Speaking to Arbella Parrot, you naturally latch on to her every word and get inspired by what she shares given her sincerity and enthusiasm. A licensed clinical psychologist for eighteen years, Arbella joined the ZBC board just over a year ago and has been an invaluable member of the organization ever since. We took some time to catch up with her as part of a Get to Know the ZBC Board series and are so honored to share her story with you.

It is such a pleasure to speak to JT Peterson and get motivated to do good in the world! As a personal trainer, coach, and co-owner of Ripped Body Fitness, he exudes positive energy and a “you can do it” attitude. JT has been a wonderful member of the ZBC board for almost two years and we took some time to talk to him as part of our Get to Know the ZBC Board series. We are honored to share his insights with you!

Kevin Gay shares his enthusiasm for Zero Breast Cancer in this month’s Get to Know the Board interview. In his second year as a board member, Kevin’s financial management expertise and knowledge of nonprofit governance have been invaluable to advancing the ZBC mission. 

Next up in the Get to Know the ZBC Board series is Lexi Mele-Algus. Lexi got to know Zero Breast Cancer as a pro-bono business consultant through the Taproot Foundation. Once that assignment was completed, Lexi jumped at the opportunity to join our board. In her year and a half as a board member, she has continued to draw upon her expertise in the field of healthcare systems to support and advance the strategic mission of ZBC.

Heart Health & Breast Cancer 

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Breast and other cancer treatments can cause heart and artery diseases, which need to be identified and treated. Some may even be prevented. Watch the recording to hear from two cardiologists who work with people diagnosed with breast cancer and a panel of experts to learn about who is affected, common signs and symptoms, and how they are working to prevent and manage cancer-related cardiovascular diseases. 

Physical activity is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health. It reduces the risk of many diseases, including breast cancer. It can also lead to better outcomes for people who have breast cancer and reduce the risk of reoccurrence for those who have recovered from the disease.

Did you know that you don’t have to drip sweat to see the benefits of exercise? For example, tai chi is a gentle exercise that shows similar benefits to more vigorous activities. It may improve the immune system, cardio-vascular fitness, strength, flexibility, balance, stress level and sleep.

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.

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).

For more than 27 years, Zero Breast Cancer has translated science into actions we can each take to reduce life-long risk of breast cancer and recurrence. Now we are taking it a step further as we build our Resilient Me Health & Wellness Coaching Program to help people at high risk of breast cancer and survivors post-treatment take those healthy actions we have long promoted. Services will be offered remotely and open to people across the U.S. We plan to pilot the program in March 2024.

Zero Breast Cancer has just finished producing La guía de las niñas y la nueva pubertad, a Spanish-language translation of our Girls’ New Puberty Eguide! This guide expands upon the messages in our Spanish infographic and YouTube video series. In this interactive webpage, you will find easy tips to support healthy puberty alongside videos, quizzes and links to more resources. 

About the course

The Anticancer Lifestyle Program is a free online evidenced-based lifestyle transformation course that offers cancer survivors and those of us interested in prevention the tools and information we need to reduce the odds of cancer and cancer recurrence. It can also help prevent or manage other chronic illnesses, like heart disease and type II diabetes.

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.

Genetics and Breast Cancer: Learnings From the Pathways Study and Clinical Practice

Thursday, April 25, 2024, 11 am PDT

Do lifestyle and environment matter for genetic risk? How do genes impact breast cancer risk and treatment? How is genetic information used by physicians? Get these questions and more answered in our hour-long free webinar brought to you by Zero Breast Cancer and Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research.

On September 21, 2023, we hosted the webinar “People, Places, and Breast Cancer: The Pathways Study and how our communities impact survival and quality of life.” While many webinar attendees asked about how and where to get support, our speakers and panelists emphasized that systems, like our medical systems and community structures, play a large role in what is available and the quality of support during and after treatment. A major point of this forum was that resources vary by place. Where there is more money, more services are usually available. People who live in neighborhoods with others from a similar culture often feel more supported with a greater sense of community.

Research that began with the Marin Women’s Study has now been duplicated in the larger California Teachers Study, demonstrating that women who develop hypertension in pregnancy and carry a common gene variant have up to a 90% lower breast cancer risk.

“This research could contribute to understanding the key impact of pregnancy on breast cancer risk, and may help explain why some women are protected while others are not,” said lead researcher Mark Powell, MD, MPH, visiting scientist at the Buck Institute and Director of the Breast Cancer Prevention Project.

BEACON (Beneficial, Empowering, Accessible, Cancer Online Network) is a free, self-paced online system that provides cancer patients, caregivers, and survivors tools to reduce stress, cultivate joy, and practice wellness. This program was developed by Wellness Within, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people navigate the fog of information and emotions surrounding cancer diagnosis; their goal is to give space to focus on your quality of life while letting the doctors focus on the disease.

Anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer has had their lives changed and may have needed new ways to cope . The Covid-19 pandemic is also changing lives. Many of us dealt with wildfire smoke in the summer and the shorter winter days can be another challenge. Breast cancer survivors on the Pathways Study Community Advisory Board (CAB) decided that understanding our risk of Covid-19 and taking care of ourselves are important and timely topics for us to address.

This is the second of two parts about what we can do for our health and wellness during the Covid pandemic, from breast cancer survivors on the Pathways Study Community Advisory Board. Here they share how they cope: connecting with people; taking a break; breathing deeply, meditating or praying; asking for support; getting sleep; gratitude; and focusing on moving forward. Research has shown that all of these can help our mental and our physical health. (Check out the first part for ideas on moving our bodies and eating well.)

We have all heard how important sleep is for our health. The stress of a cancer diagnosis and treatment on the body and mind can make sleep more difficult, yet it is important for healing. Even people whose treatment has ended commonly have trouble sleeping occasionally. For some of us, sleep can be a struggle.