Coach Bingo for Breast Cancer Research

Join the Salem Creekside Inn for a night of bingo to support a cause!

'Operation Nine Reindeer' to Bring Christmas Miracles to Montco

A real-life Santa Claus has taken the initiative to help a pair of struggling Montco families

A pair of struggling Montco families will soon find themselves on the receiving end of a Christmas miracle, thanks to the efforts of 38-year-old Dutch Schrap, of East Coventry, who has decided to take his professional Santa routine to the next level. The son of the elder Santa Schrap, Dutch has followed in his father's snow-covered footsteps for the past 21 years. He's made appearances everywhere from the Lansdale Mardi Gras Parade to gigs with the Philadelphia Flyers and Sixers, and he's even rung the opening bell at the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. This year, however, he's looking to expand on his role by initiating Operation Nine Reindeer, which seeks to aid two families who are in desperate need of support. It all began on October 1, …

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Outer Beauty Tips Lead to Inner Strength for Women with Breast Cancer

Resources for women fighting breast cancer that your doctor doesn't offer.

By the nature of its side effects, cancer treatment can make a private battle a very public affair. For a woman with cancer, having a bald head, pale skin or a missing breast can make her feel like she's being targeted by a bright spotlight and a banner that says, "Cancer patient." But now more than ever, there are resources for women that will put the spotlight back on their work, their accomplishments and their life—and change that banner to simply read, "Woman." High Point Cancer Center in Chalfton offers skin, hair and nail services during treatment, as well as prostheses and wigs. The American Cancer Society also keeps a list of resources for prostheses, wigs and hair loss accessories. Register for a group hands-on makeover workshop …

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Mike Shortall

10:03 am on Friday, October 26, 2012

Thought I could "chip in" with something I thought was an impressive contribution from an unlikely source: http://articles.philly.com/2012-10-22/news/34629112_1_double-mastectomies-breast-cancer-marisa-weiss   more ›

Breast Cancer in Young Women: Resources and Statistics in Montgomery County

Breast cancer isn't age specific. Here's how to cope with treatments and augmentations if you are diagnosed earlier in life.

Generally speaking, a woman in Pennsylvania has 125 in 100,000 chance of getting invasive breast cancer, according to this breast cancer statistics chart from komen.org. An American woman in her 30s has a one in 232 chance of getting the disease, and a woman 20 years her senior has a one in 42 probability, according to the website. “Although we aren’t certain, the cause of breast cancer in younger women is likely caused by a genetic predisposition,” says Ann H. Partridge, M.D., M.P.H., the medical oncologist director of the Adult Survivorship Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. While breast cancer treatment in young women is often effective, the chance of recovery tends to be worse in women under 40. …

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Profile of a Breast Cancer Survivor: Kerri Conner-Matchett

Meet a local woman who didn't just overcome breast cancer - she kicked its butt.

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Patch sat down for a Q & A session with local breast-cancer survivor and activist, Kerri Conner-Matchett. She was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer at the age of 33, when her daughter, Madison, was just 2. An Elkins Park resident, she is the author of My Mommy Has Breast Cancer, But She Is Ok. Patch: When were you diagnosed with breast cancer?  Kerri: April 2008, 10 years after my mother's diagnosis. Patch: How did you find the cancer? Was there a family history? Did you have higher-than-normal risk for developing breast cancer? Kerri: I have been getting mammograms since the age of 29, because my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 41.  The only year I did not get a …

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Why Pink?

It was no accident that the pink ribbon was selected to become the internationally recognized and accepted symbol of breast cancer.

When you see a pink ribbon in October, or any other time of year, you know what it means: breast cancer. It’s an internationally recognized symbol of breast cancer awareness, of moral support for breast cancer sufferers and survivors, of financial support for breast cancer research and hope for a cure. But why a ribbon? And why pink? According to Think Before You Pink’s History of the Pink Ribbon, the ribbon movement took flight in the 70s, when the wife of a hostage in Iran tied yellow ribbons around the trees in her front yard, to show hope for the safe return of her husband. Her story appeared on the nightly news, and people around the country tied their own yellow ribbons in a show of solidarity. In 1990 AIDS activists adopted the …

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Healthy Living Can Prevent Breast Cancer: Montgomery County Resources

Research shows good nutrition and exercise can help prevent breast cancer. Here are some resources around the Montco area to help you stay healthy.

You might be able to find help fighting breast cancer and other types of cancers at your local grocery store and fitness centers, according to the research findings of Dr. Marian Neuhouser, Ph.D, RD.  Dr. Neuhouser is a nutritional epidemiologist with a background in nutritional sciences. She is an investigator at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Her research is focused on lifestyle factors such as nutrition and physical activity. Some factors may prevent breast and prostate cancer and improve survivorship in those diagnosed with cancer.   According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year, more than 200,000 American women are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 American women will die …

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Breast Cancer in Men

This year, the American Cancer Society estimates 2,190 new cases of invasive breast cancer in men in this country. They estimate 410 men will die.

Allen Wilson doesn’t mind being a poster child for a pink cause. “Exploit me,” he said. Wilson was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 when he was 51. Now he’s using his experience to save other grandfathers, fathers, sons, brothers and uncles. Wilson, of Houston, noticed a lump under his nipple, but he ignored it until the day he collided with one of his sons while playing basketball. He did some research and decided he needed to see his doctor. “Two days later, I had a mammogram. It’s amazing what those technicians can do with so little tissue to work with,” he said. Wilson had a mastectomy and chemotherapy. His hair was falling out, so his two sons helped give him a Mohawk and paint half red and half green for a family Christmas card. …

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