Women At Risk

Shop our Winter Sale!

2012-01-18T07:44:00.000-05:00

All of our winter sale items are being offered at discounted prices. Prices listed are negotiable, so please make us a reasonable offer! Because the prices are below Fair Market Value, purchases are not tax-deductible. Please click on links for pictures or more information on select items.

To make a purchase (or with questions), please call Eric Dubinsky at 212-305-4486 or email erd9025@nyp.org.

Items are being sold on a first come, first serve basis, and shoppers will be responsible for shipping costs. Check out our (HOT DEALS) below!

TICKETS/ENTERTAINMENT

*tickets are subject to availability

• Two orchestra tickets to any NY Philharmonic production, exp 06/23/12* - $175

• Four VIP tickets to The Daily Show with John Stewart - $500

• Four mezzanine tickets to the Big Apple Circus 11/12 season* - $100

• Two tickets to Elements of Wine class at Astor Wines, exp 08/30/12 - $100

• Four tickets to BODIES…the exhibition - $100

• Two adult ski lift tickets at Mohawk Mountain for 11/12 season- $75

• Two tickets for bus tour of “Sex & The City Hot Spots” - $75 (HOT DEAL)

• Two frequent visitor annual passes for the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens - $75

• Two tickets to bus tour for “NY Movie and TV Sites” - $75

• Two tickets to MEMPHIS at the Shubert Theater Tues-Thurs only, exp 09/22/12* - $100

• 2 hours of bowling for up to 7 people at FRAMES NYC – $100

• Gift certificate for New York Live Arts 2011-12 season* - $50

• Two admission tickets to the American Museum of Natural History, exp 3/15/12 - $30

RESTAURANTS

• Good Enough to Eat $100 gift certificate, exp 02/05/12 - $85

• Perilla, brunch for four up to $100 - $85

• Dinner for two at Heartland Brewery, exp 05/09/12 - $75

• Kouzan, $75 gift certificate - $65

• Brunch for two at 200 Fifth in Brooklyn - $50

• La Panetiere, $50 gift certificate - $40

• Brunch for two at the Tribeca Grill, $75 value, exp 05/09/12, not redeemable in December - $50

MISCELLANEOUS GIFTS

• Organic Valley Products coupons totaling $520, exp 06/20/12 - $450

• New York Giants Brandon Jacobs autographed football - $375 (HOT DEAL)

• Gift basket by Citarella valued at $280 - $250

• Executive coaching session with Jane Cranston - $175

• Executive career/job search coaching session with Jane Cranston - $175

• Keurig coffee maker supplies - $165

• New Jersey Devils autographed hockey pucks by David Clarkson & Adam Mair - $50

• Two hours of personalized services by Lisa Carusso - $80

• One ergonomic and environmentally friendly yoga mat by Eternefit - $70

• Assortment of men’s designer ties - $75

• Gift basket by Chelsea Market Baskets - $40

• Autographed photo of Susan Lucci - $35

• Columbia outdoor gear kit, multi function tool & knife gadget - $15

• Webkinz Pink Poodle - $10

• One dozen Ultra Golf Balls by Wilson - $10

DESIGNER ITEMS & APPAREL

• Citrus Fruit Tote by Stella McCartney - $1200 (HOT DEAL)

• 100% silk blouse, Size M by Tribune Standard- $325

• Green silk button-down Tunic, Size M from Nanette Lepore - $175

• Light blue cropped Sweater, Size M from Nanette Lepore - $175

• Black studded leather wallet by ECKO Unlimited - $25

BEAUTY/SPA

• Large MAC Cosmetics gift box - $450

• OPI gift basket of miscellaneous beauty supplies - $450

• 60 min of Reflexology at Angel Feet Reflexology, exp 05/01/12 - $100

• Gift certificate for $100 toward skin treatment at Skin Thera P Medical Cosmetic and Laser Spa - $25 (HOT DEAL)

• “Me, myself and eye” make up class at Face Stockholm, exp 05/09/12 - $80

• Bi-coastal beauty kit by Laura Geller - $50

• Gift certificate toward any service at Salon Ziba - $45

• Sonia Kashuk handbag and cosmetics - $150

• Assortment of products from AVON, Laura Geller and Philosophy - $75

JEWELRY

• “Oprah” Earring sterling Silver & Canary Crystal by Judith Ripka - $600 (HOT DEAL)

• 18k white gold with diamond “boob” necklace by Marissa Alperin Studio - $400

• 35” antique finish crystal necklace by AZAARA - $300

• Silver and ruby pendant necklace by Satya Jewelry - $75

• Ruby drop Hoop Stone of Passion earrings by Satya Jewelry - $40

• WAR’s ‘We Are Resilient’ 10k gold bracelet - $200

• WAR’s ‘We Are Resilient’ silver bracelet - $75 (HOT DEAL)

BOOKS

• Conquering Cancer - $10

• Reflections of the Breast in Art through the Centuries - $20

• “Burning Up” on Tour with the Jonas Brothers - $20

• Disney’s High School Musical All Access Book - $18

• Dismantling Cancer by Francisco Contreras, MD - $10

DESTINATIONS

*Subject to availability

• One night spa and “staycation” for two package including luxurious room, three meals, spa and classes at the Lodge at Woodloch in PA, exp 05/01/12* - $875

• Two nights weekend stay for two at the Sheraton NewYork Hotel & Towers, exp 10/31/12* - $400

MEMBERSHIPS

• 6-month ‘family II’ membership at YMCA of Greater NY - $800 (HOT DEAL)

• 10 classes at Jivamukti yoga center, exp 07/12 - $100

• 30 day membership at New York Sports Club - $80

• Full annual membership to the Jewish Museum - $70

• Multi sport gold passport to Chelsea Piers, exp 04/01/12 - $50

• Dual membership to the Jacob Burns Film Center - $50

• Two week membership to any New York Sports Club location - $20

UNIQUE EXPERIENCES

• Two passes to Gray Line Bus All Loops Tour, exp 05/09/12 - $100

• Two tickets to any regular NY Water Taxi or Circle Line Cruise - $75

• One specialty tour/Zephyr or Shark Speedboat thrill ride from the Circle Line - $35

Survivor Story: Cathy Scibelli

2012-01-18T07:42:00.002-05:00

Three years ago, I was diagnosed with a large cancerous tumor in my right breast and a “mass” in the lymph nodes under my right arm.

I take responsibility for the dire diagnosis, because I had noticed a swelling and pain in my breast around the beginning of November. Since I had been diagnosed with cysts before, I thought I just had another one. I was busy with work and the holidays were approaching, and I didn’t want to take the time to go for a mammogram. So, I decided to wait until early January to get it checked.

When I heard my diagnosis, my first reaction was to think, “I’m going to die!” I walked around in shock for about a week. Then something happened inside me—I got mad. I thought of all the things I had postponed doing; I thought about my father’s life cut short from lung cancer at age 47. And I decided that I was going to take charge of whatever life I had left and live it to the fullest.

I started chemotherapy and complimented it with a diet and exercise program. I bought meditation tapes that focused on healing. I read every positive thing I could get my hands on, like stories of survivors who had beat all the odds and were living exciting and productive lives. And I started writing, something I had dreamed of doing for years.

It wasn’t easy. I had some side effects from the chemotherapy, the recovery from the mastectomy was painful and difficult at times, and the daily grind of the radiation treatments that followed seemed endless after I had already been in treatment for the past six months. But I was helped tremendously by the support of my breast cancer “sisters” who had walked the path before me, and the love of family and close friends.

Now, from my vantage point several years later, having just started this year with a “normal” checkup, I’d like to offer you a quote attributed to Gracie Allen: “Never put a period where God has placed a comma.” When I was diagnosed with the late stage breast cancer, I thought that my life was about to end, period. But the year I spent battling breast cancer turned out to be just a comma, a pause before going on.

And you know what I discovered? What comes after the comma can be really awesome.

My whole attitude toward life and what is important has changed. I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore and find myself actually laughing at some of the things other people get so worked up about. I’ve made many wonderful, caring friends in my new sisterhood of breast cancer survivors. I’ve had articles and stories published in books, magazines, and newsletters. If I didn’t have that pause to reevaluate my life, I very likely would never have experienced all of this. So don’t let a breast cancer diagnosis frighten you into thinking God has placed a period in your life. Think of your treatment time as a comma and know that although your life won’t be the same after the pause, what comes next might surprise you in delightful ways.

Join us for the P&S Dance Club Annual Showcase!

2011-11-26T22:50:00.001-05:00

Join us as the P&S Dance Club presents its annual showcase of student and faculty dancers from the Columbia University Medical Center campus. The show will feature a variety of dance styles including Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, Salsa, Bollywood, and more!

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Women At Risk.

For more information, visit the event Facebook page.

Click here to purchase tickets in advance.

You're invited to the Laurie Bass Sklaver Annual Symposium

2011-11-03T19:41:00.001-04:00

Please join us for:

Empower Yourself: Lifestyle and Wellness Choices for Women at High Risk for, or with, Breast Cancer

GET HEALTHY: LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS FOR CANCER PREVENTION
Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD
Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Medical Oncology,
Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health & College of Physicians and Surgeons
Naturopathic Physician and Epidemiologist

SOUL (SEASONAL, ORGANIC, UNPROCESSED, & LOCAL) FOOD TO SUPPORT YOUR HEALTH
Eileen Z. Fuentes
Board Certified Wellness, Lifestyle & Integrative Cancer Coach
Breast Cancer Survivor

MAKING CHOICES: INTEGRATING COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES AND STANDARD TREATMENTS
Hope Nemiroff
Executive Director, Breast Cancer Options
Breast Cancer Survivor

PATIENT PANEL
A panel of survivors and women at high risk for breast cancer will discuss their experiences.

Moderated by Katherine Crew, MD
Co-Medical Director, Women At Risk
Florence Irving Assistant Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology,

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

Opening Remarks by Sheldon Feldman, MD
Chief of Breast Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14th, 2011

Refreshments 5:30-6:00PM * Program 6:00-8:00PM

UJA-Federation of New York * 7th Floor Conference Center * 130 E. 59th St. between Park and Lexington Aves.

Reservations Required: Please call (212) 305-5917 or email info@womenatrisknyc.org.

Free admission * Seating is limited

This event is generously supported by the Friends and Family of Laurie Bass Sklaver.

Congressman Charles Rangel recognizes WAR's commitment to providing, and advocating for, breast cancer screenings

2011-11-03T19:14:00.003-04:00

(Photo Credit: Flickr/RepRangel)

On Friday, October 21st, Representative Charles Rangel issued a statement in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and National Mammography Day urging women across the country to schedule annual mammograms.

"Women are the pillars of our community," Representative Rangel said in the statement. "Again, please make preventative efforts and schedule a mammogram to guarantee you are receiving the care you deserve."

As the Congressman representing NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia's neighborhood in upper Manhattan, Rangel cited Women At Risk as a "wonderful resource in our community" and encouraged women in his district to contact WAR for more information about the importance of breast cancer screenings.

Women At Risk applauds Representative Rangel's efforts to raise awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and will continue to serve the women in his district through breast cancer research, education, and support programs throughout the year.

GOPiNK honored by St. Vincent's Hospital

2011-10-27T13:17:00.002-04:00

Allie Farber and Erica Baevsky, the founders of GOPiNK, Women At Risk's Junior Committee, were honored with St. Vincent's Hospital 2011 Youth Awards this past Spring.

Allie and Erica started GOPiNK at Rye Country Day School to raise breast cancer awareness among young people, and the awards recognized their dedicated volunteer service.

The girls were also featured in the Rye Country Day School Newsletter as a result of the awards.

Erica and Allie with their parents and the President & CEO of St. Vincent's. (Photo: Rye Country Day School)

WAR would like to congratulate Allie and Erica on their incredible accomplishments!

Shop for the Cause this October!

2011-10-05T20:00:00.000-04:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we have partnered with a number of companies to raise money to fight breast cancer. A percentage of the proceeds from select items will be donated to Women At Risk.

GIELLA Cosmetics
Specially-designed Swarovski crystal lipstick or powder compact, each $38.00. 100% of net proceeds donated to Women At Risk. Available year-round at all GIELLA locations or order online at www.giella.com/g-motion.aspx or by phone: 888-221-0469. Visit www.giella.com for store locations.

Olive and Bette’s

Specially-designed ‘Proud to be Pink’ t-shirt, $18.00. 100% of proceeds donated to Women At Risk. Available at all Olive and Bette’s locations throughout October. 1070 Madison, NYC 212-717-9655, 158 Spring Street, NYC 646-613-8772, 252 Columbus, NYC 212-579-2178, 1249 Third Avenue, NYC 212-206-0036, www.oliveandbettes.com.

White + Warren
50% of proceeds from White + Warren’s 'Pink Label Collection' benefit Women At Risk. Exclusive cashmere scarves in different colors in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Visit www.whiteandwarren.com/what-s-new/pink-label-collection.

Judith Ripka

10% of proceeds from a jewelry shopping event on October 13–15th will be donated to Women At Risk. Event held at the Double Tree Hotel at 569 Lexington Ave, New York City. Please print this page and present it at time of purchase.

Cravings Boutique
20% of proceeds from their new breast cancer awareness line will benefit Women At Risk during October. Select from a beautiful pink flower umbrella, silk pink paisley scarf, bracelets, necklaces and more at www.cravingsboutique.com/womenatrisk. Visit store at 1 Pike Drive, Wayne, NJ, or call 973-790-1771.

Veronica Brett
20% of proceeds from all online sales of luxury swimwear will be donated to Women At Risk during October. Specially-designed swimwear for breast cancer survivors and women who have had risk-reducing mastectomies. Visit www.veronicabrett.com.

Pearls for a Cause
10% of proceeds from their 'Pink Collection' will be donated to Women At Risk during the month of October. Visit www.pearlsforacause.com.

Laura Geller

100% of proceeds from the BiCoastal Beauty Kit will be donated to Women At Risk during October. The kit contains eye makeup, blush, and brushes, $61. To order, please call Eric Dubinsky at 212-305-4486 or email erd9025@nyp.org.

Lv 2 B Fit & Romanoff Elements
10% of proceeds from Lv 2 B Fit’s full women’s boutique donated to Women At Risk. Also, 10% of proceeds from Janet Mait’s 'New Shoes Collection' sold by Romanoff Elements will be donated to Women At Risk. Items must be purchased at Lv 2 B Fit store which is located at 13 Rye Ridge Plaza in Rye Brook, NY, 914-305-6568. Store grand opening is 2nd week of October. www.romanoffelements.com

Ganz/Webkinz

100% of proceeds from the Pink Poodle, $20, will benefit Women At Risk. This adorable stuffed animal can be registered online for kids to adopt a pet and discover a virtual world. To order, please call Eric Dubinsky at 212-305-4486 or email erd9025@nyp.org.

Reed Krakoff
20% of proceeds from the purchase of any handbag at the Madison Avenue store will be donated to Women At Risk during October. Available at store at 831 Madison Ave, New York City, or place orders by calling 212-988-0560. Customers need to indicate that they are affiliated with Women at Risk.

Desires by Mikolay
10% of proceeds from jewelry sales during the week of October 10–17th will be donated to Women At Risk. Visit the store at 55 King St, Chappaqua, NY or online at www.desiresbymikolay.com.

Women At Risk Bracelets by Catherine M. Zadeh
100% of net proceeds will benefit Women At Risk. Purchase a 'We Are Resilient' bracelet for yourself, a family member, or a friend to show your support for the WAR against breast cancer. 'We Are Resilient' bracelets make beautiful, meaningful gifts for any occasion! Silver, $75 and Gold, $200. To order, please call Eric Dubinsky at 212-305-4486 or email erd9025@nyp.org.

Zaro's Bakery
50% of proceeds from the sale of their delicious Pink and White Cookie ($3.95) will benefit Women At Risk during the month of October. Please visit www.zaro.com for a list of locations.

Houselifts USA
20% of proceeds from all Houselifts services will be donated to Women At Risk throughout October. Please call 914-241-1408 or visit www.houseliftsusa.com.

Sarah Swanson Skincare
3-in-1 'Sealed With a Kiss' hand-poured soy candle, $32, featured on Oprah.com. 20% of proceeds during the month of October will benefit Women At Risk. Purchase at www.sarahswansonskincare.com.

For questions or additional information, please contact Eric Dubinsky, Development Officer at 212-305-4486 or erd9025@nyp.org.

Recap of Pink: The Chronicles of BC Jenny

2011-10-03T21:36:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, September 15th, 2011, Women At Risk supporters attended a special benefit production of Pink: The Chronicles of BC Jenny.

One of Jenny's doctors tells her she's "too young" to get breast cancer.

Pink is an autobiographical play written by Jenny Saldaña, WAR's Community Coordinator. The play chronicles her own physical and emotional battle with breast cancer, from her diagnosis at age 34 through surgery and chemotherapy, and culminating in survivorship.

Jenny recovers in her hospital room after a mastectomy.

As the play progressed, Jenny relayed her experiences and struggles as a breast cancer patient in touchy—yet often funny—scenes.

The audience laughed in parts, and eyes welled with tears in others.

Overall, the play was a beautiful, moving glimpse into the life of a young woman with breast cancer.

The entire cast of Pink: The Chronicles of BC Jenny

Women At Risk would like to thank Jenny and her cast of supporting actors for their hard work preparing for the event and for their incredible performance.

WAR would also like to thank the many sponsors that made the production of Pink possible:

Ms. Helen Morik and NewYork-Presbyterian's Office of Government & Community Affairs
Mailman School of Public Health
Live Event Productions
Fairway Market
Columbia Wine Co.

All proceeds from the event will benefit WAR's research, education, and support programs.

20 Lives, 20 Ways: Dr. Heather Greenlee

2011-09-20T22:09:00.003-04:00

In honor of our 20th Anniversary year, Women At Risk is profiling 20 individuals whose lives have been touched by some aspect of the many research, education, and support programs for women at high risk for and with breast cancer we have offered over the past two decades.

9. Dr. Heather Greenlee
Dr. Greenlee is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Medical Oncology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and College of Physicians and Surgeons. In 2006, she received a research grant from Women A Risk to study the effects of physical activity and dietary change in minority breast cancer survivors. This year, WAR awarded Dr. Greenlee another grant to study a dietary intervention among Hispanic breast cancer survivors and their female first-degree relatives.

Tell us about your first research study that was funded by Women At Risk. WAR gave me my first grant to study lifestyle modifications on breast cancer survivors. The grant provided funds to pilot a community-based physical activity and dietary change intervention among overweight and sedentary minority breast cancer survivors, including women of Hispanic and African descent. The study paid for 6-month memberships to a local Curves fitness center, and women also participated in nutrition education sessions. The study showed that the Curves model is an effective way for breast cancer survivors to lose weight. The women loved it!

What did the grant from WAR allow you to achieve? The WAR grant has helped us obtain two subsequent grants to further our work. The first grant allowed us to expand our sample size in the above-mentioned study and measure more biomarkers. The second grant is a study funded by NCI where we are testing this model of community-based weight loss among breast and colorectal cancer survivors in a multi-site study across the United States. We will recruit female breast and colorectal cancer survivors through SWOG, an NCI cooperative group, and participants will participant in the Curves program and receive telephone-based motivational interviews via behavioral counselors.

How will this work impact the lives of breast cancer patients and survivors? Many researchers hypothesize that eating a good diet, being physically active, and achieving a health body weight after a breast cancer diagnosis will improve recurrence and survival rates, but we have limited clinical trial data on these approaches. We plan to use data from our studies to conduct a definitive study on a weight loss intervention study among breast cancer survivors.

20 Lives, 20 Ways: Kimberly Lipman-White

2011-09-13T20:55:00.002-04:00

8. Kimberly Lipman-White

Kim was an intern at Women At Risk for a year and a half.

What made you want to intern at Women At Risk? During my time at Columbia as an undergraduate student, I always preferred and pursued extracurricular activities that involved health care in the nonprofit realm. As I advanced in my academic career, my passion for this field grew, and I knew I needed more real hands-on experience outside of my school's campus. Using my school's resources, I was able to find out about the opportunity to intern at Women At Risk.

Tell us about some of the projects you worked on at WAR. My position at WAR was mainly as a development intern, so I worked primarily on donor cultivation and fundraising. But as time went on, I was able to gain insight into all of the different aspects of the organization. I was able to see first-hand how research was done using WAR's High-Risk Registry and the impact of the support groups and other programs offered by WAR.

I also worked with WAR's Junior Board, which worked to not only raise money, but also to raise breast cancer awareness and inspire activism in a younger demographic.

What was your most memorable experience while interning at WAR? My most memorable experience was the Laurie Bass Sklaver Annual Symposium. To me, this event symbolizes all that WAR offers. The symposium combined educational information with the personal touch of survivors talking about their experiences. It also exemplified the passion of Women At Risk's community—both the active engagement and appreciation of the audience, as well as the pride of the WAR staff.

What was the most important thing you learned? The most important thing I learned is that adversity always presents an opportunity to learn and grow. Just from speaking with many survivors, I saw that their whole view of life was much more proactive—they came out on the other side of their diagnosis with positivity and an eagerness towards life. They faced, endured, and suffered, but somehow they learned to appreciate and enjoy life with all of its struggles instead of shutting down after the news of a breast cancer diagnosis. My experience at WAR worked to reaffirm my belief that women are inspiring by just being women.

What do you think is unique about WAR as a breast cancer organization? The unique thing about WAR is the personal touch provided by everyone involved—there is a sense of family that extends from the employees to the patients. The passion is incomparable. WAR makes the scary, unknown challenges of breast cancer seem manageable and provides gentle guidance when so many things can go awry.

Women At Risk featured in NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's Annual Report

2011-08-28T16:40:00.003-04:00

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital features the most innovative, exciting work being done at its many sites around the city in its annual report each year. This year, Women At Risk's Patient Navigation program was recognized for this honor. Below, Women At Risk's Patient Navigator shown assisting Kay Radcliffe, an NYP patient, breast cancer survivor, and WAR volunteer, at the NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia Breast Service.

20 Lives, 20 Ways: Nancy Feldman

2011-08-28T15:43:00.003-04:00

7. Nancy Feldman

Nancy is a high-risk woman who generously volunteered her time to work with Women At Risk in assisting patients at NYP/CUMC's Breast Service.

WAR: When did you first encounter Women At Risk? I was introduced to WAR by Nancy Singleton, whom I met in 2009 in the course of networking while pursuing a career in peer-support for cancer patients.

WAR: What was it like working with WAR's Patient Navigator and the entire team at NYP/CUMC's Breast Service? Working in the Breast Service was invaluable from an experience standpoint, in that I had never before spent time in a clinical setting. I was introduced to Eileen Fuentes, with whom I had the pleasure and satisfaction of getting the Women’s Wellness Series off the ground. This project afforded me the opportunity to establish many personal relationships with breast cancer survivors in a short period of time. It was a privilege to be part of this hugely successful initiative.

WAR: You also facilitated Women At Risk's support group for high-risk women, which had difficulty gaining traction. What did this experience teach you about the needs of women who are at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer? I have found that high-risk women are seeking accurate, current information on the risks they may be facing and the options available to them going forward. In addition to hearing the science from genetic counselors, surgeons, and oncologists, high-risk women are eager to hear the stories of “those who’ve come before them” and to compare their circumstances (including, in particular, family dynamics). That said, I think high-risk women are best-served by an educational panel discussion. I do not think many women want to regularly attend a “support group” to rehash largely hypothetical matters about their health.

WAR: Do you think Women At Risk will be able to use that information to better serve high-risk women in the future? Absolutely.

WAR: What do you think makes Women At Risk unique? WAR is unique in being a grassroots organization operating within a Comprehensive Cancer Center, serving women at high-risk for breast cancer.

Pink: The Chronicles of BC Jenny

2011-08-03T22:27:00.006-04:00

Pink: The Chronicles of BC Jenny is a humorous, emotional and very real window into the life of a woman when diagnosed with breast cancer.

The playwright, Jenny Saldaña, has toured venues around the country sharing her journey. The show is played out through a series of hysterical dream sequences and moments that reveal the world of a cancer patient.

Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 7PM

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Mailman Auditorium, 8th Floor

722 W. 168th Street (between Haven & Ft. Washington Ave.)

*Complimentary Wine & Cheese Reception to Follow Event*

Tickets: $20 Individual, $15 Student/Senior/Groups (over 10)

For tickets please call Eric Dubinsky at 212-305-4486 or email edubinsky@womenatrisknyc.org.

This play has adult content and language and is appropriate for those ages 16 and over.

20 Lives, 20 Ways: Dr. Alfred Neugut

2011-07-08T18:05:00.003-04:00

In honor of our 20th Anniversary year, WAR is profiling 20 individuals whose lives have been touched by some aspect of the many research, education, and support programs for women at high risk for and with breast cancer we have offered over the past two decades.

6. Dr. Alfred Neugut
Dr. Neugut is a researcher at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center who has received grants from Women At Risk for research related to breast cancer.

WAR: What motivated you to become a cancer researcher? I did lab work on the molecular biology of cancer and found the subject fascinating. So, I continued thereafter in the field. Clinically, I also found cancer patients to be a very rewarding group, so the two aspects of work synergized.

WAR: Tell us about your research that was funded by Women At Risk. The majority of women do not finish the five years of recommended hormonal therapy. We are looking for ways to improve that. To undertake such studies, we need a reliable way to determine who is taking the pills and who is not—patients tend to lie to their doctors. So, we have identified a urine test that shows the presence of the horomone in urine, and the pilot from WAR is to help us assess the usefulness of the urine assay for future studies of adherence to hormonal therapy.

WAR: What have you achieved, or what do you hope to achieve, with your Women At Risk grant? To date, we collected urine samples from 90 women who were supposed to be on hormonal therapy and found that 6% were negative. So, the test does find breast cancer patients who are misleading their oncologist. We have also studied four women who stopped their treatment at the end of the five years and determined that the urine test becomes negative 10-12 days after stopping the pills.

WAR: How will your work impact the lives of breast cancer patients and/or survivors? Ultimately, we will use the pilot data to justify and direct the use of the urine test in intervention trials used to increase adherence of hormonal therapy. If we can find ways to encourage women to continue on hormonal therapy, it would improve breast cancer survival.

WAR: What does your Women At Risk grant mean to you? What does it mean to your work? The grant will be very important in setting us up for much larger grants and studies. We have already submitted two very large grants that incorporate the pilot data I described above, and thus justify the intervention trials we are proposing.

Join us at Cancer Survivors Day this Sunday

2011-06-03T07:23:00.003-04:00

Stop by the Women At Risk table to say hello!

NBCC Annual Advocacy Training Conference 2011 Recap

2011-05-30T13:37:00.004-04:00

By Amy Whiffen

This year, a group of nine Women At Risk staff members, patients, and volunteers attended the NBCC Advocacy Conference on April 30th-May 3rd, 2011 in Crystal City.

The four-day conference was packed with interesting speakers, panel discussions, plenary sessions, workshops, and information. The focus this year was on the Breast Cancer Deadline 2020 and how we can “change the conversation” to end breast cancer.

Each day of the conference opened with a moment of silence to remember breast cancer advocates who had passed away. The first session provided an overview of new information related to breast cancer from industry, research, and advocacy experts.

On day two, Fran Visco, the President of NBCC, presented the Breast Cancer Deadline 2020 strategic plan. She talked about the coalition’s research on breast cancer prevention and halting metastases, as well as their work on innovative legislation and partnerships.

After two and a half days of workshops and plenary sessions on topics such as tissue banks, system change theory, biomarker research, and lobbying strategies, it was time to party. Everyone had a blast enjoying the music and dancing with their advocate friends.

Lobby Day

The weather was perfect as we headed to Capitol Hill ready to meet with our representatives and discuss our legislative priorities. This year’s priorities included:

Priority #1: Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act

Legislation that will soon be introduced to provide a strategic approach to address questions NBCC has identified as vital to end the disease.

Priority #2: Guaranteed Access to Quality Care for All

Asking representatives for continued support of the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.”

Priority #3: $150 million for the Department of Defense (DOD) Peer-Reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) for Fiscal Year 2012

Asking for continued level funding for this successful program that was created in 1992.

Priority #4: Preservation of the Medicaid Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program

Ensuring all women and men screened and diagnosed with breast cancer through federal screening programs have access to the treatment they need.

Priority #5: Ensuring the Participation of Educated Patient Advocates at All Levels of Health Care Decision Making

Ensuring that educated patient advocates have a seat at the table.

As part of New York State, our first meeting was with Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand. They arrived together, and each talked about their personal experiences with breast cancer and their appreciation for NBCC's work. They both support the DOD Breast Cancer Research Program, and both promised to be involved in passing the Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act.

In the afternoon, we broke up into teams and went to appointments with our representatives. My team met with the legislative staff of Representative Engel, Representative Nadler, and Representative Rangel. In the meetings, we discussed the legislative priorities, thanked them for their support, and encouraged them to reach out to their colleagues to gain more support.

The conference panel discussions and workshops were very informative, but the best part of the experience for me was lobbying on Capitol Hill. It was great to be a part of our democratic process, meeting with representatives and informing them about the issues we care about.

If you are interested in attending the conference next year, I highly recommend you do so. There are many scholarships available through NBCC. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

awhiffen@womenatrisknyc.org

20 Lives, 20 Ways: Yuka Hasegawa

2011-05-20T09:32:00.003-04:00

In honor of our 20th Anniversary year, WAR is profiling 20 individuals whose lives have been touched by some aspect of the many research, education, and support programs for women at high risk for and with breast cancer we have offered over the past two decades.

5. Yuka Hasegawa
Yuka is an artist and fashion designer originally from Kyoto, Japan.

WAR: When were you diagnosed with breast cancer? I met a women at a fashion trade show, and she admired my hats. She asked if I would like to make a donation to Woman's Outreach (now Project Renewal). I actually had no idea what the organization did, but I was happy to oblige.

Then, in October 2009, they invited me to get a free mammogram. One month later, they asked to take a digital mammogram because they saw something suspicious. One week later, they biopsied the site. Needless to say, they found an early stage tumor. Upon reflection, it was my donation to Project Renewal that saved my life.

After reviewing my options, I decided to have a mastectomy and hormone treatment, because there had been other incidents in my family, and I wanted to make sure that the cancer was removed.

Nancy Singleton (Women At Risk's Patient Navigator) managed to get me an early surgery date because someone had canceled their appointment. I had surgery one week later. Luckily, I had two of the best doctors, Dr. Sheldon Feldman and Dr. Jeffrey Ascherman, perform the surgery and reconstruction in one long procedure on December 1, 2009.

24 hours after the surgery, I got out of the hospital and attended my art show opening with my two bleeding bags. Although it was uncomfortable, I was so happy to be there.

WAR: How did Women At Risk help you during and/or after your treatment for breast cancer? After being diagnosed, I did not have nearly enough time to prepare myself for what had been discovered. Nancy Singleton supported me and invited me to a survivor meeting. I was very impressed that almost all of the women took off their shirts to show me their surgery results. This was quite a big shock to me because of my Japanese customs, but it was a big help in making a decision about whether to choose reconstruction and which type of surgery to choose.

I also had to make a decision quickly about whether to use a silicone or saline implant, so Nancy ran and took me to see Dr. Ascherman (without an appointment) and explained my situation, since my English was very poor. I could not have done this successful, quick surgery without her.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, I needed comfort, information, heart and support, especially as a foreigner having to confront and overcome a medical situation without my family. I thank Nancy for her support.

WAR: What are you doing to give back?
Last October, I had a chance to talk about my 'Magic Hat (breast cancer) Survival Story' on the CBS morning show and WPIX news. Also, I am donating part of my sales to the Japan Breast Cancer Foundation by selling hats and t-shirts on my website, www.yukany.com. I am happy that my creations can help people.

I also think that sharing my experience as a survivor is very important, and WAR gives us many opportunities to do this so that other women can understand the potential for breast cancer survival. I am sharing this experience with breast cancer patients and survivors in Japan, because they are still hesitant about speaking up.

20 Lives, 20 Ways: Dr. Francisco Espinel

2011-05-11T12:23:00.006-04:00

4. Dr. Francisco Espinel

Dr. Espinel was the 2009-2010 "Alan & Susan Fuirst Women At Risk Breast Surgery Fellow."

WAR: How did your year as the Women At Risk fellow impact your education in terms of your ability to treat patients with breast cancer effectively? Spending time with the Women At Risk team really gave me greater insight into the different aspects of breast cancer. And not just coming from the biological and surgical part, but from the personal side. The science behind it you can learn from a book or in the operating room, but the other aspects are the hardest part.

Also, I was really impacted by going and speaking to different groups and being able to educate people about what the newest and latest data were in breast research. It's so important for people to know what we do at Columbia—we’re doing research and clinical research and we’re right there at one of the best breast care programs in the country— it’s important for people to know that.

WAR: During your year as the WAR fellow, did you see patients who were helped by WAR's services and/or support? Honestly, everybody was helped. After a patient was diagnosed they would immediately see Nancy [the patient navigator], who would speak to them and guide them, and then they would go to the library where they could just sit and talk, even if they didn't feel like reading all of the pamphlets. For a patient, you just know that when the world’s crashing down, there’s an option—they can talk to someone who truly knows what they're going through—a survivor.

WAR: What was the most meaningful experience or event you took part in?
For me, personally, it was when I was asked to speak at the home of a donor on the Upper West Side because at that event, I spoke in front of Dr. Sheldon Feldman and Dr. Mahmoud El-Tamer, my mentors, so it was a big deal for me.

Also, when I got to speak at Rye Country Day School for the GOPiNK girls. That was awesome—to speak to high school students and feel so welcome and have them ask some of the most intelligent questions I’ve ever been asked. Allie and Erica [the founders of GOPiNK] were just so great.

WAR:
What do you think makes Women At Risk unique as an organization?
I think the one big thing is the library that is staffed by volunteers who are also breast cancer survivors. That is really unique because many times you’ll have an area where women can browse information on their own, but here, there’s someone there to guide them and help them look for information that they need, and it’s a very open environment, which is good.

They’re all survivors and that’s what’s really different—it’s not just a secretary or a nurse saying, "Here's a pamphlet on mastectomy." They’ve actually been through it.

In general, Women At Risk is a great model because it really brings everyone together in terms of lay people and clinicians to further the support of women at risk and women with breast cancer.

Junior Board hosts a Women At Risk Fitness Series

2011-05-03T15:49:00.003-04:00

Women At Risk's Junior Board is hosting an 8-week series of fitness and nutrition classes. Healthy living can help prevent breast cancer and relieve the symptoms of treatment. Join us for one or all of these upcoming classes!

Dates:

May 5th: Yoga
May 12th: Yoga
May 19th: Yoga
May 26th: Zumba

June 2nd: Nutrition talk
June 9th: Zumba
June 16th: Yoga
June 23rd: Yoga

All classes are from 6:30-7:30PM. All levels are welcome. Please bring a mat (or towel).

Location: 701 W. 168th St. (at Fort Washington Avenue), Room 305.

For more info, visit the Women At Risk Junior Board's facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/jointheWAR.

20 Lives, 20 Ways: Lynda Wertheim

2011-04-08T11:28:00.004-04:00

3. Lynda Wertheim

Lynda is a breast cancer survivor and a current WAR board member. She is also the immediate past president of the WAR Board of Directors.

WAR: When and how were you first introduced to Women At Risk, and what made you want to get involved? Freya Schnabel, my breast surgeon, suggested I get involved with Women At Risk. Since I value Freya's recommendations on health-related matters, I followed up. I had no experience with any serious health matter, and I was unaware of the resources available to people with serious illnesses.

WAR: During the many years you've been involved, what was the most meaningful experience or event you took part in? There are so many experiences—it's hard to choose one. The recurring experience—volunteering at the free mammogram days that Women At Risk sponsors—is the snapshot that I often remember. The women who benefit from the free screening services we sponsor are especially grateful for the work we do. Despite language barriers, there is incredible communication amongst the volunteers and the women who are screened. Some of the women learned of the services as a result of television interviews Freya and I had done. It was especially rewarding to know that the media access made a difference in the woman's life.

WAR: Is there one moment you remember that had a lasting impact on you? Learning that we were successful in surpassing our goal of raising more than one million dollars to provide services and programs to women who are at high risk for breast cancer and women with the disease.

WAR: How has your involvement in WAR impacted you personally? I have learned a great deal about the medical, societal, and financial issues that affect health care. In addition, I have been fortunate to share the knowledge I have acquired with women and their families who face the frontier of navigating through a breast cancer diagnosis.

WAR: What do you consider your greatest accomplishment as the president of the WAR Board of Directors? This is a hard question to answer. Perhaps having the guests in the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf=Astoria stand and applaud themselves for the work they have done in supporting Women At Risk.

Breast Cancer: Can Acupuncture help?

2011-03-30T13:08:00.003-04:00

By Margarita Alcantara, M.S.Ac., L.Ac.

Actually, acupuncture can, and does, provide relief to those suffering with the after-effects of chemotherapy and radiation from breast cancer. Did you know that acupuncture, according to the National Cancer Society:

1. Alleviates symptoms such as hot flashes (often a side effect of cancer treatment)?

2. Increases the body’s immune system to assist in quicker healing time (it helps increase T cell count)?

3. Brings relief from symptoms such as nausea and vomiting (common reactions to certain cancer medications)?

4. Assists with muscle and joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors?

5. Combats fatigue in patients treated for cancer?

6. Provides stress release?

When I was an intern at my school, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine – NY, I had a few patients with various types of cancer. Sometimes their main complaint was fatigue, sometimes it was nausea, and sometimes it was a specific body pain. One patient in particular had recently undergone chemotherapy and was very exhausted. For her particular case that day, I tried to “give some juice” to her reserves and build up her immune system. I was glad to see that she was able to feel a bit better upon walking out the door.

Would you like to learn more about how acupuncture and reiki can help cancer survivors?

Please join me on Friday, April 8, 2011, as I give a talk on the benefits of acupuncture and reiki to the breast cancer survivors at Women at Risk (WAR).

When: Friday, April 8, 2011, 2:00pm-3:30pm

Where: 161 Fort Washington Avenue, New York, NY, 10032

Herbert Irving Pavilion, Basement

Closest Trains: 1, A, C to 168th Street

Margarita Alcantara, M.S.Ac., L.Ac. is a licensed acupuncturist in the states of New York and Connecticut. She is a diplomate in acupuncture certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), and is certified in Clean Needle Technique by the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM). She is a contributing writer to the Acupuncture section of the website, All Things Healing.

Margarita graduated with a Masters of Science in Acupuncture from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York City.

Margarita was initially drawn to acupuncture through the healing of her own health issues, particularly that of emotional rebalancing, as well as her general interest in medicine. With a Western doctor as a father, she quickly became familiar with the strengths of Western medicine, and wanted to learn how Eastern and Western modalities could work together to create wellness. Prior to her graduate studies, she received her Bachelor of Arts at New York University, with an emphasis in Communications.

Watch the video from our "What is Advocacy?" lecture

2011-03-23T15:31:00.004-04:00

Our friends at TalkAboutHealth created this great video for those of you who were unable to attend our "What is Advocacy?" lecture last month. Check it out for inspiration to get involved!

WAR Attends Susan M. Cohen Education & Advocacy Day in Albany

2011-03-21T14:27:00.004-04:00

Advocates in action.

On March 15th, 2011, Women At Risk breast cancer advocates joined women from SHARE and the Young Survival Coalition at the Susan M. Cohen Education & Advocacy Day in Albany, New York. The advocacy day was hosted by the New York State Breast Cancer Network, a statewide coalition of more than 25 breast cancer groups.

The morning was spent reviewing the advocacy agenda, discussing the legislation, learning effective advocacy techniques, and asking questions. The discussion was then followed by an interesting educational video about epigenetics and how the environment can alter the way our genes are expressed. You can watch the fascinating video here.

Advocates meet with Senator Tom Duane, a Democrat and chair of the Senate Health Committee.

After lunch, we split up into groups and discussed how we would present the legislation to our elected representatives. We had two legislative priorities that we talked to the representatives about:

1. Restrict Bisphenol A (BPA) in Thermal Store Cash Receipts – BPA is a known endocrine disruptor that has been shown to cause tumors and lesions. People are regularly exposed to BPA in the coating of a powdery film on cash register receipts, which easily rubs off onto fingers. This exposure can be easily eliminated by using BPA-free thermal paper. Many retailers such as Target, Whole Foods, and Starbucks are already using BPA-free thermal paper. We want our legislators to ban this ubiquitous BPA exposure found in cash receipts and protect the public from this unnecessary and chronic toxic exposure.

2. Insurance Parity of Coverage for Oral Chemotherapy Drugs – This legislation would only pertain to private health insurance plans in New York State. It would require that insurance coverage for oral chemotherapy medication be provided on a basis no less favorable than coverage for injected or intravenously administered chemotherapy medication. Currently, IV-infusion drugs are covered as a medical benefit, whereas oral chemotherapy drugs are covered as a prescription drug benefit. This difference usually makes the cost to the patient for oral chemotherapy significantly more expensive than the cost of IV infusion. We urged the congressmen to pass legislation which will guarantee patients access to the most appropriate chemo treatment for their diagnosis, regardless of how it is administered.

My group met with Senator Golden's legislative director, Senator Lanza's staff director, and Senator Tom Duane himself. All of the meetings went very well. They listened to our concerns, asked questions, gave their support, and committed to working with the Network to pass the bills.

Overall, it was an exciting and productive day. It was a pleasure to spend the day with such wonderful and strong women advocating for legislation that will have a real impact on breast cancer patients and their families. We all enjoyed our advocacy day and look forward to seeing the passage of these bills occur in the near future.

Setting a Deadline for a Breast Cancer Cure

2011-03-14T10:41:00.002-04:00

Check out this blog post from our friends at TalkAboutHealth. We co-hosted a panel discussion on breast cancer advocacy with them last month, and they summarized the event's highlights for anyone who was unable to attend:

http://blog.talkabouthealth.com/post/3765707214/should-we-set-deadline-on-finding-cure-for-breast-cancer

20 Lives, 20 Ways: Clare Cooper

2011-02-21T13:07:00.003-05:00

What is Breast Cancer Advocacy?

2011-02-15T14:17:00.004-05:00

Please join us for:

What is Breast Cancer Advocacy?

Get ready for spring’s breast cancer advocacy work! Experienced advocates will discuss what it means to be an advocate and how you can get involved.

Panel and Q & A to follow

THURSDAY, February 24th , 2011
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Irving Cancer Research Center, First Floor, Room 115
Columbia University Medical Center
1130 St. Nicholas Ave. (between 167th and 166th st)
Click here for a map.

Free Admission. Light refreshments will be served.

SPEAKER:
Liz Wohl
NBCC Field Coordinator
Breast Cancer Advocate

PANELISTS:
Deb Aruta – Experienced Breast Cancer Advocate
Nancy Singleton – Patient Navigator and D.O.D. research panelist

Please RSVP to Amy Whiffen at awhiffen@womenatrisknyc.org or 212.305.3238.

20 Lives, 20 Ways: Jenny Saldana

2011-02-07T15:53:00.006-05:00

1. Jenny Saldana

Jenny is a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed on January 4th, 2006 and was treated with mastectomy, reconstruction, chemotherapy, and Herceptin. She now works with the Latina community as WAR's Community Program and Outreach Coordinator.

WAR: How did Women At Risk help you at the time you were diagnosed and during treatment? Indirectly, WAR helped me from the day I first walked into the Herbert Irving Cancer Pavilion. Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph was the doctor I was scheduled to see, and eventually diagnosed me. She was a WAR fellow and eventually became the WAR Medical Director. Then, on my first day of chemo I was invited into the Stacey Garil Womack Resource Library by June Cohen, a volunteer and breast cancer survivor. I was given the Libby Ross Bag with all of its goodies and the book, all of which I still have. I especially loved the satin pillow case, which I slept on when I lost my hair.

June was so warm and loving that I told her I wanted to volunteer at the library too. She told me she wanted me to meet someone and that they would come to chemo later on. Lola and June came to chemo to see me, and again, I was so filled with emotions that these women who paved the way for me were there to support me throughout the entire journey. When she told me that I had to be a year out of treatment to be a volunteer, it seemed like a million years away. If she would've told me that five years later I'd be taking Lola's position when she retired, I would've bet her my remaining breast!

WAR: What do you think is unique about the way Women At Risk approaches support and education for women facing breast cancer? I think that our approach is less medical and more heart. We've been there, we know the drill, and we can ease women's nerves without sugarcoating anything. The Latina community really appreciates WAR because they feel that this is a program FOR THEM. They don't feel like they're getting leftover services—they know that they are valued and feel very grateful for that.

WAR: How has being Women At Risk's Community Coordinator impacted your life? I love giving back to my community. The Hispanic community is very underserved and that needs to change. I hope I'm assisting in that change. The love I get from these women is unmatched, and I am more blessed by knowing them than they could ever be from me.

Purchase a sterling silver Women At Risk bracelet for your Valentine today!

2011-01-31T20:00:00.003-05:00

Proceeds from these sterling silver bracelets benefit Women At Risk's research, education, and support programs.

To order, contact Eric Dubinsky at edubinsky@womenatrisknyc.org or (212) 305-4486.

Updates from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

2011-01-02T23:06:00.005-05:00

By Amy Whiffen

The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) held their 33rd annual meeting this past December 8th-12th in San Antonio, Texas. SABCS is well know for providing state-of-the-art information on the experimental biology, etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of breast cancer and pre-malignant disease, to an international audience of academic and private physicians and researchers.

I was fortunate enough to attend the symposium as a patient advocate with the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF). As part of the ABCF 13th Patient Advocate Program, I received financial assistance from them and was invited to additional education breakfasts and three Hot Topic Mentor Sessions.

The Symposium had a large general session in the main hall and small break out sessions at lunch and in the afternoon, as well as poster presentations in the early evening. The days were full of presentations, talks, and panel discussions, where researchers presented information about the latest findings in breast cancer care.

The advocate’s mentor program was particularly helpful because the experts summarized the day’s highlights as well as answered our questions about the research.

The research highlights from the conference included:

Hormone therapies – Many studies presented their data on effectiveness of different hormonal drug combinations or taken with aromotase inhibitors. These large clinical trials found only very small benefits of combined therapy for certain cancer subtypes.
CYP2D6 test – This test had been done to see if patients were poor metabolizers of tamoxifen, which would indicate the drug is not as effective for them. Data presented by two larger clinical trials showed that the CYP2D6 is NOT a good indicator of tamoxifen response and should not be used as a measure of tamoxifen responsiveness.
Obesity and breast cancer – A few studies were presented on the association of obesity and worse prognosis for breast cancer risk. This can be seen as good news since obesity is a modifiable health indicator, meaning obese patients can be given proper assistance to lose weight and potentially improve their prognosis by a significant amount.
Novel Targets – A couple of basic scientists presented on novel pathways that they are targeting for potential treatments among different subtypes of Breast Cancer. Specific genes and proteins were identified in triple negative breast cancer, and they are moving towards clinical trials to test their hypothesis.
Bispohosphonates – This type of drug is generally taken to help strengthen bones, but there had been data in the past to suggest that bisphosphonates could decrease recurrence for breast cancer patients. In the AZURE study, a large randomized clinical trial done in Europe and presented here, researchers found that there was no improvement in disease-free survival or bone metastasis survival for patients who took Zometa, the brand name for the bisphosophonates.

Attending the conference as a part of the ABCF Patient Advocate Program was an incredible experience. I enjoyed meeting the other advocates in the program from all over the world, including Japan, Egypt, Scotland, Australia, and all over the USA. We all learned a lot from our time together.

Please contact me if you have any questions about the SABCS and my experience with the ABCF Patient Advocate Program. Email me at amw9015@nyp.org or call 212-305-3238.

A DVD of the 2010 ABCF’s Hot Topics Mentor Sessions or Project LEADS advanced topic session can be ordered for free here.

Decisions, Decisions: Managing Increased Risk for Breast Cancer

2010-11-03T18:08:00.003-04:00

Women At Risk invites you to attend the Laurie Bass Sklaver Annual Symposium:

Decisions, Decisions: Managing Increased Risk for Breast & Ovarian Cancer

TO TEST OR NOT TO TEST: BENEFITS & LIMITATIONS OF GENETIC INFORMATION Wendy Chung, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Clinical Genetics, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, Herbert Irving Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons

OPTIONS & DECISION-MAKING FOR WOMEN AT HIGH RISK FOR BREAST CANCER Ruth Oratz, M.D., F.A.C.P., Medical Oncologist, Women’s Oncology & Wellness Practice, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine

OPTIONS & DECISION-MAKING FOR WOMEN AT HIGH RISK FOR OVARIAN CANCER Sharyn N. Lewin, M.D., Gynecologic Oncologist, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons

PATIENT PANEL

A panel of women at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer will discuss their experiences.

Moderated by Kathie-Ann Joseph, MD, MPH Director of Breast Services, Health and Hospitals Corporations Assistant Professor of Surgery, New York University Medical Center

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9th, 2010

Refreshments 5:30-6:00PM * Program 6:00-8:00PM

UJA Federation * 7th Floor Conference Center * 130 E. 59th St. between Park and Lexington

Reservations Required: Please call (212) 305-5917 or email awhiffen@womenatrisknyc.org

Free admission * Seating is limited

This event is generously supported by the Friends and Family of Laurie Bass Sklaver and Sanofi-aventis.

Online Auction starts today!

2010-10-12T08:37:00.004-04:00

Bidding in WAR's Online Auction has officially begun! Visit the auction site to view the fabulous prizes and start bidding.

www.womenatrisknyc.cmarket.com

**Proceeds from the auction benefit Women At Risk's research, support and education programs for women at high risk for and with breast cancer.**

Fabulous prizes include 4 VIP tickets to the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, a VIP Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Package, Lady Gaga tickets, tickets to Broadway shows and sporting events, spa packages, designer handbags and jewelry, vacations, gift certificates for NYC restaurants and hotel stays, yoga classes, and much, much more!

Start bidding today!

*Auction ends at 9PM on October 18th.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

2010-10-04T07:38:00.011-04:00

Support breast cancer research, education and support programs this October by purchasing these items. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to Women At Risk:

GIELLA: Specially-designed Swarovski Crystal Lipstick or Powder Compact. $27.00. 100% of proceeds benefit Women At Risk. Available online or at all GIELLA locations.

White+War ren: Exclusive pink styles in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Eyemask $65, Slippers $165, Wrap scarf $220, Travel wrap $330. 50% of the proceeds from the BCA Pink Collection benefit Women At Risk. Order online.

FRAGMENTS: Two-tone rose & black chain mail wrap bracelet by FRAGMENTS designer, Nancy Bacich, $88. 100% of the profits will be donated to Women At Risk. Order online, call 866-966-4688 or purchase in the FRAGMENTS store at 116 Prince Street, NYC.

Olive & Bette's: Specially-designed tote bag, $18. 100% of proceeds donated to Women At Risk. Available at all Olive & Bette's locations throughout October. 1070 Madison Ave., 158 Spring St., 252 Columbus Ave., 1249 Third Ave., NYC.

Cravings Boutique: 20% of proceeds from their new Breast Cancer Awareness Month "cousin claudine" bracelet will benefit WAR. Comes in silver or gold with pink elastic beads, 8

strands per grouping. $38 retail, one size fits all. Call 973-790-1771 or email info@cravingsboutique.com to purchase.

Upscale Fitness: In-home personal training with some of the best personal trainers in NYC. 25% off your choice of 1 or 10 sessions. $75 for one session, with $10 donated to Women At Risk (Original price: $100). $750 for 10 sessions, with $100 donated to WAR (Original price: $1,000). Contact S. Asun Peterson at 908-425-1782 or asap@upscalefitness.net.

For questions or additional information, please contact Eric Dubinsky at (212) 305-4486 or edubinsky@womenatrisknyc.org.

Women's Wellness Series at Columbia University Medical Center

2010-09-29T13:20:00.004-04:00

Are you focusing on everyone else first and letting your own health suffer? Learn how to nourish and care for yourself by joining a...

*FREE 6-MONTH HEALTH/WELLNESS AND YOGA PROGRAM*

Challenging old ideas about preventing Lymphedema after breast cancer surgery

2010-09-27T11:06:00.003-04:00

By Beth Ann Ditkoff, MD

The body’s lymphatic system allows fluid and proteins to pass through lymph channels. These pathways lead to lymph nodes, which collect the proteins and help the body to fight infection. This process is an essential component of the body’s immune system.

When breast cancer surgery is performed and underarm lymph nodes are removed, the flow of lymph fluid to the lymph nodes is interrupted and the route may become blocked, resulting in lymphedema. The fluid buildup can cause symptoms of heaviness, tightness, reduced range of motion, recurrent infections and skin thickening.

Treatment for lymphedema includes compression garments, compression pumps and massage therapy to reduce fluid build up. Prevention of lymphedema is based on several factors including:

-Practicing proper skin care to avoid injury/introduction of infection

-Maintaining appropriate weight and avoiding obesity

-Prohibiting intense/repetitive arm exercises that involve heavy lifting

-Avoiding limb constriction (wearing clothes and jewelry that are too tight)

-Preventing exposure to extreme heat or cold.

After breast cancer surgery, patients are routinely given the restrictions listed above. Traditional advice states to avoid any heavy lifting—including children, purses, grocery bags/suitcases/packages weighing more than 15 lbs. Patients are also instructed to avoid having an intravenous line, blood drawing or blood pressure cuff placed on the arm that had lymph nodes removed.

However, all of this advice has largely been anecdotal, with no real, proven science behind it. Decades ago, surgeons routinely performed extensive lymph node dissections removing lymph nodes both under the arm as well as under the collar bone. These patients were at high risk for lymphedema due to the severe nature of the surgery. Now, a more modern technique called, sentinel lymph node biopsy, usually allows just one or a few of the most important lymph nodes to be removed. The incidence of lymphedema in these patients is dramatically reduced. Do we still need to give these patients the same restrictions as we used to give after extensive surgery?

Recently, a study of breast cancer patients has challenged the traditional lymphedema prevention recommendations. One hundred and forty-one breast cancer survivors with stable lymphedema were randomized to twice weekly progressive weight lifting under close supervision of skilled specialists. A control group of women were asked not to change their regular exercise routine.

The study, which lasted for a year, showed that women who engaged in the weight lifting exercises did not change their limb swelling. But, this group did decrease the incidence of lymphedema flare-ups. They also had improvement in their lymphedema symptoms, and increased strength in their arm. Additionally, weight training helps women to improve their bone health and to achieve weight loss goals.

Strength training with weights may prove to help control lymphedema in breast cancer patients, thus dispelling old myths about restricting upper arm physical activity after breast cancer surgery. The exciting next step is to study whether exercise can prevent lymphedema in breast cancer patients who have never had lymphedema before. Hopefully, in the future, this research will lead to an improved quality of life for breast cancer survivors.

WAR staff member attends NBCC's Project Lead Institute

2010-08-18T17:32:00.006-04:00

By Amy Whiffen

This past week (August 8th – 13th), I was in La Jolla, CA attending the Project LEAD institute, an innovative science program for breast cancer activists. Project LEAD is an intensive five-day course that teaches breast cancer advocates about cancer biology, genetics, epidemiology, research design and advocacy. It is sponsored by the National Breast Cancer Coalition and is held once a year.

At this year’s institute, 47 women, including myself, and 2 men, came from all over the country to learn the language and concepts of breast cancer science. Over the five day conference, we had many amazing talks by researchers and professors from places such as the National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC Davis, and the American Association for Cancer Research. Everyday we had 2 or 3 lectures on a range of topics such as molecular biology, genetics, evidence based health care, epidemiology, and clinical trials.

We also had special sessions where we would review recent research studies or discuss controversies in breast cancer. In between the lectures, we met with our study groups to review the material and discuss difficult concepts. The groups of 8 people were lead by our mentors and they were immensely helpful in answering questions and getting a better grasp on the issues.

In the evenings, we often had readings for the next day, but we also found time to go for walks, swim in the pool and socialize. On our one afternoon off, I went to downtown La Jolla, Coronado, and Old Town with some of my new friends. I enjoyed meeting so many incredible women and hearing about their involvement with the breast cancer community. The work and dedication these women demonstrate is really inspiring and has accomplished so much over the years.

At the end of the institute, each person wrote up an action plan about how they will use their newly-acquired breast cancer knowledge to get involved through advocacy work, grant review panels, or outreach and support. This was just a quick summary of my Project LEAD experience. If you are interested in Project LEAD or have questions, please comment here or email me at awhiffen@womenatrisknyc.org and I’ll be happy to answer!

Be a part of the Pink Glove Dance

2010-08-18T17:10:00.003-04:00

Calling all New York breast cancer survivors! On Saturday, August 28th, you'll have a chance to be a part of the Pink Glove Dance phenomenon in Times Square. The Pink Glove Dance was created by Medline and Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon to raise awareness for breast cancer. The original video has been viewed over 11 million times on YouTube.

Come celebrate survivorship and raise awareness by dancing in your pink gloves! Click here for more information and to register.

Dr. Susan Love at WAR Luncheon

2010-08-06T10:23:00.004-04:00

On May 10, 2010, Dr. Susan Love, president and founder of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and the Army of Women, spoke at Women At Risk's 19th Annual Luncheon. Dr. Love is also the author of Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book and Live a Little: Breaking the Rules Won't Break Your Health. Now you can watch Dr. Love's remarks in which she inspired attendees to "eradicate breast cancer within our lifetime."

Watch Dr. Susan Love here!

Join us at Hudson Terrace July 14th!

2010-07-13T12:28:00.001-04:00

Joining FORCEs Conference 2010

2010-06-29T13:29:00.003-04:00

By Lisa Held

This past weekend, I attended the Joining FORCEs Conference, an annual forum on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer sponsored by FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered) and the H. Lee Moffit Cancer Center.

This three-day conference was filled with the latest updates on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) and addressed many of the issues faced by the women and families affected by HBOC.

On Thursday, I attended an orientation and welcome reception, where I connected with old friends and met many new people- from women with BRCA 1 and 2 mutations or a family history of breast and ovarian cancer to physicians and genetic counselors.

Friday was packed with informative sessions. I attended the following sessions: What’s New for Young Previvors, BRCA in Men, and a Reconstruction Panel. The first session discussed the many unique issues faced by young high-risk women, such as risk-reducing options and fertility. BRCA in Men was especially interesting, as I was not aware of the exact risks for men. Dr. Mary Daly, from Fox Chase Cancer Center, discussed what the risks are for men, including prostate, pancreatic, and male breast cancer. She also discussed the importance of remembering that even if risks are not as high for men, they can still pass the mutations on to their daughters. The Reconstruction Panel was a panel of four plastic surgeons from all over the country who use four different breast reconstruction techniques using either expanders, one-step implants, or autogenous tissue (from other parts of the body). It was amazing to see the many techniques that are now available for women seeking reconstruction after breast cancer or a prophylactic mastectomy.

Saturday was equally packed with information. First, I attended Body Image and Sexuality Issues After Surgery or Cancer, in which Dr. Sharon Bober from Dana Farber Cancer Institue talked frankly about sexual challenges related to surgically-induced menopause, scarring and more. After that, I went to another session on implant-specific reconstruction in which Dr. Andrew Salzberg discussed a groundbreaking reconstruction technique that he pioneered, which uses a one-step implant process and alloderm and has incredible results. Finally, I attended BRCA and Pancreatic Cancer, which looked at the link between the BRCA 2 mutation and this very deadly disease. Although the risk is still very low compared to other cancers, a BRCA 2 mutation multiplies pancreatic cancer risk by ten. This is especially important to look at it because incidence and mortality are almost exactly the same for pancreatic cancer, meaning almost no one survives five years after being diagnosed. Many new screening techniques and treatments that are in development were discussed.

In addition to all of the information, I also met many amazing women whose lives have been marked by cancer and loss. Their strength and resolve to end hereditary breast and ovarian cancer was nothing short of inspiring!

If you missed the conference but are interested in some of the sessions presented, you will be able to view videos of all of the sessions on the FORCE website very soon. www.facingourrisk.org

Artwork Created by People Affected by Cancer

2010-06-07T12:22:00.003-04:00

Women At Risk is proud to host an exhibit containing pieces of art created by people affected by cancer:

Please join us for a reception celebrating the exhibit's opening on Tuesday, June 15th from 5:30-7:30PM!

*This reception will also kick off the new Breast Service Volunteer Program. If you are a breast cancer survivor and would like to give back, come find out how you can help patients as they undergo treatment for breast cancer.

Admission is complimentary, refreshments will be served.

Location:
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
Herbert Irving Pavilion, 10th Floor
161 Fort Washington Ave, NYC
Click here for a map.

To RSVP to the reception or for more information, contact Lisa Held at lheld@womenatrisknyc.org or (212) 305-3269.

WAR Presents Research at American Society of Breast Surgeons Meeting

2010-05-18T13:22:00.009-04:00

By Amy Whiffen

On April 29th 2010, I represented Women At Risk at the 11th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBS) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The conference lasted 4 days and had a full schedule of workshops, presentations, panels and speeches.

Amy Whiffen & Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph with their research poster

I was there to present our research poster entitled "Predictors of breast cancer development in women diagnosed with atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) and atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH)". Dr. Joseph and I used data from the Women At Risk High-Risk Registry to do the analysis. The findings showed that alcohol use and history of a first-degree relative with breast cancer increases the risk of breast cancer development among women with atypia more than women without atypia.

During the poster presentation reception, I answered questions and talked to physicians, fellows, and researchers about the study's findings and our high-risk program. Some people asked follow-up questions or told me about their experiences with treating high-risk women.

I also had the opportunity to talk with a few of the other presenters to hear about their research and new projects. It is very exciting to see all the work and energy that is going into improving breast cancer treatment and prevention. Dr. Francisco Espinel, the WAR surgery fellow, and Dr. Sheldon Feldman were also at the reception to present their research posters.

In addition to presenting our poster, I attended the general sessions which included speakers from all over the country talking about the latest developments in the field. The physicians and researchers spoke about new treatments, procedures, research, and techniques. It was a lot of information and very educational.

I particularly liked the Community Tumor Board, which was moderated by our own Dr. Mahmoud El-Tamer. At tumor board, the full team of specialists including oncologist, pathologist, radiologist, and surgeon come together to talk about the care of the patient. It was interesting to see how all of the physicians communicate and make team decisions about the best individualized treatment plan for their patient.

I also got the opportunity to attend a lunch for allied health professions (non-physicians) where I met other researchers, physician assistants, physical therapists, and nursing professionals who are involved in the care of breast cancer patients.

Overall, it was a great experience, and I am glad I was able to represent Women At Risk at this years ASBS conference.

Advances in Breast Surgery & Reconstruction

2010-05-11T11:17:00.002-04:00

PREVENT - CURE - EMPOWER
A Women’s Health & Wellness Lecture Series for breast cancer patients, survivors and women at high risk for the disease, Presents:

Advances in Breast Surgery & Reconstruction
Get the latest updates on breast surgery and reconstruction for women with breast cancer
and high-risk women contemplating preventative surgeries.

Featuring:
Dr. KATHIE-ANN JOSEPH
Medical Director, Women At Risk
Attending Surgeon, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons
DR. JEFFREY ASCHERMAN
Attending Surgeon, Site Chief, Division of Plastic Surgery,
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons

Wednesday, June 9, 2010
6:00PM-7:00PM

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/
Columbia University Medical Center
Irving Cancer Research Center
1st Floor, Room 114
1130 Saint Nicholas Avenue
New York, NY 10032

Admission is free, but space is limited. RSVP REQUIRED to Lisa Held at lheld@womenatrisknyc.org or (212) 305-3269.

Join us on May 10th!

2010-04-27T17:28:00.004-04:00

Please join us at Women At Risk's Nineteenth Annual Luncheon! KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Susan Love
President, Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation
Author, “Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book” and “Live a Little: Breaking the Rules Won’t Break Your Health”

HONORING
Dr. Herbert Pardes
President & CEO, New York-Presbyterian Hospital

LUNCHEON CHAIRPERSON
Helen Morik
Vice President, Government & Community Affairs, New York-Presbyterian Hospital

THE YOUNG LEADERS FOR BREAST CANCER AWARD
Erica Baevsky and Allie Farber
Founders, GOPiNK

SPECIAL PRESENTATION TO WOMEN AT RISK
2009 New York State Innovation in Breast Cancer Research and Education Award

Monday, May 10, 2010
Reception at 11:00 a.m. • Luncheon at 12:00 noon
THE WALDORF=ASTORIA, GRAND BALLROOM
Park Avenue at 50th Street

Luncheon tickets begin at $300.

For more information, please contact Kavita Desai at 212-305-4486 or kdesai@womenatrisknyc.org.

Meet WAR's Junior Board this Thursday

2010-04-20T11:25:00.003-04:00

Meet Women At Risk's Junior Board this Thursday from 6-9PM at Sidebar. Drink specials and mingling to support the fight against breast cancer!

Inside the BRCA Patent Case: 30 Minutes with Dr. Wendy Chung

2010-04-20T10:17:00.007-04:00

By Lisa Held

“All in all, it’s a good thing for women,” Dr. Wendy Chung says, referring to Judge Robert Sweet’s recent ruling that declared the patents on the BRCA 1 & 2 genes, owned by Myriad Genetics, to be invalid.

According to a 2005 study published in the journal Science, 20% of human gene DNA sequences are patented. The BRCA 1 & 2 genes were patented by Myriad in 1994 and 1995, and since then, Myriad has controlled research and testing related to mutations on the genes. Women who carry these mutations are at very high risk for the development of breast and ovarian cancer.

Many doctors, researchers and advocacy groups have argued that the gene patents restrict patients’ access to genetic testing and inhibit further research and innovation, prompting the case against Myriad.

Dr. Wendy Chung, an Assistant Professor of Molecular Genetics at Columbia University Medical Center, was a plaintiff in the case brought against Myriad, which was tried in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

THE CASE

Dr. Chung has been frustrated for a very long time.

“I’ve been taking care of patients with a variety of genetic disorders for the last 10 years and one of the things that’s very frustrating for me is that I can’t always get patients the genetic testing that they need or that I think they should have,” she says.

Her lab in the Russ Berrie Medical Science Pavilion at Columbia University Medical Center has the technical ability to start testing patients for the BRCA mutations almost immediately, but she can’t test anyone because of Myriad’s sole ownership of the gene.

Dr. Chung says that the the most harmful effects of allowing one company to own the patent on the genes are the high cost of the test and the barrier imposed on research advancement. The cost issue is obvious. The full test costs around $3,000 and while some insurance companies cover it, not all do it in all situations, and many people lack coverage.

On the research side, Dr. Chung explains that having a single source providing the information stifles innovation because there is no pressure to improve the test or improve on the interpretation of the results. “You’re essentially stuck in a situation of a mediocre test,” she says.
As a result of all of her frustrations, Dr. Chung was invited to testify before congress about the issues related to gene patenting. Her testimony was entered into the Congressional Record, and when someone from the ACLU heard about it, the group decided to spearhead a lawsuit challenging the fundamental reasoning behind gene patents.

“I have to say, in part, they probably chose Myriad and breast cancer because it’s more in the public eye than some of the other rare disorders, so they felt like they could have a bigger impact,” she says, “This is a first stab at a broader issue.”

The ACLU assembled a group of plaintiffs and went to court.

THE RULING

On the day the ruling was handed down in favor of the ACLU, Genomics Law Report, a publication which had been following the case closely, ran the headline, “Pigs Fly: Federal Court Invalidates Myriad’s Patent Claims.”

“I was surprised,”Dr. Chung admits, “Very pleasantly surprised, but surprised.”

Judge Robert Sweet outlined his decision in a 156-page summary judgment ruling that came down to the basic tenet that the patents Myriad had taken out on BRCA 1 and 2 were invalid because genes are a product of nature.

For years, the legal precedent had been that genes were patentable because when you analyze them, you have to somehow purify the information from a cell, somehow manipulating it to look at a different representation of the gene or isolating it so that it doesn’t exist in the same form as it exists in nature.

“The judge decided that that was a little bit convoluted and twisted,” Dr. Chung says, “In that, ok, that exact form of the gene may not exist in nature, but it’s pretty darn close and it’s the information content that essentially is the important part. It is shocking in that it completely changes the precedent that had been set legally.”

The case will now go to appeal, and if the decision holds up there, Dr. Chung thinks it may make it to the Supreme Court.

THE IMPACT

While the real affect is still a ways away, if the ruling does hold up on appeal, the impact will be momentous.

“What I and others anticipate is that there will be a number of laboratories that come in and try to offer a test that’s more comprehensive and does a better analysis of BRCA 1 and 2 and also includes other genes for breast cancer susceptibility, that the interpretation of the test results themselves is likely to be vastly improved, and that for the women who get ambigious test results, hopefully those will be less ambigious,” Dr. Chung says.

She also thinks that the price of the test will come down and that patients may be able to get results faster, enabling them to make important decisions about treatment.

“More women will be able to effectively have access to a better product and use that in their healthcare decision making,” she says. And that’s the bottom line.

Some supporters of gene patents argue that patents were put in place to incentivize people to invest in research and development, and that without them, private investment will go down. Dr. Chung admits that private investment may be diminished, but she says that the majority of the investment in R&D is done with taxpayer dollars through the NIH (National Institutes of Health) and other federal funding sources, which this will not affect. According to Judge Sweet’s ruling, one analysis concluded that the NIH alone contributed one third of the funding for the identification of BRCA 1.

While the decision in this case only has immediate impact on Myriad and the BRCA 1 and 2 patents, if it is upheld, it will set a precedent for other genes.

“It’s precedent setting in the sense that the same legal theories and reasoning applies to other genes if the paradigm becomes ‘genes are a product of nature, they’re not patentable, no one has ownership,” Dr. Chung explains.

“I’m so glad it happened,” she says, “I only wish we had done it sooner.”

Nancy Singleton featured on Fox News Company's iMAG!

2010-04-02T11:29:00.002-04:00

Check out Nancy Singleton, Women At Risk's Patient Navigator, talking about her experience with breast cancer and how it changed her life and career path. Nancy's story is part of a series of Breast Cancer Survivor Stories being presented by Fox News Company's iMAG.

Watch the video here.

Learn how to become an advocate on April 21st!

2010-03-24T14:31:00.003-04:00

Prevent-Cure-Empower, a Women's Health & Wellness Lecture Series for breast cancer patients, survivors and women at high risk for the disease, presents:

Speak up! Breast Cancer Advocacy.
Breast cancer advocates explain what advocacy is and describe their personal experiences advocating for research, quality care and a cure. Get the tools you need to affect change in your community and beyond.

Featuring:

Elizabeth Wohl
National Breast Cancer Coalition Field Coordinator

A Panel of Breast Cancer Advocates

Wednesday, April 21st
6:00-7:00PM

Location:
NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia
Russ Berrie Medical Science Pavilion
1150 Saint Nicholas Avenue, 1st Floor, Room 1
New York, NY 10032

Click here for a map.

Admission is free, but space is limited! RSVP to Lisa Held at lheld@womenatrisknyc.org or (212) 305-3269.

**If you're thinking of attending the NBCC Conference in Washington D.C. in May, this is a great way to get more information and prepare!

Women At Risk Goes to Albany!

2010-03-17T10:22:00.008-04:00

By Lisa Held, Women At Risk's Program Coordinator

On Tuesday, March 9th, five Women At Risk advocates joined SHARE and the Young Survival Coalition NYC on a trip to Albany to participate in the New York State Breast Cancer Network’s 12th Annual Advocacy Day.

After a long, sleepy bus ride, we arrived in the Capitol at 9:45AM. The theme of this year’s Advocacy Day was Access to Care: Taking Charge, and the keynote speaker was March Scherzer, an attorney and advocate for access to health insurance. After Susan Cohen, Chair of the NYSBCSEN, welcomed everyone, Scherzer started his talk on What’s Next in Health Care Reform for New Yorkers.

Ireen Ahmed & Amy Whiffen in the "Well", part of the Legislative Office Building

Scherzer’s talk focused on how federal health care reform, once it is passed, will specifically affect New Yorkers. Although it’s unclear which of the various proposals will end up making it through, he focused primarily on the Senate and President’s plans, which are very similar and have a better chance of becoming law.

He started by giving some perspective on health care reform, pointing out that for individuals and families who currently get insurance through their employers or through medicare, nothing will change. The people that will be affected the most are the 2.3 million New Yorkers who are currently uninsured and the less than 5% of the state population that purchases private insurance. He also emphasized that New York is generally ahead of other states in terms of health insurance and already has many progressive policies in place that other states do not.

Scherzer said that when discussing federal health care reform, there are 5 main areas that consumers should consider. They are accessibility, affordability, comprehensiveness, quality of care and navigational ease. Scherzer went into detail on the first three, as he considered those the most important.

After Mark’s talk, representatives from the NYSBCSEN briefed the attendees on the three important issues we would be advocating for when we met with the legislators. These issues were Prescription Drug Out-of-Pocket Cost Limitation, Sustainable Green Purchasing, and Restricting Bisphenol A (BPA) in Children’s Products.

A representative from the NYSBCSEN briefs attendees on the issues.

The first, Prescription Drug Out-of-Pocket Cost Limitation, was a bill proposed by Senator Tom Duane which would ban insurance companies from charging patients a percentage, rather than a flat co-pay, for expensive prescriptions. For example, some insurance companies have begun to charge 25% co-pays for expensive drugs like Lapatanib (for metastatic breast cancer). This drug costs $2,900, which means the co-pay would be $725, rather than the traditional $10, $25 or $50 flat co-pay, making it impossible for many patients to afford.

The second, Safe & Sustainable Green Purchasing, focused on instituting a policy in which state agencies would be required to purchase green, non-toxic products for building materials, cleaning products, office supplies, and other materials. Many traditional products contain harmful chemicals that have been shown to cause breast cancer and other diseases later in life, and in order to protect the public from being exposed to these chemicals, this policy would create a list of toxic chemicals that are banned from purchasing. While a bill has been proposed on this issue, the NYSBCSEN is not supporting it until it includes an advisory council consisting of advocates, academics and other experts who would help advise the government on which chemicals should be banned and other issues.

Finally, the third issue centered around banning Bisphenol A (BPA) from children’s products. BPA is an endocrine disrupting chemical that mimics estrogen in the body and has shown to be connected to breast cancer and other problems later in life, especially when exposure occurs during the early stages of development. BPA is found in a variety of products including baby bottles, sippee cups, toys, water bottles, the lining of cans, dental sealants and more. A bill has been proposed by Senator Thompson that would ban BPA from children’s products, but the NYSCBSEN will not support the bill until the following changes are made: 1. The bill must guarantee that BPA will be replaced by safe alternatives which are deemed safe by independent studies, not industry. 2. Labeling must be prominently displayed showing products are “BPA free”. 3. The bill must not prohibit local counties from enacting stronger legislation unless it is strong enough to warrant doing so.

Ireen and I on our way to a meeting in the Capitol Building.

After being briefed on these issues, we headed to our meetings with legislators. Women At Risk advocates met with Sen. John Sampson, Rep. Sheldon Silver, Rep. Dick Gottfried, Sen. Joseph Addabbo, Jr., Sen. Pedro Espada, and Sen. Diane Savino. In many cases, we met with the aides, rather than the Senator or Assemblyperson themselves, but the aides often play the most important role in bringing issues to the attention of the legislator.

For me, the most satisfying moment was when we met with Senator Pedro Espada’s aide, Emily. She told us she had recently lost a friend to breast cancer, and she diligently wrote down everything we told her and assured us that she would communicate all of it to the Senator. She had not heard of most of the bills we were presenting, so it felt like we really accomplished something by bringing them to her attention. We could tell that she really would report back and try to convince Senator Espada to support our cause.

Overall, it was an exciting day of advocating for issues that have real impact on women and families affected by breast cancer! Special thanks to SHARE and Susan Jaffee for organizing the trip to Albany and arranging our meetings with legislators and to the NYSCBCSEN for putting together the entire program.

NBCC offers Project LEAD workshop for interested advocates

2010-03-04T15:26:00.008-05:00

By Lisa Held, Women At Risk's Program Coordinator

The National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) has been training breast cancer activists to influence research, advance public policy and drive the adoption of quality standards in health care since 1995. One of the ways they do this is through PROJECT LEAD, an intense week-long course that teaches the science of breast cancer and the practice of advocacy. Now, NBCC is offering a shorter version called a Project LEAD workshop. The workshop is 2 1/2 days long and teaches the basics of breast cancer science and research, how to understand scientifc information in the news, and how to become an effective breast cancer advocate. The workshop will be held in Boston from April 23 to 25, 2010. Scholarships are available for those in financial need!
The registration deadline is April 14th and registration forms are available here.

I attended the same Project LEAD workshop in Philadelphia in June of last year. Here are some reflections on my experience to help you decide if this workshop is right for you!:

I learned an incredible amount from attending the Project LEAD workshop. It gave me a much more solid scientific understanding of how breast cancer develops and grows, the different types that exist, the different treatments there are and how/why different types of cancer respond differently to different treatments. Although I had a lot of prior knowledge, I learned more about the known risk factors for breast cancer. I also learned a lot about how epidemiologic research is conducted, the different types of studies/trials that exist and how this research influences the way breast cancer patients are screened, diagnosed and treated.

The workshop was spread out over three days and included participants from all over the country. Many of the women that attended were breast cancer survivors and all were associated with a breast cancer-related organization, whether they worked in the field or volunteered. I was able to connect with many people doing similar work and learn from their perspectives and programs. I also connected with several people who do breast cancer work in the NYC area, and I think this will be useful for WAR in the future.

The lectures were mainly focused on either the science of cancer or Epidemiology. In the three that focused on the science of the disease, Diane Palmieri, a researcher from the National Cancer Institute, broke down into very simple terms how cancer grows and develops. She taught about the fundamental characteristics of cancer, the differences between normal and malignant cell growth and the mechanisms of metastasis. She also explained the role of genes and proteins in cancer and then gave a presentation on breast cancer-specific topics such as the different types of breast cancer, the different types of treatment available and how each treatment targets and stops cell growth.

Susan Sacks led all of the content on Epidemiology. She started with a basic outline of how epidemiologists study the patterns of disease, how data is gathered, statistical methods and important terminology. She then gave two different in-depth lectures. One focused on the risk factors for breast cancer and how strong the evidence is supporting these risk factors. The other looked at Clinical Trials, including the features of trials and how they’re planned, implemented and monitored.

A few other topics were also presented. Dr. George Sledge gave an overview of how breast cancer research has impacted and changed clinical practice over the past 20 years and how the evidence actually is translated into breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatments. Karen Carlson, from Harvard Medical School, led a workshop on how to critically evaluate health information that’s reported by the news media and where to find reliable health information and the actual research studies that are reported on.

Finally, representatives from NBCC ended the workshop by presenting information on breast cancer advocacy. They talked about what NBCC advocates have accomplished in the past and about opportunities and effective strategies for becoming an advocate.

All of this information will be invaluable for me as I continue to oversee, evaluate and come up with new programs for the women that Women At Risk serves. It’s incredibly important that I have a foundation of knowledge which will allow me to create and run effective, appropriate programs for these women. It will also be extremely valuable for me in my role as the high-risk support group facilitator. I already feel much more capable of answering questions about risk factors, the role of genes in breast cancer and more.

Physical Therapy, Acupuncture and more!

2010-02-10T13:47:00.003-05:00

Please join Women At Risk for the first lecture in Prevent-Cure-Empower, a Women's Health and Wellness Lecture Series for breast cancer patients, survivors and women at high risk for the disease:

Alternative Therapies for Wellness and Recovery

February 17, 2010
6PM-7PM

Amy Shapses, P.T. and Kelley Mondesire', DA, AP, L.Ac. will present information on therapies such as physical therapy, yoga and acupuncture to help breast cancer patients, survivors and high-risk women manage pain and other treatment side effects, recover from surgeries and relieve stress.

W. Duane Todd Amphitheatre
Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
630 W. 168th St. (between Broadway & Ft. Washington)
16th Floor, Room 16-405

Admission is free!
Please RSVP to Lisa Held at lheld@womenatrisknyc.org or (212) 305-3269.

WAR Advocate Reviews Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research

2010-01-25T12:27:00.003-05:00

At the end of January, Mindy Goldstein represented Women At Risk as a breast cancer advocate by evaluating research proposals submitted to the Department of Defense's Breast Cancer Research Program. As a consumer reviewer, Mindy voted alongside prominent scientists to determine how the $150 million appropriated by Congress for Fiscal Year 2009 will be spent on future breast cancer research.

Mindy was one of 159 consumer advocates who have participated in the FY09 peer review meetings by commenting on and scoring research proposals based on the impact of the research on issues such as disease prevention, screening and quality of life after treatment. As an advocate, she not only represented Women At Risk, but also the collective view of breast cancer survivors, patients, family members and women at risk for the disease.

Mindy offered these reflections on our experience as a reviewer:
"Well, I'm back. It was incredible! When I first started to read the scientific proposals I thought I was in way over my head. This was definitely outside my comfort zone. But since my diagnosis 3 years ago, being outside my comfort zone is not unusual for me. Having participated in the lobbying of Capitol Hill back in May to ensure the annual $150 million gets allocated to Breast Cancer research, this was a full circle moment for me to be on a panel with fellow advocates and scientists discussing the proposals submitted for grants. Now, I am really a part of the process as to where we are heading in finding a cure for breast cancer. Empowering, taking control of one's life just skims the surface as to how I feel. Initially I thought just get through this sort of like going through the surgeries and treatments, and move on. I would definitely sit on another peer review panel. It is probably the one of the most fulfilling experiences I have had on this journey, and there have been many!"

We congratulate Mindy on her outstanding contribution to advancing quality breast cancer research!

Are you a young professional in NYC who wants to make a difference in 2010?

2010-01-13T12:58:00.007-05:00

Women At Risk needs you!

Please join us on
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 6:30PM for our
Young Leaders of Tomorrow Kickoff Event.

Location:
Wet Bar at W New York- The Court Hotel
130 East 39th St.
On the Corner of Lexington & 39th St.

This event will help to introduce and recruit members for the Young Leaders Committee. If you would like to make a change this year in the fight against breast cancer, here is your chance!

About Women At Risk's Young Leaders Committee: This committee will provide an opportunity for community members to take an active role in supporting the work of Women At Risk. The Young Leaders Committee will focus on supporting WAR and impacting the local community by organizing fundraising events, connecting WAR with other community groups and associations, and working with WAR's leadership, staff and volunteers to expand the organization's support and growth.

Please call (212) 305-4486 or email Kavita Desai at kdesai@womenatrisknyc.org for any questions or to RSVP.

Daily Updates from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium This Week

2009-12-08T13:50:00.003-05:00

Women At Risk has partnered with CURE magazine to bring you daily updates live from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, which is being held from December 9th-13th. The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium provides state-of-the-art information on experimental biology, etiology, prevention, diagnosis and therapy of breast cancer. This is it's 31st year, and it is attended by physicians and researchers from over 80 countries.

Beginning on Thursday, December 10th, CURE will send out an email update covering the previous day's news including: research updates, blogs, video interviews, advocacy stories and more! If you would like to receive these email updates, join their mailing list by visiting http://www.curetoday.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/magazine.signup/id/16 and checking the "Breast Cancer Newsletter" box.

The live coverage will also be featured on their website at http://sabcs2009.curetoday.com. This page will not go live until Thursday, December 10th!

*CURE is a free magazine for patients, survivors and caregivers affected by cancer. Visit www.curetoday.com to sign-up for your free subscription, join the message board, search for articles by tumor type, find all back-issues and more.

New GOPiNK Chapter Raises over $2,500 for Breast Cancer Research

2009-12-04T15:01:00.005-05:00

Another chapter of Women At Risk's Junior Committee, GOPiNK, was started this Fall at Warwick Valley High School in Warwick, NY. Erin Held, a junior at Warwick HS, started the club with the help of GOPiNK's original founders, Allie Farber and Erica Baevsky, of Rye Country Day School.

The GOPiNK Team, wet but determined!

The group kicked off their new club by participating in the American Cancer Society's 2009 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on Sunday, October 18th. Despite a miserably cold and rainy day, the students showed up at 9AM in their hand-painted GOPiNK T-shirts.

Altogether, they raised $2,615 to support the American Cancer Society's breast cancer programs! They are now planning future activities to raise breast cancer awareness in their community and to raise funds to help support Women At Risk's many breast cancer programs.

Aerosoles Shoe Party

2009-11-30T15:58:00.002-05:00

Sheree Tallerman, one of Women At Risk's loyal supporters, invites you to her:

**Second Annual Private Shoe Party***

Date: Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
7:00PM-9:00PM

Location: Aerosoles Midtown
293 Madison Ave (between 40th & 41st St.)

Come enjoy terrific discounts on shoes, and 10% of all sales will be donated to support Women At Risk's life-saving breast cancer research, education and support programs!
Lucky winners will also win free shoes!

With questions, call or email Sheree at:
sheree@planperfectretirement.com
917-828-5888

More on Mammography: Talk to Your Doctor!

2009-11-23T15:13:00.003-05:00

Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph is quoted in a CNN Article entitled
"Who decides about mammograms? Inside the task force."

"You can say there is no evidence that this saves lives, but we don't know which group of women will benefit from screening and which ones won't," she said.

Until that gets sorted out, she says, women need to speak with their physicians, use common sense and continue to get mammograms.

Click here to read the entire article.

Green is the New Pink: Breast Cancer & The Environment

2009-11-23T11:51:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday, September 22nd, Women At Risk and theYoung Survival Coalition partnered to host Green is the New Pink: Breast Cancer & the Environment, a workshop that presented a comprehensive overview of the links between environmental factors and breast cancer and provided attendees with information for avoiding harmful exposures in their daily lives.

Over 60 participants took off their shoes at the Meta-Center and settled in to listen to informative lectures presented by Regina M. Santella, Ph.D., a Columbia University Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and Director of the Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan, and Laura Weinberg, President of the Great Neck Breast Cancer Coalition.

After light refreshments and conversation, Dr. Santella presented detailed information ono the biological relationship between chemical exposures and breast cancer. She explained that chemicals such as organochlorines or pesticides can be metabolized by the body, forming reactive compounds that can cause DNA damage. If this DNA damage is not repaired by the body or cell death does not occur, the DNA can be replicated and produced in new cells, which can become cancerous. Dr. Santella’s presentation highlighted the biological complexity of breast cancer and the many challenges in identifying and proving causal relationships between environmental exposures and the disease.
Laura Weinberg’s presentation then offered practical tips for avoiding harmful environmental exposures and making informed consumer decisions. She discussed different products that we encounter in our day-to-day lives that contain chemicals that may have damaging side effects. These included cleaning products, pesticides, make-up and other hygiene and beauty products. Weinberg gave recommendations for alternative products that are non-toxic and environmentally friendly.

A 30-minute interactive Q & A session followed the two presentations and many attendees stayed after the event ended to discuss concepts and questions with the two speakers.

Impact of Mammography Debate on African American women

2009-11-23T10:55:00.002-05:00

Women At Risk's Medical Director, Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph, discusses what the controversial mammography guidelines might mean for African-American women. Although African-Americans have lower rates of breast cancer, they are more likely to die from the disease. The also have the highest rates of breast cancer in women 45 and younger.

http://www.essence.com/lifestyle/health/expert_advice_mammograms_more_or_less.php

It's Time to Get Personal: Breast Cancer & the Future of Individualized Care

2009-11-20T13:58:00.005-05:00

In a fitting tribute to a former Women at Risk board president who believed in education as a powerful tool in the fight against breast cancer, close to 200 people attended the Laurie Bass Sklaver Annual Symposium on October 29th to learn about the future of breast cancer risk prediction and management.

The Sklaver Family

Three renowned medical professionals from Columbia University and Weill Cornell Medical Centers, Dr. Linda Vahdat, Donna Russo, and Dr. Ronald Crystal, spoke at the Symposium, which was entitled “It’s Time to Get Personal: Breast Cancer and the Future of Individualized Care.” Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph, WAR’s Medical Director, acted as the moderator.

Dr. Vahdat, an oncologist at Weill Cornell, opened the presentation by commenting on how rapidly breast cancer treatment is changing. “Every time I give a talk, I have to make a new slide set,” she said.

She went on to discuss the latest trends of tailoring treatment to an individual’s particular cancer. Tools such as Oncotype Dx and Mammprint use the genetic makeup of tumors to determine how they will respond to a particular therapy, making it easier for physicians to decide whether to give more or less aggressive treatment plans to individual patients.

Dr. Vahdat also addressed new breast cancer therapies that may prevent metastases such as bisphosphonates, which have typically been used as bone-strengthening drugs, PARP inhibitors for triple-negative and BRCA positive cancers, and anti-angiogenic treatmnts which cut off the blood supply to tumors.

“If I had to say there was a trend in breast cancer therapy these days,” she concluded, “there’s no doubt that it’s all about the target.”
Donna Russo, a genetic counselor at Columbia, then spoke about risk assessment and risk-management for familial breast and ovarian cancer. She said that the benefit of assessing risk is that by classifying people into low, medium, or high-risk groups, it’s possible to assign them personalized interventions.

She discussed the limitations of the Gail Model, which was historically used to determine breast cancer risk but did not take into account many key factors such as second-degree relatives, genetic mutations, other cancers, paternal family history, and the age at which relatives developed breast cancer.

BRCApro, a newer model, can now predict the likelihood of whether or not a woman will have a BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 mutation, and if she does have a mutation, the likelihood of whether or not she will develop breast cancer.

“In the near future,” Donna said, “we will have a lot more information on the women who actually test negative for BRCA 1 and 2 but still have a strong or moderate family history, and we’ll try to understand what the genetic components are there.”

Dr. Crystal wrapped up the presentations by giving a broad overview of advances in genetics and how they apply to breast cancer. “The power of the genome,” he explained, “is that it gives us insights into our past and into our future.”

Eventually, he said, we are going to be able to tailor all drugs to genetics, and all doctors will use genetic information to determine appropriate treatments for their patients.

In terms of breast cancer, he pointed to several specific advances that are likely to occur including identifying genes that modify the risk conveyed by BRCA mutations, identifying other genes unrelated to BRCA that increase risk in the general population, identifying genes that combat mutations specifically, and using genetic diversity to determine who is or is not responsive to different drugs.

“Medicine has a remarkable revolution in terms of genetics, and it’s going to affect all of us,” he concluded.

A video recording of the event will soon be available at www.womenatrisknyc.org.

WAR's Patient Navigator on NY1

2009-11-18T10:50:00.003-05:00

Watch Women At Risk's Patient Navigator, Nancy Singleton, and Dr. Mahmoud El-Tamer, a breast surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, talk to NY1 reporters about the new mammography guidelines released by the United States Preventative Services Task Force:

http://ny1.com/5-manhattan-news-content/top_stories/?ArID=109051

Federal Panel Issues Controversial Mammogram Guidelines

2009-11-17T11:45:00.002-05:00

A federal panel, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, issued new, controversial guidelines which say that women should wait until age 50 to start getting mammograms to screen for breast cancer. The panel also recommended that women over 50 get screened every other year, rather than once a year.

However, the American Cancer Society and many other organizations and doctors disagree. They continue to advise women over 40 to get regular mammograms, while emphasizing that delaying screening will cause many cancers to be caught at later stages when they are more fatal.

This is the latest development in what has become a large debate on the benefit, harm and costs of screening for breast cancer. The panel’s recommendations could have real implications for insurance companies’ determinations of whether or not they will cover mammograms for different groups of women.

Check out this artcicle in Crain’s New York Business, where WAR’s Medical Director, Dr. Joseph, weighs in on the issue:
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20091116/FREE/911169980/1049

The NY Times also covered the development. Read their coverage here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/health/17cancer.html?_r=1&hp

High-Risk Breast Cancer Event

2009-11-16T13:44:00.002-05:00

Please join us for an event to kick-off the High-Risk Breast Cancer Program's expansion to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center:

Understanding Your Breast Cancer Risk
What it Means to Be at Risk &
Risk Reduction Strategies

Thursday, November 19th, 2009
6:00-7:30PM

A-950 Conference Room
Weill Cornell Medical Center
1300 York Avenue (take K elevators to 9th floor)

Refreshments will be served.

SPEAKERS:
Alexander Swistel, MD
Medical Director, Weill Cornell Breast Center, Associate Professor of Surgery, Chief of the Breast Service

Tessa Cigler, MD, MPH
Associate Director, Weill Cornell Breast Center, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Department of Medical Oncology

Please RSVP to Rhonda Theodore at 212-821-0635 or rtm9001@nyp.org.

Research Round-Up

2009-11-05T09:10:00.002-05:00

Check out these two interesting breast cancer research studies published in the last two weeks:

Studies Find HER2 Status Matters Even With Small Tumors

Two studies found that women with very small HER-2 positive tumors had a higher risk of their cancer coming back within 5 years than women with similar-sized HER2-negative tumors. These findings may help determine whether women with small HER2-positive tumors should receive Herceptin (trastuzumab) after their surgeries.

For the National Cancer Institute’s report on the findings, Click here.

For the Research Abstract, Click here.

Risk of Cancer in Opposite Breast for BRCA Women Estimated

In findings reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers have estimated the risk of breast cancer occuring in the opposite breast for women with inherited forms of breast cancer who are at a higher risk of developing a second cancer later in life. They identified two factors that are associated with the risk: the woman’s age at first diagnosis and whether or not she carries a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. These findings could affect some womens’ decisions about treatment and surgeries.

For the National Cancer Institute’s report on the findings, Click here.

For the Research Abstract, Click here.

First Annual Shopping Event at Barneys!

2009-10-29T14:10:00.008-04:00

Women At Risks invites you to attend our:

First Annual Shopping Event

Thursday, November 5th, 2009
3PM to 7PM

The Penthouse at Barneys New York
660 Madison Ave

Featuring Over 20 Renowned Jewelry and Accessory Designers!
Click here for details.

WAR's Medical Director on the Today Show!

2009-10-23T13:11:00.002-04:00

Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph, a breast surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and Women At Risk's Medical Director was on the Today Show this morning to talk about the incidence of breast cancer in males. The Today Show was airing a story on a husband and wife who were both diagnosed with breast cancer within the same year. Check out Dr. Joseph's conversation with the couple and Natalie Morales, and her comments on breast cancer in men:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33447296/ns/today-today_health/

Survivor Spotlight: Kay Radcliffe

2009-10-19T10:14:00.005-04:00

While I didn't feel lucky to get breast cancer, I did feel lucky about many aspects of my breast cancer experience. Caught at stage one, I opted for a lumpectomy, done with a relatively new surgery called oncoplasty, which left no scar and no need for reconstruction. The cancer had not spread to my lymph nodes, and because it was ER positive, I was a candidate for Arimidex to help fight the odds of recurrence. Chemotherapy was with the
mildest regime offered, CMF, that did not cause hair loss, just thinning. Radiation was done by a staff I actually missed when it stopped.

I could not imagine a better set of doctors, nurses or medical staff than those who treated me through Columbia Presbyterian Hospital's breast cancer program. Patient Navigator Nancy Singleton was an invaluable help and support, who responded to any question, concern, or problem I had during treatment.

Attending the WAR support group was an education. Listening to various situations women experienced with their breast cancer gave me a sense of how remarkable, courageous, and positive these women were when faced with very difficult choices and circumstances. It put my experience into perspective, reinforcing the sense that I had, indeed, been lucky.

Where I wasn't as lucky was the impact of cancer on my work. While there was no direct causal link, I had used paint thinners extensively in my work as a professional artist for 35 years, and had developed a signature style of marbled papers using thinned oil based paints, which I sold to art supply stores and other outlets. I believed that doing marbled printing in a well ventilated studio, and using a respirator mask and surgical gloves for protection, would keep me safe from the dangers of exposure to known carcinogens in the art materials I used. But with the diagnosis of breast cancer, I was abruptly forced to decide whether to continue using potentially hazardous art materials, or give up work I had been closely identified with for years, which had produced the bulk of my income.

I felt forced to make the only decision that seemed sensible, which was to stop marbling with oil based paints. I told my clients the papers were discontinued, and hoped to be able to replace them with other decorative papers done with safer materials.

During the year I was treated for breast cancer, 2008, I struggled to switch to safer, water based acrylic paints, and eventually developed a series of painted papers with layers of color. The stores I sell to were willing to try the new line, so I was kept busy for several weeks doing these new papers.

However, in February of 2008, the artists in the building where I had a studio for 19 years, were told we would have to move out by the end of the year to make room for a large commercial tenant. With two major external changes presenting serious challenges at nearly the same time, I knew the year represented a major life transition.

2009 has been a time to recover from cancer treatments, reflect, and start doing what is needed to change the direction of my work and life. Losing the studio gave me time to work at home on various business aspects of art that I did not take time to do when the need to produce income in the studio to pay the rent was a priority. Although I have a new studio on the horizon, I have to
limit the art work I do in my apartment to work that is small or not overly messy.

With these restrictions in mind, I worked on a series of hand painted silk chiffon scarves that will be used for another important goal, which is giving back, in gratitude, for the care I received during my cancer treatment.

WAR fund raisers have enabled me to donate my art work, and the scarves mentioned, an example of which is shown in the photograph, will be in a special fund raising sale on Thursday, November 5th, at Barney's penthouse, from 3-7 PM. A percentage of sales will go to WAR, who organized the event.

It's a very good feeling to be able to give thanks with my life work for what was, in reality, life-saving care!

Bid in Our Second Annual Online Auction

2009-10-06T15:40:00.004-04:00

WAR is hosting an Online Auction this month to raise money for our programs and services; bid on over 50 incredible prizes to support breast cancer research, education and support programs!

Preview: October 8th-12th
Bidding Opens: 9:00AM, Tuesday, October 13th
Bidding Closes: 9:00PM, Monday, October 19th

Visit www.womenatrisknyc.cmarket.com to register and start bidding.

Some of the exciting lots include:
- VIP Tickets to the Dr. Oz Show and the Daily Show.
- Bags from Rebecca Minkoff, Lauren Merkin and Tory Burch
- Tony Awards Package including tickets to the 2010 show and a 2-night hotel stay
- Autographed Rolling Stones and U2 Guitars
- 2010 SuperBowl Package including tickets, hotel stay and an MVP-autographed football
- Gift Certificates to Premier NYC Restaurants like The Modern and Tao
- Orchestra Tickets to the Metropolitan Opera
- A guided tour for 5 of Vanity Fair, Glamour and Gourmet, followed by lunch in the famed Conde Nast Dining Room with Tanya Steel, editor-in-chief of Epicurious.com
- Yankee Tickets
- Round of Golf for 3 including lunch and caddie at Fenway Golf Club in Scarsdale

...and many, many more!!

With questions or for more information, contact Kavita Desai at 212-305-4486 or kdesai@womenatrisknyc.org.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2009-09-28T11:29:00.005-04:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and WAR encourages you to SHOP FOR THE CAUSE!

WAR has partnered with 7 different businesses this month to give you lots of opportunities to raise money for breast cancer research, education and support programs at no extra cost to you. These businesses include Giella Cosmetics, White + Warren, On the One, Olive & Bette's, Lot 84, Houselifts and NYC Subway Line.

For details on each promotion, click here.

White + Warren's Pink Cashmere Collection (50% of the proceeds go to Women At Risk) is featured in the October 2009 issue of Oprah's O Magazine, People, Self, and Star.
Click here to "Shop Pink" at White + Warren.

WAR Welcomes Breast Surgery Fellow

2009-09-17T11:45:00.003-04:00

WAR is proud to introduce the 2009-2010 Alan & Susan Fuirst Women At Risk Breast Surgery Fellow,
Francisco Espinel, MD.

Each year, WAR sponsors a fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center which trains one young surgeon in the unique clinical and psychological aspects of breast surgery and educates him or her on new and innovative treatments. This fellowship is generously underwritten by Alan & Susan Fuirst.

This year's Fellow was born in St. Louis, MO, although he spent most of his life in Washington D.C. He went to Catholic University as an undergraduate student and attended medical school at la Universidad de Autonoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. He completed residencies at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and at George Washington University School of Medicine.

Francisco was always somewhat interested in breast surgery, but his interest in reconstructive techniques in particular was piqued by pediatric plastic surgery research he was involved in at UPenn. He then spent three months with breast surgeons and realized he really like the specialty.

When he first started working with breast cancer patients, he said the first thing that he noticed was that the patients seemed more empowered and involved in their own care than with other diseases. "Breast cancer," he said, "is such a personal disease because it affects the way a woman sees herself and the way other people see her." He also commented that breast cancer patients seemed to have large networks of support. Most patients seem to come in with family members and peers; few were ever alone. He decided that this was a population he would like to work with.

Dr. Espinel is not sure where he'll end up or exactly what route he will take, although he did say that he'd love to teach medical students in the future.

Show your resilience in the WAR on breast cancer!

2009-09-15T12:16:00.005-04:00

Stand with Women At Risk in the WAR against breast cancer by wearing a "We Are Resilient" bracelet, created by renowned jewelery designer, Catherine M. Zadeh. These bracelets also make great gifts for family, friends and anyone affected by breast cancer. Proceeds from the sale of these bracelets support the work of Women At Risk!

To order:
Contact Kavita Desai at 212-305- 4486 or kdesai@womenatrisknyc.org.

Prices:
Silver- $100
Gold- $350

Green is the New Pink: Breast Cancer & The Environment

2009-08-06T16:19:00.003-04:00

Women At Risk and the Young Survival Coalition NYC are excited to present:

Green is the New Pink: Breast Cancer and the Environment
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
7:00PM- 9:00PM

Speakers:

Regina M. Santella, PhD
Director, Epidemiology Program & Biomarkers Core Facility, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Care Center, Columbia University Medical Center
Director, Columbia Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan

Laura Weinberg
President, Great Neck Breast Cancer Coalition

Join Dr. Regina Santella and Laura Weinberg as they present a comprehensive overview of the link between environmental factors and breast cancer and empower young women to take steps to avoid harmful environmental exposures and make informed consumer decisions.

Light refreshments will be served.

Location:
Meta Center
214 West 29th St., 16th Floor
Between 7th & 8th Ave, NYC

This workshop is free, but reservations are required! To RSVP, email yscnewyorkcity@youngsurvival.org or call (646) 257-3025.

GOPiNK Becomes WAR Junior Committee

2009-07-13T10:13:00.006-04:00

When Allie Farber and Erica Baevsky, students at Rye Country Day School in Rye, NY, decided that they wanted to start a club to fight breast cancer, they weren't sure where to start. Then, they found out about Women At Risk's many programs and initiatives through WAR's president, Bonnie Pressman.

Soon, Allie and Erica decided that the way to affect the most change would be to become the "Junior Committee" of Women At Risk. They named their club GOPiNK and held a kick-off event at Bloomingdale's in White Plains on June 15th.

About 50 students, parents, family and friends from throughout Westchester attended the event. Allie and Erica gave a speech welcoming the attendees and outlining their plans for GOPiNK. Bonnie Pressman also gave a brief presentation on the work of Women At Risk.

Attendees then spent the rest of the time mingling, shopping and enjoying refreshments. Gift bags containing items donated by local businesses were also given out. Overall, the girls were able to energize both students and parents to join their cause, and the event raised more than $1500 to support WAR's programs.

Women At Risk extends a special thank you to Meryl Lefkowitz and Bloomingdale's in White Plains for their generous donation of the space, refreshments and 10% of all sales during the event.

We look forward to working with GOPiNK in the coming year to spread breast cancer awareness in Westchester and beyond!

Patients, survivors and doctors attend "Expressions of a Cancer Journey"

2009-07-06T11:07:00.008-04:00

On Tuesday, June 30th, almost 50 patients, survivors, medical professionals & community members visited the Herbert Irving Pavilion at Columbia University Medical Center for Women At Risk's opening reception of "Lilly Oncology on Canvas: Expressions of a Cancer Journey." Attendees were able to view the various pieces of art created by people affected by cancer and the moving descriptions which accompanied them while enjoying refreshments and conversation. Dr. Kathie-Ann Joseph, WAR's Medical Director, spoke briefly about the exhibit and Women At Risk's various programs for women affected by breast cancer.

Women At Risk was fortunate to receive about 25 pieces from the traveling exhibit for display at the Breast Service, including the 1st place overall winner, an acrylic painting by a family member/friend of a cancer patient in California entitled "As I am, Beautiful and Whole." This painting is pictured below.
Lilly Oncology on Canvas is an art competition and exhibition developed by Eli Lilly in 2004 to help people affected by cancer share their emotions about the disease. The 2008 competition invited people from all over the United States and Puerto Rico to express on canvas and in narrative what gives their cancer journey meaning. People diagnosed with any type of cancer, their families and friends, caregivers and healthcare providers were all eligible. 580 works of art were received and prizes were awarded to a total of 19 winners. The 2008 collection is now touring throughout the United States. If you were unable to attend Women At Risk's exhibit of this compelling artwork, visit www.lillyoncologyoncanvas.com for a list of upcoming exhibit locations. This was Women At Risk's third year hosting the exhibit, and we hope to continue in the future.

Lilly Oncology on Canvas: Expressions of a Cancer Journey

2009-05-28T09:52:00.002-04:00

Women At Risk is proud to host "Lilly Oncology on Canvas: Expressions of a Cancer Journey," an exhibit containing pieces of art created by people affected by cancer.

Please join us for a reception celebrating the exhibit's opening!

Tuesday, June 30th
5:30-7:30 PM

Admission is complimentary, and refreshments will be served.

Location:
The Comprehensive Breast Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
Herbert Irving Pavilion, 10th Floor
161 Fort Washington Ave, NYC

The art exhibit will be on display from June 30th-July 2nd.

For more information or to RSVP to the reception, please contact Lisa Held at (212) 305-3269 or lheld@womenatrisknyc.org.

Listen to Podcast on Breast Cancer & Sexuality

2009-05-12T12:57:00.002-04:00

Did you miss Saturday's radio show on "Breast Cancer Survivorship: Sexuality and Intimacy" from Real Women on Health?

You can listen via podcast to WAR's Patient Navigator, Nancy Singleton, discuss this topic with medical professionals. Just click on the title below to listen.

Breast Cancer Survivorship: Sexuality and Intimacy

2009-05-04T13:21:00.006-04:00

Women At Risk is sponsoring an internet-based radio show on sexuality and intimacy after breast cancer. Please tune in on May 9th! Details below.

Grab your morning coffee, dial in and join Kelley Connors, Host of RealWomen on Health! with Lisa Martinez, Executive Director, The Women’s Sexual Health Foundation as she speaks with breast cancer survivors and Dr. Michael Krychman, Medical Director of Sexual Medicine at Hoag Hospital and Executive Director of the Southern California Center for Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine.

When: Saturday, May 9th @ 9:30 am EST - 10 am EST

How You Can Speak with the Experts on the Live Show

1. You can ask your questions directly by registering in at www.blogtalkradio.com first. Your user name and password will be emailed to you. You can then log in to the show, by going to www.blogtalkradio.com/realwomenonhealth. When you would like to participate live, you must also dial (646) 929-2625. Please note, this is a New York number. Local/long distance charges from your phone company will apply.**

No computer available or internet just died? Just dial-in for Audio: (646) 929-2625.

About RealWomen on Health!

RealWomen on Health! is an on-line and off-line community of women who strive to be their own best wellness advocate. The community is led by Kelley Connors, Wellness Coach and host of RealWomen on Health! blogtalkradio. As an internet-based radio show and on-line chat, RealWomen on Health! allows women to share their knowledge, opinions and experiences with each other in "real-time", strengthening their support systems with the information and tools to live life to the fullest. As a podcast, the content becomes "share-able" for outreach among friends.

Please Join Us on May 11th!

2009-04-28T17:18:00.003-04:00

Please join us at Women At Risk's 18th Annual Luncheon!
Keynote Speaker
Hoda Kotb
Co-Host, 4th Hour of "Today" and Correspondent, "Dateline NBC"

Honoring
Lynda Wertheim
Director of Legal Assistants, White & Case LLP
Immediate Past President, Women At Risk

Luncheon Chairpersons
Susan and Alan Fuirst

Monday, May 11, 2009
Reception at 11:30 AM * Luncheon at 12:00 noon
The Waldorf=Astoria, Grand Ballroom
Park Avenue at 50th Street

Luncheon Tickets begin at $300.
Raffle tickets are $20 each or $100 for 6 tickets.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Kavita Desai at 212-305-4486 or kdesai@womenatrisknyc.org.

Thank you for supporting Women At Risk's life-saving research, education and support programs for women affected by breast cancer!

Advocacy in Action

2009-03-27T12:08:00.008-04:00

This Tuesday, March 24^th, I attended Breast Cancer Advocacy Day as a representative of Women At Risk and the New York State Breast Cancer Support and Education Network (NYSBCSEN). Along with members of SHARE and the Young Survival Coalition, I met with members of the state senate to urge them to sign on to legislation that would improve the prevention, tracking and treatment of breast cancer. The four priorities of NYSBCSEN for advocacy day were:

1. Ban Bisphenol A (BPA) from Children’s Products- BPA is a harmful endocrine disrupting chemical that mimics the effects of estrogen in the body. It has been proven to have several harmful effects and is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer. It is most harmful when ingested in the early stages of life including during prenatal development, early childhood and puberty. Currently, BPA is found in many plastics used to manufacture children’s products such as baby bottles, toddler drinking cups, the lining of infant formula cans, dental sealants and more. 12 states and Suffolk County on Long Island have already banned BPA in children’s products, and a federal ban is currently being proposed.

2. Create an Environmental Health Tracking System- Implement a state-wide tracking system run by the Dept. of Health and SUNY schools which gathers human health data alongside environmental data to track cancer and other diseases.

3. Require Lymphedema Practitioner Education & Training- Current guidelines treat lymphedema as a physical therapy issue and physical therapists are not trained in the proper treatment of lymphedema patients. Therapists treating lymphedema should meet the training criteria established by the Lymphology Association of North America (LANA).

4. Increase Plain Language Health Information and Health Literacy- Health literacy, the ability to understand and act on health information and instructions, has a profound impact on overall health and life expectancy. Nearly half of all adults (90 million people) in the United States have difficulty understanding and acting on health information, and this costs the U.S. economy in the range of $106-$238 billion annually. New York State should develop and implement standards for medical plain language communication at all stages of the health continuum.

All of these issues are important to Women At Risk, from environmental factors which increase the risk of breast cancer to better, more effective support and treatment for breast cancer patients. I was happy to be able to contribute to bringing these issues to the attention of our state senators in Albany!

In the News...

2009-03-13T10:34:00.004-04:00

This week, all breast cancer headlines discussed and commented on a recent study regarding red and white wine and breast cancer risk. Read more about the study here:

US News and World Report- Health Today
Wine Color Won't Change Breast Cancer Risk
Despite red wine's healthy reputation, study finds it won't lower cancer odds

Web MD
Wine Won’t Cut Breast Cancer Risk

White or Red Wine: Neither Shown to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk; Drinking in Excess Raises Risk, Study Shows

Cancer Screenings Save Lives!

2009-03-06T13:14:00.003-05:00

Women At Risk helps to fund, organize and run two Free Cancer Screening Days each year (additional funding comes from the NY Cancer Services Program and others). On these days, uninsured women over the age of 40 are able to receive mammograms, cervical cancer screenings and colorectal screenings free of charge. For the many uninsured women in the surrounding communities of Harlem, Inwood and Washington Heights, these screenings may catch cancer that otherwise would have continued to develop undetected.

Read one women's story about how her routine mammogram on a WAR-funded screening day saved her life:

"I want to tell you I am alive today because of the New York Cancer Screening Program and its professional staff. My name is Margaret Carlin Good. I am 62 years old. I live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York, not far from … Columbia University, where I am a part-time associate and have taught English as a Second Language (ESL) to international students for the past thirty years. In October 2006 through the New York Cancer Services Program, I was able to make an appointment for what turned out to be a not-so-routine mammogram at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center …"

Read the rest of Margaret's story and help save the NY Cancer Services Program at:
http://www.komennyc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=newsroom_nh_2009_02_10a

The next Free Cancer Screening Day is scheduled for April 18, 2009 . For more information, call 212-305-3269.

High-Risk Support Group

2009-03-06T10:16:00.000-05:00

Are you at high-risk for breast cancer? Are you struggling with the implications of your risk and the decisions you're facing?

You are not alone!

Come to Women At Risk/FORCE's new Peer-Led High-Risk Support Group to meet other women who are at high risk for breast cancer and to exchange and receive resources, information and emotional support.

Meetings will on the third Wednesday of every month, from 6-7:30PM.

Upcoming Dates:
March 18
April 15
May 13
June 17

Meetings will be held in the Stacey Garil Womack Resource Library located at: Herbert Irving Cancer Center, 161 Fort Washington Ave (between 166th and 167th St.), 10th Floor, Room 1035

For more information or to RSVP to a meeting, please contact Lisa Held at lheld@womenatrisknyc.org or 212-305-3269.

In the News...

2009-03-02T16:51:00.000-05:00

Women At Risk's Program Coordinator was featured today in an ABC News article on the decisions high-risk individuals make regarding prophylactic surgeries. Click here to read the article:

Going Under the Knife to Head Off Cancer

For more information from the medical community on Prophylactic Mastectomies as a risk-reduction strategy for breast cancer, try:
1. The National Cancer Institute's Prophylactic Mastectomy Fact Sheet
2. The Mayo Clinic- Prophylactic Mastectomy: Breast Cancer Prevention for High-Risk Women

Research Round-Up

2009-02-27T11:36:00.000-05:00

Updates from the 2008 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium
By Sunny Mitchell M.D.
Breast Surgery Fellow
Columbia University Medical Center

The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium was held on December 10-14, 2008. This yearly meeting brings together some of the brightest minds in the war against breast cancer and provides the opportunity for investigators to present new research, provide updates on ongoing trials and attend a forum for brainstorming on breast cancer. Topics such as neoadjuvant therapy, post-mastectomy radiation therapy, adjuvant therapy and genetic assays were amongst those presented. There were also exciting discussions on the basic approaches to understanding the biology of breast cancer. These discussions will lead to a better understanding of how breast cancer grows and spreads. A special thanks to all those participating in breast cancer research trials; because of you, these advancements in the field of breast cancer are possible.

Some of the topics presented were:

Aromatase Inhibitors V. Tamoxifen
Dr. Mouridsen presented data from the BIG 1-98 trial addressing the role of aromatase inhibitors verses Tamoxifen. Data demonstrated that 5 years of Femara (an aromatase inhibitor) reduced the risk of death by 19% when compared to Tamoxifen.
However, other presented research showed only a modest difference between aromatase inhibitors and Tamoxifen.

Post-mastectomy Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy given after chemotherapy and mastectomy may help prevent local recurrence of breast cancer in certain patients with early stage but aggressive breast cancer.

Neoadjuvant Therapy (therapy given prior to surgery in the hopes of shrinking the tumor)
Giving neoadjuvant chemotherapy may essentially eradicate any evidence of breast cancer found at the time of surgery. Those who may benefit are young, have a small tumor size, no evidence of tumor in the lymph nodes and a high grade tumor.

Triple Negative Disease
Triple negative breast cancer refers to cancer cells that don’t express estrogen, progesterone, or HER2/neu receptors.

-A study evaluated the role of a gene called GRB7 in triple negative breast cancer. The expression of this gene in the setting of triple negative breast cancer may be associated with an increased risk of cancer recurrence.

-An oral pill called Dasata (still in early investigational stages) is showing preliminary data on possibly being beneficial in treating individuals with triple negative breast cancer.

Metastatic Breast Cancer
A medication called Neratinib (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor) is being investigated for a possible role in treating metastatic breast cancer.

Biomarkers in Stage 3 Breast Cancer
The I-spy trial is a study looking at biomarkers (specific proteins) that may correlate to the response of treatment with women who have stage 3 breast cancer. This study involves comparing MRI findings and the existence of certain biomarkers in stage 3 breast cancer. This exciting study is still ongoing.

*Please keep in mind that much of this research is in the early stages. Some of the mentioned treatments may not be available as of yet.

For more information, highlighted presentations, podcasts and webcasts from the Symposium, visit the official website at http://www.sabcs.org/.

Welcome!

2009-02-27T11:06:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Women At Risk’s new blog! Women At Risk is the breast cancer program at NewYork- Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. Through research, education, and support, Women At Risk enhances the lives of, and offers hope to, women affected by breast cancer both in our immediate neighborhood of Washington Heights and far beyond.

Everyone touched by breast cancer has their own story, and as the Program Coordinator for Women At Risk, I am no exception. Three years ago, I lost my mother to pancreatic cancer. Meanwhile, my mother’s sister was, and is still, battling breast cancer. This string of cancer diagnoses (my grandfather had died years before of prostate cancer) led my family to genetic testing, where we discovered that our family had been passing down what is often referred to as the “breast cancer gene.” I was tested for the genetic mutation, and my results were positive- BRCA 2 positive.

What my BRCA 2 mutation means is that although I’m 23, eat healthy, and exercise, the chance that I will develop breast cancer within my lifetime is somewhere between 80 and 95%. And the chance that it will happen at a young age is also very high. I have seen and continue to live the reality of breast cancer in my family every day. This, in all forms, makes me, Lisa, a Woman At Risk.

Here in NYC, there are so many women like me. There are those that are already using all of the strength they have to battle the breast cancer that ravages their bodies and minds, those who have faced breast cancer and defeated it, and also those who are faced with fear and major life decisions based on their elevated risk for the disease. Women at Risk is committed to helping all of these women through research, education, and support, and in the pages of this blog, you’ll begin to discover how we make our mission a reality every day…