Dragon Boat Racing

bctt on November 1, 2019

Up until the late 1990s, women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer were told not to take part in upper body exercise. The concern: it would increase their risk for lymphedema. Then, the results of a study that enrolled women in an exercise and dragon boat racing program found that upper body exercise helped reduce lymphedema risk. Since then, many women with early-stage and metastatic breast cancer have taken up the sport. There are now 225 teams in 25 countries.

Below you will find links to articles about breast cancer and dragon boat racing, the study that showed dragon boat racing improved quality of life, a documentary that aired on local PBS channels, and the International Breast Cancer Paddler’s website and Facebook page–in case you want to learn how to get involved.

How to Ask Your Doctor About Clinical Trials

bctt on October 1, 2019

As a woman or man living with metastatic breast cancer, you may have thought about whether a clinical trial would be a good option for your care. But if your doctor has never talked to you about clinical trials, you may not know when or how to broach the subject.

Below you can find tips on how to talk to your doctor about clinical trials as well as checklists of questions to ask your doctor that you can bring with you to your next appointment. If your doctor doesn’t want to talk to you about clinical trials, you may want to consider getting a second opinion from another doctor. (You can learn more about how to get a second opinion in the September 2019 MTT.)

Additional checklists on How to Talk to Your Doctor:

How to Get a Medical Interpreter

bctt on September 3, 2019

Federal law requires that all health care organizations provide patients who speak little or no English with an interpreter. Providers that take Medicaid or Medicare (which are federal funds for health care services) must also meet a patient’s language needs. However, not all providers do so, and it’s often not clear if the provider, patient or insurer is responsible for paying for these services.

Below you will find links to a list of certified medical interpreters and how to find out what your insurer will cover. We’ve also included some news stories about the important role interpreters play in health care and problems patients face when they do no have access to these services.

MBC Facebook Groups

bctt on June 2, 2019

Facebook groups make it possible to interact with and get support from other individuals who are living with metastatic breast cancer.

Below you will find a list of some of the larger and more active groups. Please let us know about any other groups you belong to. We will add them to our list.

Planning Ahead: Advance Care Plans

bctt on May 1, 2019

Advance care planning is a way to make sure that your family and your health care team know what you want if you are unable to make medical decisions on your own.

The radio show, articles, and materials below provide important information and resources on how to develop an advance care plan.

Coordinating Support for You and Your Family

bctt on April 1, 2019

It’s not often easy to ask for help. But there are times when metastatic breast cancer patients and their families can greatly benefit from the help of others.

These programs make it easy for you or a family member or friend to allow your community to rally and support you in the ways that you need.

¿Hablas Español?

bctt on March 2, 2019

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We want to help Spanish-speaking women and men with metastatic breast cancer learn about clinical trials and how they can find studies that might be right for them.

Below is a list of websites about MBC created specifically for Spanish-speaking patients. We hope you will share this information with your Spanish-speaking friends and relatives.

Know of other sites you think we should add to the list? Please email us. 

Queremos ayudar a las mujeres y hombres de habla hispana con cáncer de mama metastásico a aprender acerca de los ensayos cla­nicos y cómo pueden encontrar estudios que puedan ser adecuados para ellos.

A continuacian hay una lista de sitios web sobre MBC creados especa­ficamente para pacientes que hablan español. Esperamos que comparta esta información con sus amigos y familiares que hablan español.

¿Conoces otros sitios que crees que deberamos agregar a la lista? Por favor envíenos un correo electrónico: metastatictrialtalk@gmail.com

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Consider a Retreat

bctt on February 4, 2019

Whether it’s one day or week, a retreat can provide an opportunity to form important connections with others and gain skills that can help you live with metastatic breast cancer. Retreats also provide new experiences, a break from the day-to-day, great food, and more! These are some of the organizations and programs that provide retreats that may be of interest to individuals living with metastatic breast cancer.

Support for MBC Caregivers

bctt on January 2, 2019

Caregivers play a unique role in the lives of women and men with metastatic breast cancer. In this issue of MTT, we provide tips and resources to help caregivers both provide the support their loved ones need and take care of themselves.