Sexual matters and issues are of great concern for many cancer patients during the period of treatment. While most patients would comfortably discuss sexual issues with their doctors, others would not even hear of it. Sex is the last thing a woman would like to discuss during this treatment period. Otherwise many women would be comfortable discussing sexual matters at least six months or a year after treatment. This is an opinion of older women compared to younger women who would have like to delve into sexual discussions immediately. However prediction of an outcome especially if it has to be good, is determined by a patient's attitude. A person who loves her body and in a good sexually active relationship offers the best outcome. Many women in this case are trying to overcome trauma associated with cancer and sex after mastectomy does not appeal to many.
The trauma of losing a breast during mastectomy can really impact heavily on a woman's sexual life. However there is still a positive side to it as most women confess that a mastectomy rarely interferes or inhibits their sexual exploits and enjoyment. A number of women are not comfortable with nudity after mastectomy. The scars they have only add to their trauma. They would be very unsettled if someone stared or looked at their scars. They fear engaging in active sex. They haven't yet learnt to love their scars. But for how long would they continue hiding them? And how long would it take them to resume sex after mastectomy? The breast area is the bone of contention and many women are very sensitive physically and emotionally specifically towards the area of operation, the breasts. Touching and scrutinizing these areas is not something positively welcomed.
Vaginal dryness and an early menopause occur as a result of ovaries being damaged during treatment. These are some of the worst side effects of chemotherapy. These are the hard facts which make a woman to take up to a year before she can think of discussing sexual matters. And how long will it take her to resume sex after mastectomy? However this should not be a problem especially with the advent of lubricants. Though some brands are greasy or excessively thick, there are brands that almost mimic nature and provide maximum lubrication. However it is not advisable to use estrogen based lubricants as it might be absorbed into the body.
Women subjected to surgery and mastectomy, are usually adjusted in good measure emotionally as well as sexually in one year just like their counterparts who just had a minor operation. It all takes courage and attitude change to resume an active sex life. The fatigue experienced long after chemotherapy makes sexual intercourse daunting. However, getting into the mood is the first step towards resuming sex after mastectomy. It can be a gradual process that does not involve penetration at first. It only gets to that level after the couple is comfortable with the sensitive nudity of the woman.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Every Human Being Is The Author Of His Own Health
Every human being is the author of his own health, -an old Buddhist saying.
It began in August 2005, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The tumor was located toward the back of the breast close to the chest wall. My best option was to have the breast removed. The day before the surgery was scheduled, the surgeon called.
"Your pre-opt tests came back," he said. "Your liver enzymes are about three times higher than normal."
"What are liver enzymes?" I asked.
"Liver enzymes let us know how healthy the liver is," he explained. "You're not taking any medication that would affect the liver so we better find out what's going on. Surgery is on hold until we run some tests."
On hold. This malignancy was growing inside me and I was on hold. The tests were inconclusive. The CAT scan, ultrasound, hepatitis tests, and iron absorption test offered no answers.
"The surgery is still risky," the surgeon warned. "Surgery could make your liver worse."
At this stage I was more worried about the cancer than the liver, so I told him, "I'll take my chances."
Three days later I had the mastectomy. The cancer didn't appear to have spread to my lymph nodes. This good news was short-lived when we decided I would not undergo any further cancer treatment because of my unhealthy liver.
Every three months for the next year I took liver function tests. The results were always the same: the liver enzymes were three times higher than normal. But I was not idle during this year. I read hundreds of medical journals, poured through hundreds of medical studies, and read dozens of books on nutrition and soil depletion. When my doctor wanted to begin treatment for my liver, I decided to put my research to work. I became my own guinea pig.
"I'm going to take six months," I told him, "and then I'll be back."
The liver, I discovered, removes toxic substances from the body, produces most of the body's cholesterol, and acts as a storage unit for vitamins A, D, K, and B12. The liver enzymes show how well the liver is functioning and, obviously, mine wasn't functioning too well. With research notes in hand, I developed a plan of action. For the storage unit, I stopped the daily vitamin and mineral supplements that I had taken for years, to prevent overdosing. For the toxic substances and cholesterol, I switched to organic foods and olive oil for cooking and baking. I stuck to this plan for six months. After the six months passed, I called my doctor to arrange tests.
Two weeks later I sat in the doctor's office. He walked in with a puzzled expression.
"Well?" I asked.
"Your tests are normal." He acted surprised. "Actually, they are better than normal. Your liver enzymes are below normal. Your overall cholesterol dropped forty points. Your good cholesterol went up forty points. Even your bad cholesterol dropped a few points. What did you do?"
It began in August 2005, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The tumor was located toward the back of the breast close to the chest wall. My best option was to have the breast removed. The day before the surgery was scheduled, the surgeon called.
"Your pre-opt tests came back," he said. "Your liver enzymes are about three times higher than normal."
"What are liver enzymes?" I asked.
"Liver enzymes let us know how healthy the liver is," he explained. "You're not taking any medication that would affect the liver so we better find out what's going on. Surgery is on hold until we run some tests."
On hold. This malignancy was growing inside me and I was on hold. The tests were inconclusive. The CAT scan, ultrasound, hepatitis tests, and iron absorption test offered no answers.
"The surgery is still risky," the surgeon warned. "Surgery could make your liver worse."
At this stage I was more worried about the cancer than the liver, so I told him, "I'll take my chances."
Three days later I had the mastectomy. The cancer didn't appear to have spread to my lymph nodes. This good news was short-lived when we decided I would not undergo any further cancer treatment because of my unhealthy liver.
Every three months for the next year I took liver function tests. The results were always the same: the liver enzymes were three times higher than normal. But I was not idle during this year. I read hundreds of medical journals, poured through hundreds of medical studies, and read dozens of books on nutrition and soil depletion. When my doctor wanted to begin treatment for my liver, I decided to put my research to work. I became my own guinea pig.
"I'm going to take six months," I told him, "and then I'll be back."
The liver, I discovered, removes toxic substances from the body, produces most of the body's cholesterol, and acts as a storage unit for vitamins A, D, K, and B12. The liver enzymes show how well the liver is functioning and, obviously, mine wasn't functioning too well. With research notes in hand, I developed a plan of action. For the storage unit, I stopped the daily vitamin and mineral supplements that I had taken for years, to prevent overdosing. For the toxic substances and cholesterol, I switched to organic foods and olive oil for cooking and baking. I stuck to this plan for six months. After the six months passed, I called my doctor to arrange tests.
Two weeks later I sat in the doctor's office. He walked in with a puzzled expression.
"Well?" I asked.
"Your tests are normal." He acted surprised. "Actually, they are better than normal. Your liver enzymes are below normal. Your overall cholesterol dropped forty points. Your good cholesterol went up forty points. Even your bad cholesterol dropped a few points. What did you do?"
Self Care During Radiation Treatment For Breast Cancer
Battling Cancer is a tough time in anyone's life. Perhaps the toughest. That's why we've decided to write this article on how to care for yourself during radiation for Breast Cancer.
It very important to properly care for yourself during radiation for breast cancer. Keep in mind that after radiation you could feel fatigued for up to six weeks. Sleep as much as you like during this time - one thing you really need is your rest.
Also, make sure after radiation that you wear a comfortable bra. Making sure your bra fits properly and doesn't rub in any way is all part of good care for yourself during radiation for breast cancer. If a part of your bra rubs place a soft cloth between the bra and your skin.
Weight loss can be a problem after radiation treatment. In order to properly care for yourself during radiation for breast cancer make sure you eat a balanced diet. This will help you to avoid weight loss and keep your energy levels as high as possible.
Keep the skin fold area under your breast clean and talk to your doctor before using any powders, lotions, deodorants or perfumes. As part of your care for yourself during breast cancer radiation you need to make sure you are not using any products that might react with your skin at this time or do something to affect the radiation treatment in any way. Because of this it is best to avoid deodorants. Deodorants contain magnesium, and this can inhibit the effectiveness of the radiation treatment. To avoid reactions with the treated area, also avoid starching your clothes.
It very important to properly care for yourself during radiation for breast cancer. Keep in mind that after radiation you could feel fatigued for up to six weeks. Sleep as much as you like during this time - one thing you really need is your rest.
Also, make sure after radiation that you wear a comfortable bra. Making sure your bra fits properly and doesn't rub in any way is all part of good care for yourself during radiation for breast cancer. If a part of your bra rubs place a soft cloth between the bra and your skin.
Weight loss can be a problem after radiation treatment. In order to properly care for yourself during radiation for breast cancer make sure you eat a balanced diet. This will help you to avoid weight loss and keep your energy levels as high as possible.
Keep the skin fold area under your breast clean and talk to your doctor before using any powders, lotions, deodorants or perfumes. As part of your care for yourself during breast cancer radiation you need to make sure you are not using any products that might react with your skin at this time or do something to affect the radiation treatment in any way. Because of this it is best to avoid deodorants. Deodorants contain magnesium, and this can inhibit the effectiveness of the radiation treatment. To avoid reactions with the treated area, also avoid starching your clothes.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Trans & breast cancer
Is trans fat bad for the breast as well as the heart?
French researchers compared blood samples taken in the mid-1990s from 363 women who were later diagnosed with breast cancer and 702 similar women who were not. Those who had higher blood levels of trans fat were nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer over the next seven years as those with lower trans levels.
What to do: Avoid trans fat to protect your heart (and maybe your breasts). Skip foods made with partially hydrogenated oils in restaurants and at the supermarket. If you minimize the saturated fat you get from beef and high-fat dairy foods, you'll also dodge their low levels of naturally occurring trans fat.
French researchers compared blood samples taken in the mid-1990s from 363 women who were later diagnosed with breast cancer and 702 similar women who were not. Those who had higher blood levels of trans fat were nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer over the next seven years as those with lower trans levels.
What to do: Avoid trans fat to protect your heart (and maybe your breasts). Skip foods made with partially hydrogenated oils in restaurants and at the supermarket. If you minimize the saturated fat you get from beef and high-fat dairy foods, you'll also dodge their low levels of naturally occurring trans fat.
Rise in risk of breast cancer
*One in seven women will develop breast cancer if present health trends continue, a study by the Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention Centre has warned. The risk to women who carry gene mutations that can lead to the disease has risen dramatically in the past 60 years, said the study of 1,442 women published in the journal BMC Cancer. It said the trend could be reversed in part by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
A Window into Breast Cancer
Breast cancer patients and their families might hold the important key to enabling new technologies that can help pinpoint the right treatment for the right patient at the right time. A new genomics project spearheaded by Santa Clara-based Iris BioTechnologies is looking for participants to offer information that will lead to more personalized medicine for the treatment of breast cancer and other deadly illnesses.
With widely different responses to the more than thirty chemotherapeutic agents in use today the ability to rapidly classify "generic" diseases like breast cancer into genetic subtypes is long overdue. In the past, oncologists have made treatment decisions based solely upon broadly defined disease knowledge and personal experience, with little or no insight into the molecular biology of cancer. Thanks to advances in technology the necessary clinical tools are rapidly becoming available.
One new tool is the Iris Breast Cancer Chip, which captures crucial molecular information concerning the activity of more than one hundred genes implicated in the disease from a breast biopsy sample. When processed, this information creates an optical pattern that is then analyzed by the company's proprietary data program called "BioWindows," which launched earlier this year.
"By combining the patient's cancer gene profile with their environmental, hereditary and lifestyle information, doctors can pinpoint what drugs worked for patients with similar profiles," explains Simon Chin, CEO of Iris. "The marriage of these two technologies is essential to assist doctors with practical prognosis, disease prevention, and the development of more fully targeted medicine."
Iris expects to launch their first Nano-Biochip to identify gene expression patterns in breast cancer later this year. For now, breast cancer patients and their families are welcome to enter information into the database at www.biowindows.com.
"Looking at a mirror offers a sense of what you look like on the outside; with the Nano-Biochip and BioWindows technology you have a glimpse of the 'inner you' based upon heredity and factors that impact your genes," says Mr. Chin. "We believe the future of treatment is in personalized medicine, and it all starts with your involvement."
With widely different responses to the more than thirty chemotherapeutic agents in use today the ability to rapidly classify "generic" diseases like breast cancer into genetic subtypes is long overdue. In the past, oncologists have made treatment decisions based solely upon broadly defined disease knowledge and personal experience, with little or no insight into the molecular biology of cancer. Thanks to advances in technology the necessary clinical tools are rapidly becoming available.
One new tool is the Iris Breast Cancer Chip, which captures crucial molecular information concerning the activity of more than one hundred genes implicated in the disease from a breast biopsy sample. When processed, this information creates an optical pattern that is then analyzed by the company's proprietary data program called "BioWindows," which launched earlier this year.
"By combining the patient's cancer gene profile with their environmental, hereditary and lifestyle information, doctors can pinpoint what drugs worked for patients with similar profiles," explains Simon Chin, CEO of Iris. "The marriage of these two technologies is essential to assist doctors with practical prognosis, disease prevention, and the development of more fully targeted medicine."
Iris expects to launch their first Nano-Biochip to identify gene expression patterns in breast cancer later this year. For now, breast cancer patients and their families are welcome to enter information into the database at www.biowindows.com.
"Looking at a mirror offers a sense of what you look like on the outside; with the Nano-Biochip and BioWindows technology you have a glimpse of the 'inner you' based upon heredity and factors that impact your genes," says Mr. Chin. "We believe the future of treatment is in personalized medicine, and it all starts with your involvement."
Friday, September 26, 2008
Breast Cancer Cure - Could Dairy Be The Culprit?
Professor Jane Plant has a PhD in geochemistry. When she got breast cancer for the fifth time, she decided, "I had no alternative but to die or to try to find a cure for myself. I am a scientist - surely there was a rational explanation for this cruel illness that affects one in 12 women in the UK?"
Her husband's return from a trip to China prompted her to examine why breast cancer rates were so low in China and she concluded that it was due to their lack of dairy product consumption. This lead her to completely eliminate all dairy products from her diet, which, along with other diet modifications and meditation led to her tumour completely disappearing. As she writes in her book, "Your Life Is In Your Hands":
"I now believe that the link between dairy produce and breast cancer is similar to the link between smoking and lung cancer. I believe that identifying the link between breast cancer and dairy produce, and then developing a diet specifically targeted at maintaining the health of my breast and hormone system, cured me."
If you read Professor Jane Plant's book "Your Life Is In Your Hands", it is immediately evident that she is a very sincere person and has been motivated by true concern to share her cure with others. Personally, I have no doubt that eliminating pasteurized dairy products was the key to her healing.
But there's the crux of this issue: You will note I said, "pasteurized" dairy products. Which indeed is what most of the western world consumes. It's a very important distinction to keep in mind that many doctors and scientists feel it is not RAW milk that causes these kinds of problems, but rather PASTEURIZED milk.
Breastmilk, whether from a cow or human, is a living food, packed full of immune system substances, enzymes to aid digestion, and good bacteria (if the cow is a healthy, pasture-fed - not barn-bound, grain-fed - animal). And once you heat breastmilk (whether from a cow, goat, or human), it is a denatured product that is very difficult to digest and many of the nutrients are unable to be absorbed.
Breastfeeding mothers who pump their milk for baby to have when they're not around, are told to never heat their breastmilk, but rather to put the bottle in a bowl of warm water to slowly raise the temperature. If you do happen to heat your breastmilk, you're told to throw it out and not give it to your baby. This is because heating breastmilk beyond body temperature kills the live enzymes, good bacteria, and denatures the proteins and other co-factors in the milk. It is then considered a toxic substance which could harm the baby.
So, if this is what happens to human breastmilk when it is heated, why should cow breastmilk be any different? It is not.
In addition, homogenization of cow's milk is another nasty process that alters fats and produces substances that many scientists feel harm the arteries and are the primary cause of heart disease.
So again, as with much of our food supply, you have profit-driven motives degrading the safety and nutrient value of our food. To have healthy raw milk, the cows need to roam free on adequate pasture, outside in the fresh air and sunshine. They need to eat fresh grass, not grain or continual hay, the fields need to be free of pesticides and chemical fertilizers and the cows need to be free of any growth hormones or antibiotics. As with humans, 'everything goes through to the breastmilk'.
Now which method of milk production (and distribution since pasteurized milk sits on the shelf much longer) do you think is cheaper for the dairy industry? Do they make more money if you drink pasteurized or raw milk? Follow the money and the truth will emerge.
One can't help but wish Professor Plant had gone further in her examination of cultural diets and health. Perhaps it would have led her to this very important distinction between raw and pasteurized dairy products. For example, take the Masai tribe of Kenya - very strong, tall, healthy people and their diet is mostly raw cow's milk and cow's blood.
Dr. Weston A. Price (a renowned dentist in the 1950's and author of "Nutrition And Physical Degeneration") studied a village in the Swiss Alps, whose primary food sources were rye bread, cheese, and fermented milk products. They were extremely healthy with a tooth cavitation rate of less than 1% and no major diseases. But again, all of their dairy products were from raw and often raw, fermented milk. Traditionally fermented foods add additional necessary enzymes and good bacteria to further aid digestion and whole-body health.
Store-bought yogurt - even if it's organic - is not properly fermented, and the strains of bacteria are not potent enough to derive much (if any) benefit from. Additionally, the milk is pasteurized, not raw.
Humans have been consuming fermented milk products (made from raw milk) for thousands of years. There are even tales of how warring armies - like Genghis Khan - took their probiotic starter cultures with them as they travelled to wage war since they recognized how important fermented raw milk was to the health and strength of their armies.
Indeed, if Professor Plant had looked just over the border towards Nepal, she would have discovered that the primary foods of the Nepalese (and Tibetan) diet are raw yak's milk and raw butter. And both these groups of people are renowned for their robust health and longevity.
So yes, throw out all your pasteurized dairy products and never eat/drink them again. In that regard, I am in complete agreement with Dr. Jane Plant and I'm sure they are a principle cause of breast cancer and many other diseases. But then don't ignore the healing benefits of raw dairy products - which are historically and across many cultures proven to be beneficial to the health of humans.
Her husband's return from a trip to China prompted her to examine why breast cancer rates were so low in China and she concluded that it was due to their lack of dairy product consumption. This lead her to completely eliminate all dairy products from her diet, which, along with other diet modifications and meditation led to her tumour completely disappearing. As she writes in her book, "Your Life Is In Your Hands":
"I now believe that the link between dairy produce and breast cancer is similar to the link between smoking and lung cancer. I believe that identifying the link between breast cancer and dairy produce, and then developing a diet specifically targeted at maintaining the health of my breast and hormone system, cured me."
If you read Professor Jane Plant's book "Your Life Is In Your Hands", it is immediately evident that she is a very sincere person and has been motivated by true concern to share her cure with others. Personally, I have no doubt that eliminating pasteurized dairy products was the key to her healing.
But there's the crux of this issue: You will note I said, "pasteurized" dairy products. Which indeed is what most of the western world consumes. It's a very important distinction to keep in mind that many doctors and scientists feel it is not RAW milk that causes these kinds of problems, but rather PASTEURIZED milk.
Breastmilk, whether from a cow or human, is a living food, packed full of immune system substances, enzymes to aid digestion, and good bacteria (if the cow is a healthy, pasture-fed - not barn-bound, grain-fed - animal). And once you heat breastmilk (whether from a cow, goat, or human), it is a denatured product that is very difficult to digest and many of the nutrients are unable to be absorbed.
Breastfeeding mothers who pump their milk for baby to have when they're not around, are told to never heat their breastmilk, but rather to put the bottle in a bowl of warm water to slowly raise the temperature. If you do happen to heat your breastmilk, you're told to throw it out and not give it to your baby. This is because heating breastmilk beyond body temperature kills the live enzymes, good bacteria, and denatures the proteins and other co-factors in the milk. It is then considered a toxic substance which could harm the baby.
So, if this is what happens to human breastmilk when it is heated, why should cow breastmilk be any different? It is not.
In addition, homogenization of cow's milk is another nasty process that alters fats and produces substances that many scientists feel harm the arteries and are the primary cause of heart disease.
So again, as with much of our food supply, you have profit-driven motives degrading the safety and nutrient value of our food. To have healthy raw milk, the cows need to roam free on adequate pasture, outside in the fresh air and sunshine. They need to eat fresh grass, not grain or continual hay, the fields need to be free of pesticides and chemical fertilizers and the cows need to be free of any growth hormones or antibiotics. As with humans, 'everything goes through to the breastmilk'.
Now which method of milk production (and distribution since pasteurized milk sits on the shelf much longer) do you think is cheaper for the dairy industry? Do they make more money if you drink pasteurized or raw milk? Follow the money and the truth will emerge.
One can't help but wish Professor Plant had gone further in her examination of cultural diets and health. Perhaps it would have led her to this very important distinction between raw and pasteurized dairy products. For example, take the Masai tribe of Kenya - very strong, tall, healthy people and their diet is mostly raw cow's milk and cow's blood.
Dr. Weston A. Price (a renowned dentist in the 1950's and author of "Nutrition And Physical Degeneration") studied a village in the Swiss Alps, whose primary food sources were rye bread, cheese, and fermented milk products. They were extremely healthy with a tooth cavitation rate of less than 1% and no major diseases. But again, all of their dairy products were from raw and often raw, fermented milk. Traditionally fermented foods add additional necessary enzymes and good bacteria to further aid digestion and whole-body health.
Store-bought yogurt - even if it's organic - is not properly fermented, and the strains of bacteria are not potent enough to derive much (if any) benefit from. Additionally, the milk is pasteurized, not raw.
Humans have been consuming fermented milk products (made from raw milk) for thousands of years. There are even tales of how warring armies - like Genghis Khan - took their probiotic starter cultures with them as they travelled to wage war since they recognized how important fermented raw milk was to the health and strength of their armies.
Indeed, if Professor Plant had looked just over the border towards Nepal, she would have discovered that the primary foods of the Nepalese (and Tibetan) diet are raw yak's milk and raw butter. And both these groups of people are renowned for their robust health and longevity.
So yes, throw out all your pasteurized dairy products and never eat/drink them again. In that regard, I am in complete agreement with Dr. Jane Plant and I'm sure they are a principle cause of breast cancer and many other diseases. But then don't ignore the healing benefits of raw dairy products - which are historically and across many cultures proven to be beneficial to the health of humans.
Why Having A Mastectomy May Not Be A Good Idea
When being diagnosed with cancer, you will be faced with many options depending on how advance your cancer has progressed. One of those options may be to have a mastectomy. Upon learning that I had cancer 5 years ago, this option was presented to me by my surgeon. Upon my next visit to my surgeon I informed him of my not wanting to having a mastectomy, now there is no scientific proof that I know of that may warrant my idea on not having a mastectomy, but I believe there can be danger in the cancer spreading to other parts of your body more quickly.
Now, mind you, my cancer was very advanced when I received my diagnosis. After having 13 lymph nodes removed, I just could not picture being without my breast, and the apparent danger that it involved. So I vouched not to have a mastectomy. Now I don't recommend this to all women, because every woman situation may be different. This was my own personal decision.
In order to deal with cancer effectively, one must educate them self of the possible dangers involved in having a mastectomy. Never rush into something without educating yourself first. You don't want to be faced with regret later. Think things through with friends and family members. Do as much research as you can before having your breast removed. Remember, your breast are beautiful, just like you, and you only get one set of them, so give it a lot of thought before proceeding with your mastectomy.
Remember having a mastectomy will not guarantee that your cancer will not come back. Usually with a few lifestyle changes and education, one can preserve their breast for many years. In this game, there are no guarantees, but with faith all will prevail.
Now, mind you, my cancer was very advanced when I received my diagnosis. After having 13 lymph nodes removed, I just could not picture being without my breast, and the apparent danger that it involved. So I vouched not to have a mastectomy. Now I don't recommend this to all women, because every woman situation may be different. This was my own personal decision.
In order to deal with cancer effectively, one must educate them self of the possible dangers involved in having a mastectomy. Never rush into something without educating yourself first. You don't want to be faced with regret later. Think things through with friends and family members. Do as much research as you can before having your breast removed. Remember, your breast are beautiful, just like you, and you only get one set of them, so give it a lot of thought before proceeding with your mastectomy.
Remember having a mastectomy will not guarantee that your cancer will not come back. Usually with a few lifestyle changes and education, one can preserve their breast for many years. In this game, there are no guarantees, but with faith all will prevail.
Are There Ways To Prevent Breast Cancer?
The best approach is to avoid as many risk factors as possible while increasing protective factors.
Doctors and scientists do not know why one person gets cancer and another one does not. Review the following "proven" risk factors that may increase the chance of getting breast cancer:
Estrogen: Being exposed to estrogen over a long time may increase the risk. This increased exposure occurs in the following ways:
1. Early menstruation: Beginning to have menstrual periods at age 11 or younger increases the number of years the breast tissue is exposed to estrogen.
2. Late menopause: The more years a woman menstruates, the longer her breast tissue is exposed to estrogen.
3. Late pregnancy or never being pregnant: Because estrogen levels are lower during pregnancy, the tissue is exposed to more estrogen in women who become pregnant for the first time after age 35 or who never become pregnant.
Other risk factors include:
1. Hormone replacement therapy/Hormone therapy: Therapies given to women who have had their ovaries removed or who have had a hysterectomy
2. Exposure to Radiation: Radiation to the chest for the treatment of cancers starting 10 years after treatment and lasting for a lifetime. The risk depends on the dose of radiation and the age at which it is given. The risk is highest if radiation treatment was used during puberty. Radiation therapy to treat cancer in one breast does not appear to increase the risk of developing cancer in the other breast.
3. Obesity: Increases the risk in post-menopausal women who have not used hormone replacement therapy.
4. Alcohol: Drinking alcohol increases the risk. Risk rises as the amount of alcohol consumed rises.
5. Inherited risk
Protective factors that may decrease the risk include:
1. Exercise: Exercising four or more hours a week may decrease hormone levels and help lower breast cancer risk. This effect is greatest in pre-menopausal women of normal or low weight.
2. The risk appears to be lower if a woman has her first full-term pregnancy before she is 20 years old.
3. Breast-feeding: Because estrogen levels are lower during breastfeeding, a woman may decrease her risk.
4. Ovarian ablation: Estrogen is reduced when one or both ovaries are removed and can decrease the risk.
5. Late menstruation: At age 14 or older decreases the chances of breast cancer.
6. Early menopause: The fewer years a woman menstruates, the shorter the time her breast tissue is exposed to estrogen.
7. Tamoxifen: Lowers the risk in women who are at high risk for the disease. The effect last for several years after drug treatment is stopped.
8. Raloxifene: Helps prevent breast cancer in post-menopausal women with osteoporosis.
9. Aromatase inhibitors: Lowers the risk of new breast cancers in post-menopausal women with a history of the disease.
10. Prophylactic mastectomy: Some women with high risk may choose to have both breasts removed when there are no signs of cancer. The risk of is lowered in these women. It is very important to have a cancer risk assessment and counseling about all options for possible prevention before making this decision.
11. Prophylactic oophorectomy: Women who have a high risk may choose to have a prophylactic oophorectomy (removal of both ovaries when there are no signs of disease) to decrease the amount of estrogen made by the body and lower the risk. It is very important to have a cancer risk assessment and counseling before making this decision.
12. Fenretinide: At type of vitamin A called retinoid that may lower the risk when given to pre-menopausal women who have a history of the disease.
The following have been proven NOT to be risk factors or their effects are not known:
1. Abortion
2. Oral Contraceptives
3. Progestin-only contraceptives that are injected or implanted
4. Environment: Studies have not proven that being exposed to certain substances in the environment such as chemicals, metals, dust and pollution) increases the risk.
5. It is not proven that a diet low in fat or high in fruits and vegetables will prevent breast cancer.
6. It has not been proven that either active cigarette smoking or passive smoking (inhaling secondhand smoke) increases the risk of developing the disease.
There are new studies going on continuously to find more ways to prevent breast cancer. These studies include:
o The effects of exercise
o The effects of quitting smoking or taking certain medicines, vitamins, minerals or food supplements
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Coping With Breast Cancer - Ten Survival Tips
In Chinese, a crisis is expressed in two characters: danger and hidden opportunity. As a breast-cancer survivor, I have faced many challenges, but God has revealed to me opportunities that translate into incredible blessings. I share some suggestions below for those struggling with this disease.
1. Ponder scriptures
Let biblical passages like Psalm 119:105 (likening the Word of God to a lamp) illuminate pathways for healing and reveal any encroaching thorny thickets. Use verses as your penlight to avoid stumbling around in the darkness.
When I joined the ranks of breast-cancer survivors, I clung to Psalm 23 for solace. During chemotherapy I reflected on how God was comforting me as I walked through my own valley of the shadow. Review the list of common emotions in the front or back of your Bible to locate verses that speak to particular sentiments, such as worry, weariness, or fear. Gideon Bibles found in many hotels contain these sections to ease the troubled traveler's mind.
2. Pray unceasingly
One of my childhood treasures was a book entitled "The Lord's Prayer." Each page was inscribed with a verse from Jesus' model prayer in Matt. 6:9-13. Bright illustrations of kneeling children with uplifted hands accompanied each verse. I was captivated by the images. Although as a child I was not yet ready for Jesus' heartrending prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, this picture book was early preparation for a more mature prayer life.
Prayer is a powerful tool. Like African prayer warriors thriving in the midst of deprivation, during my treatment I lifted prayers to the only One who could take away troubling emotions and side-effects. Lying in bed, I visualized my pallet being lifted to God through the roof in a reverse move from the paralytic brought from the roof to Jesus for healing in Mark 2. I strongly felt God's healing warmth as I prayer-walked upward to meet Him.
3. Treasure fellowship
As a cancer survivor I most assuredly relished the cards, hugs, prayers, and empathy of friends. The blessings of others that dispelled my pouts through bouts of cancer were crucial to healing. Hebrews 10: 24-25 tells us to encourage one another and meet regularly for worship and fellowship. The latter can include simply listening, sharing a meal, or offering a Bible study to encourage camaraderie and spiritual enrichment. My husband and I were blessed by the insights shared at our home Bible study during my cancer treatment.
4. Make church attendance a priority
Ideally, the breast cancer survivor should attend a local church, for reasons extending beyond congregational worship. Shortly after I was diagnosed with cancer, members of a former church we attended rallied around me in prayer for healing. Their love transcended church membership, and coalesced with that of members of our new church. These compassionate individuals provided needed meals and child care as well as spiritual support, something I would have missed had I not attended church.
If your breast cancer has left you home-bound or residing in a facility, you can find other options to connect with a church. Ideas include listening to a radio station offering Bible studies and uplifting choir or praise music, watching a Christian worship service on TV, or enjoying sermons from a visiting pastor.
5. Obtain Biblical counseling
Counseling from a biblical perspective can address many issues with which breast cancer survivors struggle, including guilt, anger, and non-forgiveness. I sought counseling from a local church and a crisis pregnancy center for issues arising from my cancer diagnoses. If these resources are not available, on-line tools are at the disposal of the computer literate. Some people prefer the anonymity of e-mail counseling. Focus on the Family (at (800) A-FAMILY) provides referrals for telephonic counseling sessions.
Financial counseling may be available through a local church, the American Cancer Society, or resources written by Christian financial experts such as Larry Burkett. I learned to organize my bills and health information into labeled file folders, and used my insurance company's website to access histories of appointments and payment records.
6. Recognize life seasons
The time spanning when I was first diagnosed to the end of treatment was only for a season. Recognize with Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 the times for every activity under heaven. Of all the seasons listed in this passage, "a time to laugh" appeals to me most. Many studies show that humor helps relieve stress, combat depression, and extend quality of life.
My three sons, ranging in age from 3 to 11 when I was diagnosed, reacted to my cancer by watching how I responded. Comic relief went a long way to dispel the tension they felt. I thoroughly enjoy watching these boys laugh at black-and-white slapstick comedians like Abbott and Costello and at modern-day comedies like "Chicken Run."
"A time to dance" is another fun season. Try some salsa dancing, like a survivor I overheard in the chemotherapy infusion room. It will lift your spirits as well as your feet, control weight, and rev your circulation to the max!
7. Witness using personal testimony
While Christians don't always recover from diseases even though prayed for, they can still use their adversity to glorify God in their lives. Jesus modeled that approach when he delayed coming to Lazarus in Bethany until Lazarus died. The story is found in John 11:3-6. When Jesus heard of Lazarus' sickness, he assured his followers that the outcome would be God-glorifying. Often, the more severe the suffering, the more wondrously God works through the power of personal testimony.
On the Titanic, some Christians gladly relinquished their places on life rafts to the unsaved, witnessing powerfully to their faith in eternal life. We've also heard of Christians in the burning World Trade Center on 9-11-01 witnessing in their last moments to non-believers in the midst of unimaginable terror. 2 Timothy 1:8 admonishes us not to be ashamed to testify about our Lord. It challenges me to go forth boldly, knowing that none can take away my personal story.
My husband's emails on God's mercy throughout my cancer ordeal were sent to all who were curious how I was bearing up. God is faithful in fanning the global fire of the gospel through such testimony.
8. Resolve to understand God
Some disasters shake us to our very core. When I felt myself helplessly mired in the muck of cancer, I recalled Jesus' parable in Matt. 7:24-27. He reassured us that we are set on solid ground, not in sinking sand. As I put our Savior's words into practice, God pulled me up and out of cancer-induced depression and into an indescribable joy. He is the Rock upon which I set my hope.
In the midst of the unexpected, God is there. For example, on September 11, 2001 otherwise annoying delays on their way to work saved some employees' lives. Now, when I am stuck in traffic and an ambulance rushes by on its way to the accident ahead, I bow my head in prayer for the ones affected by such tragedy, rather than wallowing in self-pity over the minor nuisance of a traffic jam. We should consciously determine to understand how God is using such seeming disturbances and thank him for them.
9. Find volunteering opportunities
Almost two millennia ago, Paul taught that all the commandments are summed up in loving your neighbor as yourself (Romans 13:9). Breast-cancer survivors are greatly appreciative of all the sacrifices of others from which they have benefited. Below are some ideas for showing love to fellow cancer strugglers.
If there is no breast-cancer support group in your area, start one. The locale might be your own church for women who are most comfortable in a Christian environment. Or you can volunteer for a local American Cancer Society branch, helping women in myriad ways.
Counseling others in person or by phone or email is another viable possibility. Open any Bible and appropriate passages will jump out to address the situation at hand. Courses on training counselors might be offered at a local church or on-line.
In another vein, you can ask your oncologist if you are eligible to participate in a clinical trial. Not only would you receive state-of-the-art treatment, but you would be personally contributing to advancement of breast cancer research. In this way, the survivor can directly make a difference in moving the whole planet Earth to a "cancer-free zone."
10. Leave behind stereotypes
Stereotyping often leads to judgment. People who appear to have their lives together may not. Jesus taught us in Luke 6:37 not to judge, so that we would not be judged. The breast cancer survivor should not presume that a person who avoids her or doesn't laugh at her jokes cares nothing for her. Some people limited their discussions with me because they didn't trust how they would handle difficult emotions. Certain nurses find it hard to identify with patients' humor because they witness daily so much devastation in the lives of others.
From a different perspective, those dealing with cancer survivors should not assume that such survivors can perform all tasks, regardless of their outward appearance. Because of lymphedema that developed in my arm after lymph-node removal and radiation, I do not lift or carry heavy items. I make others aware of this limitation, since it is not obvious. Conversely, one should not place artificial limits on cancer survivors. For example, during cancer treatments I kept up my regular aerobic exercise. I continued my work as an attorney in a high-intensity environment, although I did revert to a part-time schedule for a season. I painted landscapes. While this amazed some people, it is not uncommon for cancer survivors to adhere to old routines for a semblance of normalcy. The bottom line is to endeavor to delve into what makes a person tick before reaching conclusions.
These are some ways I found to fend off the breast-cancer blues. I pray that those facing the crisis of breast cancer will find hidden opportunities and blessings, and hear the Savior say at the pearly gates of heaven, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
1. Ponder scriptures
Let biblical passages like Psalm 119:105 (likening the Word of God to a lamp) illuminate pathways for healing and reveal any encroaching thorny thickets. Use verses as your penlight to avoid stumbling around in the darkness.
When I joined the ranks of breast-cancer survivors, I clung to Psalm 23 for solace. During chemotherapy I reflected on how God was comforting me as I walked through my own valley of the shadow. Review the list of common emotions in the front or back of your Bible to locate verses that speak to particular sentiments, such as worry, weariness, or fear. Gideon Bibles found in many hotels contain these sections to ease the troubled traveler's mind.
2. Pray unceasingly
One of my childhood treasures was a book entitled "The Lord's Prayer." Each page was inscribed with a verse from Jesus' model prayer in Matt. 6:9-13. Bright illustrations of kneeling children with uplifted hands accompanied each verse. I was captivated by the images. Although as a child I was not yet ready for Jesus' heartrending prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, this picture book was early preparation for a more mature prayer life.
Prayer is a powerful tool. Like African prayer warriors thriving in the midst of deprivation, during my treatment I lifted prayers to the only One who could take away troubling emotions and side-effects. Lying in bed, I visualized my pallet being lifted to God through the roof in a reverse move from the paralytic brought from the roof to Jesus for healing in Mark 2. I strongly felt God's healing warmth as I prayer-walked upward to meet Him.
3. Treasure fellowship
As a cancer survivor I most assuredly relished the cards, hugs, prayers, and empathy of friends. The blessings of others that dispelled my pouts through bouts of cancer were crucial to healing. Hebrews 10: 24-25 tells us to encourage one another and meet regularly for worship and fellowship. The latter can include simply listening, sharing a meal, or offering a Bible study to encourage camaraderie and spiritual enrichment. My husband and I were blessed by the insights shared at our home Bible study during my cancer treatment.
4. Make church attendance a priority
Ideally, the breast cancer survivor should attend a local church, for reasons extending beyond congregational worship. Shortly after I was diagnosed with cancer, members of a former church we attended rallied around me in prayer for healing. Their love transcended church membership, and coalesced with that of members of our new church. These compassionate individuals provided needed meals and child care as well as spiritual support, something I would have missed had I not attended church.
If your breast cancer has left you home-bound or residing in a facility, you can find other options to connect with a church. Ideas include listening to a radio station offering Bible studies and uplifting choir or praise music, watching a Christian worship service on TV, or enjoying sermons from a visiting pastor.
5. Obtain Biblical counseling
Counseling from a biblical perspective can address many issues with which breast cancer survivors struggle, including guilt, anger, and non-forgiveness. I sought counseling from a local church and a crisis pregnancy center for issues arising from my cancer diagnoses. If these resources are not available, on-line tools are at the disposal of the computer literate. Some people prefer the anonymity of e-mail counseling. Focus on the Family (at (800) A-FAMILY) provides referrals for telephonic counseling sessions.
Financial counseling may be available through a local church, the American Cancer Society, or resources written by Christian financial experts such as Larry Burkett. I learned to organize my bills and health information into labeled file folders, and used my insurance company's website to access histories of appointments and payment records.
6. Recognize life seasons
The time spanning when I was first diagnosed to the end of treatment was only for a season. Recognize with Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 the times for every activity under heaven. Of all the seasons listed in this passage, "a time to laugh" appeals to me most. Many studies show that humor helps relieve stress, combat depression, and extend quality of life.
My three sons, ranging in age from 3 to 11 when I was diagnosed, reacted to my cancer by watching how I responded. Comic relief went a long way to dispel the tension they felt. I thoroughly enjoy watching these boys laugh at black-and-white slapstick comedians like Abbott and Costello and at modern-day comedies like "Chicken Run."
"A time to dance" is another fun season. Try some salsa dancing, like a survivor I overheard in the chemotherapy infusion room. It will lift your spirits as well as your feet, control weight, and rev your circulation to the max!
7. Witness using personal testimony
While Christians don't always recover from diseases even though prayed for, they can still use their adversity to glorify God in their lives. Jesus modeled that approach when he delayed coming to Lazarus in Bethany until Lazarus died. The story is found in John 11:3-6. When Jesus heard of Lazarus' sickness, he assured his followers that the outcome would be God-glorifying. Often, the more severe the suffering, the more wondrously God works through the power of personal testimony.
On the Titanic, some Christians gladly relinquished their places on life rafts to the unsaved, witnessing powerfully to their faith in eternal life. We've also heard of Christians in the burning World Trade Center on 9-11-01 witnessing in their last moments to non-believers in the midst of unimaginable terror. 2 Timothy 1:8 admonishes us not to be ashamed to testify about our Lord. It challenges me to go forth boldly, knowing that none can take away my personal story.
My husband's emails on God's mercy throughout my cancer ordeal were sent to all who were curious how I was bearing up. God is faithful in fanning the global fire of the gospel through such testimony.
8. Resolve to understand God
Some disasters shake us to our very core. When I felt myself helplessly mired in the muck of cancer, I recalled Jesus' parable in Matt. 7:24-27. He reassured us that we are set on solid ground, not in sinking sand. As I put our Savior's words into practice, God pulled me up and out of cancer-induced depression and into an indescribable joy. He is the Rock upon which I set my hope.
In the midst of the unexpected, God is there. For example, on September 11, 2001 otherwise annoying delays on their way to work saved some employees' lives. Now, when I am stuck in traffic and an ambulance rushes by on its way to the accident ahead, I bow my head in prayer for the ones affected by such tragedy, rather than wallowing in self-pity over the minor nuisance of a traffic jam. We should consciously determine to understand how God is using such seeming disturbances and thank him for them.
9. Find volunteering opportunities
Almost two millennia ago, Paul taught that all the commandments are summed up in loving your neighbor as yourself (Romans 13:9). Breast-cancer survivors are greatly appreciative of all the sacrifices of others from which they have benefited. Below are some ideas for showing love to fellow cancer strugglers.
If there is no breast-cancer support group in your area, start one. The locale might be your own church for women who are most comfortable in a Christian environment. Or you can volunteer for a local American Cancer Society branch, helping women in myriad ways.
Counseling others in person or by phone or email is another viable possibility. Open any Bible and appropriate passages will jump out to address the situation at hand. Courses on training counselors might be offered at a local church or on-line.
In another vein, you can ask your oncologist if you are eligible to participate in a clinical trial. Not only would you receive state-of-the-art treatment, but you would be personally contributing to advancement of breast cancer research. In this way, the survivor can directly make a difference in moving the whole planet Earth to a "cancer-free zone."
10. Leave behind stereotypes
Stereotyping often leads to judgment. People who appear to have their lives together may not. Jesus taught us in Luke 6:37 not to judge, so that we would not be judged. The breast cancer survivor should not presume that a person who avoids her or doesn't laugh at her jokes cares nothing for her. Some people limited their discussions with me because they didn't trust how they would handle difficult emotions. Certain nurses find it hard to identify with patients' humor because they witness daily so much devastation in the lives of others.
From a different perspective, those dealing with cancer survivors should not assume that such survivors can perform all tasks, regardless of their outward appearance. Because of lymphedema that developed in my arm after lymph-node removal and radiation, I do not lift or carry heavy items. I make others aware of this limitation, since it is not obvious. Conversely, one should not place artificial limits on cancer survivors. For example, during cancer treatments I kept up my regular aerobic exercise. I continued my work as an attorney in a high-intensity environment, although I did revert to a part-time schedule for a season. I painted landscapes. While this amazed some people, it is not uncommon for cancer survivors to adhere to old routines for a semblance of normalcy. The bottom line is to endeavor to delve into what makes a person tick before reaching conclusions.
These are some ways I found to fend off the breast-cancer blues. I pray that those facing the crisis of breast cancer will find hidden opportunities and blessings, and hear the Savior say at the pearly gates of heaven, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
Global Breast Cancer Crisis-Update
As I mentioned in my earlier article, breast cancer is now a global concern. Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women in United States causing the death of millions women. A recent study has shown that women having a vitamin D deficiency when a breast cancer is diagnosed have a greater death rate than those having a proper amount of vitamin D. This is striking example of the importance of vitamin D in the prevention of breast cancer.
Vitamin D was discovered in 1919 after vitamins A, B and C. This vitamin is playing and essential role in calcium absorption, in the bones growth as well as in the good functioning of the organs of our body. Unlike other vitamins that come from nutrition, most of vitamin D (around 90%) comes from the action of the sun on our skin. This important role of the sun in the vitamin D production is a problem for the populations leaving in the north parts of the world, less exposed to sunlight particularly during winter. Studies have shown that people living in northern countries have a vitamin D deficiency during winter time.
BREAST CANCER DISLIKES VITAMIN "D"
This vitamin D deficiency can be very dangerous because this vitamin can prevent the development of various types of cancer, mainly colon and breast cancer. A study published in The Breast Cancer Journal 2008, it is mentioned that more you are away from the equator, so with less sunshine, greater is the impact of breast cancer because women in those regions have less vitamin D in their blood. Researchers from the University of Toronto have showed not only that vitamin D has a protective effect in the prevention but also in the likelihood to survive to a breast cancer. It is tragic to say and it has been proven, 73% of women with a vitamin D deficiency have greater risk to die from this illness.
INCREASE VITAMIN D INTAKE
It is easy to conclude from those results that it is essential to increase vitamin D intake in order to prevent more efficiently cancer and breast cancer. International experts recommend to increase vitamin D daily intake from 200 UI to 1000 UI in order to reduce cancer risks. From May to September, with a ten minutes exposure to the sun, the body can produce up to 10,000 UI of vitamin D. But, it is advised to be careful because too much exposure can increase the risks of skin cancer. From October to April, it is important to rely on other sources of vitamin D intake including natural supplements with a content of 1000 UI per capsule. It is simple, economical and efficient. Take action and increase your vitamin D intake to live a healthier and longer life.
Vitamin D was discovered in 1919 after vitamins A, B and C. This vitamin is playing and essential role in calcium absorption, in the bones growth as well as in the good functioning of the organs of our body. Unlike other vitamins that come from nutrition, most of vitamin D (around 90%) comes from the action of the sun on our skin. This important role of the sun in the vitamin D production is a problem for the populations leaving in the north parts of the world, less exposed to sunlight particularly during winter. Studies have shown that people living in northern countries have a vitamin D deficiency during winter time.
BREAST CANCER DISLIKES VITAMIN "D"
This vitamin D deficiency can be very dangerous because this vitamin can prevent the development of various types of cancer, mainly colon and breast cancer. A study published in The Breast Cancer Journal 2008, it is mentioned that more you are away from the equator, so with less sunshine, greater is the impact of breast cancer because women in those regions have less vitamin D in their blood. Researchers from the University of Toronto have showed not only that vitamin D has a protective effect in the prevention but also in the likelihood to survive to a breast cancer. It is tragic to say and it has been proven, 73% of women with a vitamin D deficiency have greater risk to die from this illness.
INCREASE VITAMIN D INTAKE
It is easy to conclude from those results that it is essential to increase vitamin D intake in order to prevent more efficiently cancer and breast cancer. International experts recommend to increase vitamin D daily intake from 200 UI to 1000 UI in order to reduce cancer risks. From May to September, with a ten minutes exposure to the sun, the body can produce up to 10,000 UI of vitamin D. But, it is advised to be careful because too much exposure can increase the risks of skin cancer. From October to April, it is important to rely on other sources of vitamin D intake including natural supplements with a content of 1000 UI per capsule. It is simple, economical and efficient. Take action and increase your vitamin D intake to live a healthier and longer life.
Breast Cancer on the Job - How My Faith Delivered Me
Daily ringing in my ears over a decade ago was the mantra of the Seven Dwarves, with an Oliver twist: "Want more, want clothes, it's off to work I s'pose." Rather than wielding mining picks to uncover jewels, I was probing for legal gems deep within the dark recesses of the law. As a patent attorney in middle management, I not only supervised the work of six attorneys, but also managed my own heavy case load. And I was raising three sons of grade-school age with my husband while teaching Sunday school.
Whizzing through the tunnel-visions of the fast lane, I found scheduling of routine preventative medical tests to be inconvenient. Although I did manage to secure a baseline mammogram at age 40, it revealed nothing of concern. And a second scan the next year showed no abnormalities. So, I thought smugly, I don't need to be so vigilant. Postponement of mammograms was reinforced by a false impression that vegetarians don't get breast cancer, particularly those my age who exercise and have no genetic predisposition. So work and family obligations dominated my life, punctuated by restful interludes of worship on Sundays.
Until I found a suspicious lump in my breast at age 43.
After the lump was confirmed as breast cancer, I sought God in earnest. Prayer support from friends and strangers alike was crucial to my treatment decisions and emotional healing. I opted for a lumpectomy with chemotherapy and radiation. Since I was generally in good health, I resumed work about a month after the operation.
Strange sensations enveloped me as I returned to the office. Nagging me was the notion that cancer is aggravated, if not caused, by undue stress. When I began chemotherapy, I would feel too sick immediately after each infusion to tackle serious assignments. My employer generously accommodated a reduced work schedule on those occasions. Valiant attempts were made to balance God-centered activities with work, exercise, and family-and deal with the distress of having cancer at the prime of my career.
Working while undergoing chemotherapy was nevertheless restorative. Giving advice to colleagues during treatment satisfied a deep longing within me to be needed. My work responsibilities offered a diversion from anxiety and gave me a sense of professional worth. Through Christ's intervention I called in sick only rarely, when I felt too ill to drive.
After chemotherapy I endured radiation, missing work every morning for six weeks straight. But God bestowed His grace upon me again as I bounced back unscathed from each treatment.
Shortly after radiation ended, when I turned 44, my manager, a Vice-President, died unexpectedly from an apparent heart attack. This reality check made me seek relief from heavy management responsibility. Sustained in prayer, I decided with my new director's blessing to supervise only three attorneys and a paralegal, and work part-time. Consequently, my schedule was reduced to a four-day work week.
In corporate America, I imagine that the "cancer survivor" track that I chose is viewed similarly to the "mommy track." In both cases circumstances alter the employee's sense of what is most important in the work-life balance. Cancer became for me an acceptable excuse for dethroning work from its exalted position atop my list of priorities.
Scuttlebutt kicked into high gear at the proverbial office coolers when I forsook the management track. But I gladly said sayonara to competing in the special Olympic event of vaulting through the glass ceiling. And said hello to being more of a respected work advisor.
Several months after that I moved away from corporate headquarters and began remote telecommuting from Northern California, managing only an attorney and a paralegal. I would make regular 200-mile road trips back to the San Francisco Bay Area to have face-time with employees as needed. And I settled into a workspace with dormer windows overlooking the garden amidst God's bounteous creation.
While it lasted, I treasured the one day a week I had off from work. Some of that time was used to contemplate what it meant not to slave every weekday. But occasional weekend spillovers of work continued.
Notwithstanding the tangible advantages of part-time work, after a year I realized the greater efficiencies of having a continuous work week, and decided to resume full-time employment. Not long afterward, a new malignant tumor emerged in the same breast.
Coping with cancer treatments this second time was decidedly easier for me as a distant telecommuter. Although I was destined to undergo bilateral mastectomies and more aggressive chemotherapy, at least I didn't have to dress up and commute in traffic among home, headquarters, and hospitals. The logistics of juggling work and cancer treatments is daunting enough without coping with metropolitan stressors.
Being able to take a spur-of-the-moment nap whenever fatigue set in was an added perk.
Further, contact with myriad people at the corporate office would increase my risk of getting an infection. In the general work environment, the best policy was to wash my hands as often as I thought about it.
This hygienic routine paid off during business travel, when I was exposed to the public on planes. I worked out my travel schedule between treatments, coordinating with the oncology nurses. Travel plans could be scuttled at a moment's notice due to side effects, such as low counts of white blood cells. But God in His mercy knows my love of travel. I never fell ill when on trans-continental-or even trans-Atlantic-flights for business reasons.
Resolved to conquer any anxiety during this season of harsh chemo, I resolved to journal my blessings. One entry: "American Cancer Society provided wigs, bras-and alleluia-complimentary make-up!"
Another journal entry chronicled my excellent employment situation. My husband was a self-employed real estate agent during my cancer bouts, with no medical coverage. Besides upholding my professional dignity, the job I had provided my family with premium, low co-pay health insurance. And my company was the ideal employer for me at that time. Had I quit the work force and sought new insurance as a cancer survivor, I would have faced astronomical premiums to secure near-comparable health coverage. Alternatively, if I had changed employers to assume a less demanding position, I would have had to re-build trust in the new environment.
My perfectionism has waned since cancer reared its ugly head. I'm sure this represents progress, but somehow it would lack pizzazz on a résumé. Imagine the line: "Lawyer seeks position with laid-back company to interact with clients and draft documents under relaxing circumstances with regular breaks." Not a good first impression. Employers should understand, nonetheless, that the most perfect employees are not perfectionists.
My cancer diagnoses allowed me to reflect on what God considers most important in my life, and to make changes where changes make sense. Having a deeper appreciation for my co-workers' struggles, I regularly exercise my muscles of compassion toward them.
In Romans 16:5-7 Paul commends Mary for her work in promoting the gospel. Whether I labor for a business, or in retirement or full-time ministry, as a cancer survivor my number one priority now is to please Christ. After all, the Seven Dwarves are only make-believe men, while serving the Lord can make believers out of men.
Whizzing through the tunnel-visions of the fast lane, I found scheduling of routine preventative medical tests to be inconvenient. Although I did manage to secure a baseline mammogram at age 40, it revealed nothing of concern. And a second scan the next year showed no abnormalities. So, I thought smugly, I don't need to be so vigilant. Postponement of mammograms was reinforced by a false impression that vegetarians don't get breast cancer, particularly those my age who exercise and have no genetic predisposition. So work and family obligations dominated my life, punctuated by restful interludes of worship on Sundays.
Until I found a suspicious lump in my breast at age 43.
After the lump was confirmed as breast cancer, I sought God in earnest. Prayer support from friends and strangers alike was crucial to my treatment decisions and emotional healing. I opted for a lumpectomy with chemotherapy and radiation. Since I was generally in good health, I resumed work about a month after the operation.
Strange sensations enveloped me as I returned to the office. Nagging me was the notion that cancer is aggravated, if not caused, by undue stress. When I began chemotherapy, I would feel too sick immediately after each infusion to tackle serious assignments. My employer generously accommodated a reduced work schedule on those occasions. Valiant attempts were made to balance God-centered activities with work, exercise, and family-and deal with the distress of having cancer at the prime of my career.
Working while undergoing chemotherapy was nevertheless restorative. Giving advice to colleagues during treatment satisfied a deep longing within me to be needed. My work responsibilities offered a diversion from anxiety and gave me a sense of professional worth. Through Christ's intervention I called in sick only rarely, when I felt too ill to drive.
After chemotherapy I endured radiation, missing work every morning for six weeks straight. But God bestowed His grace upon me again as I bounced back unscathed from each treatment.
Shortly after radiation ended, when I turned 44, my manager, a Vice-President, died unexpectedly from an apparent heart attack. This reality check made me seek relief from heavy management responsibility. Sustained in prayer, I decided with my new director's blessing to supervise only three attorneys and a paralegal, and work part-time. Consequently, my schedule was reduced to a four-day work week.
In corporate America, I imagine that the "cancer survivor" track that I chose is viewed similarly to the "mommy track." In both cases circumstances alter the employee's sense of what is most important in the work-life balance. Cancer became for me an acceptable excuse for dethroning work from its exalted position atop my list of priorities.
Scuttlebutt kicked into high gear at the proverbial office coolers when I forsook the management track. But I gladly said sayonara to competing in the special Olympic event of vaulting through the glass ceiling. And said hello to being more of a respected work advisor.
Several months after that I moved away from corporate headquarters and began remote telecommuting from Northern California, managing only an attorney and a paralegal. I would make regular 200-mile road trips back to the San Francisco Bay Area to have face-time with employees as needed. And I settled into a workspace with dormer windows overlooking the garden amidst God's bounteous creation.
While it lasted, I treasured the one day a week I had off from work. Some of that time was used to contemplate what it meant not to slave every weekday. But occasional weekend spillovers of work continued.
Notwithstanding the tangible advantages of part-time work, after a year I realized the greater efficiencies of having a continuous work week, and decided to resume full-time employment. Not long afterward, a new malignant tumor emerged in the same breast.
Coping with cancer treatments this second time was decidedly easier for me as a distant telecommuter. Although I was destined to undergo bilateral mastectomies and more aggressive chemotherapy, at least I didn't have to dress up and commute in traffic among home, headquarters, and hospitals. The logistics of juggling work and cancer treatments is daunting enough without coping with metropolitan stressors.
Being able to take a spur-of-the-moment nap whenever fatigue set in was an added perk.
Further, contact with myriad people at the corporate office would increase my risk of getting an infection. In the general work environment, the best policy was to wash my hands as often as I thought about it.
This hygienic routine paid off during business travel, when I was exposed to the public on planes. I worked out my travel schedule between treatments, coordinating with the oncology nurses. Travel plans could be scuttled at a moment's notice due to side effects, such as low counts of white blood cells. But God in His mercy knows my love of travel. I never fell ill when on trans-continental-or even trans-Atlantic-flights for business reasons.
Resolved to conquer any anxiety during this season of harsh chemo, I resolved to journal my blessings. One entry: "American Cancer Society provided wigs, bras-and alleluia-complimentary make-up!"
Another journal entry chronicled my excellent employment situation. My husband was a self-employed real estate agent during my cancer bouts, with no medical coverage. Besides upholding my professional dignity, the job I had provided my family with premium, low co-pay health insurance. And my company was the ideal employer for me at that time. Had I quit the work force and sought new insurance as a cancer survivor, I would have faced astronomical premiums to secure near-comparable health coverage. Alternatively, if I had changed employers to assume a less demanding position, I would have had to re-build trust in the new environment.
My perfectionism has waned since cancer reared its ugly head. I'm sure this represents progress, but somehow it would lack pizzazz on a résumé. Imagine the line: "Lawyer seeks position with laid-back company to interact with clients and draft documents under relaxing circumstances with regular breaks." Not a good first impression. Employers should understand, nonetheless, that the most perfect employees are not perfectionists.
My cancer diagnoses allowed me to reflect on what God considers most important in my life, and to make changes where changes make sense. Having a deeper appreciation for my co-workers' struggles, I regularly exercise my muscles of compassion toward them.
In Romans 16:5-7 Paul commends Mary for her work in promoting the gospel. Whether I labor for a business, or in retirement or full-time ministry, as a cancer survivor my number one priority now is to please Christ. After all, the Seven Dwarves are only make-believe men, while serving the Lord can make believers out of men.
Monday, September 22, 2008
How Do You Know When You Have Breast Cancer
How do you know if you are a candidate for cancer? It is based on a genetic criteria and your overall health. The best way to avoid this life changing illness is to be sure to do your annual check ups and to stay in close contact with your physician and to stay updated on all the new information and technology in regards to this illness. Another way to stay on top of things is to talk to other individuals who have dealt with this illness and have to go through all the chemo and radiation treatments and how it has affected not only them but also their loved ones.
Some ways to help with preventing this from invading your life and the lives of those who you are close to is to eat a proper diet,exercise regularly, and do your monthly self breast exams. Doing you MBE (monthly breast exams) is not a cure but can lead to very early detection and easier to get under control. It takes up to seven years for a cancerous mass to grow to the size of a pea. So be sure to be more cautious and aware of this disease.
The best way to beat it is to be educated and use your resources to become more aware of the causes and ways to cure it and to live a long and prosperous life. With that in mind if you ever have any questions or concerns in regards to this matter please feel free to contact me and I will be more then willing to help you the best that I can.
I am a mom of 4 children and 2 of them are girls. This subject is very important not only to us moms but it can be critical to our daughters as they grow up. The more we educate ourselves on this disease the more we can help our children when they grow up and they can live by our example. If we take care of ourselves they will follow suit.
Some ways to help with preventing this from invading your life and the lives of those who you are close to is to eat a proper diet,exercise regularly, and do your monthly self breast exams. Doing you MBE (monthly breast exams) is not a cure but can lead to very early detection and easier to get under control. It takes up to seven years for a cancerous mass to grow to the size of a pea. So be sure to be more cautious and aware of this disease.
The best way to beat it is to be educated and use your resources to become more aware of the causes and ways to cure it and to live a long and prosperous life. With that in mind if you ever have any questions or concerns in regards to this matter please feel free to contact me and I will be more then willing to help you the best that I can.
I am a mom of 4 children and 2 of them are girls. This subject is very important not only to us moms but it can be critical to our daughters as they grow up. The more we educate ourselves on this disease the more we can help our children when they grow up and they can live by our example. If we take care of ourselves they will follow suit.
Cancer Misdiagnosis
Importance of Early Diagnosis
Sometimes, physicians fail to properly diagnose cancer in their patients. In fact, the leading cause of all medical error or medical malpractice lawsuits is the misdiagnosis of cancer.
Timely detection of cancer is a matter of life and death.
For example, breast cancer has a 95% survival rate when caught at its earliest stage. When breast cancer advances to "stage 4." an individual only has a 7% chance of survival. Indeed, the key to successful treatment of most types of cancer is early diagnosis.
Other types of common cancers for which early treatment is crucial are cancer of the prostate, cervix, colon, lung, kidney, ovaries, skin, and testicles. It is important for your family physician to check for cancers that may pose a greater risk to you, due to your family history, gender, or age. Most cancer tests are painless. Regular cancer screening and early diagnosis can greatly increase your prospects for a long and quality life.
Some of the mistakes that a doctor may make in screening for cancer include:
* Failure to understand or notice the nature of a patient's complaints.
* Failure to order the proper test, such as a mammogram or PSA test.
* Failure to properly read or interpret test results.
* Failure to refer a patient to a specialist for further testing.
* Failure to note that a patient's family history increases the risk of a particular type of cancer.
* Failure to notice a mass or mistaking a malignant mass for one that is benign.
* Failure to run routine tests, such as a prostrate screening for males over age fifty.
* Failure to test someone who is at risk, because of age or ethnicity. For example, African-American males are at increased risk of prostrate cancer and need screening tests from the age of forty.
* Failure to follow-up with a patient if cancer should be suspected.
Sometimes, the reason for delayed cancer diagnosis is not the fault of a physician. You need to take care of your own health and get medical check-ups.
If you have discomfort, pain, an unusual lump or mass, or other health concerns, be sure to tell your doctor. Also, let your physician know about any family or personal history of cancer. If you believe that you are not being adequately screened for cancer risks, then you should express this concern to your physician. Never be afraid to seek a second opinion, if you think one is required.
There are many reasons why you should talk with a medical malpractice lawyer about your legal rights after an instance of cancer misdiagnosis. After you or a loved one suffers from a cancer misdiagnosis, it is important to talk with a personal injury attorney with experience in medical malpractice law for several compelling reasons:
Put a Fighter In Your Corner
Insurance companies will vigorously fight against paying damages to an medical malpractice victim -- especially cases involving cancer misdiagnosis. You need a law firm that will vigorously represent your interests in these proceedings and counsel you as your claim progresses.
Peace of Mind
You owe it to yourself and your family to seek experienced legal counsel. To protect all your legal rights, you need a law firm that is well versed in the complicated laws that govern medical malpractice law.
The Financial Impact of Injuries
The cost of a cancer misdiagnosis can be catastrophic. This is an extreme hardship when the injuries make work impossible and rent, gas, and medical bills start to accumulate. You need a law firm that will help you recover these costs from the insurance company or the at-fault party. A study recently indicated that injured parties represented by legal counsel obtain far greater recoveries than those individuals who attempt to represent their own interests.
Attorney Marya Sieminski joined the Law Offices of Sam Bernstein in 2003. She is admitted to practice law in Michigan state courts and in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated magna cum laude from Wayne State University Law School. Marya has worked as a trial lawyer for 10 years and exclusively represented victims in personal injury litigation and in workers compensation claims. She also was appointed by the Governor to serve on the State of Michigan Workers Compensation Qualifications Advisory Committee.
Sometimes, physicians fail to properly diagnose cancer in their patients. In fact, the leading cause of all medical error or medical malpractice lawsuits is the misdiagnosis of cancer.
Timely detection of cancer is a matter of life and death.
For example, breast cancer has a 95% survival rate when caught at its earliest stage. When breast cancer advances to "stage 4." an individual only has a 7% chance of survival. Indeed, the key to successful treatment of most types of cancer is early diagnosis.
Other types of common cancers for which early treatment is crucial are cancer of the prostate, cervix, colon, lung, kidney, ovaries, skin, and testicles. It is important for your family physician to check for cancers that may pose a greater risk to you, due to your family history, gender, or age. Most cancer tests are painless. Regular cancer screening and early diagnosis can greatly increase your prospects for a long and quality life.
Some of the mistakes that a doctor may make in screening for cancer include:
* Failure to understand or notice the nature of a patient's complaints.
* Failure to order the proper test, such as a mammogram or PSA test.
* Failure to properly read or interpret test results.
* Failure to refer a patient to a specialist for further testing.
* Failure to note that a patient's family history increases the risk of a particular type of cancer.
* Failure to notice a mass or mistaking a malignant mass for one that is benign.
* Failure to run routine tests, such as a prostrate screening for males over age fifty.
* Failure to test someone who is at risk, because of age or ethnicity. For example, African-American males are at increased risk of prostrate cancer and need screening tests from the age of forty.
* Failure to follow-up with a patient if cancer should be suspected.
Sometimes, the reason for delayed cancer diagnosis is not the fault of a physician. You need to take care of your own health and get medical check-ups.
If you have discomfort, pain, an unusual lump or mass, or other health concerns, be sure to tell your doctor. Also, let your physician know about any family or personal history of cancer. If you believe that you are not being adequately screened for cancer risks, then you should express this concern to your physician. Never be afraid to seek a second opinion, if you think one is required.
There are many reasons why you should talk with a medical malpractice lawyer about your legal rights after an instance of cancer misdiagnosis. After you or a loved one suffers from a cancer misdiagnosis, it is important to talk with a personal injury attorney with experience in medical malpractice law for several compelling reasons:
Put a Fighter In Your Corner
Insurance companies will vigorously fight against paying damages to an medical malpractice victim -- especially cases involving cancer misdiagnosis. You need a law firm that will vigorously represent your interests in these proceedings and counsel you as your claim progresses.
Peace of Mind
You owe it to yourself and your family to seek experienced legal counsel. To protect all your legal rights, you need a law firm that is well versed in the complicated laws that govern medical malpractice law.
The Financial Impact of Injuries
The cost of a cancer misdiagnosis can be catastrophic. This is an extreme hardship when the injuries make work impossible and rent, gas, and medical bills start to accumulate. You need a law firm that will help you recover these costs from the insurance company or the at-fault party. A study recently indicated that injured parties represented by legal counsel obtain far greater recoveries than those individuals who attempt to represent their own interests.
Attorney Marya Sieminski joined the Law Offices of Sam Bernstein in 2003. She is admitted to practice law in Michigan state courts and in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated magna cum laude from Wayne State University Law School. Marya has worked as a trial lawyer for 10 years and exclusively represented victims in personal injury litigation and in workers compensation claims. She also was appointed by the Governor to serve on the State of Michigan Workers Compensation Qualifications Advisory Committee.
Increase Your Breast Cancer Survival!
Femara is a Godsend for many women due to the fact that this breast cancer suppressant really works! The whole idea to using this medication is to keep your breast cancer in remission for as long as possible. Femara is a fairly new product, believe it or not, some women, and even doctors, have never heard of the drug before.
The main information you will need to know is, if your breast cancer is estrogen positive. If so, you might want to research this information further before discussing it with your oncologist. The basic requirement for using femara is that a woman must be postmenopausal before using femara.
Femara works on the fact that it keeps the excess estrogen produced by the adrenal gland from entering your body, therefore keeping your cancer in remission. The less estrogen that your body produces , the less chance of a breast cancer recurrence. Since estrogen positive breast cancer feeds on excess estrogen from your body, you will have more chances of a breast cancer recurrence due to high estrogen levels. The daily intake of femara is one tiny pill daily. Femara does come with side effects. If you're lucky, the side effects will be few.
The one side effect that most women complain of is rapid weight gain. I will teach you in another article how to combat excess weight gain when taking femara, as I too have experienced this big talked about side effect. Due to the vast improvements in modern medicine, surviving breast cancer has made the journey that much easier. Take care of yourself and never ever give up the fight!
The main information you will need to know is, if your breast cancer is estrogen positive. If so, you might want to research this information further before discussing it with your oncologist. The basic requirement for using femara is that a woman must be postmenopausal before using femara.
Femara works on the fact that it keeps the excess estrogen produced by the adrenal gland from entering your body, therefore keeping your cancer in remission. The less estrogen that your body produces , the less chance of a breast cancer recurrence. Since estrogen positive breast cancer feeds on excess estrogen from your body, you will have more chances of a breast cancer recurrence due to high estrogen levels. The daily intake of femara is one tiny pill daily. Femara does come with side effects. If you're lucky, the side effects will be few.
The one side effect that most women complain of is rapid weight gain. I will teach you in another article how to combat excess weight gain when taking femara, as I too have experienced this big talked about side effect. Due to the vast improvements in modern medicine, surviving breast cancer has made the journey that much easier. Take care of yourself and never ever give up the fight!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
6 Secrets To A Painless Mammogram
Mammograms can be life-saving. They can also be prohibitively painful to some women. Here are six tips to make your mammogram hurt less.
1. Have your mammogram when you don't have much breast engorgement. (For most women, this means the two weeks after menstruation has finished but the time varies with the individual. Other women might find day 18 to 22 after the first day of menstruation more appropriate)
2. Use as little salt as possible for a week before the test. Again, this will reduce the extent of breast engorgement for most women and hence the pain associated with the compression required for the test.
3.Taking 400 international units of vitamin E for 3 weeks before the test. Why this works has not been documented. However, this works frequent enough for you to try out.
4. Using simple analgesics like paracetamol, aspirin, diclofenac one hour before the test, provided you don't have an allergy to these. These have to be taken after food.
5. Drink green juice, made from green apples, capsicums, celery, bitter melons and cucumbers on alternate days for a week before the test. This is a little secret one of my patients shared with me. This green juice is also helpful for breast pain in general. Make sure you don't drink this more frequent than suggested as it may lead to hypotension or even dizziness.
6. Tell the radiographer when you feel pain during the test. The radiographer does have some lee-way to adjust the degree of compression of the breasts against the x-ray plates.
1. Have your mammogram when you don't have much breast engorgement. (For most women, this means the two weeks after menstruation has finished but the time varies with the individual. Other women might find day 18 to 22 after the first day of menstruation more appropriate)
2. Use as little salt as possible for a week before the test. Again, this will reduce the extent of breast engorgement for most women and hence the pain associated with the compression required for the test.
3.Taking 400 international units of vitamin E for 3 weeks before the test. Why this works has not been documented. However, this works frequent enough for you to try out.
4. Using simple analgesics like paracetamol, aspirin, diclofenac one hour before the test, provided you don't have an allergy to these. These have to be taken after food.
5. Drink green juice, made from green apples, capsicums, celery, bitter melons and cucumbers on alternate days for a week before the test. This is a little secret one of my patients shared with me. This green juice is also helpful for breast pain in general. Make sure you don't drink this more frequent than suggested as it may lead to hypotension or even dizziness.
6. Tell the radiographer when you feel pain during the test. The radiographer does have some lee-way to adjust the degree of compression of the breasts against the x-ray plates.
HRT Cancer Link Research Evidence
The hormone replacement therapy (HRT) controversy has been raging for over a decade now. But, finally, new research has made the HRT cancer link clear.
Two recent hormone replacement therapy studies, specifically on the HRT cancer link, both report what scientists have suspected for a while - there's a definite connection between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer.
The U.S. has the highest rate of breast cancer in the world. It affects 1 out of every 8 American women in their lifetime and, next to skin cancer, it's the most common cancer for women. Breast cancer is also the second most deadly, after lung cancer.
The HRT Cancer Link Research
In each of the studies, the cancer research teams found that as more and more women became aware of the HRT cancer link, more and more women gave up using hormone replacement therapy in favor of alternative treatments for menopause symptoms.
And, as women gave up HRT, breast cancer rates started dropping.
In 2003, breast cancer statistics went down by about 10%. Researchers were surprised, since they had never seen such a dramatic drop in just one year. And the rates are still going down - particularly for women over 50, who appear to be more sensitive to HRT.
Dr. Peter Ravdin of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, reporting to the 29th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, said he's convinced the big drop in breast cancer is related to the big decrease in HRT use as a menopause treatment.
The author of the second study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Dr. Christina Clarke of the Northern California Cancer Center in Fremont, agrees.
"Hormone therapy use dropped by 68% between 2001 and 2003, and shortly thereafter we saw breast cancer rates drop by 10% to 11%. This drop was sustained in 2004, which tells us that the decline wasn't a fluke."
Natural Help with Menopause Symptoms
What are your options for treating menopause symptoms naturally?
The best thing you can do is to make the same lifestyle changes necessary to maximize your health and minimize your risk of breast cancer.
That means, eat the healthiest diet possible and exercise regularly. Healthy women simply have far fewer disturbing menopause symptoms.
You can begin with a nutritious diet rich in:
o Colorful fruits and vegetables,
o 100% whole grains,
o Lean poultry and low fat dairy,
o And cold water fish, such as salmon.
Eliminate processed trans fats, high fat dairy, coffee, alcohol, tobacco, carbonated sodas and other high glycemic carbohydrates, such as refined flour. And definitely get out for a half-hour walk at least three to five days a week - preferably daily.
If you really want to increase your odds of having a pleasant, easy menopause, you should also get started as soon as possible on a high quality food supplement program.
Besides the necessary vitamin and mineral requirements, make sure you include good quality essential fatty acids, particularly omega 3 fish oil with EPA and DHA.
How Omega 3 Fish Oil Can Help
Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for the production, release and balance of hormones. High quality, balanced omega 3 fish oil capsules can help to reduce hot flashes and eliminate mood swings by balancing the production of hormones.
And, besides greatly reducing menopause symptoms, fish oil has been shown to dramatically reduce the incidence of breast cancer.
Two recent hormone replacement therapy studies, specifically on the HRT cancer link, both report what scientists have suspected for a while - there's a definite connection between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer.
The U.S. has the highest rate of breast cancer in the world. It affects 1 out of every 8 American women in their lifetime and, next to skin cancer, it's the most common cancer for women. Breast cancer is also the second most deadly, after lung cancer.
The HRT Cancer Link Research
In each of the studies, the cancer research teams found that as more and more women became aware of the HRT cancer link, more and more women gave up using hormone replacement therapy in favor of alternative treatments for menopause symptoms.
And, as women gave up HRT, breast cancer rates started dropping.
In 2003, breast cancer statistics went down by about 10%. Researchers were surprised, since they had never seen such a dramatic drop in just one year. And the rates are still going down - particularly for women over 50, who appear to be more sensitive to HRT.
Dr. Peter Ravdin of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, reporting to the 29th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, said he's convinced the big drop in breast cancer is related to the big decrease in HRT use as a menopause treatment.
The author of the second study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Dr. Christina Clarke of the Northern California Cancer Center in Fremont, agrees.
"Hormone therapy use dropped by 68% between 2001 and 2003, and shortly thereafter we saw breast cancer rates drop by 10% to 11%. This drop was sustained in 2004, which tells us that the decline wasn't a fluke."
Natural Help with Menopause Symptoms
What are your options for treating menopause symptoms naturally?
The best thing you can do is to make the same lifestyle changes necessary to maximize your health and minimize your risk of breast cancer.
That means, eat the healthiest diet possible and exercise regularly. Healthy women simply have far fewer disturbing menopause symptoms.
You can begin with a nutritious diet rich in:
o Colorful fruits and vegetables,
o 100% whole grains,
o Lean poultry and low fat dairy,
o And cold water fish, such as salmon.
Eliminate processed trans fats, high fat dairy, coffee, alcohol, tobacco, carbonated sodas and other high glycemic carbohydrates, such as refined flour. And definitely get out for a half-hour walk at least three to five days a week - preferably daily.
If you really want to increase your odds of having a pleasant, easy menopause, you should also get started as soon as possible on a high quality food supplement program.
Besides the necessary vitamin and mineral requirements, make sure you include good quality essential fatty acids, particularly omega 3 fish oil with EPA and DHA.
How Omega 3 Fish Oil Can Help
Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for the production, release and balance of hormones. High quality, balanced omega 3 fish oil capsules can help to reduce hot flashes and eliminate mood swings by balancing the production of hormones.
And, besides greatly reducing menopause symptoms, fish oil has been shown to dramatically reduce the incidence of breast cancer.
Common Sense Tips to Cut Breast Cancer Risk
We've all been watching the annual parade of 'pink' - all in the name of raising money to fight breast cancer! The objectives are admirable - more money for research for early detection and maybe to defeat the causes of breast cancer. AND it's important.
Somehow, despite all the pink ribbons and fundraising, the disease continues to affect thousands of families every year. Today breast cancer affects nearly 1 in every 6 women and all cancers affecting 1 in 3 women. There is no family that has been left untouched by cancer. An astounding toll!
So, what's going on here? Are there ways to minimize my chances of getting it?
You know, it didn't seem like the odds of being affected by breast cancer were as great when I was growing up. That didn't mean I didn't see loved ones affected. In fact, my mother-in-law contracted the disease and I would massage her right arm after her mastectomy removed not only her breast but also the lymph nodes under her arm, leaving swelling and hard lumps. Because of my mother-in-law, I also had an unusually large clientele of breast cancer patients or those recovering from breast cancer.
Even with those experiences, it seemed that if you had a relative who was affected, genetically you had a better chance of having breast cancer. In fact, a common response to the very mention of 'Cancer' was an automatic assumption that you had been diagnosed and given a death sentence. Of course, we now know that isn't the case and much progress in diagnosis and successful intervention/treatment has occurred in the past two to three decades. At the same time, we've also seen the incidence of breast cancer skyrocket! So it's now our responsibility to find and practice common sense habits that will help the long-term prognosis for us and for our daughters and granddaughters.
According to a number of research efforts at major universities and research centers, there's ample evidence to suggest that our immune systems are being weakened from exposure to toxins and chemical poisons. Everyday exposure to chemical poisons in our household and personal care products can keep the body from warding off or mitigating breast cancers and other diseases.
So what are everyday exposures that I might have?
We know that much of the current surge of interest in natural and organic products is coming from women - fully 60-80% depending upon which research study you are focusing on. These are women who want to improve the overall wellness of their families and themselves. Just that fact, alone, is cause for celebration. But every consumer also needs to realize what 'natural and organic' may be covering up in their everyday products!
Not everything that carries a byline of 'natural and organic' is free from toxic or harmful ingredients. Becoming educated about toxic ingredients, like the ones in the following list, is critical to your efforts to buy products that 'Do No Harm'.
Avoid these Red Flag ingredients in your products:
· Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40)
· DEA (Diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), & TEA (Triethanolamine)
· Dioxin (not listed as an ingredient - a by-product from manufacturing)
· DMDM Hydantoin & Urea (Imidazolidinyl)
· FD&C Color Pigments
· Fragrances
· Parabens (common xeno-estrogen preservative)
· PEG (Polyethylene glycol)
· Phthalates (emulsifier, extender, softener - commonly used in baby products/bottles/etc.)
· Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol
· Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
· Triclosan (anti-bacterial thought to create super-bugs; non-recyclable contaminant in water)
· Sunscreen ingredients like benzophenone, avebenzone, cinemates, PABA
Begin by reading the ingredient label on every product. Perhaps most disturbing is the fact that many of these toxic ingredients are hormone disruptors, wetting agents that assure the products act faster/penetrate better, and preservatives known to affect health. Making a choice to purchase products that contain NO xeno-estrogens or other toxins is a bold step in the right direction!
I really believe that we could all begin this effort by simply checking out the back labels in our bathrooms. While it's pretty scary to think about, experts tell us that most of us come in contact with over 200 toxic chemicals before we get dressed in the morning. That means we are bathing ourselves in toxins!
Whether it's the shampoo and conditioner, the body wash, our toothpaste, deodorant, hair styling products, or the makeup on our face, it all adds to the chemical load on our bodies. I encourage you to replace just one or two products a week with products certified ToxicFree(R) - your assurance the product contains no hormone disruptors, carcinogens or other known toxic ingredients. Each step will create a safer, cleaner, healthier home for you and for your family.
Every woman really needs to take exercise seriously as well. Just 30 minutes of exercise per week has been shown to return major benefits. A recent study revealed that 30-150 minutes of exercise per week greatly reduced the risk of developing breast cancer.
According to the lead researcher, breast cancer rates were 50% lower in the group of women who exercised - and up to 70% lower among African-Americans who exercised. The best news was that the risk for various types of breast cancer was reduced - even the most aggressive types.
Teaching our families how to prevent illness begins with a healthy role model. READ labels, exercise, buy healthy products, do regular self-examination - and teach your daughters the same wellness habits!
Somehow, despite all the pink ribbons and fundraising, the disease continues to affect thousands of families every year. Today breast cancer affects nearly 1 in every 6 women and all cancers affecting 1 in 3 women. There is no family that has been left untouched by cancer. An astounding toll!
So, what's going on here? Are there ways to minimize my chances of getting it?
You know, it didn't seem like the odds of being affected by breast cancer were as great when I was growing up. That didn't mean I didn't see loved ones affected. In fact, my mother-in-law contracted the disease and I would massage her right arm after her mastectomy removed not only her breast but also the lymph nodes under her arm, leaving swelling and hard lumps. Because of my mother-in-law, I also had an unusually large clientele of breast cancer patients or those recovering from breast cancer.
Even with those experiences, it seemed that if you had a relative who was affected, genetically you had a better chance of having breast cancer. In fact, a common response to the very mention of 'Cancer' was an automatic assumption that you had been diagnosed and given a death sentence. Of course, we now know that isn't the case and much progress in diagnosis and successful intervention/treatment has occurred in the past two to three decades. At the same time, we've also seen the incidence of breast cancer skyrocket! So it's now our responsibility to find and practice common sense habits that will help the long-term prognosis for us and for our daughters and granddaughters.
According to a number of research efforts at major universities and research centers, there's ample evidence to suggest that our immune systems are being weakened from exposure to toxins and chemical poisons. Everyday exposure to chemical poisons in our household and personal care products can keep the body from warding off or mitigating breast cancers and other diseases.
So what are everyday exposures that I might have?
We know that much of the current surge of interest in natural and organic products is coming from women - fully 60-80% depending upon which research study you are focusing on. These are women who want to improve the overall wellness of their families and themselves. Just that fact, alone, is cause for celebration. But every consumer also needs to realize what 'natural and organic' may be covering up in their everyday products!
Not everything that carries a byline of 'natural and organic' is free from toxic or harmful ingredients. Becoming educated about toxic ingredients, like the ones in the following list, is critical to your efforts to buy products that 'Do No Harm'.
Avoid these Red Flag ingredients in your products:
· Alcohol, Isopropyl (SD-40)
· DEA (Diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), & TEA (Triethanolamine)
· Dioxin (not listed as an ingredient - a by-product from manufacturing)
· DMDM Hydantoin & Urea (Imidazolidinyl)
· FD&C Color Pigments
· Fragrances
· Parabens (common xeno-estrogen preservative)
· PEG (Polyethylene glycol)
· Phthalates (emulsifier, extender, softener - commonly used in baby products/bottles/etc.)
· Propylene Glycol (PG) and Butylene Glycol
· Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
· Triclosan (anti-bacterial thought to create super-bugs; non-recyclable contaminant in water)
· Sunscreen ingredients like benzophenone, avebenzone, cinemates, PABA
Begin by reading the ingredient label on every product. Perhaps most disturbing is the fact that many of these toxic ingredients are hormone disruptors, wetting agents that assure the products act faster/penetrate better, and preservatives known to affect health. Making a choice to purchase products that contain NO xeno-estrogens or other toxins is a bold step in the right direction!
I really believe that we could all begin this effort by simply checking out the back labels in our bathrooms. While it's pretty scary to think about, experts tell us that most of us come in contact with over 200 toxic chemicals before we get dressed in the morning. That means we are bathing ourselves in toxins!
Whether it's the shampoo and conditioner, the body wash, our toothpaste, deodorant, hair styling products, or the makeup on our face, it all adds to the chemical load on our bodies. I encourage you to replace just one or two products a week with products certified ToxicFree(R) - your assurance the product contains no hormone disruptors, carcinogens or other known toxic ingredients. Each step will create a safer, cleaner, healthier home for you and for your family.
Every woman really needs to take exercise seriously as well. Just 30 minutes of exercise per week has been shown to return major benefits. A recent study revealed that 30-150 minutes of exercise per week greatly reduced the risk of developing breast cancer.
According to the lead researcher, breast cancer rates were 50% lower in the group of women who exercised - and up to 70% lower among African-Americans who exercised. The best news was that the risk for various types of breast cancer was reduced - even the most aggressive types.
Teaching our families how to prevent illness begins with a healthy role model. READ labels, exercise, buy healthy products, do regular self-examination - and teach your daughters the same wellness habits!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Detecting Breast Cancer
Self examination of the breasts is important in detecting cancer. More than 90 percent of breast tumors are found this way. Physical examination by a doctor and other diagnostic tests can establish whether the tumor is cancerous or not. With early detection and treatment, you have a better chance of beating the disease.
"A breast tumor itself is not lethal. The disease kills by metastasizing - that is, by spreading through the lymph system of the bloodstream to other parts of the body. Thus, if breast cancer is caught early, while the tumor is small and before malignant cells have spread to neighboring lymph nodes, there is about a 90 percent chance of a cure," according to Dr. David E. Larson, editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book."
Unfortunately, in half of cases, the breast cancer has already spread, making treatment impossible. A study made by the University of the Philippines College of Medicine - Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) show that 75 percent of cases are in the advanced stage before the first diagnosis is made.
How often should women examine their breasts? The Philippine Cancer Society Inc. recommends monthly breast self-examination and an annual breast exam by a physician for women 30 years old and above. This will help them detect suspicious lumps easily when they are at a curable stage. How should this be done? Here are some tips taken from the "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book":
Examine your breasts once a month. If you have not yet reached menopause, the best time is a few days after your period ends because your breasts are less likely to be tender or swollen. If you are no longer menstruating, pick a day of the month and do the examination regularly on that day.
Stand in front of a mirror. With your arms at your sides, look at the skin on your breasts for any sign of puckering, for dimples, or for changes in the size or shape of the breasts. If your nipples are not normally inverted, look to see whether they are now pushed in. Rest your hands on your hips, and then place them behind your head; in each position, check for the same signs.
Next, step into the shower and, once your breasts are wet and soapy, place your left hand behind your head and examine your left breast with your right hand. Think of your breast as the face of a clock, and place your right hand at 12 o'clock, at the top of the breast. Hold your hand flat, fingertips pressed together, and make a tiny circling motion, feeling for lumps.
Move the hand to 1 o'clock, to 2 o'clock, and so on. Once you return to 12, slide the fingertips closer to the nipple and repeat the motions you just went through, going around the clock in a circle within the first circle; then make an even smaller circle.
Continue until you have checked the tissue under the nipple; look for discharge from the nipple at that time. Finish by examining the area adjacent to your breast, below your armpit, because it also contains breast tissue. Repeat the whole procedure using your left hand on your right breast.
In addition, examine your breasts while you are lying on your back. Again look for nipple discharge. To examine your right breast, put a pillow under your right shoulder and place your right hand under your head. To examine the left breast, place the pillow under the left shoulder and your left hand under your head. (Next: Guidelines for mammography.)
"A breast tumor itself is not lethal. The disease kills by metastasizing - that is, by spreading through the lymph system of the bloodstream to other parts of the body. Thus, if breast cancer is caught early, while the tumor is small and before malignant cells have spread to neighboring lymph nodes, there is about a 90 percent chance of a cure," according to Dr. David E. Larson, editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book."
Unfortunately, in half of cases, the breast cancer has already spread, making treatment impossible. A study made by the University of the Philippines College of Medicine - Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) show that 75 percent of cases are in the advanced stage before the first diagnosis is made.
How often should women examine their breasts? The Philippine Cancer Society Inc. recommends monthly breast self-examination and an annual breast exam by a physician for women 30 years old and above. This will help them detect suspicious lumps easily when they are at a curable stage. How should this be done? Here are some tips taken from the "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book":
Examine your breasts once a month. If you have not yet reached menopause, the best time is a few days after your period ends because your breasts are less likely to be tender or swollen. If you are no longer menstruating, pick a day of the month and do the examination regularly on that day.
Stand in front of a mirror. With your arms at your sides, look at the skin on your breasts for any sign of puckering, for dimples, or for changes in the size or shape of the breasts. If your nipples are not normally inverted, look to see whether they are now pushed in. Rest your hands on your hips, and then place them behind your head; in each position, check for the same signs.
Next, step into the shower and, once your breasts are wet and soapy, place your left hand behind your head and examine your left breast with your right hand. Think of your breast as the face of a clock, and place your right hand at 12 o'clock, at the top of the breast. Hold your hand flat, fingertips pressed together, and make a tiny circling motion, feeling for lumps.
Move the hand to 1 o'clock, to 2 o'clock, and so on. Once you return to 12, slide the fingertips closer to the nipple and repeat the motions you just went through, going around the clock in a circle within the first circle; then make an even smaller circle.
Continue until you have checked the tissue under the nipple; look for discharge from the nipple at that time. Finish by examining the area adjacent to your breast, below your armpit, because it also contains breast tissue. Repeat the whole procedure using your left hand on your right breast.
In addition, examine your breasts while you are lying on your back. Again look for nipple discharge. To examine your right breast, put a pillow under your right shoulder and place your right hand under your head. To examine the left breast, place the pillow under the left shoulder and your left hand under your head. (Next: Guidelines for mammography.)
Flax Seed in Breast Cancer Prevention
If you get to know better the health benefits of flax seed, you may come across the fact that its nourishing properties are attributive of its omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fibers, and high-lignan content. Given these medicinal constituents, then it won't be difficult to think of flax seed as a powerful agent against breast cancer. Millions of women from around the world-particularly those in the postmenopausal stage, are inflicted with breast cancer and while a fully determined cure is still unavailable, flax seed supplementation is what medical researchers are hoping to be an effective prevention against this deadly disease.
The grain's anti-cancerous property is mostly attributed to its high-lignan content, where flax seed is regarded as the chief source of lignans among various plant species. Pertinent research confirms that the antioxidant lignan helps reduce the proliferation of cancerous cells. Experiments also reveal that a reduction in tumor size among breast cancer patients was evident following a period of supplementation with flax lignan capsules under a controlled diet. But the most successful results materialized when diets were supplemented with ground flax seed and the lignan capsules. Though the potential of flax seed as an anti-breast cancer agent is not yet fully recognized by the scientific community, the grain's observed ability to regulate the excess production of estrogen hormones during the post menopausal stage likely becomes the springboard to prevention. Moreover, flax seed retains its stature as a promising remedy that medical authorities have been using to treat certain cases of cancer.
The medicinal benefit of flax seed is however not limited to the control of cancer and tumor cell regeneration. In fact, it is imbibed with nutritional values that promote an overall healthy body. Besides the antioxidant activity of lignans, flax seed is also enriched with omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fibers-both soluble and insoluble.
Omega-3 is an essential factor to cellular mechanisms, and this unsaturated fatty acid lowers bad cholesterol (low density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol) levels. Dietary fibers on the other hand enhance digestion as well as the absorption of essential nutrients in the body, which is an important factor in boosting immune system functions. Maintaining good blood circulation and strong immune defenses are indispensable factors to the upkeep of health, particularly in surviving the after effects of cancers. What makes chemotherapeutic treatments (that are probably thought of as the only effective means to fight cancer cells) dangerous is that these procedures compromise immune system conditions. The side effects of chemotherapy such as diarrhea, hair loss, and blood cell diseases among others convey compromising repercussions to a patient's overall health.
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. So for women crossing over to the post menopausal stage, it wouldn't cost so much to sustain a daily supplementation of milled flax seed and flax lignan capsules to help regulate estrogen levels in the body. In the end, flax seed becomes your mighty protector against breast cancer!
The grain's anti-cancerous property is mostly attributed to its high-lignan content, where flax seed is regarded as the chief source of lignans among various plant species. Pertinent research confirms that the antioxidant lignan helps reduce the proliferation of cancerous cells. Experiments also reveal that a reduction in tumor size among breast cancer patients was evident following a period of supplementation with flax lignan capsules under a controlled diet. But the most successful results materialized when diets were supplemented with ground flax seed and the lignan capsules. Though the potential of flax seed as an anti-breast cancer agent is not yet fully recognized by the scientific community, the grain's observed ability to regulate the excess production of estrogen hormones during the post menopausal stage likely becomes the springboard to prevention. Moreover, flax seed retains its stature as a promising remedy that medical authorities have been using to treat certain cases of cancer.
The medicinal benefit of flax seed is however not limited to the control of cancer and tumor cell regeneration. In fact, it is imbibed with nutritional values that promote an overall healthy body. Besides the antioxidant activity of lignans, flax seed is also enriched with omega-3 fatty acids and dietary fibers-both soluble and insoluble.
Omega-3 is an essential factor to cellular mechanisms, and this unsaturated fatty acid lowers bad cholesterol (low density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol) levels. Dietary fibers on the other hand enhance digestion as well as the absorption of essential nutrients in the body, which is an important factor in boosting immune system functions. Maintaining good blood circulation and strong immune defenses are indispensable factors to the upkeep of health, particularly in surviving the after effects of cancers. What makes chemotherapeutic treatments (that are probably thought of as the only effective means to fight cancer cells) dangerous is that these procedures compromise immune system conditions. The side effects of chemotherapy such as diarrhea, hair loss, and blood cell diseases among others convey compromising repercussions to a patient's overall health.
An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. So for women crossing over to the post menopausal stage, it wouldn't cost so much to sustain a daily supplementation of milled flax seed and flax lignan capsules to help regulate estrogen levels in the body. In the end, flax seed becomes your mighty protector against breast cancer!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Breast Cancer Myths
Because breast cancer is such a mysterious disease, there are many misconceptions about it. Many women assume, for instance, that a blow or any injury to the breast will lead to cancer. Fondling the breast is also said to encourage the growth of cancer and not a few couples have quarreled because of this. Neither of these beliefs is true.
No mater how badly bruised the breast is, you won't develop breast cancer unless you belong to the high-risk group which we discussed in the previous article. Nor does breast cancer result from touching or fondling the breast.
"It's purely coincidental that a woman whose breast was injured would report having cancer at the same time. Most likely, the tumor was already there before the breast was injured and it was only after the accident that attention was drawn to the existing cancer," explained Dr. Corazon A. Ngelangel, professor, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, College of Medicine, and a consultant at the Medical Oncology Section of the University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital.
Inverted nipples are not a sign of breast cancer if you were born with them. These nipples may be infected from time to time if they are not kept clean and dry but they are not cancerous. A previously erect nipple that becomes retracted, however, is another thing. This should be investigated by a doctor to rule out the possibility of cancer.
Do oral contraceptives cause breast cancer? That's probably true for the old pills which contained a high amount of hormones. Today's newer low-dose pills don't pose the same risk and some studies point out that they may reduce the occurrence of breast cysts. To lessen your chances of acquiring breast cancer, don't take birth control pills if you are over 35, smoke, and had breast cancer before.
Breastfeeding was once thought to lead to breast cancer but there is no scientific evidence that shows this. In fact, breast cancer appears to be absent in those who breastfeed. So if you're a nursing mother, there's no need to worry. Continue breastfeeding for as long as possible.
Does diet influence the development of breast cancer? Research indicates that a high-fat diet may be a possible factor in breast cancer and that limiting fat intake may reduce your chances of getting the disease.
Unfortunately, no clear-cut relationship has been established at the moment. But it does make sense to avoid too much fat since this can lead to other serious diseases. Don't eliminate fat from your diet since this is almost impossible and not healthnotful. Instead, reduce your fat intake to about 30 percent of your total calorie intake.
Should lumps in the breast scare you? Don't jump to the conclusion that they're cancerous. Eight out of ten lumps usually turn out to be benign. Some women normally have breast lumps prior to menstruation. That's no cause for alarm.
Anything that persists a week after the menstrual flow, however, should be checked by a physician. Lumps which appear in postmenopausal women are more likely to be cancerous so don't ignore them.
Breast cancer can be identified by the following signs and symptoms: a painless lump or thickening in the breast, a clear or bloody discharge from the nipple, a retracted nipple, swelling or dimpling in the breast, and redness or pitting. (Next: Detecting breast cancer.)
No mater how badly bruised the breast is, you won't develop breast cancer unless you belong to the high-risk group which we discussed in the previous article. Nor does breast cancer result from touching or fondling the breast.
"It's purely coincidental that a woman whose breast was injured would report having cancer at the same time. Most likely, the tumor was already there before the breast was injured and it was only after the accident that attention was drawn to the existing cancer," explained Dr. Corazon A. Ngelangel, professor, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, College of Medicine, and a consultant at the Medical Oncology Section of the University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital.
Inverted nipples are not a sign of breast cancer if you were born with them. These nipples may be infected from time to time if they are not kept clean and dry but they are not cancerous. A previously erect nipple that becomes retracted, however, is another thing. This should be investigated by a doctor to rule out the possibility of cancer.
Do oral contraceptives cause breast cancer? That's probably true for the old pills which contained a high amount of hormones. Today's newer low-dose pills don't pose the same risk and some studies point out that they may reduce the occurrence of breast cysts. To lessen your chances of acquiring breast cancer, don't take birth control pills if you are over 35, smoke, and had breast cancer before.
Breastfeeding was once thought to lead to breast cancer but there is no scientific evidence that shows this. In fact, breast cancer appears to be absent in those who breastfeed. So if you're a nursing mother, there's no need to worry. Continue breastfeeding for as long as possible.
Does diet influence the development of breast cancer? Research indicates that a high-fat diet may be a possible factor in breast cancer and that limiting fat intake may reduce your chances of getting the disease.
Unfortunately, no clear-cut relationship has been established at the moment. But it does make sense to avoid too much fat since this can lead to other serious diseases. Don't eliminate fat from your diet since this is almost impossible and not healthnotful. Instead, reduce your fat intake to about 30 percent of your total calorie intake.
Should lumps in the breast scare you? Don't jump to the conclusion that they're cancerous. Eight out of ten lumps usually turn out to be benign. Some women normally have breast lumps prior to menstruation. That's no cause for alarm.
Anything that persists a week after the menstrual flow, however, should be checked by a physician. Lumps which appear in postmenopausal women are more likely to be cancerous so don't ignore them.
Breast cancer can be identified by the following signs and symptoms: a painless lump or thickening in the breast, a clear or bloody discharge from the nipple, a retracted nipple, swelling or dimpling in the breast, and redness or pitting. (Next: Detecting breast cancer.)
Men Get Breast Cancer
Next to lung cancer, breast cancer kills more women in the United States than any other cancer. It's the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 44 and one is 13 women will have it sooner or later.
"Breast cancer is the third most common cancer in the world today, despite the fact that it is confined almost entirely to the female sex. Breast cancer incidence rates are rising in several developing countries, and it is already the most frequent female cancer in many," revealed Dr. Corazon A. Ngelangel, professor, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, College of Medicine, and a consultant at the Medical Oncology Section of the University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital.
The exact cause of breast cancer is unknown. But the risk of developing the disease increases after the age of 35, especially in those with a family history of the disease. Breast cancer is also more common in obese women and in those who have never had children or who had a child for the first time after the age of 30.
Those who begin menstruation early and women who had late menopause are also at risk for developing the disease. The same is true for women who previously had breast cancer. The odds are high that these women will have the disease in the other breast too.
Unknown to many, breast cancer can affect men but not as frequently as women. Less than one percent of cases occur in males, usually at middle age or older.
Alcohol is believed to be a factor in male breast cancer. Other high-risk groups include those who are exposed to dust, gasoline, grease, carbon monoxide, and radiation. Men with gynecomastia, the enlargement of the breast that follows exposure to estrogen and alcoholic cirrhosis (in which the liver has been destroyed by years of heavy drinking) are likewise susceptible to the disease.
"Although breast cancer can occur in young boys (the youngest reported was five years old), the incidence generally rises with age. The majority of patients are more than 60 years old. Earlier cancer denotes a strong family history, manifested by the presence of many female relatives with breast cancer," said Dr. David Y. Dy, a general surgeon and surgical oncologist at St. Luke's Medical Center in the Philippines.
Surprisingly, male breast cancer appears to be less common in married men and in those with many children. Like women, most cases have been observed in the left breast although it is not clear why.
"About half of all breast cancers develop in the upper outer portion of the breast, the part of the breast closest to the underarm. The second most common site is the area surrounding the nipple, where about 18 percent of breast cancers are found," said Marrion Morra, assistant director of the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center at Yale University School of Medicine in Connecticut, and Eve Potts in "Choices: Realistic Alternatives in Cancer Treatment."
Still, majority of breast cancer cases occur in women. Ngelangel believes the presence of the female hormone estrogen may have something to do with the disease.
"The most important risk factor for developing breast cancer is sex. Being female puts you at great risk. The reason for this is estrogen. Women have more of this hormone than men which probably explains why breast cancer is common among females," Ngelangel said. (Next: Breast cancer myths.)
"Breast cancer is the third most common cancer in the world today, despite the fact that it is confined almost entirely to the female sex. Breast cancer incidence rates are rising in several developing countries, and it is already the most frequent female cancer in many," revealed Dr. Corazon A. Ngelangel, professor, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, College of Medicine, and a consultant at the Medical Oncology Section of the University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital.
The exact cause of breast cancer is unknown. But the risk of developing the disease increases after the age of 35, especially in those with a family history of the disease. Breast cancer is also more common in obese women and in those who have never had children or who had a child for the first time after the age of 30.
Those who begin menstruation early and women who had late menopause are also at risk for developing the disease. The same is true for women who previously had breast cancer. The odds are high that these women will have the disease in the other breast too.
Unknown to many, breast cancer can affect men but not as frequently as women. Less than one percent of cases occur in males, usually at middle age or older.
Alcohol is believed to be a factor in male breast cancer. Other high-risk groups include those who are exposed to dust, gasoline, grease, carbon monoxide, and radiation. Men with gynecomastia, the enlargement of the breast that follows exposure to estrogen and alcoholic cirrhosis (in which the liver has been destroyed by years of heavy drinking) are likewise susceptible to the disease.
"Although breast cancer can occur in young boys (the youngest reported was five years old), the incidence generally rises with age. The majority of patients are more than 60 years old. Earlier cancer denotes a strong family history, manifested by the presence of many female relatives with breast cancer," said Dr. David Y. Dy, a general surgeon and surgical oncologist at St. Luke's Medical Center in the Philippines.
Surprisingly, male breast cancer appears to be less common in married men and in those with many children. Like women, most cases have been observed in the left breast although it is not clear why.
"About half of all breast cancers develop in the upper outer portion of the breast, the part of the breast closest to the underarm. The second most common site is the area surrounding the nipple, where about 18 percent of breast cancers are found," said Marrion Morra, assistant director of the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center at Yale University School of Medicine in Connecticut, and Eve Potts in "Choices: Realistic Alternatives in Cancer Treatment."
Still, majority of breast cancer cases occur in women. Ngelangel believes the presence of the female hormone estrogen may have something to do with the disease.
"The most important risk factor for developing breast cancer is sex. Being female puts you at great risk. The reason for this is estrogen. Women have more of this hormone than men which probably explains why breast cancer is common among females," Ngelangel said. (Next: Breast cancer myths.)
What Is Breast Cancer?
The breast is a gland that consists of breast tissue supported by connective tissue (flesh) surrounded by fat.
The easiest way to understand how the inside of the breast is formed is by comparing it to an upturned bush. Its leaves are known as lobules and they produce milk that drains into ducts that are the branches of the breast tree. These in turn drain into 12 or 15 major or large ducts which empty onto the surface of the nipple, just like the branches of a tree drain to the trunk.
Breast cancer most often involves glandular breast cells in the ducts or lobules. Most patients present with an asymptomatic lump discovered during examination or screening mammography. Diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy. Treatment usually includes surgical excision, often with radiation therapy and adjuvant systemic therapy.
Symptoms:
* Breast Lump
* Breast Pain
* Breast Tenderness
* Decreased Libido
* Dimpling Of Surface Of Breast
* Enlarged Lymph Nodes, Armpit
* Nipple Discharge
* Orange Peel Texture To Breast
* Pain
* Retraction Of Nipple
* Ulceration Of Breast
* Unilateral Breast Enlargement
* Unintentional Weight Loss
* Vaginal Pain
* Veins Visible On Breast
* Weight Loss
What Causes Breast Cancer?
No one knows exactly what causes breast cancer, but we do know that certain risk factors - things that increase a person's chance of getting a disease - are linked to breast cancer. Risk factors change depending on the type of cancer. There are a number of risk factors, both controllable and uncontrollable, which may increase the chances of developing breast cancer. For instance, the risk factors associated with diet can be controlled, but risk factors such as a person's age or family history can't be changed.
While all women are at risk for breast cancer, the factors listed below are associated with an increased chance of developing the disease.
How is it diagnosed?
Most cases are picked up when a woman notices a lump in her breast or through routine screening with mammography. Nine out of ten lumps aren't dangerous, but they should be checked.
Being breast aware, reporting any changes and, for women aged between 50 and 70, attending NHS mammogram screenings help to identify breast cancer early. Women with a strong family history may be offered screening before 50.
Stage and grade of your cancer
Both of these are important for helping to decide which treatments you need. The stage of your breast cancer means how far it has grown and whether it has spread. Grade means what the cancer cells look like under the microscope. Breast cancers can be
* Low grade or grade 1 (slow growing)
* Intermediate grade or grade 2
* High grade or grade 3 (fast growing)
What's the treatment?
Treatment for breast cancer includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, biological therapy and hormone therapy (for example, tamoxifen).
Emotional support for the individual and their family is important.
The easiest way to understand how the inside of the breast is formed is by comparing it to an upturned bush. Its leaves are known as lobules and they produce milk that drains into ducts that are the branches of the breast tree. These in turn drain into 12 or 15 major or large ducts which empty onto the surface of the nipple, just like the branches of a tree drain to the trunk.
Breast cancer most often involves glandular breast cells in the ducts or lobules. Most patients present with an asymptomatic lump discovered during examination or screening mammography. Diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy. Treatment usually includes surgical excision, often with radiation therapy and adjuvant systemic therapy.
Symptoms:
* Breast Lump
* Breast Pain
* Breast Tenderness
* Decreased Libido
* Dimpling Of Surface Of Breast
* Enlarged Lymph Nodes, Armpit
* Nipple Discharge
* Orange Peel Texture To Breast
* Pain
* Retraction Of Nipple
* Ulceration Of Breast
* Unilateral Breast Enlargement
* Unintentional Weight Loss
* Vaginal Pain
* Veins Visible On Breast
* Weight Loss
What Causes Breast Cancer?
No one knows exactly what causes breast cancer, but we do know that certain risk factors - things that increase a person's chance of getting a disease - are linked to breast cancer. Risk factors change depending on the type of cancer. There are a number of risk factors, both controllable and uncontrollable, which may increase the chances of developing breast cancer. For instance, the risk factors associated with diet can be controlled, but risk factors such as a person's age or family history can't be changed.
While all women are at risk for breast cancer, the factors listed below are associated with an increased chance of developing the disease.
How is it diagnosed?
Most cases are picked up when a woman notices a lump in her breast or through routine screening with mammography. Nine out of ten lumps aren't dangerous, but they should be checked.
Being breast aware, reporting any changes and, for women aged between 50 and 70, attending NHS mammogram screenings help to identify breast cancer early. Women with a strong family history may be offered screening before 50.
Stage and grade of your cancer
Both of these are important for helping to decide which treatments you need. The stage of your breast cancer means how far it has grown and whether it has spread. Grade means what the cancer cells look like under the microscope. Breast cancers can be
* Low grade or grade 1 (slow growing)
* Intermediate grade or grade 2
* High grade or grade 3 (fast growing)
What's the treatment?
Treatment for breast cancer includes surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, biological therapy and hormone therapy (for example, tamoxifen).
Emotional support for the individual and their family is important.
Friday, September 12, 2008
I Had Breast Cancer On My Wedding Day
Have you ever thought you were "all that?" Untouchable? Invincible? On top of the world? That's how I felt on my wedding day. I was a successful single mother and Houston entrepreneur with several major awards under my belt, an Ebony magazine top bachelorette and had reconnected with my college sweetheart after a sixteen year hiatus. Yes, I was finally getting married after a string of painful relationships at the age of 35 and ready to live happily ever after.
As I flip through my wedding album, all of the details are a blur. I don't notice the flowers or the detailed cake. What I cherish is the genuine smile on my face which reflects the love in my heart for so many things- life, my husband, my daughter, my family and friends. Dazzling in my strapless wedding gown, little did I know I had breast cancer. Ironic isn't it? I look so happy while cancer was dwelling inside me.
I never would have imagined that I would grow up to have breast cancer. When I first noticed the marble sized lump under my armpit eight months prior to my wedding day, I dismissed it as a swollen lymph gland as a result of a sinus infection. Life went on while the tumor grew. I found every excuse not to go to the doctor. My grandmother had breast cancer so I knew that there may be a slight likelihood that I would have it but I convinced myself that Superwoman doesn't get cancer.
Shortly after my honeymoon, my husband urged me to go to the doctor to determine the cause of the lump which was beginning to get bigger. Within four days of seeing the doctor, I was diagnosed with Stage III A breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy and axillary lymph node dissection with 16 positive lymph nodes. Due to the positive nodes, chemotherapy would be a treatment option. The thought of chemotherapy was terrifying to me. I had always had a headful of beautiful long hair which was highly prized in the Black community. I couldn't imagine being bald and taking my new husband through the negative cosmetic changes.
After much research and consideration, I opted for 4 cycles of chemotherapy. My hair began to fall out about twenty days after my first treatment. One day while driving, I got a wave of courage and drove to the nearest salon. I decided it was time to empower myself and just shave my head. It was falling out daily and was matted and dry. To my surprise, I didn't shed one tear in the chair. The big picture was extending my life; hair couldn't rob me of that.
Since the thought of losing my hair was so frightening to me, I went on a Houston, Texas community affairs program bald to show viewers that being bald wasn't so bad and what the result of chemotherapy looked like. I even shared home video of my hair falling out to help other women facing this medical challenge. For a former Texas beauty queen, this took a lot of courage.
As my one year "cancerversary" approaches, I realize that God was holding my hand the entire journey. He gave me strength and courage when I needed it and he broke me down so I could grow strong with Him again. I also realize the meaning of true beauty and it isn't based on external features.
I never heard my 13 year old daughter say to me that she was proud of me, despite my numerous accomplishments, until I showed her my bald head. She gave me the biggest hug and I knew that it would be ok. I am forever humbled by this experience and hope to share my testimony with other young patients someday. Cancer doesn't care if you are all that and a bag of chips. Cancer doesn't care at all.
As I flip through my wedding album, all of the details are a blur. I don't notice the flowers or the detailed cake. What I cherish is the genuine smile on my face which reflects the love in my heart for so many things- life, my husband, my daughter, my family and friends. Dazzling in my strapless wedding gown, little did I know I had breast cancer. Ironic isn't it? I look so happy while cancer was dwelling inside me.
I never would have imagined that I would grow up to have breast cancer. When I first noticed the marble sized lump under my armpit eight months prior to my wedding day, I dismissed it as a swollen lymph gland as a result of a sinus infection. Life went on while the tumor grew. I found every excuse not to go to the doctor. My grandmother had breast cancer so I knew that there may be a slight likelihood that I would have it but I convinced myself that Superwoman doesn't get cancer.
Shortly after my honeymoon, my husband urged me to go to the doctor to determine the cause of the lump which was beginning to get bigger. Within four days of seeing the doctor, I was diagnosed with Stage III A breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy and axillary lymph node dissection with 16 positive lymph nodes. Due to the positive nodes, chemotherapy would be a treatment option. The thought of chemotherapy was terrifying to me. I had always had a headful of beautiful long hair which was highly prized in the Black community. I couldn't imagine being bald and taking my new husband through the negative cosmetic changes.
After much research and consideration, I opted for 4 cycles of chemotherapy. My hair began to fall out about twenty days after my first treatment. One day while driving, I got a wave of courage and drove to the nearest salon. I decided it was time to empower myself and just shave my head. It was falling out daily and was matted and dry. To my surprise, I didn't shed one tear in the chair. The big picture was extending my life; hair couldn't rob me of that.
Since the thought of losing my hair was so frightening to me, I went on a Houston, Texas community affairs program bald to show viewers that being bald wasn't so bad and what the result of chemotherapy looked like. I even shared home video of my hair falling out to help other women facing this medical challenge. For a former Texas beauty queen, this took a lot of courage.
As my one year "cancerversary" approaches, I realize that God was holding my hand the entire journey. He gave me strength and courage when I needed it and he broke me down so I could grow strong with Him again. I also realize the meaning of true beauty and it isn't based on external features.
I never heard my 13 year old daughter say to me that she was proud of me, despite my numerous accomplishments, until I showed her my bald head. She gave me the biggest hug and I knew that it would be ok. I am forever humbled by this experience and hope to share my testimony with other young patients someday. Cancer doesn't care if you are all that and a bag of chips. Cancer doesn't care at all.
Breast Cancer And How To Help Avoid It Through Diet
It is often said that the most important ingredient in the Mediterranean diet is extra virgin olive oil. However, some would argue that. Most of the notoriety of the Mediterranean diet is due to research unlike other high profile diets which have normally received their promotional thrust through commercial vehicles. The facts remain that hardly anyone would take any notice of the Mediterranean diet except for the highly satisfactory findings that have resulted from universities and food research foundations across the globe.
The reason I mentioned extra virgin olive oil first up is because it's always present in any of the many countries who are labeled with using the diet. You would think that this would make the diet high in fat. The calorie intake from the Mediterranean diet that comes from fat is over 30%. However, all the fat is 100% unsaturated fat and is a product of olive oil. This means (in general) that the fat that comes from extra virgin olive oil is a healthy type of fat.
From another angle, it means that the fat from olives does not trigger unhealthy consequences which are said to come from animal fat. This is also supported by several scientific studies in the USA and Europe in the last decade which indicate that extra virgin olive oil and a diet high in fruits and vegetables can work to lower the incidence of breast cancer in women.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil differs to day-to-day olive oil in that extra virgin olive oil comes from the first crush. Thereby retaining many of the nutrients. If you decide to work with the Mediterranean diet, you would be wise to shop only for extra virgin olive oil and make that a discipline.
I hope this tidbit of knowledge helps.
The reason I mentioned extra virgin olive oil first up is because it's always present in any of the many countries who are labeled with using the diet. You would think that this would make the diet high in fat. The calorie intake from the Mediterranean diet that comes from fat is over 30%. However, all the fat is 100% unsaturated fat and is a product of olive oil. This means (in general) that the fat that comes from extra virgin olive oil is a healthy type of fat.
From another angle, it means that the fat from olives does not trigger unhealthy consequences which are said to come from animal fat. This is also supported by several scientific studies in the USA and Europe in the last decade which indicate that extra virgin olive oil and a diet high in fruits and vegetables can work to lower the incidence of breast cancer in women.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil differs to day-to-day olive oil in that extra virgin olive oil comes from the first crush. Thereby retaining many of the nutrients. If you decide to work with the Mediterranean diet, you would be wise to shop only for extra virgin olive oil and make that a discipline.
I hope this tidbit of knowledge helps.
Breast Cancer
Each year hundreds of women are diagnosed with breast cancer disease. In America, breast cancer in women is the most common form of cancer, with 1 out of every 8 women being diagnosed in there lifetime. No one knows why some women develop breast cancer, but there are a number of risk factors associated with the disease. Breast cancer may be one of the oldest forms of cancer known to mankind, dating back as early as 1600 BC. Since women and men have identical breast tissue, men can also develop the disease, but the number of cases is small in comparison.
Symptoms of breast cancer can include a lump in the breast or the armpit area, a change in the size or shape of the breast, pain in the breast or discharge from the nipple.
Breast cancer is diagnosed many various ways. Monthly self breast exams can help find cancer early when it is most treatable. Mammograms are a very useful tool to determine the presence of tumors, cysts, or abnormal growths, but are not the only measure taken by doctors. Chest X rays, bone scans, and MRI's can also give doctors the information necessary for proper diagnosis. An examination of surgically removed breast tissue is the most accurate approach for diagnosis of the size, stage and course of treatment appropriate for that individual.
Treatment depending on the variations of the disease can include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and medicines to stop the further progression. Breast cancer can also spread to the lymph nodes most commonly found under the arms. Not all cancer patients experience the disease, its symptoms or treatments the same.
The emotional impact of the diagnosis and treatment can be severe for many women. Emotional and practical support is extremely crucial for these women. Many hospitals have cancer support groups to help women cope with the stress and anxiety of the situation. As well as there are many online support groups that offer a wealth of support and information.
If caught early enough, the prognosis for breast cancer is excellent! There are more than two million breast cancer survivors today. Approximately 88% of women diagnosed with breast cancer will survive at least 10 years. While it's tragic that so many women have been affected by the disease, the number of survivors shows the great strides that have been made in early detection, advanced treatments, and research of the breast cancer disease.
Symptoms of breast cancer can include a lump in the breast or the armpit area, a change in the size or shape of the breast, pain in the breast or discharge from the nipple.
Breast cancer is diagnosed many various ways. Monthly self breast exams can help find cancer early when it is most treatable. Mammograms are a very useful tool to determine the presence of tumors, cysts, or abnormal growths, but are not the only measure taken by doctors. Chest X rays, bone scans, and MRI's can also give doctors the information necessary for proper diagnosis. An examination of surgically removed breast tissue is the most accurate approach for diagnosis of the size, stage and course of treatment appropriate for that individual.
Treatment depending on the variations of the disease can include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and medicines to stop the further progression. Breast cancer can also spread to the lymph nodes most commonly found under the arms. Not all cancer patients experience the disease, its symptoms or treatments the same.
The emotional impact of the diagnosis and treatment can be severe for many women. Emotional and practical support is extremely crucial for these women. Many hospitals have cancer support groups to help women cope with the stress and anxiety of the situation. As well as there are many online support groups that offer a wealth of support and information.
If caught early enough, the prognosis for breast cancer is excellent! There are more than two million breast cancer survivors today. Approximately 88% of women diagnosed with breast cancer will survive at least 10 years. While it's tragic that so many women have been affected by the disease, the number of survivors shows the great strides that have been made in early detection, advanced treatments, and research of the breast cancer disease.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
What is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is a disease caused by the formation of cancerous (malignant) cells that can occur within one or more breasts. According to some sources, bladder cancer is believed to be the second most common type of cancer (lung cancer is #1). Amongst women, however, breast cancer far exceeds other forms of cancer, including cervical, as the most common cancer.
Whom is at risk for breast cancer?
Women are approximately 100 times more likely to develop breast cancer than men; women are at higher risk primarily because of growth effects of female hormones such as estrogen. In addition, those age 55 and older are much more likely to develop this cancer than those under 55. Research indicates that about two-thirds of all breast cancers occur in individuals 55 and older.
Signs and Symptoms
The most obvious and common symptom is a lump on the breast that feels different from the surrounding breast tissue. It is believed, according to studies done by Merck, that approximately 80% of all breast cancer cases are discovered as a lump by the individual. However, lumps can also be found not only in the breasts, but in the collar bone as well as the armpit.
Other signs that breast cancer may be developing include:
* nipple discharge
* changes in the size, shape, or feel of the breast
* skin dimpling
* inversion of the nipple
Warning: It is notable, that not all forms of breast cancer can be detectable by a sign or symptom during the initial stages. Periodic mammograms should be undergone by the patient as recommended by a physician.
Diagnosis
To diagnose breast cancer, a physician will need to surgically remove and test a sample of the tissue. This is known, more formally, as a breast biopsy. The most common procedures for conducting a biopsy include:
* ductal lavage
* fine needle aspiration
* core needle biopsy
* large core surgical
* open surgical incision
Once the tissue has been removed through a biopsy, it will be sent to a lab where it is examined through a microscope by a pathologist to determine if its cancerous. Fortunately, in more than half of all biopsies, the sample tissue is found to be benign (non-cancerous). If the tissue is cancerous, however, the next step that will be performed is to determine which stage the cancer is currently in.
Whom is at risk for breast cancer?
Women are approximately 100 times more likely to develop breast cancer than men; women are at higher risk primarily because of growth effects of female hormones such as estrogen. In addition, those age 55 and older are much more likely to develop this cancer than those under 55. Research indicates that about two-thirds of all breast cancers occur in individuals 55 and older.
Signs and Symptoms
The most obvious and common symptom is a lump on the breast that feels different from the surrounding breast tissue. It is believed, according to studies done by Merck, that approximately 80% of all breast cancer cases are discovered as a lump by the individual. However, lumps can also be found not only in the breasts, but in the collar bone as well as the armpit.
Other signs that breast cancer may be developing include:
* nipple discharge
* changes in the size, shape, or feel of the breast
* skin dimpling
* inversion of the nipple
Warning: It is notable, that not all forms of breast cancer can be detectable by a sign or symptom during the initial stages. Periodic mammograms should be undergone by the patient as recommended by a physician.
Diagnosis
To diagnose breast cancer, a physician will need to surgically remove and test a sample of the tissue. This is known, more formally, as a breast biopsy. The most common procedures for conducting a biopsy include:
* ductal lavage
* fine needle aspiration
* core needle biopsy
* large core surgical
* open surgical incision
Once the tissue has been removed through a biopsy, it will be sent to a lab where it is examined through a microscope by a pathologist to determine if its cancerous. Fortunately, in more than half of all biopsies, the sample tissue is found to be benign (non-cancerous). If the tissue is cancerous, however, the next step that will be performed is to determine which stage the cancer is currently in.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer, known only by some doctors and men and women who have been diagnosed with this rare form of cancer, are aware of its existence.
As any woman who is knowledgeable about how to check for breast cancer will tell you, they check regularly for lumps. That is what we have been told to do. That, and getting annual mammogram scans.
But IBC is amongst us, and has been for quite awhile. It is a rare type of breast cancer, and the need for knowledge on this issue should be highly publicized. Because by the time a woman, and in some cases men know, when the symptoms rear their ugly head, it is usually in a very advanced stage.
How do I know? I learned the hard way.
My 37 year old healthy athletic daughter has just been diagnosed. In just a few months she went from knowing she was very healthy, to the reality that IBC had invaded her body. My daughter has besieged me to write about this form of cancer. To get the word out to women and men about this untalked about cancer, IBC. Did she have symptoms? Not the type we are all told to watch for. She has related the below to explain what happened in her case.
"I had been working out for about 8 months, with a trainer. All the other women in my workout class were getting fit and trim, but I just got heavier and seemed to build muscle in my arms, legs and breast. In April of 2003 I decided to quit the weights and the workouts and try to shed some of the pounds, which I did quite quickly. I lost 25 to 30 pounds rapidly.
That's when I noticed that the nipple on my right breast seemed slightly inverted and it was bigger than my left. Being right handed, I thought it was from all the weight lifting and shedding of pounds that caused this oddity.
In May I noticed that the right breast was a little harder than the left, but no lump, no pain, nothing to signal what I had been told all my life to watch out for. It was a gradual thing, this lopsided look that I was seeing in the mirror.
I began the search for a Doctor in the small town I had moved to just the year before. By the time I found one that would take my insurance, it was September and the first day of my vacation. I saw a nurse practitioner who took one look at my enlarged right side and immediately called for a mammogram and ultrasound that same day. I will never forget the woman that took the scans. She flippantly said, Oh, she's done.
The very next day I saw a surgeon who did a deep core biopsy, a needle biopsy and a skin biopsy. Before he even got the results back he told me he believed it was cancer. He walked out of the room and started making phone calls, then came back and said I was to see an Oncologist the next morning.
The Oncologist had seen the biopsy already, and told me I had Inflammatory Breast Cancer. After years in nursing school and also pharmacy training, I had never heard of IBC. I learned that day how invasive this rare form of cancer is, that I was 'classed at stage 4.
I was immediately scheduled the next day for surgery to implant a portable catheter in my left chest wall and told I was going in for a PET scan the next week to see if the cancer had spread to any other parts of my body. The scan came back positive for right arm lymph nodes and my liver. The Chemotherapy that had been scheduled was changed to now attack the liver also. On October 3rd I started the first round of massive doses of cancer fighting drugs, six grueling hours of IV bags dripping into the portable catheter, Herceptin, Taxol, and Carboplatin."
My daughter was told by the many clinical savvy medical personnel, "Why in the world did you wait so long?" The why is the reason for this writing. The why is because we are not told about the symptoms of this fast moving form of cancer. Only if you go looking for information about IBC do you find the articles, the symptoms and the support groups from the many women world wide that found out about IBC the hard way. And there are still many Doctors that will treat a patient like my daughter with antibiotics before ever realizing what they have right in front of them.
The word INFLAMMATORY in itself suggests just an infection for the lay person.You ask yourself, if this was me, would I know that I could have breast cancer. Before that day in September when my daughter called me, I would have said no, maybe I have an infection in a milk duct or some other thing. With no lump as we are told to look for, your mind doesn't really kick in if you're unaware of IBC.
BE AWARE! Not just in October when it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but all the time. Ask your Doctor, put it in a search engine, read about it. Know what the signs are.
From the articles and research papers which I have read till my eyes burn, I have found people with this rare disease offer assistance and emotional support. They also have urged that the public awareness of this disease needs to be put on the front page, not at the bottom of a list.
There are many statistics of the prevalence of breast cancer, how to watch for it, how to check for it and what the gruesome regimen of chemotherapy, removal of the breast, then radiation are clinically required. Inflammatory Breast Cancer actually has been around for many years, but because of it's rareness, it isn't talked about that much. BUT IT SHOULD BE.
Age of women who get it vary, but from this writers research it seems that this occurs to women and some men in their early productive years. Treated just as the name implies An Inflammation, many doctors are in the dark when the mammogram comes back clear, and even in some incidences, a biopsy can come back normal. The patient on the other hand knows something isn't right, and in many cases only relies on her Doctor for guidance. But there it lurks in the system, triggered by an unknown cause. Researchers say it isn't hereditary.
There was one case in Castro Valley California, where 3 women were diagnosed with IBC and they all worked in the same place. The Doctor who treated these women has cried out for funding to find the cause in this particularly incident, because they all worked in a lab and were all close to the same age. But, because IBC is so rare, funding did not come quick enough.
As any woman who is knowledgeable about how to check for breast cancer will tell you, they check regularly for lumps. That is what we have been told to do. That, and getting annual mammogram scans.
But IBC is amongst us, and has been for quite awhile. It is a rare type of breast cancer, and the need for knowledge on this issue should be highly publicized. Because by the time a woman, and in some cases men know, when the symptoms rear their ugly head, it is usually in a very advanced stage.
How do I know? I learned the hard way.
My 37 year old healthy athletic daughter has just been diagnosed. In just a few months she went from knowing she was very healthy, to the reality that IBC had invaded her body. My daughter has besieged me to write about this form of cancer. To get the word out to women and men about this untalked about cancer, IBC. Did she have symptoms? Not the type we are all told to watch for. She has related the below to explain what happened in her case.
"I had been working out for about 8 months, with a trainer. All the other women in my workout class were getting fit and trim, but I just got heavier and seemed to build muscle in my arms, legs and breast. In April of 2003 I decided to quit the weights and the workouts and try to shed some of the pounds, which I did quite quickly. I lost 25 to 30 pounds rapidly.
That's when I noticed that the nipple on my right breast seemed slightly inverted and it was bigger than my left. Being right handed, I thought it was from all the weight lifting and shedding of pounds that caused this oddity.
In May I noticed that the right breast was a little harder than the left, but no lump, no pain, nothing to signal what I had been told all my life to watch out for. It was a gradual thing, this lopsided look that I was seeing in the mirror.
I began the search for a Doctor in the small town I had moved to just the year before. By the time I found one that would take my insurance, it was September and the first day of my vacation. I saw a nurse practitioner who took one look at my enlarged right side and immediately called for a mammogram and ultrasound that same day. I will never forget the woman that took the scans. She flippantly said, Oh, she's done.
The very next day I saw a surgeon who did a deep core biopsy, a needle biopsy and a skin biopsy. Before he even got the results back he told me he believed it was cancer. He walked out of the room and started making phone calls, then came back and said I was to see an Oncologist the next morning.
The Oncologist had seen the biopsy already, and told me I had Inflammatory Breast Cancer. After years in nursing school and also pharmacy training, I had never heard of IBC. I learned that day how invasive this rare form of cancer is, that I was 'classed at stage 4.
I was immediately scheduled the next day for surgery to implant a portable catheter in my left chest wall and told I was going in for a PET scan the next week to see if the cancer had spread to any other parts of my body. The scan came back positive for right arm lymph nodes and my liver. The Chemotherapy that had been scheduled was changed to now attack the liver also. On October 3rd I started the first round of massive doses of cancer fighting drugs, six grueling hours of IV bags dripping into the portable catheter, Herceptin, Taxol, and Carboplatin."
My daughter was told by the many clinical savvy medical personnel, "Why in the world did you wait so long?" The why is the reason for this writing. The why is because we are not told about the symptoms of this fast moving form of cancer. Only if you go looking for information about IBC do you find the articles, the symptoms and the support groups from the many women world wide that found out about IBC the hard way. And there are still many Doctors that will treat a patient like my daughter with antibiotics before ever realizing what they have right in front of them.
The word INFLAMMATORY in itself suggests just an infection for the lay person.You ask yourself, if this was me, would I know that I could have breast cancer. Before that day in September when my daughter called me, I would have said no, maybe I have an infection in a milk duct or some other thing. With no lump as we are told to look for, your mind doesn't really kick in if you're unaware of IBC.
BE AWARE! Not just in October when it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but all the time. Ask your Doctor, put it in a search engine, read about it. Know what the signs are.
From the articles and research papers which I have read till my eyes burn, I have found people with this rare disease offer assistance and emotional support. They also have urged that the public awareness of this disease needs to be put on the front page, not at the bottom of a list.
There are many statistics of the prevalence of breast cancer, how to watch for it, how to check for it and what the gruesome regimen of chemotherapy, removal of the breast, then radiation are clinically required. Inflammatory Breast Cancer actually has been around for many years, but because of it's rareness, it isn't talked about that much. BUT IT SHOULD BE.
Age of women who get it vary, but from this writers research it seems that this occurs to women and some men in their early productive years. Treated just as the name implies An Inflammation, many doctors are in the dark when the mammogram comes back clear, and even in some incidences, a biopsy can come back normal. The patient on the other hand knows something isn't right, and in many cases only relies on her Doctor for guidance. But there it lurks in the system, triggered by an unknown cause. Researchers say it isn't hereditary.
There was one case in Castro Valley California, where 3 women were diagnosed with IBC and they all worked in the same place. The Doctor who treated these women has cried out for funding to find the cause in this particularly incident, because they all worked in a lab and were all close to the same age. But, because IBC is so rare, funding did not come quick enough.
A Mother's Fear Realized
The days when I am not busy cleaning or writing my mind seems to snap back to the reality that my little girl might die. Die! I can't seem to comprehend that word and my little girl in the same sentence. All the reading to make sure I understand what lies ahead for her just brings it home to sit in my mind like a vulture and conjure up the idea without her. Her, she, my beautiful child who is so full of loving and caring for other people, and now worrying that her family and friends need consoling. My God, the pain in my breast is like a sympathy pain, if there really is such a thing. My eyes burn from the crying. My mind reels at the thought of her having to go through all the treatments, and then the great possibility of losing her after such an ordeal.
I find my self staring at the pictures of young women on the internet that have poured their stories out in hopes it might help someone else understand this awful disease. These women, and some men, have come together through the Internet and met and consoled and learned from each other.
These people come from France, Germany, Denmark, England, Australia, New Zealand and yes, the United States. There is no trade zone barrier to abide by when we are all talking about one thing. Inflammatory Breast Cancer, and why did I not know about this form of breast cancer a long time ago. We all pretty much say the same thing. Why Were We Not Armed With Knowledge Before Now?
We have a Doctor in the family that actually understands this form of cancer. He has been gentle and kind in his words to me, but honest at the same time. "When young women in their childbearing years get Inflammatory breast cancer, the prognosis is not good. Because they are active and young, their system moves the dreaded cancer cells through their bodies at an accelerated rate and their strength is taxed incredibly soon. Older people don't have such active hormones to move the disease so fast, and have a better chance the chemotherapy can stop the disease in its tracks."
My 37-year-old daughter has made up her mind that this is not going to change her life. She is continuing to work, and do the things she always has done. "Mom, these drugs are either going to kill this thing, or I am going to die. That is the reality of it all." With her chin in the air, a smile on her face and a determination I have never seen, my baby has conjured up all the will, anger and stubbornness she has to keep going forward with the knowledge that the drugs will kill these obscene little marauders and she will come out of this cancer free.
The song Wind beneath my wings replays in my brain until I can't shut it out. Tina is the wind beneath my wings, because through this ordeal she is going through, she is holding everyone up. I just want to hold her tight and cry and rock her as I did when she was a baby. But I know I can't. She needs my strength right now. I can't break down, but it is so hard to hold the tears back.
Yesterday I put my arms around her and stroked her very think short hair. Soon it will be gone, that hair she has always hated. That hair that has always had a mind of it's own. "I bought a blonde wig Mom", she said. "I'm ready to be bald, that doesn't bother me." Loosing her hair doesn't bother me either, but loosing her life is uncontainable.
My hope in writing, is that through the knowledge that even one person reading this might one day shed light into the black hole of misdiagnosis and misinformation about Inflammatory Breast Cancer we can be armed for the conflict instead of being confused.
I find my self staring at the pictures of young women on the internet that have poured their stories out in hopes it might help someone else understand this awful disease. These women, and some men, have come together through the Internet and met and consoled and learned from each other.
These people come from France, Germany, Denmark, England, Australia, New Zealand and yes, the United States. There is no trade zone barrier to abide by when we are all talking about one thing. Inflammatory Breast Cancer, and why did I not know about this form of breast cancer a long time ago. We all pretty much say the same thing. Why Were We Not Armed With Knowledge Before Now?
We have a Doctor in the family that actually understands this form of cancer. He has been gentle and kind in his words to me, but honest at the same time. "When young women in their childbearing years get Inflammatory breast cancer, the prognosis is not good. Because they are active and young, their system moves the dreaded cancer cells through their bodies at an accelerated rate and their strength is taxed incredibly soon. Older people don't have such active hormones to move the disease so fast, and have a better chance the chemotherapy can stop the disease in its tracks."
My 37-year-old daughter has made up her mind that this is not going to change her life. She is continuing to work, and do the things she always has done. "Mom, these drugs are either going to kill this thing, or I am going to die. That is the reality of it all." With her chin in the air, a smile on her face and a determination I have never seen, my baby has conjured up all the will, anger and stubbornness she has to keep going forward with the knowledge that the drugs will kill these obscene little marauders and she will come out of this cancer free.
The song Wind beneath my wings replays in my brain until I can't shut it out. Tina is the wind beneath my wings, because through this ordeal she is going through, she is holding everyone up. I just want to hold her tight and cry and rock her as I did when she was a baby. But I know I can't. She needs my strength right now. I can't break down, but it is so hard to hold the tears back.
Yesterday I put my arms around her and stroked her very think short hair. Soon it will be gone, that hair she has always hated. That hair that has always had a mind of it's own. "I bought a blonde wig Mom", she said. "I'm ready to be bald, that doesn't bother me." Loosing her hair doesn't bother me either, but loosing her life is uncontainable.
My hope in writing, is that through the knowledge that even one person reading this might one day shed light into the black hole of misdiagnosis and misinformation about Inflammatory Breast Cancer we can be armed for the conflict instead of being confused.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
