Free wigs for cancer patients

Chemotherapy is fighting cancer, but also causes hair loss. Radiation therapy to the head can cause hair loss. And that leads us to the need for a popular head cover--a wig! A wig can cost from $ 40 to thousands of dollars. But when your budget is already strained to the cost of surgery and other treatments, even a wig $ 40 sale may seem out of reach. Fortunately, there are ways to find free wigs. Here are five places to search for a wig free during cancer treatment.

American Cancer Society
1-800-227-2345

The American Cancer Society accepts donations of wigs, which collect their banks in wig local chapters. These wigs were cleaned and kept ready for use. If you do not have any health insurance and need help, contact your local American Cancer Society and ask for information about patient services. Some of the wigs are distributed through ACS and some are delivered to local meetings look good feel better, along with coatings and cosmetics.

Cancer Consultants
1-800-813-HOPE (4673)

As part of their women, cancer, cancer consultants offers financial assistance and counselling, support groups and patient education. They also provide free breast implants and wigs for women who have lost their hair or the breast of their cancer treatment.

Breast cancer network of strength
1-800-221-2141

When the Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization changed its name to Breast Cancer Network of strength, it has not changed its mission. NCBS provides wigs, prostheses and mastectomy bras to women whose budget as soon as you extend to cover the cost of these items. Contact them to find out where the nearest office of the affiliate who has a Bank of prostheses & wig. NCBS offices have often salons where women can try on items before taking them home.

Crickett's response to cancer
1-301-941-4411

This non-profit organization provides free wigs, mastectomy products, mastectomy and lymph drainage massages, facials and other beauty services, as a way to keep a woman feeling feminine and beautiful despite the loss of her hair and/or breasts. Crickett was founded in honor of Crickett Julius, who died in October of 2006, only four months after being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at the age of 39. Crickett is based in south central areas of Pennsylvania, Baltimore and Washington, DC. Carole Trone, co-founder of Crickett says, "we provide assistance for women all across the United States We mail or email a registration package and then not even order online wigs or arrange for other products or services with suppliers in the local area."

Canadian Cancer Society
1-416-961-7223

In Canada, Pantene Beautiful lengths and the Canadian Cancer Society have joined forces to encourage women to donate their hair wigs that are made and distributed to women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment. Pantene provides the requirements for a hair donation kits, and advice on how to hold an event of haircut. Six ponytails need to create a wig, which will be given away through the Canadian Cancer Society.

Pay It Forward

When your hair has grown back and you're ready to show your curls chemo, donate the wig of a cancer support organization, so that someone else might enjoy. If you have difficulties to find a place that will donors wigs, contact your local hospital and ask if they have a cancer clinic-they may be looking for donations of items for cancer treatment. You can also donate money to registered charities that supply Parrucco women in treatment for breast cancer but can't afford the price of a wig. Get a wig flattering can help a woman feels that she looks attractive--this may raise his spirits greatly during a time when you are fighting cancer. After a wig you have served well, consider giving a new life with other survivor.

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SABCS: aromatase inhibitors expensive, many breast cancer patients Quit

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Aromasin Pills
Photo Karl D. Stephan

If your aromatase inhibitors cost more than $ 30 for copayment, would you stop taking them after treatment for estrogen-sensitive breast cancer? Dr. Dawn l. Hershman has studied the habits of younger and older women who were diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer-the most treatable type of breast cancer-and she reports that the youngest and the oldest patients quit taking hormonal therapy soon after primary treatment ends. Money appears to be one reason that many patients don't continue taking Aromasin or Tamoxifen their, especially if their prescription copays are over $ 30.

"We were surprised to see that so many young women stopped treatment early, despite the fact that the therapy has a proven track record of reducing breast cancer recurrence," said Dr. Hershman. The majority of breast cancers-about 80%-are fueled by estrogen. Hormonal therapies such as Selective Estrogen-Receptor Modulators and aromatase inhibitors are prescribed to be taken for 5 years after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation have been completed. "These drugs keep the levels of circulating estrogen lower than your body normally makes-know your body becomes a less cancer-friendly environment, discouraging cancer's return.

Dr. Hershman reported the findings of her study at the 33rd annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). She grouped the copayment amounts into $ 30, between $ 30 and $ 89.99, $ 90 or more. Patients with 90-day co-payments paid from $ 0 to $ 893.49 for refills. Many women over retirement age stopped paying for aromatase inhibitors when their copays went over $ 30-some of these patients may be on limited incomes, and have to budget carefully. "Some women between the ages of 40 and 64 kept refilling their prescriptions until copays hit $ 90-these may be women who are raising children, juggling careers and family life, as well as assisting elderly parents.

Dr. Alfred Neugut said that Hershman's study is the first to show how high copays do have an impact on such a crucial drug where mortality can be so directly at stake. "Dr. Hershman said, "When we have highly effective medications available, we need to try to set limits on potential barriers to use like co-payments."While I agree that having consistent costs for medications, prescriptions and making available to everyone who needs them, I think there's more to this issue than money.

I can remember starting Tamoxifen "when I was 47-I was worried about the potential for cataracts and endometrial cancer that might occur as a result of taking this drug. My fertility had already been sacrificed to chemotherapy, one breast had been removed, and now I faced five years of chemically-induced hot flashes, vaginal dryness, low libido, fatigue, and the general feeling that recovery was taking much too long! However, when the side effects of Tamoxifen got to be too much, I remembered how bad I felt during chemo, and since I was determined not to require treatment again, I kept popping those little white pills. Two years into Tamoxifen, I begged my oncologist to switch me to Aromasin-I had transitioned into natural menopause-and I made the switch. Well, I still had hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and low libido-but less worry about cataracts and endometrial cancer.

But now we find out that aromatase inhibitors may raise your risk of heart disease as well as lower your bone density That news came from another paper presented at SABCS. Yet more research shows that some of the side effects of hormonal therapy can be moderated by taking additional therapies such as venlafaxine (Effexor) or clonidine (Catapres)-both of which proved very helpful in women with hot flashes. "You may already know that bone density can be helped by taking a bisphosphonate such as Fosamax or Actonel, and if you're menopausal, you are at greater risk for osteoporosis.

What this all comes down to seems to be this: staying alive after cancer is expensive. You may finish your primary treatment and be happy just to have survived Then you start hormonal therapy, and run into more side effects. "So you wind up taking-and paying for-one or more additional prescriptions to help you stay on your Aromasin or Tamoxifen. That might be three daily pills you didn't budget for, and didn't know you might need. The overall package of pills, side effects, and increasing copayments would put anybody off, even more so when we're facing 5 years of therapy.

I agree with Dr. Hershman when she says that there needs to be lower barriers and greater access to life-saving drugs and medical care. But I also hope that more effective and efficient drugs can be developed to treat breast cancer as well as prevent its return. Developing those drugs will be costly, but keeping patients alive-with a high quality of life-is beyond price.

What do you think-is the financial cost of staying on hormonal therapy the main reason you would stop taking the drugs? Or do other issues like side effects have more of an impact on your decision to quit this type of therapy? Please leave a comment.

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Breast Cancer victim Mobile Apps support for patients

How about a breast cancer support group that fits in the Palm of your hand? that is what many applications of breast cancer to become new target. these apps can be found all over the internet, offering everything from tape Pink wallpaper for your smartphone for a full guide diagnosis. some applications of breast cancer can guide you through a breast self-exam and help you consider what type of breast lumps may have other apps Help you plan a healthy meal, designed to help you heal from treatments of breast cancer more general health apps help you keep track of your test results, full blood count (CBC), appointments, scheduling of pill, or keep up with news alerts of breast cancer.

Yes, there is an application for health fitness routine, favorite books and magazines, your drug list, and also games to pass the time these useful applications are cheap-any price from free to $ 5.00-and can be used on an electronic device of choice: If you use an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, Android, or other smartphone, you probably already have some apps, but how to choose the right ones? you ask around, around the web and try to understand what runs on your device and as expected. some applications of health might work brilliantly, while others may disappoint.

Do you have an app that was really useful? write a review on it and submit for publication on About.com. you can read some guidelines and find links to a variety of opportunities to review our Patient Empowerment site. If you want to write a review of an app of breast cancer, check out this presentation form. your review could really help others who are trying to just the app cancer or breast health right!

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