Over the years, October has become a marketing opportunity for companies that splash pink on their products, suggesting to consumers that they’re helping the breast cancer cause by buying these products. Unfortunately, most of the time very little of the money paid for these products actually goes to breast cancer-related charities. And some of the companies that make these products also produce toxic chemicals that may contribute to an increased risk of breast cancer, Breast Cancer Action explains in their Think Before You Pink project.
What to do instead? There are lots of great alternatives. There are many nonprofit organizations that provide valuable services for those affected by breast cancer or fund critical research. Donating directly to these organizations is a much better alternative to buying pink products. Continue reading
I’m delighted to participate in the 
What are the best ideas for how we could prevent breast cancer in whole populations? This was the big question behind a recent competition sponsored by the California Breast Cancer Research Program. I attended the final round of the competition via livestream and was impressed by the variety and creativity of the proposals presented. 
What’s the latest “need to know” news in cancer research? In this post, I’ll briefly review several of the most interesting cancer research stories that have been in the news this spring.
Earlier this year I made the decision to undergo genetic testing to find out whether I’ve inherited any genetic mutation that could increase my risk for a new breast cancer diagnosis or for other cancers.
I recently came across a copy of a letter I wrote back in 1994, about a year after my breast cancer diagnosis, to members of a congressional committee that was considering the budget for the following year. Here is part of what I had written:
Nothing could have prepared me for the shock of hearing, at age 35, that I had breast cancer.