Bare Boobs Turn Heads and Open Pocketbooks to Raise Money for Charity

Bforacure.com announces affiliate fundraising program to aid breast cancer charities and other 501(c)3s seeking creative ways to raise money

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) June 17, 2010 -- In conjunction with the release of its 'breasts are beautiful' coffee table book supporting breast cancer charities, bforacure.com has started an affiliate fundraising program available to all qualified 501(c)3 organizations.

If you’re seeking a fun and easy way to fill the coffers of your favorite charity, bforacure is offering $10 per book sold in the name of your organization. Purchasers of 'breasts are beautiful' simply use a unique coupon code associated with your organization at checkout and bforacure makes a donation – it’s that easy.

Less than 6 months after launching the ‘b for a cure’ project, demand to participate has soared with over 1,000 women stepping forward to have their bare breasts photographed for the limited edition coffee table book benefiting breast health charities. The inaugural edition, breasts are beautiful, features women from photo shoots in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas and Chicago, artwork by Devin Crane and a dedication by Jenny McCarthy. The limited edition book is being pre-sold at www.bforacure.com and will be offered through retail outlets nationwide starting in early Fall 2010.

The Concept

To highlight the magnificence of breasts and the importance of their health, b for a cure has undertaken a unique project that compiles black and white photographs of anonymous nude breasts in a coffee table book format. Subjects span all walks of life and include everyday women, celebrities and politicians. The project will be released in limited editions annually, with a portion of the net proceeds donated to charities supporting breast health.

The Photographer

Peter Bruce was born in Australia and spent much of his life traveling the globe. He's a seasoned professional, experienced in many styles of photography. During his career, Peter has worked with a variety of clients, including Playboy, the Melbourne Opera as well as shooting for major movie studios in Hollywood.

In the past, Peter has worked with several celebrities, including: Michael Caine, Elton John, Dustin Hoffman, Frank Sinatra, Peter Gabriel, Eddie Albert, Corbin Bernsen, Seymore Caselle, David Carradine, James Coburn, Bill Cosby, Kim Delaney, Matt Dillon, Robin Givens, Dana Gould, Englebert Humperdink, Ed McMahon, John Savage, Jerry Seinfeld, Jimmy Smits, Kevin Spacey, Ming-Na Wen and Vanessa Williams.

After his wife participated in a 3-day walk in support of breast cancer awareness, Peter became more cognizant about the size and severity of the affliction. Through discussions with family and friends, he was encouraged to use his skill as a photographer and past experience with the beauty of the female figure to raise breast cancer awareness.

The Affiliate Fundraising Program

The bforacure affiliate fundraising program is open to any organization with 501(c)3 status. Register at http://www.bforacure.com/affiliate and a representative will contact you with details and a unique coupon code for your organization.

Contact:

b for a cure
Peter Bruce
info(at)bforacure(dot)com
415.819.1620

Affiliate Program:
http://www.bforacure.com/affiliate

bforacure, Inc.
Peter Bruce
415.819.1620

Great news...One-time radiation effective in breast cancer

Women undergoing breast cancer treatment get just as much benefit from a one-time hit of radiation directed into the tumor site as they would from an extended, daily regimen of radiation over the entire breast, according to research released today.

The international study, which involved more than 2,200 patients worldwide and 93 women at UCSF, showed that four years after treatment, the chance of having a recurrence of cancer was about the same for both radiation methods. The study looked at women with early breast cancer who were treated with surgery to remove a tumor.

The benefit of a one-time, direct-hit radiation treatment is primarily convenience - women would be treated while under sedation, immediately after having a tumor removed, and they probably would avoid a lengthy regimen of daily radiation treatment.

"This is the next step in opening up a broader range of options for women," said Dr. Michael Alvarado, a surgical oncologist at UCSF and one of the study authors. "We've been doing radical radiation for 20 years, and it's time to realize not all women fit the same paradigm."

The major drawback of the study, said doctors and breast cancer research advocates, is that it was able to follow women for only four years after their cancer was diagnosed. It's not unusual for cancers to reoccur after eight or more years, and it's possible that further study will show small but significant differences in recurrence rates between the two radiation treatment options, oncologists said.

Follow-up needed

"This is a major, landmark study," said Dr. Robert Carlson, an oncologist with the Stanford breast Cancer Center. "But it probably needs follow-up of eight to 10 years."

This study, results of which were published today in the Lancet, started in 2000 and included women from nine countries. Participants were randomly assigned to get either the new one-time, targeted radiation therapy or the standard weeks-long therapy. About 15 % of the women who got the targeted therapy ended up also getting the extended therapy because of hospital protocols.

With the targeted therapy, a rod was inserted into the area of the breast where a tumor was removed, which is the most likely spot for a recurrence of cancer. Radiation was applied through the tip of the rod for 20 to 35 minutes. With extended therapy, radiation was applied to the entire breast for about 15 to 20 minutes. Extended therapy lasted five days a week for three to seven weeks.

There were six recurrences of cancer in the targeted therapy group and five recurrences in the extended therapy group, which is not a statistically significant difference. Both groups also reported about the same number of complications from radiation, including infections; breakdown of the skin or delayed healing in the area that was treated; and pain in the breast or nearby areas. Such complications are rare.

Breast cancer research advocates said they are encouraged by the results, but they noted that the targeted treatment is years away from becoming standard practice and is not available to most women.

"The first thing I would point out is caution: This is not ready for prime time yet," said Barbara Brenner, executive director of Breast Cancer Action, a San Francisco advocacy group. "I'd like to see 10-year data on this therapy, and I'm sure the scientists would too.

"But I think this is hopeful. A lot of people will jump at this treatment if it's available. Many women would choose to get it over with, if they were confident that they would not be sacrificing anything in terms of outcome."

Happy to participate

Elysa Yanowitz, for one, was thrilled to be included in the study at UCSF. She was diagnosed with breast cancer two months ago, at the same time that her mother was becoming increasingly ill with ALS. Yanowitz said she was distraught at the idea of visiting her mother in the hospital every day on top of getting her own radiation.

She was randomly selected to get the one-time radiation therapy. Yanowitz had the tumor removed and got the radiation last Friday, and now she feels relieved to have the treatment behind her.

"I didn't physically or psychologically have the strength to deal with daily radiation," said Yanowitz, 63. "I broke down and cried when they told me I might be able to get it done in one day.

Hope you enjoy reading

Peter Bruce