My fellow blogger Jacki recently posted about the effect of alcohol and breast cancer risk in her post titled Thought for the Day: Bingeing and breast cancer.

But why does alcohol consumption stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells?

A study in mice shows that alcohol consumption stimulated the growth and progression of breast cancer by the development of new blood vessels - a process called angiogenesis.

The article stated that "It does this by boosting expression of a factor known as vascular endothelial growth factor or VEGF". Dr. Jian-Wei Gu and colleagues from the University of Mississippi Medical Center examined the effects of tumor growth in mice.

For 4 weeks, 6-week old female mice consumed regular drinking water or water containing 1 percent alcohol, which is equivalent to about 2 to 4 drinks in humans. In week 2, the animals were inoculated with mouse breast cancer cells.

"We found after about 4 weeks that breast tumor size almost doubled in mice that drank alcohol compared to control mice given plain water," Gu noted in a telephone interview with Reuters Health. Moderate alcohol intake also caused a noteworthy increase in tumor blood vessels compared with no alcohol intake.

"VEGF can promote the formation of new blood vessels," Gu said. "This suggests that alcohol can induce tumor angiogenesis."

There are some of us out there--diagnosed with cancer and then continued to smoke cigarettes. I was one of those people. Basically, as soon as I was told I had a very suspicious mammogram, I went out side to wait for my husband and was puffing away.

This might seem crazy to those who have never smoked or been addicted to nicotine. It seems crazy to smoke at all knowing all the damage it does but then when you have already sat in that chemo chair it becomes even more absurd.

I am writing this post to tell of my experience with quitting after being diagnosed with cancer. In the hopes it might help someone else do the same. First, I would like to point out that it would be the hardest time to quit during the first few months after being diagnosed. Your mind is not in the right state to take on such a mental endeavor.

I would not advise waiting three years like I did, but I think eventually a light bulb came on my head and said "hey, Kristi, you might actually live through this breast cancer experience so you have to quit"!

One important and major thing is that I became mentally ready. I was embarrassed that I had the nerve to light a cigarette after I had already been diagnosed with cancer. Did I want to put myself through cancer again? I did not blame myself for smoking causing my breast cancer, I will never know if it did contribute so i just don't bother myself with thoughts on that aspect. What is done is done and all I can try to do is help my body be more healthy in the future.

I have heard that reformed smokers are the worst! They tend to get on everyone--I know now why they do this. Because its really not that hard to quit. Think about what amazing things your are doing for you body -- getting rid of all those chemicals that come along with the nicotine.

It is quite difficult in the beginning, I'm not going to sugar coat it. My first night after dinner without smoking, my husband and I were enjoying a few glasses of wine on our deck. I said to him, "ok, what do we do with ourselves"? That was my time to have a smoke while enjoying my wine. It was rough.

I did have cravings of course. What I read was that a craving will last 3 minutes. Wait out those three minutes. Its doable.

I am no expert on quiting smoking. I just had to quit cold turkey and am convinced it is the only way. Using the patch or other items of that nature only prolong the inevitable.( you will have to go through withdraw eventually). Your body needs 72 hours to be clear of nicotine. That is when the cravings are the strongest. After that time period dealing with your triggers and times of day you smoke is another obstacle. Slowly weaning yourself off nicotine rarely works.

I have found a terrific website called www.whyquit.com. That is what helped me to quit. You can read reaffirming messages about how good it feels to be in a non-smoking world and enjoying more than you did when you smoked.

One thing I like that they said on the site was that if you were going to feel as horrible as you do the first few weeks after quiting for the next twenty years they would advise continuing to smoke. But it is true that after a while you don't think about it, wake up feeling better, don't stink...i can go on and on.

Take a look at the website if you feel you might be ready. good luck!

Photographer Paula Lerner was diagnosed with breast cancer just after beginning work on Why We Walk: The Inspirational Journey Toward a Cure for Breast Cancer -- a book that captures through photographs the momentum of millions who year after year crowd America's streets and walk to conquer this disease.

A peek into this book is offered in the form of an online slide show, hosted by the Washington Post. Set to inspiring music and lyrics and lasting just three minutes and 59 seconds, this media presentation tells a story about a disease that strikes every three minutes and kills every 14 minutes.

Gripping photographs and sobering facts dominate this powerful piece. There are shots of women in pink wigs and pink tutus, children hosing off physically and emotionally drained walkers, women holding up photographs of lost loved ones -- one with a printed message that reads, Mom, we would walk forever to bring you back. May 14, 2004. There are smiles and cheers and tears. Every image packs an emotional punch.

The facts that appear throughout the slide show really stand out. They spell out in black and white some of the most important facts about breast cancer. And here they are -- all seven of them.

• 40,970 women and 460 men will die from breast cancer annually.

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in African American women but ranks second to lung cancer in cause of cancer deaths.

• People over the age of 50 account for 77 percent of breast cancer cases.

• Breast cancer is most commonly diagnosed among Hispanic women and is the leading cause of cancer death among this group.

• Being overweight is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer, especially after menopause.

• Risk is increased by onset of menstruation before age 12, menopause after 50, first child after 30, or no children.

• Family history of breast cancer increases risk, especially if close relatives are diagnosed before the age of 50. A first-degree relative -- mother, sister, daughter -- with breast cancer approximately doubles the risk of breast cancer.

Monday night is Courage Night, hosted by the Young Survival Coalition (YSC), national sorority Zeta Tau Alpha (ZTA), and Lifetime television. It's a night when Lifetime's Original Movie Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy will air, when crowds will gather in communities and on college campuses across the nation for special screenings and viewing parties of the movie that brings glaring attention to the issue of breast cancer.

Courage Night was created in 2004 by Geralyn Lucas, author of the book Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy, as an evening of celebration in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It was also a celebration of the publication of her then-new book.

Lucas, diagnosed with breast cancer at age 27, recounts in her memoir every step of her cancer journey, including her bold application of red lipstick just before her mastectomy. She knew from the day she was diagnosed she would speak out to help others, to raise awareness, to make a difference. Now 39, a mother of two, and an executive for Lifetime, Lucas is still making waves. And Courage Night lives on.

Courage Night has grown into a national grassroots event that honors breast cancer survivors and those lost to the disease. Event fundraising will benefit YSC -- the only organization dedicated to the special issues of young breast cancer survivors.

Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy, starring actress Sarah Chalke, will air Monday, October 23 at 9:00 PM.