breastcancer's topics - tribe.net

Beautiful Tattoo Art for Scars

2009-03-03T05:21:18Z

I'm a tattoo artist in San Francsico specializing in botanical and nature tattoos. I also do a lot of work covering scars. Tattoo art can be a powerful tool for reclaiming of a body after surgery. Some people cover the scars completely, while others create a design to interact with the scar. The tattoo cannot erase the scar or change the texture, but it can be a beautiful symbol of survival and thriving.

Please feel free to contact me for more information. My websit is dragonflyink.com

thank you for your time,
Sasha
Dragonfly Ink Custom Tattoo, women owned and operated

posted in breastcancer - 2 replies

HL291 breast Cancer Get £80 for a one hour interview!

2008-06-11T08:24:06Z

HL291 Prostate Cancer Get £80 for a one hour interview!

Dear Friends

The Patients Voice would like to take this opportunity to invite you to a new research project.

We are looking to interview people in the UK who have breast cancer. The project will help improve the quality of the information provided to patients and carers in your situation.

The interview lasts for sixty minutes and will be conducted face to face. This means you can participate from your own home or in a nearby hotel if you prefer. By way of thanks we will give you £80 for your help.

If you are interested the best way forward is to join The Patients Voice itself by going to

Http://www.thepatientsvoice.org

This is our special research community and it gives everyone the opportunity to participate research projects. So don’t delay - join today.

Alternatively you can email my colleague Bina who is running this project. Her address is bina.savla@healthcarelandscape.com

If you know somebody who may qualify please do let us know. If they do qualify we will reward you with
Thanks very much for your help in advance.

With best wishes
Belinda Shale
www.thepatientsvoice.org

PS Please remember all our projects are research projects and we never try and sell you anything. Ever.

posted in breastcancer - 0 replies

breast cancer causes:

2007-05-06T05:34:55Z

Pesticides
Dioxin
PVCs
polybrominated biphenyl ethers, or PBDEs.
(used as fire retardents in foam)

high fat diets ( higher fat intake increases hormones )
(girls with high fat diets grow breasts @ early teens
and have an increased incidence of breast cancer)
(historical and anthropological studies indicate this)
stress
other lifestyle factors that increase hormones

posted in breastcancer - 1 reply

Certified Organic skin, body, hair, cosmetic and health care products

2006-04-08T06:07:42Z

To any of you who might be interested....there is definate evidence of links of breast cancer and underarm deodorants. It is best not to use any deodorants with aluminum salts or parabens. It is very hard to find products without parabens (commonly used as preservatives).

If you are interested, I have been using these products for about a year. Certified Organic to food grade standard...very few companies have products that meet this standard. If you are interested in looking at them and reading ingredients lists you can purchase the products online at: www.certified-organic-bodycare.com

All ingredients for each product are listed on the website.

Regards,
Erin

posted in breastcancer - 0 replies

Toxic Flame Retardants

2004-02-25T21:03:18Z

Body Of Evidence: New Science In The Debate Over
Toxic Flame Retardants And Our Health

February 2004

Executive Summary
<http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/envirocaliftoxics.asp?id2=12239#summ>
| News Release
<http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/envirocaliftoxics.asp?id2=12238>
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/envirocaliftoxics.asp?id2=12239#summ
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/envirocaliftoxics.asp?id2=12238

Download the full report.
<http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/reports/BodyofEvidenceEnvCal.pdf>
(PDF,1.7 MB)
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/reports/BodyofEvidenceEnvCal.pdf

Executive Summary

New evidence indicates that the chemical flame retardant
decabromodiphenyl ether (Deca) may threaten the health of Americans.

Manufacturers of common household products add Deca to plastics or
fabrics to make them resist the spread of fire. A growing body of
evidence shows that exposure to Deca may cause adverse health effects,
including damage to the nervous system and impaired motor skills. New
research also indicates Deca can break down into the types of flame
retardants recently banned in the European Union and California because
of their bioaccumulative and toxic properties.

Unfortunately, the story of Deca is not unique. Deca is one of many
potentially hazardous chemicals that are in widespread use, due to a
failed national policy that presumes chemicals are safe until proven
beyond a doubt to cause harm.

Toxic flame retardants are commonly added to household products. Deca is
the most heavily used member of a class of flame retardants known as
polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs. There are three main types of
commercially used PBDEs: Penta, Octa, and Deca. Deca is added to
products used in the home, in travel, and in the workplace, including
televisions, stereos, computers, hair dryers, toasters, draperies, and
upholstery fabrics. These materials contain as much as 5-30 percent Deca
by weight. In 2001 alone, North American industry used 49 million pounds
of Deca, accounting for almost half the world market.

The European Union and California banned Penta and Octa flame retardants
because they pose a threat to human health. The European Union has
developed a policy banning the use of all PBDEs (Penta, Octa, and Deca)
in consumer electronics beginning in mid-2006 and banning the marketing
and use of the Penta and Octa products in all sectors beginning in
mid-2004. In 2003, the state of California followed suit, banning use
and distribution of Penta and Octa. A few months later, the largest U.S.
manufacturer of these two chemicals announced a national phase-out of
their production.

Numerous laboratory studies point to potential health effects from
exposure to Penta and Octa flame retardants:

. Infant mice exposed to these toxic flame retardants suffer disrupted
brain development, permanently impairing learning and movement.

. Components of Penta and Octa are rapidly building up inside people.
American women's breast milk and breast tissue contain some of the
highest levels of PBDEs found in any population in the world.

. Human contamination levels leave little margin of safety. PBDEs found
in some mothers and fetuses are rapidly approaching the levels shown to
impair learning and behavior in lab testing.

Contrary to industry claims, Deca also poses a threat to human health.
Deca escapes into the environment because it is not chemically bound to
products to which it is added. Within the home, Deca has been found in
household dust and as a film coating the surfaces of windows. It also
escapes from products in landfills to spread through air and water.

. Deca decomposes into forms that are more toxic and more easily
absorbed by the body. Although Deca itself is less easily absorbed by
the body than other PBDEs, lab experiments have demonstrated that Deca
can break down and convert to more dangerous forms, including the Penta
and Octa scientists have found rapidly accumulating in our bodies. New
evidence indicates that Deca decomposes in sunlight and ultraviolet
light and within the bodies of animals.

. Deca itself has been found in animals and humans. The chemical
industry has asserted that the Deca molecule is too large to be
efficiently taken up by organisms. However, Deca has been found in
peregrine falcons, in workers at electronics recycling plants, in
regular citizens in the U.K., and in the breast milk of mothers in the
United States. One recent study of American women's breast milk found
levels of Deca in 16 of 20 women tested. A study from the University of
Texas found a maximum level of Deca 40 times higher than industry's
estimated maximum body burden for women who disassemble Deca-containing
computers for a living.

. Deca itself may be neurotoxic. Recent research also has revealed that
Deca exhibits some of the same toxic properties as Penta and Octa. When
infant lab animals are exposed to Deca during a key period of
development, they develop permanent damage to their nervous systems,
resulting in impaired motor skills. This damage worsens with age.

Safer means of fireproofing products are widely available. Leaders in
the furniture, plastic, and electronics industries already have
manufactured products that meet fire-safety standards without the use of
Deca. Strategies for flame-resistance include using better product
design, inherently nonflammable materials, or alternative
flame-retardant chemicals. For example, Ericsson, which manufactures
cell phones and other electronics, has banned Deca and other PBDEs from
its products and applications and found replacements at comparable cost.

U.S. chemicals policy compromises public health. In the U.S. alone, tens
of thousands of industrial chemicals are on the market with little or no
information about potential health impacts. Where significant evidence
of harm to public health exists, inadequate resources and legal
authority prevent regulatory agencies from taking protective action.

Recommendations
Phase Out Toxic Flame Retardants
Despite remaining data gaps about the hazards of Deca, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency should take action based on current
evidence. Given the scientific studies showing that Deca accumulates in
humans, breaks down into more hazardous chemicals, and potentially harms
brain development, the United States should phase out the use of Deca
and other brominated flame retardants--especially given the availability
of viable alternatives.

Reform U.S. Chemicals Policy
U.S. Chemicals policy should ensure that manufacturers and industrial
users provide regulatory agencies and the public with adequate
information about their products, so that agencies can act to protect
public health from potentially dangerous substances before damage is
done. Chemicals that are untested or known to be hazardous should not be
on the market or in widespread use and distribution. In addition, the
costs of developing analytical methods and testing for chemicals' safety
should fall to the manufacturers who stand to profit from the product.
In the absence of adequate data, the U.S. must take measures to prevent
exposure to chemicals when there is evidence of potential harm.

eof

earthfirstalert-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

posted in breastcancer - 0 replies

polybrominated biphenyl ethers

2004-02-18T00:21:50Z

Effort will target harmful fire retardant
Gov. Locke stops short of a ban on the 'son of PCBs'
By LISA STIFFLER
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
Thursday, January 29, 2004
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/158494_toxic29.html

OLYMPIA -- A fire retardant that has been showing up in
frightening levels in Washington eagle eggs and fish -- even the
breast milk of Northwest women -- is the new target of a state
program devoted to reducing toxic chemicals in the environment.

Gov. Gary Locke signed an executive order yesterday reviving an
Ecology Department program that had its budget gutted last year,
announcing that it will address the growing threat of
polybrominated biphenyl ethers, or PBDEs.

California and European Union leaders already have passed laws
to ban the most dangerous types of the widely used fire
retardants -- added to electronic devices, computers, foam
cushions in furniture and cars, carpet padding and fabrics.

Lawmakers in Maine are considering a ban, and momentum is
building for a federal prohibition.

"This chemical is rapidly increasing in our environment," said
Locke, who stopped short of calling for a similar ban here. "We
need to do more. We need to do it faster."

PBDEs are suspected of causing developmental defects in the
brain of fetuses and children, leading to reduced intelligence and
motor skills. Because they are added to most products, and not
chemically bound to them, PBDEs can leach into the
environment. They can be released when foams break down and
have been found in dust, researchers have found.

The flame retardants have been called the "son of PCBs"
because their chemical structure is similar to polychlorinated
biphenyls. PCBs, the cancer-causing chemicals used for decades
to insulate electrical equipment, were banned in 1977, but they
were in so many products and are so long-lasting that they
continue to plague the food chain. Both compounds accumulate
in the fatty tissues of people and animals.

Will PBDEs be the next great menace?

"Quite frankly, the levels that they are finding in the environment
are alarming," said Rob Duff, acting director of the state Health
Department's Office of Environmental Health Assessment.

Duff cited recent studies measuring PBDEs at levels 10
to 100 times higher in American women than in their
European counterparts, and said health concerns need
to be addressed here immediately. "Why would you want to wait
around?"

"Action is needed," agreed Ivy Sager-Rosenthal of the
Washington Public Interest Research Group. "The important step
right now is that we start taking a look" at where PBDEs are in
the environment and where they are coming from.

Locke's executive order instructed Ecology to develop an "action
plan" for dealing with the PBDE problem within a year. The
agency will try to figure out the sources of the compounds and
how they move through the environment, then assess human
health impacts and recommend ways to reduce exposure.

The governor's order doesn't give Ecology the money it needs to
get the job done. Locke and legislators promised yesterday to
fight to include $686,000 for the program in this year's budget.

Business groups were pleased that Locke's strategy was to assess
the magnitude of PBDE contamination here rather than rush into
a ban.

Locke's action "caught us off-guard," said Grant Nelson, who
works on environmental policy for the Association of Washington
Business. "AWB members really prefer voluntary approaches."

Some major manufacturers have reduced or eliminated use of the
fire retardant, including Ikea, Intel and Sony, choosing less
dangerous alternatives. Other products are being made from less
flammable materials or designed to be less fire-prone.

The Boeing Co. is among the local manufacturers looking for
safer alternatives.

The trick for Boeing is finding something that works chemically
with the resins and plastics used in airplane production, said Billy
Glover, the company's director of environmental performance
and strategy in Everett.

"It's not one of our more expensive endeavors," Glover said. "It
takes concentrated effort, though."

In 2001, Washington became the first state in the nation to
launch a program to reduce long-lasting contaminants that build
up in living organisms. The first toxin tackled by the Ecology
program was mercury. PBDEs will be the second -- if funding is
restored.

"Right now, today, we don't have the money to do this," said
Ecology spokeswoman Sheryl Hutchison.

If lawmakers don't come through with the needed money, Locke
said, he might jump-start the program with $100,000 from his
emergency fund.

Democrats in the House will push to include the funding in their
budget, said Rep. Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham, who serves on the
Appropriations Committee.

"Prevention of these chemicals from entering the environment is
going to be more cost-effective than cleaning them up after," she
said. "It makes good public health sense and good fiscal sense to
do these programs."

PBDEs came into heavy use in the late-'70s. Twenty years later,
European countries reduced their use of the flame retardant, with
good results. Tests of breast milk in Swedish women showed that
PBDE levels have been declining steadily.

"It's not a question of, do we stop breast-feeding?" said Yana
Kucher, an environmental health advocate for Environment
California, a non-profit group. "It's how do we get these
chemicals out?"

In Washington, there has been a lot of concern over mercury and
PCB contamination in salmon and other fish. PBDEs also have
been measured at high levels.

Recent tests by Ecology researchers have found the chemicals at
1.3 parts per million in mountain whitefish from the urbanized
Spokane River. These problems highlight the need to change
policies to prevent long-lasting, toxic chemicals from being used
in the first place, Kucher said.

"It is pretty scary to think our grandchildren will be suffering
from our actions," she said.

PROBLEM FIRE RETARDANT

Widely used fire-retardant chemicals known as polybrominated
diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, have been found in the breast milk of
American women, raising health concerns.

Uses -- PBDEs are used in furniture cushions, car seats,
fabrics, computers, stereos and other products.

Human exposure -- Scientists are still figuring this out, but the
most likely exposure is through dust from the products or by
consuming contaminated food.

Health effects -- High levels of PBDEs have been shown to
cause cognitive impairment, memory loss and even brain damage
in lab animals.

Phaseouts -- Some American manufacturers are voluntarily
phasing out use of the two most dangerous types of PBDEs --
penta and octa -- by 2005; European Union ban takes effect this
year, California's in 2008.

posted in breastcancer - 0 replies

prevent breast cancer

2004-02-18T00:10:15Z

http://bcaction.org/Pages/DoSomething/Events.html
http://bcaction.org

Tue Feb 17 5:30–8:00 PM
Bay Area Breast Cancer and Environment Research Center Community Meeting
UCSF Mission Bay Campus
600 16th St.
Genentech Hall
Rm.S201
San Francisco, CA
The University of California, San Francisco, is one of four research centers across the country recently funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Cancer Institute as part of the Breast Cancer and Environment Research Centers Program. Join community members and advocacy groups to get a history and overview of the project, to discuss community concerns about breast cancer and the environment, and to brainstorm ways the community can support and be informed by the upcoming research. For more information or to register contact Marin Breast Cancer Watch at 415-256-9011 or info@breastcancerwatch.org http://www.breastcancerwatch.org

Thu Feb 26 BCA Activist Meeting:
Envisioning the Research RevolutionLight dinner at 5:30
Meeting from 6:00–7:30 PM
BCA Office
55 New Montgomery St.
Suite 323
San Francisco
(1 block from Montgomery BART station)
Since the War on Cancer was declared over 30 years ago, billions of dollars have been poured into cancer research. Why do women face essentially the same treatment options—surgery, radiation, chemotherapy—that they did then? Why are our only options for &lsquoprevention&rsquo powerful pills with dangerous side effects? Come learn about the major scientific advances in breast cancer of the last decade, get an update on the recent San Antonio Breast Cancer Research Symposium, and discuss the ways we can push for a revolution in the way we structure cancer research in the United States through BCA&rsquos Rachel Carson Cancer Research Project. This is an informal meeting and is open to anyone interested in learning more about issues surrounding breast cancer. If you&rsquore new to BCA, this is a great way to meet other like-minded folks and BCA activists. Please RSVP to Kendra at 415-243-9301 or Kklein@bcaction.org.

Sat Mar 6 Volunteers Needed for BCA Table at
Breast Cancer: What's Really Going On?Event: 8 AM–4:30 PM
Tabling: 2 hour shifts from 8 AM–2 PM
The Golden Gate Club
The Presidio
Building 135
Fisher Loop
San Francisco, CA
Share BCA's materials and message with others at this day-long conference sponsored by the Allison Taylor Holbrooks Breast Cancer Research Fund. Two-hour shifts are available from 8 AM–2 PM. You don't need to be an expert on breast cancer or BCA to help spread the word. Also, take time to attend conference sessions on issues ranging from health coverage and disability benefits to treatment options and sex after breast cancer. For more information go to www.holbrooksfund.org. To volunteer, contact Kendra at 415.243.9301 or kklein@bcaction.org.

Sat Mar 20 8 AM–4 PM
11th Annual UCSF Women&rsquos Health 2020 ConferenceSaturday, March 20
UCSF Parnassus Campus
513 Parnassus Ave.
San Francisco, CA
Cost: $65; $55 for seniors; $25 for students; $10 for CEU credits for nurses
Hear a keynote panel presentation on the role the media plays in shaping our understanding of health, and choose from 24 dynamic group sessions on topics ranging from disease prevention to moods and hormones to discussion on the upcoming election&rsquos impact on women&rsquos health. Participate in interactive self-care rooms on topics such as: acupressure, bone density screening, mini-massage, thyroid and blood pressure checks. For more information or to volunteer, call 510-843-8048 or go to: http://www.ucsf.edu/coe and click on & What's Happening .

Mar 24-28
The 9th Biennial Symposium on Minorities, the Medically Underserved & CancerOmni Shoreham Hotel
2500 Calvert Street NW Washington, DC
This Symposium, presented by the Intercultural Cancer Council and Baylor College of Medicine, will shine a spotlight on the issue of disproportionate cancer incidence, morbidity and mortality in minority and medically underserved populations in the United States and its associated territories. Read the program and register…

Thu March 25, 2004
Breast Cancer Truth & Consequences Conference
2:00–6:30 PM
Bentley College
Wilder Pavilion
175 Forest St.
Waltham, MA
Join Hurricane Voices Breast Cancer Foundation, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC), and two panels of experts to not only examine breast cancer issues faced by the medical, research and advocacy communities, but to participate in Ideas to Action; a segment which will include activities to help make a change in the fight against the disease. BCA executive director, Barbara Brenner, will present on Challenging Today&rsquos Breast Cancer Culture. For more information and to register call 617-928-3300 or go to: http://www.hurricanevoices.org/truth

April 2-4
22nd National Pesticide Forum
Unite for Change: New Approaches to Pesticides and Environmental HealthUniversity of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
This forum, sponsored by Beyond Pesticides, Californians for Pesticide Reform, and Pesticide Action Network North America, will focus on pesticides and public health. For more information…

Sat Apr 24 1–5 PM
BCA's 7th Annual Town Meeting for Activists:
Taking Care in a Toxic Oakland,
Asian Cultural Center
388 9th St.
Oakland, CA
Mark your calendars now! The 2004 BCA Town Meeting will feature keynote speaker Dr. Sandra Hernandez, a medical doctor and public health specialist widely respected for her work on both the precautionary principle and universal access to health care. Learn how to take action to reduce and eliminate our exposure to toxic chemicals and protect public health. Workshops will provide information and discussion on: mammography, breast cancer politics, the Rachel Carson Cancer Research Project, and corporate connections to breast cancer.
More information about BCA's Town Meeting…

ongoing:
Focal Point, E-Clips & Modo EyewearDavid Salk of E-Clips, a member and an excellent friend of Breast Cancer Action (BCA), has created an ongoing benefit for BCA at his Berkeley eyewear store, Focal Point. The E-Clips and Modo Eyewear companies have each donated eyeglasses frames that are available for purchase at the Focal Point store for the low price of $19 each. The full amount of the purchase is donated to BCA. The Focal Point benefit provides customers with a wonderful bargain, and it results in hundreds of dollars of donations to BCA every month.
For more information, please visit Focal Point, which is located at 2638 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705
Or you may contact Melissa Reno, manager of Focal Point, at 510-843-5367.

© 2004, Breast Cancer Action

http://bcaction.org
http://bcaction.org/Pages/DoSomething/Events.html

posted in breastcancer - 0 replies