Conferences & Presentations March 15-20, 2019, Las Vegas, NV National Consortium of Breast Centers 29th Annual Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference February 15, 2019, Naples, FL University of Pittsburgh 2019 Winter Academy February 16, 2019, Naples, FL Magee-Womens Research Institute Symposium October 15, 2018, Boston, MA Exhibitor at the Asian Women for Health CelebrAsians event for breast cancer awareness month September 30, 2018, Philadelphia, PA Exhibitor at the Living Beyond Breast Cancer Conference in Philadelphia, PA February 28-March 2, Clearwater, FL 2018 Carol Carfang Nursing & Healthcare Ethics Conference Conferences &Presentations Press Media

Meditation for Breast Cancer (On Demand) Visit our official YouTube meditation playlist!

Conoce nuestro Equipo Junta Consultiva Médica Laura Carfang, M.A., Ed.D. CEO / Directora ejecutiva, Co-fundadora, Miembro de la Junta Directiva William Laferriere, MBA VP de Desarrollo Comercial Co-Foundador, Miembro de la Junta Directiva Kathleen Boyle, Ph.D. Miembro de la Junta Directiva Abigail Johnston, J.D. Miembro de la Junta Directiva Junta Directiva Meghann Sweeney, J.D. Miembro de la Junta Directiva Tony Carfang, MBA Miembro de la Junta Directiva Dr. Amy Commander, MD Directora médica del Centro Oncológico General de Massachusetts Waltham Directora del Programa de Oncología Mamaria en el Hospital Newton-Wellesley Directora de Lifestyle Medicine Dr. Rachel Jimenez, MD Dra. Rachel Jimenz, MD Directora Asociada del Programa de Residencia de Oncología Radioterápica de Harvard Dr. Jandie Posner Oncologa quirúrgica Dr. Sandra Naaman Endocrinologa, Especialista en Hipertensión, Salud de la Mujer, Supervivencia al Cáncer de Mama de la Universidad de Medicina de Chicago Después de un Diagnóstico Marca la diferencia. Cambia vidas. Dona Hoy. Contribuye a nuestro programa Después de un Diagnóstico Quiero apoyar Brenda Coronado, CPIM VP de Operaciones Cofundadora de Después De Un Diagnóstico Directora de Participación Comunitaria Lourdes Heras, MPH VP de Operaciones Cofundadora de Después De Un Diagnóstico Directora de Participación Comunitaria Elisa Herrera BBA Directora de Programas y Eventos Malena Suárez, Directora de Operaciones

In Loving Memory We honor the borthers and sisters we have lost to Metastatic Breast Cancer and the 119 people we lose each day to this disease. We promise to: Say their names Talk about them often Share their stories and honor their legacy Check back soon Once posts are published, you’ll see them here. Follow Us laura@survivingbreastcancer.org 5 Cedar Street, Boston, MA Contact us © 2022, Registered 501(c)(3). EIN 82-2953427 Never miss a beat. Stay connected with SBC on Social for daily updates, news, and information!

Download PDF Surgery Options Questions to ask your Surgeon What should I expect during a consultation for breast reconstruction? During your breast reconstruction consultation, be prepared to discuss: Your surgical goals Medical conditions, drug allergies and medical treatments Current medications, vitamins, herbal supplements, alcohol, tobacco and drug use Previous surgeries Your plastic surgeon will also: Evaluate your general health status and any pre-existing health conditions or risk factors Examine your breasts and take measurements of their size and shape, skin quality and placement of nipples and areolae Take photographs Discuss your options and recommend a course of treatment Discuss likely outcomes of breast reconstruction and any risks or potential complications Be sure to ask your plastic surgeon questions. It's very important to understand all aspects of your breast reconstruction. To help, we have prepared a checklist of questions to ask your breast reconstruction surgeon that you can take with you to your consultation. It's natural to feel some anxiety, whether it's excitement for your anticipated new look or a bit of preoperative stress. Don't be shy about discussing these feelings with your plastic surgeon. What options are available for breast reconstruction? If you've decided to have breast reconstruction, you'll still have many things to think about as you and your doctors talk about what type of reconstruction might be best for you. There are many different reconstruction techniques available. Take the time to learn about the breast reconstruction options and consider talking to others who have had that procedure before you make a decision. Breast reconstruction with implants Implant-based breast reconstruction may be possible if the mastectomy or radiation therapy have left sufficient tissue on the chest wall to cover and support a breast implant. For patients with insufficient tissue on the chest wall, or for those who don't desire implants, breast reconstruction will require a flap technique (also known as autologous reconstruction). The most common method of tissue reconstruction uses lower abdominal skin and fat to create a breast shape. There are several techniques that can be used for implant-based breast reconstruction. Make sure to discuss with your plastic surgeon which is appropriate for you. Immediate breast reconstruction above the pectoral muscle This procedure is performed in combination with the mastectomy and results in an immediate breast mound. After the mastectomy has been performed by the breast surgeon, the plastic surgeon will place the breast implant, wrapped in a biological mesh known as acellular dermal matrix (ADM), to help the implant maintain correct anatomic position, above the pectoralis muscle. With this procedure, recuperation may be more rapid because the muscle in the chest has not been elevated. Further, the breast implant itself is not influenced by the contraction of the muscle. Complications, while rare, may include skin loss, excess bleeding, infection, malposition of the implant so that asymmetry occurs, wrinkling or rippling of the implant, possible fluid collection underneath the implant and/or unfavorable scarring. This procedure may also require secondary autologous fat transfer to eliminate upper pole wrinkling and rippling over time, which will occur over secondary procedures. Immediate breast reconstruction under the pectoral muscle This procedure is also performed as a combination with the mastectomy and results in an immediate breast mound. The incision generally is performed through the mastectomy site. Once the mastectomy is completed, the plastic surgeon will elevate the pectoralis major muscle. This will allow the muscle to retract upward and allow a pocket to be developed underneath the muscle and at the bottom of the normal breast position. Delayed breast reconstruction utilizing tissue expander. The initial portion of this procedure entails the breast surgeon performing a standard mastectomy and possible axillary dissection. In many instances, a drain will be placed between the muscle and the skin of the mastectomy. Once these procedures have been performed, the plastic surgeon will divide the lower pole of the chest wall muscle, elevate the chest wall muscle and the lateral chest muscle together upwards towards the collarbone. After that is done, the muscle and tissue below is elevated together to form the pocket for the breast expander at the base of the breast or the inframammary crease. The pocket is made large enough for the expander to be placed and the muscle closed. Occasionally, there is a need for placement of a small amount of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) to assist in the closure of the muscle. There are two types of breast tissue expander ports. One, similar to a chemotherapy port, is placed separate from the tissue expander, usually along the rib cage. This will require a separate small incision for the port. The second type is a port that is contained within the expander itself. In both instances, the ports will be used to inflate the tissue expander over several visits with saline solution. The port is accessed with a small needle and saline is injected into the expander through the port site Tissue expansion usually occurs weekly according to patient tolerance. The volume of the tissue expanders commonly exceeds the weight of the mastectomy tissue. Once the final tissue expansion, or stretching, is completed there will be a time of passive expansion where little to no volume is added to the tissue expanders. This allows the muscle and skin to stretch and relax. The length of time will vary from patient to patient. Once this is completed, a second outpatient procedure will be necessary to remove the tissue expander and place the permanent breast prosthesis. Complications, while rare, may include skin loss, exposure of the expander, excess bleeding, infection, malposition of the implant so that asymmetry occurs, wrinkling or rippling of the implant, possible fluid collection underneath the implant, pain at the injection site, muscle spasms with expansion and/or unfavorable scarring. Lymphedema 101 On Breast Cancer Conversations, the Podcast Listen Now A biodegradable acellular dermal matrix (ADM) will be placed at the bottom of the breast or inframammary crease and attached to the muscle. The breast implant will be placed under the ADM and your own muscle. This allows the breast implant to settle in a normal position, and the ADM stretches into a pleasing, rounded lower breast shape. It is not uncommon to have drains placed with this procedure. They may be removed anywhere from 48 hours to 2 weeks after surgery. This procedure is a one-staged procedure, which allows the desired shape to result without any further surgical intervention. The muscle on top of the implant will help prevent the development of upper pole wrinkling. Complications, while rare, may include skin loss, excess bleeding, infection, malposition of the breast implant so that asymmetry occurs, wrinkling or rippling of the implant, possible fluid collection underneath the implant and/or prosthesis deflation. Immediate breast tissue expander placement The surgical process for saline breast tissue expanders and breast expanders following mastectomy are the same. Expanders with saline have been used for decades but recently, a new type of expander using air, which allows for more patient control, have been introduced. Expanders have some of the same complication rates and risks as the other types of breast reconstruction, which include infection, seroma, hematoma, extrusion and/or expander deflation. The expander is placed into a submuscular or subcutaneous space with no external filling ability. The expander will fill with compressed air contained within the expander itself. The patient will do self-controlled expander fills utilizing an external automatic activation device at home and will achieve similar results to the standard saline filled tissue expansion devices. It will be necessary to monitor the incisions and progress on your own and contact the physician if you feel there is something wrong. The advantage of the expander it that it may decrease doctor visits and decrease total expansion time. Immediate breast reconstruction utilizing latissimus dorsi muscle. This procedure is performed as a secondary operation immediately during the mastectomy or delayed after radiation. The latissimus muscle is a very large vascular muscle in the back that is attached at the base of the arm, extends onto the chest from the arm past the shoulder blade and attaches close to the spinal column. The latissimus muscle stretches to the tip bone and hallway into the axilla or armpit area and is supplied mostly by artery in the axilla. The latissimus flap is frequently used when the amount of soft tissue is limited secondary to surgery, the pectoralis muscle is absent, partially removed or damaged secondary to radiation. It entails undermining the skin on the back and releasing some of the skin allowing it to remain attached to the muscle. The main muscle and artery is called pedicle flap. This flap is released from the back, passed through a tunnel that is made underneath the axilla and into the anterior chest to fill the mastectomy defect site. The muscle is placed and sutured to the chest wall. An implant is then placed behind this flap and in front of the chest. One can also use a tissue expander and gradually increase to breast size. The advantage to this expander is it can completely replace the amount of breast tissue that has been removed and protect the latissimus flap. A completely inflated implant or a postoperative adjustable expander/implant can be immediately placed. It is not uncommon to require a secondary revision procedure to gain more accurate symmetry of both breasts. The latissimus flap is recommended for patients who have already had mastectomy and radiation. The use of radiation frequently limits the amount of implant surgery that can be performed. The secondary advantage of this flap is that it brings new blood flow and healthy skin to the radiated field. It is also recommended for patients who are very thin and have limited options for flap reconstruction. Complications, while rare, may include limited blood flow of the artery compromising the flap, skin loss, exposure of the expander, excess bleeding, infection, malposition of the implant so that asymmetry occurs, wrinkling or rippling of the implant, possible fluid collection underneath the implant, pain at the injection site, muscle spasms with expansion and/or unfavorable scarring. Breast reconstruction with abdominal-based flaps Sometimes a mastectomy or radiation therapy will leave insufficient tissue on the chest wall to cover and support a breast implant. In these cases, breast reconstruction usually requires a flap technique (also known as autologous reconstruction). This is the most common method of tissue reconstruction, using lower abdominal skin and fat to create a breast shape. A woman may also choose not to have an implant for personal reasons. The skin and fat used for this procedure is the tissue between your belly button and pubic bone that you can pinch. Once this tissue is taken to make a breast, you will typically have a scar from hip bone to hip bone and around your belly button. However, some women may not be candidates for abdominal-based flaps for various reasons: • Not enough donor tissue in the lower abdomen • Prior scars that may have damaged important blood vessels • Previous flaps that have failed and seeking an alternative Specific flap options Several different flaps use the tissue from the lower abdomen. The difference between each of them is related to blood vessels that supply these flaps. These flaps include the Pedicled TRAM (traverse rectus myocutaneous) flap, the free TRAM flap, the DIEP (deep inferior epigastric artery perforator) flap and the SIEA (superficial epigastric artery) flap. Pedicled TRAM flap A TRAM flap uses the muscle, fat and skin from your lower abdomen to reconstruct a breast. In order to survive on your chest in its new location, this tissue requires a blood supply. The blood supply to this tissue comes from the underlying rectus (six-pack) muscle. The flap remains attached to your rectus abdominis muscle and is tunneled up through the abdomen and chest to create the breast mound. Since your entire muscle is sacrificed, you may experience some abdominal weakness or have difficulty performing sit-ups. Free TRAM flap Like the TRAM flap, the free TRAM flap is also based on the blood vessels coming through the rectus abdominis muscle. However, in this flap the muscle above and below the blood vessels is divided, so that only a portion of muscle is removed. The entire flap is then transplanted to the chest. The blood vessels from the muscle are connected to blood vessels in the chest using a microscope. DIEP flap The DIEP flap utilizes the same lower abdominal skin and fat as the TRAM and free TRAM flap; however, it spares the rectus abdominis muscle and fascia. Rather than taking the entire muscle or a small portion of the muscle, the small blood vessels – an artery and a vein – that come through the muscle to the skin and fat are identified; these vessels are then dissected through the muscle prior to being divided. Once they are divided, the tissue is again transplanted to the chest and the vessels are connected to blood vessels in the chest. Since your muscle is preserved, there is a lower risk of abdominal weakness or hernias and less postoperative pain. SIEA flap The SIEA flap also uses the lower abdominal skin and tissue, but the blood vessels that supply this flap do not go through the abdominal muscle. Rather, they only go through the fat. Advantages of this flap include preservation of the abdominal muscles, resulting in less postoperative pain and a speedier recovery. However, these blood vessels may not be present in all women; and even when present, may be too small to provide a reliable blood supply for a flap. For these reasons, the SIEA flap is not performed as frequently as the DIEP or free TRAM flaps. Special notes regarding recovery Because the free TRAM, DIEP and SIEA flaps involve microsurgical tissue transfer, blood flow to the flap is closely monitored in a hospital setting after surgery. If there are concerns about the flap, a reoperation may be necessary to assess the blood flow. Breast reconstruction with thigh-based flaps Sometimes a mastectomy or radiation therapy will leave insufficient tissue on the chest wall to cover and support a breast implant. In these cases, breast reconstruction usually requires a flap technique (also known as autologous reconstruction). Thigh-based flaps may be a good option for women with small to medium volume breasts. To achieve a larger size, these flaps may be combined with an implant or another flap (called "stacked flaps," which are not widely available). All of these techniques require your plastic surgeon to have skill and training in microsurgery. However, some women may not be candidates for thigh-based flaps for various reasons: • Not enough donor tissue in the upper thighs • Prior scars that may have damaged important blood vessels • Previous flaps have failed and they are seeking an alternative Specific flap options Gracilis-based flaps are based on the gracilis muscle, located in the upper inner thigh. The gracilis muscle helps bring the leg toward the body, and its function will be lost after this type of surgery. During these procedures, a flap of skin, fat, muscle and blood vessels from the upper thigh is moved to the chest to rebuild the breast. Blood vessels are carefully reattached using microsurgery. Different names are used to describe the orientation of the resulting donor site incision on the upper inner thigh: • TUG flap: Transverse Upper Gracilis flap • VUG flap: Vertical Upper Gracilis flap • DUG flap: Diagonal Upper Gracilis flap The choice of incision depends on your unique thigh shape and your surgeon's experience. Most surgeons will try to conceal the scars in the crease at the top of the thigh, but the scar may end up a bit lower and be visible while wearing a bathing suit. These flaps result in a tighter inner thigh, similar to an inner thigh lift. Similar to the gracilis-based flaps, a PAP flap uses skin and fat from the back of the upper thigh to reconstruct the breast using microsurgery. PAP stands for Profunda Artery Perforator, which is a blood vessel that supplies this area of the thigh. No muscle is used, so a PAP flap is considered muscle-sparing. PAP flap scars are usually hidden in the crease between the lower buttock and upper thigh. Special notes regarding recovery Because these flaps involve microsurgical tissue transfer, blood flow to the flap is closely monitored in a hospital setting after surgery. If there are concerns about the flap, a reoperation may be necessary to assess the blood flow. Thigh-based flaps do tend to have more healing problems at the donor site than abdominal-based flaps due to the location of the incision. Lower leg swelling may occur but usually resolves with time. When one thigh-based flap is used to reconstruct one breast, asymmetry may result due to tightness and thinness of one thigh. Additional procedures may be recommended to improve symmetry between the thighs.

Join Our Mailing List and Receive Weekly Newsletters and Announcements Never Miss A Beat First Name Last Name Email City Submit Thanks for subscribing! State Resources & Toolkits Check back soon Once posts are published, you’ll see them here. Living Well With Metastatic Breast Cancer Women (and men) diagnosed with MBC have unique needs and concerns and it is important to acknowledge the emotional, mental, and physical aspects associated with such diagnoses. Living well is more than looking after one's physical self. It entails taking care of the emotional self, time management as priorities may shift, balancing quality of life with treatments and finding support and information when you need it. This Resource Guide will continually be updated with information and we're always happy to hear your feedback on what may serve you best! Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer Resources & Support So You Can Keep Living Life! Created in partnership with Abigail Johnston and the Grieving Together Project. In honor of the late Alyson Tischler. Download from the App Store Download from Google Play Download the App Have access to News and articles Private Groups Instant Message with community members RSVP to events Get support 24/7 with a community who gets it! MBC Sunday Series Every other Sunday we host free webinars for our MBC community where we invite guest speakers and panelists to address the most pressing questions. Topics range from grief support, speaking to your family about your diagnosis and telling your children, to advances in treatments, legal estate planning and more. Check Out Upcoming Events Get Online Support Becomea Member (It's Free) Connecting with others who have similar experiences helps us share our stories and heal. There are a variety of ways to meet those who are living with MBC through our virtual and online communities and private groups. Living With Metastatic Breast Cancer Living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) requires unique, tailored approaches that often differ from those diagnosed at an earlier stage breast cancer. Survivingbreastcancer.org is committed to addressing the gaps between early and advance stage breast cancer to improve education, support, and resources for our MBC community. Metastatic Breast Cancer Terms and Definitions Metastatic breast cancer is also referred to as Stage IV, or advanced (stage) breast cancer. It is when the cancer cells have spread through the lymphatic system or blood stream to other parts of the body such as the bones, brains, lungs, or liver. De Novo is a term that refers to a metastatic diagnosis at the time of initial diagnosis and staging. A de novo metastatic breast cancer diagnosis accounts for approximately 6-10% of breast cancer diagnoses. Distant Recurrence is a term that is used when the cancer has returned after an initial diagnosis and treatment and has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body. The average time from diagnosis to distant recurrence is approximately 5 years, though it can vary widely. Thursday Night Thrivers Meetup Every Thursday at 7pm ET, those diagnosed with breast cancer meet up for our "no-agenda" zoom hang out. Our meetups are unique because they are hosted by the community, for the community. This is peer-to-peer support at it's finest and not your average support group. There is a place and time for social workers and medical professionals but at our Thursday Night Thrivers Meetups , it is come as you are to meet up and hang out with like minded friends! All stages are welcomed. On the third Thursday of each month, we will also host a breakout room specifically for MBC. Tue, Feb 21 Después de un Diagnóstico / Después de Un Diagnóstico Details Feb 21, 2023, 7:00 PM Después de Un Diagnóstico Share Tue, Feb 07 Arteterapia / Arte terapia para el Alma Details Feb 07, 2023, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Arte terapia para el Alma ¡Únete a nosotros para un taller de terapia de arte de 60 minutos, dirigido por la increíble sobreviviente de cáncer de mama y terapeuta de arte, Stephanie, LCPC y fundadora de Creative Transformations! Share Multiple Dates Tue, Dec 20 Después de un Diagnóstico / Virtual Details Dec 20, 2022, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST Virtual ¡Únete con nosotros para nuestro exclusivo Evento Martes - después del diagnóstico en español! Share Multiple Dates Thu, Dec 15 Thursday Nights Thrivers Meetup / Virtual Details Dec 15, 2022, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST Virtual This is your weekly breast cancer support group! It's a welcoming and inviting virtual space where you can come to meet others, ask questions, or just listen in. Our session are always confidential and a friendly space offering support as well a a bit of humor. Share Mon, Dec 12 Reflect and Recharge with Thomas Dooley / Online Event Details Dec 12, 2022, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM EST Online Event How can we dial down the noise in our daily lives to listen to the story emerging within ourselves? In this interactive session, we will come together to reflect on the personal narratives that give shape and meaning to our lives and find community in the experiences we share. Share Multiple Dates Mon, Dec 12 15 Minute Heart Chakra Chanting with Gloria / Online Event Details Dec 12, 2022, 11:00 AM – 11:15 AM EST Online Event Join Gloria for 15 minutes of heart chakra chanting. Explore the heart chakra, connect with your vibration, and assist in your transformation and conscious awareness, both individually and collectively. Share Multiple Dates Thu, Dec 08 Thursday Night Thrivers IBC Meetup / Online Event Details Dec 08, 2022, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM EST Online Event Join the Inflammatory Breast Cancer SBC community, meet others diagnosed with IBC, and connect with those who truly understand the unique needs we all face. Share Tue, Dec 06 Food & Fitness For the Cancer Survivor / webinar Details Dec 06, 2022, 1:00 PM EST webinar This webinar covers how food and fitness may impact cancer survivors and how to create a healthy plan post treatment, including how to to choose an appropriate food plan to coincide with a fitness program to decrease comorbidities. Share Multiple Dates Thu, Dec 01 Thursday Nights Thrivers MBC Meetup / Virtual Details Dec 01, 2022, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST Virtual Join us for our signature Thursday Night Thrivers Meetup! On the first and third Thursday of every month, we will have a special breakout room for the MBC community. This space will be hosted by the incredible Dawn Oswald, a woman living with MBC. Share Thu, Dec 01 Thursday Nights Thrivers MBC Meetup / Virtual Details Dec 01, 2022, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST Virtual Join us for our signature Thursday Night Thrivers Meetup! On the first and third Thursday of every month, we will have a special breakout room for the MBC community. This space will be hosted by the incredible Dawn Oswald, a woman living with MBC. Share Multiple Dates Mon, Nov 28 15 Minute Solar Plexus Chakra Chanting with Gloria / Online Event Details Nov 28, 2022, 11:00 AM – 11:15 AM EST Online Event Join Gloria for 15 minutes of solar plexus chakra chanting. Explore the solar plexus chakra, connect with your vibration, and assist in your transformation and conscious awareness, both individually and collectively. Share Mon, Nov 21 Chair Yoga 4 Cancer with Tamera / Online Event Details Nov 21, 2022, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST Online Event Join Tamera Anderson-Hanna for guided Chair Yoga. Let's release and breathe from the comfort of our chair! Please scroll down to "About The Event" for the waiver link. Share Mon, Nov 21 Art Therapy for Healing your Body Image with Stephanie / Online Event Details Nov 21, 2022, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM EST Online Event Breast cancer impacts our body image, identity, and intimacy with ourselves and others. This workshop will guide you through a guided meditation and art experience that can set the foundation for healing the body image and identity. Share Mon, Nov 14 Reflect and Recharge with Thomas Dooley / Online Event Details Nov 14, 2022, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM EST Online Event How can we dial down the noise in our daily lives to listen to the story emerging within ourselves? In this interactive session, we will come together to reflect on the personal narratives that give shape and meaning to our lives and find community in the experiences we share. Share Thu, Nov 10 Understanding Long-Term Disability Insurance / webinar Details Nov 10, 2022, 1:00 PM EST webinar This webinar on Understanding Long-Term Disability Insurance will provide information on making a long-term disability insurance claim. We will discuss steps that employees can take while still working but considering taking time off, tips for submitting a long-term disability claim, how short-term Share Mon, Nov 07 Restorative Yoga with Kate: Fall Into Meditation / Online Event Details Nov 07, 2022, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM EST Online Event Like the majestic trees of the forest, we will shed those things that are no longer serving us through gentle movements, and then dive into a transcendental meditation. Share Thu, Nov 03 Thursday Nights Thrivers MBC Meetup / Virtual Details Nov 03, 2022, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT Virtual Join us for our signature Thursday Night Thrivers Meetup! On the first and third Thursday of every month, we will have a special breakout room for the MBC community. This space will be hosted by the incredible Dawn Oswald, a woman living with MBC. Share Multiple Dates Mon, Oct 31 15 Minute Sacral Chakra Chanting with Gloria / Online Event Details Oct 31, 2022, 11:00 AM – 11:15 AM EDT Online Event Join Gloria for 15 minutes of sacral chakra chanting. Explore the sacral chakra, connect with your vibration, and assist in your transformation and conscious awareness, both individually and collectively. Share Load More Find Support For Your Kids Read Stories from our MBC Members Share Your Story Salud Física Salud Mental Arteterapia Podcast More

Check back soon Once posts are published, you’ll see them here.

Breast Cancer & Mental Health Check back soon Once posts are published, you’ll see them here. Salud Física Salud Mental Arteterapia Podcast More Find Online Support

A virtual breast cancer support group offered in Spanish. Después de un Diagnóstico No events at the moment Después de un Diagnóstico

Las asociaciones Hacen Posible Que todos nosotros Florezcamos El cáncer de mama es un problema 'malvado'. Los grandes problemas son desafíos con muchos factores interdependientes que los hacen parecer imposibles de resolver. Resolver problemas complicados requiere una comprensión profunda de las partes interesadas involucradas y un enfoque innovador. Los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS) de las Naciones Unidas apuntan a una reducción de un tercio en la mortalidad por enfermedades no transmisibles (ENT) entre los años 2015 y 2030. El cáncer representa el 22 % de las muertes por ENT, y el cáncer de mama es la principal causa mundial de mortalidad femenina. mortalidad por cáncer, a pesar de su alta supervivencia. Dada la carga social y económica del cáncer, reducir la carga mundial de cáncer y ENT es un requisito previo para abordar la inequidad social y económica, estimular el crecimiento económico y acelerar el desarrollo sostenible. Desarrollemos juntos soluciones perversas para resolver algunos de los problemas más desafiantes del mundo. Nuestros socios Conviértete en socio, Primeros pasos Explora las muchas formas en que puedes asociarte con Survivingbreastcancer.org a través de alianzas sin fines de lucro para oportunidades de marketing relacionadas con causas. Así como ningún tumor o diagnóstico es igual, tampoco lo son las relaciones personales que desarrollamos con nuestros asociados.

Acerca de Surviving Breast Cancer SU-PER-VI-VIEN-TE Si has sido diagnosticado con cáncer de mama. ¡Eres un Superviviente! Nuestra Historia Surviving Breast Cancer tiene sus raíces en Boston, MA con el fin de llenar un vacío en cuanto al apoyo, educación y recursos sobre cáncer de mama, fue fundado por una joven mujer en el 2017, Surviving Breast Cancer sirve de apoyo a aquellos diagnosticados, sus cuidadores y familias a nivel global. Aprovechando la tecnología y rompiendo las barreras para acceder a la información, Surviving Breast Cancer pone en primer lugar a las personas, escucha sus necesidades y crea programas, servicios, y contenido educativo basado en las necesidades de la comunidad de sobrevivientes con cáncer de mama. Seguimos creciendo y evolucionando constantemente ¡Amamos lo que hacemos por nuestra comunidad cada día! Nuestro enfoque SBC es una plataforma educativa y comunidad virtual que ofrece apoyo y soporte a los pacientes y sus familias en la etapa en la que se encuentren tras el diagnóstico de cáncer. Combinamos la investigación médica basada en la evidencia con las experiencias personales vividas por las personas a las que servimos. Desde las estrategias de reducción del riesgo y la prevención, hasta el tratamiento, la supervivencia, la vida con un diagnóstico terminal, la navegación por el final de la vida, y más allá, Surviving Breast Cancer está aquí para usted en cada paso del camino. SBC es una plataforma educativa y comunidad virtual que ofrece apoyo y soporte a los pacientes y sus familias en la etapa en la que se encuentren tras el diagnóstico de cáncer. Combinamos la investigación médica comprobable con las experiencias personales vividas por las personas a las que servimos. Desde las estrategias de reducción del riesgo y la prevención, hasta el tratamiento, la supervivencia, la vida con un diagnóstico terminal, transitar por el final de la vida, y más allá, Surviving Breast Cancer está aquí para ti en cada paso. Nuestros valores Creemos en la Colaboración Cuidamos a nuestra Comunidad Colaboramos con Asociaciones que Aportan Valor y Generan Impacto Lideramos con integridad Servimos con Compasión y Empatía Las Personas Primero Tratamos a todos con Dignidad y Respeto Estamos a la vanguardia A quién servimos El cáncer de mama no solo afecta a la paciente; afecta a todos a su alrededor. Es por eso que desarrollamos programas, servicios y educación integrales para satisfacer las necesidades de: Los diagnosticados con cáncer de mama Las que viven con cáncer de mama metastásico Cónyuges, familias e hijos que cuidan a un ser querido diagnosticado con cáncer de mama Cónyuges, familias e hijos que han perdido a un ser querido por cáncer de mama Empoderar a las personas diagnosticadas con cáncer de mama y a sus familias desde el primer día y durante el resto del proceso. Nuestra Misión Conoce a nuestro equipo, socios y colaboradores SBC se asocia con defensores de pacientes, oncólogos médicos, médicos y expertos en el campo, así como con corporaciones y organizaciones, para ofrecer la mejor educación, apoyo y recursos comunitarios para que podamos ejecutar nuestra misión. Conoce a nuestros socios Aprende sobre nuestro colaboradores Conoce nuestro equipo Salud Física Salud Mental Arteterapia Podcast More Download the App / Subscribe For Those Newly Diagnosed / For Those Living with MBC / For Families / For Caregivers

Positive affirmations for healing a cancer diagnosis can help you with pain management and qualitiy of life. Studies show the strong connection between affirmations, meditation and healing. It promotes positive thinking and can be practiced daily to help fight cancer. Después de un Diagnóstico Tue, Feb 21 Después de Un Diagnóstico Share Details Arteterapia Tue, Feb 07 Arte terapia para el Alma Share Details Multiple Dates Después de un Diagnóstico Tue, Dec 20 Virtual Share Details Multiple Dates Thursday Nights Thrivers Meetup Thu, Dec 15 Virtual Share Details Reflect and Recharge with Thomas Dooley Mon, Dec 12 Online Event Share Details Multiple Dates 15 Minute Heart Chakra Chanting with Gloria Mon, Dec 12 Online Event Share Details Multiple Dates Thursday Night Thrivers IBC Meetup Thu, Dec 08 Online Event Share Details Food & Fitness For the Cancer Survivor Tue, Dec 06 webinar Share Details Multiple Dates Thursday Nights Thrivers MBC Meetup Thu, Dec 01 Virtual Share Details Thursday Nights Thrivers MBC Meetup Thu, Dec 01 Virtual Share Details Multiple Dates 15 Minute Solar Plexus Chakra Chanting with Gloria Mon, Nov 28 Online Event Share Details Chair Yoga 4 Cancer with Tamera Mon, Nov 21 Online Event Share Details Art Therapy for Healing your Body Image with Stephanie Mon, Nov 21 Online Event Share Details Reflect and Recharge with Thomas Dooley Mon, Nov 14 Online Event Share Details Understanding Long-Term Disability Insurance Thu, Nov 10 webinar Share Details Restorative Yoga with Kate: Fall Into Meditation Mon, Nov 07 Online Event Share Details Thursday Nights Thrivers MBC Meetup Thu, Nov 03 Virtual Share Details Multiple Dates 15 Minute Sacral Chakra Chanting with Gloria Mon, Oct 31 Online Event Share Details Load More Positive Thinking, Mindfulness & Meditation For Healing Meditation On Demand Meditation. Participate in your own private haven anytime and anywhere. Live Classes Join us for virtual zoom classes with instructors who understand the cancer experience and offer a warm and welcoming community setting. Affirmations Quotes and Mantras to help you get through your day, your week, and hour by hour. Positive Thinking and the Power to Heal The power of positive thinking is so pervasive today that many doctors and nurses strongly recommend developing a positive mental attitude to prevent sickness, to help overcome medical setbacks like disease, and to assist in the recovery from surgery. There is healing power in positive thinking. But can you heal yourself just by being positive, optimistic and focused? Yes! It is believed that positive thoughts are able to prompt physiological changes in your body that strengthen your immune system, decrease pain, and provide stress relief. The “Power of Positive Thinking”, a self-help book by Norman Vincent Peale , published in the last century, first proposed the method of "Positive Thinking ". It aimed to ensure that one could achieve a permanent fruitful and optimistic attitude through constant positive influence of his/her conscious thought. This was to be accomplished through affirmations/visualizations, thus allowing one to attain higher satisfaction and quality of life. Similarly, in the book, “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne, the Law of Attraction is explored and suggests that whatever energy, thoughts, or visualizations you put out into the universe, you will receive. So, if you send out negative vibes, or think something negative will happen, it probably will. If you send out positive vibes, positive things will be returned. Read Inspiring Articles How to Develop Positive Beliefs Start by applying the right kind of positive thinking so that you direct your subconscious mind to help heal your body and improve your life. Direct your conscious and subconscious mind to help you heal. Don’t worry. "Worry only takes the joy out of your day". Find a way to focus on the positive. What are you grateful for? Start a mental list of the things and people in your life that you are thankful for. Be optimistic. On Demand Meditation Cannot make a live class. No worries, we got you covered. You can access our on demand meditations anytime, anywhere! Let's Meditation Now Live Classes:

Recuerdos de mi diagnóstico de cáncer de mama Cuando tenía 50 años, me estaba alistando para salir, me iba a bañar y vi que mi pecho se habia pegado a mi brasier, cuando me lo quite vi que tenia un líquido de color amarillo, no le di importancia, asi que seguí bañandome, días despues me junte con unas amigas que tenian la edad de mi mamá, ella había fallecido hace 10 años por un cáncer de mama que no fue tratado a tiempo, les conté lo que me estaba pasando y que en ese momento el pezón lo tenía hundido, mis amigas me dijeron que fuera a cancerologia inmediatamente. Por Nora Herrera Guatemala Yo siempre había ido a los médicos acompañada de mi mamá y estuve posponiendo y posponiendo, pero mis amigas me insistieron y hasta se ofrecieron a acompañarme. Fue entonces que me dije a mi misma, no puede ser que tenga 50 años y no pueda ir sola al médico. Me levanté temprano al siguiente día, envié a mi hijo al colegio, me subí al bus y llegué al INCAN (Instituto de Cancerología en Guatemala) había dos largas colas que atravesaban toda la sala de espera y más allá, pregunté cuál era la cola para los pacientes que iban por primera vez pero nadie sabía nada, así que me paré detrás de la cola de la izquierda, al llegar a la enfermera que atendía esa fila me dijo que no era allí y que había hecho cola en la fila que era para pagar. Entonces me mandaron a sentar en las bancas que estaban en una sala vacía, poco a poco llegaron otras personas, de repente una enfermera nos pregunta ¿qué hacen ahí sentados? Le dijimos que era primera vez que íbamos y que nos mandaron aquí, la enfermera nos dijo que todos los doctores se habían ido al hospital, pero nos dijo que iba a conseguir alguien que nos ayudara, cuando volvimos a ver a la enfermera venía con 3 doctores jóvenes, no se si eran doctores o practicantes pero con lo nerviosa que estaba dejé que todos los demás pasaran y me quedé de último. Al fin entré en la consulta, me senté en un banquito y los 3 doctores me veían como si fuera la acusada de algún delito, les explique lo que tenia, me sentí observada y al final me dieron un pedazo de cartón, me trataron muy mal y me dijeron que me fuera. Me sentía frustrada y enojada y me dije a mi misma que en el primer basurero que encontrara iba a tirar el cartón y me iba a regresar a mi casa, mi sorpresa fue que cuando sali la misma enfermera me estaba esperando y me pregunto si me habian dicho algo, le conteste que solo me dieron un pedazo de cartón, ella me dijo venga conmigo, al llegar tenía mucho miedo, pensé que me iban a lastimar los pechos como el último doctor, sin embargo el doctor me escucho y me examinó gentilmente, me dijo que sentia algo extraño y que tenia que hacerme exámenes, para eso me tenia que meter una aguja en el pezón, la verdad no senti nada de dolor, me dijo que regresara en 8 días para recoger las pruebas. Le conté a mi hermana Marina lo que había pasado y ella se encargó de contarselo al resto de mis hermanos, mi prima llegó a mi casa y me dijo que no me preocupara que ella se iba a encargar de cuidar a Pepito si era necesario y todos estuvieron pendientes de mí. A los 8 días llegué a mi cita y el doctor me dijo que tenía cáncer de mama y que tenían que operarme al día siguiente y que me tenía que quedar de una vez para hacerme los exámenes preoperatorios, no sé en qué estadio estaba, ni qué tipo de cáncer, no me informaron de nada sino hasta después. Cuando salí de la operación nos llevaron a un cuarto con otras 6 mujeres, eramos 3 jóvenes y 3 mayores como yo, fue muy bonito porque todas teníamos muy buen sentido del humor y pasamos bromeando y riéndonos, todos mis familiares me sorprendieron al visitarme, se llenó el cuarto de mis visitas ya que también llegaron mis amigas y estuvimos platicando y riéndonos, nunca tuve miedo, porque no supe que tenía cáncer sino hasta después de la cirugía, me hicieron una mastectomía completa del lado derecho, no tengo nada allí. Al salir del hospital me dijeron que tenía que seguir llegando, estuve con radioterapia todos los días, y luego revisiones anuales. Luego de unos años me di de alta yo misma y no he vuelto a tener ninguna recaída gracias a Dios. Le debo mi vida a mis amigas que hicieron que fuera a cancerología y a esa enfermera que no recuerdo su nombre pero que sin ella yo ya no estaría aquí. Ahora estoy por cumplir 79 años, vi crecer a mi hijo y a mis sobrinos, tengo una nieta y puedo decir que he disfrutado de la vida, de las personas que me rodean y de mi misma. SurvivingBreastCancer.org lectura de 5 minutos

Salud Física Salud Mental Arteterapia Podcast More Cáncer de mama 101 Descubre la importancia de la prevención y el diagnóstico temprano del cáncer de mama, una enfermedad que afecta a millones de mujeres en todo el mundo. En los siguientes artículos, exploramos los factores de riesgo, los signos y síntomas, así como las últimas innovaciones en tratamientos y tecnologías médicas. Obtén información crucial sobre cómo realizar autoexámenes, la importancia de las mamografías y las opciones de tratamiento disponibles. Conoce historias inspiradoras de supervivientes y accede a recursos valiosos que te ayudarán a entender y afrontar esta enfermedad de manera informada. ¡Empodérate con conocimiento y únete a la lucha contra el cáncer de mama! Salud de los Senos Entender la salud de tus senos es el primer paso para ser consciente de tus senos y conocer tu cuerpo para que puedas defenderte de forma proactiva cuando sientas que algo no está bien. Leer ¿Qué es el cáncer de mama? El cáncer de mama es un crecimiento incontrolado de las células mamarias. Para entender mejor el cáncer de mama, ayuda comprender cómo puede desarrollarse cualquier cáncer. Leer Síntomas del Cáncer de Mama Detectar el cáncer de mama lo antes posible ofrece más posibilidades de éxito en el tratamiento. Pero saber qué buscar no sustituye a las mamografías y otras pruebas de detección periódicas. Leer Cáncer de mama e intimidad Muchas mujeres, aunque no todas, encuentran que el tratamiento del cáncer de mama, es decir, la cirugía, la radiación, la quimioterapia, la terapia hormonal que elimina los estrógenos, dificulta gravemente las relaciones sexuales íntimas. Leer Densidad Mamaria El tejido mamario denso dificulta que los radiólogos vean el cáncer. En las mamografías, el tejido mamario denso se ve blanco, y las masas o tumores mamarios también se ven blancos. Leer Reconstrucción Mamaria La cirugía reconstructiva puede no solo restaurar la forma física, sino también empoderar emocionalmente a las mujeres en su viaje hacia la recuperación, explora sobre las opciones avanzadas de reconstrucción. Leer Cáncer de mama y genética Exploremos cómo los factores genéticos pueden aumentar el riesgo de desarrollar esta enfermedad y encuentra información clave sobre pruebas genéticas que pueden ayudar a identificar predisposiciones hereditarias. Leer ¿Qué es el sistema linfático? El sistema linfático desempeña un papel fundamental en la propagación y detección temprana del cáncer de mama, así como en la planificación de tratamientos efectivos Leer Radiación y Cáncer de Mama La radioterapia juega un papel fundamental en el tratamiento del cáncer de mama, siendo una opción terapéutica clave para muchas mujeres. Descubre cómo la radioterapia se utiliza para dirigirse específicamente a las células cancerosas, minimizando el impacto en los tejidos circundantes. Leer Factores de riesgo del cáncer de mama Exploramos cómo diversos elementos, como antecedentes familiares, edad y ciertos factores hormonales, pueden influir en la probabilidad de desarrollar cáncer de mama. Leer Estoy recién diagnosticado ¿Ahora Qué? Lo que te trae a este sitio web es muy probablemente un diagnóstico de cáncer de mama. Tal vez encontraste un bulto, notaste una hinchazón o experimentas dolor; tal vez estas esperando los resultados de las pruebas; o acabas de escuchar las palabras del médico que te han diagnosticado con cáncer de mama; o tal vez estás experimentando una recurrencia. Sea cual sea el motivo, quiero que sepas que recibirás apoyo y que nuestra comunidad de Sobrevivientes del Cáncer de Mama (Después de un Diagnóstico) está aquí para ayudarte. ¿Qué Hacemos? Un diagnóstico de cáncer de mama trastorna nuestras vidas y nos sumerge en un torbellino de citas médicas, seguimientos, pruebas, exploraciones y demás. Todos y cada uno de nosotros tenemos experiencias únicas, y lo que nuestra plataforma y comunidad SBC proporciona es educación, apoyo y recursos para ti como complemento a tu atención médica. No somos profesionales de la medicina, ni ofrecemos asesoramiento médico. Pero lo que sí ofrecemos es contenido, historias y comunidad cuando más lo necesitas. Lo que quiero decir con esto es que eres bienvenido a sumergirte en absolutamente todo lo que ofrecemos hoy, o, puedes tomar algunos enfoques para obtener la información y el apoyo cuando te sientas listo para ello. Hemos enumerado algunos enlaces y recursos para ayudarte a empezar y, con suerte, hacer las cosas un poco menos abrumadoras. Preguntas para tu radioterapeuta Descargar PDF Preguntas para tu Cirujano Descargr PDF Preguntas para tu Oncólogo Sabemos que tanta nueva información nos puede sobrecargar y aturdir en nuestras citas. Te comparto algunas preguntas que podrías hacerle a tu médico oncólogo. Descargar PDF

Breast Cancer & Intimacy Sex After Breast Cancer? In a previous blog and podcast we opined on the difficulties of maintaining relationships with loved ones, family, spouses, partners, etc. following a breast cancer diagnosis. Now we look at the adversarial effects of breast cancer towards sexual intimacy. Many, although not all, women find that breast cancer treatment, I.e. surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, estrogen eliminating hormonal therapy, severely hampers intimate sexual relations. Poor self image, physical exhaustion, painful treatment, and emotional distress all tend to weigh in negatively regarding sex drive. But overall recovery from breast cancer is partially dependent on overcoming the above referenced issues and participating in warm loving sexual acts. Sex can thus play a pivotal role. As we have mentioned in previous posts, single women who have been diagnosed worry how breast cancer will affect their relationship prospects, and also about how and when to tell those prospective lovers about their condition. The most uncomfortable stuff to talk about is probably your sex life and the changes that have taken place with your illness. You may not know what needs fixing or how to fix it, but you know things are different. Many women report having less sex than before their illness, for several reasons: • The breast cancer experience slows down your body. It takes longer to do lots of things, including getting interested in and starting and finishing sexual intercourse. • Sex may be uncomfortable or even painful if you've been thrown into sudden onset menopause. No surprise that you tend to have less sex, for now. Many women may have had little or no sex from the time of diagnosis through treatment. Most people have wild ideas about what goes on in other people's bedrooms. Give yourself a break: The carefully researched book Sex in America (by Michael, Gagnon, Laumann, and Kolata) tells us that Americans have a lot less sex than the movies, television, and the guys in the locker room would have you believe. The averages reported in that book are: • seven times a month between ages 30 and 40 • six times a month between ages 40 and 50 • five times a month between ages 50 and 60 For people over 60, the numbers continue to decline. But although you may assume that no one in their 70s and 80s has a sex life, that's just not so. Don't let the myths about other people's sex lives get in the way of what's happening in yours. And remember that there are exceptions to every pattern. If your sex life is not working the way you want it to, your doctor or nurse may be able to referee these issues with your partner and you. You can cue your doctor in advance, since he or she has most likely already touched on delicate issues with you. Maybe he or she can be the tour guide for the two of you. If your partner is there when you talk with the doctor who's managing your care, you and your partner both get a chance to air and dispel fears, and replace myths and false information with facts. Help from a pro Not all doctors and nurses are comfortable discussing sexual issues and practices. Most doctors don't routinely ask about your sex life. And patients don't usually begin to discuss their love life with a doctor who hasn't mentioned it. Nobody's talking! Someone has to break the pattern. A trained social worker, sex therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist can help you open up communication with your partner and get around to talking about intimacy and sex issues. A support group may be more helpful than you might realize. Women in these groups often share advice that extends to the bedroom, including ways to increase sexual pleasure that are explicit and specific for women who've had breast cancer. Meeting needs in other ways Most marriages have problems that don't get fixed. Marriage is a package deal, and in marriages that work, the good things outweigh the bad. But as a survivor, you may find that breast cancer highlights the problems in your marriage. Can you live with those problems? Can you enjoy your marriage even as you contemplate what's missing? Can you capture the missing pieces in other ways? Give serious thought to your needs and how to meet them. Other ways to meet your needs: • Fantasy can enrich your life. Countless women read to fill the vacuum (romance novels are enormously popular). • Join a book club, a church or synagogue, or a group that meets to discuss investments, movies, or local politics. • Do more with individual friends, like walking, shopping ("retail therapy"), or travel. • Make a bigger deal of birthdays and anniversaries. • Expand your involvement in community or spiritual activities. • Get politically active in the breast cancer movement: camaraderie for a cause close to your heart. Having a serious illness almost always takes some kind of toll on your sex life. But breast cancer can bring all thoughts of intimacy and sexuality to a screeching halt. Treatments can bring on temporary -- and sometimes permanent -- premature menopause, making intercourse painful. Chemotherapy and radiation often lead to crushing fatigue. You may want to stay in bed, but you don’t want to use it for anything but sleep. The medications you take, as well as the emotional effects of the disease, can lead to depression. And of course, from the changes wrought by surgery to the hair loss and puffiness of chemotherapy, breast cancer can have a devastating effect on your body image and your ability to feel sexy. The sexual side effects of breast cancer can linger long after treatment stops. A 2007 follow-up report on young breast cancer survivors, conducted by researchers at the University of California-Berkeley, found that some women reported persistent sexual difficulties five years after their treatment had ended. And according to the National Cancer Institute, about one out of every two women who’ve undergone breast cancer treatment experiences long-term sexual dysfunction. That’s the bad news. But the good news is there is sex after breast cancer! Sex and self-image Breast cancer changes the way you see your body. “Women sometimes feel very disconnected from their bodies when they go through this,” says Jean Carter, PhD. Carter is a licensed psychologist and the sexual health counselor for the sexual health program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. “Your body’s been through so much and it’s worked to get well,” she says. ”But there have been sacrifices.” One thing you need to know early on is that your partner still finds you attractive and desirable. That’s rough on the days when you look in the mirror and can’t imagine ever feeling sexy again, much less looking sexy to someone else. It’s important to prepare yourself and your partner for what you’ll see. If you haven’t yet had surgery, ask your breast center if they have photographs of women after the kind of surgery you’ll undergo. Look at them with your partner and talk about what to expect. There's no denying that the sexual side effects of breast cancer can linger long after treatment is over, but there is sex after breast cancer. Lumpectomies, Mastectomies, Breast Reconstructions and Thoughts on Body Image. It was created by women in a cancer survivors’ group at Penn State. “The way your partner looks at your incision for the first time,” says Lillie Shockney, RN, “you’ll remember that forever.” Shockney is administrative director of the Johns Hopkins Breast Center and a breast cancer survivor herself. “If he has no clue what to expect and has a puzzled look on his face, the woman may interpret it as ‘He thinks I’m ugly, he thinks this is awful.’ Showing photographs can take the surprise away.” Communication is important. Talk with your partner about what you’re comfortable with, and what you’re not. “Both partners may be waiting for the other one to make the first move,” says Shockney. “She’s waiting for him to tell her he wants sex, and he’s waiting for her to touch him.” Your partner may be afraid of hurting you, or afraid that you’ll think he’s pushing you to have sex when you’re not ready simply by asking about it. If your breasts were major erogenous zones for you before surgery, you may be feeling particularly bereft after a mastectomy or even a lumpectomy . Shockney suggests taking the pressure off by exploring and discovering other areas of your body, rather than trying to “force it” in areas where you still have performance or body image issues. “For some women, the diminished arousal in areas of a newly constructed breast or scar tissue might serve as a painful reminder that their sex life has changed,” Shockney says. Instead, think of areas like shoulders, ears, and knees as new hot spots for intimate touch. If you’re still not comfortable with your new body, that’s what lingerie is for! There’s nothing wrong with getting a little help. A soft, satin nightie can be sexy and arousing. At the same time, it can help to conceal areas you’re still shy about. Or you can get even more creative. “I asked a patient to try using a feather boa to help her feel sexy, and at the same time keep her scars from being so evident. She loves it!” says Shockney. “It’s all about finding what you’re comfortable with.” Coping with changes But even as you get comfortable with the “new you” in the mirror, other parts of your body may be causing you problems in the bedroom. You may go through temporary menopause because of chemotherapy. Or if you have estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer, you may be taking hormonal therapy that can leave you in a menopausal state for years. The resulting vaginal dryness and other symptoms may make it painful to even think about having sex. “A lot of women I see are afraid to have sex,” Carter tells WebMD. “They’re really struggling. And it’s a shame, because there are wonderful, simple strategies to improve your sexual experience that, taken together, can work wonders.” Vaginal moisturizers. These aren’t lubricants, which are meant to be used during sex. Instead, they’re like the moisturizers you use on your face and hands, to benefit the tissues themselves. “They’re introduced as a suppository into the vagina adding moisture back into the vaginal space and giving it that natural elasticity,” says Carter. “It’s meant to be absorbed, and it helps the vagina to have more health and moisture for several days.” Lubricants. You definitely still want a lubricant for use during intercourse, says Carter. But lubricants should be combined with regular, ongoing use of vaginal moisturizers for best results. “If you’re feeling a rubbing or burning sensation during intercourse,” Carter says, “you don’t have enough lubrication. If it’s a stretching , painful sensation like the skin is going to split, you don’t have enough moisture.” Exercises. The classic Kegel exercises -- tightening and releasing the sphincter muscle as you do when you urinate -- that so many women use during pregnancy are also great for making intercourse easier. “If intercourse has been painful,” Carter says, “you may tighten up in anticipation of the pain. If you do Kegels right before intimacy , you fatigue the vaginal muscles and it is more open.” Vaginal dilators. A sex therapist, like Dr. Carter, can teach you how to use these dilators, which help gently stretch the vaginal tissue. Over and over again,” Carter says, “I’ve seen women who are completely hormonally deprived be able to have comfortable, enjoyable intimacy by using these strategies. A lot of the time, it’s so easy to fix. It astonishes me how often women come into my office and ask, ‘Why didn’t anyone tell me this? Shockney advises her patients to shake up their previous sexual habits. She tells them they may have been a silent player in bed before. But now she wants them to speak up. She tells them, “Say, ‘This feels good. This doesn’t feel good.’ Don’t rely on grunting for him to figure it out. That’s not the best way to communicate.” She also tells her patients, “If you’ve never watched an x-rated movie, try one -- just one. It may jump-start things, and you’ll be amazed at how active you’ll become. Or try various sex toys. So what if you never did these things before. You never had breast cancer before, either! I’ve had women come to me and say ‘I thought my sex life was great before, and then I thought I was going to lose it. But now it’s better than ever.’” What's the Difference between Diet and Nutrition? On Breast Cancer Conversations, the Podcast Listen Now

Join those diagnosed with breast cancer, caregivers, and friends in an exlucisve community built for people diagnosed with cancer, by people diagnosed with cancer. We take you from not just surviving but thriving. Log In to Connect With Members View and follow other members, leave comments & more. Log In

Breast Density Are You Breast Dense Aware? What Is Breast Density Dense breast tissue makes it harder for radiologists to see cancer. On mammograms, dense breast tissue looks white, and breast masses or tumors also look white. So, the dense tissue can hide tumors. In contrast, fatty tissue looks almost black. On a black background it’s easy to see a tumor that looks white. So, mammograms can be less accurate in women with dense breasts. Survivingbreastcancer.org acknowledges that the above video is sited from our friends at beingdense.com (@Breastdense). The video may not be reproduced without Beingdense.com's permission. The FDA has announced important new steps to modernize breast cancer screening and help empower patients with information when they are considering important decisions regarding their breast health care. Not all U.S. states are required to notify their patience as to whether or not they have dense breast. Is your state one of them? View Data What is breast density and how does it affect screenings? Watch Now How to advocate for additional screenings Watch Now Why is Understanding Breast Density Important? Having dense breast tissue might increase your risk of getting breast cancer. Women who have dense breast tissue have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer compared to women with less dense breast tissue. It’s unclear at this time why dense breast tissue is linked to breast cancer risk. We know there are many risk factors for breast cancer – starting menstrual periods early, late menopause, first pregnancy after age 30, family members with breast cancer – just to name a few. The 2 most important risk factors are being a woman and getting older. Women who have a strong family history of breast cancer or the breast cancer genes (BRCA1 or BRCA2) are at high risk for breast cancer. Women at high risk should have MRIs each year along with their mammograms. Women with dense breast tissue are at moderate risk for breast cancer. MRIs are not recommended for women at moderate risk for breast cancer based on what’s known today. What is Dense Breast Tissue? Breasts are made up of lobules, ducts, and fatty and fibrous connective tissue. • Lobules produce milk and are often called “glandular tissue.” • Ducts are the tiny tubes that carry milk from the lobules to the nipple. • Fibrous tissue and fat give breasts their size and shape and hold the other tissues in place. Your breasts will be seen as dense if you have a lot of fibrous or glandular tissue and not much fat in the breasts. Some women have more dense breast tissue than others. For most women, breasts become less dense with age. But in some women, there’s little change. Breast density is very common, and is not abnormal. How do I know if I have Dense Breasts? Breast density is seen only on mammograms. Some women think that because their breasts are firm, they are dense. But breast density isn’t based on how your breasts feel. It’s not related to breast size or firmness. Radiologists are the doctors who “read” x-rays like mammograms. They check your mammogram for abnormal areas, and also look at breast density. There are 4 categories of breast density. They go from almost all fatty tissue to extremely dense tissue with very little fat. The radiologist decides which of the 4 categories best describes how dense your breasts are. Some mammogram reports sent to women mention breast density. At one time, doctors assigned a number to the density category, but it’s now worded in a way that’s easier to understand. Women whose mammograms show anything more than scattered areas of dense tissue may be told that they have “dense breasts.” Breasts are almost all fatty tissue. There are scattered areas of dense More of the breast is made of dense glandular and fibrous tissue. glandular and fibrous tissue. This can make it hard to see small tumors in or around the dense tissue. Breasts are extremely dense, which makes it hard to see tumors in the tissue. Why is Breast Density Important? Having dense breast tissue might increase your risk of getting breast cancer. Women who have dense breast tissue have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer compared to women with less dense breast tissue. It’s unclear at this time why dense breast tissue is linked to breast cancer risk. We know there are many risk factors for breast cancer – starting menstrual periods early, late menopause, first pregnancy after age 30, family members with breast cancer – just to name a few. The 2 most important risk factors are being a woman and getting older. Women who have a strong family history of breast cancer or the breast cancer genes (BRCA1 or BRCA2) are at high risk for breast cancer. Women at high risk should have MRIs each year along with their mammograms. Women with dense breast tissue are at moderate risk for breast cancer. MRIs are not recommended for women at moderate risk for breast cancer based on what’s known today. If I Have Dense Breasts, Do I Still Need a Mammogram? Yes. Most breast cancers can be seen on a mammogram even in women who have dense breast tissue. So, it’s still important to get regular mammograms. Mammograms can help save women’s lives. Even with a normal mammogram report, a woman should know how her breasts normally look and feel. Anytime there’s a change, she should report it to her health care provider right away. What should I do if I have dense breast tissue? If your mammogram report says that you have dense breast tissue, talk with your provider about what that means for you. Be sure that your doctor or nurse knows your medical history and whether there’s anything in your history that increases your risk for getting breast cancer. Any woman who’s already in a high-risk group (based on gene mutations, a strong family history of breast cancer, or other factors) should have an MRI along with her yearly mammogram.

For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer. Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In 2019, it's estimated that about 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women will be br Add to Cart Know the Stats Get the Facts Understand your risk. About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2021, an estimated 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 49,290 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. About 2,650 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2021. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 833. About 43,600 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2021 from breast cancer. Death rates have been steady in women under 50 since 2007, but have continued to drop in women over 50. The overall death rate from breast cancer decreased by 1% per year from 2013 to 2018. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances and earlier detection through screening. Understandng Breast Cancer Breast Cancer Statistics Breast Cancer Symptoms Risk Factors Geneic Testing Breast Desnity For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer. As of January 2021, there are more than 3.8 million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In 2021, it's estimated that about 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women will be breast cancers. Breast cancer became the most common cancer globally as of 2021, accounting for 12% of all new annual cancer cases worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. In women under 45, breast cancer is more common in Black women than white women. Overall, Black women are more likely to die of breast cancer. For Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women, the risk of developing and dying from breast cancer is lower. Ashkenazi Jewish women have a higher risk of breast cancer because of a higher rate of BRCA mutations. Breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. began decreasing in the year 2000, after increasing for the previous two decades. They dropped by 7% from 2002 to 2003 alone. One theory is that this decrease was partially due to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by women after the results of a large study called the Women’s Health Initiative were published in 2002. These results suggested a connection between HRT and increased breast cancer risk. In recent years, incidence rates have increased slightly by 0.5% per year. A woman’s risk of breast cancer nearly doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Less than 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it. About 5-10% of breast cancers can be linked to known gene mutations inherited from one’s mother or father. Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common. On average, women with a BRCA1 mutation have up to a 72% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. For women with a BRCA2 mutation, the risk is 69%. Breast cancer that is positive for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations tends to develop more often in younger women. An increased ovarian cancer risk is also associated with these genetic mutations. In men, BRCA2 mutations are associated with a lifetime breast cancer risk of about 6.8%; BRCA1 mutations are a less frequent cause of breast cancer in men. About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic mutations that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations. The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are sex (being a woman) and age (growing older). References American Cancer Society. How Common Is Breast Cancer? Jan. 2021. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html . American Cancer Society. Key Statistics for Breast Cancer in Men. Jan. 2021. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer-in-men/about/key-statistics.html . American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2021. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2021/cancer-facts-and-figures-2021.pdf . Reuters. Breast cancer overtakes lung as most common cancer-WHO. Feb. 2021. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/health-cancer-int/breast-cancer-overtakes-lung-as-most-common-cancer-who-idUSKBN2A219B . National Cancer Institute. BRCA Gene Mutations: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing. Nov. 2020. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/brca-fact-sheet . American Cancer Society. Breast Cancer Risk Factors You Cannot Change. Sept. 2019. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/risk-and-prevention/breast-cancer-risk-factors-you-cannot-change.html . Breast Cancer Conversations A WEEKLY PODCAST Where we talk about all things breast cancer. Hear from medical experts, learn about the latest treatments, listen to stories from those diagnosed with breast cancer and be inspired by visionary #cancerpreneurs , advocates, and more! Salud Física Salud Mental Arteterapia Podcast More Donate App Download Log In View More

Salud Física Salud Mental Arteterapia Podcast More Vida Saludable La salud y la nutrición son una parte muy importante para tu cuerpo. Los complementos adecuados de los alimentos te permiten alcanzar un rendimiento óptimo y sentirte lo mejor posible. "Que la comida sea tu medicina y la medicina tu alimento" Regístrate Nuestro boletín semanal incluye historias e información importante, tenemos varios eventos gratuitos para ti. Eventos Boletín Introducción al bordado El bordado es una forma de arte decorativa que utiliza telas, agujas e hilos diseñados para agregar textura y adornos.

El diagnóstico de cáncer de mama de cada persona es diferente. Cada persona responde de forma diferente al tratamiento. Comparte TU HISTORIA El diagnóstico de cáncer de mama de cada persona es diferente. Las personas responden de forma diferente al tratamiento e incluso toman decisiones diferentes en función de su situación personal. También entendemos que el cáncer de mama se extiende mucho más allá de la persona diagnosticada ya que afecta a todos los aspectos de la vida, incluidos los miembros de la familia, los amigos y los seres queridos. Compartir tu experiencia no sólo ayuda a otras personas que buscan una conexión, sino que también es terapéutico para ti. Desahogarte por todo lo que has pasado, expresar tus preocupaciones, preguntas, miedos, éxitos y celebraciones, puede ayudarte a dar sentido a la experiencia del cáncer. Además, muestra a los miembros de nuestra comunidad survivingbreastcancer.org que no están solos y que somos una poderosa comunidad de guerreros. ¿No sabes como empezar? Explora nuestras historias de supervivientes y luchadores contra el cáncer de mama aquí . También estamos creando recursos para madres, hijas, cónyuges y otros, así que asegúrate de visitarnos a menudo. Envíanos tu contenido HISTORIAS - BLOGS - POESÍA Formulario Comparte tu historia, blog o artículo Nombre Apellido Email Enviar Sube tu documento o compartenos el link de Google Docs Sube tu foto aquí Sube tu artículo aquí Si quieres puedes compartir tu usuario en redes ¡Gracias por Compartir! ¿Necesitas ayuda con los temas y las ideas? Tenemos orientaciones y recomendaciones para empezar. Puedes encontrarlas debajo del formulario de presentación. ¿Qué información personal debo incluir en mi relato? Siéntete libre de compartir toda la información con la que te sientas cómodo. Piensa en el momento en que te diagnosticaron la enfermedad: ¿Qué información buscabas? ¿Qué te hubiera gustado saber? Algunas de las cosas que puedes compartir (pero que no son obligatorias) son: Edad del diagnóstico ¿Cuál fue tu diagnóstico (tipo, estadio)? ¿Te has sometido a quimioterapia y, en caso afirmativo, qué fármacos has tomado? ¿Te han operado? En caso afirmativo, ¿Qué tipo de operación, Cómo se hizo esa elección, y/o se vieron afectados los ganglios linfáticos? ¿Te has sometido a radiación? Si es así, ¿cuántas semanas? ¿Estuviste en alguna prueba experimental? ¿Cómo fue tu experiencia? ¿Estás tomando alguna terapia hormonal, y si es así, qué medicamentos? Siempre puedes incluir tu correo electrónico, si quieres que los supervivientes te envíen un correo y se pongan en contacto contigo directamente. Sólo utilizamos los nombres reales si te así lo deseas y siempre puedes indicarnos si prefieres el anonimato. ¿Qué temas debo contar en mi historia? Puedes compartir sobre una variedad de temas. Expresa como es o fue tu propia experiencia. Comparte temas que creas que pueden ser útiles para que otros los entiendan. Utiliza tu historia como medio de catarsis, para desahogarte y liberarte. Algunos ejemplos (pero no limitados a) incluyen: ¿Qué esperar de la quimioterapia? ¿Cómo gestionar la pérdida de cabello, consejos y recomendaciones? Entender los cambios corporales y cómo afrontarlos Salud y nutrición/hábitos alimenticios durante el tratamiento Combatir la fatiga y el "chemo brain" Gestionar el equilibrio entre el trabajo, el hogar y la vida, mientras estás en tratamiento Las 10 cosas que desearía saber antes de iniciar el tratamiento/la cirugía Un día en la vida de un superviviente... ¿Y si no me gusta escribir o llevar un diario? ¿Hay otras formas de compartir mi historia? ¡Por supuesto! Este es un espacio creativo y abierto para que los sobrevivientes y sus cuidadores compartan sus experiencias a través de una variedad de medios expresivos. Siéntete libre de compartir tu historia a través de un diario/escritura, poesía, música, arte, movimiento y más. ¡Comparte lo que tú quieras! Siempre puedes enviarnos imágenes para incluirlas con tu historia. Si quieres que te ayudemos a editar cualquier contenido, sólo tienes que decírnoslo. Estaremos encantados de ayudarte. ¿Y si quiero incluir fotos o actualizar mi historia más adelante? No hay problema. Sólo tienes que ponerte en contacto con nosotros y podremos añadir fotos y hacer actualizaciones en cualquier momento.

The Carfang Group presents eleven issues that will change the financial world.  We call these the “Megatrends”.  This article presents the eleven megatrends and invites your feedback and discussion.  Subsequent articles will explore each of these in detail. Megatrends in Treasury, Money and Banking Megatrends in Treasury, Money and Banking Anthony J. Carfang, The Carfang Group Innovation, technology, regulation and geopolitics are intersecting and are about to change the face of treasury, money and banking as never before. Issues that appear small or incremental today could be seismic in the longer term. As markets, institutions and governments deal with these cross-currents, we could be witnessing the beginning of a transformation on a grand scale in finance. In this series, The Carfang Group presents eleven issues that will change the financial world. We call these the “Megatrends”. This article presents the eleven megatrends and invites your feedback and discussion. Subsequent articles will explore each of these in detail. These are the eleven Megatrends which we believe will reshape our financial world over the next decade. Central Bank roles are scaled back. Asset Managers overtake banks. Deposit Banking diminishes in importance. Deposit Insurance becomes universal. Private Liquidity Funds emerge as a major asset class. Technology disintermediates the intermediaries. Truly immediate payments eclipse “faster payments”. 20th century institutions and structures are realigned. Currency takes on a new role. Alternative currencies gain acceptance. Solutions for the underbanked take shape. About the author: Anthony J. Carfang is Managing Director of The Carfang Group and has a distinguished background in consulting, writing, speaking, thought leadership and advocacy in the area of treasury, payments and liquidity. He encourages you to provide feedback on this article or any other issues to tony_carfang@carfang.com . You can follow Tony at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carfang/ Central Bank roles are scaled back. To receive a pdf version of this white paper, email tony_carfang@carfang.com ." Central Bank roles are scaled back. Without question, many central banks functioned superbly during the financial crisis in the dual roles of lender of last resort and payment guarantor of last resorts. They forcefully took on powers necessary to prevent a worldwide depression. Instead of reverting to their historical role after the crisis abated by 2011, they continued to function in crisis mode and now seem to have taken for themselves an entirely new mandate of economic support. We believe that this will come under close scrutiny over the next decade and the missions of central banks world-wide will be scaled back. Consider the following “last resort” moves that remain in place ten years post-crisis: Central bank balance sheets remain at levels which make them THE dominant players, distorting the financial markets rather than merely facilitating those markets. Securities on their balance sheets now stand at $23 trillion, up from $4 trillion pre-crisis. The Federal Reserve began paying interest on bank excess reserves in a not so subtle effort to inject capital into banks and to fund its swollen balance sheet. Long after the crisis, it still pays market interest, thereby competing for private capital while quashing the intrabank Fed Funds market. Operation Twist was a specific program designed to lower long term rates relative to short term rates. Many of these OT securities remain on the Fed balance sheet, impacting the shape of the yield curve today. Quantitative Easing and Quantitative tightening are direct attempts by central banks to impact growth levels, still ongoing today, and are not a direct part of their mandate. Combined, these activities distort the important market signals that are necessary in robust markets. Central bank roles will come under close examination. The debate will be intense but healthy. Should central banks be limited to their "first principles" of currency stability and lender of last resort? Or should they proactively manage world economies? We expect a tilt back toward the former. Asset Managers overtake banks. Commercial banks have historically been the primary conduit through which depositors and borrowers clear the market. Most individuals and businesses maintain bank accounts to facilitate transactions and savings. Similarly, for individuals and all but the largest businesses, these banks are also the primary source of loans. Asset managers, on the other hand, provide investment management services primarily by deploying their investors’ capital via the secondary markets. That is abruptly changing in ways that are just beginning to emerge. We believe that over the next decade, asset managers will overtake banks as the primary financial institutions in both the retail and wholesale markets. Commercial banks, long the dominant market players, saw their competitive advantage sharply curtailed following the financial crisis. They became subject to SIFI supervision, Basel III’s liquidity requirements, tiered capital requirements and much more. Over the past ten years, total assets of the largest banks have been relatively flat. Asset managers not subject to these requirements, in particular the largest three companies, have grown enormously. The “Big 3” have nearly tripled in assets since the crisis and are now larger than the largest commercial banks. We expect that these supersized asset managers will be able to muscle into all aspects of the commercial banking franchise and radically alter the playing field. It is true that commercial banks enjoy the dual monopolies of deposit aggregation powers and payment settlement finality. However, technology will diminish those advantages (see below) to the point at which they cannot overcome their regulatory, capital and liquidity burdens. Deposit Banking diminishes in importance. The centuries-old deposit banking paradigm will not disappear anytime soon. But we believe it will radically change in the near future, creating significant winners and losers among financial and payments institutions. Deposits have long served two primary functions. They were a buffer to mitigate the uncertain clearing time for payments and they served as a repository for savings on the part of individuals who did not have direct access to the institutional markets. Rates paid on transaction deposits were negligible but that was part of the offset for transaction costs. Rates paid on savings were more competitive but slightly below market, given that banks provided the only way for retail savers to earn any return at all. Even today, banks aggressively compete for deposits across most wholesale and retail segments. Yet we believe this model is about to change as the cross currents of technology and regulation play out. On the transaction front, with faster (instant) payments will come greater certainty, leading to what we refer to as “just-in-time money”. In this new world, the need for a buffer vanishes. Fintech solutions will fund these accounts as necessary and will deploy all excess funds into the money markets. On the savings front, technology is eliminating the friction and transaction costs that stood in the way of savers directly accessing the markets. On-line brokers and internet banks are just the tip of the iceberg. Further, traditional commercial banks are saddled with Basel III related capital, liquidity and stable funding requirements that further erode their competitiveness. Deposits were once the holy grail of banking. That is about the change. Deposit Insurance becomes universal. Government insurance for bank deposits is a common safety net worldwide. By insuring a set level of deposits, governments boost depositors’ faith in the banking system and encourage capital formation. Banks are assessed premiums by the insuring government agency. These premiums are generally passed along to depositors in the form of slightly lower rates or higher transaction costs. At the onset of the financial crisis, the U.S. Congress raised the coverage amount from $100,000 to $250,000 per depositor per institution, and that has not been rolled back during the recovery. Temporarily, the limit was removed altogether for non-interest-bearing accounts. Taking deposit insurance well beyond the safety net aspect, financial institutions and tech companies are partnering to expand coverage to all of a customer’s deposits. A depositor can place funds well above the $250,000 limit with a lead participant. A servicer will take that large deposit, break it into $250,000 units and place one unit each with other banks in their network. Some networks include over 1,000 banks, enabling a depositor to place up to $250 million in a single deposit and have the entire amount insured. While this might seem to be at odds with the spirit of deposit insurance, neither the FDIC nor Congress have taken steps to limit the rapid spread of these deposits that now exceed $1 trillion, one-eighth of the total insured deposit base. In fact, in 2018 Congress passed legislation that gave regulatory support to “reciprocal” deposits, a subset of these types of programs. Consider, then, the rapidly approaching scenario in which ALL deposits are insured and the resulting moral hazard. A thin layer of bank shareholder capital is the only source of market discipline. The government is on the hook for all losses. That asymmetry likely leads to outsized risk taking. Ultimately, the government will be forced to step in and de facto nationalize the banks. Bills have been introduced in Congress, most recently in 2018, to allow the US Postal Service to take deposits and make loans. This could be the logical conclusion of unlimited deposit insurance. If the government is bearing all the risks of the banking system, the logical conclusion is that it takes over the banking system. USPS banks could be the first step in that direction. Private Liquidity Funds emerge as a major asset class. Like private equity funds a few decades ago, which provided a way to circumvent public markets for long term capital, Private Liquidity Funds will circumvent the public markets to enable the efficient provision of liquidity to both investors and borrowers. Technology is enabling “just-in-time money” which will redefine “liquidity”. Sweep accounts are now available at low cost to most savers and investors. Funds can be fully invested right up to the day they are needed. Thanks to fintech advances, funds can be drawn down at precisely the time they are needed. At the same time, regulators in the U.S. and around the world have hamstrung money market funds that focus on private sector liquidity. In 2016, US regulators implemented regulations that reduced the viability of prime money market funds. Prime funds invested in commercial paper and other private sector debt instruments. Thus, both the providers and users of liquidity were penalized. The bulk of prime fund assets flowed into government and treasury funds and are no longer available to provide liquidity to businesses. Similar regulations are currently being implemented in Europe. Unfortunately, because of the dramatic scale-back of prime funds, the most efficient conduit between providers and users of liquidity has been significantly curtailed. The upshot will be an entirely new asset class. Some forward-thinking asset managers have already established the first funds of this breed. They are similar to the pre-regulation 2a-7 funds but are limited to institutional investors. However, we expect these to morph into an asset class that will ultimately look very different from the current funds (MMFs, SMAs and Ultra Short Bond Funds) and incorporate the redefined “liquidity” and facilitate just-in-time cash. Forty years ago, no one envisioned the current structure and transformative role of private equity funds. We believe a similar transformation is about to overtake the liquidity market. Technology disintermediates the intermediaries. Historically, banks and other financial intermediaries filled the information gap between suppliers of capital (depositors, investors) and users of capital. They also bridged the gap between risk takers and risk avoiders. Banks knew both sides of the trade and could comfortably stand between providers and users of capital who did not know each other. If a single bank did not know the counter party of a transaction, it could easily locate a correspondent bank that did. These intermediaries lowered the transaction costs and risks (friction) that separated borrowers from lenders. The result was the rapid global expansion of trade and commerce. Fintech is changing all that in five key ways: Technology is fast closing that information gap. It is putting more reliable and more up-to-date information in the hands of all the parties in any given transaction, reducing the need for an intermediary. Social networks such as LinkedIn and others allow buyers and sellers to connect and investigate each other directly. Peer-to-Peer networks and microfinance schemes bypass the financial intermediary entirely. Technology is powering broad based sweep programs that move excess funds out of even the smallest investor or depositor accounts, the intermediaries, and directly into the financial markets. Intelligent technologies, such as robo-advisors, use sophisticated algorithms to bypass the traditional channels. The upshot is that the intermediary role of financial institutions is being displaced. Truly immediate payments eclipse faster payments. Over the past several decades, payments have become faster, cheaper and more reliable. Checks used to take days in the mail and then days to clear once deposited. International funds transfers would pass through several banks, each taking a “lifting” fee as the funds slowly passed from originator to recipient. Fortunately, those days are over. Now, central banks, commercial banks and payment networks are all racing each other to make payments even speedier. This is all very good since timing delays in payments and the attendant information flows create risk and uncertainty as well as wreaking havoc with cash forecasts and liquidity cushions. In the US the Fed launched its Faster Payments task force with this statement: “The task force calls upon all stakeholders to seize this historic opportunity to realize the vision for a payment system in the United States that is faster, ubiquitous, broadly inclusive, safe, highly secure, and efficient by 2020.” Around the globe, the UK announced its Faster Payments Service in 2008. In 2017, the European Central Bank kicked off its TIPS program (TARGET Instant Payment Settlement) with the goal of “instant” payments 24/7 within the euro area. The Monetary Authority of Hong Kong launched the Faster Payments System initiative in 2018. No doubt, payments are becoming much faster, more secure and more universal. The benefits of these initiatives are immense. In faster payments, funds and information, however fast and efficient, must still flow between the originator, the originator’s payment processor and/or bank, a central bank, the recipient’s payment processor and/or bank before becoming settled funds in the recipients account with finality. Even the ECB, in its TIPS communique, defined instant payments as “a matter of seconds”. That is a huge improvement. However, as high-frequency traders and arbitrageurs know, “a matter of seconds” is an eternity in financial markets. We believe that there will be one more step beyond faster payments: truly immediate payments. These payments will settle instantly, anywhere, anytime. At present, it’s difficult to envision. Perhaps blockchain technology is providing us the first glimpse. This has the potential of eliminating the sequential process of moving money and information (however fast) among transactors, their intermediaries and their settlement network. Alternatively, the paradigm for instant payments might come from outside the industry. Consider this analogy with railroads. In the late 19th century, railroads competed with each other to provide faster, safer and cheaper options in moving both passengers and freight between two points. Yet, even in the heat of that competition, no one within the industry considered putting wings on rail cars. Ironically, most payment intermediaries today refer to their networks as “rails”. 20th century institutions and structures are realigned. Post-WWII, late 20th century institutions and structures are unraveling. But, because they are so ingrained in our psyche, these shifts seem incomprehensible. The magnitude and scope of their impact are difficult to assess. But we believe that this is a megatrend impacting Treasury, Money and Banking. Trade organizations and trade agreements are coming apart or are being realigned in material ways. To see just a few underway right now, look no farther than the Pacific trade agreements, NAFTA and the EU with Brexit. Countries are subtly shifting to bi-lateral rather than multi-lateral constructs. Structures are also giving way. SWIFT is caught in a tug of war between its nominal role as a funds transfer communication system and its externally imposed role of sanctions enforcer. LIBOR, the reference rate for several trillion dollars of actual debt and hundreds of trillions of dollars of derivatives is phasing out within the next two years. The financial world needs to be repapered! Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) are coming under scrutiny. Agencies such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that provide government guarantees in order to meet a “social good” took shape following the early 20th century’s great depression. They have now grown into behemoths, and some lay the blame of the 2008 financial crisis at the doorstep of the housing GSEs. Although governments decried the size of these agencies and vowed to trim then, they have continued to grow since the crisis. Paradoxically, central banks need GSE to create the instruments that now sit on their swollen balance sheets. We believe that many of these agencies will be downsized over time. The 20th century financial and geopolitical world is changing, and all market participants must adapt. Currency takes on a new role. This megatrend is counter-intuitive, but the data are clear. For decades, we’ve heard that we’re moving toward a cashless society. One with everything on a card or in a chip. Not so. The evidence is that, over the last decade, currency in circulation as a percentage of GDP has nearly doubled worldwide. In the US, currency increased from $800 billion in 2006 to $1.7 trillion in late 2018. That’s hardly a cashless society. (Scandinavia is an exception we need to explore.) Central banks and academia are beginning to study this phenomenon. Some key hypotheses about factors contributing to this are currently being formulated. They include: Convenience – It’s easy to transact in cash. Low holding cost – In an ultra-low interest rate environment, cash is cheap. Privacy – Currency transactions (and barter) are the only types of economic activity that don’t inherently require a corresponding exchange of data. Historically, currency has defined the underground economy. We now see an emerging role for currency in the above-ground economy for market participants desiring and valuing privacy or anonymity. Store of Value – In negative interest rate environments we see in some parts of the world, there is actually an economic benefit to holding currency in order to retain value. More interestingly, in certain low interest rate environments, the low carrying costs, to many, seem like a small price to pay to hedge political or economic uncertainty. India is a fascinating case study in progress. In November 2016, India eliminated large denominated rupee notes that represented 86% of India’s currency. Citizens had the opportunity to exchange the notes for smaller denomination notes. The intent was to root out the underground economy and raise tax revenue. The ramifications were far reaching and still playing out. But Bloomberg offers one interesting conclusion: “Cash remains the most popular form of tender in India. Currency with the public has increased to 18.5 trillion rupees in August 2018 from 17.9 trillion rupees before demonetization.” That is a 3% increase in currency in spite of an 86% drop in large denominated notes! Again, economists at present are trying to understand the factors behind this trend. Obviously, however, this creates a nightmare for regulators and those managing monetary policy. The trend is both real and “Mega”. Alternative currencies gain acceptance. This megatrend challenges the definition of money itself – the gaining acceptance of alternative currencies including crypto currencies. In ancient times, post-barter, precious commodities were the prevailing instrument of exchange and store of value. These commodities had intrinsic value that resulted in their reliability and acceptance. The middle ages saw the emergence of fiat currencies. They had value because a government said they had value. The problem with pre-modern fiat currencies is that they could be easily debased. A ruling body could simply turn on the printing press. Current fiat currencies such as the dollar, euro, pound, etc. are much more stable than their predecessors. That’s because they are issued and backed by the full faith and credit of sovereign governments. They are managed with a “goal” of price stability by central banks. The track record is far from perfect and debasement examples abound, but it is certainly improved. Crypto technologies are now enabling a new genre of fiat currency: crypto currencies like bitcoin and others. They are not the product of precious metals or scarce commodities. They are not issued by governments (yet). They are not “full faith and credit” instruments. They are not managed by central backs. Proponents insist that this litany of “they are nots” is actually a benefit, not a shortcoming. Following the Subjective Theory of Value, crypto currencies have value because buyers and sellers believe they have value. They are fiat currencies without governments or central banks. Adherents argue that frees them from manipulation by governments or central banks and creates a universal value. Air-BnB, Uber and Lyft offer instructive examples. After all, who would invite a total stranger to spend a night in their homes or jump into a stranger’s car. A key thing these companies provide to the gig economy is a decentralized mechanism of trust (in contrast to the trusted “central” bank). In doing so, they have transformed industries. This could be the trajectory of certain crypto currencies. We believe that some alternative currencies will become mainstream. While they might not be both a universal store of value and medium of exchange, some might take hold as settlement vehicles for specific types of payments. Others, because of their distributed processing security, could be liquidity vehicles. Still others, because of their global nature, could eliminate the need for foreign exchange in global trade. We’ll explore the profound implication in later megatrend articles. Solutions for the underbanked take shape. 30% of the world’s population do not have bank accounts. Many more do not have access to a basic set of banking services. They must either transact in cash, barter or use third party payment services, which tend to be very expensive. Check cashing services, payday lending, money orders, money transfer services, etc. provide the underbanked with some ability to make payments, but at a high cost. The economic impact is significant. In addition to the direct cost that the underbanked pay to access the financial system, there is an even greater cost in terms of lost economic activity. The inability to easily transact reduces the level of transactions and depresses commerce and trade. Fortunately, new technologies could provide economically viable solutions for the underbanked in the three most critical financial functions: Payment system access – Currently, people and businesses need a bank account to initiate or receive payments. Solutions developed by payments intermediaries and enabled by blockchain will provide the underbanked with payment services, conceivably bypassing the banking system altogether. Store of value – Blockchain could become the system of record for certain types of financial assets. This promises to allow the underbanked to safely and securely accumulate financial assets without having bank accounts. Assets could even be denominated in traditional central bank currencies or in crypto currencies. Access to capital – Peer to peer lending and micro finance are already providing non-traditional access to capital for the underbanked. Technology will accelerate this trend and make these services available to a larger population. Bringing the underbanked into the mainstream of the world’s economies creates opportunities that are difficult to fully appreciate. Increased economic activity, improved standards of living, expansion of markets are just some of the benefits that await. In Conclusion , this paper has presented eleven megatrends impacting treasury, money and banking on a global scale. Some of these trends are natural extensions of technological innovation, others are regulatory work-arounds or the result of geopolitical forces well beyond the control of any single jurisdiction. The Carfang Group believes that each of these megatrends, individually, are transformational and collectively point to a potential radical change to the financial system. Future articles will consider each of these megatrends in greater depth. We welcome your feedback as we embark of this exploration. About the author: Anthony J. Carfang is Managing Director of The Carfang Group and has a distinguished background in consulting, writing, speaking, thought leadership and advocacy in the area of treasury, payments and liquidity. He encourages you to provide feedback on this article or any other issues to tony_carfang@carfang.com . You can follow Tony at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carfang/ © 2019 The Carfang Group, LLC. All rights reserved.

Noticias sobre el cáncer, historias y más

Breast Cancer Symptoms Understanding the Signs. Breast Cancer Signs and Symptoms Knowing how your breasts normally look and feel is an important part of breast health. Finding breast cancer as early as possible gives you a better chance of successful treatment. But knowing what to look for does not take the place of having regular mammograms and other Screening tests. Screening tests can help find breast cancer in its early stages, before any symptoms appear. The most common symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or mass. A painless, hard mass that has irregular edges is more likely to be cancer, but breast cancers can be tender, soft, or rounded. They can even be painful. For this reason, it is important to have any new breast mass, lump, or breast change checked by a health care professional experienced in diagnosing breast diseases. Other possible symptoms of breast cancer include: Other possible symptoms of breast cancer include: Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no distinct lump is felt) Skin irritation or dimpling (sometimes looking like an orange peel) Breast or nipple pain Nipple retraction (turning inward) Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin Nipple discharge (other than breast milk) Sometimes a breast cancer can spread to lymph nodes under the arm or around the collar bone and cause a lump or swelling there, even before the original tumor in the breast is large enough to be felt. Swollen lymph nodes should also be checked by a health care provider. Although any of these symptoms can be caused by things other than breast cancer, if you have them, they should be reported to a health care professional so that the cause can be found. Because mammograms do not find every breast cancer, it is important for you to be aware of changes in your breasts and to know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors Breast Cancer Risk and Risk Factors You may be familiar with the statistic that says 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer. Many people misinterpret this to mean that, on any given day, they and the women they know have a 1-in-8 risk of developing the disease. That’s simply not true. In reality, about 1 in 8 women in the United States — 12%, or about 12 out of every 100 — can expect to develop breast cancer over the course of an entire lifetime. In the U.S., an average lifetime is about 80 years. So, it’s more accurate to say that 1 in 8 women in the U.S. who reach the age of 80 can expect to develop breast cancer. In each decade of life, the risk of getting breast cancer is actually lower than 12% for most women. People tend to have very different ways of viewing risk. For you, a 1-in-8 lifetime risk may seem like a high likelihood of getting breast cancer. Or you may turn this around and reason that there is a 7-in-8, or 87.5%, chance you will never get breast cancer, even if you live to age 80. How you view risk often depends on your individual situation — for example, whether you or many women you know have had breast cancer, or you have reason to believe you are at higher-than-normal risk for the disease — and your usual way of looking at the world. Even though studies have found that women have a 12% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer, your individual risk may be higher or lower than that. Individual risk is affected by many different factors, such as family history, reproductive history, lifestyle, environment, and others. Breast Cancer Risk Factors A “risk factor” is anything that increases your risk of developing breast cancer. Many of the most important risk factors for breast cancer are beyond your control, such as age, family history, and medical history. However, there are some risk factors you can control, such as weight, physical activity, and alcohol consumption. Be sure to talk with your doctor about all of your possible risk factors for breast cancer. There may be steps you can take to lower your risk of breast cancer, and your doctor can help you come up with a plan. Your doctor also needs to be aware of any other risk factors beyond your control, so that he or she has an accurate understanding of your level of breast cancer risk. This can influence recommendations about breast cancer screening — what tests to have and when to start having them. Risk Factors You Can Control Weight . Being overweight is associated with increased risk of breast cancer, especially for women after menopause. Fat tissue is the body’s main source of estrogen after menopause, when the ovaries stop producing the hormone. Having more fat tissue means having higher estrogen levels, which can increase breast cancer risk. Diet . Studies are looking at the relationship between diet and breast cancer risk and the risk of recurrence. The Women's Health Initiative Trial suggested that a diet very low in fat may reduce the risk of breast cancer. More research is needed in this important area for women who are interested in eating well to reduce their risk of ever getting breast cancer. In the meantime, here's what dietitians suggest: • Keep your body weight in a healthy range for your height and frame. Body mass index , though not a perfect measurement, can help you estimate your healthy weight. • Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit (more than 5 cups a day). • Try to limit your saturated fat intake to less than 10% of your total calories per day and limit your fat intake to about 30 grams per day. • Eat foods high in omega-3 fatty acids . • Avoid trans fats, processed meats, and charred or smoked foods. You'll find that processed foods generally don't fit in this type of diet as well as fresh foods do. For more information, visit our page on healthy eating to reduce risk of breast cancer in the Nutrition section. Exercise . Evidence is growing that exercise can reduce breast cancer risk. The American Cancer Society recommends engaging in 45-60 minutes of physical exercise 5 or more days a week. (See our Fitness Guide) Alcohol consumption. Studies have shown that breast cancer risk increases with the amount of alcohol a woman drinks. Alcohol can limit your liver’s ability to control blood levels of the hormone estrogen, which in turn can increase risk. Smoking. Smoking is associated with a small increase in breast cancer risk. Exposure to estrogen. Because the female hormone estrogen stimulates breast cell growth, exposure to estrogen over long periods of time, without any breaks, can increase the risk of breast cancer. Some of these risk factors are under your control, such as: • taking combined hormone replacement therapy (estrogen and progesterone; HRT) for several years or more, or taking estrogen alone for more than 10 years • being overweight • regularly drinking alcohol Recent oral contraceptive use. Using oral contraceptives (birth control pills) appears to slightly increase a woman’s risk for breast cancer, but only for a limited period of time. Women who stopped using oral contraceptives more than 10 years ago do not appear to have any increased breast cancer risk. Stress and anxiety. There is no clear proof that stress and anxiety can increase breast cancer risk. However, anything you can do to reduce your stress and to enhance your comfort, joy, and satisfaction can have a major effect on your quality of life. So-called “mindful measures” (such as meditation, yoga, visualization exercises, and prayer) may be valuable additions to your daily or weekly routine. Some research suggests that these practices can strengthen the immune system. (See our resources on Positive Thinking, Meditation and Affirmations ) Risk Factors You Cannot Control Gender. Being a woman is the most significant risk factor for developing breast cancer. Although men can get breast cancer, too, women’s breast cells are constantly changing and growing, mainly due to the activity of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. This activity puts them at much greater risk for breast cancer. Age. Simply growing older is the second biggest risk factor for breast cancer. From age 30 to 39, the risk is 1 in 228, or .44%. That jumps to 1 in 29, or just under 3.5%, by the time you are in your 60s. Family history of breast cancer. If you have a first-degree relative (mother, daughter, sister) who has had breast cancer, or you have multiple relatives affected by breast or ovarian cancer (especially before they turned age 50), you could be at higher risk of getting breast cancer. Personal history of breast cancer. If you have already been diagnosed with breast cancer, your risk of developing it again, either in the same breast or the other breast, is higher than if you never had the disease. Race. White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than are African American women. Asian, Hispanic, and Native American women have a lower risk of developing and dying from breast cancer. Radiation therapy to the chest. Having radiation therapy to the chest area as a child or young adult as treatment for another cancer significantly increases breast cancer risk. The increase in risk seems to be highest if the radiation was given while the breasts were still developing (during the teen years). Breast cellular changes. Unusual changes in breast cells found during a breast biopsy (removal of suspicious tissue for examination under a microscope) can be a risk factor for developing breast cancer. These changes include overgrowth of cells (called hyperplasia) or abnormal (atypical) appearance. Exposure to estrogen. Because the female hormone estrogen stimulates breast cell growth, exposure to estrogen over long periods of time, without any breaks, can increase the risk of breast cancer. Some of these risk factors are not under your control, such as: • starting menstruation (monthly periods) at a young age (before age 12) • going through menopause (end of monthly cycles) at a late age (after 55) • exposure to estrogens in the environment (such as hormones in meat or pesticides such as DDT, which produce estrogen-like substances when broken down by the body) Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Pregnancy and breastfeeding reduce the overall number of menstrual cycles in a woman’s lifetime, and this appears to reduce future breast cancer risk. Women who have never had a full-term pregnancy, or had their first full-term pregnancy after age 30, have an increased risk of breast cancer. For women who do have children, breastfeeding may slightly lower their breast cancer risk, especially if they continue breastfeeding for 1 1/2 to 2 years. For many women, however, breastfeeding for this long is neither possible nor practical. DES exposure. Women who took a medication called diethylstilbestrol (DES), used to prevent miscarriage from the 1940s through the 1960s, have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. Women whose mothers took DES during pregnancy may have a higher risk of breast cancer as well. What's the Difference between Diet and Nutrition? On Breast Cancer Conversations, the Podcast Listen Now