Black Women and Breast Cancer

you are now visiting....SHE SPEAKS!

Black Women and Breast Cancer

If you are a breast cancer survivor or know of someone with breast cancer, this is the page for you. African American women get diagnosed earlier than our white counterparts and we die earlier. One of the reasons is late diagnosis.

My message is: If you find something suspicious - go to the doctor immediately!!!

Breast Cancer can be treated successfully if it is found early!!

I have compiled a list of sites geared toward the unique issues African American face such as

1. Embarassment about the disease.

2. Fear of diagnosis.

3. Ignorance of the disease.

We must learn to take care of ourselves!!!

OUR ISSUES

1. Being overweight can increase your cancer risk. And, if you have been diagnosed with cancer, staying overweight may be a factor in the cancer coming back.

Read this article about improving your survival:

http://www.med.wayne.edu/Scribe/scribe01-02/fall01/s-improving%20survival%20for%20obese%20breast%20cancer%20patients.htm

2. We all need support and someone to understand our unique concerns.

Visit Celebrating Life - A site for African American women and breast cancer.

http://www.celebratinglife.org

3. Here's another great online support group

Women of Essence

http://www.womenofessence.org

4. Here's a total resource page for breast cancer survivors. This page has links with information on treatment options, reconstruction, wig sites, and breast cancer websites.

http://www.silcom.com/~noster/bcinfo.html

The links come from Nancy Oster's webpage - a survivor!

5. This is a useful link about breast cancer research.

The International Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The site gives information about clinical trials and research.

http://www.ibcrf.org/faqlinks.html