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Who we serve!
From the ED's Desk
Dear Reader,
Have you ever built a web-site? I don't mean the graphics, images, coding or messaging. I mean figuring out the optimal way to organize content and help visitors navigate the site. Some web-sites are simple affairs and it doesn’t take much to make information accessible. In the case of an organization like Zero Breast Cancer - that for 23 years has been involved in researching, discovering, understanding, translating, documenting and sharing scientific information about a complicated problem - it’s been a complex challenge.
The ZBC web-site has to fulfill many functions. Many non-profit web-sites do. The idea is to make it easy for visitors like you to learn more about the organization, its mission, history, staff, board, partners, funders, financials etc. Of course that is all necessary but not sufficient. You come to the web-site to learn about what ZBC does, who it serves and how it might help you. Some of you visit the web-site to participate in events, support the organization with donations or to sign up as a volunteer. Others of you visit the site to read blogs and book reviews and sign up for newsletters or search for resources. Whatever the reason you visit the site we want it to work for you.
If you haven’t visited recently please come back. We have made several updates and changes that are meant to make your visit more informative and more helpful.
The most significant change is the addition of 'ZBC serves' to the main menu with links to four new pages designed to present curated information in a targeted way. Those same pages can also be accessed by clicking on the new images of Pre-Teens, Teens, Survivors and Everyone on the home page.
Reader, your feedback will help to support a process of continuous improvement. We look forward to your visit and to hearing from you. We would be grateful if you would send us positive feedback, praise or constructive suggestions. You can contact us here. Thank you!
Here in brief are some breast cancer related news updates you might like to know about. This particular list is a mix of information about new treatment developments and survivorship related items;
- It makes sense to share this useful piece first - 6 Tips to spot cancer 'fake news' from Cancer Research UK.
- This breaking news from the BBC got a lot of attention -'Remarkable' therapy beats terminal breast cancer. Whilst not necessarily 'fake news' this could be a random event and wonderful break for the patient concerned but not necessarily the standard of care going forward without further trials and without being replicated at a statistically significant level. Hope? Yes. Proof? No.
- When helping helps: exploring health benefits of cancer survivors participating in for-cause physical activity events from BMC Public Health (also in the UK) definitely resonated. As if there was any need to justify the Dipsea Hike for Zero Breast Cancer. We are proud of the campaign to raise money to cover survivor participation! Thank you to the 12 donors so far who have supported this appeal. We will be working with independent living advocate, M. Kelly Tyler (a long time breast cancer survivor herself), from the Marin Center for Independent Living to offer their breast cancer clients sponsored participation opportunities. If you would like to help more survivors participate please see the donation page ($165 Sponsored Bib opportunity) here.
- Stupid Dumb Breast Cancer is Ann Marie Giannino-Otis’s fierce and unconventional initiative to promote awareness, early detection, and advocacy, with a special focus on how the disease impacts younger people. She had a very lively Facebook page and throws out simple (but not simplistic) questions about how her followers have dealt with different challenging aspects of breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and post-treatment life. The responses are brave, sad, angry, empowered, dis-empowered, confused, clear, and all over the map. 'Standards of care' often seem non-standard and communication between medical providers and patients seem to hold significant opportunities - and missed opportunities.
- My personal interest in news about treatments for BRCA+ breast cancers is no doubt shared by some of you readers and we can all be encouraged by a report from MD Anderson Cancer Center titled First study of neoadjuvant use of PARP inhibitor shows promise for early-stage, BRCA+ breast cancer patients
- Last but by no means least the most significant and important news in June was shared widely in the media following a presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in the US. Chemotherapy not needed in some early stage breast cancer patients, trial shows was the headline on the ABC news web-site on 4 June, 2018. New standards of care will hopefully be rapidly adopted in order to spare some breast cancer patients from undergoing treatments that frequently come with serious side-effects but that don't benefit those patients after all. Reliable, evidence-based good news!
That was an unexpectedly interesting June. As summer gets into full swing I suspect July and August will be quieter.
Remember to keep physically active, eat healthy, minimally processed, plant based meals, choose a safer sunscreen and drink lots of water out of glass or metal bottles. These actions, together with rest, relaxation and recharging are all great ways to reduce your cancer risk.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy and safe 4th of July!
Yours in health,
Rose Barlow
Executive Director
PS. ZBC is growing its number of monthly donors significantly and you can become one too! If you read these monthly newsletter regularly then please consider a monthly gift of $25 or $50 (any amount helps) to help sustain the work of translating, disseminating and communicating evidence-based information about breast cancer risk reduction. Its quick and easy and you can now pay by PayPal too. Just click on this secure link and get started. Thank you!
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