- Local: What's new in Bloomington?
- Research news: From the lab
- Get involved: Join a study, survey
- Smart spending: Buy cards, stamps
- News archives
Local news
Koneru practice now part of IMA
Oncologist Karunna Koneru and her oncology practice, the Cancer Care Center, have joined IMA/Premier Healthcare, according to the Herald-Times.
The articled said Koneru and her staff will remain in their office on Second Street and the Bedford location will remain open. In the future, IMA/Premier said it hopes to bring all the oncology services together.
Koneru joins oncologists Jacquelyn Joyce, David Joyce and Mark Dayton at IMA.
Health on the Net certifies BreastCancerFYI.org
For the sixth year, the Health on the Net Foundation has certified this website as one that complies with HON's code that promotes useful and reliable online health information. Learn more about HON or see BCFYI's certificate.
IU researchers study chemobrain
Ten years ago, women undergoing chemotherapy were told that the "blood-brain barrier" prevented chemo drugs from affecting their brains. Many of us thought otherwise, and now IU Simon Cancer Center researchers are finding that not only does chemotherapy affect cognitive function, but those effects can last awhile.
The scientists used brain imaging to study women with breast cancer before and after treatment, and found that chemotherapy affects gray matter. This means memory and multitasking may be affected.
Volunteers in Medicine gets funds for mammograms
Volunteers in Medicine received nearly $10,000 from the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust to provide patients with free mammograms at SIRA. The trust is the organization that receives funds from the Breast Cancer Awareness license plate (see Smart Spending below).
Eligible women are those in Monroe and Owen counties with a household income at 200 percent or less of the federal poverty level. Apply at the clinic at 811 W. Second St. near Bloomington Hospital or call (812)333-4001 for details.
The funding supplements grants from the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Bloomington Breast Cancer Awareness Walk held each fall.
From the news pages:
SABCS provides research news
The annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium provides researchers a venue for announcing their findings, which this year ranged from info about new treatment drugs to genetic discoveries. Check out this roundup of stories for more.
Cheers? Maybe not...
The recent news about alcohol's abiliy to increase the risk of breast cancer isn't news, but the latest study does limit even further how many drinks may be "safe." Check out this breakdown of the study from BreastCancer.org>, the study itself, or a Think Pink, Live Green column by BreastCancer.org's founder Marisa Weiss.
Wishing for a magic number?
This piece from the New York times elicited some passionate reactions from readers. It's about doctors who won't (can't) give patients a percentage or prediction about likelihood of recurrence.
Research sheds light on chemo brain
Ah, remember the bad old days when your oncology team scoffed at your fears of "chemo brain," the cognitive problems many women experience during treatment? Well, researchers recently tracked down many of the reasons women feel that they aren't as smart as they used to be. Read the latest in Cure magazine.
New radiation treatment spreads metallic bits
A fairly new apparatus for delivering radiation to a specific place immediately after surgery may have left metal bits throughout the affected breast. Read about the Axxent FlexShield Mini, which has been recalled.
Too many breast biopsies? Questions you should ask
A study in Florida found that too many women with abnormal mammograms or other breast problems are undergoing surgical biopsies instead of needle biopsies. Read more at the New York Times.
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Get involved
Below are programs that need you, breast cancer survivors and relatives of survivors, to participate in studies and programs and to volunteer. You'll be turning your experience into something that could provide a positive outcome for the next woman in line.
Study looks at effects of exercise
IU graduate student Victoria Lee needs subjects for a study of how exercise affects stress in breast cancer survivors. (Lee is one of Dr. Jeanne Johnston's students, and many WISE program participants know Jeanne.)
Lee is looking for breast cancer survivors over 35 who were diagnosed with stage I-III cancer, completed chemotherapy and completed primary treatment within the past 36 months.
Parcipants will compete five short questionnaires, provide eight saliva samples and wear a physical activity monitoring device for one week. This may sound complicated, but total time invested is about three hours spread over several days. And the benefits are that this kind of research may help future breast cancer patients.
If you qualify, contact Lee at vslee@indiana.edu or 812-856-0583.
Study seeks children of cancer patients
IUPUI grad students are looking for individuals who experienced a parent's diagnosis of breast cancer during their first year of college but are now in their second year or further in their programs.
Researchers are interested in understanding how they learned about the breast cancer diagnosis and the way the family conveyed information about the prognosis and treatment of the illness to the young adult during their first year of college.
They also would like to see how the children coped with stresses of breast cancer in the family and the stresses of college life simultaneously.
If you are willing to participate in our study (interviews via phone or in person) and fit the parameters for participation, e-mail Shannon.s.lewis@gmail.com.
Road to Recovery needs drivers
The Monroe County chapter of the American Cancer Society is launching Road to Recovery, a program to provide cancer patients with transportation. The program will provide volunteer drivers for cancer patients who do not have transportation to treatments or medical appointments.
Tricia Bock of the ACS says drivers will be certified by spending about a half hour watching a DVD and filling out an application. The ACS will check driving records and conduct background checks.
For more information, contact Bock at Tricia.Bock@cancer.org or call (812)336-8423, or toll-free, (800)227-2345.
Got hot flashes? Study needs you
If you are a breast cancer survivor who has hot flashes, the IU School of Nursing needs you for a research study. The school is testing a natural way to stop hot flashes through breathing. Women will be compensated for their time and effort. For info, call (317)278-6094.
Diagnosed at under 45? Study needs you
The majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer are over 45 years old, and research about breast cancer survivorship has mostly focused on women diagnosed in this age group. But a new study entitled "Quality of Life in Younger Breast Cancer Survivors," funded by the American Cancer Society, will specifically identify survivorship issues in a younger age group as compared to an older age group.
Participants needed are breast cancer survivors diagnosed between the ages of 18-45 and 55-70 with a breast cancer diagnosis date of between three and eight years ago and whose breast cancer treatment included chemotherapy.
Participants will be asked to fill out a written survey and complete a telephone interview consisting of some memory tests. They will receive $25 for the survey and another $25 for the interview. Everything is mailed or completed over the phone, so no travel is involved. Although their participation is not required, partners or spouses willing to complete a survey will also receive $25.
Study investigators are Victoria Champion, DNS, RN, FAAN, and Dr. George Sledge, both of the IU Medical Center, and Sara Hickey, MPH, Indiana University School of Nursing. Interested? Call Hickey at 1-866-434-0116 or e-mail her at sahickey@iupui.edu.
Sister of a survivor? Study needs you
The Sister Study is the only long-term study of women aged 35 to 74 who have sisters who had breast cancer. It is a national study to learn how environment and genes affect the chances of getting breast cancer. Currently, almost 38,000 women have enrolled nationwide. The goal is for 50,000 women whose sister had breast cancer and who do not have breast cancer themselves to join the study.
You can join the Sister Study if a) your sister, related to you by blood, had breast cancer; b) you are between the ages of 35 and 74; c) you have never had breast cancer yourself; d) you are a woman living in the U.S. or Puerto Rico.
For more information, go to the Sister Study Web site.
Local oncologists conducting trials
Bloomington area oncologists are conducting seven clinical trials funded by the National Cancer Institute. Five of these include breast cancer patients.
- One trial will study different combination chemotherapy regimens to see how well they work in treating older women who have undergone surgery for breast cancer.
- A trial will look at exemestane (Aromasin) to see how well it works compared with anastrozole (Arimidex) in preventing cancer recurrence in postmenopausal women who have undergone surgery for primary breast cancer.
- Another trial studies anastrozole (Arimidex) compared to tamoxifen after lumpectomy in treating postmenopausal women with noninvasive ductal carcinoma (DCIS).
- An upcoming trial will compare the effectiveness of radiation therapy with that of observation, with or without tamoxifen, in treating women who have ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
- An upcoming trial will study whole breast radiation therapy compared with partial breast radiation therapy in treating women who have had surgery for noninvasive ductal carcinoma or stage I or stage II breast cancer.
The doctors overseeing the trials are David Lee, Bharati Kharkar, Karuna Koneru, Rajesh Shah and Mark Dayton.
If you're a cancer patient and think you might qualify for one of the studies, call Bloomington Hospital's cancer research nurse, at (812)353-2831. See more at the hospital website.
Looking for a clinical trial?
If you are looking for Indiana-based clinical trials for breast cancer, check out this searchable database to see what's available through IUPUI.
Also, check out these offerings from Central Indiana Cancer Centers.
For a national database, check out this listing from Cancer.gov.
Many more links to clinical trials is availabe on the Medical Resources page. Click on "cinical trials."
Moms, adolescent kids wanted for studies
IU School of Nursing researchers are conducting an interview-based study about how mothers with breast cancer parent their adolescent daughters, and how these daughters experience this parenting. If you find yourself in this situation and have an hour to spare, contact the School of Nursing, Indianapolis campus, at (317)275-3288 or email lead researcher Deborah Stiffler at dstiffle@iupui.edu.
You are an eligible participant if you have been diagnosed with stage 0-3 breast cancer; you have completed your breast cancer treatment within the last two years; you have an adolescent daughter between the ages of 13-18; you and your daughter would be willing to be interviewed, separately, about your experiences; and you speak English. Moms and daughters each receive $20 as a thank you gift.
Johns Hopkins University is conducting a similar study, Families Coping with Maternal Breast Cancer. If you were diagnosed with breast cancer while your children (either sex) were adolescents, you are invited to complete a half hour survey to help researchers learn more about how women and their adolescent children cope with breast cancer.
For more information, contact Alissa Bovee toll free at (866)294-9078 or email her at abovee@jhsph.edu.
Researchers looking at risk in overweight moms, daughters
Researchers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and Duke University Medical Center are conducting the Daughters and Mothers Against Breast Cancer trial to see if the mother-daughter bond can help promote weight loss in overweight women diagnosed with breast cancer. Check out this link to read the story.
Researcher looking for musicians with breast cancer
Musician and breast cancer survivor Sarah Schmalenberger is conducting a survey of musicians with breast cancer to determine if music plays a therpeutic role in recovery. The national Life and Livelihood Study is online at this Web site and any women musicians who competed their treatment within one to five years can participate.
Schmalenberger is an assistant professor of music history, horn, at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.
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Smart Spending
Exercise DVD benefits research (and you!)
The Strength and Courage DVD of exercises for breast cancer survivors costs only $20, and $5 of that goes directly to the Breast Cancer Research and Education Fund at Magee-Womens Foundation, which supports the mission of Magee-Women's Hospital of UPMC and Magee-Womens Research Institute by promoting philanthropy for research, patient care services and education.
But you will benefit, too, from this 65-minute routine of exercises developed for post-surgical stretching. Other goodies include survivors' testimonials, physical therapists demonstrating techniques and some aerobic exercise guidelines.
To learn more or to purchase, visit the Web site.
Stamp sales extended
The breast cancer stamp will be sold two more years, thanks to its placement in an omnibus bill passed in January. Sales of the stamp, which costs three cents more than the 42-cent first class postage, have raised $36.3 million for breast cancer research since introduced in 1998. According to a government report, the National Cancer Institute had funded 86 breast cancer research awards from the breast cancer stamp revenue.
Breast plate raises $300,000
Show your support for breast cancer research by purchasing a breast cancer specialty license plate, designed and promoted by the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust.
Since the program's beginnings in 2002, it has raised $300,000. Here's how it works: The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles is offering the plates for $40 per year, in addition to base costs. Of that, the Trust receives $25, which funds education, screenings, diagnosis and treatment, and supports Indiana-based research.
Forms are available online or by calling (866)724-2228. You can purchase the plates at the BMV branches as well.
Cleaning for a Reason offers housekeeping
The Cleaning for a Reason Foundation offers free professional housecleaning for women undergoing treatment for cancer. The nonprofit group currently is recruiting cleaning services in this area to participate. Currently, no cleaning services in Bloomington or Bedford are listed as participants.
To learn more, join the mailing list or get info for suggesting a patient or a house cleaner, log onto the Web site for details.
