert Package (Two tickets to Celtic Woman concert at the Bryce Jordan Center and dinner for two at the Nittany Lion Inn or Penn Stater)
  • Game-Used Nike/Kay Yow Cancer Fund Ball from the 2011 WBCA Pink Zone Game
  • #24 Game-Used Penn State Lady Lion Jersey
  • Penn State Women’s Volleyball Autographed NCAA Commemorative Poster and Volleyball

In addition to the online auctions, the Lady Lions will sponsor two other fundraisers — a silent auction and a chance drawing for their Pink Zone jerseys. The silent auction will be offered on the concourse as part of the Pink Zone game day festivities on Sunday, Feb. 27. It includes Penn State memorabilia, autographed professional sports memorabilia and Lady Lion experiences. For a list of silent auction items, visit www.GoPSUsports.com/pinkzone.

The Chances for the11 Lady Lions game-used jerseys from the Pink Zone at Penn State are available at the Pink Zone table on men’s and women’s basketball game days at Portal 20 in the Bryce Jordan Center. They cost $2 for one and $5 for three. The drawing will take place Monday, Feb. 28.

The 2011 WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State will take place on Sunday, Feb. 27 at noon with the Lady Lions challenging Northwestern in the Bryce Jordan Center. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

Last year, the Lady Lions donated more than $80,000 for breast cancer causes. This year’s fundraising efforts will benefit the Mount Nittany Medical Center, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, PA Breast Cancer Coalition, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.gopsusports.com/pinkzone. The WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pinkzoneatpennstate.

The Lois Orange Ducoeur Breast Cancer Walk raised $4,500 for the PBCC!

Posted By on January 27th, 2011 at 12:36 pm | 2 comments.

Since 2003, the Lois Orange Ducoeur Breast Cancer Walk has taken place in downtown Charleroi, PA. The 1-2 mile fun walk takes place annually in October and raises funds for the area’s local cancer center and awareness initiatives.  Named for one of the community’s original business owners, Lois Orange Ducoeur, this year’s event raised nearly $9,000.

The Team Charleroi Business and Community Alliance, an organization operating in conjunction with the Mon Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce presented a monetary gift of $4,450 to the PA Breast Cancer Coalition on January 25, 2011.

Thanks to efforts of its Grassroots Partners, the PBCC is able to keeps it doors open and offer services to the women and families fighting breast cancer in Pennsylvania. Thank you again to Team Charleroi for their efforts!

Do you know a breast cancer patient who needs a wig?

Posted By on January 10th, 2011 at 10:47 am | 6 comments.

Crickett’s Answer for Cancer is a York, PA-based non-profit providing wigs, head coverings, massage therapies and pampering products for breast cancer patients. Bonnie Julius and Carole Trone founded the organization as a loving memorial to Crickett, Bonnie’s daughter and Carole’s cousin and good friend. After their devastating loss, they decided to fund those things that others might think are frivolous or unnecessary. Their goal is to provide women with hope, inspiration and and the support they need to celebrate their own lives every day, as Crickett did. She saw each day as an opportunity to live life to the fullest and to celebrate the gift of life.

To request services, visit www.crickettsanswerforcancer.org. After completing a simple application, you will be referred to a vendor or service provider in your area for the items or services. Crickett’s Answer for Cancer will pay 100% of the cost directly to the vendor on your behalf. You will have no out-of-pocket expenses.

I first learned about this remarkable service when my sister-in-law in North Carolina was able to get a wig through them during her breast cancer treatment. Since then, I have been happy to include Crickett’s Answer for Cancer in our list of resources for the women who call us for help.

PA Farm Show, Here We Come!

Posted By on January 6th, 2011 at 9:10 am | 0 comments.

Cambria Co. Exhibit OpeningThis year, the PA Department of Health invited us to be a part of the 2011 Pennsylvania Farm Show. It takes place January 8th to the 15th at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. This show is the largest indoor agricultural event in America with over 10,000 competitive exhibits, 270 commercial exhibitors and lots of animals including sheep, pigs, horses, cattle, goats, chickens and rabbits. (Don’t even get me started on the fantastic food offerings!)

Our 67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania traveling photo exhibit will be on display for the nearly 400,000 visitors to view! We will have a PBCC table which will be staffed each day of the show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with lots of materials and helpful information.

Farm Show Packing CompletedIf you’ve ever been to the Farm Show, you know that TONS of people pass through the complex each day, which means we needed to pack up lots and lots of information and giveaways to hand out! This is one of those times when the staff really appreciates our volunteers. To prepare for the big event, Dennis and Gene, two of our regular office volunteers, counted out stacks and stacks of brochures, newsletters, fliers, pens, wristbands and plastic tote bags! Then they boxed up an assortment of things for each day of the event so we are sure to have items left toward the end of the week. This was a very tedious and time-consuming job, yet Dennis and Gene did it without a single complaint. Thanks, guys! We really appreciate your help.

So if you’re planning on coming to the PA Farm Show this year, please check out our photo exhibit and stop by the PBCC’s info table to say hi and pick up some info or a freebie or two. We have plenty ready for you!

Patient Advocacy in 2010: It was a busy year

Posted By on January 5th, 2011 at 10:02 am | 4 comments.

Today is only the third working day of 2011 and we have already talked with three women, all with different issues they need help with. One hasn’t had a mammogram in several years and has no insurance, another is a Medicare patient overwhelmed with co-pays for medical bills, and another is paying over $1,000 a month for insurance due to a pre-existing condition.

This past year, 75 women with breast cancer, or their friends or family members, called the PBCC for help. Often they sounded exhausted and told us that they’d already tried a number of other places and expected that we wouldn’t be able to help them. That just makes us more determined to find the resources they need.

Over half of the questions we hear are about medical bills and co-pays or mammograms. Of the 75 who called,

  • 21 needed financial help with medical bills
  • 20 needed mammograms and were uninsured or underinsured
  • 9 had questions about BCCPT (free treatment program) or other coverage
  • 6 needed help paying for prescriptions
  • 3 were breast cancer patients on the verge of losing their insurance
  • 3 had general questions or concerns about breast cancer
  • 2 needed lymphedema supplies
  • 2 wanted a referral for a specialist or a hospital
  • 2 needed to know where to get prostheses
  • 1 needed a follow-up mammogram, which her insurance wouldn’t cover
  • 1 was awaiting diagnosis and was exploring coverage options ahead of time
  • 1 was looking for information about home health care
  • 1 had questions about legal issues of an employer not allowing time off for treatment

2010 Evening Reception at the Harrisburg HiltonAlso in 2010 we added this question to our online Friends Like Me care package order form: “If this is a self-request, would you like the PBCC’s patient advocate to call you?”

Usually, we find that the information included in the Friends Like Me care package answers all of the questions a survivor may have. But all the recipients we talk with say that the phone call is one more reminder that she is not alone, the PBCC is here for her.

Shopping Resources for Breast Cancer Patients

Posted By on January 4th, 2011 at 9:02 am | 6 comments.

One of the most commonly-requested items here at the PA Breast Cancer Coalition is a list of shops and boutiques across the state that sell wigs, prostheses, and other breast cancer-related items.   For many women who have been newly-diagnosed, this is one of their first questions.

We currently have a list of about 20 boutiques, shops, salons and websites that sell various products geared toward cancer survivors.  They are located from Allison Park to Abington, from Latrobe to Lancaster, and beyond!

If you know of a boutique or shop in PA (or a website with an online store) that sells mastectomy products and/or wigs, please comment below with the name of the company or its website and we’ll investigate it.   If it meets our criteria, it’ll be added to our resource list.

The more we have on our list, the better the chances that one of these shops will be within driving distance of each woman who needs to purchase something!  Thanks for sharing your finds with the 103,000 women in Pennsylvania battling breast cancer!

PBCC Office Atmosphere

Posted By on December 20th, 2010 at 9:40 am | 0 comments.

Some days at work, I sit here at my desk and think, “There is no way people would believe what goes on here on a daily basis!”

You might think working at a non-profit which deals with a horrible disease like breast cancer would be pretty sobering. While that can be true some days, for example when we heard of the untimely death of Elizabeth Edwards this week, most days at the PBCC are full of fun and laughter.

2010 PBCC Staff PhotoOne example of this is our annual staff photo. Since we hire a great professional photographer to capture the events of our October conference on film (boy, isn’t that phrase out-of-date now that we all use digital cameras!) we use that opportunity to have a staff photo taken. Here is the one we had taken this year.

Another fun time is our weekly staff meeting. Not a meeting goes by that we don’t diverge off into some crazy tangent for a few minutes. And getting us back on track can sometimes be a chore! We also have assigned tasks each week. One of us is in charge of inspiration – reading some heartwarming quote or story to the group. Someone else provides a word of the day which we all try to work into the meeting. Our competitiveness sometimes comes out and things can get a little crazy. Imagine trying to use the words “soporific”, “perspicacious” or “bloviate” in casual conversation! And another staffer shares some sort of tip, which could be a book or movie recommendation, a favorite recipe, some work-related advice or even just life lessons. Some past tips included ways to winterize your home, how to create an edible snack bowl out of Chex Mix, and how to survive a nuclear attack. As you can imagine, our meetings often devolve into howls of laughter.

I feel so blessed and grateful to work in an office where laughter, fun and smiles are the norm. I get to meet such special people in the breast cancer community and I get to work in a fun, relaxed office atmosphere. What more could I want?

Insurance Guidebook Saved Breast Cancer Patient $10,000

Posted By on December 17th, 2010 at 10:10 am | 2 comments.

When a newly-diagnosed women or a friend orders one of our FREE Friends Like Me care packages, he or she may request a phone call from our Patient Advocate (that’d be me). We have often thought that the contents of the package may answer many of her questions, so we allow some time for her to receive and review it before I call. This week we learned just how true that is.

I called a woman in Wayne County who received her package after Thanksgiving. She is quite an advocate in her own path to treatment and recovery. She has been researching prescription assistance programs and other community resources. When we were just about to end our conversation, she mentioned that part of her education was to read our insurance guidebook Breast Cancer: Covered or Not?, which was included in her Friends Like Me care package.

Of particular interest to her was the information on pages 102 and 103 about checking for hospital billing mistakes. So she took out her stack of mounting medical bills and sure enough…there was a double billing mistake to the tune of $10,000!

Her hospital acknowledges the mistake and is working to correct it. When she said “Your organization has already saved me $10,000,” it really made our day.

If you or someone you know can use advice in relation to breast cancer treatment and insurance, order your FREE copy of Breast Cancer: Covered or Not? today!  You can also request a Friends Like Me care package be sent to a recently diagnosed woman in Pennsylvania!