The profile on her blog reads: Living in London. Working in ads. Currently undergoing treatment for Breast Cancer. And that about sums it up for this woman whose life has become hijacked by cancer. That's the way it goes. Cancer strikes and life revolves around it for so much longer than we'd like.

The 30-something Anne-Marie Weeden writes in a recent blog post:

I was genuinely confident at the beginning of this process that the whole chemo thing should not affect life too much. And in the first three treatments it didn't really. But the last three have just escalated in terms of the challenges they have thrown my way. They said it would be cumulative but I didn't realise it would accumulate on such a scale. I'd say the last two treatment cycles have been at least ten times as hard as the first one.

Cancer Research UK is about to increase its wealth -- once a signed honeymoon photograph of the Prince and Princess of Wales is auctioned.

The photograph reportedly came from an unnamed member of the Royal Household and had been purchased by a collector. Taken on the Royal Estate at Balmoral just days after the wedding of Charles and Diana, it's Diana's signature prominently displayed on the photograph -- it reads, Lots of Love, Diana.

The auction, organized by a businesswomen whose lost her mother-in-law to breast cancer, will take place on June 9 at a charity ball at the London Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square. It is expected to sell for £3,000.

Breast cancer drug tamoxifen, designed to cut recurrence in women with estrogen-receptor positive disease, has been shown to continue working long after women stop taking the drug. And two studies suggest it might also offer long-term protection for healthy women with high risk of developing breast cancer.

One such study found the drug decreases risk of hormone-sensitive breast cancer by 39 percent over 20 years. Another shows a 34 percent decrease for up to eight years after the therapy concludes.

Published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, one study -- the International Breast Cancer Intervention Study, or IBIS -- looked at 7,145 women at high risk of breast cancer. And for the first time, clear evidence has surfaced in support of the merits of tamoxifen after the completion of treatment.

IBIS study participants took either a daily dose of tamoxifen or a placebo for five years. At the eight-year mark, 87 women who took the actual drug were diagnosed with estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer. And 129 women in the placebo group were diagnosed with the same disease.

In the second study, researchers from the Royal Marsden Hospital in London investigated 20-year data on 2,471 healthy women at high risk of breast cancer who took tamoxifen for six or seven years. Similar results were found.

Despite the benefits of tamoxifen as a preventative treatment, the drug is not currently approved for this use in the UK, where breast cancer is the most common form of female cancer.

International pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is donating $10 million to the American Cancer Society (ACS). The donation is one of the largest gifts ever received by the ACS and will help provide support for patients in United States hospitals.

Support will come in the form of specially-trained ACS employees who will work in 60 different hospitals and cancer centers and will offer social, emotional, financial, and transportation assistance in medically underserved Atlanta areas.

London-based AstraZeneca, maker of breast cancer drug tamoxifen and other breast and prostate cancer drugs, made $26 billion in sales last year, the same year the company gave $7 million to a Boston Cancer Society for the development of a Hope Lodge.

The flu is what caused Australian pop star Kylie Minogue to cut a live London show short on Saturday. Her cancellation had nothing to do with breast cancer, her spokesman says.

Minogue, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005, has endured both surgery and chemotherapy and is back on the Showgirl Homecoming Tour she had to postpone just after her diagnosis. The revival of her tour represents Minogue's cancer comeback -- and this recent health setback is nothing more than a temporary bout with the flu. It is reported that several of her band members also have the bug.

Minogue, 38, kicked off the British leg of her tour on New Year's Eve. She has already played seven dates at London's Wembley Arena.

In an analysis of animal research used to understand and treat human diseases, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine researchers found that using animals, such as mice, had limited value. Only half of the research done using animals translated into the same outcome for humans.

In a BBC News report over the controversy that rages regarding the wisdom of using animals in research, Professor Ian Roberts is quoted as saying, "The debate over this issue is really quite hysterical. At the moment, there is too much emotion and not much science. Anti-vivisectionists say animal testing is of no use at all, and those who do them say we would have no safe and effective treatments if we didn't." Lead researcher Roberts believes animal studies should be used, but not in all cases of research.

The value of animal research was catapulted to front page news headlines earlier this year when six men experienced tragic life-threatening side-effects as they participated in a human clinical trial of the drug TGN1412, which had previously been shown safe and effective during animal studies.

Last March, six healthy young men volunteered at Northwick Park Hospital in London as participants in a clinical trial for a drug called TGN1412, designed to treat leukemia, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. According to the men, they were told by doctors there would be no serious short-term or long-term side effects. They were each paid £2,000. Within hours, the worst that could happen did, and the men were plunged into a nightmare beyond anything they could have imagined.

The headaches began, followed by convulsions, bloating, organ failure and comas. The men came to be known as the Elephant Men because of the swollen faces and chests they suffered. One of the men suffered gangrene -- all his toes and three of his fingers were amputated. He also suffered heart failure, kidney failure, pneumonia, septicaemia and liver failure. Recently, another participant was told he might be developing cancer as a result of the drug trial. All have been told to expect early death.

Do you feel that animal research used to test drugs and medical procedures meant to treat human ailments and diseases, are credible enough to continue, or do you believe that research using animals should be abandoned?

A thirteen year old London girl has become the first in the country to receive the cervical cancer vaccine. The vaccine, Gardasil, launched in Britain last week, protects against the main viruses that cause cervical cancer. Gardasil targets the human papilloma viruses (HPV), which can be transmitted through sex.

Hollie Anderson's mother, Lisa, had the vaccine given to her daughter privately after seeing her own mother battle against cancer. She did this because the government has not yet issued a guidance on which groups will be routinely immunized. Mothers are taking their daughters to private clinics instead to get the vaccination. Dr. George Kassianos, the Royal College of General Practioners' immunization spokesman said: "This vaccine is available on prescription today, but patients should wait for the Department of Health to give us guidance. Everyone agrees that this is a great leap forward. I would ask that department to fast track a decision".

There are 2,800 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in Britain every year. About 1,000 women will die of the disease. Mrs. Anderson said "When I found out from our doctor that these injections were becoming available it wasn't a difficult decision to make" I asked Hollie and she said she wanted it. it was her decision. Afterwards she said 'Thank you mum, I know you're protecting me against a disease'.

I was busy during my treatment for breast cancer -- really busy. My two little boys kept me in an always-moving, rarely-resting state and while I sometimes felt desperate for a little down time, I am mostly thankful for the crazy pace that kept me focused, kept me occupied, kept me distracted. Staying busy helped pass the time during a phase of my life when moments could crawl at a snail's pace.

According to the Sun newspaper, Kylie Minogue searched for something to keep her occupied during her own breast cancer treatment. What she found -- writing -- has turned her into an author. Minogue's new children's book -- Kylie: The Showgirl Princess -- which she created with her partner Olivier Martinez, kept her mind off her treatments and on the future. And the future she set her sights on during treatment has almost arrived as Minogue's book is set for release this week. Her book, that includes artwork sent to her after her diagnosis from children all over the world, will be on shelves in London today.

Not all London traders are signing on to pose nude for a calendar to benefit the KatCanDo charity. While reported not to be a shy and retiring group, an unnamed trader is quoted as saying he will not be publicly stripping down to the nude for a calendar. "I think I give the world enough amusement without taking my clothes off."

In 2004, the KatCanDo charity was founded by Kate Coles, who was diagnosed with colon cancer three years ago and passed away this last March. Her husband Stephen Coles assures everyone that this is a serious project that will be done with the utmost taste. Each person appearing in the calendar will be discreetly covered in all the right places.

The KatCanDo has published two other calendars, the 2005 calendar, Doctors Uncovered, and a 2006 calendar featuring drawings by children who have been treated for cancer and leukemia.

In addition, they have hosted a Charity Ball; they had runners in the Reading half-marathon and the London Marathon and five runners completed the Great North Run for the charity. KatCanDo has been chosen as the Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd Sports and Social Clubs Nominated Charity for the next year and they have been chosen as the British and Commonwealth Women's Club of Brussels British Charity for 2006. The efforts of the charity has assisted local cancer patients in a number of ways. For more information on the charity, visit KatCanDo -- and if you are a trader in London -- they still have a few open months left in the upcoming calendar.

With the sale of a designer logo t-shirt, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, launched in the UK by Breakthrough Breast Cancer, is celebrating its tenth year as the UK's leading fashion charity breast cancer campaign. The fundraiser began after Ralph Lauren's friend, fashion editor of the Washington Post, Nina Hyde, died from breast cancer. While Ms. Hyde was still battling cancer, she asked Lauren to promise he would do something to raise awareness for breast cancer. Fashion Targets Breast Cancer and the designer logo t-shirt is his promise fulfilled.

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer is a worldwide campaign with celebrity spokespersons such as Saffron Aldridge, Yasmin Le Bon, Gisele Bundchen, Helena Christensen, Jodie Kidd, Elle Macpherson, Jade Jagger, Lily Cole, Eva Herzigova, Claudia Schiffer, Jasmine Guiness, Yasmin Le Bon, Laura Bailey, Erin O'Connor and Jerry Hall.

To support breast cancer charity, you can purchase a Fashion Targets Breast Cancer designer t-shirt here. In addition, by submitting a photo of you and your best dressed friends to the 10 best dressed gallery you are entered in a contest to win tickets to the London Fashion Week this coming September.

Last May, when Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with an aggressive type of breast cancer, she was forced to cancel the remaining dates of her Showgirl world tour and an appearance at the Glastonbury Festival. Since that time, she has undergone surgery and chemotherapy. Using her celebrity status and personal experience, she has spoken out to raise awareness of breast cancer -- especially encouraging younger women to get tested for breast cancer. Minogue was 37 at the time of her breast cancer diagnosis.

For the first time since being diagnosed with breast cancer last year, Kylie Minogue returned to the concert stage at London's G-A-Y club to join her sister Dannii where they sang Jump To The Beat. After the set, Kylie presented Dannii with flowers. Dannii remained at her sister's side during the long battle to survive breast cancer, keeping up Kylie's spirits with love and humor.

Earlier this month, Kylie was honored with Glamour magazine's Woman of the Year award for her courageous battle with breast cancer. Minogue has proven, that even though moving from cancer diagnosis, through treatments and into recovery can seem like an ever-so-slow step-by-step uncertain process -- one day you do eventually find yourself back on life's stage singing your song.

The Canadian Cancer Society, concerned with the potential long-term effects associated with the ornamental or cosmetic use of pesticides, has launched an email Take Action! campaign to support a ban on the ornamental use of pesticides in the City of London.

According to the the cancer society, the majority of Londoners support a ban on the use of ornamental pesticides. In a recent poll, 81 percent of Londoners want to phase-out pesticides in city parks and 74 percent support a phase-out on private residential property; 71 percent of Londoners feel cosmetic pesticides are a health threat to children and pose a health threat to pets such as cats and dogs and 74 percent of Londoners believe pesticides are a threat to the environment, including wildlife, air quality, and ground water.

If you would like to participate in the campaign to support the ban, the Canadian Cancer Society has provided an advocacy action page where you can send an email to the Mayor and London City Council. The deadline is June 12.

Several months ago, we posted the news The Canadian Cancer Society was calling for a ban on the use of pesticides in private gardens, lawns, parks, recreational facilities and on golf courses because of the potential cancer risks associated with the chemicals used in maintaining ornamental gardens and lawns in Canada.

When John Richard Baker, Assistant National Park Officer for the Yorkshire Dales, died in July 1998 from leukemia, his wife Annie and her best friend Chris got the ladies of the local Women’s Institute together with the idea of producing a calendar to raise money for cancer charity. Each month would feature a different woman in the women's group, doing ordinary things like making jam, flower arranging, or knitting. The traditional idea had a radical twist -- the women would appear nude. The calendar gained international attention which eventually led to the filming of the Calendar Girls movie.

When Baker was diagnosed with cancer, he began growing sunflowers and gave them to friends and family --hoping to live long enough to see them fully-bloomed. Unfortunately, he lost his life to cancer before that happened. The sunflower has become the cancer charity fundraising activities symbol for his family and friends.

Wearing bras decorated in sunflowers, the Calendar Girls, together with friends and family, are now training for London's Playtex Moonwalk, a cancer charity fundraising event in which thousands of women walk 26.2 miles through the night wearing elaborately decorated bras.  While the past efforts of the women's group have raised more than £1m total for leukemia research, this walk will be for breast cancer charity. In addition, the Calendar Girls recently launched a 2007 calendar. Profits from the calendar will continue to go to leukemia research.

Ten years ago, Nina Barough, with no previous experience in fundraising, power walking or marathons, woke up one morning with what seemed to her a brilliant idea – to power walk the New York marathon in a decorated bra to raise money for breast cancer. Barough was simply looking for a way to make breast cancer fundraising fun. The first year, thirteen women joined her in the New York marathon.

At the time of her brilliant idea, Barough did not suspect she had breast cancer. One year after the first walk, Barough was diagnosed with breast cancer. While she was undergoing surgery and cancer treatments, those around her decided to power walk the London Marathon as a way to show their support for her. The London Marathon walk was a huge success, raising over £25,000. After this Walk the Walk, the decorated and designed bras were auctioned.

In the spring of 1998 a Walk the Walk team entered the London Marathon, but places were limited, and only 25 people were able to register. Another 25 were denied entrance into the marathon. Nina decided to create a marathon for those left out. She came up with a marathon that started at midnight and ended at seven in the morning the day of the official London Marathon. The Moonwalk has become a wildly popular and major annual event.

Since its humble beginnings, Walk the Walk has become a worldwide annual event and has raised excess of £2.5million for breast cancer research and cancer care programs.