Along the pike comes a new product designed to send us an alert when we've had too much sun.

Think about this:

There are some fun and fancy bracelets on the market that change color when it's time to seek shade.

UV Sol Beads, made with UV-detective pony beads and a removable fashion bead, feature off-white beads that remain off-white whenever there is an absence of UV light. When exposed to UV light, the intensity of the beads' color increases as the amount of exposure increases.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will take an additional three months to review Wyeth's kidney cancer drug Torisel -- the first of five new medications the company plans to introduce this year.

The FDA needs more time to investigate data on tumor growth in patients taking Torisel. If all goes well, the drug will be one of only three to effectively hold off incurable kidney cancer. The other two drugs are Pfizer's Sutent and Bayer AG's Nexavar.

Robert Ruffolo, president of Wyeth Research, says he is encouraged by the review process so far. And he is optimistic about launching the product in late 2007.

Studies show Torisel, which will cost patients about $30,000 per year, prolonged survival by 50 percent in those faring poorly with kidney cancer. The sickest kidney-cancer patients were essentially kept alive for 10.9 months, compared with 7.3 months with interferon drugs. Torisel also postponed tumor growth for 5.5 months. This is 77 percent longer than with interferon.

Sutent and Nexavar, both on the market since last year, also slow tumor growth. All three kidney-cancer medicines are of the variety that block the growth of cancer cells -- different from standard chemotherapy which kills tumors and harms nearby tissues too.

Wyeth is relatively new to the oncology market. And soon, the company hopes to launch three more cancer drugs. One, called CMC-544, treats non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Another, SKI-606, is for chronic myelogenous leukemia. And the third, HKI-272, is for breast cancer.

About 51,000 Americans will be diagnosed with kidney cancer this year.

Lymphedema is a chronic condition that causes excess fluid to collect in tissue and produce swelling. In breast cancer survivors the swelling can occur in the arm or hand because the lymphatic system has been compromised by surgery or radiation. Its an unattractive and painful reminder of having breast cancer that never goes away.

Robin Miller, 23, and Rachel Levin, 36, are young breast cancer survivors that developed lymphedema after their breast cancer treatment. They were required to wear an uncomfortable, beige orthopedic-looking sleeve. They decided that there had to be a better solution for the look and feel of the sleeves they would have to wear. They approached Kristin Dudley, a Drexel fashion design graduate, with the idea of creating fashionable compression garments that would bring together form and function.

These three friends have made it their mission to help breast cancer survivors manage their lymphedema in a fashionable way, and inspire them to feel confident and attractive with their company called LympheDIVAs. The armsleeves are made of high-tech fibers and come in fashionable colors and designs.

"The look and style of the sleeves has remained the same for over 30 years" said Rachel Levin. "There is absolutely no reason it can't look stylish and still be an effective medical device"

Lifetime TV is offering an opportunity to honor a loved one and help give to breast cancer charity. Text PINK to 58463 (LTIME) and Lifetime TV will donate their portion of the text fee to breast cancer charities.

Beginning October 11th, the name and state of the person you submit during the text message will begin appearing on LifetimeTV.com. In addition, the text message may be aired during the following movies: Monday, October 16 at 2 pm et/pt Two Against Time; Friday, October 20 at 7 pm et/pt Four Extraordinary Women; Sunday, October 22 at 1 pm et/pt Encore: Four Extraordinary Women; Monday, October 23 at 2 pm et/pt In a Private Garden; and Saturday, October 28 at 8 pm et/pt Encore: Why I Wore Lipstick.

Sprint, Nextel, Verizon Wireless, Cingular, Alltel, Boost, and Dobson are the participating wireless carriers. For complete details, and charges, Honor a Loved One: Make a Text Dedication Terms and Conditions. Visit here to learn more about the ten breast cancer organizations Lifetime TV supports.

If you were planning to purchase the following books online, consider buying them through the Lifetime TV website, and Lifetime TV will donate all net profits to the ten breast cancer charities they support. Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy by Geralyn Lucas; New Cook Book, Limited Edition "Pink Plaid": For Breast Cancer Awareness by Better Homes & Gardens; Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers by Elizabeth Edwards; Star Palate: Celebrity Cookbook for a Cure by Tami Agassi; In Great Taste: Fresh, Simple Recipes for Eating and Living Well by Evelyn H. Lauder and Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book: 4th Edition 2005 by Susan M. Love.

via: Lifetime TV The Daily Pink

These days more and more pink products show up on the market. At the website called think before you pink you can find an array of items, some listed here, that are being sold in 2006. You can find out where your donations are going. The website also gives tips on asking questions before purchasing pink merchandise you might think is going toward breast cancer organizations. Some companies might want to cash in on breast cancer awareness month and can fool customers into thinking the money is going for a good cause. Here are some products and the donations that are being made to breast cancer organizations.

Bubbling from the earth in Balmoral, Scotland is a mineral water that appears to slow the growth of cancerous cells -- so say scientists who tested the mineral water against tap water. In laboratory testing, the mineral water slowed colon cancer cells 62 percent better than tap water; slowed liver cancer by 35 percent, and slowed cervical cancer by 21 percent better than tap water.

Deeside Mineral Water first came to be known as offering health benefit in 1760, when a local woman is reported to have been cured of Scrofula by drinking and bathing in the Balmoral waters. Back then, the waters were thought of as an agent in miraculous effect. Lord Byron, Sir Walter Scott and Queen Victoria are said to have been attracted to the area for this reason.

A Deeside Mineral Water spokesman is adamant in insisting that they do not believe that the bottled water holds out any promise of a miracle cure -- only that it might be considered a complementary therapy in conjunction with conventional medical treatments. We are certainly glad they made that clear.

From our understanding of the online literature published by the Deeside Mineral Water company, the bottled water needs to be consumed on a daily basis for a number of weeks to show benefit, and one would have to continue drinking the bottled water to maintain health benefits the mineral water is reported to offer. For more information, visit the Deeside Mineral Water website.

Sing for the Cure CD is a profound musical journey chronicling the experiences of women diagnosed with breast cancer. Narrated by Poet Laureate Dr. Maya Angelou, and featuring the performances of librettist Pamela Martin, the Turtle Creek Chorale and the Women's Chorus of Dallas, the CD offers original songs that capture the emotions of ten composers.

The selections on the Sing for the Cure CD include Prelude For The Uncommon Woman; The Community's Voice; Who Will Speak?; Facing Diagnosis; Borrowed Time; The Partner's Voice; The Promise Lives On; Taking Control; Livin' Out Loud Blues; The Child's Voice; The Sister's Voice; Girl In The Mirror; The Mother's Voice; Who Will Curl My Daughter's Hair; Pursuing A Cure; Groundless Ground; Proclaiming Hope; One Voice: I Will Not Be Silent; Testimonial and Come To Me, Mother.

Live concert performances of Sing for the Cure, dedicated to those affected by breast cancer, have been held in more than 50 US cities, including Carnegie Hall in New York City. The Sing for the Cure CD is available through the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation gift shop.

NIRScanner is a battery-operated hand-held infrared-based optical scanning device that the developers claim is both affordable and safe and could be used by women as an at-home personal health care solution to the early detection of breast cancer.

However, Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania scientists state the device is not designed to replace mammography, ultrasound, or other methods of screening for breast cancer, only that it offers an additional method of detection, much the same as monthly self-exams, only far more accurate at early detection. The simple device surpasses self-exam by touch in that it can detect changes in the breast that traditional self-exam could not, and the developers state that it would alert women to seek medical attention should the device detect a problem in the breast.

The NIRScanner makes steady low beeps as it moves over the breast. Using a type of near-infrared light that travels deep into breast tissue, if the hand-held device detects a tumor the beep tone gets higher. A microchip stores the information on the size and location of the tumor as the patient performs the self-examination and the information can be taken to be analyzed on a computer by a physician.

Although the researchers state that the device proved to be accurate over 90 percent of the time, it is still being tested, and needs funding to be brought to market. To read more about the NIRScanner, they have made an illustrated brochure available as a PDF document.

When Robin Levin's healthy and athletic sister whose diet consisted of organic food loaded with good nutrition was diagnosed with breast cancer, Levin wondered how that was possible when they had no family history or lifestyle risks for breast cancer. Levin began to do research and found evidence that environmental pollutants and chemical toxins in the home can increase a woman's risk for breast cancer.

Based in part on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies that have found the air in homes is two to five times more chemically polluted than outdoor air, and
The Breast Cancer Fund report that stated 50 percent of breast cancer cases are the result of pollutants in the environment, Levin set out to find safer chemical-free products.

The search was not as simple as Levin might have thought, as she found many of the natural cleaners on the market still use synthetic chemicals for colorants and small amounts of ammonia and harsh additives. She came to the conclusion the only way to be certain of the ingredients in a product is to make them yourself from scratch.

ECO-Me is Levine's company, and Eco-Me Home Cleaning Starter Kit is the product she is hoping will make a difference in reducing cancer risks. Levin donates part of the profits from the sale of her kits to The Breast Cancer Fund and Cancer 101. To learn more about Eco-Me, read information in Eco-tips and Eco-news, the company has a website here.

Pat Bohman is a grateful mother. Her daughter Kelsey, who was treated at Children's Hospital in Denver for leukemia, has made it through the battle. During the Christmas season of 2002, Pat thought about the children still in the hospital fighting cancer and she wanted to make them gifts. She came up with idea for the Marshmallow Launcher -- a kind of blow gun that shoots marshmallows. The children make a poster target by drawing pictures of cancer cells, the poster gets put on the wall and then the kids shoot marshmallows through a pipe-like device at the target. Marshmallow Launchers are a big hit with the kids at the hospital.

According to Bohman, the marshmallow launchers were created for the kids in isolation on the oncology unit at The Children's Hospital as a means to relieve tension, while away the long hours in isolation, and have some fun in the midst of very difficult circumstances.

But it turned out that the Marshmallow Launcher serves a medical purpose. As a respiratory device, it helps a child strengthen lung capacity. Much more fun than pinwheels and bubbles. Bohman is even thinking about adding a flow meter to the launcher as a way to measure lung capacity progress. But for the kids, it's just pure fun.

In addition, when Bohman finds out another family in her area has a child who has been diagnosed with cancer, she sets up a booth to sell the launchers. The young and young-at-heart are drawn to the fun of the Marshmallow Launcher. It has been suggested that some adults use them for interoffice communications. If you would like a Marshmallow Launcher of your own, you can visit Kelsey's Kids website where you can purchase one. Bohman makes them in the basement of her home. The profits are donated to the hospital that helped her daughter fight against cancer and win.

Ever since my first son was born and it was clear that my cute, stylish purses would no longer work for all the gear I was about to lug around, I have struggled to find the perfect diaper bag that is big enough and strong enough and comfortable enough and sporty enough. I have tried actual diaper bags and purses I transformed into diaper bags and tote bags -- you name it, I've tried it. And then one day, I figured out the ideal solution -- a backpack. Not a school backpack but a purse that is carried like a backpack. It doesn't weigh me down on one side, it keeps my arms free for mommy tasks -- like controlling flailing babies and toddlers -- and it ties up tightly so little fingers cannot quickly grab and poke and shovel through my things. It's just right -- for me, anyway.

As my kids get older, my stock of gear gets smaller and smaller. And I am now down to carrying diaper wipes and diapers. One day, I will carry only my own personal belongings. Even so, I think I will stick with my backpack -- maybe even the exact one I currently carry which is in the collection of Vera Bradley's New Hope. It's a breast cancer product created in support of The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer -- founded in 1998 after a dear friend of Vera Bradley founders Patricia Miller and Barbara Bradley Baekgaard lost her courageous battle with this disease. This foundation provides direct financial support to the critical research needed to understand and eradicate breast cancer.

This backpack carries all my stuff. It also carries power and courage and hope. It's definitely a keeper.

I love candles. I have two sitting right next to me at my computer so at night when my little boys are sleeping and it's quiet in my house, I can peacefully relax and write. I'll take any candle -- although I prefer those with a strong scent and cinnamon is probably my favorite. I do have one pink candle that I like a lot. And it  just so happens to be a breast cancer candle -- I think I have just about every pink breast cancer product made and will eventually write about them all. This candle, from Pier 1 Imports, was a gift from my mom and comes in an iridescent mosaic glass jar. The glass is pink and the candle is pink and it even comes with a pink ribbon lapel pin. Twenty-five percent of the purchase price -- which is $14 -- is donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for breast cancer research and outreach programs.

My pink candle sits on a bookshelf in my dining room, next to my scrapbooks and some framed photos. I bring it out now and then -- I don't want to use it up too quickly -- and enjoy the sparkling colors and the gentle scent. Candles melt away some of my daily stresses and anxieties. And this candle, in particular, reminds of me of my own breast cancer journey as it flickers with light and hope.