Breast Cancer | Breast Cancer Links

Breast Cancer Action (BCA)

About this site: A grassroots organization founded in 1990, Breast Cancer Action has 5,000 members and is devoted to educating women about the facts and issues related to breast cancer. The site features news articles and information on national activities to improve research into the causes of the disease. (http://www.bcaction.org)
Pluses: The site is easy to navigate.
Minuses: Links to other sites are hard to find.
Best feature: Newsletter articles are easily searched and archived back to 1990.

The Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization

About this site: The Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization was started by two-breast cancer patients way back in 1978, and is still offering support and information to women (and men) dealing with life-changing diagnoses. http://www.y-me.org/
Pluses: The site is interactive and easy to navigate.
Minuses: There are no bulletin boards or other ways for patients to interact.
Best feature: An onsite option to email a question and be answered by a breast cancer survivor who is trained in personal counseling.

About this site: The University of Pennsylvania Medical Center has put together one of the most comprehensive sites for cancer information on the Web. In its breast cancer section, you'll find an excellent overview of the disease as well as articles on screening, risks and prevention, treatment options, and support. (http://oncolink.upenn.edu/disease/breast)
Pluses: Makes it easy to subscribe to discussion groups or find a clinical trial.
Minuses: Must click through several table of contents pages before reaching information you want.
Best feature: A section on breast cancer genetics explains the importance of family history and debates the benefits of genetic testing.

About this site: Since it was founded in 1982, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has become the largest private funder of breast cancer research in the North America and a strong supporter of breast health education. This site continues its mission by offering solid information on breast cancer prevention, risk factors, and treatment options. (http://www.breastcancerinfo.com/bhealth/)
Pluses: A calendar of breast cancer awareness and fundraising events across the country. (us but many coincide with Canadian dates)
Minuses: Site solicits donations for the foundation.
Best feature: Bulletin boards and survivor stories give the site a personal touch.

About this site: Read about recent developments in breast cancer screening, breast reconstruction, and medical studies of new drugs at this solid reference site by the American Cancer Society. For more news and articles, you'll also find archives of the ACS newsletter, Breast Cancer Network Update. (http://www3.cancer.org)
Pluses: Clear, thorough fact sheets on cancer treatments and research.
Minuses: Information and advice is cautious and limited to mainstream medical opinions.
Best feature: A useful glossary of hundreds of cancer terms.

About this site: The National Cancer Institute, the American federal government's principal agency for cancer research, created this breast cancer resource for patients, caregivers, health care professionals, and researchers. It features up-to-date information on screening, early detection, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment, and clinical trials. Appealing graphics and jargon-free explanations make this a friendly site to navigate. (http://cancernet.gov/cancerinfo/types/breast)
Pluses: Contains a large glossary of terms.
Minuses: There's no main index, so readers have to click around.
Best feature: Some articles have two versions -- one for consumers and one for health professionals.

MSNBC Health News: Breast-Cancer Risk Assessment

About this site: The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 175,000 women will be diagnosed as having breast cancer this year. There's nothing you can do about risk factors like family history and age, but it's not too late to make changes in your lifestyle and environment. Answer this short questionnaire to calculate your risk and to learn how you can improve your chances of staying disease-free. (http://www.msnbc.com/Modules/breast/quiz.asp)
Pluses: The questions are brief but comprehensive.
Minuses: Your risk profile is scored with a number corresponding to low, medium, or high risk, but you get no explanation of how the score is calculated.
Best feature: The profile includes steps you can take to reduce your chances of developing breast cancer.