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.

Cristine Albert is one of ZBC's champions and works tirelessly on our behalf for the Dipsea Hike and more. Working with Cristine has been such a pleasure because she is so very enthusiastic and reliable, plus witty to boot! Learn more about her below.

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.

Sound specialist Ian Walker of Hurricane Images
and volunteer Maritza Cárdenas record the narration for our
Girls' New Puberty tips videos in Spanish.

Zero Breast Cancer succeeds in very large part due to a dedicated cadre of volunteers, some of whom offer specialized and/or skilled pro-bono services. This month we thank and recognize 6 people who supported ZBC work in 2018 by translating, narrating, and/or reviewing new elements of our Girls’ New Puberty campaign: Chely Córdova, Frances Chiu, Hannah Barlow, Larry Chu, Maritza Cárdenas, and Perry Borders. 

While truly every day is a good day to say “I love you” to the special people in your life, Valentine’s Day is a beautiful moment where we may go the extra mile with a special gesture. With over an estimated $18 billion spent annually for the holiday nationwide, it is a wonderful opportunity to vote with your dollars and support healthier options for farmers, workers, and our loved ones who are all a part of this global love story. 

We are excited to share our suggestions for a healthy, safe, and sweet holiday!

Welcome to 2018!

Entering the new year is often a time for self reflection and new commitments to changing something about your life in order to be healthier, happier, and more at peace. For many women, a better relationship with food is something that they strive for anew on an annual basis and is challenging to resolve. 

With an eye towards integrating rather than avoiding, we want to share some easy to use techniques to tackle hunger cravings that can help make this new year one where healthy new habits are formed. 

My favorite way to mix work and pleasure (or work and health if you prefer) is to walk and talk. I can't exactly do that in a digital medium so I am inviting you to sign up for the Dipsea Hike for Zero Breast Cancer and to read more about putting breast cancer risk information into context so that we can talk about it in a realistic way.

J.: Zero Breast Cancer was launched in Marin in 1995. What sets it apart?

Rose Barlow: It’s a little different from other breast cancer organizations. From the get-go we focused on the environmental causes and risk factors. We’ve been more committed to the idea of prevention than screening and treatment.

ZBC is truly inspired by the teen cooks of the Ceres Community Project who prepare delicious and nutritious meals for breast and other cancer patients and their families. They do so under the supervision of expert nutritionist and chefs. The teens sign up for a regular schedule of prep and cooking sessions for a few months to several years. All of these young people make a commitment and have an impact. Meals are delivered to the patients and their families weekly – infused with love and messages of support prepared by elementary school volunteers. The Ceres Community Project is being recognized as the 2016 Healing Partner Award at our upcoming Honor Our Healers event on May 10th. You can learn more here.

In 2001, Teri Hollowell, friend and supporter of ZBC, combined her passion for world travel and corporate event planning expertise, to create One World Partners, a company that stages international corporate events. "The corporations were often local, but wanted to create international events all over the world," explains Teri.

The Zero Breast Cancer Team, and Board of Directors would like to thank all of you who generously gave of your time, resources and energy to make our Dipsea Hike a tremendous success!

Well over 200 participants showed up on that bright, chilly Saturday morning. Our hikers were greeted with bagels, yogurt, fruit and local Equator Coffee. Once nourished, they had the energy necessary to complete the both beautiful and challenging hike up the steps and over the hill, before returning to have lunch with us back in Old Mill Park where everything started.

Thanks to Janelle Burchfield for giving us permission to share her story.

 "You're such a delicate creature. You need to think about all the delicacies of being a woman."
- Random Doctor, after tossing a breast implant at me

So, this was my most recent Me Too moment - navigating the male-centric world of cancer treatment.

I'd kept my diagnosis pretty private for the first couple of months while I processed, letting only those closest to me know. Some women are so brave to share their story, I haven't been one of them. I knew I didn't want this disease to own or define me, and so I’ve taken my time in deciding how to speak about it -and Breast Cancer Awareness Month and all the countless other women sharing their Me Too stories gave me some courage.

Thank you to Dave Albee for giving us permission to repost this blog. 

The finish line of the 1919 Women's Dipsea Hike in Willow Camp (now Stinson Beach)

The brainchild of the Women’s Dipsea Hike in 1918 was a man dubbed “The Sultan of the Dipsea.”

George James was an Olympic Club member in San Francisco and an advocate for women’s sports. He organized the Golden Gate Swim for women and then decided to create a cross country race for women over the Dipsea trail covering seven miles from the railroad station in Mill Valley to Willow Camp at Stinson Beach. Edith Hickman, the winner of the inaugural Women’s Dipsea Hike at age 19, was a star in both events.

This inspiring post is from our Executive Director's cousin, Jo Gordon, with our thanks.

Several months after my dad died – 13 whiplash years ago – I was driving home from the gym one evening when a Josh Groban song began playing on the radio, Where You Are. Sitting at a red light, the mournful music washed over me. One verse gripped my heart, and squeezed and squeezed: Fly me up to where you are, beyond the distant star I wish upon tonight, to see you smile, if only for awhile to know you’re there, a breath away’s not far to where you are.

I started to cry in a way I hadn’t before – not on hearing the news of dad’s sudden death, not standing at his gravesite on a chilly Johannesburg morning as kaddish was recited, not at the prayer service that evening, not as I waded through his closet, setting aside small treasures and throwing out boxes of boxes and bags of bags; not even that impressive collection of emptiness that he had stored so fastidiously for so long had been my undoing. But this one line in this one song wrung me out.

Our homes are filled with plastics, and most of us don't really know what they're made of -- or whether they're safe. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has put together these tips to help you choose better plastics and plastic alternatives for your family:

• Why you should pick plastics carefully.
• How to choose and use safer plastics.
• Finding safer, non-plastic alternatives.

You are not alone if the social distancing requirements and complying with the need of living in a social bubble has left you feeling anxious, socially isolated and feeling depressed. You are among millions of people who are bearing the brunt of Covid-19’s psychological effects. Our exposure to the continuous feed of stimulating news and notifications over wifi devices, television and social media has made many of us, myself included, worry about the future. As a result, it has made us vulnerable emotionally and mentally. Adjusting to the new normal of being isolated was not easy. I found the thought of following the mundane routine daily with little or no avenues of recreation or in-person interaction made me anxious.