Finding a cure now...so our daughters won't have to.

President’s Corner – Study Affirms Mammograms Save Lives

Posted By on July 15th, 2011 at 8:50 am | 2 comments.

A recent study published in Radiology affirmed what we at the PA Breast Cancer Coalition have advocated for years – mammograms save lives. The study – which spanned 29 years and followed 130,000 women in two communities in Sweden – found that deaths from breast cancer declined 30% among the group of women who received regular screening as opposed to the group that did not.

This news supports the longstanding position of the PBCC that early detection saves lives. In 2009, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a recommendation against routine mammograms for women in their 40s and also recommended that women in their 50s be screened every two years instead of annually. At that time, the PBCC strongly disagreed with the Task Force and instead encouraged women over 40 to continue to schedule annual mammograms.

It is our hope that this new data will encourage the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to reconsider their previous recommendation so that women aren’t receiving mixed messages on the importance of mammograms and early detection to overall prognosis and treatment.

Posted in: Medical, Pink Link
Tags: breast cancer, mammograms, President, survivor

Highest Score in 2011 at the Washington Wild Things

Posted By on July 11th, 2011 at 12:38 pm | 0 comments.

Winning Team: Neuman's CrewNow yes, this was only the third Take a Swing Against Breast Cancer home run derby in 2011. But our winning team broke the 2,000 point mark! There is no other way to say it…WOW! Take a look at our scoreboard from CONSOL Energy Park.

Single Batters out at the Washington Wild Things:

U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy Stopped By CONSOL Energy ParkWe also had two home runs at CONSOL Energy Park! Joe Oliphant from Neuman’s Crew and Bill Klenoshek from Enterprise Car Rental Team 2 both tipped it over the outfield fence. Congratulations!

Special thanks to U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy and PA Rep. Brandon Neuman for stepping up to the plate at the Washington Wild Things!

Thank you to the teams, volunteers, and the Washington Wild Things staff for making Saturday’s visit a success! Check out the article about our winning team, Neuman’s Crew, over on the Canon-McMillan Patch website. And browse through the photos from Saturday’s event.

 

 

Posted in: Grassroots Partners, Home Run Derby, Legislative, News, Pink Ribbon, Volunteer
Tags: #PBCCderby, Allentown, Awareness, baseball, bat, bats, batter, Bethlehem, donate, donation, event, fundraiser, home run, News, swing, swings, teams

Erie SeaWolves Step Up to the Plate

Posted By on July 11th, 2011 at 10:27 am | 0 comments.

Charlie L. from the City of Erie TeamOn Friday, July 8th, the PBCC crew and the pink van traveled to the home of the Erie SeaWolves, Jerry Uht Park. Nestled in downtown Erie, the breeze from Lake Erie was present to cool off the staff, volunteers, and most importantly, the batters for the Home Run Derby. To top of the perfect weather, the staff at the Erie SeaWolves continues to shine. They were always willing to help and made the event a smashing one!

Check out our scoreboard for the day:

Home Run Hitter: Jeff JonesWe also were lucky to have two home runs at Jerry Uht! Brian King from TESCO & the Fette Family Team 1 and Jeff Jones from Icing on the Lake Team 1 both knocked the ball over the back fence! Congratulations!

Thank you to WICU and WJET for stopping by to highlight the event. Also a big thanks to all of our volunteers! We would not be able to have our events without you! Take a look at all of the photos from our day at Jerry Uht Park!

Posted in: Grassroots Partners, Home Run Derby, News, Pink Ribbon, Volunteer
Tags: #PBCCderby, Allentown, Awareness, baseball, bat, bats, batter, Bethlehem, donate, donation, event, fundraiser, home run, News, swing, swings, teams

Lehigh Valley Kicks Off #PBCCderby Tour

Posted By on July 7th, 2011 at 2:17 pm | 0 comments.

Winning Team: Landrum LumberjacksThe first Home Run Derby event of 2011 was a huge success on Wednesday, July 6th! Coca-Cola Park was the perfect setting for batters, volunteers, and spectators to show their support for the kick off event. Teams celebrated the chance to be on the same field that the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs use for every home game. Check out how our 2011 Lehigh Valley Home Run Derby teams did!

We also had a great showing of Single Batter support in the LV.

  • Chuck Asman Second Set – 475 points
  • Chuck Asman First Set – 350 points
  • Matt Strouse – 285 points

Brandon Weiss from Wells Fargo BattingCongratulations to the Landrum Lumberjacks on their win at the LV! Brett Landrum from the Landrum Lumberjacks hit our FIRST home run of the 2011 #PBCCderby season!

The PBCC would like to thank all of our wonderful volunteers and the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs for setting the bar high! WFMZ Channel 69 as well as Blue Ridge Cable 13 stopped by to check out all of the action. As soon as we have the footage, we will be sure to publish it.

The pink van and the PBCC staff are on the way to Erie now! Get set for the live coverage Friday, July 8th at http://pbcc.me/live.

Posted in: Grassroots Partners, Home Run Derby, News, Pink Ribbon, Volunteer
Tags: #PBCCderby, Allentown, Awareness, baseball, bat, bats, batter, Bethlehem, donate, donation, event, fundraiser, home run, News, swing, swings, teams

Two week countdown: 2011 PA Home Run Derby

Posted By on June 22nd, 2011 at 2:53 pm | 2 comments.

The countdown begins!  In just two weeks, the PA Breast Cancer Coalition will begin traveling around Pennsylvania hitting the 11 minor league ball parks in our annual Take a Swing Against Breast Cancer home run derby event. Sign up and submit your $500 team registration fee by the end of June and receive five free swings for your team! Every batter and volunteer who participates receives a bag filled with goodies and unforgettable memories!

So what exactly does the winning team get? Four one-of-a-kind hot pink baseball bats, and of course, bragging rights. This is your chance to step up to the plate where your favorite minor league teams play.

Over 60 teams have already registered for the Home Run Derby, but there is still plenty of room in the lineup.  Take advantage of the June special and give your clients, friends, family and co-workers a day of fun in the sun and the experience of a lifetime!

Can’t fill a team of four batters? Register as a single batter and you’ll compete with other individuals throughout the state. This is your chance to show your support for breast cancer survivors by helping a great cause. So grab your glove, lace up your shoes and put on your game face because it’s time to play ball!

 

Posted in: Home Run Derby
Tags: Awareness, baseball, fundraiser, home run, men, teams, Volunteer, women

On the FrontLine: Summer 2011

Posted By on June 20th, 2011 at 1:46 pm | 0 comments.

Check out the Summer 2011 edition of our print newsletter, FrontLine!

Posted in: Annual Conference, Events, FREE Treatment, Grassroots Partners, Home Run Derby, Medical, News, Partnerships & Promotions, Patient Advocacy, Photo Exhibit, Pink Ribbon, Programs, Refunds for Breast Cancer Research, Survivor Spotlight, Traveling Photo Exhibit, Volunteer
Tags: annual, Awareness, baseball, bat, bats, breast cancer, conference, derby, event, events, fundraiser, home run, medical, photo exhibit, pink, pink ribbon, research, resources, survivor, survivors

Patient Resource: OncoLink.org

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

Get accurate comprehensive online information about cancer at www.oncolink.org. The site is updated daily to offer the most up-to-date cancer treatment information and resources for patients and families. Read book reviews, participate in monthly webchats, or find a clinical trial. Nurses can access continuing education modules on a variety of cancer-related topics.

You might also like to react to and comment on cancer news on OncoLink’s blog, and each section features a selection from the OncoLink Art Gallery.

OncoLink is a service provided by the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

Posted in: Patient Advocacy, Pink Link
Tags: organizations, Partnership, resources, survivor, women

Get Twice as Much Out of the Conference When You Bring a Friend

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

Make your PBCC Annual Conference experience twice as nice by taking advantage of our Bring a Friend Conference Registration discount. Buddy up and sign up for the October 11, 2011 conference, which will feature workshops on topics to challenge your mind and your soul – topics ranging from surgical options for breast cancer to the healing power of forgiveness.

Early bird Bring a Friend Registration for the conference is $100, which covers the cost of two conference registrations. Register as a pair and treat a friend, sister, daughter, mother, or colleague to an inspiring day devoted to breast cancer issues. Individual early bird registrations are $65 each.

Confirmed workshop topics and presenters include:

Free Treatment: The Ins and Outs of PA’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Program presented by Joe Burkhart, PA Department of Health and Jane Marsteller, PA Department of Public Welfare

Inflammatory Breast Cancer presented by Massimo Cristofanilli, M.D., Fox Chase Cancer Center

Release! The Healing Power of Forgiveness presented by Rev. Dr. Michael Barry, Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Living Well During and After Breast Cancer: Stress Reduction and a Healthy Lifestyle presented by Aimée E. Todd-Pillman, PsyD, The Reading Hospital Regional Cancer Center and Amy Burke, Windber Medical Center

The Basics of Chemotherapy presented by Kathryn A. Peroutka, M.D., Andrews & Patel Associates, PC

The Latest In Breast Cancer Research and Clinical Trials presented by Priya Rastogi, M.D., NSABP

Breast Imaging 101 presented by Alison Chetlen, D.O., Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Does The Food We Eat Have an Impact on Our Health After Surviving Breast Cancer? presented by Dawn Palacios, R.D., LDN, Good Samaritan Hospital

Surgical Treatment Options for Breast Cancer: Which Way is the Pendulum Swinging Now? presented by Sun Yong Lee, M.D., FACS, Jefferson Breast Care Center

Many more workshops will be announced in the coming weeks, so please check the conference website for more details!

Posted in: Annual Conference, Pink Link
Tags: conference, Harrisburg, research, resources, survivor, women

Chemo Brain is Real

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

Written by Barbara Good, Ph.D.

For years, women in cancer support groups and those discussing their treatment with sympathetic friends or relatives have referred to a syndrome they call “chemo brain,” the somewhat amusing-sounding but all too real experience of many who undergo chemotherapy in the course of cancer treatment. At times complaints from cancer patients about forgetfulness, lack of coordination, or the inability to find certain words during speech have been looked at by some in the medical profession as a result of the stress of cancer treatment, or fatigue, or both.

A recent study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle now lends credence to the idea that the symptoms cancer patients describe appear, in fact, to come at least in part from cancer treatment and that they may last for periods up to five years or more. The patients examined had undergone chemotherapy as part of bone marrow or stem cell transplants to treat blood cancers, but the researchers believe their findings to be applicable to breast cancer patients and to those who have undergone chemotherapy for other types of cancer. Verbal memory and motor problems lasted longer than five years in some of the patients examined, but information processing, multitasking, and executive function tasks seemed to be regained within five years.

Posted in: Medical, News, Pink Link
Tags: Awareness, medical, News, research, resources, survivor, women

PBCC Showcases Traveling Exhibit in Huntingdon County

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

The PBCC’s traveling photo exhibit, 67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania made a visit to Huntingdon County in May. The display, hosted in the main lobby of J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital, features photos and comments from women from each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties on their experience living with breast cancer. Huntingdon County exhibit participant and breast cancer survivor Billie Hammond (shown left) spoke at the opening reception.

PBCC Executive Director Heather Hibshman served as emcee for the opening reception. In addition to Billie and Heather, speakers at the reception included Joseph J. Peluso, J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital President & CEO; Maria T. Pettinger, M.D., Chief of Staff & Department of Radiology Medical Director of  J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital; and Pat Kepple, a local breast cancer survivor.

Special thanks to Christine Gildea, the Director of Marketing & Community Relations for the J.C. Blair Memorial Hospital for serving as committee chairperson.

The PBCC wishes to express our appreciation and gratitude to the PA Department of Health for their continued support of this educational and inspirational exhibit.

Posted in: Photo Exhibit, Pink Link
Tags: Awareness, doctors, exhibit, photos, survivor, women