Articles
This page contains a brief list of books and articles that might be of interest to you, including a provocative critique of the breast cancer industry by Barbara Ehrenreich. We hope you find them as interesting as we did.
We are still in the process of compiling this list, and we welcome your suggestions! If you would like to recommend a book or an article, please email us at .
The views, expressed or implied, contained in the books and articles in this list are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of Bellisse or Vermont Design Works.
What does Malignant Melanoma have to do with breast edema?
What does malignant melanoma have to do with breast edema? Most of the time, we relate acute breast edema and lymphedema with the complications of breast cancer treatment. Recently I treated a patient who had malignant melanoma of the skin on her elbow requiring surgery and the removal of 12 lymph nodes. Very shortly after her surgery her breast swelled to double the size, became warm and painful. Sure enough, she started with acute edema related to node removal and scar tissue in the armpit, and three months later it has not resolved, so now it falls into the category of lymphedema. Manual lymphatic drainage and the use of an appropriate truncal compression garment have provided her a world of relief.
Click here to read the article…
Older Women Not Getting Proper Breast Cancer Treatment
Yahoo News, Wed Oct 18
Many older women with breast cancer are being under-diagnosed and under-treated, especially in community hospitals, researchers report.
Click here to read the article…
Early Physical Therapy Intervention is Crucial
for Breast Cancer Patients
Address to the June 2004 American Physical Therapists Association Conference
“No body part is amputated, reconstructed or burned without Physical Therapy intervention as the first line in the rehabilitation process – except the breast. We must stop this discrimination now!"
That’s the challenge physical therapist Nancy Roberge issued to an audience at the June 2004 American Physical Therapists Association Conference in Chicago, IL.
Click here to read her full speech…
How Do Patients Afford the Compression Garments They Need?
And Who Is Making That Choice for Them?
As we’ve been talking to people during in-services, we’ve heard that many people in the health care and medical supply industries perceive cost to be a restrictive barrier that prevents women from obtaining the compression garments they need for Truncal Lymphedema. Sometimes well-meaning retailers and health care providers worry that women will not be able to afford compression garments for Truncal Lymphedema; others simply feel that prescribed compression garments are “too expensive”. This article addresses some of the points they’ve raised.
Click here to read the article…
A Therapeutic Challenge:
Applying Compression to the Axillary Region
Lymphedema is a dynamic condition, changing with weather, activity, fluctuations in weight, and even hormonal shifts. There are a number of “tricks” lymphedema therapists know to help patients manange changes in their lymphedema. It is important that both patients and therapists know all of the options for edema control and when to use them.
Click here to read the article…
Learning About Lymphedema: Interview with Debra Szalwinski, PT, Clinical Director at Tidewater Physical Therapy, Inc
ADVANCE, a magazine for physical therapists, interviewed an expert to learn about current treatments for lymphedema. Here’s some of what they learned:
“We're noticing in the community of lymphedema now that many hospitals and facilities are feeling the pressure to provide lymphedema treatment because it has become so much more recognized as appropriate and effective. If they don't provide it, they don't have the competitive edge, can't get the referrals from certain insurance companies, that kind of thing….”
ADVANCE, Vol. 17, Issue 14, Page 42
Series on Truncal Lymphedema
This series of articles on truncal lymphedema appeared in the medical-goods journal Essentially Women beginning in the spring of 2004.The series includes information on the diagnosis and treatment of truncal lymphedema, interviews with Bellisse co-founder and physical therapist Lesli Bell, and a discussion of appropriate compression options for truncal lymphedema.
- Insurance Covers the Right Compression
Garment for Truncal Lymphedema,
So Don’t Settle for Less! - Breast Cancer’s “Dirty Little Secret”
- How a Lucky Coincidence Helped a Lot of Women
- Lymphedema Success Stories
- A Conversation With Lymphedema Therapist Lesli Bell , PT-LANA
- Truncal Lymphedema: Risks, Symptoms, and Treatment
- FAQs: Compression Bras vs. Mastectomy and Sports Bras in the Treatment of Truncal Lymphedema
- Compression Garments in the Treatment of Truncal Lymphedema: A Conversation with Lymphedema Therapist Lesli Bell, PT-CLT/LANA
- How Much Compression Is Needed to Effectively Manage Truncal Lymphedema?
“Shift in Treating Breast Cancer Is Under Debate”
“Welcome to Cancerland” (Adobe PDF)
Journalist and breast cancer survivor Barbara Ehrenreich no-holds-barred critique of the industry and popular culture that have grown up around breast cancer.
Harper’s Magazine, November 2001
“Cult, Kitsch or Political Movement:
Breast Cancer Activism in the 21st Century”
A response to the Ehrenreich article by Jennifer Keck, a woman living with breast cancer and a member of the Circle of Strength Breast Cancer Support Group in Sudbury, Ontario. Published on the Canadian Breast Cancer Network website.
The Breast Cancer Monologues
A tightly-woven audio montage of women's voices and stories, the Breast Cancer Monologues is an honest, unflinching, and riveting exploration of the experiences of breast cancer patients and survivors.
Recently broadcast on Vermont Public Radio and other stations.
Although the program is most powerful in audio format (click here to listen), partial transcripts are available online.
Health Journal: Efforts Mount to Combat Lymphedema,
A Devastating Side Effect of Cancer Care
The appearance of this article in The Wall Street Journal heralds a growing awareness of lymphedema as a side effect of cancer treatment. The article contains both bad news (tragic stories of cancer survivors who developed lymphedema because they were not warned about common triggers) and good news (encouraging trends in lymphedema-related legislation).
There is one significant omission: the article completely neglects to mention the existence of breast and chest lymphedema, focusing exclusively on lymphedema of the arms and legs. To send an email to The Wall Street Journal alerting them to this oversight, write to .
The Wall Street Journal, June 1, 2004, D1
To access this article online, go to www.wsj.com. (If you're not already a subscriber, you can sign up for a two-week free trial subscription that will allow you to use the search function to find the article.)
“Tangled Up in Pink”
This interesting and provocative article traces some of the surprising political connections of leading breast cancer organizations and asks why so much effort has been put into finding a cure, while so little work is being done to change the environmental and cultural factors that are believed to cause breast cancer.
Vermont Woman, February 2004
“Why Breast Cancer Survivors?”
Courtesy of Abreast in a Boat
“Paddling Our Way to Recovery”
By Linda Dyer
“Abreast in Australia 2007”
By Linda McSweeney
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