Breast Cancer Survivor Jaclyn Smith Urges Women to Know Their Breast Cancer Risk Factors
July 10 2007 - 9:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
-- Breast Cancer Risk Factors Include Age, Family History and
Personal History, Among Others -- NEW YORK, July 10
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Jaclyn Smith, a multi-talented actress,
entrepreneur, philanthropist and breast cancer survivor, is touring
the country with the Strength in Knowing: The Facts and Fiction of
Breast Cancer Risk program, sharing her experience as a breast
cancer survivor and encouraging women to understand breast cancer
risk factors. The program, in its second year, is a partnership
between the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's
Health (NPWH), Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization (Y-ME) and
Eli Lilly and Company. "It's important to me as a woman to know
about breast cancer risk factors and share that knowledge with
other women," said Jaclyn Smith. "When I was diagnosed with breast
cancer five years ago, I had no idea that increasing age is one of
the risk factors for breast cancer. I'm involved with the Strength
in Knowing program to pass along this knowledge to women across the
United States so they understand their personal risk and take
appropriate action according to their risk profile." Approximately
200,000 women are newly diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in
the United States each year.(i) Age, family history and personal
history are the most important risk factors.(ii) "While the exact
causes of breast cancer are still unknown, we do know that
increasing age, family history and personal history raise a woman's
overall risk," said Susan Wysocki, president and CEO of NPWH. "As a
nurse practitioner for more than 30 years, I encourage all women to
learn more about their breast cancer risk and follow the
recommended screening guidelines." About the Events To help educate
women about breast cancer risk factors, the Strength in Knowing
program is hosting interesting and informative events for women.
Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Jaclyn Smith about
her battle with breast cancer, as well as Susan Wysocki, president
and CEO of NPWH, and Margaret C. Kirk, CEO of Y-ME. Events will be
held in the following cities: -- New York -- Seattle -- San
Francisco -- Chicago -- Washington, DC Each event will feature an
interactive discussion with experts and an opportunity to ask
questions related to breast cancer risk factors. At the end of the
event, women will be armed with important information about breast
cancer risk factors so they can talk to their healthcare
professional and share the knowledge about risk factors with other
women in their lives. For more information on the events and to
learn more, go to http://www.strengthinknowing.com/. "As an
organization that works with women who are newly diagnosed with
breast cancer, Y-ME knows how important it is for women to
understand their breast cancer risk," said Margaret C. Kirk, CEO of
Y-ME, which has a 24-hour Hotline staffed by trained breast cancer
survivors. "Strength in Knowing is a valuable resource, and Y-ME is
proud to be a part of this educational initiative for women who
want to learn breast cancer risk factors." About Strength in
Knowing: The Facts and Fiction of Breast Cancer Risk Strength in
Knowing: The Facts and Fiction of Breast Cancer Risk, a partnership
between the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's
Health (NPWH), Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization (Y-ME) and
Eli Lilly and Company, is a national education program designed to
help women separate the facts from fiction regarding breast cancer
risk factors. For more information, log onto
http://www.strengthinknowing.com/. About Jaclyn Smith Jaclyn Smith
is an actress, businesswoman, designer and healthcare
philanthropist. Before playing Kelly Garrett on the original
Charlie's Angels television series, Smith was a model and a dancer
and who caught the public's eye as the "Breck girl," in a famous
1970s ad program for Breck shampoo. Following "Charlie's Angels,"
Jaclyn earned a Golden Globe nomination for her critically
acclaimed portrayal of the legendary first lady in "Jacqueline
Bouvier Kennedy." In 1985, Smith launched her own line of clothing
for Kmart, which has been a huge success. In addition, her business
ventures have expanded through Jaclyn Smith International to
include home furnishings, bedding, textiles, wall coverings and
home accents. Jaclyn has compiled an impressive filmography of more
than 50 films and television appearances and has been called the
"Queen of the Mini-Series." In 1989 Smith was honored with a star
on the world famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. Jaclyn discovered a
lump during a routine checkup in 2002 and underwent a lumpectomy
and radiation therapy the following month. Since then, she has
worked to increase cancer awareness and raise money for research
and support. Smith participated in the Susan G. Komen National Race
for the Cure in Washington, D.C. and has participated in other
fundraising events to help benefit the organization. About Y-ME
National Breast Cancer Organization Y-ME National Breast Cancer
Organization(TM) (Y-ME) is a Chicago-based national nonprofit
organization with the mission to ensure, through information,
empowerment and peer support, that no one faces breast cancer
alone. Y-ME has the only 24-hour hotline staffed entirely by
trained breast cancer survivors. Additionally, affiliates
throughout the nation provide services such as support groups,
breast health awareness workshops, wigs and prostheses for women
with limited resources, and advocacy on breast cancer related
policies in their respective communities. For breast cancer support
or information including publications and newsletters, visit
http://www.y-me.org/ or call the Y-ME National Breast Cancer
Hotline at 1-800-221-2141 (English, with interpreters available in
150 languages) or 1-800-986-9505 (Spanish). About The National
Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (NPWH) The
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health was
founded in 1980. NPWH's mission is to assure the provision of
quality health care to women of all ages by nurse practitioners.
NPWH defines quality healthcare to be inclusive of an individual's
physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. NPWH is a trusted source
of information on nurse practitioner education, practice, and
women's health issues. NPWH works with a wide range of individuals
and groups within nursing, medicine, the healthcare industry, and
the women's health community. About Eli Lilly and Company Lilly, a
leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing
portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical
products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide
laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific
organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Lilly
provides answers -- through medicines and information -- for some
of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information
about Lilly is available at http://www.lilly.com/. O-LLY. (i)
Cancer Facts and Figures 2006. American Cancer Society. Accessed at
http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/CAFF2006PWSecured.pdf on April
30, 2007. (ii) US Preventive Services Task Force. The Guide to
Clinical Preventive Services 2006. Available at
http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/pocketgd.pdf Accessed December 12, 2006.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO DATASOURCE:
Eli Lilly and Company CONTACT: Sharon Corbitt, Eli Lilly and
Company, +1-317-277-1574
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