Dr. Lisa Belisle

Breast Cancer Hits Home

By Lisa M. Belisle, MD, MPH
Originally published October 5, 2006, Community Leader

Mem knew she had breast cancer well before her doctors did. She noticed the changes in her breast tissue a year before she was given an actual diagnosis. She was 43 years old.

Mem is one of a growing number of individuals with this disease. Forty-five years ago, the incidence of breast cancer in women was 1 in 20. It is 1 in 7 today. This has been attributed to a constellation of factors, from improved cancer detection to worsening lifestyle and environmental hazards. (See www.cancer.org.) Regardless of the reason for the increase, breast cancer continues to be fatal. It kills more than 40,000 Americans each year.

Journal Writing: Self-Help for the Holidays

 by Lisa M. Belisle, MD, MPH
Originally published Fall 2006, Maine Women's Journal

You have two dozen cookies to bake, a stack of cards to mail and a pile of presents to wrap. Meanwhile, you’re frantically trying to complete a project for your boss, and the kids are waiting (not so patiently) for dinner. Balancing work and family can be challenge under normal circumstances. With the added pressures of the holidays, life can feel a little overwhelming. One solution? Journal writing. It can be done anywhere, at your convenience, and it’s a recognized wellness promoter.