All posts tagged African American Women

Are You Stressed?


 It’s October! Pink Ribbons fly proudly reminding women to get a clinical breast exam and mammogram. Board a plane and glance out of the window and you might see pink runway lights glowing brightly! Turn on the television to watch a Sunday afternoon of football, and you will notice referees tossing pink flags – while in between plays, commercials flood the airways encouraging us to give to the American Cancer Society or the Susan G. Koman Foundation in support of efforts to end breast cancer!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we should do what we can to prevent another family from losing a loved one to this deadly disease.

Have you ever stopped to think about the level of stress women have in their lives every day and how stress increases our chances of contracting breast cancer?

In recent years, researchers have focused on the effects of stress. For example, the Fourth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities last fall showed a connection between psychological stress and one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer.

The study was performed on 989 women with breast cancer. Two to three months after diagnosis, the women were asked to rate their degree of anxiety, fear, and isolation. These self-reported stress scores were higher for black and Hispanic women than in white women. Further, those women who reported having higher levels of stress tended to have more aggressive tumors (defined as being negative for the presence of estrogen receptors, meaning that therapies designed to block the effects of estrogen will not be effective) than those with lower stress levels. The association between stress level and aggressive tumors was strongest in black and Hispanic women.

Click here to learn more about a possible connection between stress and aggressive breast cancer.

Running out of new ideas for relieving stress? Here are a few tips to consider! Go for a brisk walk, watch a relaxing movie, have (safe!) sex, or have a good hearty laugh with a friend.  Now it’s your turn – share some of your fun ways to  lower stress levels!

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by marilynwho on October 10, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Women's Health Outreach
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Posted by marilynwho on October 10, 2012

https://healthaccessywca.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/are-you-stressed/

Army of Women: Multiple Breast Cancer Cases in African American Families


African American women have higher rates of premenopausal breast cancer than women of European ancestry. They are also more likely to die of breast cancer. The Army of Women asks, “Is it possible that there are certain inherited genetic mutations that may explain why?” A research team at the University at Buffalo thinks the answer is yes. And they need African American women who were diagnosed with breast cancer of any stage, AND their relatives to help them find out.

The Army of Women is recruiting women across the United States to participate a study that will look at why some African American families have multiple cases of breast cancer. All necessary participation in the study will be handled through the mail.

To participate, you must match ALL of these MAIN categories:

  • You are a woman older than 18 years of age
  • You identify as Black/African American
  • You were diagnosed with breast cancer of any stage, including metastatic disease and DCIS. There is no time limit since diagnosis and it is OK if you are currently receiving treatment.
  • You have EITHER:
    • a sister who has never been diagnosed with breast cancer who would also like to participate in the study

    OR:

    • at least one living female blood relative who was diagnosed with breast cancer of any stage (including metastatic disease and DCIS). The relative can be your mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, granddaughter, aunt, niece, or first cousin.
  • You have tested negative for the BRCA 1 and 2 mutations (if known). If you do not know your status, you can still participate in the study.
  • You live in the United States.

If you match the categories above and want to participate, RSVP here. After you RSVP, the researcher will ask you additional questions to be sure that this study is the right fit for you.

Think about participating and passing on this opportunity to your friends! You could be part of a major discovery that will affect every single woman in the United States!

Information on this study drawn from the Army of Women materials (via studies@armyofwomen.org).

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by ywcakatie on February 22, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Women's Health Outreach
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Posted by ywcakatie on February 22, 2012

https://healthaccessywca.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/army-of-women-multiple-breast-cancer-cases-in-african-american-families/