Just when cancer seems to squash all that is good in the world with its darkness and death, little rays of sunshine and little slices of hope somehow break through the devastation, leaving the world a little bit brighter.

Archive of a Breast Cancer Survivor -- a newly released book by breast cancer survivor Adriene Hughes -- is an account of one woman's triumph over a disease that changed her world. It is full of sunshine and hope, despite its emphasis on a disease that every year stops 200,000 women in their tracks, spiraling them in directions so foreign they are downright frightening.

Hughes uses journaling and photography to tell her story of diagnosis, surgery, reconstruction, chemotherapy, and survival. And while those affected by breast cancer will find this book truly empowering, anyone affected by any cancer will gain a healthy dose of inspiration from this poetic compilation of thoughts and images.

Hughes does not seek fame and fortune by publishing her work. All proceeds from the sale of her book will go to the American Cancer Society. She will receive no financial reward from her endeavor. What she will receive is the personal satisfaction that flows from helping others. For Hughes, this is all that really matters.

Technology has come a long way over the years -- and now the technology behind digital mammography is allowing life-saving screenings for the toughest patients to diagnose with breast cancer.

This is no small technological breakthough. It is a critical component for lowering the breast cancer death rate the American Cancer Society reports has declined 2.3 percent each year between 1990 and 2002. Since breast cancer is a treatable disease if caught early, digital mammography will up the odds of survival for women with this disease.

Digital mammography operates according to a computer-based technique that allows for digital manipulation of a breast X-ray. It exceeds the capability of film mammography -- and is much like the comparison between digital photography versus film photography. Both work. But one works better.

Studies show digital mammograms have a lot to offer. They detect tumors better in young women with dense breast tissue, for example. They allow for ease of storage and retrieval of images. And they can easily become part of a woman's electronic medical record.

There are still benefits of traditional mammography and women are still urged to use this less expensive option. They are also urged to conduct self-breast exams and to report for clinical exams with physicians. It's the whole package that contributes to comprehensive breast health, not just one isolated test. When used in combination with all other screening methods, digital mammography makes for a more accurate overall picture.

At the beginning of May, four skateboarders -- Rob Lewis, 26, of Winnipeg, Aaron Jackson, 25, of Summerside, P.E.I., Benjamin Jordan, 25, of Toronto and Carlos Koppen, 26, of Halifax -- left Halifax, Nova Scotia to skateboard across Canada to benefit breast cancer.

Traveling the Trans-Canada Highway, the group is averaging 100 kilometers (about 60 miles) a day, and has raised over $26,000 dollars for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. The ultimate goal is to raise one million dollars -- one dollar at a time.

They are hoping to reach Vancouver, British Columbia in September or October. You can learn more about the skateboarders and keep up with the young men at the Push for the Cure website. They publish updates of the journey and excellent photography of their travels.

The Head to Hollywood charity, founded by US Weekly magazine editor Ken Baker, a pituitary brain tumor survivor, and actress/model Carmen Electra, whose mother died of a malignant brain tumor, provides brain tumor patients with opportunities to spend a day being pampered as a star and experiencing life as a celebrity. This might include attendance at Hollywood events and parties, VIP access to television and movie sets, personal meetings with stars, as well as celebrity spa and beauty treatments.

Recently, Ritz Camera Centers announced they have chosen Carmen Electra as spokesperson for several new products they will be introducing, and as part of the new promotion, the company is launching a fundraising campaign for Head to Hollywood. In the next few weeks, Ritz Camera Centers will be offering a limited edition poster for the Head to Hollywood charity and posting photos taken by Carmen Electra, who is reported to be a photographer in her own right, at their website.