BREAST CANCER

12 Tips to Help You Protect Your Body after Breast Cancer Surgery

2008-08-23T01:55:00.000-07:00

If you are facing breast cancer surgery or have had a mastectomy or partial mastectomy, there are certain activities you can avoid to bypass extra suffering after your surgery. Here are some tips to help yourself be more comfortable:
1. As you are probably aware, emotional and psychological pain can sometimes hurt even worse than physical pain. With that in mind, you will want to have a support group standing behind you before surgery and after as well. For example, there may be a friend that you have in mind right now who has already gone through breast surgery. She will probably be a great comfort to you at this time in your life.
2. After breast cancer surgery you may experience a sense of imbalance in your body. In time your body will adjust. A physical therapist can help you regain as much movement as possible. He or she can suggest special exercises to help work out the stiffness and help you to feel better physically after surgery.
3. If you have lymph nodes removed, the affected arm may swell from time to time. So avoid wearing tight clothing or bracelets.
4. Use the arm that has not been involved in your mastectomy or partial mastectomy to carry heavy items.
5. After surgery you will want any medical procedures to be done on your stronger arm. For example, receive injections and have your blood pressure taken on the arm that has not been involved in your surgery.
6. For heavy-duty cleaning or gardening use protective gloves. If your arm is swelling, you'll feel worse having it scratched by thorns from your rose bushes.
7. Protect your skin against sunburn. A swollen sunburned arm can cause a great deal of misery!
8. Be especially careful not to cut yourself when you trim your nails or cuticles.
9. Purchase an elastic sleeve to wear on your arm if it swells.
10. Protect yourself from being bit by mosquitoes and other insects.
11. Your arm may bother you if you have lymph nodes removed, so be sure to consult with your doctor if your arm should bother you.
12. Be very careful to avoid junk foods and eat healthy foods to give your body the nourishment it needs.
By putting these 12 tips into practice after you have had breast cancer surgery, you will help yourself feel better and avoid needless extra suffering.
Learn how to take care of yourself or ease the suffering of a loved one after breast cancer surgery. Patricia Wagner writes about a variety of health tips to help you be healthier.

Genetic Risks of Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:54:00.001-07:00

Genetic alterations are key factors in breast carcinogenesis. However, it is not fully understood what causes the genetic damage. Is it the woman's environment or her life that does the damage? Or is it hormones? If so, is it her own, or the ones she takes? Or is it toxic chemicals or a virus or radiation that causes these alterations? If it were possible to identify the causes and block or eliminate them, it wouldn't matter quite as much which genes were being altered.
A good example is lung cancer. It is well known that cigarette smoking triggers the disease, so it must cause the genetic alterations. Thus, it is less crucial to find out what the alterations are, because it is not necessary to neutralize the causative genetic alterations. People can just be told to stay away from cigarette smoke and, if they do so, that will tremendously reduce the risk of lung cancer. So in the case of breast cancer, thinks like diet, alcohol consumption, hormone replacement, pesticides in the environment and electromagnetic waves are currently being studied to find carcinogens, but so far, none has been found equivalent to smoke in lung cancer. Both the environmentalists and the basic researchers are right, at least to an extent. You can't simply say, "Toxic chemicals are the cause of cancer". Alone, they are not. Many people are exposed to environmental toxicants such as pesticides and never develop cancer. But on the other hand, you can't also simply say, "All cancers are genetic, environmental contaminants are irrelevant". It is the interaction between genes and the environment that will, in the end, explain cancer.
Another important aspect of breast cancer genetics are very important genes called tumor suppressor genes. These genes tamper with oncogenes (genes that have mutated) and proto-oncogenes (normal, non-mutated genes). These genes serve as breaks for the cell cycle system. While there are some genes that push the cells to grow and divide, tumor suppressor genes function in reverse to this. Sometimes, this happens because the cell is defective; in which case the tumor suppressor gene signals the cell to stop replicating or, in some instances, causes the cell to undergo a programmed type of death, known as apoptosis.
The tumor suppressor gene, p53, keeps cells with DNA mutation from dividing. It is believed that BRCA 1 and BRCA 2, which are breast cancer genes, are actually tumor suppressor genes normally functioning as DNA repair molecules. Since these genes maintain the balance in the cell cycle system, mutations or loss of function could be disastrous for the cell.
In most cancers, there is not just one but several mutations. One of the more important questions is whether the mutations come in sequentially. Will one develop breast cancer is she has the oncogene Her-2/neu mutation initially, followed by alteration of the tumor suppressor gene p53, but not if the p53 mutates first? There is still so much to be discovered with regard to the genetic causes of breast cancer. We don't have the answers yet, but we are definitely on the verge of solving the mystery.

Genetic Risks of Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:53:00.000-07:00

Clinical Trials in Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:52:00.000-07:00

The process of demonstrating whether a novel treatment method is better than the previous ones requires breast cancer patients to volunteer to take part in the testing of new drugs and procedures. These tests are called clinical trials.
Clinical trials need to be done in an unbiased way, if their results are to be deemed reliable. This would call for women to be randomly assigned into one or more treatment groups. In the end, the outcomes of the treatment of the various groups of the trial are compared against each other. Randomization of research subjects in clinical trials is responsible for the many recent advances in cancer treatment. Data drawn from several trials have shown that less surgery and radiation therapy are as effective as more invasive mastectomies (breast resection). Some also show that providing chemotherapy to women with non-metastasized breast cancer prevents the appearance of systemic spread and that the use of tamoxifen (a selective estrogen receptor modulator) increases the cure rate in women with hormone positive breast cancer. Through the randomized method, the physician and investigator bias has been eliminated, which is a major problem in clinical research trials comparing a novel therapy to standard treatment.
Women who have been willing to participate in clinical research trials have made a significant contribution to medical advancement. Each of these trials tests a new hypothesis and the results then become a knowledge base for succeeding clinical trials. In order to show significant differences in therapeutic modalities, several thousand women are needed as research subjects for each trial. These volunteers are well aware that they may be getting established or experimental treatment and will not be told which. These women bravely participated with this magnitude of uncertainty, not knowing if one treatment is more or less effective than the other, but agreed to help answer the question of which the more optimal therapy was. The difference in each treatment regimen in trials today involves the sequencing of various treatments or the addition of a new drug.
There are also studies called pilot trials. These are usually done in a center that is implementing clinical research that is not sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and is not randomized. Usually, these studies are sponsored by drug companies, or conducted at a university. There are safeguards in place in pilot studies to protect the research subjects as much as possible. Oftentimes, these protocols are only for women with advanced cancer who may be willing to place themselves at risk because of limited treatment options available to them at that that late stage of breast cancer.
Most human clinical research trials are divided into three phases depending upon the question, which it is attempting to answer. Phase I testing is designed to determine if a new treatment has acceptable tolerability to cancer patients and at what dosage significant side effects start to occur. Once a drug or a treatment method has been proven safe, Phase II clinical trials quantifies the objective response rate, that is, if treatment results in a measurable reduction in cancer. In women with breast cancer, both Phase I and II testing is performed on those with metastatic spread. Phase III testing involves a comparison of standard treatment to a promising one that has already gone through Phase I and II testing. Most women enrolled in this phase of clinical trials are those with a newly diagnosed breast cancer.
If you have breast cancer and you would wish to participate in such a trial, ask your oncologist if you are eligible to enroll in one. Your ability to participate may depend on the health care delivery system you are in, so you should talk to your Health Insurance Company or HMO representative. Generally, the coming years should prove very promising in the field of breast cancer research, primarily because there are phenomenal scientific resources being dedicated to the cause.

Oncogenes and Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:51:00.000-07:00

Proto-oncogenes are normal genes involved in making cells differentiate and divide. When these genes are mutated, they are then called oncogenes. Proto-oncogenes involved in breast cancer are mostly those that cause more cell division by making the cell cycle go faster and accelerate. They are involved in pushing cell division harder, stronger and faster.
One of the proto-oncogenes is related to the epidermal growth factor receptor. This receptor plays a vital role at certain times of the life cycle, such as puberty, when big changes are going on with body growth, wherein a protein known as epidermal growth factor functions to promote cell growth. This protein binds to an epidermal growth factor receptor and signals the cell to grow. When the proto-oncogene for the receptor is over expressed, it doesn't wait for the epidermal growth factor receptor to tell it to grow. Instead, cells begin to grow independently, just like getting stuck in the "ON" position.
Another type of epidermal growth factor receptor is a subtype, the epidermal growth factor receptor 2. This receptor is more commonly known as Her-2/neu oncogene. The type of genetic alteration that Her-2/neu has in breast cancer is known as amplification. Instead of having only one copy during cell division, the cell makes numerous copies of this gene, about ten to sixty times more. Either the gene over expression or the extra protein can be measured in a woman's cancer by examining the cancer tissue that has been resected. Since Her-2/neu oncogene encodes a growth factor receptor, it functions in signaling the cells to grow faster and faster, although it is not involved in cancer invasiveness. About 70 to 80 percent breast precancers have over expression of Her-2/neu oncogene. The cancer cells are still contained within the breast duct, but they have been programmed to grow much faster because of the over expression of such oncogene. Although Her-2/neu oncogene was first identified in breast cancer, research is also being done to see if it is also involved in other cancer types such as lung, pancreas and ovary cancer.
For breast cancer to have an invasive nature, it needs more than one genetic alteration. So long as there's only over expression of Her-2/neu oncogene, the cancer will remain confined within the breast duct. If it requires other forms of genetic alterations, one that causes cancer cells to move out of the ductal region or make new blood vessels (angiogenesis), then it can spread. If the cancer patient has these invasive cancer alterations and one of the accelerated cancer growths, then it is worse. People with both of these genetic alterations have a worse prognosis than with only one type of alteration alone. Cancer not only requires excessive cancer cell proliferation, it also has to invade, grow new blood vessels and spread from the breast area.
One of the fascinating things that have happened in recent years is that there is now an antibody to counteract the Her-2/neu receptor, which can be given intravenously to breast cancer patients. It has quite a unique mechanism of action. It attaches only to cells with too much Her-2/neu receptor, not the normal ones, so that while it antagonizes Her-2/neu cells, it leaves the other cells unaffected. Unlike chemotherapy, with which case most dividing cells are destroyed, it is a targeted therapy. So far, this treatment has been used only in metastatic breast cancer, but it has implications for disease that hasn't spread yet.

Tamoxifen and Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:50:00.000-07:00

A number of cells in the female body contain receptors for estrogen and estrogen-like substances. Examples of these organs are the breast, uterus, vagina, skin, ovaries and brain. Estrogen binds to receptors on breast cells and stimulates them to divide and replicate. This mechanism, on the other hand is turned off by Tamoxifen as it attaches to the estrogen receptors in the cell surface. With breast cancer cells that contain estrogen receptors, Tamoxifen sends these cells into a programmed cell death cycle known as apoptosis.
Tamoxifen is orally administered just like other hormones. Aside from rendering breast cancer cells into apoptosis, it also acts like estrogen on other tissues and has a positive effect on bone metabolism. Tamoxifen, in comparison to estrogen, stimulates the uterine lining more and both substances are equally effective in retaining bone calcium.
Several studies have shown that Tamoxifen increases the cure rate of women with non-invasive breast cancer, but is still controversial in its clinical use. The controversy lies on a recent clinical trial, which aimed to determine if Tamoxifen was effective in primary breast cancer prophylaxis in high risk asymptomatic women. At the end of the trial, Tamoxifen was dealt with severe scrutiny and a large amount of negative press overstating its potential adverse effects for asymptomatic women. There is, indeed, no question that Tamoxifen is an extremely potent drug in the treatment of breast cancer patients. Based on the results of another clinical trial involving the use of Tamoxifen, treatment duration plays a significant role in drug treatment outcome. This clinical trial compared five years versus ten years of using Tamoxifen after the diagnosis of breast cancer. The trial showed that five years of taking Tamoxifen significantly diminished the systemic recurrence of breast cancer. On the other hand, an additional five years added only expense and potential risk of uterus cancer with no additional benefits in cure rate. Not all breast cancers, however, respond to Tamoxifen treatment. Response rate to Tamoxifen varies upon the abundance of estrogen and progesterone receptors in the primary cancer.
Since breast cancers are very heterogeneous, they do not develop in the same cellular way. About 60 percent of breast cancers contain estrogen and progesterone receptors, while others contain less. Tamoxifen appears to be more effective in women who have more of these hormone receptors in their tumors than those who do not. On the other hand, within a given breast cancer, there may be cells that have more hormone receptors than others do. Hence, the effect of Tamoxifen on these conditions varies. It is also possible that over time, breast cancer cells that are hormone receptor positive may evolve and may not contain hormone receptors anymore. This may explain why women who receive a combination treatment of Tamoxifen and chemotherapy may have a better response to treatment than with either therapy given alone. In most cases, when chemotherapy and Tamoxifen are given in a cancer patient, they are given sequentially; initially, chemotherapy is given to destroy hormone receptor negative breast cancer cells and then followed by Tamoxifen, which can then act on hormone receptor positive cells that may be less susceptible to chemotherapeutic drugs.
In a few cases, perimenopausal women seem to have a difficulty with Tamoxifen use. Most premenopausal women in their 30s and 40s almost have no adverse effects with Tamoxifen and older women who are not in hormone replacement have little problem with Tamoxifen treatment.
The major side effect of Tamoxifen is uterine toxicity. Some women taking the drug have endometrial thickening, a stimulation of the glandular lining of the uterus, which can become cancerous if left unnoticed. The chance of developing uterine cancer as a result of Tamoxifen use is quite small, only about one percent. Nevertheless, the uterus must be monitored carefully with either an ultrasound or endometrial biopsy during the patient's annual pelvic examination if she is taking this drug.
Tamoxifen was the first selective estrogen receptor modulator developed and has been used for over 20 years. Recently, several other drugs of this class have been released and more are presently undergoing development. The goal is to develop the "perfect" drug in this class that prevents breast cancer without stimulating the uterus, is beneficial to the skeletal system and is good for lipid metabolism with as minimal side effects as possible. The perfect selective estrogen receptor modulator should also be an excellent hormone replacement agent for women entering menopause.

Breast Cancer Vascularization

2008-08-23T01:49:00.000-07:00

Cancer cells die off quickly if they do not have a blood supply. Cancers can grow only about 2 millimeters and then will stop growing unless they have more blood vessels. There are certain proteins that function to promote the development of new blood vessels. These proteins are specific growth factors that have important roles during development. An embryo, for example, needs new blood vessels that can grow all the way to the arms and legs, in order to develop fingers and toes distally. In the case of an injury, one needs blood vessels to grow and heal it. This explains why an injured area appears red. One such protein, which stimulates blood vessel growth, is known as vascular endothelial growth factor or vascuolotropin. This is secreted by the cancer cells and then binds to their specific receptor on the blood vessels and tells them to make more cells. This will initiate the process of angiogenesis - "angio" means vessels and "genesis" which means growth. On a microscopic view, some tumors have more blood vessels than others do. The more blood vessels a tumor has, the more blood supply it has, which in turn facilitates its growth. Thus, the more chances the cancer has of spreading, because there are more "roads" to spread out on. Some researchers think that perhaps we can measure vascular endothelial growth factor in the blood or in the breast duct fluid to see if there are new blood vessels growing.
A researcher from Boston made the astonishing discovery that cancers actually secrete not only growth promoting proteins, but also growth inhibiting ones (angiogenic inhibitors). These are substances that keep metastasis under control by inhibiting the growth of new blood vessels. Thus, when the primary cancer is removed, the metastasis grows more because the angiogenic inhibitors are also removed. It seems quite odd that a cancer would produce something from itself to stop it from growing. One would always think it is in the nature of cancer to want to spread and metastasize. Cancer will grow in its own area, but will keep any cells from growing in other organs. The idea is fanciful, but cancers do not seem to like having rivals. This is definitely not to suggest that if you have a cancer, you should ignore it because in won't spread unless you undergo surgery. For one thing, it probably isn't true for all cancers. For another, the process of metastasis after cancer surgery is far from absolute. It doesn't stop the cancer from spreading; it only controls the metastasis already out there.
Anti-angiogenic drugs are now being tested in humans for breast cancer therapy. One of these is thalidomide. This drug blocks the growth of new blood vessels. This is why when pregnant women in the 60s took it to treat insomnia; their children were often born without arms and legs. But if you are not pregnant and you're an adult who does not need more blood vessels, then you may want to ask your oncologist about treatment options involving thalidomide. Several anti-angiogenesis drugs being tested nowadays may not even have the adverse effects caused by thalidomide. Some new drugs that were developed for the treatment of arthritis, such as cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors are also anti-angiogenic. These drugs are being tested now for breast cancer prevention.

Breast Cancer Awareness: An Alternate Perspective From A Cancer Survivor

2008-08-23T01:48:00.000-07:00

I would like to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month a little differently than most others. I have a different perspective. You see, I had breast cancer nine years ago. I rejected conventional medicine and went with an alternative approach.
I'm quite cynical about Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Throughout October I see stories about brave cancer survivors who survived their toxic treatments and went on to run marathons. I see stories about new, expensive cancer breakthroughs on broadcasts lucratively sponsored by pharmaceutical companies. These are the same multinational corporations that manufacture plastics, pesticides and fragrance chemicals that actually cause cancer!
Whether you count by dollars or numbers of people employed by it, Cancer is one of the largest industries in the country. How is it that the companies that cause cancer also manufacture the cancer drugs? When it comes to Big Pharma, news stories aren't so much news as propaganda. Watch carefully this month: How many breast cancer stories will show women being healed by natural, non-patented medicine? None.
Why is it that the research we're asked to fund looks for new treatments (as long as they can be patented), but never at the carcinogenic effects of plastics, pesticides and fragrance chemicals? Because it would rock the industrial boat that funds the research. Their definition of "prevention" is earlier detection. My definition of "prevention" is not getting it in the first place!
So why did I choose to risk my life with alternative medicine?
Two women whom I loved very much died of breast cancer not long before I got it. More accurately, they died of their cancer treatments. One was like a mother to me, the other, like a sister. They were both seemingly healthy when the cancer was discovered. Indeed one had no tumor site at all. At her annual physical, the doctor found some cancer cells trapped in a lymph node. That's what lymph nodes are supposed to do. Her immune system was working well.
They gave her every test they could to find the location of the cancer, to no avail. Then they proceeded to bombard the poor woman with "as much chemo as we can give you without actually killing you." After that, they gave her radiation therapy.
Once she had no immune system left, the cancer that her body had been keeping at bay took over with a vengeance. It spread to her hip bone. More radiation. Oops! Too strong. The radiation killed her hip bone so she needed a hip replacement. More chemo. No more visits from her beloved grandchildren because she had no immunity to germs.
The bone cancer spread to her arm. She had a painful surgery for that. Then to her skull- exactly where her mobile phone antenna had touched her head. The last three years of life for this once-vital, beautiful woman were spent in pain, wretched illness and isolation. She never complained once. She just accepted it as her fate. I held her hand as she died.
My other friend was only in her late 30's when they found the lump. She was a healthy vegetarian who practiced yoga, meditation, and alternative medicine. One day when she was getting a chiropractic adjustment, the doctor said her thyroid felt a little strange and suggested she get it checked.
She did, and it was fine. But the new doctor felt a breast lump and prescribed a mammogram and biopsy. Yep, take a little sealed-up tumor, crush it, radiate it and poke it repeatedly with a needle. Then act surprised when it suddenly metastasizes like crazy. The doctor actually told my friend that she had likely had the tumor for at least ten years.
My friend wanted to do alternative cancer therapies. Her oncologist said she should only do them as an adjunct to conventional treatment. Within a year she had lost her breast and was almost killed by chemo and radiation. The natural medicines, which are much more gentle, had no hope of working on a body that was so ravaged and sickened. Within another year she had lost the other breast, had more rounds of chemo, and died shortly after that.
The next year I found my lump, and within six weeks I had six lumps. I consulted with an M.D. and several alternative doctors. I read a bunch of books they recommended. I prayed and fretted, then decided that, live or die, I was going with non-toxic alternative medicine.
I called my late friend's husband and told him the news. He said, "Whatever you do, don't let the doctors get their hands on you. My wife told me before she died that she was sorry she ever listened to them. I believe that if she had gone a natural route she would be alive today."
So here is my advice for Breast Cancer Awareness:
Question Authority- Don't automatically believe the doctors, or anyone else. That includes this article.
Take Responsibility for Your Life- People who will spend weeks researching the pros and cons of a new car, carefully studying the fine print on a contract, will never study their medical options! Your doctor doesn't have to live or die with the consequences of your treatment, you do!
Learn About Your Options- They're out there, but your medical doctor has not studied them. Even if she has, she is forbidden to suggest them! Educate yourself before you're ever in a health crisis.
Be a Difficult Patient- Demand thermography instead of, or at least before, a mammogram. Thermography uses no radiation, does not crush the breast tissue, and can detect cancers months or even years before a mammogram can.
Learn About the Fungal Connection to Cancer- It can save your life.
Wishing you and yours the best of health!
About the Author:

Controversies in Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:47:00.000-07:00

Non-invasive breast cancer, also known as ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, is highly curable. It is most commonly detected on a screening mammogram. The standard of care is surgical removal, followed by breast radiation therapy, in women who wish to conserve their breast. The alternative is a mastectomy. Both modalities have equal survival outcomes. However, there has been a great deal of controversy about the necessity for radiation therapy for DCIS in women who opt for breast conservation.
Proponents for radiation therapy underscore the fact that the risk of a recurrence in the breast can be a more aggressive or even an invasive recurrence. Half of these recurrences are due to invasive breast cancer. The latter has the potential to spread to lymph nodes of the underarm and to other parts of the body. Without radiation therapy, the risk of a local recurrence is approximately 20%. By adding radiation therapy, the risk of such a failure is reduced by half. Needless to say, this is a substantial benefit.
The experts who do not support the routine use of radiation therapy for DCIS espouse that there is no difference in long-term survival between women who undergo radiation therapy versus those who do not. A woman who is willing to accept the higher risk of a recurrence in the breast may be treated with surgical removal alone. The question then arises: which women with DCIS should undergo radiation therapy and which should be observed?
Since the potential common side effects from radiation therapy, such as a skin reaction and fatigue, are temporary and the woman’s risk for developing an invasive and potentially life threatening breast recurrence is significant, it is prudent for women to take the more aggressive approach.
Certain factors, such as the woman’s age, her overall health, the surgical margin (or rim of normal breast tissue removed around the DCIS, with the wider the margin being more favorable), and the grade of the DCIS (low grade is much less aggressive than high grade and intermediate grade falls between these two extremes), should factor into the decision making.
Radiation therapy should be strongly considered for young women, women who have close margins, women with DCIS measuring more than ½ centimeter (cm) and/or those do not have low grade DCIS. On the other hand, studies show that even older women with DCIS measuring less than ½ cm, who have wide margins and/or low grade DCIS, benefit from the addition of radiation therapy.
The good news is that radiation therapy is a very easy, painless treatment that can enable women with DCIS to be at low risk of having the disease return in the treated breast, and peace of mind that they left no stone unturned.

Alcohol Increases The Risk For The Most Frequent Kinds Of Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:46:00.000-07:00

A new report from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden states that women who have been through menopause, who drink daily more than 250 ml beer, 100 ml wine or 25 ml of high-per cent alcohol, clearly increase the risk of getting sick with the most frequent kinds of breast cancer. This risk is particularly increased if the women in addition to drinking alcohol are on hormone replacement therapy.
It is well-known that excessive consumption of alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer within women, especially those who have left menopause behind them. However at this point it has not been examined whether there is a connection between alcohol and the development of certain kinds of cancer of the breast.
The researchers had from 1987 to 1997 data to the consumption of alcohol of approximately 51,800 women collected. All participants in the Breast Mammography Study had gone through the menopause stage while still a part of the study where they could be assessed on an ongoing basis.
Already known is more than a half glass of wine daily clearly increases the risk of breast cancer. The Swedish researchers found that increasing the alcohol by 10 grams daily also increases the risk to get sick with an OS-positive cancer of the breast in such a way specified. This most frequent kind of cancer of the breast is propelled by the female sex hormone OS which channels growth.
10 grams of alcohol is contained in a small beer glass (250 ml)
A half glass of wine (100 ml) already contains 12 grams of alcohol.
In the Swedish investigation the consumption of alcohol of more than 10 grams of alcohol per day increased the risk for an OS-positive cancer of the breast. Absolutely 232 in 100,000 got sick in the group with consumption of alcohol of more than 10 grams per day. Women who got cancer of the breast who did not drink during the study compared to women who did drink alcohol were only 158 in 100,000.
There is a particularly strong aggravation to the risk by alcohol when combined with hormone replacement therapy. This causes concern that the risk of breast cancer increases particularly strongly within the women who drink more than 10 grams of alcohol daily and take hormone replacement therapy. With them the risk for OS-positive tumors increased by 3.5%.
The researchers draw the result that their results show that with women who have gone through menopause with just a moderate consumption of alcohol have significantly increased the risk for OS-positive cancer of the breast. This realization is of importance, since OS-positive breast cancers are the most proliferated types of breast cancer in our modern society and thus gives some plausibility to the studies findings.

Does Olive Oil Really Help Lower The Risk Of Breast Cancer?

2008-08-23T01:44:00.002-07:00

From past scientific reports the Mediterranean dietary intake has been proven to offer protection against many diseases.
In US studies researchers have found out in what way the Mediterranean food diet that contained a high portion of olive oil can protect against breast cancer. A component of the olive oil could even find itself in the close future used in cancer therapy.
Investigations conducted on the population of south Europe pointed out that a Mediterranean diet with a lot of fish, fruit, vegetables and olive oil protects against a row of diseases, among them are some kinds of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
In particular an illness-preventing effect is associated with olive oil and the unique oleic acid contained within it. The researchers around Javier Menendez before that Northwestern University Fine Mountain School OF Medicine in Chicago examined it at a cellular level to see the effects of the cell in contact with the acid.
Gene activity braked
The tests showed that oleic acid decreases the activity of a gene, that with the emergence by breast cancer in connection with the gene– Her-2/neu-Gen. Within approximately 20 per cent of all breast cancer patients this gene is overactive.
It comes on with an aggressive tumor growth and female patients connected with it have a smaller chance of survival. In the cell tests oleic acid lowered the genes activity by 46 per cent, reports the scientists in the “Annals OF Oncology”.
Beyond that oleic acid increased the effectiveness of the cancer means “Herceptin”. This affected likewise the Her-2/neu-Gen and can extend the life expectancy of the female patients.
Possibly oleic acid can emerge as one of the solutions to become another resistance for use by medicine to help prevent or at last stop, this aggressive cancer reports Menendez.
Because it affects a protein, which plays a role in the emergence of Herceptin.
It still remains to be seen whether the results of the cell attempts can be transferred to humans, their investigation however supports the epidemiological studies, which showed a Mediterranean Diet offered a protecting effect.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Businesses Supporting the Cause

2008-08-23T01:44:00.001-07:00

Currently, the month of October is designated as the official National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). For over two decades, NBCAM has successfully educated women of all ages about early detection, treatment, and diagnosis of breast cancer. Non-profit organizations such as Karmanos Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Breast Cancer Foundation are devoted to raising money for breast cancer research and educating women (and men) about the disease, supporting those with breast cancer, and celebrating the individuals who have survived it.
Companies such as Macy’s and Target are inviting their consumers to join them in the fight against breast cancer. The “Pink Ribbon Items” are sold to help support breast cancer research. These companies have agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds to breast cancer charities. Most items related to breast cancer awareness can be identified with a pink label or a pink ribbon. Ford Motor Company has supported breast cancer research for over 10 years by donating money and selling pink silk scarves specifically for breast cancer charities. All businesses are invited to invest in unique corporate gifts that help support breast cancer research. There are corporate gifts available that are embellished with the breast cancer awareness “pink ribbon”. Some of the other gifts are manufactured in pink and can be personalized with a monogram. These breast cancer awareness business gifts range any where from heart-shaped luggage tags to pink leather totes.
Breast cancer awareness is not limited to woman only. Men are encouraged to support the cause as well. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, 1600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Even the most masculine man should rethink wearing pink when it comes to supporting a great cause.
Although, October is designated as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, supporting the cause can be a year-round commitment. Those who are unaffected by breast cancer should help join the fight against breast cancer for their loved ones. Whether you decide to participate in an American Cancer Society sponsored walk, donate money to breast cancer charities, or invest in business gifts that help support breast cancer research, you will certainly contribute to saving someone’s life.

Breast Cancer and Diet

2008-08-23T01:43:00.001-07:00

If there is one major area that needs to be improved in medical school training, it is in the field of nutrition. Traditionally, diseases were viewed as attacking the body from the outside, like an infectious agent. Nutrition and diet were usually not emphasized as a critical factor of the battle in the study of Western medicine. Now, it is known that nutrition and the general state of health are both crucial in fighting, preventing and recovering from disease, including breast cancer.
The medical information regarding the usefulness and efficacy of dietary supplements and herbs has been studied and developed differently from the information regarding chemotherapy regimens. Medical researchers study groups of people closely to study the efficacy of a particular dose or sequence of chemotherapy regimens compared to the best treatment plan already being used. This information is published for a specialized audience of cancer specialists, who use the data in the treatment of their patients. On the other hand, herbal and dietary supplements are rarely studied in this manner. Instead, people trained in other modes of treatment use remedies that have been passed on from their teachers and seem to be useful in treating their patients. Physicians have slowly come to realize the need for more traditional scientific testing of these herbal and supplementary therapeutic modalities.
Most women with breast cancer diagnoses are partially convinced that they have caused their breast cancer by poor dietary practice, lack of exercise or excessive stress. There is no evidence, however, that any particular agent or factor is responsible for breast cancer. Quite popular now are publications and books suggesting that breast cancer can be prevented and even be cured, by dietary modification and lifestyle change. As famous as this approach is nowadays, there is no evidence to support this claim. This approach has a certain appeal to many individuals basically because it is simple and empowering.
Nor is there evidence to support supposition that breast cancer results from depressed immune system function. Sadly, it appears that the immune system cannot determine a breast cancer cell from a normal breast glandular cell even with their significant differences due to DNA damage. An example of this, the development of the drug trastuzumab (Herceptin) is based on the overproduction of a gene fragment that leads to increased amounts of a cell surface protein not found on normal cells. The host cannot differentiate this abnormal cell and its increase in protein, but an antibody can be developed by using another species' immune system and then, by using genetic engineering, that information can be transferred into a human antibody-producing cell. These genetically altered human cells then produce an antibody to attack the cell surface protein. This antibody can destroy the cell and make it more susceptible to other anticancer agents. The important issue is that breast cancer is not recognized by a normal immune system. As more knowledge is obtained, it may be possible to manipulate the immune system through vaccines and genetically modified proteins, but the immune system in a breast cancer patient is almost certainly functioning well. If a cancer patient requires chemotherapy, this may impair the immune system temporarily, but this is completely reversible and will not allow the cancer any advantage.
Your immune system is important in infection prophylaxis and you need to take care of it and your body and its ability to heal through nutrition, vitamins and exercise.

Breast Cancer Invasion

2008-08-23T01:42:00.002-07:00

For cancer to develop, all cells need more than the ability to divide and grow uncontrollably. Non-cancerous, benign tumors also undergo that process. What is ultimately crucial is their ability to invade outside their localized area. The cells in any given area are tightly attached to each other, forming a natural guard against invasion. So for a cell to break outside of its own area and into another area requires special qualities.
One of the things being studied now in terms of cancer is that tight cell connection. There is a kind of special "glue" called the extracellular matrix which holds cells together. If a cell has a substance that can dissolve or consume the "glue", it will have a much better chance of getting out of its area and into another.
The ability of a cancer cell to invade may be caused by several factors. One of these is the ability to release a protein, known as metalloproteinase that functions to dictate the cell connections not to adhere to each other so tightly. Then the other cells behave in a way that allows the cancer cell to escape its territory and invade. Another possibility is that the cancer cell may be able to push its way out of the tight cell connection on its own. There are a lot of ways this might happen. In the long run, that is good because there are a lot of potential ways to interfere with this process. The down side of it is, it's difficult in the short run because this makes these complicated to figure out.
With the discovery of various cancer genes came a new way of thinking about breast cancer. The astonishing part of it is that all these years, cancer cells have been studied by looking at them in isolation. Medical researchers take cancer cells and grow them in petri dishes and then study their behavior. This is like placing criminals in isolation chambers and then studying their personalities. They're not interacting with anyone, so there actually is no way to examine how they behave. We have finally realized that if we were to study cancer cells seriously in their own environment we can learn much more, because they interact with their surrounding cells and the surrounding cells have an effect on them.
A medical researcher in Berkeley, California, has begun studying cancer cells in a breast tissue environment. She took breast cancer cells that have genetic mutations and grew them in a cell culture or normal breast extracellular matrix. In that environment the cancer cells behaved like normal cells - they proliferated and grew breast ducts and did other things that healthy breast cells do. The influence of healthy normal cells surrounding the cancer cells caused them to function in a normal way, even though they were already genetically altered.
This means that, if the right tools were found, cancer may be reversible, or at least be controlled to some extent and we won't have to try to kill every last cancer cell.

Fat Has Long Been Known As One Of The Evil Elements In Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:42:00.001-07:00

Research has shown that too much fat in the fodder cup increases the tumor risk. In addition, international comparative studies stated, where greater amounts of fat were consumed, breast cancer cases rose.
The quality of the results of these comparative studies does not leave much to the imagination. They are based on agricultural production numbers and state nothing about the fat consumption of individual persons.
Besides societies differ, where there is little fat eaten as in traditional Japanese rural regions or in Africa as compared to our prosperous western societies that it is impossible to link back the different diseases such as breast cancer to only a meal or to an individual material like fat.
Take young African women who get their periods later than western females, but they bear their first child in earlier years and have far more children. Each of these factors reduces the statistical risk for breast cancer.
The latest and more methodical studies in which women who consumed a great deal of food but with little fat were compared directly with each another. The results did not provide any proven evidence that vouches for the fact that any one different source of fat was worse or better than the other.
It did not play a role whether the fat was of animal or vegetable origin and whether it predominantly consisted of unsaturated fatty acids.
As breast cancer promotions advertize a bad nutrition is also regarded as too many calories, too much fat, alcohol and meat. On the other hand a low fat food diet is better for the chest and rich in base materials, vegetables, fruit, anti-oxidants and vitamins.
But how well are these statements proven by scientific investigations?
In laboratories it has been proven that mice set on half rations of food live longer and rarely get cancer. So do women who want to protect themselves against breast cancer have to do likewise?
It is advised that it would not be beneficial for women to go on these stringent diets because first of all observation studies of humans did not result in a connection between the calorie admission and the risk of breast cancer. Secondly from experience it shows that humans who are constantly dieting on and off tend to put on weight rather than become thinner.
Nevertheless there is an indirect effect of our western way of life on the risk of breast cancer. Our children mature exceedingly faster especially the females who are becoming sexually ripe earlier. Statistically this earlier stage of development is accompanied with an increase in breast cancer.
Also the connection between the predominance of breast cancer is far less clear, than what has been studied and read in technical literature. The data shows that years ago chubby women seemed to be protected against chest tumors. Past statistics have shown this.
Past published studies showed an increase in weight did not result in a higher risk of getting this form of breast cancer. These extra pounds of body weight actually help protect against Osteoporosis, the fearful decalcifying of the bones.
With the rising consumption of meat about half of the studies published so far have not resulted in an increased risk of breast cancer, the other half were undecided which is possibly explained by the fact that there are some women who have sensitive reactions to meat
The women with sensitive reactions showed certain characteristics in their hereditary factors, which are presently being intensively investigated. Which leads to a possible concern as to the benefit of meat. It is important to know that the questionable substances develop particularly with well done meat. In addition these reactions can be further intensified to a minimum by meat spices such as Thyme, Mint and Mustard.
As far as alcohol goes most studies found an increase of the risk of breast cancer, some starting from a drink per day. However the aggravation of risk was only slight. While alcohol is not favorably healthy in larger quantities, the benefits of alcohol in moderation must be taken in to account. Such as its favorable effect on the cardiovascular system, a moderate consumption of alcohol in the second part of life accompanies clearly with decreased cardiac problems and impacts disease accumulation risk with a higher life expectancy!
Fruit and vegetables are healthy, but consuming a large amount of vegetables and fruits, do not however automatically offer a higher protection from breast cancer. Several large studies could not provide any proof of a special protective effect by a high fruit and vegetable consumption. However that in no way diminishes the importance of fruit and vegetables as part of a healthy nutrition!
The same with vitamins like anti-oxidants, vitamin E, C and A, whilst good for you there is no undisputable evidence that vitamins can reduce the risk of breast cancer. References have been made that Vitamin E and C can actually help enrich the tumor helping it to protect itself against the medicines meant to destroy it.
A possible exception concerns a Vitamin of the B-group. Whether it is really useful however will only be shown through future studies as more data is collected and recommendations made.
Beside Vitamin and mineral supplements vegetables contain secondary plant compounds that could be helpful. Among these substances for example ranked highly is Flavonoid (group of antioxidant chemical compounds) and Phytoestrogens (compounds that occur naturally in plants).
Therefore they are at present investigated intensively with laboratory and animal experiments as well as a set of human observation studies pointed towards the chest-protecting effect of Phytoestrogens.
Before purposeful nourishing recommendations can be given, the researchers must however still clarify how the processing of the food affects the effect of these substances.
Still with all the existing knowledge gaps it can safely be said that there is no Diet or food form which can heal cancer.

Treating Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:41:00.001-07:00

It wasn't that long ago that a diagnosis of breast cancer was almost akin to a death sentence. Nowadays, however, there are many options for treating breast cancer, and the chances of success are high. Factors such as the type of breast cancer and how developed it is have the biggest influence on the outcome of treatment.
So what treatments are available today? There are three main types; let's take a look at them now.
Local Regional Treatment
This type of treatment focuses on the area where the breast cancer is found and the surrounding lymph nodes. One of the most common treatments is radiation therapy or radiotherapy. Generally women find there are few side effects to this sort of treatment, and if the cancer is still in the early stages, radiotherapy has a good chance of providing a complete cure.
Surgery is another option, but is usually only used when other methods have failed. Sometimes surgery involves removal of the lump, but in other situations it may be necessary to remove the whole breast and reconstruct the area afterwards. This is known as a mastectomy. Although this can be a difficult surgery for women to undergo emotionally, most women quickly adapt to their new body shape. Modern surgery is improving all the time, with the focus being on retaining as much of the healthy breast as possible.
Systemic Treatments
A systemic treatment involves treating the whole body. Chemotherapy is the main systemic treatment available, and is used to kill any cancer cells that may have spread into the rest of the body from the breast. Unfortunately chemotherapy is a difficult treatment to undergo, often making the patient feel ill and weak. It works by killing off all the rapidly dividing cells in the body. Many of these are cancer cells, but others are not, which is why people are often ill during chemotherapy. Still, as technology and medicine progress, chemotherapy is becoming more refined and a little easier to cope with. It's also an excellent way to prevent the spread of cancer, particularly to the lymph nodes, and so prevent fatal varieties developing.
Tamoxifen is a drug that is used as a systemic treatment. Unfortunately it often results in serious and uncomfortable side effects, so it's not often used. However it certainly has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer returning, and in some cases can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in the first place. Side effects can include uterine cancer, blood clots, early menopause, nausea, vomiting, depression and loss of energy, amongst others.
Alternative Treatments
Not everybody believes that modern medicine is the only possible cure for breast cancer, hence the call for treatments that treat the mind, body and spirit in a holistic way. Little medical evidence exists to show that these treatments are effective, but certainly there have been instances of alternative treatments leading to a complete cure. Some possible treatments include meditation, acupuncture, relaxation techniques and herbal preparations including flaxseed and black cohosh.
If you develop breast cancer, then you should spend some time learning about the disease, make sure you understand how advanced your condition is and discuss all available treatment options with your medical professional. Remember, many more women survive breast cancer today, and go on to a live a normal, healthy life after treatment. So you can do it too!

7 Hard Facts You Need to Consider before Having Breast Reconstruction Surgery

2008-08-23T01:39:00.000-07:00

Have you recently been diagnosed as having breast cancer? If your doctor recommends that you undergo a radical mastectomy, then you may want to consider having breast reconstruction surgery afterwards. However, this surgery is not for every woman because of a number of factors that will be presented in this article.
There is really no reason to rush into breast reconstruction after having a mastectomy because you can have the reconstruction done at a later time. You will be using a plastic surgeon if you opt for this operation.
Reconstruction surgery doesn't just involve one method -- but there are several methods of choice for you that are available. If you choose breast reconstruction, you may want to have an implant inserted in your breast that consists of saline or silicone material. You need to be aware of the fact that silicone implants have been known to leak.
Fat and muscles from other parts of your body can also be used for your breast reconstruction surgery. This will be harvested from your back or lower abdomen or your buttocks. Your plastic surgeon will collect this fat and muscle tissue to make a breast-shaped implant to insert where your breast was removed. Your doctor may create a flap in order to create a new breast. He will need to stretch your skin so that the implant will be permanently placed under your gradually stretched skin. After surgery has been performed and your body has healed, the finishing touches are done by tattooing the skin over the implant to simulate a natural breast.
However, as in every other kind of surgery there are dangers involved. Here are some factors to consider before you decide to have breast reconstruction performed.
1. The rebuilt breast will never feel normal again.
2. Like every other surgery, infection is a very real possibility.
3. You may or may not be satisfied with the final results of your breast reconstruction surgery.
4. There are going to be scars no matter what.
5. The donor site on your body may be adversely affected and the changes will probably be permanent.
6. You may require more than one surgery.
7. Because your body may suffer lasting negative effects from choosing to have breast reconstruction surgery, you may wind up regretting having had it done.
However, you may be very pleased with the results and breast reconstruction could be a great benefit in helping you to feel more normal for the rest of your life.
You and your doctor have to decide if breast reconstruction surgery is worthwhile in your case and if you are likely to be pleased with the final permanent results.
Learn how to take care of yourself or ease the suffering of a loved one after breast cancer surgery. Patricia Wagner writes about a variety of health tips to help you be healthier.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: A Whole Lot of Hoopla

2008-08-23T01:38:00.002-07:00

As breast cancer awareness month comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on a month of grandstanding by an industry controlled by pharmaceutical drug companies designed to profit from women with disease. It is tragically a missed opportunity to provide real education on prevention, instead of merely promoting expensive diagnostic tools that some experts believe to be inadequate and even carcinogenic. The American Cancer Society remains fixated on damage control. If decreasing the number of fatalities is truly its first priority, why not prevent the disease before it starts? The use of the word "awareness" rather than the more appropriate word "prevention" is quite revealing. The big business of cancer is not about finding a cure.
FACT: Since 1940, the incidence of breast cancer has risen by one to two percent every year. In the past five decades, the incidence of breast cancer in females over 65 rose nearly 40% in the United States.
The American Cancer Society (ACS), held in such high esteem by so many, do more to squash legitimate natural approaches of cancer prevention and treatment than a room full of chain smokers – and they do this by using the FDA as their mighty hammer. The ACS is no friend to holistic medicine. In fact, this organization works directly against doctors offering viable natural options, placing their names on a blacklist without even verifying the efficacy of their treatment protocal. I realize this sort of talk is treading upon sacred ground and I have no doubt those responsible for passing out pink ribbons will be appalled at my beliefs but as a 41 year old woman at risk of developing this disease and active in the holistic community, I have a right to be disgusted with this obvious lack of progress and hypocrisy.
FACT: Fewer than one in 10 cases of breast cancer occurs in women born with a genetic predisposition for the disease and as many as 50% of breast cancer cases remain unexplained by traditionally-accepted risk factors.
So what is causing the substantial increase in breast cancer? Epidemiologists and other scientists increasingly believe many cases of breast cancer are linked to environmental factors. If the ACS would call on both government and industry to rethink the process by which new chemicals are authorized for use and call for accountability, we could make some real headway with regards to prevention.
For decades the ACS has spun tales of victories, so small in reality they have done virtually nothing to alter the course of this deadly disease. Meanwhile, chemical companies continue to develop insidious mixtures of cancer causing agents, spraying these chemicals on our food, adding these chemicals to the water supply, and the air we breathe. The ACS's financial ties with industry clearly influence its policies pertaining to environmental causes of cancer and in some cases have willfully suppressed information about environmental causes of cancer and is often silent on this issue, as is its accomplice, the FDA.
FACT: 9 out of 10 women will receive a false positive when screened for cancer, leading to anxiety, unnecessary surgical procedures, and toxic drugs.
A study performed on 500,000 women by researchers at the Nordic Chochrane Center in Denmark to determine whether or not cancer screening offers any benefit, determined that for every one woman helped by breast cancer screening, ten were harmed through false diagnosis leading to unnecessary treatments, which could be devastating to their health. This is partly due to the irradiation of breasts caused by mammography, increasing a woman’s chance for cancer but also because the numerous false positives lead to unnecessary biopsies and toxic treatment.
Since the introduction of mammographic screening, the incidence of a form of breast cancer called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has increased by 328%. It is believed that as much as 200% of this increase is due to mammography. In addition to harmful radiation, mammography may also spread existing cancer cells due to the considerable pressure placed on the breast during the procedure. According to health practitioners, this compression could actually cause existing cancer cells to metastasize from the breast tissue.
Before writing this article, I spent some time on the web site for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, www.nbcam.com, and found absolutely no information on prevention. It would seem mammography is the cancer industry's greatest achievement and yet if you look outside the information published by the ACS, you will find this particular diagnostic tool to be woefully inadequate. If you are pre-menopausal, it will provide you very little accuracy due to the density of the breasts. And yet it is women between the ages of 44 and 55 most at risk. Why is mammography such a great achievement?
FACT: Mammography is prone to missing the most aggressive and life threatening types of breast cancer while picking up tumors often found to be benign.
I am acquainted with a woman who was sick for a number of months but no doctor was able to diagnose what was wrong. She had a mammogram performed in an effort to rule out breast cancer and no tumor was found. Five weeks later when she was having difficulty raising her right arm because of severe pain she met with another doctor and was then diagnosed with breast cancer, advanced stage four.
Since that time, about four months ago now, this woman has had countless chemotherapy sessions and I have watched her grow weaker with each passing day – not from the cancer but from the treatment. She is almost unrecognizable. Then she had a double mastectomy followed by countless radiation sessions. The next plan is to put her on a drug called tamoxifen, known to have serious side effects. In fact, a handful of studies demonstrate that the majority of women who take tamoxifen live no longer than women who refuse it. It is with great alarm that researchers are finding some breast cancers actually learn how to use tamoxifen to stimulate their growth.
I would like to focus on tamoxifen, since it is touted by the cancer industry as a great accomplishment in preventing breast cancer. Here are just a few of the more serious adverse side effects associated with this drug: (1) some studies have found that pre-menopausal users are at risk of developing accelerated bone mineral loss and osteoporosis; (2) women using tamoxifen have experienced damaged retinas, increased corneal opacities, and decreased visual acuity as well as irreversible corneal and retinal changes; (3) several studies showed that the risk of developing life-threatening blood clots increased as much as seven times in women taking tamoxifen; (4) depression; (5) asthma; (6) vocal cord changes; (7) liver cancer and liver disease as tamoxifen is toxic to the liver and can cause acute hepatitis; (8) inducing a fast moving, lethal form of uterine cancer – uterine growths such as polyps, tumors, endometrial thickenings and cancers occur in a significant number of women. One study detected abnormal endometrial cells in subjects the day after the first tablet was taken! It is interesting to note that nearly every method of diagnosing and treating breast cancer is a known carcinogen.
FACT: In a survey of 79 oncologists from McGill University Cancer Center in Canada, 64 said they would not consent to treatment with Cisplatin, a common chemotherapy drug, while 58 oncologists said they would reject all the current trials being carried out by their establishment. Why? “The ineffectiveness of chemotherapy and its unacceptable degree of toxicity.” Philip Day, Cancer: Why We’re Still Dying to Know the Truth
Millions of women right now are developing undetectable, early-stage breast cancer, yet the cancer industry does nothing until the tumor is detectable. Once detectable, an authoritative cancer specialist will push chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and toxic drugs on a vulnerable patient. Never mind that these methods cause permanent, irreversible harm to the brain, heart, liver, kidneys and other organs. Does no one question the lunacy of poisoning cells in a person who needs their immune system to be strong?
Why are we so caught up in diagnosis when the real key is prevention? Is it because prevention would pay so little to the gluttonous industry of pharmaceutical drugs? Is it because it would shut down the big business of cancer? Detection is not prevention and prevention requires personal responsibility. It requires very little money and that does not work for the drug companies.
In an effort to reduce the risk of cancer, one should focus on strengthening the immune system because there needs to be a break down in the immune system in the first place for cancer cells to thrive. And as long as the FDA is unwilling to hold industry responsible, detoxification of harmful chemicals and heavy metals is of paramount importance and there are products available to help with this great challenge. It is also important to make valuable food and lifestyle choices, and avoid exposure to cancer causing chemicals. Do not wait until your doctor diagnoses you with cancer to make a radical change in your life. I encourage you to start protecting your health today.
Paula Rothstein has been involved in the natural health industry for over 10 years with a specific emphasis on promoting products and introducing lifestyle changes which address chronic diseases relating to high levels of toxicity. For more information, please visit: www.medicinefreeliving.com Copyright 2006 Paula Rothstein

Breast Cancer Basics

2008-08-23T01:38:00.001-07:00

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women today. Among the types of cancer that are being experienced by women, breast cancer comes second after lung cancer, claiming the lives of more than 40,000 women in the country.
By the end of this year, more than 200,000 women are predicted to develop invasive breast cancer in the United States alone. Right now, statistics put a 1 is to 8 possibility ratio of developing breast cancer on women. There is about a 1 out of 28 chance that the breast cancer diagnosis will lead to death. Fortunately, because of the efforts of women’s groups to increase the awareness about the problem and the efforts of the government to address the issue, death rates are actually going down.
Risk factors for breast cancer
It is actually not known exactly why women develop breast cancer. Unlike other health problems that are rooted from a bacterial or viral infection, breast cancer is not caused by any organism. The problem only occurs when cells in the breasts begin to grow out of control and start to spread even to the other tissues in the body.
But while there are no exact known cause of breast cancer, there are some risk factors that increases the chance of some women to develop the condition. This is according to numerous studies that have correlated the presence of these factors to the occurrence of the condition. Although there are some factors that are already inherent in you, there are some who you still can do something about. Those factors have been the focus of women’s groups informational campaign, designed to teach women how best to prevent the problem from developing.
Factors that you cannot change
One of these risk factors is gender. Surprised? Unknown to many, breast cancer also occur in men. There however have been considerable emphases on women breast cancer in recent years because of the alarming growth of cases every year. One’s age is another factor. As one grows old, the higher is the chance that one will develop breast cancer. The same goes with people, who already have a family history of the problem. In fact, studies have shown that people with relatives with breast cancer actually doubles their risk for developing it.
Women who have gotten their periods early, before they were 12 years old and those who menopaused after they were 50 are also at risk for developing the condition.
Compared to Asian women, Caucasians seem to develop the problem more often. The same was also found with women who never had children or those who had children after they 30 years old. Women who had radiation therapy in the chest area are also at risk.
Factors that you can change
It is not of course all bad news. While there are factors that are beyond our control, there are things that we can do to lessen the chance of developing the condition. Breast cancer can actually be prevented by cliché as it is eating right and living healthy.
According to studies, women who drink about two to five alcoholic drinks every day seem to have an increased rate of developing breast cancer. The same was also found with women who are overweight and those who do not exercise regularly. People who take birth control pills and those that underwent some sort of hormone-replacement therapy will also develop the problem.

Alternative Breast Cancer Therapies

2008-08-23T01:36:00.002-07:00

Jenny is a 42 year old mother of three. Being a housewife is quite easy especially when the kids are at school and the husband is at work. The rest of the day is spent cleaning the house and doing the laundry with an hour to spare at the local gym.
After taking a shower, Jenny felt some pain the breast. This could be just menopause symptom so there was no need to worry. The pain got worse the next few days and sensing this was something else, finally decided to visit the doctor.
The doctor was a family friend. The initial diagnosis was done by touching the breast followed by a scan using a mammogram.
There were a lot of cancer cells present so another test had to be done. The doctor had to be sure so a sample was extracted and sent to a pathologist for analysis. After testing, it was only then that a woman’s greatest fear has become a reality. Jenny was diagnosed with breast cancer and this was already on the 3rd stage.
The third stage means the cancer has grown to more than 5 cm. in size and has spread to other parts of the body. This leaves removing the breast useless since the disease can no longer be contained.
Can there still be hope for Jenny who is already in the advanced stage of breast cancer? The truth is, the chances of recovery are very difficult.
Being informed of breast cancer is a shocking experience. There were some initial signs of disbelief then acceptance. The doctor explained everything to Jenny including the treatments available and the survival rates.
This was going to be Jenny’s greatest battle and this was just the beginning of a long struggle.
Chemotherapy was the best option now. The drugs produced some side effects like nausea and skin rashes but Jenny just thought this was short term since there is something bigger growing inside the needed to be killed.
Both Jenny and the doctor went ahead with removing the breast with a procedure called a mastectomy. Since modern medicine can have this reconstructed, this was a small price to pay. To make sure that all the cells had been wiped out, radiation therapy followed.
Jenny was happy to hear that the cancer was gone nearly a year after the diagnosis was done. Some people say this was a miracle since the battle which had taken so much was finally won. There was a huge party and everyone who prayed and supported were there to celebrate a second chance at life.
The doctor pointed out that the cancer can recur. This is the reason that Jenny still had to visit the clinic often for therapy and tests to make sure everything was wiped out.
Advanced breast cancer is sometimes hard to tell. A self examination at home is not enough which is why the patient should go to the doctor for a checkup once or twice a year.
There are a lot of people who die of breast cancer and a significant number are also diagnosed every year. The person can fight hard like Jenny did or simply give up to the disease.
Until a cure is found, the only thing people can do is work on the options and hope that a miracle will happen.

Types of Breast Cancers

2008-08-23T01:36:00.001-07:00

Unlike other illnesses, breast cancer is not actually caused by any specific factor. In fact, it is actually caused by the a host of different factors that often interact with each other. Breast cancer occurs when some cells in the breasts start to abnormally grow and spread to other tissues of the body. These cells are the ones that we call tumor cells. Contrary to popular opinion, not all tumors cause cancer. There are tumors that are actually benign and therefore cannot spread to the other parts of the body. These are not fatal. Malignant tumors however are the ones that grow and invade other tissue cells in the body. Ducts and glands are their primary targets.
Unknown to many, there are actually different kinds of breast cancer. Understanding each one can help you make sense of this condition that has claimed more than 40,000 lives in the United States alone and is the second leading cause of cancer death in the country after lung cancer. Here are some of the types and their descriptions:
Carcinoma in situThis is the term that is often used for early stage cancer, especially when it is confined to a specific place where it first began. For instance, as mentioned before, breast cancer often starts at ducts and lobules. Carcinoma is used if the abnormal cells have not yet spread to other parts of the breast and has only remained at the root location. This is actually considered the stage 0 in breast cancer staging. Although this increases the risk of developing breast cancer in the future, this is actually not considered as already a breast cancer.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)The most common form of non-invasive breast cancer, DCIS is a term that is used to define cancer cells that have remained in the ducts and have not yet spread through its wall. This means that the fatty tissues that surround the breast have not been affected. Among the types of breast cancer, this is the most curable. In fact, most women with this condition get cured, perhaps because the cells are concentrated in just one area of the body.
Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)Although not really breast cancer in the strictest sense, the lobular carcinoma in situ or LCIS for short should still be a cause of alarm as this problem can increase the risk of women getting cancer later in life. The condition is actually caused by the fact that the milk-making glands of the body do not get through the lobule walls.
Infiltrating (invasive) ductal carcinoma (IDC)This is the most common form of breast cancer, accounting for about 80 percent of all invasive breast cancer cases. Often, cancerous cells starts in the milk passages and go through the ducts, breaks in the walls of walls of the ducts and spreads to the other parts of the breasts. If not detected and treated early, this kind of breast cancer can easily spread to the other parts of the body.
Infiltrating (invasive) lobular carcinoma (ILC)Unlike the IDC, the infiltrating lobular carcinoma starts at the lobules instead of the ducts. The movement of the cancer cells are also the same. It goes through the passages and when left undetected and treated, can actually invade other cells in other parts of the body. This however is not as common, accounting for only 10 percent of the invasive breast cancer cases.

Drugs Used to Fight Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:35:00.002-07:00

Breast cancer affects thousands of Americans every year. Though no cure has been made yet, the best thing that doctors can do is contain this before it spreads to other parts of the body using drugs.
One drug is called Femara which is prescribed by the doctor for the patient. The generic name is Letrozole and works together when the woman is undergoing chemotherapy.
It works by not allowing the enzyme Aromatase which is found in the body to turn to adrogens which will later become estrogens. This will stop the tumor from growing and eventually make it shrink.
There are some reported side effects from patients such as back pain, nausea, hot flashes and fatigue which are perfectly normal when taking the medicine.
Another drug that the patient who is undergoing chemotherapy can take is called Zoladex. This is also used to treat people who have prostate cancer. This works by killing the cancer cells of estrogen through starvation.
This is because estrogen plays a big role in the growth of cancer cells. Unlike other drugs that can be taken orally, this has to be injected to the patient. This can be done monthly or every 3 months depending on the stage of the disease.
Some of the more common side effects are swelling or tenderness of the breast, loss of menses, hot flashes and vaginal dryness. The person should call the doctor at once if the drug makes the arms and legs numb or when this makes it difficult to urinate.
Tamoxifen is often used to treat patients who are undergoing chemotherapy. This is because it interferes with the growth of estrogen. This drug has been used for more than 20 years and is taken orally by the person. This is also used to treat breast cancer in men which rarely happens.
The drug works by either slowing down or stopping the growth of cancer cells produced by estrogen. This is also effective in preventing the disease from spreading which makes recurrence close to impossible.
Tamoxifen unfortunately also has side effects. These are headaches, impotence, loss of sexual desire and headaches. This can also lead to blood clots and problems of the liver but these are rare. The person can do some regular checkups to make sure all the other systems in the body do not react with the drug.
Most patients who have been prescribed this as a medicine will be taking this for the next 5 years. This may be very long but most patients have never experienced the recurence of breast cancer.
A new drug which is gaining popularity is called Taxol. The generic name for this is called Paclitaxel. This medicine is also used for those who have problems in the ovary, lungs and the bladder. This can also help treat esophageal cancer and melanoma.
This works like Zoladex since this has to be injected into the body through an IV. The person can go to the clinic to have this done or just do it at home. The side effects produced are similar to the other drugs.
This is administered for three hours every three weeks. Most patients have this done in the evening so the person can sleep peacefully without feeling the allergic reaction to the drug.
The dosage given per patient varies due to the weight; the status of the liver, how often is it given and the side effects that may be experienced.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:35:00.001-07:00

Inflammatory breast cancer, or IBC, is a rare form of breast cancer. It is estimated to occur in only 1 - 3% of all breast cancer patients. It usually occurs in post-menopausal women, but cases have been found in girls as young as 12 and in men. IBC is usually diagnosed at an earlier age than other forms of breast cancer and is more common in African American women than in Caucasian women. This cancer has a higher mortality rate because it is often misdiagnosed in the early, more treatable stages. However, advances in cancer research have improved the survival rate.
This cancer grows rapidly; your symptoms will appear in a matter of days or weeks. Women with inflammatory breast cancer often have no idea that they have breast cancer because IBC does not usually form a lump in the breast. Instead, this cancer forms 'sheets' of cancer cells making your breast feel thicker or heavier than usual. Other symptoms of IBC include swelling and tenderness of the breast, discoloration (usually red to purple) of the breast, itching or pain in the breast, dimpled or rough looking skin on the breast, swelling or crusting of the skin on the nipple and flattening or retraction of the nipple. Many of these symptoms mimic those of a breast infection, or mastitis. Mastitis usually causes a fever and usually occurs in younger breast-feeding mothers. Mastitis will respond to antibiotics. IBC, which has been documented in breast-feeding women, does not cause a fever nor respond to antibiotics.
Because the symptoms of IBC are so similar to mastitis and because inflammatory breast cancer is so rare, many doctors misdiagnose this cancer as mastitis. Patients are often prescribed multiple rounds of antibiotics because it doesn't clear up after the first round. If you have these symptoms and your doctor wants you to take more than one round of antibiotics, ask for a biopsy or referral to a breast specialist. You may have to be very aggressive to get the proper diagnosis. This is vital because the earlier this is diagnosed, the sooner you can begin treatment and the better your survival chances.
A proper cancer diagnosis usually results from elimination of mastitis as a culprit, with the symptoms still present and possibly getting worse. Your doctor may schedule you for a mammogram or a breast sonogram to confirm the diagnosis, but these are not very reliable with this cancer because the affected area may not show up. A biopsy is the most effective way to confirm diagnosis of this cancer, however it may still be wrong if your doctor biopsies the wrong area of your breast. Because this cancer does grow very rapidly, your doctor may also schedule other tests to determine if your cancer has spread to other organs in your body. This will affect your course of treatment.
Your treatment depends largely upon whether your cancer has spread to other organs of your body. You will most likely have a team of doctors talking with you, trying to determine the best course of treatment for you. You will receive aggressive treatment because inflammatory breast cancer is a late stage cancer. This means you will most likely receive chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. You will most likely receive chemotherapy first because this cancer makes performing surgery first risky due to the skin changes it causes. Chemotherapy also works to shrink the size of the cancer, making it more likely that surgery will remove all of it. The surgery that most women choose with this cancer is a mastectomy, or complete removal of the affected breast. This is because the cancer is often widespread throughout the breast, making a surgery that preserves breast tissue highly unlikely.
During surgery, your surgeon will probably remove the lymph nodes under your arm to examine them for cancer. After surgery, you will most likely receive radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is used to kill any cancer cells that the surgeon may have missed and to help prevent the cancer from returning. Inflammatory breast cancer has a high incidence of recurrence, so your doctor may prescribe additional rounds of chemotherapy if you responded well to the previous rounds or hormone therapy if your cancer was the type that grew in the presence of estrogen.

Determining Breast Cancer Risk Factors

2008-08-23T01:34:00.002-07:00

Medical researches attempt to define risk factors in order to discover who is most likely to get a particular disease and also to find clues as to the disease's cause and thus to the prevention and cure.
A risk factor is usually determined by taking a large population of people - say 1,000-2,000 or more - and identifying a variety of features about them, determining who gets the disease under study and then seeing what the relationship is between the disease and the features that commonly occur within the group. It is important how the findings from population researches are being used. If you determine that out of your 2,000 people under study, 500 got the disease and all 500 drank milk as infants, you can't decide from this that milk-drinking causes breast cancer. If none of the 1,500 drank milk as infants, you might be on the right track; if; as is more likely, all 1,500 did drink milk, you've learned nothing except that most people drink milk as children.
Sometimes, as in the case of lung cancer and smoking, risk factors are dramatic and can make a clear difference to the individual's likelihood of getting the disease. Unfortunately, it usually doesn't work this way. In breast cancer, several risk factors, such as family history, have been identified. But so far, there is nothing comparable to the correlations found between cholesterol and heart disease, or between cigarette smoking and lung cancer. 70% of breast cancer patients have none of the classical risk factors in their background. It is important to understand this for two reasons. Overestimating the importance of risk factors can cause needless mental distress if you have one of them in your background. On the other hand, you may create a false sense of security if you don't have them. Most breast cancer patients do not have a family history of breast cancer. By virtue of being a woman, you are at risk of breast cancer.
Another thing to note is that the risk factors do not necessarily increase in a simple arithmetical fashion; if one risk factor gives you a 20% risk of acquiring breast cancer and another gives you another 10% chance, it doesn't always mean that you're up to 30%. The interaction of risk factors is a tricky and complicated process. One interesting example is in the studies on alcohol and breast cancer, which shows that women with other risk factors who also drank liquor didn't increase their risk very much, while women with no other risk factors who drank raised their risk dramatically.
Most breast cancer still occurs in white women over 50 - about 50% of cases. Your risk at age 30 is 1 in 5,900 / year. By age 40, it is 1 in 1,200 / year, so the risk of getting breast cancer before you're 50 is very small. The median age of diagnosis of breast cancer is 64, which means that half of women who get breast cancer will get it before age 64 and half will get it after. So whenever risk factors or breast cancer is discussed, it is important to correct for age. Other risk factors - family history, hormonal factors, etc. - will most likely cause breast cancer only in combination with rising age.
Another factor that needs to be considered is the effect of variability of ethnic groups. The risk of African-American women and other women of color is less than that compared to Caucasian women. This is a disease that is predominantly found in non-Hispanic white women. African-American women have rates similar to those of white women premenopausally. That won't necessarily be comforting news to African-American women, however, though it's less common in that group, it's often more deadly.
The difference in vulnerability to breast cancer works on international level as well. Third world countries have less breast cancer than highly industrialized countries.

Breast Cancer: Hormonal Risk Factors

2008-08-23T01:34:00.001-07:00

It is not yet fully understood what the hormonal risk factors are, but there have been some interesting clues. It is known that it has something to do with age and the menstrual cycle: the younger the woman is at her first period and the older she is when she goes to menopause, the more likely she is to get breast cancer. It seems that the longer a woman has reproductive levels of hormones, the more susceptible she is to breast cancer. If she menstruates at more than 40 years of age, she seems to have a particularly high risk. If the ovaries are removed early and no hormone replacement is given, the risk of getting breast cancer is greatly reduced. It is not exactly an all-cure, sadly, since it would also heighten the danger of osteoporosis. If a woman has had a hysterectomy (removal of the ovaries), it may or may not influence her vulnerability to breast cancer, depending upon whether the ovaries, as well as the uterus, are removed. If a woman still has her ovaries, her body is still going through hormonal cycles, even though there aren't any more periods.
Pregnancy also seems to affects breast cancer risk. Women who have never been pregnant appear to be more at risk than women who have had children before the age of 30 and women who have their first pregnancies after 30 have a greater risk than women who have never been pregnant at all. The hormones of pregnancy carried to term will mature the breast tissue in a young woman. The same hormones after 30 may actually stimulate breast tissue that has already been mutated. Several studies indicate that a pregnancy that ends in miscarriage or abortion slightly increases breast cancer risk.
The key seems to be the amount of time between the first period and the first pregnancy. There is a lot of speculation as to why this is so. One possible explanation is that between menarche and the first pregnancy the breast tissue is especially sensitive to carcinogens (cancer promoting agents). This seems to be true. Several factors such as diet, alcohol consumption and radiation exposure all seem to have a greater effect on a woman's breasts between her first period and her first pregnancy than they do later. Thus, the developing breast is more susceptible to carcinogens than the breast that has gone through its complete hormonal development. The increased vulnerability may relate to the cells' capability of mutating up until the first pregnancy. There seems to be something about the first pregnancy of a woman that halts the cells from being able to sustain a mutation, the greater the chance that they'll mutate in response to a carcinogen and in a way that develops into breast cancer.
A factor relating to the number of menstrual cycles is breast-feeding. Recent findings have shown that women who breast-feed for a long period of time, more than 6 consecutive years, have a decreased risk of breast cancer. In addition, women who have had early pregnancies and have breast-fed have a diminished risk of subsequent breast cancer. This is most likely related to fewer ovulatory cycles at a crucial moment in the reproductive life.
It is now obvious that most studies on hormonal risk factors of breast cancer are still very much at the theorizing stage: as yet, it is not known why there is this vulnerable time in a woman's life and why or how internal hormones affect breast cancer.

Breast Cancer - Did Toxic Anti Perspirant Deodorants Kill My Friends

2008-08-23T01:33:00.004-07:00

When was the last time you tried to buy a plain old deodorant? I'm only asking because I can't find one anywhere, or rather I couldn't.
Instead, everywhere sold anti-perspirant deodorants and I just wanted the deodorant without the anti perspirant bit.
Why?
Well, in the last two years I have lost three friends to breast cancer and have had my own personal mammogram scare. Fortunately the biopsy was benign but even so it was a pretty traumatic experience and I began to wonder what on earth is going on.
I read in the paper last week that the rate for Breast Cancer is currently 1:9 and that all women aged between 50 and 69 should receive a free breast examination every two years. Unfortunately those ladies most at risk like my mother who is over 70 years of age don't qualify.
Another thing I discovered is that in a recent study carried out by Reading University in UK on breast cancer patients, every single tumour contained parabens.
Now parabens are common preservatives in several personal care products. They are derived from petrochemicals and personal and skin care manufacturers have a tendancy to call them 'organic preservatives' which gives the impression they are safe.
The reason they are able to do this is because the chemical term for 'organic' means anything that contains a carbon atom. Since crude oil comes from decaying leaves and living matter which existed thousands of years ago, its DNA contains carbon. Sneaky, eh?
The problem with parabens is that they mimic estrogen, apart from also causing allergic skin reactions and being eye, skin and respiratory tract irritants.
Found in body creams, lotions, body washes, anti perspirants and deodorants, parabens are used in more personal care products than practically any other synthetic ingredient.
Now deodorants reduce, cover up or eliminate the odours most of us would prefer to remain hidden and anti perspirants slow down the action of the sweat glands. They do this by obstructing the amount of perspiration that can be excreted.
That's the problem and why I was looking for a deodorant.
You see the sweat retarding agents are normally based on aluminium complexes and I know from bitter experience that aluminium is a neuro toxin. That means it attacks the neurons in the brain. It doesn't have to kill them, just disrupt them in some way and you get mental problems.
My son is autistic and you can read all about my run in with heavy metals including aluminium in my book Autism, Amalgam and Me - Jodi's Journey Continues. Aluminium has also been linked to Alzheimer's disease which has been predicted to triple by the year 2050. It's a horrible long destructive illness which tears families apart.
But back to the anti perspirant deodorants.
I don't know if you are aware of it but your skin is often referred to as your third kidney. It is the biggest eliminatory organ in your body and is a two way membrane. It will absorb 60% of whatever you put on it.
Toxins get in through hair follicles and sebaceous glands and are eliminated through perspiration. Now picture the scenario for most women.
We like to keep our underarms devoid of excess bodily hair so we shave. We also like to smell fresh, so we smooth on deodorants or anti perspirants to the area from which we've just removed this hair. As toxins enter the body via hair follicles and sebaceous glands they inevitably get inside our bodies but if we then block up our under arm sweat glands by using anti perspirant deodorants, how do they get out?
Seemingly, they don't and I wonder if that's why my three friends died of breast cancer and all those women had parabens in their tumours. What do you think?
Apparently a study of 400 American women found that those who shaved three times a week and applied deodorant at least twice a week were almost 15 years younger when diagnosed with cancer than women who did neither.
The answer, therefore, could be to stop shaving and let your natural body odours loose, or find a safer alternative. Thankfully I've managed to find just that in a 100% toxic synthetic chemical free deodorant which comes in three different aromas.
It's organic in the true sense of the word which means it uses only natural substances and methods. I can read and pronounce every single ingredient and as it is Certified Organic to food standards I could theoretically eat it and suffer no ill effects. I don't intend to try it though. Just putting it under my arm pits, feeling safe and secure in the knowledge I'm not being poisoned is enough.
No more toxic anti perspirant deodorants for me. How about you?

Breast Cancer Symptoms - Do You Have Them?

2008-08-23T01:33:00.003-07:00

If you want to get nervous about developing breast cancer, then just read some figures. The reality is that one woman out of nine will develop breast cancer some time in her life. So even if you manage to be one of the eight who doesn't get it, chances are you will know someone, perhaps someone quite close to you, who will develop breast cancer. Breast cancer doesn't care if you're in your teens or a mature woman. All women need to know the symptoms so they can get treatment as early as possible if breast cancer develops.
The good news is that even though breast cancer occurs so frequently, if it's treated in the early stages it's highly curable for about six out of seven cases. So one of the most important things you can do is keep watching for symptoms, so that even if breast cancer occurs, you have a good chance of beating it. If you don't discover breast cancer until an advanced stage, your chances of recovery are much lower - only about one in seven.
So what are the symptoms? They vary from woman to woman, and unfortunately many of them can occur for a multitude of reasons, but if you observe any of the following symptoms on an ongoing basis, do yourself a favor and get it checked out by your doctor. Many symptoms don't involve any noticeable discomfort or pain; so don't wait for that to happen before seeking advice. Symptoms include:
- Breast is warm to touch- Itching in the breast region or armpit- Ridges or thickened areas of the skin on the breast or nipple- Pink, red or dark colored area that has a texture similar to orange skin- Something that looks like a bruise that doesn't fade- Nipple starts becoming inverted- Pain in the breast, anything from stabbing pains through to a constant ach- The aureole changes in color and/or texture- The breast shape or size changes- Lump or swelling in the armpit- Discharge from the nipple- Dimpled skin on the breast
Research has shown that certain groups of women are more at risk of developing breast cancer. So if you belong to a high-risk category, it's even more important that you regularly monitor your breasts, and either have your breasts checked for lumps by your doctor, or learn to do it yourself. Major risk factors include:
- Hormone replacement therapy- Obesity- High fat diet- Taking the oral contraceptive pill- Family history of breast cancer- Alcohol use
Again, always remember that breast cancer is highly treatable if it's caught early. It's better to get something suspicious checked out by your doctor and be proven wrong, than let it go and find out later you could have reduced the chance of mastectomy or even death because of breast cancer. Most of the time any symptoms will prove to be unrelated to breast cancer, but don't take that risk. Always get suspicious symptoms checked by your doctor, so you can get an accurate diagnosis.

The Risks of Getting Tested for Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:33:00.001-07:00

Testing for breast cancer is quite expensive. That's because the really hard work is searching for the specific mutation. It's like proofreading the whole manuscript to find the typographical error; once you know where it is, finding it in other copies is fairly easy. Initially, there was great fear that there would be insurance discrimination against women who have been tested. So far, this has not proved to be the case. Still, it would be wise to check out the policy of your health insurance company before proceeding. Additionally, it isn't only you who will need to deal with the consequence of your decision. It will have implications for your sisters who may or may not want to get tested. It will also have implications for your daughters, if any, as well.
If you choose to be tested and you know you have the gene for breast cancer, you will need to decide what to do with the information. Should you start getting regular mammograms and physical examinations? If your family has a history of breast cancer, you should be doing that anyway. If you do have the gene, you have a number of options. You can simply be frequently monitored to see if you do get cancer. Should you have your breasts and ovaries removed? Preventive oophorectomy (ovary resection) and mastectomy (breast resection) may help. You can take tamoxifen for 5 years.
If you feel strongly that you should get tested, you should do so at a research center. Do not go to your gynecologist or primary care physician, or to the medical school in the next town. Even if it costs a lot to fly to wherever the closest research center is, do it. You will only do this once and it will greatly affect the rest of your life, so you had better do it well. A research center will have counseling and you will do the tests appropriately, giving you the most accurate information that's possible.
When you yourself have breast cancer, the emotional conflict becomes more intense. You tend to think that you're unlucky and that you're bound to get it again, so you think you must have the defective gene. Further, your own psychological issues get mixed into your perceptions. Were you mean to your mother when she had breast cancer, so now you're being punished by inheriting a bad gene?
There are, of course, more rational reasons for women with breast cancer to consider getting tested. They may want to know if others in their family are likely to get it. They might consider having children and the possibility of passing on a breast cancer gene could play a role in that decision. Women with cancer in one breast are more likely to get it in the other and they might want to consider getting double mastectomies if they know they have the gene. People with the defective gene have a slightly higher risk of getting colon cancer as well. So if you know you have the gene, you should consider getting regular colonoscopies (a medical procedure during which a long flexible instrument is used to view the entire inner lining of the colon).
The question of testing depends on you and your family. The answer will be different for each person. If you are considering it, by all means get counseling so that you can get up-to-date information on the risks and benefits for you and your family.

Hormonal Therapy: Symptomatology versus Prevention

2008-08-23T01:32:00.002-07:00

Many times, hormone therapy is used for symptom relief. In this case, hormone therapy is used to reduce hot flashes, vaginal dryness, insomnia and night sweats. These are the usual symptoms many women experience during their perimenopausal years. In natural menopause, these symptoms are usually transient, lasting about 3 to 5 years. After that, the body readjusts itself and you are fine. Short-term use of hormones, approximately 3 to 5 years for women who do not have breast cancer or blood clotting disorders is probably safe. At the end of the period, they should taper off the hormones over 6 to 9 months in order to ensure that the abrupt change doesn't bring back the symptoms. In women who have had breast cancer it is better to explore alternative methods to decrease perimenopausal symptoms.
In the case of disease prevention, hormones are taken with or without experiencing symptoms indefinitely. Seemingly this is done to prevent diseases of old age - heart disease and osteoporosis.
So what then is the importance of hormone therapy in relation to breast cancer? The first thing to consider is the quality of the evidence linking breast cancer with estrogen. From an epidemiological, biological standpoint, there is fairly good evidence. Women who have their ovaries removed at an early age rarely get breast cancer. It seems that the younger a woman was at her first period and the older she is at menopause; the more likely she is to get the disease. Simply put, the more years she is exposed to cycling estrogen, the higher her risk. These are biological implications.
Women who have osteoporosis have a 60% lower risk of getting breast cancer. If you have inherently low levels of estrogen, you tend to have bad bones and good breasts. On the other hand, if you have inherently high levels of estrogen, you tend to have good bones and bad breasts. Obesity in postmenopausal women, which is linked to higher levels of estrogen, creates a higher risk of breast cancer.
There is another reason that the connection between hormone therapy and breast cancer is biologically plausible. If you plot the rate of breast cancer with age, starting at age 20, a straight line will be obvious. The rate of breast cancer remains the same - until menopause. After menopause, the rate is less.
Conversely though, there is a reason why it is difficult to establish with certainty the connection between hormone therapy and breast cancer and that is that it may affect some women more than others. One of the things current research may help do is distinguish between the women for whom hormone therapy is dangerous and those for whom it's not.
There is a recent, rather frightening, study showing that women who take both birth control pills and hormone therapy have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. The baby boomers were the first group to do this; they were the young women on birth control pills and now are the middle-aged women taking hormones. According to this study's findings, short-term use of either one doesn't seem to make a difference. But women who were on oral contraceptives for more than 10 years and then took hormone therapy for 3 or more years, had a relative risk of 3:2 - more than triple the risk of women who never used either. Although this is quite a small study, with only 25 women participating, it is still something to keep in mind. It points out one of the ways in which baby boomers are different from past generations. If we base our estimates of risk on our mothers' experiences, it may not be realistic, because they were not taking these hormones throughout their lives.

Fat Intake and Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:32:00.001-07:00

With several studies showing a relationship between fat intake and breast cancer, it is quite possible that the problem isn't fat itself, but overall nutrition; people who eat more may be more susceptible to breast cancer. Over nutrition may also correlate with some of the other risk factors; females with lower food intake stay thinner and often begin menstruating later than more heavily nourished girls. People who eat more also tend to be those who can afford to - those with an overall higher standard of living, who appear to be at greater risk of breast cancer.
If fat intake does indeed increase the risk of developing breast cancer, what makes it happen? There have been many theories regarding this. Some researchers think it changes the metabolism of estrogen. According to a study, people with a high fat diet tend to have more estrogen in their blood and a lower urine excretion of this hormone. Vegetarians who eat dairy foods excrete more estrogen, leaving less in the blood than people on macrobiotic diets. Macrobiotic diet involves the consumption of organically grown whole grain cereals, legumes, vegetables and fruits, in meals according to the principle of balance between yin and yang properties, in contrast to scientific dietary guidelines. Fat cells in the body can synthesize estrogen, so it is also possible that if you are obese you have an oversupply of estrogen in your body, which could heighten your vulnerability to cancer. However, studies aimed at confirming this hypothesis have been inconsistent.
It is also possible that cancer cells grow faster in an environment with a lot of over nourished cells and the fatter you are the more such cells there are for the cancer cells to grow with. There is also some evidence that among women with breast cancer those on low fat diets have a better prognosis than those on high fat diets.
It may be that fiber, rather than fat, is the more essential element. Oftentimes diets very high in fiber are very low in fat. It may be that with a low fat diet, it's the fiber or the carbohydrates or the vegetables, which have replaced fat are the ones responsible for reducing cancer susceptibility. Several studies show that soy protein may be protective. Perhaps the problem is not that the Japanese are starting to eat fat, but that they stopped eating tofu! There is also growing evidence that certain vegetables, antioxidants in particular, which contain vitamins A, C and E, may be protective against breast cancer.
Vitamin A from vegetables (beta carotene) has shown in various studies to decrease the incidence of several cancer types, including lung cancer. A recent study using fenretinide, a form of vitamin A, in women who had had breast cancer showed no decrease in secondary cancers (metastasis), although there was a hint that there may be different, more beneficial effects in premenopausal women than their postmenopausal counterparts. Vegetables with vitamin A include broccoli, kale, carrots and lettuce. Folic acid and vitamin C appear to be good against all types of cancer.
You may do well to encourage your kids to spend a little less time eating fast foods and to eat a bit more low fat, nutritional food high in vitamins. However, it is not wise to expect miracles. Even if dietary change does have an effect, it is likely to be a small one.
Michael Russell

An Overview Of Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:31:00.002-07:00

Many women consider their breasts to be their defining feature and cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases of the world. As the name signifies, cancer of the breast, or breast cancer, is a type of cancer. It is predominantly a female disease and it is one of the most common forms of cancer. In the United States alone, approximately 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, though the figure is somewhat lower in countries like Canada and Australia. It is also a major cause of cancer deaths in women. The majority of patients are women who have crossed the menopause stage. Birth control pills also increase the chances of its occurrence as do treatments like HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy). Being overweight and the excessive consumption of alcohol also contribute significantly to it. The occurrence of breast cancer in family members can increase the chances as there is a gene which can be inherited.
What is Breast Cancer? Simply put, cancer of the tissues in breast is called breast cancer. It usually surfaces in the form of a lump or tumor in and around the breast. Every lump found in the breasts is not necessarily an indicator of breast cancer; sometimes it may not be associated with breast cancer at all. It is normal for lumps to be formed, especially during the growing up stage. They can also be formed as a result of hormonal changes and they are usually temporary.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer
It is not possible to detect this disease in the starting stages. The symptoms start appearing slowly and slowly as the disease progresses. They could be anything like:
. A lump or swelling in the breast or adjoining area like the underarm. . Increase or decrease in the shape or size of the breasts. . Dimpling or change in the color of the skin . Discharge from the nipples.
Factors that increase the risk of Breast Cancer
. Contraceptives. . Hormone therapy.. Overweight. . Alcohol. . Age factor. . Genes. . Dairy products.
How To Detect Breast Cancer
Early detection of breast cancer is vital to cure the disease. The sooner it is detected, the better. The chances of curing it are more if detected in the early stages. It is very difficult to cure it in the advanced stages. There are many ways to find out if you are suffering from breast cancer. A few of them are:
. Medical examination of breasts and armpits by a doctor, at least once in a year.. Mammogram, especially if you are above 40 years of age. . Ultrasound, can be done separately or combined with other tests. . BSE (Breast Self-Examination). . Biopsy.
Types of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer occurs broadly in two places, lobules or the milk ducts. They are:
. Invasive lobular carcinoma - Cancer originated in the lobules, but has now spread. . Invasive ductal carcinoma - Cancer, which originated in the milk ducts but has spread. . Lobular carcinoma in situ - Cancer in the lobules.. Ductal carcinoma in situ - Cancer in the milk ducts.
Treatments available for Breast Cancer
There are various options available for its treatment. Some of them are:
. Surgery. . Radiation Therapy. . Chemotherapy. . Hormone Treatment.
Prevention of Breast Cancer
The most important aspect of this dangerous and fatal disease is prevention. The various treatment options are costly and damaging to the body. The old saying prevention is better than cure is aptly applicable to this disease. Prevention of breast cancer is more important than its cure. Routine medical examinations and immediate medical advice in case of suspected symptoms can greatly reduce the chances of breast cancer spreading.

Diagnosed With Breast Cancer? Here Are Some Resources To Help!

2008-08-23T01:31:00.001-07:00

There are more and more organisations and groups around the world who will offer support and advice to not just women but men as well who have been affected by breast cancer.
Many of these groups and organisations not only spend time counselling people but they hold many fund raising events and campaigns to help pay for further research into the disease.
In some cases some of these groups or organisations will offer treatment to those patients diagnosed with the disease who can not actually afford to pay for the treatment themselves.
Below is a list of the various organisations and groups that can be found in the USA which have been specifically set up to fight this disease and provide support to those who have been diagnosed with it.
One such group in the USA is the American Cancer Society (ACS) who are a community based health organisation and which helps to fight all the various types of cancers that now seem to affect the population.
They also spend vast amounts of their time not just focusing on treatment of cancer but also its prevention and how to reduce the suffering felt by the patients and their families and saving lives.
They also help with costs for carrying out further research and educating people on the disease and making the population more aware of its effects.
Another organisation is Cancer Care Incorporated who provide a telephone support service for all cancer issues, and this includes medical information, cancer terms and definitions, counselling, guidance on local services, free information material, as well as information on local support groups to the patients area as well as an abundance of educational programs on cancer matters.
Now we come to CRFA (Cancer Research Foundations of America) which is a national group and which focuses on the prevention of cancer both through educating people and scientific research.
It is also able to provide people with information on other forms of cancer as well as breast such as prostate, lung, colorectal, skin and cervical.
Then you could if you wish contact The Living Beyond Breast Cancer Foundation which has been set up and provides a helpline where you are able to obtain support after being diagnosed with the disease.
You will discover that the people at the other end of the phone talking to you will have previously been diagnosed with the disease and survived.
They are able to provide you with first hand information on the treatments offered, the way in which it is diagnosed and how to survive it.
But don't forget the people at the other end of the phone can only offer you emotional support and not actual medical advice, for that you will need to see your doctor who will then refer you to a specialist.
Then there is the Medicare Hotline which is another breast cancer foundation and this one can offer the patient information on mammography and the way it is used in helping to detect breast cancer during the early stages.
Also we have the NABCO (National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organisations) who can provide people with answers to the many questions that they will have relating to the disease and they can either call them or send them an email to obtain the information they require on breast cancer and the many issues relating to it.
If you would like to obtain a more individual response regarding a question you have in respect of the disease it may be a case of you contacting the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service, which can provide patients with answers to any specific question they may have relating to the disease.
Also a number of years ago a Foundation was set up called the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation which helps to fight breast cancer and are well known for organising lots of awareness programs as being a huge contributor in raising funds through various campaigns they have organised such as breast cancer walks.
This foundation also has a helpline where they have trained volunteers who can talk to individuals regarding the disease as they have suffered from it themselves.
The Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has been set up and is specifically committed to offering people with the latest information that is available concerning breast cancer and breast health to those that contact them.
Lastly we have the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organisation which helps fight against both breast cancer and provides support to those suffering from the disease by providing them with a helpline that is operated by trained personnel only.
These people are volunteers but who have all survived breast cancer and are not only prepared but have the experience to answer the various types of questions that will be posed by the caller regarding breast cancer.
They can also provide emotional support to the men and women who have been affected by this disease.

The Strength Within

2008-08-23T01:30:00.002-07:00

That terrible word, that scary word that word that brings terror into the lives of all families. Cancer. She has cancer. My beautiful, lovable, intelligent daughter. The one who goes out of her way to help other people, every day showing her family and friends how much she loves them, has cancer.
She called me one night to talk to me. We often had these mother-daughter talks about nothing in particular. “Mom” she said, “I found a lump in my breast. I don’t want to worry you, my doctor says that it is probably just a benign cyst” She lives in another city, 800 miles away so I could not even give her a hug and tell her not to worry. But worry we did. Her doctor sent her for a mammogram, then she sent her for other tests, and then finally for a biopsy. Then the frantic phone call came, “Mom, I have breast cancer. The tests are positive for ductal carcinoma in sutu-whatever that means. I have to have surgery. Can you come?” After we both had a good cry, we both looked up the information on the internet. This is a very aggressive type of cancer and has to be dealt with immediately. She is 34 years old. It should have been me. I have lived my life already. She is just starting hers. It should have been me. As a parent, you always want to protect your children, but how was I going to protect her from this?
I did go to her for her surgery, and managed to take my vacation from work to be with her. She is single and fortunately has lots of support from her group of friends. However, I did have to ask them all to go home when they welcomed her from the hospital with flowers and a little party. There were 14 people at her house when she got home! She was very sick and upset, and needed someone to help her drain the fluid out of lymph nodes and change her dressings. Being this sick is very difficult for a 34 year old whose life is still ahead of her.
After the surgery, she started her radiation treatments. She was so brave throughout the whole ordeal. Then, the ever so frightening chemo treatments. She was very sick, unable to work and all of her hair fell out. Her beautiful hair. Her dark brown, naturally curly hair. She was terrified. We were all terrified.
When the treatments were all over, it took her many months to feel better. She was fatigued and had anxiety attacks. Her doctors diagnosed it as post traumatic syndrome.
She had to be treated for depression and could not work. She did have disability insurance to tide her over for awhile. What a struggle this was for her. If I could have taken away any of the physical and mental pain she went through, I surely would have done it.
One year later she had another check up and she was cancer free. For the time being. A check up every year for the next five will have to be done, and each year we keep our fingers crossed. She is now entering her second year. Clear so far. Her fatigue has still not passed though, and her life will never be the same. She had to take retraining as the job she had before her cancer was too stressful. “ I just want to have some fun, Mom, I just want to live my life. I don’t want any more stress or striving to make the big bucks. I just want my life back.”
Well she has done that. She has a new job in travel and works only part time. That is all she can handle. Cancer has changed her life profoundly, but it gave us all hope for the future and made us all closer.

Going On Blind Faith - Is Your Doctor Controlling Your Life?

2008-08-23T01:30:00.001-07:00

I once came across an article which immediately caught my attention because, it talked about the very people who were trained to save our lives had the most trouble saving their own. And this, was in response to a survey where nearly 50% of doctors had replied. The sad thing is that these doctors admitted that they were in advanced stages of addiction, burnout and suicide.
One of the doctors openly admitted wondering how fast he could have driven the heart pacer wires into his patient (which he did in less than three minutes) had he been sober. Many of them are suicidal, and many on anti-depressants. If you think I'm making this up, the full page article appeared about a year ago in the Montreal Gazette, where I'm from.
About a year before this, many doctors and pharmaceutical companies (mainly drug stores) were under investigation for conflict of interest. The scenario was (since its now illegal to do so), where doctors would get free rent for their offices, situated in the same building as the drug store. In my country, and my province, it's common to see your corner drug store occupying the main floor of a building with doctors, dentists etc., offices on the top floors.
The return favor of course, you guessed it! The doctors were expected to funnel patients through these drug store doors, to fill out their probably unneeded prescriptions. I say unneeded because I personally experienced this ordeal with consequences that could have been fatal.
How many times have you gone to see a specialist, bringing your prescribed medication with you, only to be informed to throw it away? How many people do you know who spend $200 to $300 easily per month on prescriptions for all kinds of ailments that they could probably get rid of by proper diet, exercise, and at the worse case scenario, a good natural immune system booster that would rid them of most, if not all, of their ailments. I know quite a few.
My mother for one, only listens to her doctor because she believes he's next to God almighty. Blind faith, that's all it is. Don't get me wrong, I see a doctor once in a while, but I make damn sure who I'm dealing with. Get some references if you can. They have problems too. They're human and not infallible. They get depressed, take medication, drink, get divorced, and no how to kill themselves, without you even knowing about it. They are human with feelings and emotions.
Many of them, not all, are passionate about their work. But life, as usual, takes it's toll on all of us, doctors too. So it doesn't hurt to know more about your doctor and not to be shy about asking him or her about their opinion on certain things. I had a great relationship with my doctor for 30 years. He practiced medicine until he was 90. Unfortunately, I'll never find one like him anymore. I had a relationship with him. We discussed all sorts of things (other than medical) as he was examining me.
A doctor who persistently insist that you take this pill and that pill, has a vested financial interest in you. It is not uncommon to see doctors holding many shares in certain pharmaceutical companies, as I'm sure you know. The elderly (and the coming age of the baby boomers retirement process) is going to be one of the biggest financial eggnest of the doctors of today. Watch out!

Alcohol Consumption and Radiation Exposure

2008-08-23T01:29:00.000-07:00

Several studies suggest that drinking alcoholic beverages, even in moderate amounts, may increase breast cancer risk. Regardless of the type of drink - beer, wine and hard liquor, all of these drinks contribute to breast cancer risk and as consumption rises, so does the risk. Women under 55 years of age with no other risk factors who have more than 9 drinks a week have a more dramatic increase than those over 55: they have a 2.5 increase - two and a half times the susceptibility to breast cancer of non-drinkers with no risk factors. Studies in France and Italy, where wine is consumed on a regular basis by almost everyone, have supported this connection. Women in these countries do have a higher incidence of breast cancer than do women in the U.S., though it is a fairly slight increase - only 1.2 to 1.9 times.
As with fat consumption, the main effect of alcohol in increasing breast cancer risk may be during the vulnerable stage of youth. More accurate information as to when and how the effect manifests itself is needed before any concrete recommendations can be made. Whether to stop drinking or not is unfortunately one of the many decisions we all must make based on inadequate information. The risk increase isn't that high, but it definitely exists. Although it may be wise for a number of reasons to discourage children from drinking, it is an area, like many in parenting, where you may not have a lot of control.
Another known risk factor for breast cancer is radiation. At least three major studies have confirmed that there is indeed a link between radiation and increased risk of breast cancer. The first study came out of one of the major tragedies of the 20th century - the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. The residents in the immediate area of the bombings died instantly. But it has become evident that those within a 10-kilometer radius of the bomb site developed far more cancer than others in comparable populations and researches began studying these survivors to learn more about the dangers of radiation. Another study composed of Canadian patients looked at women who had been treated for lung tuberculosis with fluoroscopy. This is a common method for treating the disease during the 1930s and 1940s. When the women were studied in the 1970s, they were found to have an increased incidence of breast cancer. A study in New York examined a group of 606 women who had suffered postpartum mastitis (inflammation of the mammary glands within the breast) - and had been having radiation therapy averaging 50 and 450 radiation doses to alleviate their pain. They too had a rate pf breast cancer higher than that of the general population and the risk is radiation dose-related.
Radiation to treat cancer places us at the other end of the spectrum: very high levels of radiation are used, on the order of 8,000 rads. In these cases, however, the risk of radiation is far outweighed by the risk of cancer. For example, radiation is used to treat Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer affecting the lymph nodes. By itself and in conjunction with chemotherapy it has been responsible for many cures. However, some women who had this treatment many years ago are now showing up with breast cancer. It seems that radiation to the chests, which saved their lives, is now responsible for their second cancers.
It won't be surprising if some if the children treated today for cancer with radiation in the chest region will also eventually have an increase in breast cancers. It is unfortunate, but since radiation is probably responsible for their being around long enough to get a second cancer, a few of these patients are likely to have regrets.

Treatments For Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:28:00.004-07:00

In the past, the treatment options for a particular disease were limited to only a few. With the advancements in medical science, we have scores of treatment options available for any disease.
The various treatment options available for breast cancer have increased in number too. Today there are many ways to combat and deal with breast cancer. They can be broadly classified into the following categories:
1. Surgery: Surgery has been the traditional mode of treatment for breast cancer. However, changes have taken place during recent times. The surgery now is more precise and is directed to the exact spot of the disease so that the damage to the unaffected area is minimized.
a. Lumpectomy: The cancerous lump is removed surgically without removing the surrounding lymph nodes. b. Mastectomy: This is performed if the lump has become large or in case the cancer has spread to other areas. The affected breast is surgically removed. c. Lymph Node Dissection: This is the surgical removal of lymph nodes. Usually done in case of invasive breast cancer, it is a procedure performed at the time of mastectomy or lumpectomy. During mastectomy, it is an extension of the breast incision (to the armpit area). If done during lumpectomy, a separate incision is performed in the armpit. A part or all of the lymph nodes are removed. Usually it also involves cutting the nerve carrying sensation to the area.
2. Radiation Therapy: Radiation is a highly targeted and effective way of treatment, which destroys the cancer cells. High levels of radiation are sent directly to the cancer cells. Radiation therapy undertaken after surgery can also kill those cancer cells that could not be treated by surgery. It can also be combined with chemotherapy, to relieve pain, or to shrink the tumor. It is short and relatively easy but side affects can also occur. The traditional radiation therapy is external in nature. Internal radiation therapy is also being experimented. In this process, radiation-producing substances are either implanted directly in to the tumor or injected through a tube.
3. Herceptin: Applicable only to women with HER2-positive breast cancer, it consists of an antibody, the primary role of which is blocking the HER2 protein in cancer cells. It is useful in cases where the breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Also known as immune treatment, it is approved by US FDA for women with metastatic disease.
4. Hormone Therapy: It is another effective treatment. It is useful for women having hormone receptive positive breast cancer. Aromatase inhibitors are more effective in women with post menopause and Tamoxifen in women with pre menopause hormone receptive positive breast cancer.
5. Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy, or use of chemicals to treat a disease, is a systematic therapy. Since the use of chemicals affects the whole body by going through the blood stream, it is very effective as it can act on the cells, which are rapidly dividing. A major drawback in this mode of treatment is that the drugs act not only on the cancer cells, they act on healthy cells as well leading to various side-effects like losing hair, nausea, skin diseases and so on.
6. Alternative Therapies: In addition to the above modes of treatment, there are many alternative therapies as well e.g. yoga, acupuncture etc. Since sufficient research is not available in respect of such therapies, it is difficult to come to any decisive conclusion.
Since the disease conditions differ from patient to patient, the ideal treatment for an individual would depend on various factors. The best mode of treatment can be formulated with due consultation between the patient and the doctor.

Breast Cancer: Multivitamin and Mineral Supplements

2008-08-23T01:28:00.003-07:00

Multiple enzyme digestive formulas can be taken with meals to aid in digestion. This is especially helpful for women who are undergoing or have recently undergone any form of chemotherapy. The effects of the drugs used will often compromise the function of the digestive tract for some time and therefore will adversely affect the ability to digest foods and nutrients properly and completely. A multiple enzyme digestive formula will aid in the absorption of nutrients, which is important in maintaining health and proper functioning of the body.
Cadmium and magnesium are minerals that are important in helping to maintain and create bone mass. It is particularly important to take them after chemotherapy and radiation treatments. For reasons still unclear, women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy have a significant loss of bone during this period. Because it is difficult to digest, many women find to hard to take calcium during chemotherapy. On the other hand, if it is tolerable, taken during this time it may be beneficial. The chemotherapy drugs may affect the osteoblastic cells that are constantly replacing reabsorbed bone. This loss is small in relation to one’s total bone mass, perhaps 1 to 2 percent, but it is difficult to replace later.
There are several medications to help correct osteoporosis that results from breast cancer chemotherapy. One class of medications is known as bisphosphonates. A group of German doctors recently performed a clinical trial using bisphosphonates in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. The groups of women receiving the bisphosphonate clodrinate had a significantly lower systemic recurrence rate compared with the women who did not take the medication. Other breast cancer research groups are in the process of repeating the experiment to see if the results can be repeated and reproduced. If so, this would be a major breakthrough in that bisphosphonates have a very low side effect profile.
One of the richest food sources of calcium is seaweed. It can be eaten daily as a salad, vegetable, condiment, or seasoning. Other rich sources are dark green, leafy vegetables such as kale, collards, beet greens, cabbage, and broccoli. Additional sources of calcium include tofu, molasses, and almonds.
Essential fatty acids are critically important but are largely absent in American food sources, since they are damaged or destroyed during modern food processing. As a result, most Americans are chronically deficient. It is recommended to take both flaxseed oil and evening primrose oil, alternating every two weeks to facilitate replenishment of damaged and hydrogenated fat that has been used by all cells in the body in the absence of high quality fats. The dosage should be up to 1,000 mg of evening primrose oil or one tablespoon of flaxseed oil per day.
Until more research is done on diet and breast cancer, it is impossible to say how much soy and flaxseeds a woman should take following the consultation of her conventional Western treatments. One estimate is that 200 mg of soy equals 0.3 mg of pharmaceutical estrogen. Another estimate is that a half cup of soybeans and two soybean snacks are equivalent to about 200 mg of plant estrogen.
Beta carotene is a powerful antioxidant that provides protection to all lipid-rich tissues in the body, including the skin; the mucous membrane of the mouth, nose, throat, and lungs; the soft tissue and linings of the digestive tract, kidney, and bladder; and breast tissue. Several studies have shown that an increase in dietary beta carotene may significantly decrease the risk of breast cancer. Carotene is abundant in carrots, but it is present in even higher concentrations in green leafy vegetables such as beet greens, spinach, and broccoli.

Breast Cancer Awareness

2008-08-23T01:28:00.001-07:00

In recent years, the incidence of breast cancer among women has increased. As a result of this, organizations that aim to raise breast cancer awareness have doubled their efforts to give women around the world the right information to help them prevent and deal with this disease. These organizations teach women to detect early signs of cancer and recognize the symptoms of the disease. It has been proven that early detection increases a woman?s chance of survival by as much as 96 percent.
Symptoms
Some of the symptoms that women are told to watch out for include lumps, which are usually firm and painless. Other possible symptoms include swelling on the underarms and on the skin on the breasts which then develops an unusual appearance. Women are also asked to look out for veins that become prominent in the breast area. Other symptoms also include inverting of the nipples, rashes and changes in skin texture, depressions on the breast area and discharges other than breast milk.
Early Detection Plan
However, looking out for symptoms is usually not enough in detecting this disease, since there are instances in which patients are asymptomatic until the cancer reaches stage 3 or 4. To be able to prevent this, breast cancer organizations encourage women to come up with an early detection plan, which includes clinical breast examinations every three years for women aged 20 to 39, then every year thereafter. A monthly breast examination for women beginning at age 20 is also encouraged. Mammograms every two years for women in their 40s and yearly mammograms for women in their 50s are also being emphasized. Women are also told to keep a record of these exams and their appointments with their doctors. Additionally, women are urged to eat a low-fat diet, engage in regular exercise and avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
The importance of early detection of breast cancer cannot be denied since it has been proven to increase a cancer patient?s survival rate by as much as 96 percent. Given this, it is then important for women to do what they can to prevent having to suffer unnecessarily from this disease. Having an early detection plan is an effective way of doing just that.

Breast Cancer Ribbons

2008-08-23T01:27:00.002-07:00

One of the most famous symbols of disease awareness is the red ribbon that is used to raise AIDS awareness. This symbol has been worn by various celebrities with the aim of encouraging understanding about the disease and raising funds for prevention and its eventual cure. Given the popularity of this symbol, the ribbon has also been used to increase awareness for other diseases, such as cancer. For breast cancer, the symbol that is used is the pink ribbon.
The pink ribbon
For breast cancer awareness advocates, the symbol of a pink ribbon represents hope and awareness for those affected by this terrible disease. These groups encourage people to wear this symbol and help in the efforts of raising awareness as well as much-needed funds for research.
The pink ribbon symbol has taken on many forms. It is now seen printed on various materials such as T-shirts, mugs, wristbands, and bumper stickers. In some cases, the symbol is even engraved on jewelry, the most famous of which are pink ribbon bracelets. It is also worth noting that most of the companies who sell these items contribute part of the proceeds to breast cancer research.
Other symbols
Due to the popularity of this symbol and the tremendous response it has generated, other forms of creating awareness have been initiated by various groups. Some of these include conducting Pink Ribbon Breakfasts during the month of October, which is the designated breast cancer awareness month. During these breakfasts, the issues surrounding breast cancer are discussed. The proceeds of these breakfasts go to breast cancer research.
Another form of giving support to the raising of breast cancer awareness is through illumination projects, where famous landmarks and monuments are lit pink. Most of the time, companies sponsor these.
The pink ribbon has been a recognized symbol for breast cancer awareness, and its popularity continues to grow as various groups initiate other forms of support for the cause.

Breast Cancer Recurrence

2008-08-23T01:27:00.001-07:00

Anxiety feelings after breast cancer treatment are common and occur partly because the end has come to the frequent visits with your doctors, which can serve to comfort - giving you the tangible notion that someone is watching over you and your health. However, you may be struggling with the fear of recurrence that many women experience after their treatments. Remember that during the treatment planning process, you want to develop a plan to optimize your chance of cure and to carry out that plan. When, this is done, it is time for you to go on with your life. For some women, this means putting the whole process behind them, not even allowing the experience to enter their thoughts, but, for most women, life can't ever be the same again. These women feel that they must do something to give cancer meaning in their overall life experience - such as becoming an advocate for other women who may be suffering. Breast cancer enables many changes to take place in your life, whether they come in the form of helping a new friend or whatever other activity may create that meaning or sense of purpose for you.
Once a woman has breast cancer, most often, there is an underlying fear of cancer recurrence. Unfortunately, some women have recurrences, even after they have done everything they are supposed to do to prevent this. Tremendous controversy lies in regard to how much and what kind of surveillance is necessary after breast cancer therapy. How one should be followed up for recurrence and by whom should be given some thought. Since you are most likely being treated by several medical personnel, once your treatment is complete, you should discuss with your team who is the leader and who will offer future tests for you.
At the very least, you should be examined by a physician, usually the same examiner, every six months or so. If breast surgery with radiation, or lumpectomy alone, has been your form of treatment, you should undergo mammography approximately six months after completion of radiotherapy or surgery. This will serve as a new baseline that future tests can be measured against. Mammography should then be repeated annually. If you have had a mastectomy with or without breast reconstruction surgery, the tissue just beneath the skin and armpit are the areas of possible recurrence and a physical examination is all that is necessary for follow up in your case. Although uncommon, it is essential to diagnose local recurrence as soon as possible.
Controversy also exists about how much testing is necessary to look for a systemic relapse. If you are on protocols testing new drug regimes, there is a set of schedules for doing blood analysis, chest x-rays and bone scans. Bone scans, computed tomography scans and magnetic resonance imaging as routine follow up are not recommended for three reasons: these tests are quite expensive; they expose you to radiation; and studies show that finding a systemic recurrence a few months early, as these test allow, does not affect further treatment or response.
Once you have breast cancer, you join a huge group of women, well over 2 million strong, who are cancer survivors. Your life will have changed in many ways forever. How you cope with being a survivor and dealing with the fear of recurrence head-on will largely influence the quality of the rest of your life.

Hormone Replacement Therapy after Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:26:00.004-07:00

Generally speaking, a great deal has already been discussed on the issue of hormone replacement therapy. However, less is known specifically about this form of therapy for breast cancer survivors. One reason for this is that physicians are concerned about prescribing any of these drugs to their patients for fear that it might increase the risk of cancer recurrence. But along with this, blanket statements regarding hormone replacement therapy are quite inappropriate. Each individual woman should be given the chance to consider the risks and benefits of hormone replacement based on their personal situation. Every woman experiences menopause differently, with varying degrees of symptoms. Some women go through menopause with little difficulty and without increased risk of osteoporosis or heart disease. For others, menopause is traumatic and can introduce increased chances of illness into their lives.
Professional practice in medicine has endorsed allowing women to replace ovarian hormones with hormone replacement therapy once the ovaries begin to fail. Evidence and clinical experiences indicate that the benefits clearly outweigh the risk and expense of such therapy. However, evidence has yet to be found with regards to the risks to women surviving beast cancer. Most concerns are based on speculation and anecdotal experience alone.
For most women, the question lies in the correlation between hormone replacement therapy and an increased risk of breast cancer. Does hormone therapy contribute to breast cancer? Before starting such treatment, physicians often require their patients to get a baseline screening mammogram and because women receiving treatment are under a physician's surveillance, they are more likely to get annual screenings. Although there is no difference between women who are not on hormone replacement and those who are on it for less than ten years, once the duration exceeds the ten-year benchmark, there is a slight increase in breast cancer incidence, but the numbers are insignificant. There also appears to be anecdotal data that women with breast lobular neoplasm may have an increased risk for recurrence with hormone replacement therapy. However, with or without this form of therapy, these women are still at an increased risk of recurrence.
On the other end of the spectrum, how does one know that one is cured of breast cancer? Unfortunately, there is no absolute way to know. Statistical probabilities can be given based on the cancer's characteristics. If one is destined to relapse, it will usually happen in the first five years after the diagnosis. Regrettably, late recurrences do rarely occur. Breast cancer patients are advised that once treatment is complete, they should consider themselves cured, move on.
Medical research shows that low dose hormone replacement therapy for less than 10 years does not significantly contribute to the development of breast cancer in the general population, but the question is, does this apply to the population of women cured of breast cancer? Sadly, there are no studies to confirm this and no evidence has yet surfaced from past studies to answer this. The safest way to think about it though, is that for women with a high probability of cure, the benefits of this treatment far outweigh the risks.

Breast Cancer - Factors, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

2008-08-23T01:26:00.003-07:00

Being excessively overweight and eating foods rich in fats are both possible risk factors for developing breast cancer. Excessive exposure of the breasts to X-rays or other forms of radiation increases the likelihood that cancer cells will develop and there is some evidence linking a higher risk of breast cancer with long-term use of replacement oestrogens - the hormones given to woman to replace those lost during menopause - although the data is not conclusive.
The role of oral contraceptives in increasing breast cancer risk is even less clear. Some studies, in fact, seem to indicate that the combined pill may actually reduce a woman's chance of developing breast cancer. Contrary to popular belief, failure to breast-feed does not increase the risk of breast cancer; nor, on the other hand, is breast-feeding a protective factor. Risk factors such as obesity and high fat intake are avoidable, but there are also unavoidable risks including age (after 45, the risk of developing breast cancer increases); previous breast cancer; a history of breast cancer in your mother or sister; early onset and late ending of menstruation; and not having had children or having them after the age of 30.
Although you may fall into a high-risk group, remember the chances are that you will probably never get breast cancer. Whether you fall into the high-risk group or not, regular check-ups are your best defence. Doing something about it could save your life.
Any out-of-the-ordinary change in appearance, texture, feel or function of your breast should be considered a symptom, however tentative and you should report it to your doctor immediately. Do not panic, but do not waste any time either. Most changes, such as the appearance of lumps, turn out to be non-cancerous. However, you should be particularly alert to three types of changes: a lump or thickening of tissue inside the breast, a change in the shape of any part of the breast and any fluid that comes from the nipple.
Depending on the symptom, your doctor will examine you and order tests to determine whether the sign indicates the presence of breast cancer or, more likely, is caused by something else. Minor surgery in the form of a biopsy may be necessary, but most doctors will not perform one unless a preliminary examination indicates that cancer may be present. If there is any doubt in the mind of your doctor, he will probably refer you to a specialist who may check the interior of your breast without actually using a needle or knife. The most common way of doing this is by taking a mammogram (a breast X-ray). If the mammogram reveals a suspicious spot, then a biopsy will most likely be the next step. A biopsy can be performed in one of two ways: a hollow needle may be passed into the breast to extract fluid containing cells, or the specialist may use a knife to remove a small or large portion of tissue. The first method is called an aspiration biopsy, the second is known as a surgical biopsy. An aspiration biopsy will be done either in the specialist's surgery or in the outpatient's department of a local hospital with a local anaesthetic. A surgical biopsy is usually done in a hospital and will take more time.
The simplest way to remove a breast cancer surgically is by an operation that is often called a lumpectomy. In this procedure, which is usually performed in conjunction with radiotherapy, the surgeon removes the tumour and a small amount of tissue around it, but leaves the skin over it in place. The most extensive procedure is the radical mastectomy - the total removal of the breast along with underlying chest muscles and the axillary lymph nodes in the adjoining armpit. Today, radical mastectomies to remove breast cancer are done much less often than previously even though some surgeons still believe that they offer the best chance of total eradication of the disease.

Breast Cancer Prevention

2008-08-23T01:26:00.001-07:00

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death, second only to lung cancer. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. Fortunately, there are measures you can take to help reduce your risk of developing breast cancer.
Factors that can affect your risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer are called risk factors. Risk factors can be broken down into two categories, those that can be controlled and those that cannot be controlled.
RISK FACTORS THAT CANNOT BE CONTROLLED
The risk factors you have no control over are gender, hormones, age, genetic makeup and certain environmental exposures.
GENDER: Women are much more inclined to develop breast cancer than men. This is primarily due to the estrogen and progesterone in a woman’s body. These hormones stimulate cell growth in the breast, both normal and abnormal.
HORMONES: Estrogen, a hormone that is produced by the ovaries, increases a woman’s risk for developing breast cancer. A woman's exposure to estrogen can increase her risk by:
*using oral contraceptives.
*using Hormone Replacement Therapy.
*never being pregnant or having first child after the age of 35.
*early onset of menstruation and late onset of menopause.
AGE: Aging is one of the biggest risk factors for breast cancer. After a woman passes the age of 50, the likelihood of developing breast cancer increases significantly.
GENETIC MAKEUP: There is a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer for women who have already had breast cancer and for women who have had many family members diagnosed with cancer (regardless of the type).
ENVIRONMENT: The air we breathe and the water we drink are full of toxins (poisons) that were not present 100 years ago. Many of these toxins are known to increase the risk of or directly cause cancer.
RISK FACTORS THAT CAN BE CONTROLLED
Lifestyle changes like altering your diet, starting an exercise program and losing weight, are the easiest factors to control. Following the tips below may help you decrease your risk of breast cancer:
LOSE WEIGHT: There is a clear link between excess weight and breast cancer, especially if the weight gain is after menopause. The extra fatty tissue is a source of circulating estrogen in your body. As stated above in the GENDER risk factor, estrogen stimulates cell growth in the breast.
EAT THE RIGHT FOODS: A low-fat high-fiber diet can help reduce your risk of breast cancer and other diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Try to eat at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every day.
There are also some specific foods and supplements that can be very effective in your efforts to reduce the risk of breast cancer:
*FLAXSEED: Flaxseed is a supplement comprised of phytoestrogens, naturally occurring compounds that decrease estrogen production in your body, hindering the growth of breast cancer.
*OLIVE OIL: Olive oil contains oleic acid that is effective in destroying a protein that causes the growth of breast cancer tumors.
*FISH OIL: A diet rich in fish oils can be effective in preventing the development of breast tumors. Fish oil supplements are just as effective as eating the fish. Fish oil, like flaxseed, contains healthy OMEGA-3 fatty acids.
*CARROTS: Consuming foods rich in beta-carotene, such as carrots, protects the body from damaging molecules called free radicals. Free radicals cause damage to cells through oxidation that can lead to a variety of chronic illnesses such as cancer.
*FOLIC ACID: (folate) is highly effective in preventing breast cancer in both pre- and post-menopausal women. Foods high in folic acid are green, leafy vegetables, whole wheat bread, oranges, poultry, and fortified cereals.
LIMIT ALCOHOL: The more alcohol a woman drinks, the higher the risk of developing breast cancer. If you must drink, limit your intake to one small drink a day.
EXERCISE: Regular exercise provides a multitude of health benefits for your body including protection against many chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Exercising at least 30 minutes every day can decrease your hormone levels, lowering your risk of breast cancer.
There is nothing you can do that will guarantee a cancer-free life. All women are at risk for getting breast cancer. However, lifestyle changes, eating a healthy diet, regular exercise, and regular breast cancer screening can significantly reduce your risk of developing breast cancer.

Can Caffeinated Beverages Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk?

2008-08-23T01:25:00.002-07:00

Women today are more concerned than ever about preventing breast cancer. There is much speculation about how our lifestyle and habits affect our chances of contracting this and other cancers. Well, there are many risk factors that can make you more prone to breast cancer, but there are also things you can do to prevent breast cancer.
First, it’s important to have a healthy diet. Avoiding processed foods and eating a diet that is low in saturated fats and high in fruits, vegetables and fish. These foods can keep your weight in check and protect your health by providing vitamins and fiber.
In addition to these foods being healthy and fiber rich, they also provide significant ant-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are extremely important to slowing down the aging process and preventing disease.
Each day as our body converts food to energy, it creates oxygen carrying molecules called free radicals. If free radicals are not eliminated from the body, they damage our cells and our DNA. This cell damage is partially responsible for a multitude of diseases, including cancer.
Anti-oxidants are important because they rid the body of free radicals. Since free radicals are created daily, they should be eliminated daily, too. But, because our diets have become so laden with processed food, many of us don’t consume enough anti-oxidants each day.
So, protecting our health means we have to make changes in our lifestyle. Watching what we eat and drink can put us in the best position to combat aging as it creeps up on us.
While you’re taking stock of what’s in your pantry, don’t forget to include looking at what you drink. You need a good dose of anti-oxidants each day, and many of us just don’t consume enough fruits and vegetables to get our daily requirement.
Well, it turns out that drinking tea and coffee can be a great way to increase your anti-oxidants and improve your health- particularly your resistance to breast cancer. There have been many studies that have reported the benefits of green tea, but one recent study suggested that there may be benefits to drinking black tea and coffee, too.
The study I’m referring to was conducted at the Gifu School of Medicine in Japan. The study was conducted on pre-menopausal women. This study looked at the hormone level of 50 Japanese women during different days of their menstrual cycle. They found that in women who consumed tea, coffee and even caffeinated cola had a higher level of the sex hormone binding globulin on critical days of their cycle than the women who did not consume these beverages.
Why Is This Important?
The level of binding globulin is important because low levels of this hormone in pre-menopausal women have been associated with a higher risk of developing breast cancer. So, it appears that drinking your daily intake of caffeine may help your body produce a higher level of binding globulin and help protect you from breast cancer.
Which of These Beverages Should I Drink?
In this particular study, researchers found no difference in the binding globulin level between those who drank coffee, tea or even cola. It seemed to be the consumption of caffeinated beverages of any kind that caused the level of binding globulin to rise.
However, many other studies have shown that in addition to having caffeine, green tea has many other health protecting qualities, as well. Remember how important we just said that anti-oxidants are to our diet? Well, it just so happens that green tea has an extraordinary level of very potent anti-oxidants. Black tea and coffee have anti-oxidants, too; but nothing to compare to the level and potency you’ll find in green tea. (Cola, by the way, does not contain anti-oxidants.)
Though green and black tea both come from the camellia sinensis plant, green tea is healthier because of the way it’s processed. Black tea is fermented, which changes the structure of the anti-oxidants, making them less effective and potent. Green tea is not fermented (nor is white), so it retains anti-oxidants in their most natural and potent state.
And, for those of you who might be sensitive to caffeine; you’ll be happy to know that green tea has less caffeine than coffee or black tea. But, clearly it has enough caffeine to increase your level of binding globulin sufficiently. Remember, the study cited above showed no difference between green tea drinkers and other caffeinated beverage drinkers in terms of the level of binding globulin.
Making Changes You Can Continue
So, if you’re interested in reducing your breast cancer risk, you need to make some changes to your lifestyle to help protect your health. Watch your diet; be sure you’re getting the recommended amount of fresh fruits and vegetables each day.
You should also be sure to add some sort of caffeinated beverage to your diet, if you’re not already drinking some. And, to boost both your anti-oxidants and get your caffeine at the same time, make that beverage green tea.
Make lifestyle changes that you can commit to- otherwise you’ll be unlikely to keep up with them. It might not be realistic for you to say that you’re going to immediately increase your intake of vegetables from none each day to five servings. But, if you can consistently eat two servings each day, then you’ve still made an improvement. And, perhaps later you can work up to five servings.
Small changes over time are the best way to ensure that you’ll continue your new healthy habits. Reduce your number of processed foods and increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and green tea slowly over time. This way, you won’t feel overwhelmed and be tempted to quit.
Smoking can also increase your risk for cancer. We all know that smoking makes us likely candidates for lung cancer, but what many people don’t know is that smoking increases your overall risk for cancer. Smoke is toxic to your body, and can increase your risk of any cancer, including breast cancer.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the US. This year, over 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and over 40,000 will die from it.** It pays to understand how to protect your health and reduce your risk of contracting this disease.

The Fight Against Breast Cancer: Going Green

2008-08-23T01:25:00.001-07:00

In the past few years, a number of women have turned to green vegetables in an effort to attempt to lower their risk of breast cancer. With the disease affecting as many as one in eight American women, it is only natural that women look to natural remedies in an attempt to improve their odds in the fight against this all-too-prevalent kind of cancer.
Increasingly, though, researchers are looking to another green food in an effort to cut breast cancer risk—green tea. While black tea and chamomile tea have long been thought to soothe nerves and combat depression, it is green tea which is making headlines in the world of cancer research.
A number of animal and laboratory studies have shown that green tea can be highly effective in fighting tumors in the mammary tissues. But only recently has the scientific community been able to address the effect of green tea on breast cancer in human beings.
A Case in Point
One significant study indicated that green tea extract prevents breast cancer cells from producing a chemical that leads to tumors. University of Southern California researcher Anna H. Wu and her team noted the dietary and lifestyle choices of more than 500 women with breast cancer and nearly 600 women without cancer in Los Angeles.
The women were of Asian descent and ranged in age from 25 to 74. The researchers found that the healthy women were far more likely to consume green tea. And those breast cancer patients who did drink green tea were likely to consume less of it than the healthy women were. In fact, drinking less than six tablespoons of green tea a day appeared to cut a woman’s risk for breast cancer by as much as 30 percent.
Unfortunately, women who consume a great deal of black tea do not appear to be protected from the onset of breast cancer. Since black tea is more popular in Western nations than green tea, such news can be disappointing. But the fact that green tea’s popularity is gaining strength in the West means that Western women could enjoy the same breast cancer protection that green tea drinkers in the Far East have enjoyed for years.
Green Tea and Breast Cancer Recurrence
But what about women who have already experienced breast cancer? Is it possible for them to reduce their chances of a recurrence by downing cups of green tea?
As you might expect, scientific researchers have been asking the same questions. For instance, a Japanese research team addressed those issues in their article, “Regular Consumption of Green Tea and the Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence: Follow-up Study from the Hospital-based Epidemiologic Research Program at Aichi Cancer Center (HERPACC), Japan.”
As the Asian researchers noted, various studies indicate that green tea can inhibit the development and growth of tumors. Given that fact, they thought it helpful to examine the link between regular green tea consumption and the risk of a recurrence of breast cancer.
The researchers studied 1160 new surgical cases of female breast cancers between June of 1990 and August of 1998. About 12 percent, or 133 of the subjects, appeared to experience a cancer recurrence. But those women who consumed three or more cups of green tea each day were less likely to see their breast cancer make a comeback.
The reduced rate of recurrence was most likely among those women with stage 1 and stage 2 breast cancer. However, the link was not apparent for those women with more advanced stages of the cancer.
Cautiously Optimistic
The researchers cautioned that these results need to be interpreted carefully. However, they do suggest that breast cancer patients who drink green tea daily may be able to prevent their cancer from returning—especially if their cancer was diagnosed in the early stages. Therefore, the research team has reason to be cautiously optimistic about the cancer-fighting capabilities of green tea.
A Closer Look at Green Tea
In order to fully understand the potential of green tea as a cancer prevention method, it is first necessary to examine the composition of the beverage. There are a number of compounds that make up green tea, including polyphenols and flavonoids, caffeine, carbohydrates, tannins, fluoride, and aluminum.
As far as cancer prevention is concerned, the most critical substance is the polyphenols—chemicals which act as antioxidants. These substances block cell replication enzymes and therefore prevent the growth of cancer in the process.
In a number of studies, researchers gave rats with breast tumors green tea to consume. These rats were then compared with rats which drank water alone. Interestingly enough, the rats which had been drinking green tea saw their tumor size reduced considerably. In addition, the studies indicated that new tumors were less likely to develop in rats which drank green tea.
How Much is Enough?
Still, you might be wondering how much green tea you would need to consume in order to significantly reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. Generally, doctors say that you need to consume at least three to four cups of green tea each day—without additives such as milk or sugar—in order to see an impact.
Does decaffeinated green tea offer the same health benefits? Actually, that depends upon the manner in which the caffeine has been removed from the tea. If a solvent has been used to decaffeinate the tea, it will contain reduced levels of EGCG, lessening its effectiveness as a cancer prevention tool. You might also consider taking your green tea in capsule form, although there is little hard evidence to indicate that the capsules are as effective as the beverage in cutting cancer risk.
A Final Note
A woman who has experienced breast cancer has no guarantees that her cancer will never reappear. Even if she begins drinking green tea, she might still undergo a recurrence. However, the available evidence suggests that her risk of facing a second bout of breast cancer decreases significantly when she becomes a green tea drinker.

Can Green Tea Improve Your Chances of Surviving Breast Cancer?

2008-08-23T01:24:00.004-07:00

Breast cancer is one of the most frightening diseases faced by today’s women. In fact, breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women, after nonmelanoma skin cancer. About 13% of American women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. And, it is the second leading cause of cancer death among women, after lung cancer.
Scientists are continuing to look for new information to determine what causes breast cancer as well how to prevent and treat this disease. Today, we still don’t know what causes breast cancer, but we do understand some of the risk factors.
In addition, we have come a long way in treating breast cancer – though many women still die each year. Some of the research is very promising, including research on green tea.
One group of breast cancer sufferers who cause doctors a great area of concern are those who have a higher than average expression of the epidermal growth factor Her-2/neu. Her-2/neu is a growth factor that sometimes presents itself in a tumor. An over expression of this growth factor is a concern for breast cancer patients.
During routine testing of patients who have been recently diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, doctors will determine the level of Her-2/neu. If the level is high, this information is used to guide treatment. The level of this growth factor is important because studies have shown that patients with an over expression of Her-2/neu have a higher likelihood of their cancer metastasizing, and have an overall lower survival rate. The Her-2/neu is high in about 30% of breast cancer patients.
As part of the ongoing research to find effective treatments for breast cancer, scientists have been looking seriously at the benefits of green tea, both on preventing cancer and treating it. Asian cultures have used green tea for its healing properties for centuries, and their overall rate of cancer is much lower than that of the Western world.
Tea is derived from the Camellia sinensis plant. You’ll hear tea referred to as green, white or black. These differences do not result from actual different types of tea leaf, but rather from differences in how the tea leaves are processed. Green and white teas are not fermented during processing, but black tea goes through such a processing.
Tea leaves contain catechins, part of the flavan-3-ol class of flavonoids, which are anti-oxidants. EGCG is one of the catechins contained in tea, and is a potent anti-oxidant. Fermenting the tea leaves converts the catechins to other compounds that are not as healthy as those in unfermented tea. So, the focus of research has been on green tea, because of its healthier form of anti-oxidants.
What’s So Great About Anti-Oxidants?
During our body’s process of converting food to energy, we create free radicals in our body. These free radicals are damaging to our cells and DNA if we don’t combat them. Left unchecked, free radicals contribute to speeding up the aging process and to causing diseases such as cancer, heart attack and stroke.
Anti-oxidants, however, can help us combat these free radicals, and a diet in anti-oxidants is linked with preventing cancer, heart disease and stroke. So, doctors recommend a diet high in anti-oxidants – which means eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking green tea each day.
However, scientists also seem to be finding out that green tea may be able to increase the effectiveness in some cancer treatments. Several studies conducted on mice already diagnosed with cancer have shown that taking green tea along with the cancer treatments can increase the effectiveness of the traditional therapy and may slow down the progression of cancer to other cells. There is promising research; some of it directly related to breast cancer treatment.
One particular study of interest was conducted by the Boston University School of Medicine. In this study, female mice with breast cancer whose Her-2/neu levels were very high were treated with green tea along with their regular cancer treatment. Mice that ingested the green tea showed a slower growth of their tumors and a slower progression of their cancer than those who were treated with the same medicine without green tea as an adjunct therapy.
Researchers who found these results also believe that if green tea can inhibit the growth of tumors in patients already diagnosed with cancer, it may also be effective in preventing cancerous cells from forming and growing in the first place. This coincides with other research that indicates that green tea may be significant in preventing cancer. In addition, it helps explain why Asian cultures have such a low cancer incidence compared to the Western world.
This is very promising news for a group of breast cancer sufferers who have traditionally had a lower survival rate than others with breast cancer. If we can slow the rate of cancer progression in those with over expression of Her-2/neu to approximately the same rate as other breast cancer patients, we may be far more effective at treating these patients.
Far more research is needed in the area of breast cancer prevention and treatment. In addition, scientists will be spending more time examining the benefits of green tea in cancer prevention and treatment. But, it seems clear that green tea has a place in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, including cancer.
Even though there is more research to be done, there is no downside to adding green tea to your diet to help prevent disease or to improve your health if it is already failing. Scientists have found no risks involved with drinking green tea. It has no side effects, and is a healthy alternative to coffee because of its high level of anti-oxidants and because it is much lower in caffeine than coffee. So, get a jump start on your anti-oxidants by drinking green tea!

My Friend has Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:24:00.003-07:00

My friend has breast cancer. She just turned 50. This year she also lost her job, saw her eighty-something father through getting a pace-maker and broke her foot. All these events took place in a mere 4 month span. Talk about stress!
At this particular moment the news is "good". The internist actually told her "if you had to get breast cancer, this is the best one to get"! I'm no expert, by any means, but that sounded like an oxymoron to me. There's a "good" type?
The radiologist tried to calm my friend's fears as much as possible-explaining that she was fortunate enough that it was caught in an extremely early stage. According to the mammogram, the sonogram and the biopsy, that it's very tiny and localized. Both of these first two doctors said that since these were all signs of an excellent prognosis they felt that a lumpectomy would be all she would need. Of course, this was also followed by "unless the surgeon feels differently and thinks some radiation might be warranted".
When she e-mailed me with the news, I felt a wave of nausea myself. After all, I'm but a mere year younger so I felt her terror and the terror of wondering who could/would be next to announce this type of news. Being a writer my way of coping was to start researching the web for types, treatments, groups and outcomes for an article.
Many of the websites talked about the varied types, stages and treatments. Too numerous to become an expert on for the most part. Since my friend is still in the "numb" stage, as she puts it, she hasn't told me which type she has contracted. But when she does, I will go to some of the more user-friendly sites (I liked Susan G. Komen and The City of Hope) and start my detail searching there.
As the patient that's also the line of attack my co-hort has decided on. She wants to know the what-ifs, what-abouts and what are the closest support groups around her. As a single woman she fortunately has built up a very strong base of other single women to have nearby. Which is as necessary as it wonderful. However, she will probably also benefit from attending meetings of others who are "in the same boat".
I say this mainly from my own experience with a very different disease. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have been very fortunate to have a very supportive family base. My husband gives me my weekly injections. My grown children are more than willing to pitch in to help with a meal and laundry. I've learned to not be quite so controlling and let some of what I have always considered to be "my job" get farmed out to others who are more able-bodied. But what really helps are my two support friends. We've never actually met face to face, but we've known each other for over six years now and it's our cyber-connection that has seen us through some times that our families quite simply cannot understand! We met via a now defunct Rheumatoid Arthritis website
We are all 49. One married, no children. One single. And me. We share many things, all of which help us get through the bad days and make the good ones seem all the brighter. I cheered one lady on when she decided to take her hobby of painting and go professional. One cheered me on when I decided to rejuvenate my writing career after a 26 year hiatus. I was in the rooting sections when one went back to college to earn her degree. Both were online telling me that starting my ENBREL injections would put me back into a more "normal" routine and told me stories about their positive reactions and remissions due to the taking of stronger medications.
So while I am still going to have to work on becoming more knowledgeable on my friend's disease, I know one of the best things I can provide her with is a list of breast cancer support groups that she can contact and get involved with right away. Even if they will be an anonymous support group, they will give her invaluable comfort, and information that she would probably not receive from the medical community.
I am also hoping that when the new year begins, she finds a sense of strength and renewal that will be a positive outcome.

It's Really Not Too Surprising That There Is A Link Between Depression and Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:24:00.001-07:00

For the women diagnosed with breast cancer resulting depression is easy to understand. Breast cancer is a very scary and life altering event. It would be surprising if some depression didn't occur. But the thought of depression being a possible cause of breast cancer seems out of the question. The findings may surprise you.
Some studies and research have been done to indicate a link between depression and breast cancer. Some of the medical community agrees with the results indicating that there is in fact a link between depression and breast cancer. Still others feel there should be more studies performed to completely prove the link.
Some reports indicate that women suffering from depression are two to four times as likely to develop breast cancer as those with no depression. No such link exists between other types of cancer.
Possible Causes
How can breast cancer be related to depression?
The answers are varied. Different researcher and medical professionals have differing opinions. It depends on which medical community to interview. Some are further investigating the mind-body link for developing breast cancer.
Some scientists have come up with a possible cause being a hormonal link. This belief centers on stress hormones that may be elevated with depression.
Another possible hormonal link involving estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone as women with depression can also have imbalances with these hormones. Women with severe depression have unbalanced levels of these hormones.
Still another theory involves medication prescribed for depression. They seem to think there's the possibility of breast cancer being caused by immune system suppression caused by increased stress hormones and certain antidepressants as tumor promoters.
While there have been no final and conclusive decisions made about the possible link between depression and breast cancer there are enough statistics pointing to this link that further studies are well warranted. Is there any way for a woman with depression to prevent this possible link form occurring?
At this point there are no strong recommendations. If you do have depression, make sure to seek medical help. Getting control of your depression can help to keep stress hormones and other body functions in good shape.
Make sure to get regular check-ups and mammograms. Self-test at least once a month.
If you find any abnormalities get it checked immediately. Early detection of breast cancer is a primary factor in cancer elimination and survival rates.

Coping with Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:23:00.002-07:00

How does an average woman react to the terrifying diagnosis of breast cancer? Many women go through several psychological steps in learning how to deal with breast cancer.
First, there is shock. Particularly when you're relatively young and have never had a life-threatening illness before; it's hard to believe you have something as serious as cancer. It's all the more difficult to believe because, in most cases, your body hasn't given you any warning at all. Unlike, for example, appendicitis or a heart attack, there's no pain or fever or nausea - no symptom that tells you something is going wrong inside. You or your doctor have found this painless little lump, or your routine mammogram shows something peculiar - and the next thing you know, your doctor is telling you you've got breast cancer. Many women say this is the worst part of the journey. The initial shock can leave you feeling confused and not sure how to proceed. Along with the shock, there's a feeling of anger at your body, which has betrayed you in such an underhanded fashion. In spite of the horror that you feel at the thought of losing your breast, often your first reaction is a desire to get rid of it.
While this is a perfectly understandable emotional response, it's not one you should act on. Getting your breast cut off will not make things go back to normal; your life has been changed and it will never be the same again. You need time to let this sink in, to face the implications cancer has for you and to make a rational, informed decision about what treatment will be best for you both physically and emotionally.
Today there's much more emphasis on doctor and patient sharing the decision making process and there are more options to choose from. There's also a lot more knowledge available - there are manuscripts about breast cancer and its survival rates in both the medical and the popular press and on the internet.
So if the first stage is shock, the second is investigating your options. It is very important to reflect seriously on what the possibility of losing a breast would mean to you. Its importance varies from woman to woman, but there is no woman for whom it doesn't have some significance. Although many women will say, "I don't care about my breast", deep down this is probably not true for most of us. A mastectomy may be the best choice for you, but it will still have a powerful effect on how you feel about yourself. For many women, the loss of a breast can mean feelings of inadequacy.
Several studies have been done comparing conservative surgery and mastectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction, looking for differences in psychological adjustment. Interesting enough, the important factor often appears to be the match between the woman and her treatment. That is, the way she feels about her body, about surgery, about radiotherapy, about having a part in the decision making process of her treatment and about a multitude of factors affects how she reacts to this new and enormous stress.
Along with the fears and stages of recovery, there are also a number of related issues that come up for people with cancer. One of these is the tendency to feel quilt for having cancer - a sense that you've somehow done something wrong. People have a tendency to blame themselves for being ill anyway and a woman will often feel she's betrayed her function as a caregiver by getting breast cancer.
For many women breast cancer never returns and they begin gradually to rebuild their lives. But sometimes, cancer does return. The emotional issues of breast cancer recurrence are so profound and complex that, if you do have a reappearance of the cancer, you may need the help of a mental health professional.

Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:23:00.001-07:00

Many women are hesitant to take hormone replacement because they fear that it will increase their chances of developing breast cancer. Up to this time, after so much medical research, this remains a complicated and controversial issue, especially as we are talking about the most common cancer in the Western world. Statistical data shows that breast cancer affects one in every thirteen women by the age of seventy-five and one in eight women who have a family history of this disease. In some cancerous tumors, a substance known as estrogen receptor is present, which means the possibility that cancer may be promoted by estrogen therapy.
The incidence of breast cancer continues to rise progressively throughout life, so one certainly would not want to do anything during midlife that might further increase this risk. Women who are most at risk of developing breast cancer include those who have never given birth or who are over thirty when they had their first children, obese women, women who went through puberty early, or went through menopause late (after the age of forty-four) and those with a family history of breast cancer. A common feature among these factors is a prolonged and constant exposure to estrogen from the ovaries. Women who consume high fat and low fiber diets have high blood levels of estrogen than women on low-fat, high-fiber diets and they also have much higher incidence of breast cancer, so it seems that we have yet another possible link between estrogen and breast cancer.
Notwithstanding these theoretical indications, however, of almost thirty studies determining the correlation between estrogen replacement and breast cancer, the majority have failed to indicate a definitive for or against this form of treatment. Data is contradictory in that studies linking estrogen therapy to breast cancer also show that women on estrogen who developed breast cancer had survival rates that were significantly better than that of women not on estrogen.
Although studies that show an increased risk of breast cancer are only population studies that surveyed women on hormone replacement therapy, rather than rigorously designed clinical trials comparing the experience of a group of women taking this treatment than a group taking a placebo, they still should make a doctor cautious about prescribing a high dose or prolonged use of estrogen replacement therapy to a woman with a known high risk of breast cancer. In such a case, if estrogen therapy is deemed extremely necessary, it is wise to use smaller or intermittent doses of estrogen replacement therapy. This is reassuring for women who want to take estrogen replacement for only a short time.
All in all, with hormone replacement therapy of less than five years' duration, there is no increase in the incidence of breast cancer. The incidence may increase after ten to fifteen years of hormone replacement and this increase appears to be approximately 30 percent. Furthermore, while it appears that the incidence of breast cancer may increase with long term hormone substitution, women who get breast cancer while on hormone therapy are less likely to die from the disease.

Breast Cancer: Telling Your Kids About It

2008-08-23T01:22:00.004-07:00

One of the hardest parts about being diagnosed with breast cancer is how to tell your children about it. Generally speaking, the best thing to do is to be honest with them. If they don't hear it from you now, they're bound to find out some other way - they'll overhear a conversation when you assume they're out of the room, or a friend or neighbor will inadvertently say something. And when they hear it that way, in the form of a terrible secret they were never supposed to know, it will be a lot more horrifying for them. By talking about it openly with them, you can demystify it. In addition, if all goes well your children gain an opportunity to learn about survival after breast cancer. Kids need to know they can trust you - you don't want to do anything to violate that trust. It's a two-way communication; remember also to listen to their fears. If you find it difficult to bring up the subject, there are children's books you can get that can give you a place to begin.
How you tell them about your breast cancer diagnosis, of course, will depend on the ages of your children and their own emotional vulnerability. They must be told very directly that they did not cause the cancer by thoughts, words, anger, dreams, wishes, etc. Your children will also be affected in other ways; you may be gone for a few days in the hospital and will need to rest when you come home; you may be getting daily radiation therapy, which will consume a lot of your time and leave you tired and lethargic afterwards. You may be having chemotherapy treatments that make you violently sick and make you lose your hair as well. Your children need to know that the alteration in your behavior and the decrease in your accessibility to them isn't happening because you don't love them or because they've been bad and this is their punishment.
Some surgeons encourage breast cancer patients to bring young children to the examining room with them. It could be very helpful for a daughter in particular to see her mother being examined. If you are being treated with radiation or chemotherapy in a center where your children are permitted to see the treatment areas, it's a good idea to bring them along once or twice a week. The environments aren't intimidating and a child who doesn't know what's happening to you in the hospital can conjure up awful images of what "those people" are doing to mom.
Breast cancer has particularly complex ramifications for a mother and her daughter. Aside from all the normal fears any child has to deal with, a daughter might worry about whether this will happen to her, too. It's not a wholly unfounded fear, since there is a genetic component to breast cancer. You need to reassure your daughter, explain to her that it is not inevitable but as she gets older she should learn about her breasts and be very conscious of the need for monitoring.

Breast Cancer - You and Your Medical Team

2008-08-23T01:22:00.003-07:00

We all know that doctors are busy, pulled in many directions and pressed for time. As a breast cancer patient, when you are dealing with people you might otherwise find intimidating, you may be a bit reluctant to make demands. But remember, they are people just like you and you can bet they'd want someone to pay close attention if you were in their shoes. Never lose sight of this fact - and never chose a doctor who has. You should expect doctors to hear you. As a way of showing they are listening and caring, it is not unusual for doctors to pull up a chair and sit face-to-face while discussing your diagnosis and options for treatment of your breast cancer. You need to feel your doctor sees you as a person. If only one of you is talking, there's a problem. You will want to make certain that your doctor not only answers any questions you may have, but also provides you with information that will allow you to make decisions, or know where to look for answers.
Each of us has a comfort level when it comes to facing what will lie ahead in terms of breast surgery, cancer adjuvant therapies, prognosis and possibilities. You may want to know every detail. If this is the case, you should expect the doctor you select to explain tests and procedures you will be undergoing. On the other hand, you should decide in advance how much you really want to know. Some of us need the hard, fast facts of breast cancer; others just want a broad overview; still other want only the information they will need to take their first step. One size does not fit all, so feel free to ask about anything that comes to mind.
Because you may be nervous or frightened - or simply because you may be asking questions that require lengthy or complicated answers - you may want to tape-record conversations with your doctor. Don't be afraid to ask. This is a great way to make sure you aren't missing anything important. It provides you with the opportunity to review what you discussed and also allows you to absorb what was said at your own pace, in your own time. If you run into a doctor who doesn't want to be taped, you should seriously consider whether this is someone you will feel safe and confident with, or if it's time to move on.
In this day and age, it is not uncommon for women with breast cancer to seek out therapies that may be considered outside the realm of Western medicine. A growing number of patients feel they need to approach breast cancer on more than one level. You may try acupuncture, massage, Chinese herbs, vitamins, or many other therapies currently classified alternative or complementary medicine. Your doctor should want to know about these and you will want to pay close attention to reactions when you discuss other therapies you may be trying or want to try. If your doctor dismisses these therapies without evidence that a specific therapy is harmful or ineffective, you may want to leave that doctor and find one who acknowledges that alternative treatments can help you to improve you physical and emotional well-being.

Herbal Teas for Preventing Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:22:00.001-07:00

In recent years, much research has been done on ways to prevent breast cancer and other disease. Much of the research has focused on green tea, which has been shown in many studies to have cancer preventing qualities. So much research has been done, in fact, that Japan’s medical community now calls green tea a known cancer preventative, and other medical communities are expected to follow suit.
One recent study, however, suggests that herbal teas may be effective in preventing breast cancer, too. The UK Tea Council reported on a study conducted on over 4000 French women with no history of cancer. The women were studied over a 6 year period, and received a mammogram and other cancer screening tests every two years during the period. In addition, the women were evaluated based on the particular beverages they consumed, including herbal tea, regular tea, coffee, fruit juices and wine.
By the end of the six year period, 95 of the participants had developed breast cancer. However, the study could not find any link between any of the beverages consumed and an increased risk of breast cancer. Surprisingly, however, they did find that the women that consumed herbal teas had a slightly lower risk of developing breast cancer than those women who consumed other beverages.
Herbal tea, of course, is not really tea at all. Rather herbal teas, also known as tisanes, are really infusions of one or more herbs. They are made with hot water and taken like tea, hence the name; but true herbal teas contain no leaves from the Camilla sinensis plant, the tea tree. However, herbal teas can have many useful purposes, and are used to treat many discomforts naturally.
Just as they are thought to have discovered traditional tea, it is believed that the Chinese discovered herbal teas, too. Herbs were widely used in ancient medicines, and the Chinese, were the first to combine the healing properties of herbs with the enjoyment of tea. Brewing a tea from the correct combination of herbs may simply have been the easiest way to administer the medicine.
Herbal teas were not widely used in the Western world until the last 20 years, though Asian cultures have continued to use them in conjunction with modern medicine. However, in the last few years, herbs have become popular in the rest of the world for relaxation and as alternative medical treatments.
Statistics show that today consumers spend about $120 million on herbal teas at major supermarkets, and that figure is growing at a rate of about 10% per year. So, you can see that herbal teas make up a significant portion of the beverages consumed in the Western world. Most people who drink herbal teas buy commercially produced loose teas or tea bags. And, this is considered the safest way to consume herbal teas. Making your own brew from plants you’ve picked in the wild is risky, at best.
If you’re taking prescription medication, be sure to consult with your doctor before making herbal teas part of your regular routine. Some herbs have been known to have interactions with medications. But, as long as your doctor approves, there’s no reason to avoid herbal teas, whether for health protection or just for pleasure.
There are dozens of different types of herbal teas available. In fact, one of the pieces of information not noted in the study mentioned above was what kind of herbal teas the study participants drank. But, if you’re interested in trying them, here are some of the most popular varieties.
Rooibos - This is an herbal tea whose base is the South African Rooibos herb –it’s often referred to as red tea. You’ll find this tea delicious and sweet on its own, but it can also be found flavored with other fruits.
Yerba Mate Herbal Tea – This tea is made from the South American herb Yerba Mate. It is very healthy; full of anti-oxidants and vitamins and is said to give energy.
Chamomile – This is a traditional herbal tea made from the chamomile plant. Chamomile has been used for centuries to induce sleep and relieve upset stomachs.
Ginger Tea – Spicy ginger has been used for centuries to make tea. It’s delicious and also highly regarded as a treatment for nausea. Ginger tea is an especially good natural treatment for morning sickness.
Lavender Tea – Tea made from the lavender plant has been used for many years to help calm the soul and induce sleep. A weak brew of lavender can be used to calm a colicky baby, too.
Herbal teas can be a wonderful addition to your diet. They can be used to treat minor ailments and provide a feeling of calm. And, now that there’s evidence that herbal teas may help prevent breast cancer, they can become part of your regular health protecting routine.
Protecting yourself from cancer includes living an overall healthy lifestyle. This includes getting regular exercise, eating a diet that is low in saturated fat and rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and not smoking.
Be sure to include the most potent anti-oxidants in your diet too, like those found in blueberries, artichokes, pomegranates and green tea. Following these guidelines and adding a cup or two of herbal tea, as well, can help you protect your health for years to come.

Breast Cancer in Young Women

2008-08-23T01:21:00.003-07:00

Sometimes a cancer is unusual, not in itself, but in the situation which it occurs. Breast cancer is most common in women over 50; there are several cases in women in their 40s. It is far rarer in women under 40, but it does occur. We tend to be particularly shocked when it occurs in a young woman. In this situation it is detected as a lump, since generally, breast cancer screening through mammography is not done in young women.
Very often, a young woman gets misdiagnosed. She detects a lump and she is told it is just lumpy breasts and it is followed for a while until doctors realize it's something serious. Although this can be horrifying, in fact, it's quite understandable, since the vast majority of lumps in women under 35 are totally benign and the risk of cancer is very low. The fact that cancer is not diagnosed immediately doesn't mean that the young patient will die; since most breast cancers have been around 8 to 10 years, and whether it is diagnosed the minute you find it or six months later isn't the critical factor. We're so horrified when a young woman gets breast cancer that there's a disappointing number of lawsuits against doctors failing to find breast cancer in this population, because they're often misdiagnosed and because it's such a gut-wrenching situation. However, in most cases the doctors are not negligent. Still, doctors should be taught that young women can develop breast cancer and that doctors should remain vigilant.
Many doctors believe that breast cancer in a young woman is more aggressive than in older ones. Two studies have recently shed some light on this theory. Both studies showed that the mortality from breast cancer was higher in women who had been pregnant in the past four years. Risk was assessed to be higher right after pregnancy and decreased with each year, going back to normal after four years. Since young women are more likely to have been recently pregnant, they will show more of this effect. This suggests that it may not be the woman's age itself that affects aggressiveness but the changes in her immune system and hormones that go with pregnancy.
Breast cancer in young women is more likely to be hereditary. That makes sense - if you've inherited a gene mutation and you will only need one or two more mutations to get cancer, you're one step closer and you're likely to get there faster, whereas if you "acquire" breast cancer, you still need to get all the genetic mutations. That doesn't work all the time. Like older women, the majority of younger women with breast cancer have no family history. Nevertheless, if you have breast cancer in your family you are more likely to get it at a younger age than if you don't.
Overall, there is no evidence that breast cancer under 35 matched for prognostic features is any more aggressive than a cancer in an older woman. Younger women do, on the other hand, have a higher incidence of poor prognostic features. Still, a young woman and an older woman with the same tumors will have the same general prognosis.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:21:00.001-07:00

Inflammatory breast cancer is a special kind of advanced breast cancer and it's a serious one. Though we see an increasing number of cases, it is rare, accounting for only 1 to 4 percent of all breast cancers. Overall survival is worse in women with this kind of breast cancer than in other forms of breast cancer. It is inflammatory because its initial manifestations are usually redness and warmth in the skin of the breast, often without a palpable lump. Oftentimes, the patient and even the doctor will mistake it for a simple infection and she'll be put on antibiotics. But it doesn't get better. It also doesn't get worse and that's the tip-off: an infection will always get better or worse within a week or two - it rarely stays the same. If no change seems to be evident, the doctor should perform a biopsy of the underlying tissue to see if it is cancer.
An asymptomatic breast cancer patient was breast-feeding and developed what her doctor thought was lactational mastitis or inflammation of the breast brought about by breast-feeding. It never cleared up and did not hurt much - there was no fever sign of infection. It hadn't gone away or gotten worse in six months. Another patient, not breast-feeding, noticed that one breast had suddenly become larger than the other; there was also redness and swelling. In both cases, the doctors at first thought the women had breast infections. So if the symptoms continue after treatment, you should ask to have a biopsy done of the breast tissue and of the skin itself. With inflammatory breast cancer, you have cancer in the lymph vessels of your skin, which makes the skin red. An internet survey done on women with the disease by a man whose wife had died of inflammatory breast cancer showed that most women said they wished they had known that when there is redness of the breast skin unresponsive to antibiotic therapy, this is indicative of inflammatory breast cancer. Probably their doctors were not breast specialists and did not know about this unusual type of breast cancer.
Inflammatory breast cancer is the only kind of breast cancer that virtually everyone agrees doesn't call for mastectomy as its sole primary treatment. Because it involves the lymphatic vessels of the skin as well as of the breast tissue and the skin is sewn back after mastectomy (surgical removal of the breast), doing a mastectomy will leave a great chance of recurrence in the skin. Chemotherapy would be treatment of choice for this type of breast cancer before any local treatment can be entertained.
The incidence of inflammatory breast cancer is quite variable. Women with this cancer tend to be significantly younger than those with other breast cancers and African Americans with this type of cancer tend to be younger than Caucasians.
As with all advanced cancers, chemotherapy is started with three or four cycles of Adriamycin and Cytoxan with or without Taxol or Taxotere. After which local treatment can be done - usually in the form of mastectomy. After mastectomy, most women will receive four more cycles of chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy to the chest wall. Serious though it can be, inflammatory breast cancer is still an extremely variable disease.

Locally Advanced Breast Cancer

2008-08-23T01:20:00.002-07:00

There are several indications of a locally advanced breast cancer: a stage 3 cancer, with a size larger than two inches and lymph node metastasis; swelling of the skin, or a big, matted cluster of lymph nodes in the armpit; or it might be stuck to the chest muscle, or ulcerating through the skin.
These are all indications that the breast cancer is likely to have spread to elsewhere in the body, at least microscopically and so when they are discovered, surgery isn't always the first step taken. Lymph node sampling isn't necessary. There is frequently a question whether a wide excision is even possible. If you've got very large breasts, it might be, but if your breasts are small, surgeons may not be able to get enough surrounding tissue out without a mastectomy. It the tumor is stuck to the chest muscle or ulcerating through the breast skin, an immediate local treatment might not be feasible at all; removing the muscle or all the skin that is ulcerated might not leave sufficient tissue to sew back together again.
All this generally suggests that it would be wise to start a systemic rather than local treatment, usually in the form of chemotherapy and this is now fairly generally agreed on in the medical community. Normally, the drugs used are Adriamycin and Cytoxan and/or Taxol or Taxotere. This may not eradicate the whole tumor, but if it doesn't, it can still do two things: it can destroy the cancer cells that have spread to various organs and it can shrink the tumor size to a size that can be more easily managed with surgery or radiation. Oftentimes, chemotherapy is continued for three to four cycles and then the situation is re-evaluated. If the tumor has shrunk, a lumpectomy (the surgical removal of a small tumor or a lump); if there is no change, surgeons resort to a surgical technique known as mastectomy, or surgical removal of the breast. Even when the tumor seems to have disappeared, there may still be some cancer cells present. Most doctors always want to at least a lumpectomy on the spot where the tumor where the tumor had been to see what's actually left. If the lumpectomy is clear or shows clean margins, you are a candidate for radiotherapy. Similarly, if doctors can do a lumpectomy and clear margins because the lump is small, that in addition to radiation is a sensible treatment. If there is still a large lump or a lot of cancer at the margins, the best option might be to do a mastectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction. In the case of an ulceration that doesn't have enough skin to sew back together, breast reconstruction has not only a cosmetic but also a medical advantage: reconstruction provides skin from another part of the body.
After lumpectomy or mastectomy, some women with stage 3 breast cancer receive high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell rescue (bone marrow transplantation). Knowing that many of these locally advanced cancers are very aggressive, many doctors feel that a higher dose of chemotherapy is advisable. Different hospitals have different preferences in treatment order and combinations. Most centers do chemotherapy first and many of them will then do a mastectomy. Some of them will consider breast conservation surgery, if the lump becomes small enough and they usually follow up with radiation therapy. Combinations of treatments in this kind of breast cancer produce better response rates.
Michael Russell

What Are The Main Causes of Breast Cancer?

2008-08-23T01:20:00.001-07:00

It is an incredibly difficult day in any woman's life if she is found positive for breast cancer. Her family, friends, and anyone else who knows will wonder "why?" Why did this happen to her, and can it happen to me? One shield against such fears is to educate yourself as to the breast cancer causes and what signs to look for. Breast cancer is a disease where cells in your breasts begin dividing uncontrollably, forming the lumps that we are taught to examine ourselves for.
One thing is certain; cancer is a difficult disease to study. It is often difficult or impossible to tell in individual cases what caused breast cancer. However, what doctors do have a better grasp on are some of the things that are common among women (and the occasional men) who get breast cancer.
These are known more appropriately as breast cancer risk factors.
The following are a few breast cancer causes:
* Genetics and family history
* Age
* Early menstruation
* Delayed childbearing
* Presence of cancer or non-cancerous lumps in breasts previously
Genetics and family history are not exactly the same, but they are related. If there is a family history of cancer, you may be more at risk for breast cancer. However, you may be genetically at risk even without a family history of the disease. Mutations can occur in your genes that put you at risk.
If we talk about breast cancer causes, age is one of them, the older you get, the longer you are exposed to environmental factors that may mutate your genes.
Early menstruation and delayed childbearing both increase the amount of time that you are exposed to estrogen. This is one of the risk factors for breast cancer.
Presence of cancer or even non-cancerous lumps in a breast previously means you may be more at risk for breast cancer.
Breast cancer causes are difficult to pinpoint. At one level, it is fairly easy. Breast cancer is caused by a mutation that makes your cells divide uncontrollably. On another level, it is very complex. Excessive weight, radiation exposure, hormone therapy, and smoking are all potential breast cancer causes, in that they could trigger that genetic mutation.
Breast cancer causes are also dependent on environmental influences, such as what chemicals you may have been exposed to, or if someone around you is a smoker. Cancer is a complex disease, and breast cancer is one of the most difficult to pinpoint causes for.

Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk With Green Tea

2008-08-23T01:19:00.002-07:00

This year, 40,000 women will die from breast cancer, and over 200,000 will be diagnosed with the disease. Researchers are hard at work to determine ways to prevent breast cancer, helping women learn how to protect themselves from this frightening disease.
As it stands today, about 13% of American women will develop breast cancer at some point during their lifetime. A better understanding of the causes of breast cancer and ways to prevent it can help us reduce that number in our lifetime.
We know that a healthy diet and exercise are important to preventing breast and other cancers. In particular, a diet rich in anti-oxidants can help the body age gracefully and avoid diseases like cancer and heart disease.
Anti-oxidants are important because they fight free radicals created in the body as it converts food to energy. These free radicals can cause disease and aging over time. Anti-oxidants and their ability to check free radicals help to keep our bodies young and healthy.
Fruits and vegetables are among the best sources of anti-oxidants. In particular, vegetables such as artichokes, tomatoes, and asparagus along with fruits like blueberries and pomegranates can help reduce your chances of disease and keep you young.
Another significant source of anti-oxidants is green tea. Green tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, as does all true tea. Green tea is higher in anti-oxidants than black tea because it is not fermented during processing. The lack of fermentation leaves the tea plant’s anti-oxidants in their most natural and protective state, making it one of the most protective substances you can consume.
Scientists have spent years researching the potential of green tea, particularly its ability to prevent, and even treat cancers, including breast cancer. They have learned that green tea offers much potential in prevention of breast cancer.
One study in particular looked at women in Singapore who had a higher than average risk of breast cancer. This study, reported by the UK Tea Council, studied women who had a high level of angiotensin II activity. Angiotensin is an ogliopeptide in the blood that causes blood vessels to constrict, causing high blood pressure. It also releases aldosterone from the adrenal cortex. Aldosterone is a hormone that regulates potassium and sodium in the blood.
Women who have low angiotensin II activity seem to be at a lower risk for breast cancer. Therefore, researchers theorized that women with high angiotensin II activity would be more susceptible to the protective effects of green tea.
So, in this study, researchers looked at 297 women with breast cancer and just over 600 control subjects. The study concluded that among the women with high angiotensin II activity, green tea was able to significantly lower the risk of breast cancer. The green tea did not appear to have a protective effect on the women with lower than average angiotensin II activity.*
This study didn’t show that it was necessary to consume green tea in large quantities in order to see benefit. The study concluded that women who drank green tea weekly were at a lower risk than those who drank it only monthly or not at all.
This conclusion is on target with other research that has shown that drugs which inhibit angiotensin activity (drugs to treat high blood pressure) reduce a woman’s risk of breast cancer over those women whose blood pressure goes untreated. It seems that keeping angiotensin II at bay is effective at reducing blood pressure problems and lowering breast cancer risk at the same time.
This is promising news for those who may be at a higher uncontrollable risk of breast cancer. Angiotensin activity, like some other risk factors for breast cancer, such as family history, cannot be controlled or moderated. But, if green tea can lessen the impact of angiotensin II activity, this may minimize the risk of breast cancer for a large group of higher risk women.
We all know that it’s important for each of us to take an active role in protecting our health. And, as more research is performed, it becomes more evident that drinking green tea is an especially simple and effective way to do so.
Adding green tea to your daily life is simple and delicious. Green tea is available loose, in bottles and in tea bags. You can make your own cup of hot tea to warm up a cold night, keep a pitcher of iced green tea in the refrigerator, or grab a bottled green tea on the way to your workout.
You can find green tea flavored with many different fruit flavors to suit any palate. And, if that still doesn’t get you enough green tea to help your health, there are green tea supplements, too. Simply pop a green tea supplement with your vitamins each day to help get an extra dose. Keep in mind that it appears that even drinking moderate amounts of green tea can help protect your health.
So, grab a cup of green tea. You’re certain to enjoy it, and you may be protecting your health, too!

Preventing Breast Cancer Recurrence with Green Tea

2008-08-23T01:19:00.001-07:00

In recent years, lots of research has been performed on green tea’s ability to prevent and treat breast cancer. The news has been extremely promising; it appears that as we learn more, we’ll eventually determine that green tea is, indeed, one of the simplest things we can do to protect breast health. Since about 13% of all American women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime, breast health is a significant concern for all of us.
One study showed that tea helped to ensure that women had an appropriate level of the sex hormone binding globulin on critical days of their cycle. The level of binding globulin is important because low levels of this hormone in pre-menopausal women have been associated with a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Another study showed that one group of Chinese women who were at a higher than average risk of developing cancer, due to angiotensin activity in their blood, were able to lower their breast cancer risk by drinking green tea. This study concluded that even women who drank green tea only weekly were at a lower risk than those who drank it only monthly or not at all.
One study also showed that green tea may be able to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Green tea was shown to increase the concentration of chemotherapy drugs in the cancer cells, compared to women who received chemotherapy without green tea as an adjunct treatment. Green tea was also shown to slow the growth of cancer cells, suggesting that it may inhibit cancer progression and metastasis.
Green tea’s anti-oxidants are what make it such a powerful health protector. The anti-oxidants in green tea have been shown to be more than 100 times as effective at neutralizing free radicals as vitamin C, and 25 times more powerful than vitamin E, both of which are well recognized as anti-oxidants. In addition, the EGCG in green tea have also been found to be more powerful than BHA, BHT and Resveratol, all of which are considered some of the most potent anti-oxidants around.
And, now there’s a study that’s shown that green tea may prevent breast cancer from recurring, too. This study, reported by the UK Tea Council, examined many databases that contained information about breast cancer patients and their rate of recurrence.
The study concluded that women who consumed more than 5 cups of green tea per day had a slightly lower than average risk of developing breast cancer than women who consumed a smaller amount or who did not drink green tea at all.
In addition, this study showed that women with Stages 1 and 2 breast cancer who drank green tea daily showed a decreased risk of breast cancer recurrence over women who did not drink green tea.
This is very promising news, both for women who are trying to prevent breast cancer and for women who are already battling the disease. It appears that green tea may be an important part of the treatment of breast cancer, in order to lessen the chances that the cancer will recur later.
Each recurrence of breast cancer is more difficult to treat than the previous ones, and each one increases your mortality risk from the disease. So, while prevention is critical in all women – preventing recurrence for those who are already battling the disease is just as critical.
When you combine all the evidence that’s out there, it’s hard to ignore the fact that green tea holds a lot of promise in the fight against breast cancer.
So, if you’re at a higher than average risk for developing breast cancer, it’s wise to consider adding green tea to your diet. Even if it doesn’t prevent you from getting breast cancer, green tea has no side effects, and is considered to be completely safe to consume.
In addition to adding green tea to your diet, you should also take steps to ensure that you’re living an overall healthy life. This means eating a healthy diet, that includes lots of fruits and vegetables (these are high in anti-oxidants just like green tea) and is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Switch to whole grains and be certain that you’re getting an adequate amount of fiber.
You should also exercise. Exercise helps burn calories and maintain a normal body weight. In addition, exercise helps build muscle and keep your body strong, which comes in handy as we age.
Finally, if you smoke, stop. We’re all aware that smoking increases our risk for lung cancer, but what many people don’t know is that smoking increases your overall risk of cancer. So, smoking may contribute to you having a higher risk of breast cancer, too. Smoking also contributes to heart disease.
We’re learning more and more about the benefits of drinking green tea. It’s likely that in a few years, we’ll truly understand how this popular beverage keeps us healthy. But, in the meantime, you should get a head start on the road to health by having some green tea today and every day!

Green Tea or Black for Preventing Breast Cancer?

2008-08-23T01:18:00.002-07:00

In recent years there has been an abundance of research investigating the benefits of green and black tea on preventing disease. And, the results have been divided. Depending on the health condition being evaluated, some studies have shown green tea to be more effective, while others have shown green and black tea to be equally effective.
Green tea differs from black in its processing. Both come from the Camellia sinensis plant, but black tea is fermented when processed. This fermentation changes some of the tea plant’s compounds, and effectively reduces some of the most important anti-oxidants, namely EGCG, one of the most important anti-oxidants you can consume. However, black tea does still contain many other important anti-oxidants.
When it comes to preventing many forms of disease, EGCG seems to be an important component, making green tea the drink of choice. In addition, the reason tea came into focus in the first place was the noticeably lower rates of disease in Asian countries, where tea is consumed in large quantities - most of it green tea.
One of the diseases that tea is reported to prevent is breast cancer. Several studies have shown that tea, green in particular, seems to significantly lower your chances of developing breast cancer. Some studies have even suggested that green tea could even be an effective treatment for breast cancer.
One study conducted on breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy noted that those participants who regularly consumed green tea during their chemotherapy treatments showed higher concentrations of the chemotherapy drugs in their cancer cells than those who did not consume green tea.
Other studies have indicated that green tea can inhibit the growth of cancer cells, possibly preventing the spread of the disease. And, additional studies have shown that green tea may prevent the recurrence of breast cancer in patients diagnosed at Stage I or II of the disease.
But, what about black tea? Why have similar results not been shown with the consumption of green tea? The theory is that it has to do with hormones.
Green tea is thought to reduce certain circulating sex-steroid hormones, such as estone and estradiol, and that black tea may increase the levels of these hormones. If the reduction in breast cancer risk is due to the lower level of these sex-steroid hormones, then it’s easy to see why green tea is more effective at preventing breast cancer than black tea.
One study in Singapore evaluated a cross section of 130 healthy post-menopausal Chinese women. Their tea consumption broke down like this:
• 84 were non or irregular tea drinkers – meaning they drank tea less than once a week.
• 27 were regular green tea drinkers – meaning they drank green tea weekly or daily
• 19 were regular black tea drinkers
The study concluded that, relative to the estrone levels in the non tea drinkers, the green tea drinkers showed a lower estrone level, and the black tea drinkers showed a higher estrone level. In fact, the green tea drinkers showed a 13% lower estrone level, and the black tea drinkers showed a 19% higher level of estrone than those who did not drink tea. A similar relationship was found between tea drinking habits and estradiol levels.
While this study alone cannot be considered conclusive, it does suggest that, if high levels of circulating sex steroids increase the risk of breast cancer, green tea is a much better preventative than black tea.
Most researchers agree that having high levels of circulating hormones like estrogen (which is made up of estradiol and estrone) after menopause does increase your risk of breast cancer. This is why women who take hormone supplements to help ease the symptoms of menopause have an increased risk of developing cancer over women who do not treat their menopausal symptoms with hormones like estrogen therapy.
So, if you’ve experienced menopause and you’re at an increased risk for breast cancer, talk to your doctor about tea drinking. Particularly if you drink large quantities of black tea, it might be wise to reduce this amount, and replace it with green tea.
It’s clear that we don’t fully understand the relationship between tea and breast cancer, and that much more research should be performed. However, we do have a pretty clear picture that green tea prevents many forms of cancer, breast cancer among them.
So, it’s probably a good idea to keep drinking your green tea. While it’s true that we don’t have all the answers, it does seem clear that green tea offers many health benefits and that drinking it is a healthy habit that all of us should get into.
Green tea is delicious, refreshing and widely available. All of these attributes make green tea a simple way to improve our health and reduce the risk of certain diseases. So, make a cup of green tea, and drink to your health!

Help Me Decide Breast Cancer Treatment Type

2008-08-23T01:18:00.001-07:00

The diagnosis of breast cancer is overwhelming. After the initial phase of diagnosis comes the discussion of your breast cancer treatment type. This decision should involve more than just your physician.
Choosing the most appropriate breast cancer treatment type is a decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and healthcare team.
Ultimately, you and your physician must decide which breast cancer treatment type is right for you. While you need the input from friends and family the decision should be yours.
You should feel confident about the decision you make. Becoming educated to what is available will help your decision-making process.
Making a confident decision about your breast cancer treatment type involves more than one aspect. The good news is that when detected early, breast cancer treatment is often successful.
You should become familiar with the types of treatment available, the success rates, potential side effects, and why the treatment being recommended is best for your situation.
Breast Cancer Treatment Types
Take the time you need to sort out your treatment options. Your physician may suggest a variety of treatment options and may also suggest that you consider taking part in a breast cancer treatment trial.
While learning and evaluating all of this information can take some time, its better to take the time necessary. Sometimes you may even want to get a second opinion from another medical professional.
There are various treatment options available for different types and stages of breast cancer. These treatment types are based on four main techniques: surgery, quimiotherapy, radiotherapy and hormonal treatment. The primary breast cancer treatment is determined by tumor factors and by patient preference.
Obviously the goal of treatment is to completely remove the cancer and prevent it from coming back. This may involve more than one type of treatment. The mainstay of breast cancer treatment is surgery, with possible chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.
The aesthetic outcome of breast cancer treatment is an important factor in breast cancer. The visualization work for your breast cancer treatment should be tailored to you needs and the way you perceive the outcome.
Dealing with the physical aspects of breast cancer treatment is only one part of the healing processbut it is an important process that you should consider just as intently as the other portions of your treatment.
Every woman diagnosed with breast cancer wants complete recovery and the ability to return to a normal life. The path to total recovery may be filled with time consuming treatments and recovery processes.
There is no easy solution, but there are millions of breast cancer survivors who have returned to happy normal lives.
Take the time to educate yourself and make an informed decision to join those survivors.