New Resource Helps Survivors Look Ahead At Life.(TheBreastCareSite.com)

2001 OCT 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- There is a reliable resource for the more than 190,000 women a year in the United States who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and find themselves unable to answer difficult and uncomfortable questions.

After returning home from the doctor's office, Nina knew that her life had changed forever. The doctor had diagnosed breast cancer. Immediately she had so many questions: How will my life be different? What will my body look like after surgery? Will I have to wear a wig? Will I need a full mastectomy? If my breast is removed, will my husband still find me attractive?

The source with answers to these questions and others is TheBreastCareSite.com, a recently launched Web site offering detailed information about postsurgery options and products to breast cancer survivors.

"Today, women have so many postsurgery options," says Anne Becker, Coloplast Corporation's Breast Care Division. "Unfortunately, many medical professionals aren't aware of the wide-range of products and services available and don't discuss them with their patients. TheBreastCareSite.com is closing this gap and giving breast cancer survivors needed information in their quest to return to more normal lives and feel positive about their body image going forward."

What makes TheBreastCareSite.com unique? First, TheBreastCareSite.com acknowledges that the physical changes breast cancer survivors undergo during and after treatment can be just as traumatizing and difficult as the psychological challenges they face. TheBreastCareSite.com provides survivors with accurate information about everything from postsurgery options and products to information about insurance and intimacy issues.

For example, survivors can access the Intimacy Concerns area of the site to find tips for and personal stories about openly discussing physical changes with a spouse or partner after surgery; the Products for Me section to learn about post-surgery products such as breast forms and wigs; and the In Treatment section to learn more about lymphedema, an important medical condition that can develop anytime after breast cancer surgery.

Second, TheBreastCareSite.com delivers its information through personal accounts of treatment and lifestyle decisions, experiences and outcomes. Developed by Coloplast Corp.'s Amoena brand, the site recognizes the value of first-hand experience and the benefit of sharing the survivor's point of view with other survivors. The site's Feeling Beautiful Again section, for example, offers real-life tips about make-up and beauty, specifically for breast cancer survivors; the After Breast Surgery section provides useful information about wound care and scar management.