THE IOWA BREAST CANCER RESOURCE GUIDE

When you are told you have breast cancer, most women have many questions and do not know where to find the answers. The Iowa Breast Cancer Resource Guide (Guide) is the perfect tool to help you find many answers and discover what resources are available to you. Just released is the newly revised 2004 edition of the Iowa Breast Cancer Resource Guide for Iowans living with breast cancer. The 2004 Guide contains information about getting quality care; breast cancer facts including how breast cancer is diagnosed, staged and treated; Iowa hospitals approved for cancer treatment; national Cancer Centers and other care and support services available in Iowa and the entire country are described. The Guide contains information on financial and insurance matters, diet and exercise, alternative therapy and complementary medicine, breast cancer and the environment, and judging medical resources on the World Wide Web. The Iowa Breast Cancer Resource Guide is researched, published and distributed by Iowa Breast Cancer Edu-action (IBCE). IBCE is a small but mighty group of individuals either living with breast cancer or with an interest in breast cancer advocacy. “They have accomplished a lot since IBCE President Christine Carpenter started the group in 1997,” states Dee Hughes, President of the Cedar Valley Breast Cancer Task Force. The American Cancer Society estimates 2,400 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in Iowa this year and an estimated 500 Iowans will die from the disease. IBCE has published the Guide to empower women and men to seek the best possible treatment and healing. Funding for publication and distribution came from the Des Moines Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The Resource Guide will soon be available for downloading from the IBCE Web site: . Women’s reactions to the Guide have been positive. A breast cancer survivor from Cedar Falls says “Very helpful and hopeful. Thanks.” A registered nurse wrote, “We received our copy today and already gave it to a newly diagnosed woman. Thank you so much. What a wonderful gift for our patients.” If you have had a recent breast cancer diagnosis, you may request a free copy of the revised Iowa Breast Cancer Resource Guide. Send your request via fax to (319) 277-7342 or email to sydneywikner@cfu.net You may also phone (319) 277- 3057. For more information regarding the Guide, contact Christine Carpenter at (319) 266-0194.