Interesting use of technology, don't you think?
Bob Pyke Jr

Nancy Sanders wrote:

> *********************************
> *********************************
> *********************************
>
> This message contains
> information about breast cancer
> that every woman should know...
>
> Senior nursing students at the University of Alaska
> Anchorage, as part of a health promotion project,
> are attempting to widely disseminate accurate
> information about breast cancer screening
> using e-mail technology and the "Tell A Friend"
> idea of the American Cancer Society.
>
> We are asking each recipient of this message to:
>
> 1.  Get breast screening according to the guidelines stated below.
> 2.  Encourage your friends and family members (mothers, sisters, aunts,
> daughters) to get screened.
> 3.  Pass the word along. Forward this e-mail message to your female
> friends, give someone a call who might not have e-mail, write a letter
> to encourage screening, or talk about this important issue with friends,
> family members or co-workers.
> 4.  Send our professor, Nancy Sanders, an e-mail ([log in to unmask])
> indicating how many people you sent this message to. Your feedback is
> our means of evaluating this health promotion intervention.
>
> Remember...please read this
> message and pass it on!!!!
>
> ************************************
> ************************************
> ************************************
>
> Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer in women with 180,000 new
> cases diagnosed
> each year. It is the second leading cause of cancer mortality with more
> than 40,000
> deaths per year.
>
> With early treatment, more than 90% of breast cancers can be
> successfully treated.
> The key to successful treatment is early detection, including self
> breast exams, clinical breast exams and mammograms on a regular
> schedule. The following guidelines are provided by the Alaska Breast and
> Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program:
>
> Method                         Age
> Frequency
>
> Breast Self-Exam        20 Years and Over             Every Month
> Clinical Breast Exam   20-30 years                       Every 1-3 Years
>
> Clinical Breast Exam   Over 30 years                    Every Year
> Mammography            40-49 years                       Every 1-2 years
> Based on
>
> Provider/Patient Counseling
> Mammography            50-69 years                       Every Year
> Mammography            70 Years and Over            Reevaluate need for
> continued screening
>
> every 2-3 years with regard to other health
>
> conditions
>
> A no cost or low cost clinical breast exam or mammogram may be available
> to you through the YWCA's EncorePlus program if you meet certain
> qualification guidelines. For more Information contact:
>                                             Lupe J. Chavez
>                                             YWCA EncorePlus Program
>                                             245 W. Fifth Ave.
>                                             Anchorage, Ak
>                                             274-1504
>                                             1-800-410-4166
>
> HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT BREAST CANCER:
>
> Fact:
> Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the United
> States. Both its cause and the means for its cure remain undiscovered.
> About two million breast  cancer survivors are alive in America today.
>
> Fact:
> Men can develop breast cancer, too, although its incidence is low. In
> 1998, 1,600 male cases are projected to be diagnosed, and 400 men will
> die from the disease
>
> Fact:
> One out of nine women in the United States will develop breast cancer in
> her lifetimeóa risk that was one out of 14 in 1960. This year, a breast
> cancer will be newly diagnosed every three minutes, and a woman will die
> from breast cancer every 12 minutes.
>
> Fact:
> Every woman is at risk for breast cancer. The risk of developing breast
> cancer increases as a woman ages, if she has a family history of breast
> cancer, has never had children or had her first child after age 30, and
> if she has had prior treatment with radiation therapy for Hodgkinís
> disease. However, over 70 percent of cases occur in women who have no
> identifiable risk factors.
>
> Fact:
> Breast cancer cannot be prevented, but it can be detected at an early,
> treatable stage. Fewer than half of women age 40 and older in the United
> States have regular screening mammograms, a simple procedure that can
> reveal breast cancer at its earliest stage, up to two years before it
> can be felt. In NABCO's* view, annual screening mammography should begin
> at age 40.
> * National Alliance for Breast Cancer Organizations
>
> Fact:
> Regular breast examinations by a medical professional are a required
> complement to screening mammography. Many breast irregularities are
> found by women themselves, yet most women do not perform breast
> self-examination (BSE) regularly. Although BSE has never been proven to
> affect survival, becoming familiar with your breasts and what feels
> normal for you is a recommended component of any woman's breast health
> program.
>
> Fact:
> Over 80 percent of biopsied breast abnormalities are proven benign, but
> any breast lump must be evaluated by a physician. With new, less
> invasive biopsy procedures, this examination can sometimes take place in
> the physician's office.
>
> Fact:
> If detected early, breast cancer can often be treated effectively with
> surgery that preserves the breast, followed by radiation therapy. This
> local therapy is frequently accompanied by systemic chemotherapy and/or
> hormonal therapy. Five-year survival after treatment for early-stage
> breast cancer is 97 percent.
>
> Fact:
> Breast cancer incidence increases with age, rising sharply after age 40.
> Nearly eighty percent of all breast cancers occur in women over 50 years
> of age.
>
> The message is brought to you by
> senior nursing students at the
> University of Alaska Anchorage
> in recognition of National
> Breast Cancer Awareness Month...
>
> Remember:
>
> 1.  Get breast screening according to the guidelines.
> 2.  Encourage your friends and family members (mothers, sisters, aunts,
> daughters) to get screened.
> 3.  Pass the word along. Forward this e-mail message to your female
> friends, give someone a call who might not have e-mail, write a letter
> to encourage screening, or talk about this important issue with friends,
> family members or co-workers.
> 4.  Send our professor, Nancy Sanders, an e-mail ([log in to unmask])
> indicating how many people you sent this message to. Your feedback is
> our means of evaluating this health promotion intervention.
>
> Thanks for your help...and we wish you a healty future!
> --
> Nancy Sanders, RN, MN, PhD(c), CTN
> Associate Professor
> University of Alaska Anchorage               (907) 786-4576
> School of Nursing                       fax (907) 786-4559
> 3211 Providence Dr.       [log in to unmask]
> Anchorage, AK 99508