Join Us

We are 225,676 members in 83 forums discussing 164,171 topics.

Help with Abbreviations

Community Help

Keep our Community safe by not submitting personal identity information (first and last names, phone numbers, addresses, and/or other forms of identification) in posts and topics. Discussion Boards’ public content is searchable by Internet search engines. Internet search engines cannot search private message (PM) content, so you may exchange personal identity information in PMs if you wish.

Community Help Topics

Discussion Board Help Topics

My Profile Help Topics

Content Recommendation Help Topics

General Help Topics

Community Help Topics

Do I have to create an account to use the Discussion Boards?

You can browse the Discussion Boards without an account. However, in order to start a new topic, add a post, or receive Recommended Articles according to your diagnosis and treatment information, you must have a Community account. If you choose to create an account, you will be able to edit your profile and preferences, send private messages (PM) to other members, be notified of responses, receive articles, and you will get the most out of the Breastcancer.org Community.

↑ Back to top

Why do you ask for my email address?

Your email address is used to verify your account, for email notifications and communications, to help you recover a lost password, and to answer technical support requests. We never publicize your email address.

↑ Back to top

Help! I'm having trouble creating an account.

This is usually because your browser is not set to accept cookies from our site. Cookies are used to track your user name, password, and what content you have looked at in your current session. If your browser is not set to accept cookies, you may not be able to log in.
Your user name must be unique and not previously used. A red banner will advise you of this. You need to enter your password twice, and you must select the option to agree to follow Community Guidelines and verify that you are human in order to eliminate spam-bots.
You will then be sent an email to verify your account. Once verified, it will be possible to login and use your account.

↑ Back to top

How do I log in?

You must have an account with the Community in order to log in and start topics, contribute posts, receive Recommended Articles that match your unique situation, and personalize your Community experience. The link to log in is in the gray bar at the top of the Breastcancer.org website or Discussion Boards page. Clicking this link will take you to a page where you can enter your user name and password. Keep in mind that the password is case-sensitive. This means that S (capital) and s (lowercase) are not the same. Once you have entered your user name and password, you will be entered on to the main Discussion Board page.

↑ Back to top

Help! I'm having trouble logging in.

The following checklist may help you successfully log in:
  1. Make sure you are entering your password correctly. Passwords are case-sensitive.
  2. Ensure caps lock is not on.
  3. Ensure that your browser accepts cookies. High levels of security restriction in certain browsers will automatically reject cookies. In order to use the Community, your browser will need to be set to accept cookies.
  4. Log out completely by hitting the Log Out link in the gray bar at the top of the page, and then log in again.
  5. Click the reload/refresh button on your Web browser after entering your login information.
  6. If you continue to have problems, go to the login page and click the "Forgot your password? Reset your password." link. Enter the email address you used to create your account for the Community. You will be sent an email with a link to a page at which you can reset your password.

↑ Back to top

What are the Community Guidelines?

When you created your account, you agreed to abide by the Discussion Forum Community Guidelines which cover the conditions under which you may continue using the forum. Continued infringement of these rules can lead to temporary or permanent bans, so they must be followed and respected.
Community Rules can be checked anytime easily by clicking the link in the gray area at the base of every page. These Rules are to protect you and our other members and are to be followed in all posts.
Moderators – The Discussion Boards are continually monitored by both automatic systems and a team of real people (called moderators) who carefully observe, investigate, and validate violations to the Community Guidelines. The moderators ensure the safety of these boards.

↑ Back to top

Discussion Board Help Topics

How are the Discussion Boards structured?

Our Discussion Boards are structured to help Community members better find and participate in discussions. Here is an overview of our terminology:
Categories –  A category is a grouping of forums. For example, "Not Diagnosed but Concerned" is a category that holds forums such as "Waiting for Test Results" and "High Risk Women."
Forums – Forums are subsets of categories and provide specific topic areas for Community members to submit content. For example, if you are a Community member who is waiting for breast cancer test results but is not diagnosed, you would choose the "Waiting for Test Results" forum to submit your concern.
Topics – Topics are subsets of forums. Once you have found an appropriate forum in which to submit your content, you can add your post to an existing topic or start a new topic that details your specific question or concern.
Posts – Posts are subsets of topics. Once you or another Community member has started a topic, you and other Community members can add posts to the topic.

↑ Back to top

Can I start a new forum?

Members cannot start new forums but may request that the moderators create one. To request a new forum, send the moderators a private message (select “moderators” from the address pull-down box or click the link in the signature line at the bottom of any moderator’s post).
Your request will then be considered and you will be notified of the decision.

↑ Back to top

How do I start a new topic or add a post to an existing topic?

First, ensure you are logged in to the Community. Once you are logged in, you can start a new topic by navigating to an appropriate forum. For example, if you are concerned and have a question about breast cancer, you would navigate to the “Not Diagnosed but Worried” forum. Once there, click the “Start a new Topic” button to begin writing. When you are ready to post your new topic, click “Submit.”
To add a post to an existing topic, navigate to the topic to which you would like to add the post. Then, click one of the "Post a Reply" links. When you have finished writing your post, click "Submit."

↑ Back to top

Why is a topic's subject so important?

The first post of a topic establishes the subject by which all subsequent posts will be known. Make topic subjects as descriptive and as specific as possible. For example, "DCIS Treatment Questions" is much better than something general, such as "Newbie needs help!" Not only is it more likely to elicit a response, but it will make it much easier for members, readers, and site search to find relevant information.

↑ Back to top

How do I find topics that may already have the answer to my question?

Before starting a topic, it is always worth checking to see if your concern has already been discussed. You can do this via the Search bar in the blue left-side navigation. On mobile devices, you will find Search by clicking the “Menu” button at the top of the screen.

↑ Back to top

How can I ensure my posts and topics have white space in them?

Hit the enter button twice at the points where you want to insert a blank line.

↑ Back to top

How do I edit my content?

To edit your content, click the "Edit" link within the post or topic you wish to change.
Remember to click "Save" to complete the edit.

↑ Back to top

How do I delete my post?

You can delete your own posts by clicking on the “Delete” link below the post text. From there, you will be taken to a confirmation screen that asks you to confirm or cancel your deletion. When you have deleted your post, a placeholder for that post will still exist showing that you have deleted the post. Remember, you can only delete your own posts.

↑ Back to top

How do I add an image to my message?

One way to add an image to a topic or a post is to click the image icon in the post/topic toolbar. A pop-up box will appear where you can either:
  • drag and drop an image from an open file folder from your computer
  • load from a file folder on your computer by clicking on the “Browse” button and finding the photo on your computer
Before adding your image, you should decrease the picture size to under 800 pixels wide (about 400 is often better), as it will load faster for others and not need re-sizing.
You may also post an image by using a photo website such as www.photobucket.com or www.flickr.com. Each of these sites explains how to share your images; there should be an option to share your photo, and then an option for an embed code. Copy the embed code and paste the code in your text box. Once you hit submit, the photo should appear.
To re-size a photo, click once in the photo then grab the bottom right corner black square and drag that to the size you want. However, you cannot crop an image – that needs to be done before inserting.
To Edit the photo, you click inside the photo, on the EDIT button. Here you can give the photo a Title, insert a link to a website (that can open a new Tab) and choose to have the image on the right or left side.

↑ Back to top

How do I add a video to my post?

You may post videos only from a YouTube or a Vimeo account.
To post a YouTube or Vimeo video:
  1. When writing a post, click the icon of the rectangle with the "play" triangle [insert icon image] located in the icon bar above your text box.
  2. A pop-up box will appear where you can insert the URL from the video you'd like to post.
  3. Copy the URL from the YouTube or Vimeo video.
  4. Paste the URL in the pop-up box and hit the “Insert” button.
  5. The video will appear in your post. Once you hit the “Submit” button, the video will appear on the thread or in a new topic.

↑ Back to top

  1. Type the text you would like to make into a link. It is not suggested that you use the entire link as the linked text.
  2. Highlight the text.
  3. Click the link icon and select “Insert Link.”
  4. Enter the URL, and you can edit your text, which shows in your post as the underlined, clickable text.
  5. Click the "Insert" button and your link will be saved.
To edit your link, repeat steps 2-5.
To remove a link, highlight the linked text, click the link icon, then select “Unlink.”

↑ Back to top

How do I add a signature to my posts?

You will need to be logged into your profile, then click on the Settings bar in the blue left-side navigation. Scroll down to Signature and use the “Edit” link to add, edit, or hide your signature.

↑ Back to top

Can I attach a file to my topics or posts?

No. For security purposes, file attachments are not allowed.

↑ Back to top

What if I submit content to the wrong forum?

Let the moderators know by sending them a private message — they will be able to move it for you.

↑ Back to top

How do I find my own posts?

To find your own posts, go to your Dashboard in the blue left-side navigation. Once you're there, scroll down until you see your Recent Topics and Recent Posts, where you can click on any recent post or topic you would like to view.

↑ Back to top

How can I find replies to my post?

To find your own posts, go to Dashboard in the blue left-side navigation. Then scroll down until you see Recent Topics and Recent Posts. From there, you can click on any post you want to go back to.
You can make a topic a favorite by clicking “Add to My Favorite Topics” at the top or bottom of any thread, and you will receive notifications when there are new posts to read.
You can also elect to receive an email notification when a reply is made on any thread you have made a favorite. To do so, go to My Favorite Topics in the blue left-side navigation. Next to each Favorite Topic, you can choose “Add Email Notification.” If you’d like to stop receiving email notification, you can also choose “Remove Email Notification.”

↑ Back to top

The search box located in the Discussion Boards searches all of the topics in the boards, but does not search our main site content. To search main site content, go to the main Breastcancer.org site, and use the search box located at the top of the screen.
To search Discussion Board posts, use the Search tool located in the blue left-side navigation. In the “Search by Keyword(s)” field, type in one or more words (e.g. “tamoxifen” or “tamoxifen side effects”), and click “Search.”
If you are looking for posts from a specific member, you may include a member’s name in your search in the “Search by Member Name” field — with or without using a keyword. You may also choose a specific forum or time frame to narrow down your search.

↑ Back to top

How do I add a topic to My Favorite Topics?

To add a topic to your favorites, click the “Add to My Favorite Topics” link at the top or bottom of the topic you wish to add.

↑ Back to top

How can I be notified about activity in My Favorite Topics?

You will see a red number beside "My Favorite Topics" in the blue navigation bar when logged in.
You may choose to receive email notifications when other users post replies to your favorite topics by navigating to the My Favorite Topics page and clicking the “Add email notification” link for each topic.
You can turn off notifications by clicking “Remove email notification” next to each topic.

↑ Back to top

How do I send a private message?

There are two ways Community members can send private messages. From the Discussion Boards or topics pages:
  1. Click on the user name of the Community member to whom you would like to send a private message.
  2. Click on "Send member a Private Message".
  3. Fill in the Subject line and your message.
  4. Click "Send Message".
From Private Messages in the blue left-side navigation, which is limited to your favorite members and the moderators:
  1. Click "Compose New Message."
  2. Click "Compose New Message".
  3. Next to "To," you will find a menu of your favorite members. This menu also contains Discussion Board moderators, should you need to send them a message. Select the member to whom you would like to send a private message.
  4. Fill in the subject line and your message.
  5. Click "Send Message".

↑ Back to top

How can I be notified when I receive a new private message?

When you are logged in and you have received a private message, you will see a red number next to "Private Messages" in the blue left-side navigation.
You may choose to turn on Private Message notifications in two places:
  1. Click on the Private Messages bar, where you will see "Email Notification of New Private Messages" near the top, with a link to turn the setting on or off.
  2. Click on the Settings bar, and scroll down to the "Email Notifications" section. Next to "New Private Message,” you may turn the setting on or off.

↑ Back to top

What are Active Topics?

Active Topics are topics that have had posts submitted to them within the last 24 hours. When you click the Active Topics bar in the blue left-side navigation, you will see a table of all the topics to which Community members have added posts. The table is in reverse chronological order and lists the topic's title with the number of unread posts, forum title, who submitted the latest post and when, and who created the topic and when. Click on the topic title link to go to your first unread post of that topic (you need to navigate manually to the last post).

↑ Back to top

How do I report spam or Community abuse?

First, ensure you are logged in to the Discussion Boards. Click on the Report this Post link found on the upper right-hand side of the Post to report Community abuse. Community abuse includes:
  1. spam
  2. solicitations to buy products
  3. threatening, abusive, or hateful comments
Note: Newer members may not see the "Report this Post" button as this privilege is reserved for longer-term members with proven good standing. If you see a post that you'd like to report, and you don't have a "Report this Post" link, you can send a private message to the moderators (see How do I send a private message? for instructions).
Community abuse does NOT include:
  1. comments which simply have a different viewpoint than yours
  2. moderator-approved solicitations for interviews or events
Members who abuse the Community by posting spam or other abusive content will have their accounts temporarily banned. Members who report Community abuse when the content does NOT qualify as abuse will also have their accounts temporarily banned. Repeated offenses of Community abuse or erroneously reporting abuse will result in a permanent ban.

↑ Back to top

How do I block posts and private messages from another Community Member?

There are two ways to block or ignore content from other Community members. First, ensure you are logged in to the Community.
From the member's profile page, you can click the link labeled "Block User" to stop receiving private messages from that member. Posts from the blocked member will be suppressed, showing "This Post is suppressed because you are ignoring [Member Name]" with a link to unblock that member.
You may also block a Community member directly from a private message sent by that member by clicking "Block [Member Name]."
You can unblock a Community member from any suppressed post, the member's profile page, your Blocked User list (accessible from your Dashboard in the blue left-side navigation), or from within a private message sent by that member.
You may also block whole topics by clicking "Block Topic" at the top or bottom of each topic page. You may unblock topics by going to your Dashboard in the blue left-side navigation and scrolling down to the "Blocked Forums/Topics" area, where you can elect to "Unblock Forum."

↑ Back to top

What is the Dashboard?

The Dashboard is a tab in the blue left-side navigation which shows your favorite topics, private messages, recent topics, recent posts, members you have selected as friends, any members you have blocked, as well as any forums and topics that you have blocked. You can also make changes to any of these features within the Dashboard.

↑ Back to top

How do I add an avatar to my profile?

To add an avatar to your profile, navigate to the "My Profile" link found at the top of any page, in the gray bar. Then navigate to the "Settings" tab. Find the Avatar field and click "Edit" to choose a new graphic file from your machine. Note: see "Is there a limit to avatar image size?" below.
Make sure to click "Save" to save your changes. You can also choose to delete your current avatar from the same location.

↑ Back to top

Is there a limit to avatar image size?

Please do not exceed 125x300 pixels and/or 35 kb for your avatar image. We ask that you keep your images relatively small to ensure that the Discussion Boards load quickly for all Community members.

↑ Back to top

How do I edit my time zone and email preferences?

You can edit your email preferences by clicking the "My Profile" link found in the gray bar at the top of any page. Then navigate to the "Settings" tab to edit time zone preferences, email preferences, and image display preferences. Be sure to click "Save" to save your changes.

↑ Back to top

How do I contact the moderators?

To contact the moderators, send them a private message or email at community@breastcancer.org.

↑ Back to top

Do you have an abbreviations key?

Yes, we do! Please read the Discussion Board Abbreviation Key for a list of commonly used abbreviations.
This key is also available through the “Help with Abbreviations” button, located under the blue left-side navigation.

↑ Back to top

As a researcher, am I allowed to post a topic for subject recruitment?

Researchers looking for study participants must obtain the advanced written consent of Breastcancer.org prior to communicating any request for participation in research studies, school projects, polls, or organizational events. Please provide the following to the Breastcancer.org moderators via private message, or email community@breastcancer.org:
  1. A copy of your IRB approval.
  2. A paragraph about your research study that you would find suitable for posting.
  3. A brief but specific statement as to what you are requesting of Breastcancer.org and our members.
  4. Information on how and if you will be referencing Breastcancer.org in your results and final written paper.
  5. A contact email address from your institution or organization.
After you provide this information, our moderators will get back to you within a week letting you know if you are permitted to post in the forums.
NOTE: Although we may allow the postings of research studies and clinical trials, Breastcancer.org is NOT responsible for and does not endorse any studies.

↑ Back to top

My Profile Help Topics

Where do I enter my diagnostic and treatment information?

To enter your information, you will need to have an account and be logged into the Community. Next, click on My Profile in the gray bar at the top of any page. Once in My Profile, click the My Diagnoses and My Treatments tabs to add your information. Follow the steps in each tab to fill out the information that you have so far. You can always come back and add more information or edit what you’ve previously entered.

↑ Back to top

How do I manage the content that is delivered to me?

From the My Articles tab in My Profile, you will see an option to turn off recommended content. This will disable recommendations throughout Breastcancer.org (you can turn it back on at any time).

If you’re on an article page and you’d like to save that article for quick reference, click the “Save as Favorite” link under the title to add it to your Favorite Articles list.

↑ Back to top

How do I get my diagnostic and/or treatment information to show in my posts?

If you’d like your diagnostic and treatment information to show in your post signature, you need to fill out your profile with all the diagnostic and treatment information that you know. Once you’ve filled it out, you can go to the Discussion Boards and click on Settings in the blue left-side navigation. Scroll down to the Treatments & Diagnoses Privacy Settings, where you’ll see your information as you’ve entered it. Click “Change to Public” to make the information public in your post signature (it defaults to private). You can switch it back to private at any time.
You can see how your information will appear in your post signature in Settings under “Signature Preview.”

↑ Back to top

Who can see my profile information?

If you’ve chosen to make the diagnostic and treatment information from your profile public so that it appears in your post signature, it will be visible to anyone visiting the Discussion Boards, whether they are a Community member or not.

↑ Back to top

Content Recommendation Help Topics

Understanding that a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment can be overwhelming, we have expanded our content suggestions (“You might be interested in”) to better help you find information that may be helpful for you.

Breastcancer.org has thousands of pages of expert-reviewed content available to you and allows you to connect with your peers in our community discussion forum. Our goal for the content suggestions is to help surface the information that is most relevant to your unique situation using the power of collective experiences on our site, support from our team of global moderators, and a machine-learning algorithm.

How are recommendations made?

We provide individualized, relevant, and real-time recommendations on Breastcancer.org by suggesting our own original, medically vetted content and/or community forums that may be of interest to you. These recommendations are based on the browsing history of all site visitors, your clicking behaviors on our site, and the medical profile data you have shared with us in your profile. Create your profile for personalized recommendations.

↑ Back to top

What information of mine is used and how?

We use an algorithm that looks at the pages you have visited and your public profile information to recommend new articles, podcast episodes, and videos to you. As you start to browse different topics, your recommendations will slowly adjust to match your new areas of interest.

In this Beta period, the algorithm is limited to user behavior and five factors of diagnostic data. Over time, we will be expanding the factors that are considered to recommend content for you, in recognition that many more factors should guide a personalized experience for breast cancer patients.

↑ Back to top

How can I improve my recommendations?

Machine-learning algorithms learn and improve over time by gathering more information about a person and others who are like them. In using the Breastcancer.org website to read/watch/listen to content that is of interest to you, the algorithm will improve. You can also improve your recommendations by signing up and filling out your diagnosis in your profile. If you don't have a profile, you can create one.

↑ Back to top

Can I block topics I do not want to see?

You can manage topics by using the blocking/unblocking feature. Learn how to block a topic.

↑ Back to top

Is my information safe?

Your personal information is secure. All data that goes into the recommendation tool is anonymized and secured. This information is only used by Breastcancer.org to improve recommendations to deliver more relevant content to you while you are on the Breastcancer.org website.

For more information about your privacy rights, read our privacy policy.

↑ Back to top

How can I remove recommendations?

To remove recommendations from appearing on the site for you, on the My Articles tab in My Profile, you will see an option to turn off recommended content. This will disable recommendations throughout Breastcancer.org (you can turn it back on at any time).

↑ Back to top

How can I provide feedback?

Please email us: comments@breastcancer.org.

↑ Back to top

General Help Topics

How do I change my password or update/edit my account information?

You may change your password at any time by logging in and clicking on Settings in the blue left-side navigation. Click the "Edit" link next to the Password field and make your updates. Be sure to click "Save" to save your changes.
You can also update your avatar, occupation, city, and more in Settings. Make your updates, and click the "Save" button after each item is updated.
If you want to change your user name, please edit your existing account instead of making another account. Multiple identities or user names are not allowed, and additional user names will be removed.

↑ Back to top

How do I delete my account if I want to leave Breastcancer.org?

To delete your account, send a private message to the moderators asking to remove your member information and profile.
Please note, once your account has been deleted, all posts you have made the forums will also be removed. If you are a member with many posts that may continue to help other members, we suggest that instead of removing your account, you instead edit it to remove all identifiable information and details including user name, avatar, birthday, diagnosis and treatment information, and signature line.

↑ Back to top

Is Breastcancer.org on social media?

  1. Facebook
  2. Twitter
  3. Pinterest
The Breastcancer.org social channels offer another way for community members to interact with Breastcancer.org and with other people in the breast cancer community at large.
As Breastcancer.org tries to feature more user-generated content across our social channels, the mods may reach out to you to ask if we can feature something you’ve said on the boards across our social channels. When we feature quotes from the community on social, we always use your handle, never your name, to ensure your privacy. We want to assure you that your words will never be used without your permission.
If there is something that you’d like to see more of on the Breastcancer.org social channels (i.e., information about metastatic breast cancer, tips and tricks from breast cancer survivors, motivational quotes, etc.), please PM the mods and we will make every effort to fulfill your request.
If you’re looking for content around a specific topic, please note that Facebook now allows you to search the posts on our Facebook page, as well. Simply type in the keyword(s) you’re searching for in the search bar located under our profile picture and any post featuring that keyword(s) will appear.

↑ Back to top

What are the browser and system compatibility requirements?

Minimum requirements:
  • Chrome 26.0* (OS X, Windows)
  • Firefox 20.0* (OS X, Windows)
  • Safari 5 (OS X, Windows)
  • Safari (iOS 5.0 version)
  • Internet Explorer 8
  • Android 4.0.1

*self-updating

To keep up with advancing software, support for older browsers is removed as new versions are released. Breastcancer.org suggests updating your system and/or browser as needed for the best online experience. Resources for updates can be found at the following URLs:

  • Chrome: https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/
  • Firefox: http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/
  • Safari: http://support.apple.com/downloads/#safari
  • Internet Explorer: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/internet-explorer.aspx

↑ Back to top

What is an operating system (OS)?

Operating systems run your computer, laptop, tablet, and smart phone. The operating system is the brain of your computer and is responsible for telling all the other pieces of your computer what to do. When you click on an icon to open up a program, it tells your computer’s operating system to wake that application up so that you can use it.
The most common desktop operating systems are Microsoft Windows (XP, Vista, 7, etc.) and Apple’s OS X.

↑ Back to top

What is a web browser?

A web browser is a piece of software used to access the internet. The web browser goes out to grab data, brings it back to you, and displays it on your monitor to let you interact with the website.
For example, Microsoft Windows operating system’s default browser is Internet Explorer, or “the blue E,” as some people refer to it. Apple’s operating system default web browser is Safari.
Internet Explorer and Safari aren’t the only web browser options you have. Other popular browsers include Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, both of which are free downloads.

↑ Back to top

Do you accept donations?

Yes! As a nonprofit organization, we rely on your donations. 
To donate by mail, please send your check payable to Breastcancer.org to:
120 E. Lancaster Avenue | Suite 201 | Ardmore, PA 19003
You may also make a donation online.
For wire and stock transfer instructions, please email support@breastcancer.org.

↑ Back to top

How do I report a technical glitch?

To report a glitch, send a private message to the moderators an email to webmaster@breastcancer.org.

↑ Back to top