My name is Akilah. I am a 33 year old black woman in the Bay Area. About six years ago, I received a short email from my mom. It said 

“Hey Akilah, Consider participating in this study. I participated so you would be part of the 3rd generation cohort. Love Mommy” 

Para la mayoría de nosotras, el cáncer cambió nuestras vidas. La pandemia de Covid-19 está cambiando nuestras vidas de nuevo. También muchos hemos pasados por una época de humo de incendios forestales y ahora los días son más cortos a medida que empieza la temporada de invierno. Las sobrevivientes del cáncer de seno en nuestra Junta Asesora Comunitaria del Estudio Pathways decidieron que el riesgo de Covid 19 y el autocuidado es un tema importante y oportuno que debemos abordar.

Esta es la segunda de dos partes sobre lo que podemos hacer por nuestra salud y bienestar durante la pandemia de Covid, de las sobrevivientes de cáncer de mama en la Junta Asesora Comunitaria del Estudio Pathways. Aquí ellas comparten cómo se las arreglan: conectarse con la gente; tomando un descanso; respirar profundamente, meditar u orar; pidiendo apoyo; dormir; gratitud; y centrarse en seguir adelante. Las investigaciones han demostrado que todos estos pueden ayudar a nuestra salud física y mental. (Lea la primera parte para obtener ideas sobre cómo mover nuestros cuerpos y comer bien).

You could describe Dr. Leah Kelley by her credentials: Yale graduate; board certified in obstetrics and gynecology; medical director of the Breast Oncology Program at Marin General Hospital (MGH).

Or, you could describe Dr. Leah Kelley by her personal attributes: Six-feet tall and athletic.

In 2003, Zero Breast Cancer collaborated with scientists from Kaiser Division of Research and UCSF to establish a Bay Area Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program which was funded by the National Institute of Health Sciences and the National Cancer Institute.

Trying to lose weight? Think about changing to a positive focus on more exercise and/or healthy eating habits, rather than a number on the scale. A fascinating new study shows that even if you are at a healthy weight, feeling bad about your weight seems to cause the same diseases as being overweight, like diabetes!

Sadly, weight dissatisfaction and poor body image can start early in girls and actually discourage healthy behaviors.

I recently had the privilege of attending the Society of Public Health Education (SOPHE) conference.  So many researchers and community organizations are doing work relevant to ZBC! I want to summarize what I learned about two topics that are particularly timely: Health Inequity and Health Resources & Media Literacy.

GIS for Community Impact: From Technology to Translation

Scientists will continue research on groundbreaking discoveries by the pioneering Marin Women’s Study following a fundraising campaign that won a $77,000 Avon Foundation grant.

Women who have had breast cancer are living longer than ever before. By eight years after a breast cancer diagnosis, people without metastatic disease are more likely to die from heart disease than breast cancer. Breast cancer treatment can increase the risk of some diseases of the heart, arteries and blood vessels, also known as cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Two cardiologists (heart doctors) who work with cancer patients, a researcher and a breast cancer patient navigator joined Zero Breast Cancer’s October 2022 webinar to offer important information about managing heart health during and after breast cancer treatment. One of the panelists is also a breast cancer survivor. They gave an overview of the current treatments most likely to cause heart problems and what can be done to prevent or limit them.

A new study suggests eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains in adolescence could reduce breast cancer risk later in life. This maybe especially true for pre-menopausal cancer, which affects more women of color and is often more aggressive.

Not Too Late!

Even in early adulthood, for every additional 10g of fiber eaten (~ 1 apple & 2 slices whole wheat bread) there was a 13% drop in risk.

Is your child struggling with anxiety, stress, and frequent tantrums? It could be that they need to get more sleep.

Sleep is an essential bodily function that allows the mind and body to recharge. Not having enough of it can affect a child’s ability to concentrate, process information, and think clearly(1).

Sleep quality plays an essential role in a child’s physical and mental health. Children who often don’t get enough sleep eventually experience a host of other problems(2).

Breast cancer screening advice can be confusing. A new study in California aims to find a better way forward and is actively recruiting participants. Please consider how you can help. Visit thewisdomstudy.org to learn more.

Las mujeres que han tenido cáncer de mama viven más tiempo que nunca. A los ocho años después de un diagnóstico de cáncer de mama es más probable que las personas sin enfermedad metastásica mueran de una enfermedad del corazón que de cáncer de mama. El tratamiento del cáncer de mama puede aumentar el riesgo de algunas enfermedades del corazón, las arterias y los vasos sanguíneos, también conocidas como enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV).

This blog is abstracted from an article in the Winter 2019 Pathways newsletter.

Have you heard the term Chemo Brain? Until the last decade, when women reported memory and thinking problems during or after being treated for breast cancer, they were often ignored. Now we know that cancer and cancer treatment can cause these changes and research is progressing on how to help people who have Chemo brain, also known as Cancer-related Cognitive Impairment (CRCI). We can take heart that most of us will recover our brain function and that there are things we can do to deal with memory/thinking problems.

Several months ago, our colleagues at Breast Cancer Over Time (BCOT) asked us to help recruit for their study on the Impact of Chemical Exposure on the Human Breast. Like ZBC, BCOT focuses on preventing breast cancer in the next generation. They address the issue by championing and coordinating research into the environmental causes of breast cancer, while ZBC focuses on engaging communities in translating research into actionable steps that can reduce the risk of breast cancer. This study investigates the risks of chemicals in personal care products (PCPs), a topic ZBC actively addresses.

As complementary organizations, promoting BCOT’s study was an obvious decision. While sharing information about the study it, I also discovered that it was personally relevant to me. Read on to learn more about the study and my experience with it.

A new article published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology shows that breast cancer survivors who quit smoking after their diagnosis had a 33 percent lower risk of death as a result of breast cancer than those who continued to smoke.

Research shows that our zip code can be just as important as our genetic code (DNA) in shaping our health. Where we live, work and learn affects our opportunities for physical activity, access to healthy and affordable foods, potential for social engagement and support, and exposure to stressful circumstances.

Este blog ha sido resumido de un artículo en el boletín de invierno 2019 del Estudio Pathways.

¿Has escuchado el término Chemo Brain o Quimiocerebro? Hasta la última década, cuando las mujeres informaban problemas de memoria y pensamiento durante o después de recibir tratamiento para el cáncer de mama, a menudo se las ignoraba. Ahora sabemos que el cáncer y el tratamiento del cáncer pueden causar estos cambios y se están realizando investigaciones sobre cómo ayudar a las personas que tienen quimiocerebro, también conocido como deterioro cognitivo relacionado con el cáncer (DCRC). Nos anima saber que la mayoría de nosotras recuperaremos nuestra función cerebral y que hay cosas que podemos hacer para lidiar con los problemas de memoria y pensamiento.