Join Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) for their next national teleconference, Follow-up Testing: What You Need to Know, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Thursday, August 16. Virginia F. Borges, MD, of the University of Colorado Health Science Center, will answer your questions about follow-up testing after initial treatment, including:

• An overview of follow-up testing guidelines and insights into future tests
• Uses or limitations of screening tests
• Emotional impact of follow-up testing
• Routine follow-up tests for other health matters affected by treatment
• Creating a plan to monitor your overall health
• The role of follow-up tests for women with advanced (metastatic) breast cancer

Dr. Borges is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Science Center. She specializes in the treatment of breast cancer, and her research interests include the study of new biologic therapies for breast cancer, development of cancer vaccines and improving the quality of life for people affected by breast cancer. In addition to her clinical practice and research efforts, Dr. Borges volunteers as a medical facilitator for Casting for Recovery.

After the presentation, Dr. Borges will answer questions

Roger Ebert, one of America's best known film critics, has not been able to speak since he had emergency cancer surgery on July 1 to repair a burst blood vessel near the site of his June 16 surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his salivary gland. But he can still give a thumbs up or thumbs down as he reviews movies on his Web site.

Starting today, clips from Ebert & Roeper and Ebert's prior episodes of his movie review TV show will be posted here. It just may be the largest collection ever of video-based online movie reviews -- 5,000 movie reviews spanning the past 20 years will be featured.

Ebert is not quite sure when he might return to television as he awaits another surgery to restore his voice. In the meantime, he screens as many as three films a day. He watches DVDs at night to catch up on those he missed, and he's writing more than ever, he says.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer will hold a free teleconference, Follow-up Testing: What You Need to Know, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Thursday, August 16.

Speaker Virginia F. Borges, MD, will discuss follow-up testing after initial treatment, including follow-up testing guidelines, insights into future tests, the uses or limitations of screening tests and the emotional impact of follow-up testing. She also will explain the need for routine follow-up for other treatment-related health matters, creating a plan to monitor overall health and the role of follow-up tests for women with advanced (metastatic) breast cancer.

Dr. Borges is an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Health Science Center. Dr. Borges specializes in the treatment of breast cancer and her research interests include the study of new biologic therapies for breast cancer, development of cancer vaccines and improving the quality of life of people affected by breast cancer. In addition to her clinical practice and research efforts, Dr. Borges volunteers as a medical facilitator for Casting for Recovery.

This free program will feature a presentation by the speaker and a 45-minute question-and-answer session with participants. Participants can listen over the phone or use their computer.

To register, visit Living Beyond Breast Cancer's website at www.lbbc.org or call (610) 645-4567

I just saw a powerful American Cancer Society (ACS) public service announcement in a magazine. A picture of a young woman fills most of the page and this woman, shown holding a framed photograph of another young woman, looks solemn. The words that accompany the photo capture the sadness in her eyes:

My sister accidentally killed herself.

These are the words that follow:

She died of skin cancer.

Most people think skin cancer happens to other people, according the ACS. Yet it's the most common of all cancers. And left undetected, skin cancer can be fatal. It is also curable -- if caught early.

I'm a good runner when it comes to the right state of mind and the right weather. I have to feel a spark of motivation to know I'll succeed at running, and I prefer cool temperatures. Something in the low 70s or below is perfect. When it's hot and steamy and humid in my Florida town, I tend to struggle. Like I did today.

I set out for a three-mile run with my head in the game. The air was a bit too warm for my liking, but I pushed myself anyway. For a good long time, I did well. With loud music blaring on my MP3 player and a steady pace, I conquered about 75 percent of my goal. Then something happened. I felt my body slow, and my feet wanted to stop. They almost did. Instead of giving in and giving up, though, I pushed myself to finish. In the end, it felt good.

My advice to you today is this: just when you feel you are fading, fading, fading -- don't quit. Try to get through the moment and you'll likely find some energy to keep plugging away.

An Oxford skin cancer expert is weighing in on the recent advice that we would all be wise to sport our denim, polyester, and wool when we head into the sun's harmful rays.

It's an extreme approach, says dermatologist Dr. Robert Turner who believes this skin cancer prevention guidance could push sun seekers to do just the opposite.

Think about this:

"I just don't think this is practical," says Dr. Turner. "People will think it's ridiculous and just go out anyway. If you advise people to do something that is extreme, they're more likely to go the other way completely."

Dr. Turner agrees that clothing is better protection than sunscreen -- especially for children -- but he thinks expecting people to take such drastic cover is unrealistic. He'd much rather urge people to stay out of the sun completely during the middle of the day, when the sun's rays are scorching hot.

I want to look like my son. I want a body like his anyway. He's long and lean and fit and well, six years old.

I know I'm not comparing oranges and oranges here but still, I decided to ask Joey today about his eating habits, his fitness routine, his advice for those seeking health and wellness. His little brother, Danny, chimed in too -- he's almost four years old -- and together they rattled off all sorts of wisdom.

I asked my boys seven questions to which they easily responded -- Joey while jumping the entire time (note to self: jump a lot), Danny while sitting next to me on our living room recliner, fiddling with the TV remote.

What are some healthy foods?

Joey said: "corn-on-the-cob, lettuce, salads, potatoes, strawberries, apples, and peanuts" -- in that order. Danny said: "chicken, broccoli, and noodles." A good start, I think.

What are some unhealthy foods?

Joey listed his favorites -- chocolate and candy -- and then added: "big, dark chocolate bunny rabbits and Swedish fish candy." Danny summed it up in one word: "candy."

What are some good exercises for your body?

Joey said: "running on the treadmill." Danny followed with: "running on the sidewalk." Joey was next with, "I have a good one, and it's good for your jaws too -- talking." He continued with: "jumping, jumping jacks, push-ups, knee lifts, lifting weights, and stretching."

What do you do to cheer yourself up when you're sad?

Joey talks to people and has fun. Danny laughs.

What is bad for you body?

"Cigarettes, cigars, smelling smoke and gas, and smelling pollen," said Joey. "Eating candy," said Danny.

What are some ideas for staying healthy?

Joey recommends: "stop smoking, stop smelling smells in the air, put sunscreen on so you don't get sunburn, and don't drink pool water." Danny recommends: "don't swallow your gum."

What else do you have to say about being healthy?

Joey: "make sure not to accidentally swallow air that has allergies in it, make sure to drink a lot (I don't think he's referring to alcohol), exercise a lot, hold a new baby, always water your plants, and never touch plants with three leaves -- that's poison ivy." You might want to fact-check the poison ivy part.

Danny: "love your mommy, hug babies, don't touch spiders that are alive, and go pee-pee every day."

I think my boys are on the right track. And I think I have my work cut out for me in my search for that perfect six-year-old body.

Democratic presidential candidate and former North Carolina senator John Edwards missed an Iowa campaign event on Tuesday so he could be with his wife as she prepared for a medical appointment the following morning.

Elizabeth Edwards, diagnosed with breast cancer just before the 2004 election, when her husband ran for vice president, has survived chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation and has written a book -- Saving Graces -- about her entire journey.

Edwards' campaign crew has insisted Wednesday's appointment was a routine follow-up to a medical visit his wife had the day before and that Elizabeth Edwards, 57, has been living cancer-free.

Today at noon, Edwards will hold a press conference about his wife's health and how it may -- or may not -- affect his candidacy.

Fewer women are getting mammograms. Facilities offering mammograms are closing. Mammogram machine usage is declining. And we don't really know why.

"We're heading in the wrong direction," says Carol Lee, professor of radiology at Yale University School of Medicine and chair of the American College of Radiology's commission on breast imaging.

"If this decline holds up, it will be very worrisome," she says.

"We're looking at a possible increase in deaths if we see this continue," according to Diana Balma, vice president of public policy at Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Studies don't show which women -- rich or poor, young or old, educated or uneducated -- are skipping these critical screenings, but there are a few possible reasons for this dangerous drop.

Think about this:

Perhaps there are fewer facilities, staffed by fewer radiologists and technologists due to high lawsuit rates and modest reimbursement. This is scary -- because the number of women old enough to get screened is increasing.

Women may be missing out on all sorts of necessary medical care because of inadequate health insurance or other access problems.

Women may be choosing, for whatever reasons, not to get mammograms, despite strong public urging that women age 40 and older get screened one time every year.

And now think about this:

Recent news about declining breast cancer rates may not be all that good. It may not be that fewer women are developing breast cancer. It may simply be that fewer women are getting early diagnoses because of irregular or nonexistent screening.

My gut hasn't always guided me through life's most difficult decisions and dilemmas. It wasn't until I felt a lump in my breast more than two years ago that my gut kicked into gear and told me something very important.

"It's cancer," my insides told me one week before the surgeon who did my biopsy called.

"It's cancer," the surgeon said. I didn't tell him, but I thought it: "I know."

I also knew prior to surgery that my cancer had not spread to my lymph nodes. My gut told me this too. It also told me the chemotherapy drug Taxol was not right for me -- since my cancer had not spread -- despite the urging of one oncologist that I accept this treatment. I would have gone on gut instinct alone in my rejection of this medication but another doctor weighed in and agreed with my gut, so I had solid backing on this decision.

Many have dismissed hunches like these and have written off those who believe in them as screwballs, says writer Chip Brown in the March 2007 issue of The Oprah Magazine. But as Brown shares after peering into the world of gut instinct, there are 100 million nerve cells in the gut. They run on autopilot, regulate digestion, play a critical role in the body's immune system, and control mood-altering neurotransmitters identical to those in the brain.

The gut is essentially a second brain. It was a "gut feeling" that led Fred Smith, founder of Federal Express, to begin exploring the possibilities of overnight delivery and Howard Schultz, founder of Starbucks, to begin mass marketing coffee. Wall Street professionals make millions on their gut feelings, sportscasters make startling predictions based on gut guidance, and entrepreneurs launch thriving businesses because of the inklings that rumble in their tummies.

You may or may not be a gut thinker yourself. But I've stumbled upon a gut exercise -- thanks to psychotherapist Nancy Napier --and I'd like for you to consider it the next time you find yourself stuck at a crossroads, unsure of where to turn. You never know, the direction you seek may be swirling around in your midsection, just waiting for a call to action.

Think about this:

You are wavering between two choices. Find yourself a quiet, serene place where there will be no disruptions. Now sit down. Take a moment to settle and focus on the issue you want to explore. Then choose one side. Think about this side and notice what happens in your gut. Do you feel a tightening and gripping or a softening and warming? Are the sensations pleasant or uncomfortable? Notice your thoughts. Are they positive or negative? Give yourself some time to feel your gut and your mind responding.

Now shift to the other side. Think about the previous questions, and try to chart what your body gut is saying.

While you may not get a gut answer at first, if you come back with the question several times, you'll likely hear just what your gut wants you to know.

Someone asked me the other day how I continue to come up with topics for my posts. I wish I could say it was a chore to find material on cancer, but it isn't. There is always something to write about -- so much to write about, in fact, that if I had the time and energy, I could write volumes each day.

I find my topics in newspapers, in magazines, and in books. I spot them on television, on the radio, on the internet. I draw from personal experience and from others' experiences. I write and write and write because cancer just keeps on appearing in my life. I wish it didn't.

Cancer is everywhere. And it offers me an endless reserve of material that just keeps stacking up. So how do I come up with topics for my posts? I don't. The topics come to me.

Luanne Austin says chemotherapy is not all it's cracked up to be. She doesn't mean it's cracked up to be something really great but is far from such a thing. She means it's cracked up to be something pretty horrible but is really not all that bad.

Austin says the day her doctor announced she would receive chemotherapy was almost as bad as the day she learned she had breast cancer. That's because she had heard nothing but bad things about the treatment. She expected to be laying in bed with her life in the balance -- nauseated, vomiting, sick -- as the "cure" killed her.

All expectations aside, Austin decided to tackle chemotherapy with a positive attitude. This may seem a daunting task -- turning a dreaded chemotherapy protocol into a not-so-bad experience -- but Austin mastered the task. And here are seven of her positive thoughts about a treatment that is not all it's cracked up to be.

• Austin talked to people who had traveled journeys similar to hers. What she learned is that many women continued working through treatment. Some suffered very few side effects. One woman even told Austin her experience was super. Austin was inspired by the positive women she tracked down. And now she inspires others.
  

• Austin did some reading. She learned that chemotherapy drugs target quickly-dividing cells, like cancer cells, red and white blood cells, blood platelets, and digestive tract cells. Learning about the process helped her realize chemotherapy was intended to make her well, not make her suffer.

• Austin learned how to support her body through treatment. She came to understand that the best chance of surviving breast cancer comes from conventional medicine -- surgery, chemotherapy, radiation -- but that alternative treatments can complement the traditional approach. She recommends the book Breast Cancer: Beyond Convention and considers her pursuit of a healthy diet, exercise, supplements, and a good night's sleep some of her most helpful chemotherapy add-ons.

• When Austin felt weak, tired, and just plain zoned out, she retreated to her bed with a good book and a cup of tea. Instead of considering it a setback, she called this downtime a good excuse to spend hours reading.

• Austin found relief from her nurses. They were terrific, she recalls, and professional and friendly and respectful too. Getting to know her medical crew -- and receiving hugs from them at the end of her treatment -- confirmed chemotherapy has some good points.

• For Austin, God -- who carried her through her whole journey -- was instrumental in her positive outlook. She felt lifted up and carried, she says.

• And then there's love -- pure and simple love from her husband and family members -- that allows her to conclude that chemotherapy is not so bad. "I'd have to say chemotherapy hasn't been all that bad," she says. "Not bad at all."
  

She said she hopes we get to visit again sometime soon -- without feeling the need to talk solely about breast cancer. I have the same hope. Yet I am deeply satisfied with the conversation we shared about our similar cancer journeys -- mine two years old; hers brand new.

We had never before met -- or even spoken -- and knew each other only from an exchange of e-mails. It was this Cancer Blog that drew us together. She left a comment on one of my posts, I sent her a personal e-mail, and swiftly, our friendship blossomed.

I met my newest cancer friend this weekend -- face-to-face, up close and personal. It was lovely. We talked about chemotherapy -- she just completed her second treatment -- and wigs and radiation and about how our husbands and children cope with cancer. We talked for more than an hour, and then went our separate ways.

And now we are back to e-mail correspondence and our shared hope -- that we will one day meet again, to talk about more than just breast cancer.

The 1998 guidelines on breast cancer follow-up has been updated by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. They state the most reliable way for detecting a recurrence is to receive physical exams and educating patients on the symptoms of recurrence.

All women should perform monthly breast exams. Genetic counseling is recommended for high risk women, including those with Askhenazi Jewish heritage, family history of breast or ovarian cancer, or diagnosis of bilateral breast cancer in the patient or relative.

Study results show no survival advantage for intensive verses conservative surveillance. Complete blood counts (CBCs), liver function tests, imaging studies, and assessment of tumor markers are not recommended for routine surveillance.

Breast cancer can recur within 15 years of the initial diagnoses and beyond, surveillance is a lifelong process for breast cancer survivors.