The Israel Cancer Association (ICA) will mark the opening of Breast Cancer Awareness Month today with "Celebrate Life," a gathering of 1,000 Israeli women who recovered from the disease. They will meet at Kfar Hamaccabiah at 9 a.m. to listen to lectures and panel discussions on the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation, and to discuss their experience. The ICA is preparing an information campaign and a variety of events during October.
The ICA says that 70 percent of all Israeli women over 50 have had at least one mammogram, and 90% of women over 18 know that the test is vital for early detection of breast cancer. According to the survey, conducted for the ICA by Mutagim, 28% of those queried were "afraid" of having a mammogram.
The ICA has produced a free 28-page booklet in Russian with facts on breast cancer. It regarded this translation as important, as the rate of breast cancer in Russian immigrants is considerably higher than in the general population.
Dr. Gad Rennert, an adviser to the ICA, announced the launching of clinical trials on the drug Arimidex to prevent breast cancer in women at high risk for it. Miri Ziv, director of the ICA, said that the results may be a breakthrough for women at high risk due to a family history or previous bouts with cancer. The research is being coordinated by the International Cancer Research Foundation in London.
Women who experience a high level of stress appear to be at a higher risk of contracting breast cancer than those who are less anxious, according to a new study of 1,462 Swedish women, disclosed last week at the European Cancer Conference of the Federation of European Cancer Societies.
However, the study's lead author, Dr. Osten Helgesson, warned that his findings should be treated with caution. "Although our study does show a significant association between stress and breast cancer, I would emphasize that more research needs to be carried out before it can be said that stress definitely increases a woman's risk of breast cancer," he said.
A delegation from One in Nine - Women for Women with Breast Cancer, went to Beit Hanassi last week to present President Moshe Katsav's wife, Gila, with a Hebrew translation of Beth Murphy's book Fighting for our Future. The book focuses on the stories of breast cancer patients in their 20s and 30s.
One in Nine volunteer Yael Freedman spoke of her diagnosis three years ago, shortly after the birth of her third child. She told a harrowing tale of being misdiagnosed and of enduring a battery of tests until doctors discovered her illness. Freedman triumphed, and next month will celebrate the bat mitzva of her eldest daughter.
One of the reasons for misdiagnosis is that even among physicians, breast cancer is generally regarded as an illness that afflicts older women. However, said oncologist Prof. Tamar Peretz, some 220 Israeli women in their 20s are diagnosed annually with breast cancer.
Nurit Tolnai, the group's founder, was diagnosed 11 years ago at 45. A single mother with an infant daughter, she needed a support system, so she founded a sisterhood that evolved into One in Nine, a large team of volunteers who are all survivors.
Katsav congratulated One in Nine for making the public more conscious of the early detection of breast cancer and for promoting women's health in general. "Who better than you know that early detection can save lives. You are living proof that cancer can be conquered," she said.
The number of the One in Nine hot line is 1-800-363- 400. The e- mail address is callus@onein9.org.il.
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