Breast Cancer Resources
From GRPLpedia
Contents |
Breast Cancer
"Each woman responds to the crisis that breast cancer brings to her life out of a whole pattern, which is the design of who she is and how her life has been lived. The weave of her every day existence is the training ground for how she handles crisis . . . . Every woman has a militant responsibility to involve herself actively with her own health. We owe ourselves the protection of all the information we can acquire about the treatment of cancer and its causes . . . And we owe ourselves this information before we may have a reason to use it." -- Audre Lorde, The Cancer Journals (1980)
Beginning the Search for Information
This guide is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all resources on the subject of breast cancer available via the Grand Rapids Public Library. Rather, it is intended to function as a starting point for research. Please check with reference staff for further assistance. Materials on breast cancer or related topics may generally be located by searching under the subject headings, "breast--cancer" and "breast--diseases," in the online card catalog. These materials may be interloaned or placed on hold by contacting any of the Lakeland Library Cooperative libraries or online, through the online card catalog.
Hot off the Press
Reference Books at the Library
Comprehensive introductory articles on the subject of breast cancer may be found in reference books, including the following:
The New Harvard Guide to Women's Health
Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy: How Cancer is Diagnosed, Treated, and Managed Day to Day
Breast Cancer Sourcebook: Basic Consumer Health Information about Breast Cancer
For a complete printable list of breast cancer resources click here
Books You Can Check Out
Health Aspects
Books concerning the health aspects of breast cancer generally may be found under the call numbers 616.99449 and 618.19 in the nonfiction and new books sections of the library. Selected titles include:
A Breast Cancer Journey: Your Personal Guidebook
Lymphedema: A Breast Cancer Patient's Guide to Prevention and Healing
The Breast Cancer Book: What You Need to Know to Make Informed Decisions
The Breast Cancer Survivor's Fitness Plan: Reclaim Health, Regain Strength, Live Longer
Breast Cancer Basics and Beyond: Treatment, Resources, Self-Help, Good News, Updates
For a complete printable list of breast cancer resources click here
Psychological & Sociological Aspects
Books concerning the psychological and sociological aspects of breast cancer may be located under the call numbers 155.916082 and 362.196994 as well. A sampling of GRPL's collection includes the following titles:
Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living: Breast Cancer
I'm Too Young to Have Breast Cancer!
After Breast Cancer: A Common-Sense Guide to Life After Treatment
For a complete printable list of breast cancer resources click here
Family/Friend Support
Books offering assistance and direction to friends and family providing support to those facing breast cancer include the following selections:
Breast Cancer Husband: How to Help Your Wife (and Yourself) Through Diagnosis, Treatment and Beyond
Couples Confronting Cancer: Keeping Your Relationship Strong
For a complete printable list of breast cancer resources click here
Biographies/Personal Narratives
The library's biography collection offers a number of personal stories by women who have faced breast cancer. These titles, also found in other call numbers such as 362.19699449, may be searched in the online card catalog under subject headings such as "breast--cancer--patients--biography" and "breast--cancer--patients--United States--biography."
Journal: A Mother and Daughter's Recovery from Breast Cancer
Live Strong: Inspirational Stories from Cancer Survivors
Lopsided: How Having Breast Cancer Can be Really Distracting
My One-Night Stand with Cancer
The Summer of Her Baldness: A Cancer Improvisation
For a complete printable list of breast cancer resources click here
Art/Literature
Expressions of the breast cancer experience through art, poetry and other writings are also available in titles such as:
Art, Rage, Us: Art & Writing by Women with Breast Cancer
Her Soul Beneath the Bone: Women's Poetry on Breast Cancer
For a complete printable list of breast cancer resources click here
Fiction
Fiction titles exploring the subject of breast cancer are available in the library's fiction section. Titles may be found by searching the online card catalog under subject headings such as "breast--cancer--fiction" and "breast--cancer--patients--fiction."
No Regrets by Patrica Haley-Brown
Good Harbor by Anita Diamant
Both Sides Now by Ruth Pennebaker
Sugar vs. Spice by Joanne Skerrett
For a complete printable list of breast cancer resources click here
Audiovisual Materials
Videos and audio cassettes on the various aspects of dealing with breast cancer are also available, including the following:
Breast Cancer and Reconstruction Options (Video)
Breasts: A Documentary (Video)
No Hair Day: Laughing (and Crying) Our Way Through Cancer (Video)
Rachel's Daughters: Searching for the Causes of Breast Cancer (Video)
Secrets for Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risks (Video)
For a complete printable list of breast cancer resources click here
Pamphlets
Pamphlets on breast cancer, produced by the federal government and other concerned organizations, are available in the Reference Department vertical file cabinet labeled “Diseases & Health Conditions” and filed under the subject headings “Cancer – Breast”, “Cancer – Prevention”, “Cancer – Research”, and “Cancer Treatment”.
For a complete printable list of breast cancer resources click here
Online Resources
Periodicals
Several online periodical databases are available at the public library. Those patrons who hold cards from the Grand Rapids Public Library may access these databases from home through the library's Web site at www.grpl.org/perl/databases.pl
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Infotrac
Infotrac's Health and Wellness Resource Center database, in addition to numerous periodical references, many of which are available with full text, offers overviews, reference book excerpts, pamphlets, and dictionary definitions. Patrons are encouraged to begin their search for information utilizing the subject term "breast cancer".
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FirstSearch FirstSearch offers thirteen databases, covering both general and specialized subject areas. Of particular interest to the topic of breast cancer are those databases covering medicine and health sciences, as well as news and current events. Detailed descriptions of the databases are available within FirstSearch. A search in “Select a Topic or Database” under “Medicine/Health, Consumer” or “Medicine/Health, Professional” will search a number of databases at one time. Many of these databases offer full text capabilities while others simply provide periodical citations.
For a complete printable list of breast cancer resources click here
Ebooks
NetLibrary (electronic versions of printed books) is available through the Internet and includes titles on breast cancer such as the Official Patent's Sourcebook on Male Breast Cancer (2002) by James Parker. Titles may be browsed online for a short time or checked out for six hours with a free netLibrary account created at any Grand Rapids Public Library location. For more details, stop by a GRPL library, call 988-5400, or go to the ebooks Web site at www.netlibrary.com.
For a complete printable list of breast cancer resources click here
Web Sites
Numerous Web sites focusing on breast cancer and related subjects are available on the Internet. A sampling of sites is provided here. Also check for additional Web sites listed in the Local and National Organizations section of this pathfinder.
- Black Womens Health
- breastcancer.org (breastcancer.org)
- Breast Cancer Information Center (Feminist Majority Foundation)
- Cancer.Gov (National Cancer Institute)
- Johns Hopkins Breast Center (Johns Hopkins Hospital)
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center)
- National Women's Health Information Center (Office on Women's Health/Dept. of Health and Human Services)
- OncoLink (University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center)
- Yahoo! Breast Cancer Link Page (Yahoo! Inc.)
For a complete printable list of breast cancer resources click here
Local and National Organizations
Local
Local organizations and health centers involved with breast cancer include the following:
- Gilda's Club of Grand Rapids
- Grand Rapids Clinical Oncology Program
- Reach to Recovery/American Cancer Society
- Reeling and Healing of Michigan
- Saint Mary's Breast Services
- Sister to Sister (Support Group for African-American Women) c/o Gilda's Club of Grand Rapids
- Spectrum Health/Betty Ford Diagnostics Breast Center
- Susan G. Komen Foundation/Grand Rapids Affiliate
- Women's Health Network/Kent County Health Department
National
There are many national organizations concerned with various aspects of breast cancer. A sampling of these organizations follows.
- American Cancer Society
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation
- Cancer Care, Inc.
- Cancer Information Service of the National Cancer Institute
- Men Against Breast Cancer
- Mothers Supporting Daughters with Breast Cancer
- My Sister My Friend
- National Breast Cancer Coalition
- National Lymphedema Network
- Sisters Network: A National African-American Breast Cancer Survivorship Organization
- Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
- Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization
For a complete printable list of breast cancer resources click here
Categories: Adult | Research | Health
