Susan G. Komen - 2014

WE CAN WIN THE BATTLE.

ALL WE NEED IS YOU!

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2 • Auburn Reporter • May 2014

Thank You for Caring If you are reading this special breast cancer section of the Auburn Reporter, you clearly care about the impact of breast cancer on our community.

Thank you. More women in Washington State are diagnosed with breast cancer than any other form of cancer. Indeed, our state has one of the highest rates of breast cancer in our country.

Who knows why the incidence of breast cancer is so high in our state? One theory is it might be a relative lack of vitamin D. This is why I am excited about the Komen funded study on obesity and vitamin D that was just completed by Dr. Anne McTiernan, MD, PHD Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. This research is discussed in another article in today’s paper. It is one of eight local breast cancer research studies together totaling $3.7 million dollars in Komen global medical research funding spent right here in Puget Sound. Personally, I would like to see more study into the unique factors affecting breast health in our Northwest region.

Beyond the statistics, we care about breast cancer because so many of us know someone whose life has been touched by this disease. It might be a mother, a daughter, an aunt, a sister, a wife, a close friend or you. For me, the matriarch of my family, my Aunt Judy, is a breast cancer survivor. And, now that I am a part of a Komen Puget Sound family, I have become close to the many Komen staff, donors and volunteers who have either survived breast cancer or are currently battling this disease.

I am inspired by their stories every day, and they reinforce within me a personal sense of urgency regarding our mission. If a woman has to decide whether to pay for her family’s meals or her breast cancer treatments, she needs our support today.

With 100 women in our state diagnosed with breast cancer every week, we need find a cure for breast cancer now. When lives are at stake, there is no time to lose.

If you also feel this sense of urgency, I invite you to visit komenpugetsound.org and register for the Race for the Cure on June 1.

Join me and others who share your desire to make a difference. We can win the battle against breast cancer. All we need is you.

Thank you,

David Richart Executive Director, Komen Puget Sound

Now offering the new 5 day breast cancer treatment!

tukwila reporter

★★★★

2013

BESTOF

★★★★

2014

BESTOF

TUKWILA • SEATAC • DES MOINES AWARDS

1054826

TUKWILA • SEATAC • DES MOINES AWARDS

tukwila reporter

200 Andover Park E. Suite 3, Tukwila, WA 98188 (206) 922-6400 www.RainierCancerCenter.com

ST. CLARE HOSPITAL PRESIDENT NAMED BOARD PRESIDENT OF KOMEN PUGET SOUND Kathy Bressler, president of St. Clare Hospital, which is part of the Franciscan Health System, has been named president of the board of directors of the Puget Sound Affiliate of Susan G. Komen. Bressler’s two-year term began on April 1.

“Everyone who knows Kathy Bressler is inspired and energized by her spirit,” said David Richart, Komen Puget Sound executive director. “She is a model leader and brings an impressive list of professional accomplishments to the critical role of board president.”

“I am honored to have this amazing opportunity to be involved in the important and life-changing work that is the mission of the Komen organization,” Bressler said. “I am passionate about finding a cure for this disease and helping women become more proactive about protecting their health.”

Bressler has served as president of Franciscan Health System’s Lakewood hospital since September 2006. A registered nurse who joined the Franciscan organization about 24 years ago, she has managed emergency services, medical-surgical services, the Ambulatory Care Center and burn-treatment services at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, as well as Franciscan’s comprehensive orthopedic and gastrointestinal services.

Since its founding in 1993, Komen Puget Sound has grown to become the fifth largest among 120 local Komen affiliates across the country. During this time, the affiliate has raised and invested nearly $25 million to fight breast cancer. Seventy-five percent of these funds have been invested locally towards providing the Puget Sound community with breast health education, screening and treatment support. Twenty-fife percent of the funds have gone straight to global research into improved detection and treatment of breast cancer, and to ultimately curing this disease. To learn more about Komen Puget Sound, go to www.komenpugetsound.org.

KOMEN PUGET SOUND

RACE FOR THE CURE • 3

JOIN THE RACE. Everybody’s Welcome!

Enjoy a day filled with fun for yourself and the whole family, and you will make a real difference in our fight against breast cancer.

Register Online Now Through May 30 and Save!

Start a team!

There’s strength in numbers and more fun!

A Race team is a great way to build morale, support a friend, remember a loved one and maximize your impact in the fight against breast cancer. Teams can be any type or size: • Corporate Teams • Friends and Family • School Groups • Healthcare Teams • Community Organization • And more!

There is no additional cost to form or join a Race team. Team members do not have to participate in the same event. Become a team captain. Learn how easy it is at komenpugetsound.org.

Donate.

Support a Race participant.

Even if you can’t walk or run, you can lend your support. Make a general donation or give to a participant or team. Simply go online to komenpugetsound.org to make a donation.

Why it’s important: Reasons to race.

Every week, over 100 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Washington state.

Komen Puget Sound is the only organization that supports critical breast cancer services for local women and funds medical research to better diagnose, treat and ultimately cure this disease.

The Race for the Cure is Komen Puget Sound’s single largest opportunity to raise funds needed to fight breast cancer.

Seventy-five percent of net donations stays local to provide critical services like free mammograms and breast cancer treatment support for low income women.

The remaining 25 percent goes directly to Susan G. Komen global medical research to better diagnose, treat and ultimately cure breast cancer. Currently, Komen’s global medical research program is investing over $3.7 million locally into Puget Sound research projects.

You also will have access to email templates to help you solicit donations. We will provide you with lots of fundraising tips and you can even “Fundraise on Facebook.”

Make your fundraising efforts go even further. Ask your donors if their companies have an employee matching gifts program.

It doubles the amount you raise. Check our website for details and matching gift guidelines.

Raising $150 could fund a lifesaving mammogram through our community grants program.

Race Day Schedule 7 am: 7 am to noon:

8 am:

Registration and timing chip booth open Top 100 Fundraisers Tent, Survivor Celebration Tent, Food, Water, Coffee, Sponsor Booths, Main Stage Entertainment Kid’s Race

8:15 am:

Women’s Only 5K RunKids for the Cure

8:30 am:

Co-ed 5K Run

8:45 am:

One Mile Walk

8:45 am:

Co-ed 5K Walk

10-10:45 am: 10:45 am: 11 am:

Team Photos at Pink Ribbon Survivor Parade Fundraising Awards and Closing Ceremonies

Komen Puget Sound Community Events 21st Annual Survivor Celebration

September 14, 2014 Aboard a Holland America Line Ship at Pier 91, Seattle Puget Sound breast cancer survivors celebrate their journey with an exceptional experience onboard a luxurious Holland America Line ship. Guests are treated to an exquisite dining experience.

Registration begins in August at www.komenpugetsound.org

Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure September 19-21, 2014 Greater Seattle Area The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure is a 60-mile walk for women and men who want to make a personal difference in the fight to end breast cancer. Register at www.the3day.org

Lunch for the Cure® October 9, 2014 Hotel Murano Bicentennial Pavilion, Tacoma The Lunch for the Cure has become one of Pierce County’s most important fundraising events with over 600 local community leaders joining together in the promise to end breast. Learn more at www.komenpugetsound.org

Fundraise for the cure.

Power of a Promise® Luncheon

The Washington state Department of Health (DOH) estimates $3.3 million is needed this year to provide low-income, uninsured women with lifesaving mammograms. Your support will help fill that gap.

Once you sign up for the Race, you’ll get customizable fundraising webpage to collect donations online.

Be a part of Seattle’s premier luncheon supporting the fight against breast cancer, and help ensure all women have the opportunity to receive lifesaving breast cancer education, early detection and treatment. Learn more at www.komenpugetsound.org

Getting started is easy!

October 23, 2014 The Westin Hotel, Seattle

4 • Auburn Reporter • May 23, 2014

I am the

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Some Things You Should Know about Breast Cancer

By: Elisa Del Rosario Director of Grants, Education and Advocacy Komen Puget Sound

Society, the National Cancer Institute and Susan G. Komen all agree that women age 40 and older should have mammograms every 1 to 2 years. Early detection is the key to survival. The five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer, when caught early, is 99 percent.

When detected at the latest stage, the survival rate drops to 23 percent.

Every week, 100 Western Washington women are diagnosed with breast cancer, which continues to be the second most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the U.S., after skin cancer. We don’t yet know the exact causes of breast cancer, and many myths about breast cancer continue to exist. But probably the best way to prevent and survive a breast cancer diagnosis is to be informed.

All women are at risk for breast cancer.

Although this disease is more common in women over the age of 40, younger women can and do get breast cancer as well. To reduce risk, here are some things you should know.

• If you are over 40 years old, have a mammogram. The American Cancer

The Boob Blog

By Linda Ball

Last September I published my first book. I called it “The Boob Blog” because it started out as a blog.

I started the blog to keep family and friends up to speed on my progress and what was happening to me as I dealt with breast cancer. I realized what was happening was so unreal I had to expand on it — thus the book.

When you’re given a diagnosis of cancer, it’s frightening. Emotions and thoughts swell up that are hard to explain.

Why me?

I’m always been very healthy. I work out.

I eat pretty healthy, except when I crave sweets. I used to be a body builder (30 some years ago). How could this happen?

• Know what is normal for you. See your health provider right away if you notice a lump, swelling, changes in breast size or a new pain in one spot that does not go away.

• Live a healthy lifestyle. Maintain a healthy weight. Add exercise to your routine. Limit your use of alcohol.

Breastfeed, if you can. And, since we live in the Northwest, current studies point to maintaining a normal level of vitamin D as helpful.

Above all, the best advice I can give is to ask you to take an active role in your own breast health. And if you are over 40 years old, and have yet to be been screened for breast cancer, do it today. There is no time to lose.

It’s because cancer has its own agenda.

And in the case of breast cancer, if you’re female, you are a target.

Think of seven women you love dearly.

One of them will get a diagnosis of breast cancer.

I moved to Seattle over the Labor Day weekend of 2009 to start a new life, not really knowing anyone in this area. My diagnosis came one year and four months later. I was pretty much on my own, except when one of my friends from Alaska, my home state, or Idaho, where I moved here from, would come to help. I now realize how strong I was because I had to deal with this pretty much on my own, which I’ve come to learn, is not the norm.

But I didn’t know any different.

I dedicated “The Boob Blog” to survivors, current and future patients and anyone who has had their life touched by any kind of cancer.

In the book I talk about how I’ve always had a pretty wicked sense of humor, and that is what kept me going. In chapter three, “Fact Finding,” I said “tomorrow is my brain scan. It will be interesting to see if there’s anything in there.” Well, there wasn’t (meaning, no tumors)!

I talk about chemo. It’s hell. There’s really no other way to describe it. I did chemo first, which is called neoadjuvant therapy.

You can’t think straight. You are tired all the time. And I thought, okay, at least I’ll lose some weight with cancer. NO! You gain weight because they give you steroids to counteract the side effects of the chemo, so you want to eat more, and you gain

RACE FOR THE CURE • 5

FINDING THE SILVER LINING Jackie Jones

When I was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in November, 2012, I was just 28 years old. Even though my family has a history of breast cancer, my aunt and cousin on my mother’s side, I was still shocked to be diagnosed at such a young age. My husband had left me and my boys the year before, and I was just starting to get my life back on track. I was attending community college full time. Then cancer turned my whole world upside down.

I didn’t understand why I had breast cancer, but I believed there must be a reason why. I was determined to find the positive in this experience and to learn from it. I took medical leave from the community college I was attending. I had moved in with my parents after my husband had left me and the boys. It was there I found my silver lining.

Breast cancer turned my whole world upside down, but it also brought my family closer together as a family. My parents moved quickly from a feeling of helplessness to providing me the loving support that sustained me through my treatments. Most importantly, they would look into the faces of my two boys, CJ (age five) and Jamison (age two), and they would tell them “momma is going to be all right.”

Breast cancer taught me many life lessons, chiefly to live one day at a time and get the most out of living. I participated in the Race for the Cure last year, and I walked as a survivor. I had just completed my chemotherapy, and the walk was so exhausting. But it was also so amazing. We weren’t sad; we were celebrating – celebrating life! I met many new friends who had experienced breast cancer themselves, and they really understood my journey and all the emotions involved. I wish every cancer patient could experience the walk and the survivor’s celebration. You feel so much love and support from complete strangers.

When the picture was taken with me and my boyfriend, Michael, I was filled with joy. Nothing could hold me down. That day at the Race, I felt I no longer had to battle anything I hadn’t already won.

I am happy to share that last January I had a complete scan and found my cancer is now in remission. I am now back in college, and I am working towards being a registered nurse. I want to work in oncology and hopefully inspire others experiencing breast cancer, and give them the hope to fight this terrible disease.

The other day, I met with someone who was diagnosed with breast cancer and wanted to talk to me about it. I told her now you have to be strong, and you will surprise yourself by just how strong you can be. You have to focus on your desire to see tomorrow and find the reason for why you want to see tomorrow. For me, it was my two boys, CJ and Jamison.

weight. Great, I thought. Fat and bald.

Then, for a little extra fun, when I had one of my first MRIs, a tech called to say there was a “spot” on my appendix. My oncologist told me not to worry about it. On the evening of May 25, 2011, I knew something was terribly wrong. You guessed it. Appendicitis. So, it had to come out.

That set me back a little from the chemo schedule. I am very much a planner and in control of my life, so for me all of this was really hard because I was not the one in control. The disease was.

Once I was back on track, I went into phase II of the chemo, which was the hard stuff. It was a combination of two drugs, adriamycin and cytoxan; adriamycin is also referred to as the red devil, and it didn’t take long to figure out why. That’s when my hair really started to go, and tired took on a whole new meaning.

What made my journey unique is that I really did my best to try to keep it normal. I continued to do things I enjoyed as much as I could. I went zip-lining and kayaking after I had a uni-lateral mastectomy. And it kept me strong, physically and mentally.

I don’t forget my medical team in the book at all. They were all so wonderful.

My medical oncologist, Dr. Kaplan, my surgeon, Dr. Beatty, my plastic surgeon, Dr. Isik, and the oncology nurses and all the nurses were nothing short of angels.

My final day of chemo was bittersweet, because I had to say goodbye to those wonderful nurses.

Many women don’t bother with

reconstruction. But I felt I was still too young not to do it. I opted for a tram-flap, which was another long journey. The tram-flap is an amazing procedure, but had I known how painful it would be, I might have re-thought it. I was in rough, rough shape for a good month after the surgery.

I had to have constant care for three weeks, so thankfully I had three different girlfriends come in week shifts to care for me.

I am healed now, but I still have occasional twinges of pain, from nerves reconnecting I suppose.

By December 2012 I moved into my very own little condo in West Seattle. I bought at the bottom of the market and I love my place. I have a view of Puget Sound, which was my priority. I love being able to sit on my deck in the summer and see the Sound and the Olympic Mountains and to walk along the shore.

I participated in my first Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure last June, and I will be doing it again this year. I’m also the PR chair for this year’s American Cancer Society, West Seattle, Relay for Life. The fight can’t end until cancer is eradicated forever.

“The Boob Blog” is available on Amazon.com or for Kindle. It’s also available at the Issaquah Library, and at Swedish Medical Centers in Issaquah, Seattle First Hill and Edmonds in the cancer education centers.

Sometimes reading someone else’s journey can help you make key decisions.

6 • Auburn Reporter • May 23, 2014

Friends share fight to beat breast cancer Women urge early detection, support of others to win the battle

By Ross Coyle, Kent Reporter

W

hen Marisa Connors found a lump beneath her armpit five years ago, she was worried. When the doctor told her it was stage three breast cancer, she went through a series of emotions.

Shock, disbelief, sadness, anger.

Connors’ friend, Kelly Beckley, had a similar experience. She could tell by the silence during an ultrasound that the chance of her getting breast cancer was likely.

“But it was still a huge shock,” Beckley recalled.

“After I hung up I remember looking at my sweet husband (Dave) and he started crying. It was like, ‘Oh boy, this is real, now what?’”

“And then it’s time to fight,” Connors replied.

There weren’t any second thoughts for the Kent women who share the plight.

Connors, 52, had a double mastectomy 10 days after her diagnosis.

When she woke up, having to look at her disfigured body was “the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said.

Beckley took a similar road after discovering cancer. She had a double mastectomy within a month of the diagnosis.

The women couldn’t be more different, but they’re united by this common crucible as survivors of breast cancer.

Beckley, an author, has been cancer free for a year, and Connors, a business owner, just passed her five-year mark.

With luck, she will be cancer free for the rest of her life.

Beckley, with jet black hair, is outspoken and enthusiastic. She sits forward, festooned with skull jewelry and talks animatedly about her experiences. The platinum blonde Connors is resigned in her chair, speaks in a soft and measured tone.

She is a mother of four and has nine grandchildren.

Early detection is the key to surviving cancer, they say. Find it fast.

After discovery and treatment, the road to recovery wasn’t easy for either of them. Beckley simply followed Connors’ examples, taking the same oncologist and processes that her friend used.

It helped to have a doctor who could lighten the situation, too. Dr. Henry “Hank” Kaplan provided a friendly and optimistic bedside manner.

“He is amazing,” Connors said. “He is the hardest-working doctor I have ever seen. You get tests in the morning ... but he’s calling you at 9 o’clock at night and letting you know what happened with the tests so you can sleep at night.”

Kaplan manages to be realistic and light-hearted with his patients. “Even though it’s a horrible, horrendous cancer,” Beckley added.

It’s difficult to handle cancer, they say, and knowing how to be a good friend to someone suffering from the disease can be tricky. Beckley said there are different levels of openness, from her doctor and husband to her acquaintances.

The most important thing a family member or friend can do is remain positive, the women said.

“I had a couple of really bad days,” Beckley said, “but (my husband) remained positive and happy.”

Other friends made incredible sacrifices to help out. One of Beckley’s friends flew across the country in a day to be with her so she could help Beckley while her husband was away on a trip.

“I talked to her that morning on the phone, she was on my porch that evening,” Beckley said.

Making the effort and just being in contact can make a world of difference to a patient, Connors said. It’s not a single instance of kindness, “it’s the constant contact,” she said.

F

or friends outside of the patient’s immediate family, both women understand that it’s difficult to know how much is too much. They say just offer and make sure the patient knows you’re there for them. And be prepared to follow through if they do ask for help.

“It’s hard to gauge how much space to give somebody,” Connors said, “It’s very difficult because you don’t know how much you want to intrude on somebody’s horrible, personal journey.”

Beckley’s neighbors provided food and delivered it on the porch. They gave her lotions, magazines and candles.

“They would just take it upon themselves to just do it,” Beckley said.

“It’s hard to negotiate those boundaries when you’re on the outside. But for the cancer person, just do it. I don’t have time to explain it.”

Asking for help, and accepting help from others, is also difficult for many

Kent’s Marisa Connors, top photo, and Kelly Beckley are on the road to recovery. Ross Coyle photos patients when they start their journey.

“You’ve gotta start learning how to ask for help. That’s huge,” Connors said.

“Allow somebody to help you. So many women are independent, and we’re so used to doing things ourselves, and getting it done the right way and doing it our way. It’s difficult to come out and say, ‘Can you please come over and clean my house’ or ‘can you come over and hang with me for half a day so I don’t have to sit here by myself?’”

Even with all the support and information from doctors, the women weren’t prepared for everything they had encountered. The radiation that burned, the sickness of going through chemotherapy. That’s why both agreed that anyone going through cancer treatment needs to take their health into their own hands and find out everything: get exams when you’re 40,

instead of 45, take the threat seriously and tackle it early.

The disease changes a person, as evidenced by both women’s views on life and their feelings after treatment.

“I think every person in the whole world, regardless of whether they had cancer before or not, fears their mortality,” Beckley said, looking back on her road to recovery. “But when you’ve had cancer it’s always right in the back of my mind. So that motivates me to enjoy every day, every moment.”

For Connors, it’s given her a new feeling that she hasn’t known in almost five years.

“I’ve reached the point where I see that milestone of five years now and I feel free almost for the first time,” she said. “And I didn’t have this sense or peace of mind until I had this last scan at five years. Free. What a great word.”

KOMEN PUGET SOUND

RACE FOR THE CURE • 7

Extending Hope to Cancer Patients and their Families

W

hen Anna heard the news she was pregnant, she and her husband were overjoyed. Up to this point they had devoted their lives to providing a safe, nurturing home for foster children. While they had a large family of six foster children, they welcomed the news of another child in their lives. But then, shortly afterwards, Anna also received the news that she had breast cancer.

After the baby was born, Anna underwent surgery to have the cancer removed, and then she began chemotherapy. Overwhelmed by the unexpected medical expenses, she turned to her mother who put her in touch with one of Cancer Lifeline’s financial navigator’s.

The navigator worked helped with the application for aid from the Komen Puget Sound Patient Assistance Fund. Support from the Komen fund helped to keep the heat on in Anna’s home as well as provide meal support for her and her family. Once Anna’s financial situation was stabilized, she was able to address her medical needs and is now doing well.

Both financially and emotionally, Cancer Lifeline helped Anna move from hopelessness to the survivor she is today.

Forty years ago, Cancer Lifeline began service as a 24-hour phone line designed to offer information and provide emotional support to patients and families affected by cancer. Over the years of carefully listening to the needs of cancer patients and survivors,

the organization added other programs to provide all people touched by cancer with high-quality emotional, financial, and health and wellness services.

For the past nine years, Cancer Lifeline has administered the Komen Puget Sound Patient Assistance Fund (KPAF) to provide low-income breast cancer patients like Anna with financial and emotional support to help stabilize their lives and allow them to remain in treatment.

The organization is Komen Puget Sound’s second largest grantee, after the Washington State Department of Health. With the ongoing economic downturn, KPAF and Cancer Lifeline’s patient financial assistance program has been particularly vital for vulnerable breast cancer patients. It is one of the few programs in the Puget Sound area that helps patients at risk of losing housing, utilities or other basic essentials due to the expense of cancer treatments, loss of employment and/or insurance needs due to illness.

“Cancer Lifeline has truly been a lifeline for patients who have nowhere else to go,” says Elisa Del Rosario, Komen Puget Sound Director of Grants, Education and Advocacy. “They meet a critical need for women and families in our community, with staff and volunteers who exhibit the utmost caring for patient’s wellbeing.”

In addition to addressing the health and financial needs of cancer patients, Cancer Lifeline also

provides important mental well-being programs, including classes in artistic expression. These Creative Expression workshops are open to all people living with cancer – patients, survivors, family members, friends and co-workers. Lead by trained facilitators, classes may include card making, painting, collage, fiber arts or writing. By tapping into their creative skills, participants learn to cope while navigating through their cancer experience.

“Our programs are based on the needs of people living with cancer,” said Joseph Yurgevich, Cancer Lifeline program director. “We offer you choices and encourage you to take control. Most of all, we provide the environment where you have the freedom to express feelings without being judged.”

Investing in Research to Find a Cure for Breast Cancer – Worldwide and Right Here at Home By Dr. Anne McTiernan, MD, PHD. Thirty years ago, Susan G. Komen was founded on a promise to end breast cancer forever. Since then, the organization has worked towards fulfilling that promise by investing more than $790 million into breast cancer research. That makes Komen the largest non-government funder of breast cancer research in the world.

Did you know that Komen is currently investing over $3.7 million of their global breast cancer research program right here into active medical studies in the Puget Sound region?

One Komen grant recipient is Dr. Mary-Claire King at the University of Washington. King is working to uncover new genes that will better identify women at risk for inherited breast cancer. Other Komen grant recipients include some of my colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. For example, one Komen grantee is working to uncover a simple, noninvasive blood test that, when done in combination with a mammogram, will significantly increase accuracy in detecting breast cancer at an early stage, when it is most curable.

I am working at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center on an exciting Komen funded study that looks at vitamin D insufficiency and weight, two interrelated risk factors for breast cancer. We have such an epidemic of obesity and lack of exercise in our country. This is why I believe a study into these areas can have a significant impact on better understanding these risk factors for breast cancer.

Many of you may be aware that vitamin D comes from the sun and helps build better bones, but there is evidence that it might also help in prevention of breast cancer. This is particularly important for us living in the Northwest where, unfortunately, many of us are not getting enough vitamin D due to a relative lack of sunlight, and other factors like body weight. Overweight individuals are at increased risk of low vitamin D levels. That’s possibly because excess fat absorbs and holds onto vitamin D, making it unavailable to the body.

Vitamin D may be helpful in reducing the risk of breast cancer in a number of ways. It could reduce production of fat tissue, which would result in lowering breast cancer risk factors related to obesity. Vitamin D by itself has also been associated with a reduction in the initiation of cancer in laboratory experiments.

We have recently completed a study that enrolled 218 women who were overweight with low Vitamin D levels in a year-long, nutrition and exercise based weight loss program. Participants met regularly with a study nutritionist to learn strategies for healthy eating and weight loss, and worked closely with our exercise specialists on a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program.

As a part of this study, half of these women were randomly assigned to receive a daily dose of vitamin D. We found that women whose vitamin D levels rose to what is considered a healthy level lost significantly more weight and body fat, and they lost significantly

more inches around their waist. This means that women should have their blood levels of vitamin D tested by their medical provider.

If their levels are too low, they should work with their provider to ensure that any vitamin D pills they take are raising their vitamin D to a healthy level. These results were recently Anne McTiernan, MD, PHD is a researcher, Public Health Sciences, published in the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

To our knowledge, there are no prior studies on the effect of vitamin D and weight on breast cancer prevention. So, this study is highly novel. If positive results follow, as we hope, this research will translate into clinical and public health practices that will provide women and physicians additional options for reducing risk for breast cancer.

In the meantime, there is one thing we do know.

When it comes to breast cancer, exercise and weight control are like wearing a seat belt. They reduce your risk, and might even save your life.

8 • Auburn Reporter • May 23, 2014

A STEP IN THE

RIGHT DIRECTION

Join QFC and the Komen Puget Sound Race for the Cure as we raise funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. Ensuring that all women have access to breast cancer early detection and quality treatment support is the ultimate goal, and QFC is committed to seeing this happen.

Understanding the facts about the disease and knowing the warning signs can help protect you and your loved ones. Here are some useful tips: • Talk to your family and learn about your family health history • Complete monthly breast self-exams • Be alert to any changes in your body • Notify your doctor immediately if you notice any changes or have any concerns • Have yearly check-ups and mammograms, as recommended • Spread the word by talking and sharing with mothers, sisters, family and friends.

Love and knowledge are powerful weapons in this battle.

QFC is proud to be the Local Presenting Sponsor of this year’s Komen Puget Sound Race for the Cure.

We will see you at Seattle Center on June 1st!