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Imaginis.com Breast Health Newsletter


IMAGINIS.COM BREAST HEALTH NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 12
MARCH 29, 2001

WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWS AND INFORMATION

1. NO NEED FOR WOMEN TO TAKE TAMOXIFEN LONGER THAN FIVE YEARS, STUDY FINDS
Scottish researchers have found that women get the maximum benefit from the drug tamoxifen (brand name, Nolvadex) by taking it for a period of five years—-no longer, no shorter. Tamoxifen has been used for over 20 years to treat advanced breast cancer, and in 1998, it became the first drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help prevent breast cancer in women at high risk of the disease. Why is five years the ideal time period for tamoxifen?
Click here to read more:
http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/news/news3.27.01.asp

2. LARGE STUDY FINDS PROLONGED USE OF ESTROGEN REPLACEMENT THERAPY INCREASES RISK OF DEATH FROM OVARIAN CANCER
In a study of more than 200,000 women, researchers from the American Cancer Society found that using estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) for 10 or more years increases the risk of death from ovarian cancer.  While the chances of developing ovarian cancer doubles with prolonged ERT use, the risk still appears to be small—-approximately 2% over a lifetime. Here's what women who are taking ERT (or considering ERT) should know...
Click here to read more:
http://www.imaginis.com/ovarian-cancer/news/news3.22.01.asp

3. CAN BREAST CANCER BE PREVENTED?
Scientists do not yet know what causes breast cancer, and consequently, there are no general guidelines that women can follow to prevent the disease. Therefore, the most practical strategy for most women is to reduce the controllable risk factors for breast cancer and follow the screening guidelines set forth by the American Cancer Society and other organizations to help detect breast cancer in its earliest stages when the chances for successful treatment and survival are the greatest. For eligible women at especially high risk of breast cancer, there a number of options that may help prevent breast cancer, including tamoxifen, participation in a national breast cancer prevention trial (STAR), preventive breast removal (prophylactic mastectomy), or in rare cases, preventive ovary removal (oophorectomy). This article provides an overview of breast cancer preventive options for women at especially high risk for the disease.
Click here to read more:
http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/preventive.asp

4. UNDERSTANDING NIPPLE DISCHARGE
Nipple discharge is the third most common breast complaint for which women seek medical attention, after lumps and breast pain. The majority of nipple discharges are associated with non-malignant changes in the breast such as hormonal imbalances. However, nipple discharge may be a concern if it has certain characteristics. This article explains causes of nipple discharge and when and how it should be evaluated and treated.
Click here to read more:
http://www.imaginis.com/breasthealth/nipple.asp

5. "CONFRONTING CANCER: IMAGES OF STRENGTH AND HOPE"
Photographer Gretje Ferguson’s exhibition, "Confronting Cancer: Images of Strength and Hope," is appearing at Frame-It Studio and Gallery in Canton, MA from April 3 to May 1, 2001. The public is invited to the opening on Thursday, April 5, from 5-7 p.m. Along with the photographer, several of the people photographed will speak briefly about their cancer experiences. Ferguson is a black-and-white portrait photographer based in Dedham, MA. The goal of the project is to show how people who are facing a cancer diagnosis are living meaningful lives.
Click here to learn more or to view Ferguson's photographs online:
http://www.gfergphoto.com/confrontingcancer/

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BREAST CANCER DISCUSSION BOARD

"I have just been told that I have LCIS which was diagnosed through tissue examined through a biopsy. The doctor's initial suggestion was to take tamoxifen. I am 52 years old. Any feedback?"

Click here to visit this discussion:
http://www.imaginis.com/_private/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000412.html

Click here to post or reply to other messages on the Imaginis discussion boards:
http://www.imaginis.com/discussions/

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NEW IN THE IMAGINIS BOOKSTORE

"Reclaiming Our Lives After Breast and Gynecological Cancer" by Kristine Falco is an unusually aware and supportive book that recognizes and addresses cancer's potential assault on one's sense of self, femininity, and womanhood. It speaks with equal resonance to women with (or who are worried about) cancer and to those who love them, as well as to the professionals in mental, physical, and spiritual health who work with them. The author of the book is a clinician who had breast cancer herself--twice.

Click here to learn more about this book:
http://www.imaginis.com/bookstore/breasthealth/survival.asp#reclaiming

Click here to browse nearly 150 books in the Imaginis Breast Health Bookstore:
http://www.imaginis.com/bookstore/

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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER

Thousands of breast cancer patients, survivors and healthcare professionals receive the Imaginis.com Breast Health Newsletter, which is published by email every week. If you enjoy receiving this newsletter, feel free to share it with a friend, colleague or family member. Simply click "forward," type in a friend's email address, and then click "send." If you would like to add the email addresses of your friends and family to the newsletter mailing list, please visit http://www.imaginis.com/newsletter/

Please visit the Imaginis.com website at http://www.imaginis.com/

Imaginis.com is an independent, award-winning, comprehensive resource for news and information on breast cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment and related women's health topics such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, and ovarian cancer. Imaginis.com breast health content is edited by an expert breast imager and a breast surgeon. To learn more about the Imaginis.com Breast Health Team and Editorial Board, please visit
http://www.imaginis.com/about/breast_health_team.asp

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SIEMENS MEDICAL PROUDLY SPONSORS IMAGINIS.COM

To learn more about Siemens involvement in women's health, please visit http://www.imaginis.com/siemens/

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