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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: UGA experts can share information

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, turn to one of the University of Georgia’s experts for the latest information about this disease. The following experts cover many aspects of breast cancer, from its effects based on age to decisions on treatment to the importance of early detection. Their contact information is included for your convenience. Please feel free to contact UGA News Service at 706/542-8083 or news@uga.edu should you need additional assistance.

Breast Cancer and Younger Women

Stephanie Burwell, a researcher in the UGA Cancer Center, is an assistant professor in child and family development who studies the psychosocial outcomes of breast cancer and its treatment on women between the ages of 18-50 and their husbands or partners. Her research to date has focused on sexual function following surgical treatment of breast cancer in younger women, the impact of breast cancer on younger women’s relationships with their partners and children, coping strategies used by younger women with breast cancer, attachment behaviors and proximity-seeking in cancer patients and their partners, and the use of a feminist informed medical family therapy model to assist younger women and their partners during diagnosis, treatment, and their transition to survivorship. Her recent papers have been published in such journals as the Journal of Clinical Oncology; Families, Systems, & Health; and the Journal of Feminist Family Therapy.

Stephanie Burwell

http://www.fcs.uga.edu/cfd/faculty.php?id=222

706/542-4897

sburwell@uga.edu

Breast Cancer and Older Women

Claire Robb, a researcher in the UGA Cancer Center, is an assistant professor of epidemiology who has studied the well being of older breast cancer survivors. A study, published in the journal Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology, showed survivors reporting consistently worse outcomes in both physical and mental health. The researchers observed decrements in areas such as physical functioning, pain, vitality and emotional well-being. Survivors also reported a significantly greater number of days when fatigue interfered with their daily activities. And while there was no difference in the presence of depressive symptoms between groups, the survivors reported significantly less life satisfaction. Full text of release is available at http://www.uga.edu/news/artman/publish/070405_BreastCancerStudy.shtml.

Claire Robb

http://www.publichealth.uga.edu/epibio/about_epibio/directory/epidemiology/robb.html

706/425-3222

crobb@geron.uga.edu

Promoting Breast Cancer Screening

Jeffrey K. Springston, a researcher in the UGA Cancer Center, is a professor and associate dean for research and graduate studies at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. He is currently involved in a study funded by the National Cancer Institute to research the differences between promoting breast cancer screening by comparing the effectiveness in the use of DVDs against person-to-person telephone consultations. See more information at http://www.uga.edu/aboutUGA/research-springston.html.

Jeffrey Springston

http://www.grady.uga.edu/resources.php?al1=Resources&al2=Find%20an%20Expert&al3=&page=facultyandstaff.inc.php|dept_ID=|fac_ID=63

706/542-7833

jspring@uga.edu

Biomarkers for Breast Cancer

Karen Abbott is a former American Cancer Society Fellow and research scientist at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center working on a new grant from the Department of Defense entitled “A novel method for the capture of potential biomarkers for breast carcinoma from tissue and serum.”

Karen Abbott

http://cell.ccrc.uga.edu/~pierce/people.html

706/ 542-1701
kabbott@uga.edu

About the UGA Cancer Center:

Founded in 2004, the University of Georgia Cancer Center is comprised of more than 50 teams of researchers from across campus that are pursuing research that aims to improve cancer prevention and treatment. The center is exploring new diagnostic tests and treatments, working to improve cancer-prevention messages and the quality of life of patients and survivors. To learn more, see www.uga.edu/cancercenter.