What if the lab results thought to be our own really were not? Hey, mistakes happen in all walks of life. And labs are not immune. But there are a few steps we can take to protect ourselves. Here they are:

• Ask your doctor about the lab he or she uses. It should be accredited and approved by the College of American Pathologists, a sign the lab meets high standards.
  
  
• If you can see the test tube or slide, make sure your name is on it. If you are in the hospital, make sure your wristband is accurate.

If you plan to tune in to Good Morning America on Monday, you'll see Robin Roberts looking back at you. The co-anchor, 46, expects to back at work on August 13, just 10 days after surgery for breast cancer.

Roberts, who was just recently diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump during a self-exam, is still waiting for the test results that will determine her course of therapy. Right now, though, she feels great and looks forward to returning to work alongside Diane Sawyer.

The results may not be immediate but a recent study indicates that purple grape juice has long-term health benefits and can help combat major illnesses, like heart disease and cancer.

A study at Glasgow University measured levels of antioxidants -- thought to have a protective effect against cancer -- in a range of popular juice drinks. Purple concord grape juice came out on top, with the highest levels and range of antioxidants. Incidentally, this juice has the same level of these compounds as Beaujolais red wine.

It's recommended that we add a glass of grape juice to our daily diet and count it as one of our five daily fruits and vegetables.

Researchers caution, though, that studying antioxidants in the lab is different than studying their effect in the body.

"The problem is that we don't know what happens when they enter the body and are dissolved," one researcher says. "Obviously, eating a lot of fruit and vegetables has been shown to be good for your health, but it is not known for sure which compounds are responsible for this effect."

Still, it's not a bad idea to down that glass of juice every day -- unless, of course, you are worried about sugar content like me.

The doctor who read my mammogram and ultrasound results today is the same doctor who detected in my recent MRI something of unknown significance. Today, the unknown remains. But the significance is not so significant.

This doctor saw an unusual pattern of tissue in my right breast when she viewed my Friday MRI results, some sort of enhancement she didn't see in the left breast or on the MRI I had a year ago. But today's mammogram looked good and today's ultrasound did too. So I guess if three different imaging tests don't turn up anything truly suspicious and there doesn't appear to be anything to biopsy, then all is well. For now.

All that must be determined now is when I will report back for more screening to chart the state of the dense breast tissue that keeps me on my toes.

Another bullet dodged. Another day in the life of a worried breast cancer girl.

There's been much press lately about the cervical cancer vaccine, its merits, its implications, and the debate surrounding the issue of vaccinating young girls against the sexually transmitted virus HPV.

Enter a new vaccine -- the ovarian cancer vaccine.

Early clinical trial results are promising for this vaccine, intended to fight off ovarian cancer tumors with patients' own cells -- but without the toxicity of traditional chemotherapy.

Says Dr. Ed Staren of Cancer Treatment Centers of America, "We're able to identify the specific components of the tumor and target it for individual therapy for the patient."

Doctors would surgically remove a patient's tumor and then send it to a lab where tumor cells would be used to create a vaccine specifically for the patient.

A second round of clinical trials to study the effectiveness of this vaccine will begin this summer.

A doctor found something suspicious when she read the results of the breast MRI I had on Friday. What she found is of unknown significance. This means something caught her attention. She just isn't sure what it is.

This doctor does know that whatever it is inside my right breast appears to be a low-risk something. But still, there's a concern looming in the air -- for her and for me.

I spoke with my oncologist about this concern, and he told me anything suspicious must be pursued by further testing. I'm thankful for that. He also said he expects that nothing actually significant will come of this. But if it does, it will have been caught early.

On Friday, I will report for further testing -- a mammogram and an ultrasound -- and then I will learn more about this unknown something that inhabits my breast, this something that takes me back more than two whole years when another something turned out to be what I feared more than anything. Breast cancer.

A lab in Oklahoma is studying genes for combinations that predict breast cancer risk. A look into the 100 genes gathered from each woman -- via mouthwash -- allows researchers to categorize women with standard, moderate, or high risks of developing the disease.

The study begins with a lengthy questionnaire about medical history and leads to the collection of a DNA sample. Women simply rinse their mouths with a standard mouthwash and wait for results.

Geneticist Dr. Kara Casas says she hopes that regardless of results, women will choose a healthy lifestyle with a diet low in fat and alcohol consumption and with lots of exercise too. But those in the moderate and high-risk groupings will be advised to make other lifestyle changes to help decrease their chances of getting breast cancer. They may be asked to regulate estrogen levels, for example, and to report regularly for mammograms at an earlier age.

Casas says all women have some risk of developing breast cancer. But knowing what these risks are can help them better protect themselves -- which makes tests like this so important.

A total of 12,000 samples will collected for an FDA trial. For more information about this study in mouthwash, call 903-510-1173.

Not only did I get the tumor markers to check for breast cancer recurrence but I figured I would really go nuts and have them do the ovarian cancer tumor marker too. I figured if I'm going to be worrying anyhow I might as well worry about everything. Of course I'm also thinking about the other blood tests they will be doing, especially the liver enzymes.

Yesterday I showed up at my oncologist's office without an appointment. I knew that I wouldn't need to see my oncologist to get a port flush and blood taken, however when he saw that I was there he wanted to see me. He immediately thought I had some sort of pain somewhere for me to be all of a sudden wanting tumor markers that I usually refuse to get. I do not have any pain or reason for getting these tests other than the fact that mentally I need to do this for myself.

This is hard, very hard. I'm scared that something is going to show up. I keep telling myself that knowledge is power and that if they do find something wrong that I will be getting on top of the problem before it gets worse. At this point I'm not sure if I will be calling my doctors office all day in a panic on Tuesday or if I'll just wait and see if my oncologist calls me.

Breathe in breathe out, breathe in breathe out...

The Beck family blogs about life in California -- about soccer games and parades and hikes and family trips. They display happy photos of their kids eating pancakes made by daddy and playing on the beach and dressing up for Halloween. And they also blog about breast cancer -- because Valerie Beck, wife and mom of two young children, was diagnosed with this disease on June 26, 2006.

Valerie is just two months into her journey and has just completed her second chemotherapy treatment. She has already survived surgery and scary pathology results and some dark moments. But Valerie will surely conquer cancer with her happy take on life, her supportive family, and her ability to go with the flow -- however unpredictable it may be. And her husband -- author of the family blog -- keeps all readers updated on Valerie's progress. He is positive, hopeful, and a bit frightened too. On July 8, he wrote:

What a past couple days, my beautiful bride Valerie, my wife, my life long partner has a serious fight in front of her. She is going to grow old with me, she is going to help me spoil our grandchildren, we will beat this! I have faith, and I believe, but I also believe you cannot hide from the awful truths, this is not a nice disease. Three of the best doctors in the world do not come rushing to your aid in ONE DAY if they thought "you will easily make it through this" (which is what it seems I am always telling Valerie). I am trying to be strong, I feel I have to be, but sitting here in front of an inanimate object I find it easier to share my inner fears. I do have faith we will make it through this ..... it just won't be easy.

It won't be easy. But it can be done. Best wishes, Beck family!

I was in my oncologist office yesterday and noticed a new poster hanging on the wall advertising an on-line system for managing health care -- for scheduling appointments, confirming appointments, locating test results, paying bills, and more. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Emeryville, California, RelayHealth is the premier provider of secure on-line healthcare communication services that link patients, healthcare professionals, payors, and pharmacies in matters that are medically non-urgent. The website also features news and customer stories and aims to improve the delivery and accessibility of healthcare to patients -- in a seamless manner.

I haven't done much with this service yet -- but I did take a short tour and made a simple search for my physician whose information promptly popped up on my screen. That part was easy. And once I register with a username and password, I will have more access to more information pertaining to me and my healthcare team. And you can too.

My breast cancer friend Adriene -- who I wrote about on May 19 -- e-mailed me today about a friend of a friend who was just diagnosed with breast cancer. This friend -- Jen -- is 31 years old and just yesterday had a lumpectomy. Adriene asked if I could be in touch with Jen since, like her, I am young and I am a breast cancer survivor and I had a lumpectomy. So far, we are somewhat alike. And depending on the results of Jen's pathology report, we may be even more alike -- if she follows a path anything like mine that included chemotherapy and radiation therapy and Herceptin therapy -- or our paths might diverge from one another. Regardless, I feel a connection to this woman, much like I do with anyone with cancer whose path I cross, anyone who is sent my way, anyone who finds me for the sole purpose of support.

So I told Adriene in my return e-mail, "Yes, I will contact Jen." And I have already sent her an e-mail. And I hope when she reads it that she finds a trace of comfort, a hint of encouragement, a glimpse of hope that can somehow transform scared souls into confident spirits. I hope that she emerges from under the rock of breast cancer. Like I did. Like Adriene did.

Michael Fumento is an author, journalist, and attorney specializing in science and health issues. And he has a lot to say about the Surgeon General's recent announcement that the second-hand smoke debate is over -- that second-hand smoke does in fact kill. Fumento believes that the debate is over means if you have your doubts, then keep them to yourself -- that the topic is not up for discussion any longer. But Fumento states that we should definitely have doubts -- about the effects of second-hand smoke and about what the Surgeon General has to say about it.

I woke yesterday morning to voices on the Today Show telling me that the use of hair dye is linked to incidences of lymphoma -- a general term for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. I know I've heard in the past about the possible link between cancer and the chemicals that add color to hair -- but the connection has never been revealed as very strong and the topic did not ever apply to me so I filed the information in the back of my mind. But now, it appears the link may be stronger than originally thought -- and I recently dyed my own post-chemo brown hair -- so I listened more intently this time and learned about the study that implies that touching up my roots may not be a wise practice.

The results of a European study, appearing in the July 1 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology, reveal that roughly 10 percent of lymphomas in women could be caused by the use of hair dyes. The data suggest a small increase in risk -- and clearly more research is necessary -- but what researchers have found is that for the women who have dyed their hair more than 12 times, the risk is highest. And those who colored their locks before 1980 have the greatest risk. Since 1980, chemicals thought to be cancer-causing were eliminated from dyes -- although it is still not definite whether or not current hair dyes are risk-free. It is definite, say researchers, that further study of this topic is important. In the meantime, I think I will let my artificial reddish chestnut hues fade away while I enjoy the plain brown hair that covers my once-bald scalp.

I have tried to exercise most of my adult life -- at times because I felt obligated to participate in what I knew was good for me and at times to justify eating my favorite foods while maintaining an appropriate weight and at times because I wanted to actually have a toned, healthy body.

At this exact time in my life, I exercise with all of these motivations in mind -- plus a few more. I like to sweat and know I am accomplishing a physical feat. I like the mental release I get when I push my body to perform. I like the time to myself, the loud music I hear on my MP3 player, and the results I see from a little bit of hard work. And lately -- as a result of a new weight training program -- I know I am benefiting my body more than ever before.

The following are just seven of the many gifts that come from weight training. Gifts that will make me a happier, healthier cancer survivor.

Noticeable physical results -- Mostly, walking and occasional jogging have been my methods of exercise. And I've seen results from this type of workout -- leaner legs, more defined calf muscles, and the knowledge that I am increasing my cardiovascular health, as confirmed by the technician who performed an ultrasound on my heart in preparation for my Herceptin treatment for breast cancer. He told me he could tell I exercised regularly because of my low resting heart rate. But until I started weight training a few months ago, I never witnessed quick results. Yet after a few weeks of resistance exercise -- lifting 20-pound weights for my arms, shoulders, back, and chest -- I could see definition and tone that clearly would not have resulted from my purely cardio workouts.

Improved strength and endurance -- Lunges and squats and jumping with resistance bands have strengthened my legs. Lifting weights has strengthened my arms -- and I can now lift heavier weights than when I first started my new routine. I can do more push-ups now too -- not girl push-ups on my knees but real push-ups -- than I ever could have imagined doing when I could barely lower my own body weight and would crash to the floor on my stomach. My strength has improved. My endurance has improved. I feel more powerful.

Increased energy -- Fatigue (or maybe it's laziness) sometimes prevents me from happily jumping up to begin exercising. But when I push myself and exert myself and get lost in my exercise routine, my energy returns -- and not just during my workout but for some time afterwards too. Some say energy increases from strength training because it contributes to loss of fat which means we have less to lug around each day.

Burning of more calories -- Weight training raises basal metabolism which causes more calorie burning over a 24-hour period of time. Calories even burn during sleep as a result of weight training.  For every additional pound of muscle you gain, your body burns 50 extra calories every day -- 50 more calories than the few hundred that might burn from aerobic exercise. Research shows that regular resistance training can increase your Basal Metabolic Rate by 15%. So for someone who burns 2000 calories per day, that's upwards of 300 extra calories burned every single day. 

Decreased onset of illness -- Weight training can reduce the risk of adult onset diabetes and the risk for developing colon cancer and can improve the functioning of the immune system and the efficiency of the heart. It decreases the risk of low-back injuries, decreases resting blood pressure, increases good cholesterol (HDL), and improves posture. The list goes on -- and so does healthy living if weight training becomes a way of life. As a young person already having experienced a life-threatening illness, this comforts me.

Prevention of osteoporosis -- My recent bone density test revealed that I am not at this moment at risk for developing osteoporosis. I don't want this to change. Strength training can help me maintain this status because it can significantly increase bone mineral density -- which is important because we naturally lose bone density as we age. Strength training helps protect against osteoporosis. And age should not be a deterrent. Individuals who begin training late in life -- at age 65, for example -- can restore bone loss.

Improved outlook on life -- As a result of toning and shaping my body, burning calories, enjoying greater strength and energy, and working toward a disease-free future, weight training gives me an improved outlook on life. And weight training has recently been reported to significantly improve the quality of life of women recently treated for breast cancer. A May 2006 study indicates six months of twice weekly exercise was enough to improve the overall physical and emotional condition of patients.

Twice weekly is my weight training goal. I will continue to walk and run -- and bike on occasion too -- but strength training will be my priority. Because health is a priority.

A new study was conducted in how to tell cancer patients who take part in clinical trials, the results of the study. Taxotere as Adjuvant ChemoTherapy, TACT, researchers asked 1,400 UK patients involved in clinical trials if they wanted to know the results, and how they would like to be told about the results. It is not surprising to me that 98 percent of the participants said they wanted to know how the clinical trial they took part in turned out.

Stella Kyriakides, Co-Chair of EBCC-5 and past president of Europa Donna comments, "Some breast cancer patients take part in a clinical trial and are never told the results. It is important that patients are not forgotten after they have participated in a study that ultimately improves cancer treatment for all patients."

After a cancer patient agrees to help with a clinical trial, letting them know the results seems the fair thing to do. In the study, patients preferred to be told directly. Researchers felt that patients should be notified by the patient's hospital.