National Cancer Survivors Day and Multiple Cancer Studies Focus on Survivor Quality of Life
National Cancer Survivors Day and Multiple Cancer Studies Focus on Survivor Quality of Life, As Breast Cancer 5 Year Survival Rate Reaches 90% in U.S.
New website, Celebrating-Survivorship.com, gives cancer patients, survivors and supporters a place to share stories and information to improve quality of life.
(Cedar Rapids, IA, May 29, 2012): There is more to celebrate this June 3rd, National Cancer Survivors Day, than ever before. The survival rates of many cancers are at all-time highs, including the U. S. breast cancer 5-year survival rate which has reached 90%. Cancer Survivors Day 2012 provides an opportunity to celebrate the strides that have been made in cancer treatment and to highlight the importance of quality of life beyond the disease.
This National Cancer Survivors Day, a new website is being launched to help improve the quality of life for cancer patients, survivors and the people who love them. Celebrating-Survivorship.com is a gathering place for people to share their experiences with survivorship. Cancer survivors are invited to share stories, tips, problems and ideas to lend a helping hand to other survivors. The site content will be driven by the participants as they guide each other and facilitate healing beyond simply survival.
Research is increasingly and justifiably focusing on survivorship issues, including overall well-being. Studies aimed at improving the quality of life for female breast cancer survivors are currently being conducted by many notable research outlets including UCLA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Boston University School of Public Health, and Brown University. These studies support the ongoing efforts by top cancer organizations such as National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation, MD Anderson Cancer Center, The American Cancer Society and The National Cancer Institute to highlight the importance of life past cancer for the more than 6.4 million women battling the disease.
There are hundreds of different side effects that cancer survivors may experience as a result of treatment, including hair loss, fatigue, and significant weight fluctuation. But, most cancer treatment focuses heavily on surviving the disease and not on equipping patients to deal with the temporary and permanent side effects of treatment. The American Cancer Society notes, “Most side effects slowly go away after treatment ends because the healthy cells recover over time.” Celebrating-Survivorship.com aims to help cancer survivors through this difficult and confusing time and to allow those who have lived through the experience the opportunity to pass on what they have learned.
Celebrating-Survivorship.com is sponsored by Replens Long-Lasting Vaginal Moisturizer, a product that has been on the forefront of improving quality of life for cancer survivors. “Replens has been an important product for cancer quality of life programs and cancer support groups for years,” explained Kristin Stewart, Director of Marketing for the Replens brand. “We are proud to sponsor this site that is dedicated to improving quality of life for cancer survivors.”
Feminine dryness is a key concern for cancer patients and survivors, making the alliance with Replens a logical partnership. “Unlike many other physiological side effects of cancer treatment, sexual problems do not tend to resolve within the first year or two of disease-free survival; rather, they may remain constant and fairly severe or even continue to increase,” asserts the National Cancer Institute. However, the site will not concentrate on intimacy issues; it will provide a responsible, controlled forum for appropriate discussion of all quality of life issues facing cancer survivors.
For many women, cancer treatment and ongoing drug therapy can cause premature menopause-like symptoms or worsen symptoms for menopausal and post-menopausal women. The North American Menopause Society explains, “Almost half of women who undergo therapy for breast or gynecologic cancer suffer some long-term sexual problems. Tamoxifen, a drug used to prevent recurrent or initial breast cancer, may promote vaginal dryness ... Aromatase inhibitors (such as Arimidex, Aromasin, Femara), another group of drugs used to prevent recurrent breast cancer, cause very low levels of estrogen and potentially more severe menopausal symptoms such as vaginal dryness.”
Estrogen-free Replens Long-Lasting Vaginal Moisturizer provides immediate and long lasting results for women with vaginal dryness. Replens is a clinically tested, long-lasting moisturizer that not only increases moisture, but also helps rejuvenate dry vaginal cells. Replens is available over-the-counter without a prescription, but has long been recommended by gynecologists, making it the market leader among all vaginal moisturizers.
An estrogen-free option, like Replens, can be important to cancer survivors whose treatment often restricts the use of hormone therapy. But, using non-hormonal Replens does not lower the quality of care. “Two studies have looked at the efficacy of Replens for breast cancer patients …and found Replens to be as effective as conjugated estrogen vaginal cream (for vaginal dryness).” These studies and chronic sexual concerns experienced by breast cancer survivors are reported by Dr. Doreen Wiggins and Dr. Don Dizon in an article for SRM, a clinical publication of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The article identifies the unique polycarbophil base found in Replens as the agent that binds directly to vaginal cells and "reduces the incidence of vaginal dryness."
The New England Journal of Medicine confirmed Replens Long-Lasting Vaginal Moisturizer was as effective as vaginal estrogen for vaginal dryness in menopausal women. "In a randomized trial, a polycarbophil-based vaginal moisturizer available over the counter (Replens) provided relief of vaginal (dryness) symptoms that was equivalent to that of vaginal estrogen…," stated the article entitled "Management of Menopausal Symptoms," by Deborah Grady, M.D., M.P.H.
Cancer survivors can band together on the new website, Celebrating-Survivorship.com, to share their stories, struggles and challenges as well as provide tips and tricks for quality of life beyond the disease. Celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day by passing this information on to improve the quality of life of all cancer survivors.
###
Replens is available at most drug and discount stores. For more information on Replens™ Long-Lasting Vaginal Moisturizer, including product information, clinical study results and frequently asked questions, please visit www.Facebook.com/Replens, www.Replens.com or call 1-800-524-1328. Church & Dwight Co., Inc. is responsible for the production, sales and distribution of innovative consumer healthcare products worldwide including: Replens® Long-Lasting Vaginal Moisturizer, RepHresh® Vaginal Gel, RepHresh® Pro-B and RepHresh® Clean Balance™ among others.
Media Contact
Aryn Bryant
312-952-9537
aryn@gcomworks.com
References:
http://www.empowher.com/breast-cancer/content/studies-seeks-young-same-sex-breast-cancer-survivors-address-quality-life-issu
http://www.menopause.org/shm/4medical.aspx
http://www2.mdanderson.org/app/pe/index.cfm?pageName=opendoc&docid=1973
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/sexuality/HealthProfessional
http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/TreatmentTypes/Chemotherapy/UnderstandingChemotherapyAGuideforPatientsandFamilies/understanding-chemotherapy-chemo-side-effects
http://www.obgmanagement.com/srm/pdf/August_2008_Archive/AugDyVa.pdf
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/355/22/2338
Bygdeman M, Seahn ML. Replens versus dienoestrol cream in the symptomatic treatment of vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women. Maturitas, 1996; 23:259-263.
Lorinzi CL, Abu-Ghazaleh S Sloan JA, et al. Phase III randomized double-blind study to evaluate the efficacy of a policarbophil based vaginal moisturizer in women with breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 1997; 15:969-973.
**Van der Laak JA, de Bie LM, de Leeuw H, de Wilde PC, Hanselaar AGI. The effect of Replens on Vaginal cytology in the treatment of postmenopausal atrophy; cytomorphology versus computerized cytometry. J Clin Pathol. 2002; 55:446-451.
<