Category Archives: Mastectomy

Comfortable Bra for Breast Cancer Patients, Others

Tamika Mayes has developed a comfortable bra _ both those who have undergone breast surgery and others who just want a comfortable undergarment.

Mayes, of Detroit, designed the seamless bra for her mother-in-law, Celeste Hinds, of Southfield, who found most bras uncomfortable after she underwent radiation for breast cancer.

Mayes learned how to sew, bought a machine and set out to make a unique, seamless comfortable garment for breast cancer patients who find the stitching in many products just to irritating to their skin, both after surgery or radiation or for years afterwards.

Her product, Reyz, is a wire-free bra made of 12 % spandex lycra and 88% microfiber nylon.

It is $55 and comes in black or nude colors and sizes small/medium; medium/large; large/extra-large; and extra-large/2X.

Though Mayes designed the bra for breast cancer patients, she has found that other women like it because it doesn’t ride up, as many soft bras do. “Any woman can wear it,” said Mayes. “Women with heavy breasts say, this is so comfortable.”

I have searched for years for a comfortable wireless bra that doesn’t ride up. I bought one of Mayes’ bras, which arrived quickly in the mail in a beautifully packaged box. I recommend it for its comfort and wearability.

Mayes has teamed up with a U.S. company to make the first 1,000 bras. Women can order the product on line, getreyz.com, or at some of the pop-up stores Mayes plans to hold in the year ahead.

She also plans to make other products, including a bra with a pocket to hold a prothesis as well as larger sizes. She is open to other suggestions.

Free, Reliable Breast Surgery, Reconstruction App Debuts

A new, reliable source of information on breast cancer surgery choices  _ from going flat to undergoing immediate or delayed breast reconstruction _ that you can read on your phone debuted today.

The app, two years in the making, is for iPhones; an android version is coming later in September, according to the app’s creator, Dr. Minas Chrysouplo, a leading breast reconstruction surgeon.

He and his San Antonio team gathered suggestions and input from dozens of breast cancer survivors, previvors, doctors, health care workers and writers, including Patricia Anstett, author of “Breast Cancer Surgery and Reconstruction, What’s Right for You.”

To download the app, go to https://breastadvocateapp.com/

 

 

 

 

 

1 of Every 2 U.S. Women Consider Prophylactic Double Mastectomy for Early Tumors, University of Michigan Study Finds

One of every two women with early-stage breast cancer now consider removing both breasts, even though they only have cancer in one, according to a new University of Michigan study. This option has soared upwards from 3.9% in 2002, it said.

A quarter of women with early-stage breast cancer and a favorable prognosis strongly considered…
healio.com

New Pain Relief Options After Breast Reconstruction

Linda holding pain system bag Apr 28 2017

Detroit breast cancer survivor, Dr. Linda Johnson, is shown here with the “On-Q Pain Relief System, which she used to reduce post-operative pain after breast reconstruction. It is a non-narcotic system. “This is a little pump about the size of a small can of soup that contains pain reliever that comes into your system automatically for a few days after surgery,’’ says Johnson, a retired school principal. “The pump goes to a tiny plastic tube that the surgeon installs in your chest. This little dickens really worked!!  All I had to do was to carry it around in the little nylon bag shown in the picture.  By day I used it like a shoulder bag and at night I just kept it beside me in the bed. The doc will take out the 4 or 5 inches of tubing that went into my body when I go for my check up next week.  Easy breezy, it gives a constant stream of pain relief, and doesn’t involve pills.” For details: http://www.myon-q.com/why-on-q.aspx

 

Double Mastectomy Trend Brings Better Lumpectomy Advice from some Teams

As double mastectomy rates rise, some doctors and medical centers have developed a coordinated program where specialists help women understand that a double mastectomy gives a woman no greater chance she’ll live longer.

The number of breast-cancer patients choosing double mastectomies has soared, and some cancer specialists are trying to persuade women to choose more conservative treatments.
WSJ.COM|BY LUCETTE LAGNADO

Breast Surgeons, Hospitals Influence Mastectomy Choices in Older Women, Study Finds

More evidence that a woman’s breast surgeon and her hospital most heavily influence mastectomy decisions by older women. These hospital and physician practice patterns are common throughout the U.S., we found in reporting for “Breast Cancer Surgery & Reconstruction: What’s Right for You,” coming June 16 from Rowman & Littlefield onAmazon.com, and some Barnes & Noble and other select bookstores.

@bcsurgerystories.com

 

A substantial and independent association…
ONCOLOGYNURSEADVISOR.COM

U.S. Double Mastectomy Rates Triple in 8 Years

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a leading U.S. health research group, found that double mastectomy continues to rise among women, even when they only have cancer in one breast. A related analysis below of the research in JAMA explores what’s behind the trend and raises the question of whether doctors encourage double mastectomy by telling women their breasts will match better after a double mastectomy.  “Breast Cancer Surgery and Reconstruction: What’s Right for You,” to be published June 16 by Rowman & Littlefield, explores how many women choose to live, without remorse, with unmatched breasts. The book also explores hospital and doctor referral practices that influence breast reconstruction.

:http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2521020

New Data Show Mastectomies Increased 36 Percent From 2005 to 2013 Press Release Date: February 22, 2016Data released today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) show that while breast cancer rates have remained constant, the rate of women undergoing mastectomies increased 36 perce…
AHRQ.GOV