Welcome!
by Sue Friedman
Just like FORCE, this issue has something for everyone affected by hereditary breast or ovarian cancer. This month, we’re highlighting a topic that is all too close to many of us: mastectomy. So, with great pride, we’re announcing Life is a Carnival, our 2008 calendar presenting positive and powerful images of life after mastectomy—with or without reconstruction. A two-year effort, 14 FORCE members, including me, bravely modeled topless wearing only Mardi Gras masks and our smiles. Continuing the theme, Myself: Together Again is a very personal account of losing a breast to cancer and making the tough decision to remove the opposite breast to reduce future risk. And FORCE member Steve Kandel shares a poignant reminder that the legacy of hereditary cancer reaches across generations and genders.
We also report on research that reinforces the need for young women with breast cancer, even those without a family history of cancer, to be referred for genetic counseling. Regarding ovarian cancer, FORCE is proud to be one of many organizations endorsing a symptom consensus statement; an important step to help find this disease when it’s curable. Finally, if you missed our 2nd annual Joining FORCEs Conference in May, be sure to read the overview inside (our next issue will have a more in-depth review).
As always, we hope this issue educates you, inspires you, and connects you to your FORCE
community.
Provide your feedback on this newsletter or this story here.