Cancer Data Base: Breast Cancer

Showing posts with label Breast Cancer. Show all posts

Monday, June 21, 2010

Multi Vitamins For Women Increase Risk of Breast Cancer

We've all heard (time and time again) that a daily vitamin is important in ensuring your body gets the nutrients it needs. One each day is supposed to help improve your overall health and protect against heart disease, perhaps even cancer. Now, a new observational study suggests that this "healthy" habit might actually increase your risk of breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in U.S. women, though the rates have fallen in recent years.

This latest research involved more than 35,000 Swedish women (aged 49-83) who were cancer free and filled out a self-administered questionnaire that asked for information on multivitamin use and other breast cancer risk factors.

The women reported their own use of vitamins, though they didn't provide any information on what brand they took. During the ten years of follow up, 974 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, 293 of these happened to the 9,017 women who said they took multivitamins daily.

The team found that women who reported taking vitamins each day were 19% more likely to have breast cancer than those who didn't take any multivitamin. These findings held even after adjustments were made for things like family history, getting older, body mass index, smoking and alcohol use.

There are lots of multivitamins on the market today. These preparations typically include 3 or more vitamins and dietary minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc) as well as some other nutritional elements.

You can find multivitamins in many forms... tablets, capsules, pastilles, powders and liquid... so you can choose the one that's right for you. Your doctor will tell you that you should never buy a multivitamin that has more of a nutrient than your body can take in - more is not better. Never take more than directed on the label as you risk serious, potentially life-threatening, side effects.

So... how can something that's supposed to be good for you, be trouble?

The researchers aren't sure, but theorize the folic acid that's part of many multivitamin products might increase breast density, and this might stimulate the development of cancer. Other work has linked iron and zinc to increased cancer risk, though there have been studies that showed no association - so the question is still open for debate.

The new research also found that vitamin C, B-6 and E didn't appear to have any impact on breast cancer risk. Calcium, in fact, seems to offer some protection against breast cancer.

Getting essential vitamins from your diet is the best way to give your body the nutrients it needs. If you have concerns about your nutritional status, talk to your doctor about the foods you eat, and the ones you avoid. You might think about taking supplements that address specific deficiencies, instead of a multivitamin that gives you lots of things, many of which you might not even need.

Workplace May Increase Risk of Breast Cancer

Important news for women - being exposed to chemicals and pollutants before her mid 30s may greatly increase a woman's risk of breast cancer after she goes through menopause according to a new study. The research involved 556 postmenopausal Canadian women who'd been diagnosed with cancer of the breast between the ages of 50 and 75 years old. There was also a control group of 613 women of the same age group, who were free of breast cancer.

The team measured the women's occupational exposure to almost 300 substances. After accounting for the usual factors linked with an increase risk of breast cancer, the team found a link between breast cancer and some of these substances.

The risk of breast cancer after menopause was highest in the women who'd been exposed to these substances before 36 years old.

The risk went up for each added decade of exposure before this age. So twenty years of exposure... say starting in the teens, would be expected to double a woman's risk.

The exposure to acrylic fibers at work had a seven fold increase risk of cancer of the breast. The risk was almost double among those exposed to nylon fibers. Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (in petroleum products) before the age of 36 tripled the risk of breast cancer according to the study authors.

These finding are consistent with the thinking that the tissue of the breast is more sensitive to harmful chemicals if the exposure occurs when the breast cells are still active - before a woman reaches her 40s. This is also thought to be a factor in the increases in cancer of the breast in developed countries.

The incidence of breast cancer in the United States is one in eight, about 13%, or 13 out of every 100 women over the course of a lifetime.

Your own personal risk may be higher or lower, depending on family history, reproductive history, lifestyle and environment. Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most often diagnosed cancer in American women - one in four cancers are of the breast. As of 2008, there are almost 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. alone.

Experts commenting on the study do express caution. Positive associations like those found between chemical exposure and cancer of the breast can appear just by chance, and will only carry serious weight when supported by evidence from later research. The team also calls for more detailed studies that focus on specific chemicals in terms of risk for breast cancer.

To reduce your risk of breast cancer, whether you've been exposed to any of the substances identified in the research or not, here are some things you can do for yourself...

- Control your weight - being overweight, especially after menopause, increases your risk. More fat in the body produces more estrogen, which is what increases the risk of cancer developing and growing.

- Eat healthy - while no food can keep you from getting cancer of the breast, eating well can make your body strong and healthy, keeping your risk as low as possible. It's a good idea to limit red and processed meats and animal fats (fat in cheese, ice cream and milk). A diet that's low in fat, loaded with fruits and veggies is generally a good bet.

- Exercise - doing 45 to 60 minutes of physical activity on five or more days of the week is key, and evidence is growing that this can reduce your risk of cancers.

- Limit alcohol consumption

- Don't smoke

- Limit stress/anxiety - while there isn't clear proof stress/anxiety can increase your breast cancer risk, anything you do to reduce stress and make your life better plus make your immune system stronger will help.

- Estrogen exposure - through being overweight, drinking too much or taking combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

- Recent oral contraceptive use - using these medications may slightly increase your risk of breast cancer, but only for a short time. If you've stopped taking birth control pills more than ten years ago, you don't appear to have any increase risk.

What Kind of Radiation Should You Choose After Lumpectomy For Breast Cancer?

Just a quarter of a century ago, almost all patients had mastectomy, even if their breast cancer is small. But over the past few decades, it has been demonstrated that for small cancers, lumpectomy followed by radiation treatment is just as good as mastectomy, at preventing breast cancer recurrence. Traditional proven radiation is external beam radiation directed to the entire involved breast for 6-7 weeks, 5 days a week (M Tu W Th F). Depending on the size and extent of the cancer, radiation may include the chest wall and axilla (armpit) on the same side as the involved breast. In some cases, the area treated may also include on the same side supraclavicular lymph nodes (nodes above the collarbone) and internal mammary lymph nodes (nodes beneath the breast bone near the center of the chest).

Recently, some patients with very early small cancers may consider Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation (APBI). Instead of treating the whole breast, APBI only delivers radiation to the focal location of the lumpectomy site. This is because most recurrences occur at or near the site of previous cancer. Currently, the most commonly used regimen involves only 5 days of radiation total. A balloon is inserted into the lumpectomy site, in the office with local anesthesia. On the fifth and final day of radiation, the balloon is pulled out. The most established model Mammosite has been used in more than 35,000 women in the United States, and results with 4-year followup data have been good. Despite its convenience, APBI is not for everybody. Some general guidelines exist to determine who is "suitable" for APBI as of 2010. As we gain more knowledge with longer use of this treatment modality, the guidelines may change in the future. The "appropriate" criteria are: patient age 50 or more, unifocal (single) cancer, invasive cancer size no more than 2cm, pure DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) no more than 3cm, total tumor size (invasive and DCIS) no more than 3cm, margins clean of tumor, no lymphovascular invasion seen under microscope, and no cancer spread to lymph nodes. Women with hereditary breast cancer, such as BRCA 1/2 carriers, should not consider APBI.

The above are only general guidelines. Again, it should be emphasized that traditional whole breast radiation is an established treatment with much longer track record than APBI. No two breast cancer patients are exactly alike, and therefore the decision making process is different and unique for each individual person. Regardless of any one else's advice, you should make the choice that you personally will be able to live with for the rest of your life.

Critical Background You Need to Know About Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a disease that affects both men and women. Most people don't know that men can get cancer of the breast, too. Breast cancer is not just one disease but a little group of diseases with cells growing out of control. Just about all tumors are really clumps of abnormal cells. Tumor cells often break off and go some other place to form; this is called metastasis (spreading). Even cancer of the breast can spread to other parts of the body.

Tumor size alone does not mean that it is or isn't cancer. Even the smallest tumor can be cancerous and the truth is that by the time a lump is big enough to be found, it has probably been there several years already, growing. Once the body's immune system can no longer handle the cells in the body, the cancer grows out of control and begins to destroy. Today's cancer treatments are based on reducing the cancer cells.

The risks for cancer of the breast include: gender, age, family medical history, ethnic background, alcohol use, weight gain, sedentary life, toxic exposure. There are some that can't be changed like: sex, age, family history, and first period before age 12.

Are there warning signs for breast cancer? Yes; nipple discharge, inverted nipples, and Paget's disease of the breast. Mostly there are no warning signs because early breast cancer doesn't have any pain.

There is more than one type of cancer of the breast, including something called inflammatory breast cancer. Noninvasive cancer of the breast is a cancer that is encapsulated and has not spread. Invasive breast cancer has already begun to spread to other spots in the body. Inflammatory cancer of the breast starts when cancer cells block lymph glands and cells. It causes inflammation of the breast and makes it swollen and tender. It can be mistaken for a breast infection and possibly be overlooked until it has developed more.

Male cancer of the breast is more common in the older men and usually is noticed with a lump in the breast.

The National Cancer Institute is trying to develop a vaccine against breast cancer. It would only be effective in preventing a new cancer from developing. Tests have recently been developed to be able to genetically determine if a person is or isn't prone to cancer of the breast. These would be the people first chosen to be vaccinated.

Many new treatments have been developed in recent years. There have been new types of chemotherapy and radiation treatments developed that don't have the devastating side effects of previous ones.

Early detection through mammograms and special breast scans has saved many thousands of women from death. It is now recommended that women who have a family risk factor get their first mammogram at least by age 30. Government agencies may try to change the recommendations but women must insist on guarding their lives by testing for early detection.

Hearing a biopsy that comes back as positive for cancer of the breast is a devastating sentence for a woman.

Breast Cancer Awareness Pt 1 - Tips For Breast Cancer Prevention

Breast cancer is a terribly frightening illness, that is why taking cautious steps to breast cancer prevention is very important. Worldwide, 1 woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 29 seconds and every 75 seconds 1 woman in the world dies from breast cancer. This is the condition most women fear more than any other disease. This is largely because they think there is nothing they can do about it; they feel powerless and do not understand the power of today's prevention strategies.

Most women know if they want to reduce their risk of osteoporosis they can get enough calcium in their diet they can get some exercise or get enough vitamin D; if they want to reduce the risk of a heart attack they can make sure their cholesterol is not too high and they can also get some exercise. But most women do not think there is anything at all that they can do to help prevent breast cancer but the good news is that is there heaps they can do in efforts to breast cancer prevention. For example make sure that you get enough vitamin D in your body. Vitamin can help reduce the risk of several types of cancers, such as Prostate cancer, Colon cancer, Lung cancer.

Every time our skin is exposed to sunlight the cholesterol in our skin is converted into vitamin D, but for the average person who works indoors they do not manufacture enough vitamin D in their body. You can ask your doctor to do a blood test on you to measure the amount of vitamin D and most people are actually deficient.

If you have dark skin you are going to need to spend more time outdoors than a fair-skinned person will to receive enough sunlight to produce and efficient amount of vitamin D. if you use sun screen this will inhibit your body from being able to produce vitamin D. It is important not to get sun burned, however please remember that some sunlight is vitally important for good health because of vitamin D.

Women who are vitamin D deficient at the time of being diagnosed with breast cancer are 94% more likely to have their cancer spread and they are 73% more likely to die from breast cancer in the next 10 years than women who are not vitamin D deficient. So vitamin D is a vital instrument when it comes to protecting yourself against this disease.

Interestingly, overweight people are commonly vitamin D deficient because it is a fat soluble vitamin; this means the vitamin ends up being stored in their body fat and not their bloodstream where they need it.

Environmental chemicals are a known potential cause of this condition. According to the Silent Spring Institute, in the USA a total number of 216 different chemicals and radiation sources are internationally recognized as causing breast cancer. Have a look at the kind of chemicals you have around your home and chemicals you put on your body; moisturizers, perfumes, shampoo, cosmetics, toiletries, personal care products, insecticides, and cleaning chemicals. A lot of these things contain chemicals called endocrine disrupters or oestrogen mimics. They actually behave like oestrogen in your body; they have a very powerful effect. Oestrogen in excess can fuel the growth of breast tumors.

When it comes to breast cancer prevention you have to stay on top of your game. Not knowing can how to reduce the risk is no excuse because the information is widely available.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Breast Cancer – Types of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the cells of the breast Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer (10.4% of all cancer incidence, both sexes counted) and the fifth most common cause of cancer death. Worldwide, breast cancer is by far the most common cancer amongst women, with an incidence rate more than twice that of colorectal cancer and cervical cancer and about three times that of lung cancer. However breast cancer mortality worldwide is just 25% greater than that of lung cancer in women. In 2005, breast cancer caused 502,000 deaths worldwide (7% of cancer deaths; almost 1% of all deaths).The number of cases worldwide has significantly increased since the 1970s, a phenomenon partly blamed on modern lifestyles in the Western world.

In most cases, it isn’t clear what causes normal breast cells to become cancerous. Doctors do know that only 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancers are inherited. Families that do have genetic defects in one of two genes, breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) or breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2), have a much greater risk of developing both breast and ovarian cancer. Other inherited mutations — including the ataxia-telangiectasia mutation gene, the cell-cycle checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK-2) gene and the p53 tumor suppressor gene — also make it more likely that you’ll develop breast cancer. If one of these genes is present in your family, you have a 50 percent chance of having the gene.

Inflammatory breast cancer is a type of breast cancer that involves the skin of the breast. This type of cancer comprises less than 4% of all breast cancers diagnosed each year in the US. The physical symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include redness of the skin of the breast and a general swelling of the breast. In some cases, a lump may be present.

Types of Breast Cancer

Tumor grade: If the cancer is an invasive type, the pathologist assigns it a grade. The grade is based on how closely cells in the sample tissue resemble normal breast tissue under the microscope. The grading information, along with the cell type, helps your doctor determine treatment options.

Tubular carcinoma: This rare type of breast cancer gets its name from the appearance of the cancer cells under a microscope. Though it’s an invasive breast cancer, the outlook is more favorable than it is for invasive ductal carcinoma or invasive lobular carcinoma.

Metaplastic carcinoma: Met plastic carcinoma represents less than 1 percent of all newly diagnosed breast cancers. This lesion tends to remain localized and contains several different types of cells that are not typically seen in other forms of breast cancer. Prognosis and treatment is the same as for invasive ductal carcinoma.

Lobular Carcinoma In Situ is NOT cancer. But it’s a sign that the woman who has it is 6 to 7 more times likely to develop cancer, over the course of her lifetime, than a woman who doesn’t have LCIS: the same risk you’d be at if your mother and sister both had cancer.

Most lumps turn out to be fibrocystic changes. The term “fibrocystic” refers to fibrosis and cysts. Fibrosis is the formation of fibrous (or scar-like) tissue, and cysts are fluid-filled sacs. Fibrocystic changes can cause breast swelling and pain. This often happens just before a period is about to begin. Your breasts may feel lumpy and, sometimes, you may notice a clear or slightly cloudy nipple discharge.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Nutrition for Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is said to be one of the biggest killers of women around the world today. Statistics from the University of Maryland Medical Center explain that every year in the United States, about 185,000 women are diagnosed with some form of breast cancer. Along with these statistics, about 40,000 women die per year because of breast cancer related complications. In 99% of all cases of breast cancer, women are involved. Only a few men are diagnosed with this condition.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer, and what are the possible causes of the disease? Doctors often recommend their patients to performs routine breast self examinations (BSE) to be able to detect lumps or other abnormalities in their breasts. If a woman detects a change in the shape and firmness in her breast, or if there are skin problems in the breast area, she should see a doctor right away. Some of the causes of breast cancer are genetic, while some sources explain that hormonal levels in the body can cause the growth of the tumor. Sometimes, exposure to carcinogenic substances may be the cause. In other instances, women who have breast implants develop a form of breast cancer.

Currently, the treatments for breast cancer include chemotherapy with radiation therapy. There are several drugs that have been tested and recommended for chemotherapeutic use, and it has been observed that the administration of regular radiation sessions allow chemotherapy drugs to work better against breast cancer tumors. In some cases of breast cancer, a mastectomy or surgical removal of one or two breasts may be needed.

What is the nutrition for breast cancer that should be followed? Sources from the University of Maryland Medical Center suggest that antioxidant-rich foods should be added to the diet. These foods include blueberries, cherries, squash, and tomatoes, among many others. Vegetables like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage should be eaten more often. It is best to avoid foods with trans-fat, preservatives, and foods that contain substances that can cause allergies. For protein sources, it is best to avoid red meats, and opt for leaner protein sources including tofu, soy, and some types of fish like tuna, herring, salmon, and others.

Nutrition for breast cancer also involves supplementing the diet with B vitamins, calcium, vitamin C, pro-biotics, and others. Omega-3 fatty acids are also highly recommended, and these forms of fatty acids are found in many types of nuts as well as fish. The fish types that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids are herring, salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, and sardines. It is advised that at the least, 2 fish serving per week should be consumed.

This is the reason why fish oils are becoming popular supplements as nutrition for breast cancer. Fish oil supplements come from the above mentioned species of fish, and are rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as docosahexenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentenoic acid (EPA). As mentioned in a 2003 paper Indoor and Built Environment, DHA and EPA have already proven effective against tumor growth, and when added to the diet, makes a patient more receptive to the benefits of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

6 Amazing Cures For Breast Cancer - What You Need To Know To Save Your Life

You have read the alarming statistics. Every three minutes a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer. Old school methods like surgery, hormone treatments, radiation, and chemotherapy cause women great suffering without treating breast cancer. Women suffer through physical pain, financial devastation, degrading surgery, poor health, loss, depression, and ultimately poor results.

What alternatives cures are available for breast cancer? Follow 7 simple tips to cure breast cancer naturally.

Tip 1: Consume flaxseed oil daily.

Flaxseed oil, also known as linseed oil, can be taken as a vitamin, loose fibers, or in liquid form. When you purchase flax oil, make sure the bottle is labeled as a dietary supplement. You can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flax oil to salad dressings, yogurt, smoothies, or simply drizzle it over steamed vegetables and cooked grains.

Canadian researchers gave women with breast cancer one muffin a day containing linseed oil and discovered that the women who ate the muffins reduced their cancer by over 42%. The linseed oil muffins appeared to be more effective than the radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

Flaxseed's anti-cancer elements and dietary nutrients have been promoted since the 1950s. In addition to fighting breast cancer, flaxseed is beneficial for constipation, abdominal problems, breathing problems, sore throat, eczema, menstrual problems, and arthritis. The omega-3 fatty acid in flaxseed is believed to be the source that prevents breast cancer,lowers cholesterol levels, and boosts the immune system.

Tip 2: Take Vitamin D.

Scientists have promoted that Vitamin D, which comes naturally from the sun, dramatically reduces the chances of developing breast, ovarian, and colon cancer.

Tip 3: Oral chelation.

Oral chelation means taking natural substances orally to be absorbed into the body. Once absorbed, the natural substance grabs hold of toxic materials in your body, such as minerals, metals, and chemicals, then carries the toxins out of your body through urine and bowel movements.

Typical ingredients in chelation are amino acids, trace minerals, vitamins, and herbs such as taheebo extract, golden seal, buchu leaf, couch grass, and juniper berries. Chelation is cheap, natural, and can create spectacular results.

Tip 4: Eat fresh lemons.

Lemons prevent diseases and cancer. Lemons contain phytochemicals, which are neither vitamins nor minerals. Phytochemicals are extremely efficient in the prevention of diseases and cancer in the human body.

Tip 5: Reduce stress.

According to the law of attraction, disease cannot exist in the body of a healthy mind. Remove any destructive elements in the soul that lead to division, strife, suffering, disease, and sorrow. The physical world without is a reflection of the world within your mind. You are in control of your mind. Learn Tai Chi, Qi-Gong, yoga, or study a philosophy that teaches inner peace.

Tip 6: Increase oxygen in your body.

An underlying cause of cancer is low cellular oxygenation levels. Poor oxygenation comes from a buildup of toxins within and around cells, causing red blood cells to clump up, slowing down the bloodstream, and restricting flow into capillaries. Increasing oxygen into your body will lower your acidic level to alkaline. Cancer cells do not survive in a normal alkaline environment.

Breast Cancer - Detection, Treatments and Prevention

Breast cancer is the number one disease that women in the United States fear the most, and for compelling reasons. It is the leading cause of death among women between 40 and 55 years of age and is the second overall cause of death among women (exceeded only by lung cancer). Unfortunately, it is also on the rise worldwide. According to the American Cancer Society, this year about 175,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer and about 43,300 deaths from breast cancer will occur among women in the USA.

Breast cancer is a rapid, uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in one or both breasts. It is life-threatening because it quickly spreads to vital organs.

The years since World War II have seen a tremendous increase in the incidence of breast cancer, so efforts on identifying its causes often focus on changes in our society that have occurred since then, such as the increased use of pesticides, the advent of birth control pills, changes in diet, and different styles and materials in women's clothing. Researchers have identified lots of risk factors (such as age, diet, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and family history), but the specific causes of breast cancer remain elusive.

Cancers are divided into different groups, called stages, based on whether the cancer is invasive or non-invasive, the size of the tumor, how many lymph nodes are involved, and whether there is spread to other parts of the body. The stages identify tumor types that have a similar outlook and are treated in a similar way. There are five main stages of breast cancer. If breast cancer is detected in its early stages, the 5 year survival rate is greater than 95%.

Breast cancer is more easily treated and often curable if it is found early. Monthly breast self-examinations should begin at age 20. Recommended screening methods include breast self-examination and mammography. A mammogram is the most effective way to find breast cancer early, up to 2 years before the lump is even large enough to feel. Sometimes a doctor will discover a lump in a woman's breast during a routine examination or a patient might come to the doctor with questions about a lump she found. If clinical examination and mammography both reveal benign findings, biopsy may be unnecessary.

Treatment for breast cancer usually depends on the type of cancer and whether the cancer has spread outside of the breast to the rest of the body. Treatment options include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and endocrine/anti-hormone therapy. Treatment usually starts with anticancer drugs, or chemotherapy. The prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options depend on the stage of the cancer, the size of the tumor and whether it is in the breast only or has spread to lymph nodes or other places in the body. It's very important to diagnose inflammatory breast cancer quickly so that treatment can begin. After surgery, radiation treatment is used to try to kill any remaining cancer cells.

Possible surgical treatments are either a mastectomy (complete removal of the breast) or breast conserving therapy. Even if a mastectomy is needed (about 30-40% of patients need this), building a new breast, called reconstruction, offers a natural looking breast replacement. Breast-conserving surgery (which removes only some of your breast) often works just as well as a mastectomy (which removes all of your breast).

Mammograms can detect tumors in the earliest stages, however, a standard mammogram can miss 15-20% of cancerous tumors. Heightened awareness of breast cancer risk in the past decades has led to an increase in the number of women undergoing mammography for screening, leading to detection of cancers in earlier stages and a resultant improvement in survival rates.

Research suggests that routine exercise may help prevent breast cancer. No one knows the exact causes of breast cancer, but research has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop the disease. Researchers at Stanford University and the National Institutes of Health, for example, found that high concentrations of the IGF-1 hormone stimulate cancer cell growth.

Up to 10 percent of breast cancer patients eventually suffer a recurrence in the other breast. Simple mammograms often miss small tumors, the researchers from the American College of Radiology Imaging Network found, while MRIs rarely miss them.

The cause of breast cancer is unknown. Early detection of breast cancer is therefore vital as it increases the chances of successful treatment. The chance of a woman in her 40s developing breast cancer is about one in 70, whereas the risk of a woman in her 80s developing breast cancer is one in 25. When breast cancer is confined to the breast the five year survival rate is over 95%. For women aged 40-49, the evidence that screening mammography reduces mortality from breast cancer is weaker, and the absolute benefit of mammography is smaller, than it is for older women.

Methods to Assist You - Prevent Breast Cancer

Are you aware of steps you can take to help prevent breast cancer? Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women around the world and the leading cause of cancer death. Breast cancer is the most common among white women, although women of all races and even men are diagnosed with the disease around the world. While this disease is very prevalent amongst women, with early detection, women can have a an increased survival rate. The best treatment for breast cancer is to prevent its development.

One of the most crucial steps that you can take to prevent breast cancer is to maintain a healthy weight through proper nutrition. It is recommended for women to maintain a healthy weight. Women should strive for a BMI index under 25. Women who are substantially overweight have an increased incidence of breast cancer development. To help prevent breast cancer, maintain an better than average body mass index and consistently. Another crucial action to assist women prevent breast cancer is a diet that is full of in valuable nutrients.

One of the most promising vitamins promoting healthy breast tissue and aiding women to prevent breast cancer when added into the daily diet is Vitamin A. This vitamin has shown the ability to prevent breast cancer cell advancement when ingested in both natural and synthetic forms. Foods that are rich in Vitamin A include . Red Clover is thought to be a great breast cancer prevention vitamin. Red Clover is a common plant with leafy stems that grows up to 16 inches tall and is a member of the pea phyllum. Isoflavins are the valuable that cause the red clover herbs a powerful breast cancer prevention aid. Turmeric has also demonstrated to have breast cancer prevention signs. Many of the most preventative foods are full of in antioxidants which assist cells to attack free radical damage. Many fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants which can easily be added to the daily diet.

Women should also eat a diet that is full of in the better kinds of fats like Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Also, it is recommended to limit the intake of simple carbohydrates and to include a multivitamin daily.

One of the most crucial actions that women can take to assist you prevent breast cancer is to reduce and stop. Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors in the development of breast cancer around the world. The moderation of alcohol is also an important step to assist women reduce the development of breast cancer.

In addition to a lifestyle and a healthy weight, women should to perform monthly breast self exams to find a breast lump early. The early detection of a cancerous breast lump can assist in an early diagnosis and an optimistic treatment plan. Women over the age of 40 need to receive scheduled, performed by their doctors. Mammograms use digital imaging to detect abnormalities in your.

Some breast cancer causes that still remain under discussion are hormone therapy treatments and the prolonged use of birth control pills. Extended exposure to pharmacologic estrogens is not recommended unless suggested from your health care professional. Check with your health care professional if you have been concerned about the mentioned potential risks and the development of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a common disease throughout the world and affects as many as 1 in 10 women from around the world and the prevalence of diagnosis is on the rise. While there are options available, it is suggested to engage in advantageous to prevent the progression or development of the disease within the body. Through recommended lifestyle management and the addition of valuable nutritional supplements, you can help your body to prevent the development of breast cancer.

The Unpleasant Truth Behind Getting A Treatment For Breast Cancer

When you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you wonder what treatment options are available and how they work. First of all, there are many different factors that play a role so that treatment varies from person to person. What stage does the tumor have, the persons age and menopausal status are just a few of the factors that have influence on the treatment decision.

A good friend of mine has just successfully completed her treatment therapy but you can never know how long the success will last. You may have to live with the fear for the rest of your life that the cancer will come back one day. There is no certainty.

The treatment she went under started with a lumpectomy. This simply means that the tumor was removed by surgery. In the next step the lymph nodes close to the tumor were removed. This has to be done because the tumor often likes to spread to the lymph nodes or already has done so. Removing the nodes reduces the risk of a new cancer.

After this surgery the chemotherapy had started. She had more than ten weeks of chemotherapy and thereafter she got radiation therapy. The chemo can take much longer depending n the success. Another friend had the chemo for almost nine months.

If you go with the traditional treatment options for breast cancer you will always have a procedure like that, no matter what type of breast cancer was detected in you. There usually will be a surgery followed by chemo and radiation.

This sounds like a pretty long therapy but the doctors want to make sure that every cancer cell has been destroyed. Unfortunately this treatment has also some serious side effects. In addition, you may also have to take drugs after the treatment for several weeks, like Tamoxifen.

Sometimes a mastectomy is necessary, that means a total or partial removal of the breast. You have the choice to have a reconstruction surgery after that or not, it is your choice and does not have impact on your breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Awareness Day - The Hidden Message Behind The Awareness Day That Can Save Your Life

My story shall help you to make the right decision. Do not put off mammograms or self checks easily. Breast cancer can develop in you as well. I want to increase awareness by warning every women out there that she can be next.

My cancer was detected early and thanks to this I am still alive and well. It was not easy in the beginning. After the cancer was detected the doctor recommended that I wait because the cancer was very small. I did not follow his advice. I wanted to get rid of the cancer as fast as I possibly could.

Was it false advice? I do not know. I only know that I took action. I got the scan, then the biopsy and finally the mastectomy. It was tough, very tough. It all happened within few days.

Today I am cancer free but what would have happened if I waited? Breast cancer spreads to the lymph nodes and who knows where else. There is a point of no return when you wait too long. They can not remove every piece of your body that has been infected.

Within the last 12 months three of my friends have been diagnosed with breast cancer. I always told them to make self checks and get mammograms frequently. Maybe that saved their lives.

There are still many doctors that tell you that there is no need to check for signs of breast cancer before you are 40 or so. If you ask me I would not listen to this advice but get mammograms much earlier than that. There is also cancer in very young women. Ignorance can be a fatal mistake.

Every day in October there is the National Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Millions of women worldwide are suffering from this type of tumor and, unfortunately, will continue to get breast cancer. Being aware of this can save your life. Do not just think about it in October.

The Effect Of Breast Implants On Breast Cancer Detection And Treatment

While not commonly asked, one of the first questions a potential breast augmentation should ask is...does the breast implant interfere with being able to detect breast cancer? Since breast cancer in the United States affects one in 11 women during their lifetime, this is a fairly important question. As breast augmentation procedures continue to be on the rise, this important question should be thoroughly addressed.

In a recently published analysis of this topic by Dr. Neal Handel of Santa Barbara, California in the December 2007 Supplement issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, he does exactly that. Using over 4,000 patients over a 23 year period, he assessed how easily mammography detected breast lesions. Women with breast implants presented more frequently with breast masses, invasive tumors, and axillary node spread. However, there was no significant difference in stage of disease, tumor size, recurrence, or survival between the two groups. Despite the diminished sensitivity of mammograms to detect breast cancer in women with implants, nonaugmented women and augmented women are diagnosed at similar stages of disease and have similar prognoses. In women with breast implants, the use of conservation therapy (which almost always involves radiation) in breast cancer treatment resulted in a high rate of implant contarctures and poor cosmetic outcomes as a result.

In a companion study in the same Supplement, Dr. Dennis Deapen of Los Angeles, California evaluated literature over the past 20 years which examined breast cancer-related risks among breast implant patients. He found that women with breast implants do not experience delayed detection of breast cancer. He summarized that breast implants are not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer incidence or death and these patients do not experience delayed detection or poorer survival after breast cancer treatments.

Breast Cancer and What Can You Do About It

Breast cancer is even more devastating when you loose a breast due to mastectomy.

You look in the mirror and do not recognize yourself with one breast or none.

Now, you are in a dilemma and ask yourself "What can you do about it"? Where do I go from here? Fear settles in. All legitimate questions and concerns.

Here is what I learned from my breast cancer and mastectomy that, I would like to impart them to you.

1. Be selfish and love yourself.
2. Accept your new image.
3. Fall in love with your new image.

You say, "I wish I could do that. But I can't." Sometimes the thing you desire seems most evasive and elusive to you. You may seem to think that you need something else that is external to you for you to be able to achieve self-love. Moreover, because this external thing is away from you and you do not have it, you think that you are doomed because even that seems elusive. Therefore, you are stuck in a vicious circle. You accept that, you fear it.

However, before you accept something that has absolutely no value to you, take another look. Fear is a thing we are conditioned to accept without question, yet it has absolutely no value. Next time you accept fear, ask yourself what value it really has for you. Escape is not a value. There is nowhere to run.

Eventually, you will have to face yourself. Running away from a problem is an idea that stems from the illusion that you are the problem, and you can escape the "you" with the problem. The first step to getting out of a problem is knowing and accepting that you are the problem, and then you become the solution.

Nothing outside changes, but as you change, a new outside replaces the old.

For now, let us see what you can do.

Everyone has things that can do now that they could not do before. You can now walk while as a child you could not. The ground never changed, but you did. You can now read while you once could not. The English language never changed, but you did.

Breast Cancer and the Power of Smile

One of them was the power of a smile and its effect on my life. Whenever I found myself needing to break away from my feelings of worry, sadness, fear, doubt, anger, hurt or any negative emotions, I always knew that it's time just to STOP what I was thinking about for a moment and SMILE.

Breast cancer can teach us many things if we are willing to look at it with a little smile.

You can do that too you know. It's really OK. You can STOP just for a moment, no body's going to be mad at you or holler at you. Just stop what you are thinking for a moment and SMILE.

In fact try this, stop what you are thinking and smile but do it without expressing it with a facial smile, just Think Smile and then, notice what you are Feeling.

Think smile!

Be aware of what you are feeling.

OK, now actually smile let your face open up.

Be aware what you are feeling, anybody laughing?

No, not now I mean before I asked the question.

OK, another question.

Who said you can't feel that feeling while you are dealing with life? Who said that?

Answer.

YOU DID

When? you ask.

The moment you lost connection to who you are as FEELINGS.

Well when did that happen? A voice inside your head ask.

The moment feeling became a word instead of an AWARENESS.

MEANINGFUL INFORMATION. Put this in a safe place.

A Smile Feeling will solve any and all other feelings YOU'VE CREATED.

Stop: Read that again.

And guess what? It's flowing through you all the time.

Smile feeling never changes it's FEELING.

Just because you are not connected or aware of it doesn't mean it's not there.

Trust me when I tell you that you will never ever connect to it and find any other FEELING.

P.S. Do you ever giggle? A giggle is like a bubble of joy coming out of your heart. Have you ever noticed the light, happy, feeling that comes from giggling? Have you ever watched little children giggle? They are so full of joy and happiness when they are giggling. When someone starts to giggle it changes the whole energy to one of joy? I bet you are smiling right now.

The One Thing You Must Do Immediately If You Have Got Breast Cancer Again

Today Susan told me that she got breast cancer again. She has only been out of chemotherapy and radiation treatment for ten months. The tumor is back again. It breaks my heart to hear that. I know she has a five year old daughter.

Susan is a good friend of mine. I know here since high school. I also know her lovely daughter Mary. Mary is just five years old but she already understands that her mother has a serious disease. Susan had a very hard time telling her what has happened again. That the cancer has returned. That she is very sick. How can a child handle all that?

I do not even want to imagine what this means to this family again. After the first shock I told Susan what I always tell women with breast cancer. There are even stage IV breast cancer victims that still survive for many years and live a rich life. This has not be to be the end. Susan has to live.

It is important to fight and not to give up. It is important to stay enthusiastic against all odds. I am a strong believer in the healing power of our body. Today every doctor will tell you that positive and joyful thoughts improve your overall health and strengthen your immune system.

I know it is difficult. It seems almost impossible to stay happy facing a deadly disease. But exactly at this point, right now, your body needs you. Everybody can be happy if everything is ok. So, do not give up. Enjoy each day. Do not regret anything. Life live to the full.

Breast Cancer - What If You Are Too Old Or Too Sick For A Breast Cancer Surgery?

Breast cancer does not stop when you get older. If you are young and healthy then your chances are good. You can do treatment, take medication and live with the side effects because you are otherwise healthy.

But what when you get diagnosed with cancer when your overall health is bad or when you are over sixty already? Sometimes life can be very hard and unfair to us. But is cancer not always unfair? If a woman gets breast cancer at a young age then we call it a tragedy. And it truly is.

Is it less of a tragedy when a woman at the age of sixty gets breast cancer just because her career may probably already lie behind her and her children have already grown up? I think this is not a discussion we should have at all. These older women still pay a very high price. Because of their age and because of the fact that they are probably not as healthy as a twenty or thirty year old woman, their chances are lower.

What if the poor health condition does not allow a surgery? There are many women in this situation. Their only chance is probably a radiation treatment and some drugs. What are their chances?

It all depends on the stage, hormone status, if the cancer has spread and where etc. We all know that. But often it is the hard true facts that limit or destroy any hope that is left. Many women today can put all hope into treatment. If they take you that, what is left?