Learn How You Can Save Your Life by Preventing Breast Cancer

By Stacey Chillemi
www.authorsden.com

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, after nonmelanoma skin cancer. Over the past 50 years, the number of women diagnosed with the disease has increased each year. Today, approximately 1 in almost every 8 women (13.4%) will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer -- and is the leading cause of cancer death among women ages 35 to 54. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2005, approximately 211,240 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and approximately 40,410 will die. Although these numbers may sound frightening, research reveals that the mortality rate could decrease by 30% if all women age 50 and older who need a mammogram had one.

As a woman I firmly believe that we cannot wait until the doctors diagnose us with a frightening disease, such as breast cancer and hope for a miracle cure. It is up to each individual to educate themselves, understand what breast cancer is, how it is caused and how we can help ourselves, so the chances of getting breast cancer is increasing low.

How does breast cancer begin?

First, I would like to explain to you how breast cancer begins. The cells in our breasts normally reproduce only when new cells are needed. Sometimes, cells in a part of the body grow and reproduce out of control, which creates a mass of tissue called a tumor. If the cells that are growing out of control are normal cells, the tumor is called benign which means not cancerous. If however, the cells that are growing out of control are abnormal and they do not function like the body's normal cells, the tumor is called malignant which means the tumor is cancerous.

Cancers are named after the part of the body from which they originate. Breast cancer originates in the breast tissue. Like other cancers, breast cancer can infect and grow into the tissue surrounding the breast. It can also travel to other parts of the body and form new tumors, a process called metastasis.

The medical field is still unsure what causes breast cancer; they do know that certain risk factors may put you at higher risk of developing it. A person's age, genetic factors, personal health history and diet all contribute to breast cancer.

The Risk Factors:

Reasonably higher risk

Getting older. Your risk for breast cancer increases as you age. About 77% of women diagnosed with breast cancer each year are over age 50, and almost half are age 65 and older. Consider this: In women 40 to 49 years of age, there is a one in 68 risk of developing breast cancer. In the 50 to 59 age group, that risk increases to one in 37.

Direct family history. Having a mother, sister or daughter ("first degree" relative) who has breast cancer puts you at higher risk for the disease. The risk is even greater if your relative developed breast cancer before menopause and had cancer in both breasts. Having one first-degree relative with breast cancer approximately doubles a woman's risk, and having two first-degree relatives increases her risk 5-fold. Having a male blood relative with breast cancer will also increase a woman's risk of the disease.

Genetics. Carriers of alterations in either of two familial breast cancer genes called BRCA1 or BRCA2 are at higher risk. Women with an inherited alteration in either of these genes have up to an 80% chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime.

Breast lesions. A previous breast biopsy result of atypical hyperplasia (lobular or ductal) increases a woman's breast cancer risk by 4 to 5 times.

Somewhat higher risk

Distant family history. This refers to breast cancer in more distant relatives such as aunts, grandmothers and cousins.

Previous abnormal breast biopsy. Women with earlier biopsies showing any of the following have a slight increased risk: fibroadenomas with complex features, hyperplasia without atypia, sclerosing adenosis and solitary papilloma.

Age at childbirth. Having your first child after age 30 or never having children puts you at higher risk.

Early menstruation. Your risk increases if you got your period before age 12.

Late menopause. If you begin menopause after age 55, your risk increases.

Weight. Being overweight (especially in the waist), with excess caloric and fat intake, increases your risk, especially after menopause.

Excessive radiation. This is especially true for women who were given radiation for postpartum mastitis, received prolonged fluoroscopic X-rays for tuberculosis or who were exposed to a large amount of radiation before age 30 -- usually as treatment for cancers such as lymphoma.

Other cancer in the family. A family history of cancer of the ovaries, cervix, uterus or colon increases your risk.

Heritage. Female descendents of Eastern and Central European Jews (Ashkenazi) are at increased risk.

Alcohol. Use of alcohol is linked to increased risk of developing breast cancer. Compared with nondrinkers, women who consume one alcoholic drink a day have a very small increase in risk, and those who have 2 to 5 drinks daily, have about 1.5 times the risk of women who drink no alcohol. Alcohol is also known to increase the risk of developing cancers of the mouth, throat, and esophagus.

Race. Caucasian women are at a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer than are African-American, Asian, Hispanic and Native American women.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Long term use of combined estrogen and progesterone increases the risk of breast cancer. This risk seems to return to that of the general population after discontinuing them for 5 years or more.

Low risk

Pregnancy before age 18.

Early onset of menopause.

Surgical removal of the ovaries before age 37.

Factors not related to breast cancer

Fibrocystic breast changes.

Multiple pregnancies.

Coffee or caffeine intake.

Antiperspirants.

Underwire bras.

Abortion or miscarriage.

Breast implants.

Only 5-10% of breast cancers occur in women who developed cancer because it is in their family heritage. Most women who get cancer have no direct family history of the disease. The risk for developing breast cancer increases as a woman get older.

THE WARNING SIGNS

The warning signs of breast cancer include:

Lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm that persists through the menstrual cycle.

A mass or lump, which may feel as small as a pea.

A change in the size, shape or contour of the breast.

A blood-stained or clear fluid discharge from the nipple.

A change in the feel or appearance of the skin on the breast or nipple (dimpled, puckered, scaly or inflamed).

Redness of the skin on the breast or nipple.

An area that is distinctly different from any other area on either breast.

A marble-like hardened area under the skin.

These changes may be found when performing monthly breast self-exams. By performing breast self-exams, you can become familiar with the normal monthly changes in your breasts.

Breast self-examination should be performed at the same time each month, three to five days after your menstrual period ends. If you have stopped menstruating, perform the exam on the same day of each month.

How to Perform a Self – Examination:

How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam:

In the mirror:

Stand undressed from the waist up in front of a large mirror in a well-lit room. Look at your breasts. Don't be alarmed if they do not look equal in size or shape. Most women's breasts aren't. With your arms relaxed by your sides, look for any changes in size, shape or position, or any changes to the skin of the breasts. Look for any skin puckering, dimpling, sores or discoloration. Inspect your nipples and look for any sores, peeling or change in the direction of the nipples.

Next, place your hands on your hips and press down firmly to tighten the chest muscles beneath your breasts. Turn from side to side so you can inspect the outer part of your breasts.

Then bend forward toward the mirror. Roll your shoulders and elbows forward to tighten your chest muscles. Your breasts will fall forward. Look for any changes in the shape or contour of your breasts.

Now, clasp your hands behind your head and press your hands forward. Again, turn from side to side to inspect your breasts' outer portions. Remember to inspect the border underneath your breasts. You may need to lift your breasts with your hand to see this area.

Check your nipples for discharge (fluid). Place your thumb and forefinger on the tissue surrounding the nipple and pull outward toward the end of the nipple. Look for any discharge. Repeat on your other breast.

In the shower

Now, it's time to feel for changes in the breast. It is helpful to have your hands slippery with soap and water. Check for any lumps or thickening in your underarm area. Place your left hand on your hip and reach with your right hand to feel in the left armpit. Repeat on the other side.

Check both sides for lumps or thickenings above and below your collarbone.

With hands soapy, raise one arm behind your head to spread out the breast tissue. Use the flat part of your fingers from the other hand to press gently into the breast. Follow an up-and-down pattern along the breast, moving from bra line to collarbone. Continue the pattern until you have covered the entire breast. Repeat on the other side.

Lying down

Next, lie down and place a small pillow or folded towel under your right shoulder. Put your right hand behind your head. Place your left hand on the upper portion of your right breast with fingers together and flat. Body lotion may help to make this part of the exam easier.

Think of your breast as a face on a clock. Start at 12 o'clock and move toward 1 o'clock in small circular motions. Continue around the entire circle until you reach 12 o'clock again. Keep your fingers flat and in constant contact with your breast. When the circle is complete, move in one inch toward the nipple and complete another circle around the clock. Continue in this pattern until you've felt the entire breast. Make sure to feel the upper outer areas that extend into your armpit.

Place your fingers flat and directly on top of your nipple. Feel beneath the nipple for any changes. Gently press your nipple inward. It should move easily.

Repeat steps 9, 10 and 11 on your other breast.

Cancerous tumors are more likely to be found in certain parts of the breast over others. If you divide the breast into 4 sections, the approximate percentage of breast cancers found in each area are (in clockwise pattern):

41% upper, outer quadrant

14% upper, inner quadrant

5% lower, inner quadrant

6% lower, outer quadrant

34% in the area behind the nipple

Almost half occur in the upper outer quadrant of the breast, towards the armpit. Some physicians refer to this region as the "tail" of the breast and encourage women to examine it closely.

If you detect a lump go immediately to your doctor. Changes in your breast that should be checked by your doctor include:

An area that is distinctly different from any other area on either breast.

A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm that persists through the menstrual cycle.

A change in the size, shape or contour of the breast.

A mass or lump, which may feel as small as a pea.

A marble-like area under the skin.

A change in the feel or appearance of the skin on the breast or nipple (dimpled, puckered, scaly or inflamed).

Bloody or clear fluid discharge from the nipples.

Redness of the skin on the breast or nipple.

The most common types of breast cancer are:

Invasive ductal carcinoma. This cancer starts in the milk ducts of the breast. Then it breaks through the wall of the duct and invades the fatty tissue of the breast. This is the most common form of breast cancer, accounting for 80% of invasive cases.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is ductal carcinoma in its earliest stage (stage 0). In situ refers to the fact that the cancer hasn't spread beyond its point of origin. In this case, the disease is confined to the milk ducts and has not invaded nearby breast tissue. If untreated, ductal carcinoma in situ may become invasive cancer. It is almost always curable.

Infiltrating (invasive) lobular carcinoma. This cancer begins in the lobules of the breast where breast milk is produced, but has spread to surrounding tissues or the rest of the body. It accounts for about 10% of invasive breast cancers.

Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is cancer that is only in the lobules of the breast. It isn't a true cancer, but serves as a marker for the increased risk of developing breast cancer later, possibly in both breasts. This is why it is important for women with lobular carcinoma in situ to have regular clinical breast exams and mammograms.

The Stages of Breast Cancer:

Early stage or stage 0 breast cancer is when the disease is localized to the breast with no evidence of spread to the lymph nodes (carcinoma in situ).

Stage 1 breast cancer: The cancer is two centimeters or less in size and it hasn't spread anywhere.

Stage 2A breast cancer is a tumor smaller than two centimeters across with lymph node involvement or a tumor that is larger than two but less than five centimeters across without underarm lymph node involvement.

Stage 2B is a tumor that is greater than five centimeters across without underarm lymph nodes testing positive for cancer or a tumor that is larger than two but less than five centimeters across with lymph node involvement.

Advanced breast cancer (metastatic) results after cancer cells spread to the lymph nodes and to other parts of the body.

Stage 3A breast cancer is also called locally advanced breast cancer. The tumor is larger than five centimeters and has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm, or a tumor that is any size with cancerous lymph nodes that adhere to one another or surrounding tissue.

Stage 3B breast cancer is a tumor of any size that has spread to the skin, chest wall or internal mammary lymph nodes (located beneath the breast and inside the chest).

Stage 3C breast cancer is a tumor of any size that has spread more extensively and involves more lymph node invasion.

Stage 4 breast cancer is defined as a tumor, regardless of size, that has spread to places far away from the breast, such as bones, lungs, liver, brain or distant lymph nodes.

How Breast Cancer is Diagnosed

During your regular physical examination, your doctor will take a careful personal and family history and perform a breast exam and possibly one or more other tests:

Mammography

Ultrasonography

Based on the results of these tests, your doctor may or may not request a biopsy to get a sample of the breast mass cells or tissue.

After the sample is removed, it is sent to a lab for testing. A pathologist -- a doctor who specializes in diagnosing abnormal tissue changes -- views the sample under a microscope and looks for abnormal cell shapes or growth patterns. When cancer is present, the pathologist can tell what kind of cancer it is (ductal or lobular carcinoma) and whether it has spread beyond the ducts or lobules.

Laboratory tests such as hormone receptor tests (estrogen and progesterone) can show whether the hormones help the cancer to grow. If the test results show that hormones help the cancer grow (a positive test), the cancer is likely to respond to hormonal treatment. This therapy deprives the cancer of the estrogen hormone.

Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment are best accomplished by a team of experts working together with the patient. Each patient needs to evaluate the advantages and limitations of each type of treatment, and work with her team of physicians to develop the best approach.

How Breast Cancer is Treated

If the tests find cancer, you and your doctor will develop a treatment plan to eradicate the breast cancer, to reduce the chance of cancer returning in the breast, as well as to reduce the chance of the cancer traveling to a location outside of the breast. Treatment generally follows within a few weeks after the diagnosis.

The type of treatment recommended will depend on the size and location of the tumor in the breast, the results of lab tests done on the cancer cells and the stage or extent of the disease. Your doctor usually considers your age and general health as well as your feelings about the treatment options.

Breast cancer treatments are local or systemic.

Local treatments are used to remove, destroy or control the cancer cells in a specific area, such as the breast. Surgery and radiation treatment are local treatments.

Systemic treatments are used to destroy or control cancer cells all over the body. Chemotherapy and hormone therapy such as tamoxifen, and biologic therapies like Herceptin, are systemic treatments. A patient may have just one form of treatment or a combination, depending on her needs.

What Happens After Treatment?

Following local breast cancer treatment, the treatment team will determine the chances that the cancer will recur outside the breast. This team usually includes a medical oncologist, who is a specialist trained in using medicines to treat breast cancer. The medical oncologist, who works with the surgeon, may advise the use of tamoxifen or possibly chemotherapy. These treatments are used in addition to, but not in place of, local breast cancer treatment with surgery and/or radiation therapy.

How You Can Protect Yourself from Breast Cancer

Follow these three steps for early detection:

Get a mammogram. The American Cancer Society recommends having a baseline mammogram at age 35 and a screening mammogram every year after age 40. Mammograms are an important part of your health history. If you go to another healthcare provider, or move, take the film (mammogram) with you.

Examine your breasts each month after age 20. You will become familiar with the contours and feel of your breasts and will be more alert to changes.

Have your breast examined by a healthcare provider at least once every three years after age 20, and every year after age 40. Clinical breast exams can detect lumps that may not be detected by mammogram.

This article contains a lot of information and it may be overwhelming so some individuals but remember the more we know about the disease the better we can protect ourselves and decrease the chances of getting breast cancer. Remember, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Your Mammogram Is Abnormal – What Now?

By Barbara C. Phillips
www.olderwiserwomen.com

It’s 10am on a Tuesday morning. You are getting ready for a meeting with your team when a phone call comes in for you…from your health care provider. It seems your routine annual mammogram has found a small spot that needs further evaluation. Now what?

No doubt about it, an abnormal mammogram is a scary thing. The first thing you should remember is that 80 percent of these lumps turn out to be benign, meaning they are not cancerous. However, it’s prudent for your health care provider to arrange for you to have a biopsy done to insure that your spot does indeed fall into that 80%.

What’s a biopsy? A biopsy is a procedure that allows for tissue to be removed and tested for cancer. In many cases, the produced for taking tissue results in little to no pain and there is minimal to no scarring involved.

There are for main types of breast biopsies that are done.

Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) – This is the least invasive form of biopsy. The FNAB uses a tiny needle that is inserted directly into the lump. The content of the lump is then pulled back into the needle and syringe and the whole thing is withdrawn. In many cases, done properly, these procedures are painless, leave no scarring, and can be done in your providers office. Best of all, results can be ready in a few days.

Core Needle Biopsy (CNB) - The needle involved is a bit larger, with a bit of discomfort. The needle is again guided into the lump and the sample is obtained just like the FNAB. Again, the results are available in just a few days – often in 48 hours.

Image-Guided Breast Biopsy - In this type of biopsy, instead of guiding the needle by “feel” (feeling the lump to guide the needle), the needle is guided into the lump using ultrasound. This is often called a Stereotatic needle biopsy. In this case, the procedure is often performed by a radiologist or surgeon where equipment is available.

Surgical Biopsy – While often not used just to diagnosis breast cancer alone, they are performed when the decision is made by you and your surgeon to remove either part (incisional biopsy) or the entire (excisional biopsy) lump. This can be performed on an out-patient basis.

Undergoing any type of procedure on our breasts can be scary, especially when we are faced wit possibly receive a diagnosis of breast cancer. However, having an understanding of what is going on, what to expect, and why something is being done can alleviate some of that fear and help you become an active partner in your quest for further information.

New Treatment Options For Breast Cancer

By: Nishanth Reddy
www.breastcancer-infoguide.com

Although surgery is the most effective (and hence, the most widely used) breast cancer treatment method, there are several other ways of dealing with the disease, some are more powerful than the others. These include radiation therapy, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy, each of them with their own assets and downsides.

Most of them however are used in combination with surgery for best effects, either prior to it, in order to reduce the size of the tumor or after the operation, in order to remove any remaining cancerous cells. For a better understanding of these alternative treatment methods for breast cancer, we’ll take a closer look at each, explaining how they work and in what cases they might prove useful.

Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses powerful gamma rays (x-rays) which target the specific area that needs to be treated with high precision. Usually, radiation therapy is performed after surgery, to destroy any cancer cells that have not been removed or the ones that formed up where the tumor was removed. Although it can’t be used as, a treatment on its own, radiation therapy is one of the most accepted post-surgery methods of breast conserving therapy (BCT) and has a high chance of stopping the cancer from recurring.

As with all treatments involving x-rays, there are some downsides to radiation therapy. First, in order to wipe out the cancerous cells that might have formed (or remained) in the area where the tumor was removed from, the x-rays will eventually damage some of the healthy tissue too. Although the process is highly precise, the rays cannot make a difference between cancerous and normal cells, so they “burn” them together.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves the administration of drugs that kill the cancer cells or stop them from growing. Most chemotherapy medications are given through an intravenous line, although some are administered in pill form. Chemotherapy is a harsh regime, which often makes people feel more ill than the illness they are suffering from; however, it has been proved very effective.

Chemotherapy is a great treatment method to use both prior and after surgery. With the help of this method, you can virtually contract the cancerous tumor before the actual surgery, making it easier and less complex to remove. In addition, chemotherapy is used in the same sense as radiation therapy after the surgical intervention, to stop the diseased cells to recur.

Chemotherapy is administered usually in cycles where each cycle consists of a period of intensive treatment that lasts for a few days or weeks followed by a week of recovery. Most patients with breast cancer have two to four cycles of chemotherapy to start with before tests are performed to see what effects it has had on the cancer.

Chemotherapy is different to radiation as it can treat the whole body with the potential of finding other tumor cells that have migrated from the breast and surrounding area. Many people are familiar with chemotherapy’s side effects although the side effects do depend upon drugs to treat the patient.

The most common side effects are loss of hair, loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting and low blood cell count making the patient more susceptible to infections, feeling sick or tired. Many notice that they bleed more than usual, especially from gums, sores and small scrapes etc.

There are three different chemotherapy strategies are used in breast cancer:

Adjuvant chemotherapy – this is given to patients who have undergone curative treatment for breast cancer such as radiation or surgery. In order to decrease the possibility of the breast cancer recurrence, this treatment is given.

Pre-surgical chemotherapy – this is given to shrink a large tumor and/or to kill any stray cancerous cells. This will also increase the chance that the surgery will kill the cancer completely.

Regular chemotherapy – this is given routinely to people who have breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast or the surrounding local area.

Hormonal therapy may also be given, as many breast cancers such as those that have ample estrogens or progesterone receptors are sensitive to changes in hormones.

Tamoxifen Breast Cancer Treatment
Those women who are genetically at high risk of developing breast cancer may benefit from tamoxifen as it has previously been seen to decrease the incidence of the disease occurring. Raloxifene, which is used to treat osteoporosis, is now being studied for treating breast cancer.

In some breast cancer cases, a woman’s natural hormones are suppressed with drugs whereas other patients find benefits by adding hormones. Tamoxifen for instance is currently the most commonly prescribed effective hormone treatment. It can be used for treating breast cancer and in the prevention of breast cancer. Tamoxifen has few side effects and can considerably improve the life span of those women who have advanced cases of breast cancer.

Fulvestrant Breast Cancer Treatment
A further treatment, Fulvestrant has recently been approved in the USA. It is planned to be used for treating hormone receptor positive metastastic breast cancer in women who have been through the menopause. It is given following antiestrogen therapy.

Monoclonal Breast Cancer Treatment
Another treatment known as monoclonal is antibodies that are antagonistic against the proteins, which are in or around cancer cells. They recognise an invader such as a cancer cell and attack it. This antibody therapy is currently being investigated holds out a lot of hope for breast cancer sufferers.

Excessive alcohol intake and obesity following menopause can increase the risk of developing breast cancer although this increase is slight. Those physically active women have a lower risk.

Preventative or Prophylactic Mastectomies
More and more women who are at a high risk of developing breast cancer are having preventative or prophylactic mastectomies to avoid them developing breast cancer.

The main risk factors for women to develop breast are age, sex and genetics. Women can do nothing about some risks so preventing death caused due to breast cancer is recommended with regular screening.

Women should undertake regular screening including self-examination, mammography and clinical breast examinations.

I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. That's how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

Information on Breast Cancer Treatments

By: Vinay Choubey
www.halfvalue.com

The mainstay of breast cancer treatment is surgery when the tumor is localized, with possible adjuvant hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy. At present, the treatment recommendations after surgery (adjuvant therapy) follow a pattern. Depending on clinical criteria (age, type of cancer, size, metastasis) patients are roughly divided to high risk and low risk cases which follow different rules for therapy. Treatment possibilities include Radiation Therapy, Chemotherapy, Hormone Therapy, and Immune Therapy.

Information on Breast Cancer Treatments

Surgery
Depending on the staging and type of the tumor, just a lumpectomy (removal of the lump only) may be all that is necessary or removal of larger amounts of breast tissue may be necessary. Surgical removal of the entire breast is called mastectomy. Standard practice requires that the surgeon must establish that the tissue removed in the operation has margins clear of cancer, indicating that the cancer has been completely excised. If the tissue removed does not have clear margins, then further operations to remove more tissue may be necessary. This may sometimes require removal of part of the pectoralis major muscle which is the main muscle of the anterior chest wall.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can be given both before and after surgery. Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is used to shrink the size of a tumor prior to surgery. Adjuvant chemotherapy is given after surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence. Cancer cells usually grow more rapidly than normal cells, and chemotherapy drugs work against them by interfering with their growth and reproduction.

Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy consists of the use of high powered X-rays or gamma rays (XRT) that precisely target the area that is being treated. These X-rays or gamma rays are very effective in destroying the cancer cells that might recur where the tumor was removed. These X-rays are delivered by a machine called a linear Accelerator or LINAC. Alternatively, the use of implanted radioactive catheters, similar to those used in prostate cancer treatment, is being evaluated. The use of radiation therapy for breast cancer is usually given after surgery has been performed and is an essential component of breast conserving therapy. The purpose of radiation is to reduce the chance that the cancer will recur.

Hormonal Treatment
Hormonal therapy is a very effective treatment against breast cancer that is hormone-receptor-positive. Find out if you should be tested to see if you need other therapies, as well. Sometimes called "anti-estrogen therapy," hormonal therapy blocks the ability of the hormone estrogen to turn on and stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells. Tamoxifen is the drug most commonly used to block estrogen receptors on cancer cells, in effect, denying them the estrogen they need to grow and multiply.

Herceptin
Herceptin is the first humanized antibody approved for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Herceptin is designed to target and block the function of HER2 protein overexpression. Research has shown that HER2-positive breast cancer is a more aggressive disease with a greater likelihood of recurrence, a poorer prognosis, and a decreased chance of survival compared with HER2-negative breast cancer.

Comprehensive Breast Centers
Women with breast cancer increasingly are choosing to be treated at comprehensive breast centers that offer up-to-date treatments and the specialists that can provide them. Learn more information on breast cancer and the latest technologies.

What Are The Risk Factors For Breast Cancer?

By: Dr. Shawn Mutt
www.mysecrethealth.com

Breast cancer is a largely unknown disease until today, despite the fact that it affects almost ten percent of the women above the age of forty years all over the world. The causes of this killer cancer are not known even after decades of research into it. Similarly it is unknown why some women have higher chances of getting breast cancers than others.

Though the causative factors are not known, some risk factors have been identified. There is no medical proof why these factors make the disease more probable, but this is a study of observation. In a vast cross-section of women with the observed risk factors, it has been found that the chances of getting breast cancers are very high.

The various risk factors for breast cancer are as follows:

Family History of Breast Cancer

If a near relative like a mother or a sister has had breast cancer, then there is a very high chance that the cancer will occur sometime in life. This propensity is observed even if far relatives such as cousins and aunts have had breast cancer, though the chances are lesser as the relatives are more removed. Even if a male relative has had breast cancer or prostate cancer, then there is a chance of getting breast cancer. This clearly indicates that breast cancer runs through family lines through inheritance. Certainly the chances are very high if more than one family member has had breast cancer.

Personal History of Breast Cancer

If a woman has had breast cancer in the past, then there is a great chance that the breast cancer may recur. This is true even if the cancer had been removed in its benign stage itself. Sometimes the cancer cells spread into the nearby lymph. This makes a possibility that the cancer will occur in the opposite breast. In fact, women who have had cancer in one breast have 50 to 75% more chances of developing the cancer in the other breast.

Diseases of the Breast

Several breast diseases can increase the chances of having breast cancer. Changes in the cells of the breasts can lead to atypical hyperplasia. This condition can cause a three to fourfold increase in the possibility of getting breast cancer in the later years. This risk also exists if the atypical hyperplasia has occurred in other women of the family. Another such condition is the benign breast tumor condition known as fibro adenoma. However, women with fibrocystic breasts generally do not have any added vulnerability to breast cancer. Yet, such conditions could make the breasts lumpy and hide the real tumors (if any) during mammography.

Lifestyle

In today’s world, lifestyle is the single largest contributing factor for the proliferation of breast cancer among women. Several elements of the lifestyle have been found to be directly accordant with the prevalence of breast cancer. Smoking and alcoholism in women are among the chief factors. Even diet has been pointed out as an important risk factor. Women who consume a diet with more high-cholesterol fats in them have higher chances of breast cancer. At the same time leading a sedentary lifestyle without indulging much in physical activity are also potentially dangerous.

Radiation

It has been found that women who undergo radiation therapies in their chest region at a young age have an increased risk of developing breast cancer in their later lives. Radiation therapy is generally prescribed for women with conditions like Hodgkin’s disease or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. So women who have undergone such treatments may get breast cancer in their later years.

Hormonal Imbalances

There are several factors that can change the hormone balance of the body. Some of them are:- a) Beginning the menstrual cycle early, i.e. before the age of twelve years, b) Having the first pregnancy after the age of thirty years, c) Having no pregnancy at all, d) Having a late menopause. All these conditions can increase the level of estrogen in the body. This increases the risk of getting breast cancer to a mild extent. Apart from that women who take regular birth control pills, breast enhancement supplements, antidepressants and antihistamines and hormone modifying supplements stand at a higher risk to get breast cancers.

The above are the major risk factors for breast cancers. But since the study on breast cancers is not yet complete, the above is by no means a complete list. There are several other indications of breast cancers, like breast implant operations; but these have not yet been confirmed. The implants used in the earlier days were made of silicone gels. These were riskier in terms of breast cancer. However, nowadays the silicone gel implants have been replaced by saline implants. This has reduced the risk to a great extent.

It must be also noted that women have much higher chances of getting breast cancer than men. In fact, most people think that breast cancer is a disease that affects only women. This is not true. Men also get breast cancers, but to a much lesser degree than women. Also, age is a very important factor. The chances of getting breast cancer are much higher when the woman has crossed the age of 50 years.

Breast Cancer - Myths And Facts

By Michael Russell
www.breast-cancer.treatment-and-guides.com

Myth: Breast cancer is primarily a genetic disorder.

Only 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancer is owing to abnormal genes. The two genes, Breast Cancer Gene 1 (BRCA 1) and Breast Cancer Gene 2 (BRCA2) are thought to be those that increase the risk of breast cancer. However, the percentage of breast cancer cases in relation to BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutated genes is only 5%. It must be noted that this is only one of the risk factors when considering breast cancer. The other risk factors being age, high fat content diet and obesity, to name a few.

Myth: Radiation therapy causes a person to be radioactive.

Only in certain instances do you become radioactive when you receive radiation internally as a "boost". This is because the radioactive material is within you but while you receive this treatment, you generally will be in a private room in the hospital. If you receive radiation therapy externally this in no way makes you radioactive.

Myth: In early breast cancer detection, mammography is 100% accurate.

Nearly 85 to 90 percent of all breast cancers are detected by mammography, but a small percentage of breast cancers do go undetected by mammography. These go undetected sometimes because the irregular tissue and the surrounding breast tissue are of the same density. Therefore, if a patient has a lump in her breast or has any other change in her breast and also the mammogram gives a negative reading it is always best to continue to pursue the matter.

Myth: It is not necessary for women who are older and diagnosed with breast cancer to undergo "full" treatment.

The mortality rate of older women who have breast cancer is on the increase because of the fact that they do not receive the full treatment at the time they are diagnosed. Even though breast cancer is supposed to have a slow growth rate, some can be aggressive and can spread to other parts of the body.

Myth: Breast self-examination is best practiced in the shower.

It may be carried out in the shower, but it may not be the best of places to so as wet soapy hands may make it difficult to judge properly any abnormalities. Cold water or air too may cause the breasts and the nipples to contract. Breast self examination should be carried out monthly in three positions, that is standing up, lying down and upright in front of the mirror.

Myth: A woman's risk of developing breast cancer is increased by fibrocystic change.

Fibrocystic change is a breast condition, which is non-cancerous and has no risk whatsoever of increasing breast cancer. In some cases, however, this condition can cause detection with mammography a bit difficult because in fibrocystic breasts the breast density may tend to eclipse the breast cancer on a mammogram. It is therefore very important that breast self-examination as well as clinical breast examination is carried out. If cancer is suspected in these conditions, an ultra sound scan is also carried out.

Myth: A woman will definitely develop breast cancer if she is diagnosed with Lobular Carcinoma in situ.

Lobular Carcinoma in situ or lobular neoplasm is a stage 0 cancer, which most doctors do not consider to be a cancer. However, it might be an indication that an individual is at high risk and women with lobular neoplasm are more likely to develop breast cancer later on in their lives.

Breast Cancer - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

By Michael Russell
www.breast-cancer.treatment-and-guides.com

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women. In the US, about 180,000 women develop it each year. The disease can also occur in men, although cancer of the male breast accounts for less than 1 in 100 cases. The risk of it increases with age, doubling every 10 years.

The disease is most commonly diagnosed in women over age 50. Very few women under age 30 develop it. Despite the rise in incidence, there has been a small drop in the number of deaths in the recent years and only about one-fifth of cases prove fatal. This reduction is due to improvements in treatment and the increased use of mammography for screening, which means that tumors can be detected early, when they often respond well to treatment.

Screening may reduce the number of deaths in women over age 50 by up to 4 in 10. In the US, many doctors recommend that women over age 40 have a mammogram every 1-2 years and every year over age 50. A cancerous tumor may first develop in the breast lobules (the structures in the breast that produce milk). A tumor that originates in the milk ducts may lead to Paget's disease of the breast. Tumors may spread to other organs, such as the lungs or the liver, before being detected.

It is a cancer that originates in the breast tissue of women and men. It can spread to the lymph nodes under the arm before diagnosis. With advanced disease, metastasis can be seen in many body organs, including bone, brain, lung, liver and skin.

Causes:

The underlying cause of most is unclear. However, some risk factors have been identified, many of which suggest that the female hormone estrogen is an important factor in the development and progress of the disease. It is known that women who have their first menstrual period before age 11, or who have a late menopause, seem to be at increased risk of developing this cancer, probably because they are exposed to high levels of estrogen for longer. The number of menstrual cycles before a first pregnancy is also significant. And a woman who has her first child before age 20 has chances. Breast feeding is thought to have an additional protective effect.

Risk factors for developing it include

. Early onset of menses or late menopause
. First pregnancy after age 30
. Family history of the disease
. Radiation exposure

Possible risk factors include

. High fat diet
. Excessive alcohol intake
. Estrogen replacement therapy
. Oral contraceptive use

Symptoms:

It is usually manifest as a painless lump anywhere in the breast or under the arm. Occasionally, its symptoms can be more subtle, such as:

. An inverted nipple
. Bloody discharge from the nipple
. Changes in the skin overlying the breast making it resemble the skin of an orange.

Diagnosis:

Any Breast pain or lumps felt on physical examination by a woman or her physician and any lumps found on mammography (Radiography) should be considered for biopsy. Lumps seen on mammography, but not palpable on examination can be located by ultrasound or mammogram for biopsy. If a diagnosis of it is established, staging tests include:

. Liver function tests
. Alkaline phosphates test to check for bone disease
. Chest X-ray (Radiography)
. Bone Scan (Nuclear Medicine)

Complications:

Complications of it are related to areas of metastasis:

. Metastasis to bone can cause pain, bone fractures or elevated calcium levels in the blood.
. Metastasis to the brain or spinal cord can cause seizures, headaches, weakness, numbness or confusion.
. Metastasis to the lungs can cause breathing difficulty, chest pain or swelling of the face and neck.

Treatment: Self Treatment:

. A well balanced diet should be maintained. Once a diagnosis of it is made all estrogen medication should be stopped, including birth control pills.

Medical Treatment:

Many women will require additional drug therapy after surgery to prevent it from returning. Either tamoxifen (a hormonal pill) or chemotherapy (intravenous medication) may be recommended, depending on the type of tumor. More advanced case is also treated with chemotherapy or hormonal therapy.

Surgical Treatment:

Two alternative initial treatments for it are:

. Lumpectomy with lymph node dissection followed by radiation therapy to the breast.
. Mastectomy (mastectomy, partial or mastectomy, modified radical)

Prevention:

Early detection of it by regular beast self-examination and regular mammography (Radiography) screening is important. A low - fat diet and moderate alcohol intake may be important. Some researchers theorize that exercise for preadolescent girls may be helpful as it delays the age of onset of menstruation.

Michael Russell

Mammogram Overkill

By Diane St James
www.dianestjames.com

I have to wonder just how many women get unnecessary mammograms? I've had some scares already in my 49 short years and frankly am somewhat hesitant about believing that the high technology today is so wonderful!

Early last week I dutifully got my annual mammogram although it was about a month past due. Hey, I don't like going 3 days before Christmas, just in case it is bad news! It went surprisingly quick and without a lot of wait in the waiting room. I noticed an improvement there as well. They removed that huge poster about Women and Heart Disease displaying horrible statistics. I remember thinking last year how ironic it was. So we women, waiting to hear the outcome of our diagnostic X-rays could figure if the cancer doesn't kill us, heart disease will.

Last Thursday, two days later I got a phone call about coming back in. I had pretty much forgotten about it and was a bit surprised by the call. I was told they wanted to get another mammogram of my left breast. I asked why as my right one was the one previously diagnosed with micro calcifications after which having a botched up needle biopsy, appear to not be an issue any longer. The reason given to me was that there was a shadow seen on the left one and that it may just have been the way it was taken (such as overlapping tissue or some such thing), but they wanted to be sure.

My heart started pounding and I was thinking "Oh no, I may have cancer". It doesn't matter how lightly the pleasant lady on the phone put it, I was being called BACK and that couldn't be a a good thing. I was told that they would take a core mammogram of my left breast and also set up an appointment for an ultrasound in case they determined that I needed to have that done right away after that. No matter how much I tried to reassure myself nothing was there because for the umpteenth time I didn't feel any kind of lump or anything unusual, the fear was right there not very far from my thoughts for the next week.

When I arrived today I was told they were going to take a bilateral of each breast and then two of the left again. I challenged the technician because I was told I would only need the left one done. I have learned to not just trust anyone wearing a white (or pink for that matter) lab coat. Why should I subject myself to more radiation and a higher medical bill that was surely going to be given to me - mistake or not? Turns out I was right and just the left breast was doomed to being painfully squished and flattened this time around.

Luckily I didn't have to wait very long for the results when the technician called me back in. She told me that my left upper breast was more dense than the right one when I had my mammogram, which I am guessing was a more dense shadow and so they wanted to take a closer look at the left one. When they did, there was nothing suspicious there. My thinking is the density got thinned out from the x-ray machine grabbing just that section and smashing it as thin as possible and nothing suspicious was found. I didn't need an ultrasound and could call the nurse later if I wanted to have the official report (but she had heard the radiologist reading the films and that is what he said).

Later I decided to call and got a nurse who although was extremely nice, was skirting my question. She was explaining how if they had seen something I would have needed an ultrasound to explore it further, but they did not need one. I guess she was waiting for me to say "Well that's great news, thanks" and hang up. But I wanted to know more than that. I asked if my left breast then showed that it was more dense than the one they took a year ago? She couldn't really answer me. She just said the left had more density than the right and so again I asked, "So it was more dense that last year's mammogram?". Her response was "It must have been".

Well that is baloney. I have no solid proof that the radiologist first compared this year's mammogram to the ones done a year ago (as a diagnostic mammogram no less). For all I know just this year's were viewed and since the left didn't match the right one in density, another one was ordered.

Don't get me wrong. I am completely ecstatic that I don't have breast cancer! But I would have been happier getting a form letter that nothing was found. Just how many other women go through needless second mammograms on a daily basis. I'm sure some of those turn out to be actual findings that do need to be diagnosed and treated. But for every one that truly have something for the poor woman being clamped down by the x-ray machine to worry about, how many more are called back for follow up mammograms that really aren't necessary. But who cares right? Better to be safe than sorry, right? While that is certainly true, it still causes me to ponder how many women are needlessly subjected to the added gray hair, stress, anxiety, radiation exposure and medical fees when they already have enough to worry about with caring for their family, home, work and who knows what else is on their plate! At least I can happily say I don't have to deal with all this again for another year.

How To Prevent Breast Cancer?

By Anna Hardy
www.mysecrethealth.com

Breast cancer has earned the disrepute of becoming the second-most killing type of all cancers that are found in humans, having lost the race only to lung cancer. About one in every ten women has chances of developing breast cancer if precautions are not taken early on. Despite this alarming number of its victims, it is pathetic to know that there is an absolute lack of information on the disease. It is not that there is no written material available about the disease, but most women are too complacent regarding the problem. It is always the ‘disease that affects the other woman so it doesn’t bother me’ until it is too late to remedy the situation.

Breast cancer is the abnormal growth of cells within the breast. These cells would aggregate like a lump, which would be called as the breast tumor. The tumor can be felt from the outside of the breast even when it is still harmless. At this harmless stage, it is called as a benign tumor. Benign tumors can be surgically operable. If that is done, the risk of the advancement of the breast cancer is very negligible. But if the tumor is allowed to go on, then it would continue to the malignant stage. During this stage the cancer would proliferate to such an extent within the surrounding tissues that it would be impossible to remove it completely. When the cancerous cells enter the bloodstream, there is no way out. The result is certain death.

Hence it is important to snuff out the breast cancer while it is still benign, and perhaps that is the only way to keep the cancer at bay once it occurs. But most women do not know that there are various ways to reduce the risk of contracting breast cancers. Since breast cancer can strike just about any woman, it is extremely necessary to pay attention to these methods that can help to prevent the disease. The following are the precautions that women must take to prevent the onset of breast cancer:-

(1) If you are overweight, then seriously work at reducing your weight. Science has proved a direct relation between obesity and breast cancer. At the same time, lean women have a significantly lesser chance of contracting the disease.

(2) Do not introduce any supplements in your body that could change the internal hormonal balance of the body. In women, the two main feminine character deciding hormones are progesterone and estrogen. These hormones maintain the proper balance of the female characteristics, including the shape and the function of the breasts. An alteration in this balance could bring on several female health related diseases, among which breast cancer is just one of them.

(3) Smoking is extremely hazardous in women as it can play havoc with the biological rhythm of the body. Excessive smoking could cause sterility in both the male and the female. But in women, smoking has been found (by statistical analysis) that women who smoke stand at a much higher risk of breast cancer than others. The same can be said about women who consume too much of alcohol.

(4) Walking is considered to be effective in keeping breast cancer away. Walking is a simple exercise, but it can keep the woman’s body fit. Also walking stimulates proper blood circulation in all parts of the body without making the person excessively tired. Apart from walking, other simple exercises like running, jumping, swimming, etc. are also effective.

(5) All women over the age of 40 are at a risk of breast cancer. Hence they should keep their lifestyle healthy. The diet should be kept as natural as possible, and artificial spices and preservatives must be avoided. Elderly women should not lead sedentary lifestyles; they must involve themselves in some kind of physical activity or the other, depending on their lifestyles.

(6) There has been a kind of an association established with high fats and breast cancers. Women whose diet consists of a lot of fats are more susceptible to getting breast cancers than others. For this reason, it is necessary to minimize fats in the diet as much as possible. Instead of high-calorie fats, a low fat diet is preferable. This will also help to keep obesity and cardiovascular problems in check.

Breast cancer prevention is more important than the treatment of the cancer itself, because prevention is always better than cure. The above precautions will greatly reduce the risk of having a cancer, but then they are not sure-shot methods. Medical science has not yet been able to come up with a good explanation as to why some women get breast cancers and some don’t. Hence at the slightest sign of any abnormality with your breasts, it is necessary to seek urgent medical attention. Your vigilance might save your life.