Fridays for FORCE: A Bit Late!

So many things have been happening this past week, including my return to work after a 3 week leave of absence. In catching up, the Komen v. Planned Parenthood debacle occurred.

In response, there are many articles and opinions.

For my response, I have added pages to my Blog. At the top, you will see tabs. Please click on the one marked IMPORTANT VIDEOS. On this tab, I will update with more videos to look at. Right now there are just a few. But important they are indeed.

Happy viewing!

Love and hugs,
Beth

Fridays for FORCE: 13 Ways of Community Service

Executive Director, Sue Friedman, posted this on the Thoughts from FORCE in her first blog of the year!

Thirteen Ways FORCE will Serve Our Community in 2012

On New Year’s Day we celebrated FORCE’s 13^th birthday! Over the course of this year, we will highlight the significance of this milestone with blogs that emphasize the theme of “13.”

As my first blog of the new year, I am excited to share 13 things that FORCE will do to serve the hereditary cancer community in 2012.

1. Our new book, Confronting Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Identify Your Risk, Understand Your Options, Change Your Destiny is a Johns Hopkins Press Health Book that is available for preorder and preview on Amazon. The book will be widely available in February.
2. This month we are launching our inaugural FORCE Research Advocate Training (FRAT) Program that will train members of our community to become engaged in research review and safety panels. Training topics include cancer 101, basic genetics, introduction to clinical trials and research, patient protection, ethics, and more.  Space is limited; however, there is still time to apply for participation. Contact Lisa Schlager (lisas@facingourrisk.org) to apply for this program.
3. Save the date for our Joining FORCEs conference: the largest annual gathering by and for the hereditary cancer community. Our 2012 conference will be held October 18-20, 2012 in Orlando.
4. Our free “Be Empowered” webinars feature presentations by experts on topics of importance to our community. Our next two webinars will be on breast surveillance and updates from the IMPACT Study for men with mutations. Please check back soon for the dates and registration information.
5. More than 50 outreach groups in the United States offer peer support, information, and resources. FORCE also has international groups. Our outreach coordinators act as a point of contact and offer face-to-face support meetings for our members.
6. Our toll-free helpline provides peer support and resources for people who are concerned about hereditary cancer. We recently also launched our helpline for Spanish‐speaking callers.
7. Our Patient Experience Contact Tool is a searchable database of surgeons who have provided services to community members, who can connect one-to-one and share information about their experiences. If you have had surgery to treat or prevent breast or ovarian cancer, please consider entering your information.  If you are facing surgery, this tool can help you get feedback and referrals for surgeons in your area.
8. Our Genetic Mutation Database is searchable by mutation and ethnicity and helps connect people who have the same mutation.
9. FORCE will honor hereditary cancer previvors and survivors and recognize the challenges they face during National HBOC Week (the last week of September) and National Previvor Day (the Wednesday of the same week). FORCE made history in 2010 with its successful effort to pass a Congressional resolution officially acknowledging these significant days.
10. Our Post Mastectomy Photo Gallery shares images of women after mastectomy and reconstruction. Coming this Spring, we are updating the gallery to allow women to post their own postsurgical photos.
11. Show & Tell: The Book will be a new resource with photos of women after mastectomy with and without reconstruction. Available in the Fall, this resource will feature the models’ personal comments about their experiences, information about their surgeries, and references to relevant chapters in The Breast Reconstruction Guidebook by Kathy Steligo.
12. We will continue to advocate strongly for hereditary cancer research. For example, it has now been seven years since we introduced our community to PARP inhibitors as targeted cancer therapy for people with BRCA mutations. (Although initial studies have been promising, due to many challenges the research has not yet progressed to trials to seek FDA approval.) Check our advocacy pages in the coming months for updates.
13. We will continue our efforts to endow our Hereditary Cancer Research Fundto make a difference and improve prevention, screening, and treatment options for people with hereditary cancer through research. Stay tuned for opportunities to provide input as we assess our community’s research priorities.

Instead of Buying PINK This Month...Consider This!

I know that there are many companies that have PINK merchandise and with the proceeds, there are Breast Cancer avenues that are funded.  I am up to my eyeballs in Pink! There is a veritable sea of PINK stuff out there starting in August, revs up in September and goes full tilt in October. Although it is agreed to be a "girly" color, I think over the years, I have had enough. And to top that off, my own father passed away after a valiant battle with Breast Cancer and I know he would rather have had another color to designate the disease.Yes, men get breast cancer but this fodder for another blog post!


Wonder how many of the other survivors feel the same way. Fortunately, FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered supports both Ovarian and Breast Cancer so we have the offset with teal and pink. Thank goodness! 


But imagine what good the monies used to buy the pink duck slippers, or pink mouse, or pink alarm pad and many other accessories and clothing, was to be donated instead of lining the purses of the big corporations. 


FORCE has broken down where the funds go within the organization. I myself have benefited from a scholarship to the Annual JoiningFORCE's Conference twice. Please review the list and head to the link above as well as below the list, to send what your heart moves you.


Through monies donated by corporations and individuals, the following can be done:

$1,000 delivers the latest in BRCA research and information to 500 families.

$500 gives 60,000 visitors access to our website for one month.

$300 provides a scholarship to our conference to one person that could not otherwise attend.

$200 provides life-saving information to 100 people through our newsletter.

$100 provides phone-based support and resources via our Helpline for one month.

$50 provides a package of informational brochures to doctors offices and hospitals.

Donations to FORCE are tax-deductible. 100% of the funds go to the organization to continue our mission. Many companies will also match donations made by their employees.

Please ask your employer if your company has a matching gifts policy. FORCE Tax ID: 
65-0927702

Once again, here is the link to the donation page:

https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=for&id=1

I appreciate any and all you can do!

Love and hugs,

Beth

Survey on ovarian cancer risk management research for women with ovaries

Survey on ovarian cancer risk management research for women with ovaries

FORCE, Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (www.facingourrisk.org), is always on board with Advocacy programs. This survey was created so that we can attest for the need for continued funds for Ovarian Cancer research, risk management and treatment.  Below are the parameters for the survey.  All you need to do is click on the link above to get started!  And of course, please pass this along!!

Survey on Ovarian Cancer Prevention Research

Researchers are considering studies using medication or salpingectomy (removal of the fallopian tubes) to lower ovarian cancer risk in high-risk women. FORCE is partnering with researchers to understand more about women's attitudes about participating in ovarian cancer prevention studies.

This survey is open to women who:

• have a BRCA mutation, Lynch Syndrome, or ovarian cancer runs in their family
• have not been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and still have one or both ovaries

The surveys need to be completed by June 1st so that our Executive Director, Sue Friedman, can also present these results at our Annual JoiningFORCE's Conference June 23 to the 25th.

Love and hugs,

Beth