BREAST CANCER
WELLNESSBREAST CANCER
WELLNESS
WELCOME!!!
The American Cancer Society predicts that in 1997 there will be an estimated 180,200 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed among women. These women will travel to hospitals and cancer centers around the world to receive medical treatment for the cancer. Where will they go to receive treatment for their minds, their spirits, and their families?
Breast cancer wellness is more than just surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Total wellness comprises the mind, the body and the spirit. However, there is a lack of centers in the United States that cater to the total wellness of women living with breast cancer.
What you will find in this site is information regarding ways to help promote total wellness for women with breast cancer, as well as my own personal plan for a Breast Cancer Wellness Center (If I had unlimited funding of course.....)
I hope you find it useful!!
4. Support For The Patient And The Family
5. One Very Cool Wellness Center....
6. If I Could Plan A Wellness Center...
The following data is taken from Cancer Facts & Figures- 1997, published by the American Cancer Society:
New Cases: It is estimated that 180,200 new cases of breast cancer among women will be diagnosed in 1997. The incidence rate for women is currently 110 per 100,000. The increase in incidence rates in past years can most likely be attributed to increases in the number of women utilizing mammography, thereby allowing the cancer to be detected earlier.
Deaths: According to recent data, the mortality rates are beginning to decline in white women and younger African-American women. Still, breast cancer will kill an estimated 43,900 women in 1997, making it the second major cause of cancer deaths.
Signs and Symptoms: While mammography detects the earliest abnormalities, physical symptoms may include a lump in the breast, swelling, tenderness of the nipple, or nipple discharge, scaliness, and retraction or distortion of the breast.
Risk Factors: The risk for breast cancer increases with age. Women at higher risk include women who have a personal or family history of breast cancer, use oral contraceptives, have early menarche and/or late menopause, and either never have children, or have their first live birth after the age of thirty. Other higher risk factors include previous benign breast disease and long term exposure to postmenopausal estrogen. Also, there is new research being done on BRCA1, and BRCA2, which are susceptibility genes for breast cancer. Some of these risk factors are non-alterable and in that case, mammography for early detection is the best prevention.
Early Detection: Many studies indicate that early detection increases survival rates and options for treatment. Most breast lumps do not turn out to be cancer BUT only a doctor can make a diagnosis. Mammography and physical examinations are important for early detection.
Survival: The five- year survival rate for localized breast cancer is currently 97%. Sixty-five percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer will survive ten years, and fifty-six percent will survive fifteen years. New developments in medicine are helping the survival rates to increase!! (1)
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Complementary therapies are used in conjunction with medicine to improve the total wellbeing of the patient. They generally fall into the following categories: body work, nutritional intervention, and mind/body/spirit. Each of the categories affects the others, so addressing one category will show improvement in the other areas.
The following are examples of complementary therapies that are currently used in breast cancer wellness programs around the country:
Body Work/Manual Healing Methods Therapies that fall into this category are body work, nutritional intervention, and mind/body/spirit.
Chiropractic treatments involve manipulation of the bones, most usually the vertebrae of the spine. Chiropractic physicians believe that manipulation of the spine can alleviate pain anywhere in the body, as well as improve mood, and boost the immune system.
Hands-on massage is popular for its relaxation and stress reducing properties, and it also helps the body overcome muscle soreness from physical activities.
Acupuncture is based on "Chi", a life-giving force that runs through the body on paths or meridians. If these meridians are blocked, the organs that are dependent on the energy are not able to function normally. The insertion of needles at designated points on the meridians helps to stimulate energy flow, and will restore balance in the body.
Therapeutic Touch is a practice that is taught at many nursing schools. Despite the name, there is no actual physical contact between the patient and the healer. During this process, healers move their hands back and forth above the patient to remove any energy field "blockages". Much like acupuncture this process restores balance to the body, and helps to normalize energy flow.
Mind/Body/Spirit There is scientific research to suggest that it is possible to influence health with the mind. In fact, mind/body interventions have become more popular among mainstream medicine. These therapies involve using the mind and/or movements of the body as a source of healing:
Tai Chi is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that uses body movements to strengthen the body and balance chi. The movements are slow, gentle flowing exercises that can help to reduce stress, calm the mind, and promote healing of the body.
Meditation is a therapy in which the patient attempts to empty the mind in order to promote a more restful state. Meditation can be done alone, or can be lead in a group. Meditation is excellent for stress reduction. Similar to meditation is guided visualization, which uses mental imagery to let go of negative energy, and create positive images. Visualization can be done alone, or can be lead by a professional or an audiotape.
Spiritual Practice uses faith to promote healing. Spirituality is defined as caring for the "soul", and not every person believes in spirituality, but to those who believe, faith and prayer have been shown to have a positive affect.
Physical Activity has been shown to be of benefit in recovery programs for just about every illness. If the patient is well enough, and has clearance from a physician, regular cardiovascular activities (walking, swimming, cycling etc.) can reduce stress as well as strengthen the body and boost immune function.
Nutritional Intervention: Nutritional intervention is important in that the body's immune system cannot function properly under conditions of poor nutrition. It is especially important during times of physical and emotional stress. Nutritional intervention may include eating certain foods, using herbs, and taking vitamin and mineral supplements. However, nutritional intervention should only occur under the direct supervision of a registered dietician or physician because some supplements and dietary changes may interfere with medical treatments.
These are only a few examples of the complementary therapies available to breast cancer patients. Remember, these therapies are used ALONG with medical treatment. They should not be considered substitutes. (1,2)
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"The condition and treatment of breast cancer constitutes a major assault on your body image..."( 4 ) Women undergoing treatment for breast cancer can feel desexualized, dehumanized, and vulnerable. Losing a breast is a tragic event for a woman because she is losing a part of her body that helps define her sexuality. Other breast cancer treatments can cause sickness, hair loss and weight gain all of which play roles in how good a woman feels about her body. According to Deborah Hobler Kahane, "the status of your health, your sense of body wholeness, and the perception others have of you affect your body image. This image is a part of your identity, for your feelings about your body are commensurate with the way you see yourself generally"( 4 ) Kahane has several recommendations for women with living with breast cancer to help them maintain their body image.
1. Find ways to look and feel better: Kahane found that women who were in treatment found it helpful to "decorate" their bodies with jewelry, makeup and new clothes. The women also pampered themselves with regular manicures, and massages. There are MANY programs offered by the American Cancer Society and other cancer support services that help women improve their body image before and after treatments.
2. Take better physical care of your body: Women reported that when they "nurtured" their bodies through minimizing stress, exercising, resting, and eating well they felt their bodies were stronger and more able to fight the cancer.
3. Take pride in your body's ability to withstand trauma: According to Kahane, "Traditionally, most women have not been physically active, and do not know what their bodies are capable of doing...Learning what their bodies could achieve, particularly when so severely challenged was exhilarating."( 4 ) The women gained strength from having survived radiation, chemotherapy , mastectomy, etc. As one woman put it "I feel like Wonder Woman".
4. Listen to other's confirmations that you look okay: Support and reassurance from family and friends help to boost your body image. Many women said that "...receiving confirmation that they were still considered loveable and acceptable-looking was key."( 4 )
5. Decide for yourself how important your appearance is: Breast cancer may force some women to reassess what "looks good" to them, and accept their body as it has evolved through treatment. The women interviewed by Kahane coped with their body image by "...grieving for their losses, finding ways to cope with side effects of chemotherapy, using a prosthesis or having breast reconstruction, pampering themselves, taking good care of their bodies {and} putting their losses in perspective."( 4 )
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Support For The Patient And The Family
Cancer is an extremely traumatic event for the patient as well as her loved ones. There are thousands of support groups and programs throughout the country to help families deal with different aspects of cancer. Examples of these programs include financial planning classes, grief/loss classes, individual and family counseling for cancer patients, 24 hour support phone lines, on-line support groups, and cancer education classes that address treatment options, and medical issues. Also, the American Cancer Society offers many programs such as "Reach to Recovery" which pairs a breast cancer survivor with a newly diagnosed patient "buddy" and "Look Good, Feel Better", which is a type of body image program. See the links section of this site to contact programs that offer these support options.
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In my quest to find information about any cancer center that offers at least a small combination of the programs listed in this site, I discovered The Cancer Wellness Center. The center is located in Northbrook, Illinois and was founded in 1987 by Judy Brannon, Patsy Winicour, and Mary DeJager. These women wanted to develop "--a center that would offer psychological, emotional, and social support to cancer patients and their families..."
The philosophy of the wellness center is "..to complete the circle of cancer care". The programs offered by the center include, support groups for the patient, the significant other, and groups for grief support. The center also offers relaxation and visualization groups, educational workshops (ex: art therapy, t'ai chi chin, pain management, and journal writing), a 24 hour emotional support hot line, and social gatherings. The center also has the Barbara Pritikin Memorial Library which has books, audiovisual material, and a computerized database.
The most important aspect of the center is that they offer all of their programs and services to cancer patients and their families "at no charge, and with no regard to race, creed, gender, age or geographical boundaries"(3)
Since 1989 they have raised 100% of the annual operating costs of the center through donations. Judy Brannon, Patsy Winicour, and many volunteers staff the center. (3)
The Cancer Wellness Center can be contacted at http://www.cancerwellness.org, or by snail mail at:
The Cancer Wellness Center
215 Revere Drive
Northbrook, IL 60062
(847)509-9595 Fax:(847)509-9596
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If I Could Plan a Wellness Center
If I had unlimited funding, I would want to create a wellness center very similar to the one started by Patsy Winicour and Judy Brannon. The following is my plan for a "dream" center:
To create a place for women living with breast cancer to come, free of charge, to work on achieving and maintaining total wellness; wellness of the mind, body and spirit.
The wellness center would offer as many options as possible to the women, including, support groups, individual counseling, family counseling, grief and loss counseling and support groups. Also, art therapy, yoga, meditation, t'ai chi, massage therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture therapy, and full fitness facilities for women well enough to work out regularly. The center would also offer nutritional counseling, have classes on wigs, makeup lessons,and have a hair and nail salon. This wellness center would also offer childcare so women could come and leave their children with the staff while they are there. There would be classes on treatment options, financial planning, insurance options and seminars with physicians. The center would also offer social activities for the women and their families as well as fund raising events.
Obviously a center like this would require an enormous staff. At minimum this center would need two to three physicians to oversee the programs and provide clearance for patients, licensed counseling therapists, licensed massage therapists, a chiropractic physician, a doctor of oriental medicine (for acupuncture), yoga, and tai chi instructors, an exercise physiologist, and full fitness center staff, registered dieticians, hair and nail salon staff, and child care staff. The center would also need local business people to come in and give seminars on financial planning etc.
I can't even begin to imagine the cost or legal logistics of a center like this, but I can imagine the benefits. I hope that someday I will be involved in creating a center like this, and my research in this area has demonstrated to me that there is a need for the services a wellness center would provide.
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Beth Israel Patient's Guide to Breast Cancer Treatment
Montana Breast Cancer Resource Guide
Lahey Hitchcock Breast Cancer Center
Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization
National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations
Avon Breast Cancer Awareness Crusade
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Dedication
This web site is dedicated to the memory of Nancy M. Leake.
Nancy Leake lost her battle with breast cancer on June 30,1995. She left behind her husband Scott, and four exceptionally talented children, Bryan, Jeffrey, Michael and Jill. May she, and all the other women who have bravely fought breast cancer, rest in peace.
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This web site was created to fulfill requirements for the Exercise Science major at The University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
I wish to thank the following people for assisting me with this project:
I hope you found this site useful. Please email me with any comments: aholmes@student.umass.edu
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On Line References:
1.http://www.cancer/org/97breast.html/
2. http://www2.mbcrg.org/mbcrg/mbcother.html
3.http://www.cancerwellness.org/
Book References:
4. Kahane, Deborah Hobler. No Less A Woman-Femininity, Sexuality & Breast Cancer; Hunter House Inc.; Alameda, CA. 1995.
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This document was created by Amanda K. Holmes using Microsoft Word '97.
Last Updated 5/18/97