DHSS Press Release

FIRST LADY MARTHA CARPER UNVEILS BREAST CANCER RESOURCE GUIDE

First-ever Resource Guide for Delaware to Help Women Through all Phases of Breast Cancer Treatment and Recovery

REHOBOTH BEACH - Breast cancer survivors were joined today by First Lady Martha Carper and Lieutenant Governor Ruth Ann Minner as they celebrated the introduction of a new Breast Cancer Resource Guide for women.

Entitled "Your Breast Cancer Treatment and Recovery: A Resource Guide for the Women of Delaware," the guide is Delaware's first-ever, all-in-one breast cancer resource directory for women.

Published in collaboration with The Pink Ribbon Golf Classic, the DPH's Screening for Life Program, and Christiana Care's Mammography of Delaware, the guide was unveiled by Delaware Health and Social Services' (DHSS) Division of Public Health (DPH) at the Village Improvement Association in Rehoboth Beach.

"This publication will help women through all phases of breast cancer detection, treatment and recovery," said Mrs. Martha Carper, First Lady of Delaware. "This guide lists resources ranging from hospitals, physicians, home care, and nutrition services to child and elder care, financial and legal assistance, counseling and more."

Lieutenant Governor Minner noted that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. "The release of this resource guide during October is a time not only to help those women already diagnosed with breast cancer, but a chance to increase awareness for everyone. Since breast cancer can strike everyone, including men, it is imperative to follow through with routine screenings and have problems checked out."

Gregg C. Sylvester, M.D., DHSS Secretary, agreed. "If a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, she can use this guide to find the services she needs in the community. She won't have to go through the additional stress of searching for the medical and support services. It will be right at her fingertips."

Named for the symbol of breast cancer awareness, The Pink Ribbon Golf Classic donated the proceeds from this year's gold tournament, held in May, to fund the printing of the resource guide.

"When you're diagnosed with breast cancer, you are not always thinking clearly and you don't know where to turn," said Dolores Springer, a breast cancer survivor who founded The Pink Ribbon Golf Classic three years ago to raise money for breast cancer awareness and early detection initiatives. "We felt the need for a resource guide that women can take home with them the day they are diagnosed. It's upbeat and positive and shows that there is life after breast cancer."

Throughout the book, breast cancer survivors offer words of support and comfort to readers. The guide also provides information on cancer survival rates, myths and facts about cancer, mammography, breast self-examinations, the stages of breast cancer, characteristics of breast tumors, and the emotional aspects of dealing with cancer. It lists questions those breast cancer patients can ask themselves and their doctors, as well as a glossary of breast cancer terms and recommended reading.

Zeneca Inc., a sponsor of The Pink Ribbon Golf Classic, will use its statewide sales force to distribute copies of the resource guide to Delaware oncologists and primary care physicians. Doctors will also give patients diagnosed with breast cancer a free copy.

For more information about "Your Breast Cancer Treatment and Recovery: A Resource Guide for the Women of Delaware," call the Screening for Life Program at (302) 739-4651.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.