100 Questions and Answers About Breast Cancer Sensuality, Sexuality and Intimacy

There are almost 2 , new cases of breast cancer diagnosed in the United States every year. Virtually all of the women who undergo treatment are plagued by questions of intimacy, sexuality, and personal and professional relationships. Questions and Answers About Breast Cancer: Sensuality, Sexuality and Intimacy provides authoritative answers to the most common questions asked by women and their partners when coping with intimacy after the trauma of breast cancer. Written by renowned female sexuality and breast cancer physicians, this book offers encouragement and reassurance to those struggling to strengthen and rebuild relationships during and after breast cancer treatment. It is an invaluable guide for anyone dealing with the physical and emotional repercussions of this disease.

Michael L. Krychman, MD, FACOG, is the Medical Director of Sexual Medicine at Hoag Hospital, and the Executive Director of the Southern California Center for Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine, both located in Newport Beach, CA. He is presently Associate Clinical Attending at the University of Southern California and the University of California Irvine. He is the former Co-Director of The Sexual Medicine and Rehabilitation Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.Dr. Krychman holds licenses from 3 states (CA, PA, NY), and is a board certified OB/GYN. He is a clinical sexologist and AASECT-certified sexual counselor, with a Masters in Public Health and Human Sexuality.Dr. Krychman is on the editorial board for the Journal of Sexual Medicine, Current Sexual Medicine Report, and is an associate editor for Sexuality for The Female Patient. In addition to these two outstanding books, Dr. Krychman is coauthor of 100 Questions & Answers About Cervical Cancer (also published by Jones & Bartlett Learning), and has written numerous chapters for leading sexual medicine textbooks.Dr. Krychman’s clinical interests include breast cancer sexuality, the impact of chronic medical diseases like hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease health and its implications on sexual function. He also has a focus on the impact of sexuality and overall quality of life.

Susan Kellogg, CRNP, PhD, is the co-founder of The Pelvic and Sexual Health Institute of Philadelphia, where she is managing partner and the director of Vulvar and Sexual Medicine. In this capacity, Dr. Kellogg performs direct patient care, consultative services as a vulvovaginal specialist, vulvoscopist, researcher and sexual dysfunction consultant.'Dr. Kellogg is professor of OB/GYN at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, professor of Human Sexuality at Widener University in Chester, Pa., and clinical associate faculty at the University of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She is the course director for the Pelvic & Sexual Health Preceptorship and faculty for the Pelvic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at Drexel University. She is a member of the education and the scientific program committees of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health and on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.''Dr Kellogg is an American Association of Sexuality Educators Counselors and Therapists (AASECT)-certified sexuality educator. She has been a featured columnist and an author of more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and 10 book chapters on women’s health and sexuality, appearing in publications including: Journal of Sexual Medicine, Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 'American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Urology, Women’s Health Care, Female Patient, Journal of Sex, Education and Therapy and 'American Journal for Nurse Practitioners. She is the author/coauthor of two books on the topics of breast cancer and sexual wellness and clinical challenges in women’s health (publication 2010). Dr Kellogg speaks nationally and internationally on topics related to female sexuality, and has been featured in popular venues, including: The Today Show, CNN, 20/20 and Web MD.'Dr. Kellogg received her Ph.D. in Human Sexuality; her post-masters certificate as an OB/GYN nurse practitioner from the University of Pennsylvania; and her MSN in Maternal Child Health from Loyola University in Chicago. She is an active researcher and 'investigator on a NIH trial and several industry trials investigating female sexual dysfunction and pelvic pain syndromes.

In January of 1983, Sandy Finestone was going to see the doctor for her annual check- up when he asked her what the lump was her was feeling in her breast while he was doing a clinical breast exam. He went on to say, he was sure it was nothing, after all, she was only in her thirties , and young women do not get breast cancer. But all the way back to her office her hand did not leave the area where he had found the lump. Now she could feel it too. She called him back and said she wanted to find out what it was.'It took until March 30th for everyone to agree that she did have breast cancer and needed surgery. At that time a woman signed a waiver giving the surgeon permission to perform whatever surgery was necessary. When she woke up, both of her breasts had been removed. She also had 32 lymph nodes removed, none of which contained cancer. No additional treatment was recommended. She was told she had to wait a full year before considering reconstruction.'She and her husband went to an informational meeting about breast reconstruction and she was shocked to see the ladies chatting with each other and the husbands sitting sadly in corners by themselves. She called the American Cancer Society and asked if they had groups for husbands, they said no, would she like to start one….that was the beginning of her journey.'She did form a group for husbands’ she also was the Reach to Recovery coordinator for Orange County and soon became active on a state level. She trained trainers to reach women to do breast self-exams and spoke on many panels and at symposiums about the importance of early detection.'She soon learned that patients are not taken seriously as those are called doctor. So she went back to school and earned a doctorate in Psychology. She was a founder of the Orange County Breast Cancer Coalition and of the Orange County Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. She has been Race Chair, President, Secretary, Program Chair, Survivor Chair and whatever else needed to be done.'She was Vice Chair of Grants for Komen International and has reviewed scientific grants for the Komen Foundation, The Department of Defense, Avon Foundation, State of New York, State of Californian and the American Society of Clinical Oncologists. She has been an advocate for the American Association of Cancer Researchers and has attended numerous conferences as an advocate.'She is a steering committee member of Advocates in Science for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and sits on the Medscape Breast Cancer Advisory committee as an advocate. She is the Secretary of the Inland Empire Susan G. Komen for the Cure and is chair of Public Policy. She is also a Legislative Ambassador for the American Cancer Society and a board member of Breast Cancer Solutions.'In June 2009, Dr. Finestone went to Jordan to facilitate a meeting with healthcare providers to teach them about the concept of support and support groups for women with breast cancer. In November she returned to the middle- east to train women in Kuwait and Egypt about support and support groups. While in Egypt she participated in the first Race for the Cure in that country and participated in a scientific meeting as an advocate.