Archive for the 'Breast Cancer' Category

Breast Cancer Support Services

Published
by
Jake Gadlin
on August 6, 2008
in Breast Cancer
. 0 Comments
by Roselyn Capen

Breast cancer can be very terrifying, especially if your cancer has advanced. It is inevitable to feel lonely, even when you have the support of your family and friends. You will feel they do not understand your fears, and, in such times, interacting with other breast cancer patients and survivors can go a long way in alleviating your fears and misery.

There are, for such terrible times, support groups which have been started by women who know exactly how you feel and know just want you need. These groups not only let you interact with breast cancer victims and survivors from across the world, but also give you priceless information on your cancer and treatment, because they combine experience with research.

Susan G. Komen’s cms.komen.org, besides providing you all the information on breast cancer that you may need, has internal research projects to help you cure better and faster. Being the largest group of breast cancer survivors, you will never feel left out in the presence of these women. Also are groups, like bcsupport.org and y-me.org, which have chat rooms where breast cancer survivors and activists can meet up and interact with each other, receive news on latest developments in the field, and suggest better treatment methods as well as inform you on the prevalent technology and breast cancer know-how.

Breastcancersupport.org is a volunteer-based organization that was started in 1988 by two breast cancer victims who understood the need of helping and enlightening breast cancer victims. So you see, you just have to look around, make a few searches here and there, and you will find many people who know and understand just how you feel.

These organizations will not give you a magical power to fight breast cancer. They just let you know that you are not the only one going through these miseries, and that, in no manner, do you have to be the only one to face them. They stand by you, cheer you up, and see you through it through the sheer power of understanding. You, too, will find yourself developing affection for them, and might even want to volunteer to help other scared women, just by being friends with them. This will give you a mental strength for surviving your treatment, more than you can now imagine.

Not only do these organizations give you emotional support, if you are financially insecure, they make donations for your treatments, which are entirely voluntary. Your only decision is to ask for help in this matter, and you will find a whole new world of love and affection.

About the Author:
Get help at good breast cancer support groups. A good breast cancer treatment center can support you with a lot of knowledge and experience.

Breast Cancer Symptoms

Published
by
Ray Lam
on August 4, 2008
in Breast Cancer
. 0 Comments
by Ray Lam

In our world today, breast cancer is one of the most common diseases and causes of death mostly among women. Breast cancer also occur in men though it is less common since the breast is being composed of identical tissues in both males and females.

In the early stage, breast cancer can be in form of painful lump and at times be presented as breast pain. It can also come as inflammation when it is associated with the skin. In this case the breast tumour itself is causing inflammatory reaction of the skin and this causes a lot of pains, swelling, redness of the breast and also warmth throughout the breast.

In addition to this, changes in the shape and appearance of the breast is also suspicious to breast cancer. Before the arrival of X-ray of the breast (mammography) breast cancer is mostly discovered as not showing the evidence of the disease before the symptom comes to existence, which means that the X-ray helps a lot to detect this deadly disease earlier.

Though not all the breast symptoms turns out to be breast cancer but skin changes of the nipples is one of the late manifestation of cancer. At any age, the appearance of any breast symptom should be taken seriously by both the patient and the doctor meanwhile there may be possibility of breast cancer in any breast symptom.

In some women breast cancer may have spread to distant organs, before mammography screening or symptoms showed the breast cancer. This can happen because early stage breast cancer does not usually cause any symptoms. If the cancer has spread to other organs these women may present with symptoms related to these organs. For example if the cancer has spread to the bone the woman may develop bone pain or bone fracture.

About the Author:
Learn about avon breast cancer walk and get a limited FREE report on Latest Breast Cancer Drugs by visiting http://breast-cancer-remedy.info, a popular website that provides free breast cancer care advice.

Definition of Stage IV Breast Cancer

Published
by
Ray Lam
on August 2, 2008
in Breast Cancer
. 0 Comments
by Ray Lam

Stage IV breast cancer has traditionally been considered an incurable cancer. In the mid to late 1980’s the average patient with stage IV breast cancer treated with low-dose chemotherapy survived 8-10 months before their cancer relapsed and less than 5% of patients could expect to survive 5 years without their cancer recurring. In 1988, the results of a small clinical trial treating 22 women with stage IV breast cancer treated with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant were published. Fourteen percent of these patients treated with high-dose chemotherapy survived without their cancer recurring beyond 5 years.

By 1997, these patients had been observed over 10 years and the original 14% remain alive without a relapse of their cancer and appear cured of their disease. It is important to understand that because over 50% of patients with stage IV breast cancer relapse, it is not useful to compare the response rate to chemotherapy, the average duration of survival or time to relapse. When evaluating treatment strategies in stage IV breast cancer, patients should compare the percent of patients alive with or without relapse 3-5 years from treatment to determine whether a treatment is truly superior.

In one clinical trial published in 1997, women in complete remission after induction chemotherapy were treated with high-dose chemotherapy or no further treatment. At 5 years from diagnosis, 24% of the women treated with immediate high-dose chemotherapy survived without disease recurrence, compared to only 8% of the women who did not receive further treatment.

Since this is the most deadly category of breast cancer, it is important to work closely with all the health care providers. New treatments are being developed all the time, and second, or even third opinions may give the patient more information about newly discovered successful solutions.

High-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant treatment for previously untreated stage IV breast cancer appears safe; however, the benefit of this treatment approach is currently unknown. It is known that many factors may influence an individual patient’s potential outcome if treated with high-dose chemotherapy. Patients without prior treatment, those with small amounts of cancer, and those whose cancer responds to conventional chemotherapy all do better.

Early detection procedures must include monthly self-examinations done at the same time each month. From age 20-40, healthy women should have clinical breast exams performed by their health care providers every three years. After age 40, the breast exams should be annually and should include a mammogram or similar procedure.

Monoclonal antibodies are a treatment that can locate cancer cells and kill them directly without harming normal cells. Herceptin (trastuzumab) is the first monoclonal antibody approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of breast cancer. Herceptin recognizes a protein on the cancer cell surface of 1 in 3 patients with breast cancer. In order to be treated with Herceptin your doctor must test the breast cancer cells for the protein that Herceptin recognizes. This protein is called Her 2-neu. Herceptin or other monoclonal antibodies are not substitutes for other cancer treatments but have the advantage of being administered during or after high-dose chemotherapy and killing cancer cells by a different method than chemotherapy with the goal of improving the total treatment. Clinical trials are currently being performed to determine whether monoclonal antibodies administered during or after high-dose chemotherapy can improve survival or cure rates.

About the Author:
Learn about signs of breast cancer and get a limited FREE report on Latest Breast Cancer Drugs by visiting http://breast-cancer-remedy.info, a popular website that provides free signs of breast cancer advice.

Breast Cancer Drugs

Published
by
Ray Lam
on August 2, 2008
in Breast Cancer
. 0 Comments
by Ray Lam

On March 13, the FDA approved a new drug that in recent clinical trials, delayed the spread of advanced breast cancer who were no longer showing any reaction to Hereceptin. Hereceptin is a drug which affectively combats cancerous tumors filled with too much HER-2 protein.

The new drug called Tykerb, couple with chemotherapy, has show in clinical trials to do a better job of fighting breast cancer than chemo alone.

Dr. Gary M. Freedman, a radiation oncologist at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia said,”There’s still a lot of questions that remain, but this study confirms that five years of tamoxifen alone is really becoming the wrong answer for most postmenopausal women. At this point, you have to say that aromatase inhibitors are in the mix of treatment at some point.”

But is there a place for the medication in the prevention of new breast cancer cases? That answer still remains elusive so we don’t know if it should be given to healthy women as a way of reducing breast cancer risk.

Tamoxifen must still undergo many tests and trials before it will even be considered for approval. But it is definitely a step in the right direction not to just find a new better cure, but to also realize where our current treatments fall short.

About the Author:
Learn about breast cancer pink ribbon and get a limited FREE report on Latest Breast Cancer Drugs by visiting http://breast-cancer-remedy.info, a popular website that provides free breast cancer care advice.

Metastatic Breast Cancer

Published
by
Raymond Lam
on August 2, 2008
in Breast Cancer
. 0 Comments
by Ray Lam

A diagnosis of breast cancer can be enormously overwhelming and frightening for anyone. But when the diagnosis is that of metastatic breast cancer, the fear can be staggering. This type of cancer is defined as breast cancer that has spread from the breast - the original site of the cancer - to other parts of the body such as the bones, lungs, or liver. The treatment may be devastating to a newly diagnosed patient; but new advances in treatment can help manage symptoms and increase longevity.

Her diagnosis gave a face to this illness. Americans began to discuss Elizabeth and John Edward’s decisions. Globally, people talked about how deeply cancer affects families. Breast cancer is something that affects many, and almost everyone has known someone who has died from it. Her announcement gave a face to it and it made people think. It brought the topic out in the open.

Women who have stage IV breast cancer usually receive chemotherapy and or hormonal therapy to destroy cancer cells and control the disease. They may have surgery or radiation therapy to control the cancer in the breast. Radiation may also be useful to control tumors in other parts of the body. The symptoms of metastatic breast cancer varies depend on where the cancer is and how large it is.

Sometimes, like Mrs. Edwards, it is a recurrence of the original cancer. However, in one out of ten diagnosed, the first diagnosis that a woman hears is metastatic breast cancer.

In it, cells break away from the breast, circulating through the blood and lymphatic system. The body’s immune system attacks these circulating cancer cells. Most do not survive, but if the immune system malfunctions or is weak, or for another, unknown reason, will usually spread to the bone, then lung and liver next. The cells that have metastasized are still breast cancer cells, no matter where they are found in the body.

While a frightening diagnosis, it does not have to mean a death sentence. Armed with the most up-to-date research and treatment options, patients can act as advocates for their own health, making educated decisions regarding the course of their treatment. As research continues concerning the newest and best ways to treat metastatic breast cancer, sufferers and their families will continue to see advances in medical treatment that will foster health and save lives.

Palliative care to relieve symptoms from both the cancer and treatment involves drug and non-drug treatments such as relaxation therapy, acupuncture, and dietary management. Besides physical symptoms, palliative care for patients who are being treated or who cannot be cured focuses on spiritual and emotional needs, as well as physical needs.

North American white women have the highest rates of breast cancer in the world, but the 5-year survival rate for all stages (Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, and Stage 4) combined is 88% for the U.S. A recent study found European countries have lower 5-year breast cancer survival rates, with England at 77.8% and Ireland at 76.2% (Lancet Oncology). The difference in these survival rates is usually attributed to life-saving early detection.

About the Author:
Learn about breast cancer markers and get a limited FREE report on Latest Breast Cancer Drugs by visiting http://breast-cancer-remedy.info, a popular website that provides free breast cancer care advice.

Breast Cancer Treatment and Side Effects

Published
by
Ray Lam
on August 1, 2008
in Breast Cancer
. 0 Comments
by Ray Lam

The diagnosis of breast cancer is overwhelming. After the initial phase of diagnosis comes the discussion of your breast cancer treatment type. This decision should involve more than just your physician. Choosing the most appropriate breast cancer treatment type is a decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and healthcare team.

Ultimately, you and your physician must decide which breast cancer treatment type is right for you. While you need the input from friends and family the decision should be yours. You should feel confident about the decision you make. Becoming educated to what is available will help your decision-making process.

Making a confident decision about your breast cancer treatment type involves more than one aspect. The good news is that when detected early, breast cancer treatment is often successful. You should become familiar with the types of treatment available, the success rates, potential side effects, and why the treatment being recommended is best for your situation.

A woman’s chances of surviving breast cancer depend on early diagnosis and treatment Today a range of treatment procedures, each with specific benefits and risks, exists for breast cancer. The choice treatment in an individual case frequently may depend on several factors, such as the different stages and kinds of breast cancer, tumor location, the patient’s medical history, menopause status and age. The chemotherapy and hormone treatments commonly given after surgery to women with breast cancer are much more effective in prolonging life than previously believed.

Obviously the goal of treatment is to completely remove the cancer and prevent it from coming back. This may involve more than one type of treatment. The mainstay of breast cancer treatment is surgery, with possible chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

Radiation therapy: X-rays or other high-energy rays are used to kill the cancer cells. These rays are applied to the tumours and surrounding areas.

About the Author:
Learn about signs of breast cancer and get a limited FREE report on Latest Breast Cancer Drugs by visiting http://breast-cancer-remedy.info, a popular website that provides free signs of breast cancer advice.

Alternative Cancer Treatment - Reconstruction after Breast Cancer

Published
by
www.thealternativecancertreatment.com
on June 7, 2008
in Breast Cancer
. 1 Comment
by www.thealternativecancertreatment.com

In those tragic cases where a full mastectomy is required to treat breast cancer, reconstruction is a welcome option. With modern techniques and materials it is possible to restore appearance to a near invisible state. Carried out by specialized plastic surgeons, restoration is now commonplace.

There are many different approaches and each case is unique and different. Consultation with a physician is necessary in order to choose the technique that is right for you.

Breast implants are one option that is typically chosen. Today implants are typically saline filled bags encased in silicone. They are placed in front of the chest wall muscles under the skin that covers the breast area.

In the past silicon filled implants were more typical. There was a huge concern that the silicon could possibly leak out into the body thus causing problems for the immune system. The FDA recently announced after years of study that there isn’t much basis for worry and silicon breast implants are now legal again. Some individuals prefer silicon implants because they behave differently.

In many instances reconstruction can be performed during the mastectomy. In other instance physicians recommend a waiting period to allow the body to completely recover and heal prior to undergoing any additional surgery. Each case is individual and can only be decided by the physician and the patient in question.

Typically, though, two-stage delayed reconstruction is performed if the skin and chest wall tissues are flat. An implant, called a tissue expander that functions like a balloon under the tissue, is placed beneath the muscle. The surgeon then injects saline in stages over a period of time to gradually fill the sac. In some instances, the expander itself becomes the implant. In other cases, in a later procedure, the expander is removed and replaced with a permanent implant.

Another method of breast reconstruction is a tissue flap procedure. These procedures use skin from the stomach, the thighs, or other areas as part of the entire process.

TRAM (transverse rectus abdominis muscle flap) is one of the most common types of tissue flap procedures. This procedure uses tissue from the lower abdominal wall. A pedicle flap leaves the tissue attached to the original blood supply and stretches the tissue all the way up into the breast area.

Another, almost equally common procedure takes tissue from the upper back. A flap is moved in front of the chest wall in effort to create a pocket. A breast implant is then inserted into the pocket. Additionally, other procedures are available such as gluteal muscle tissue.

In each instance nipple and/or areola reconstruction may or may not be in order. In some instances it will be done simultaneously with breast reconstruction, in others it might be done later, sometimes it is not even done at all. The original nipple is rarely used as a replacement as it has yet to be determined whether or not it can regenerate cancer.

Reconstructive surgery is not entirely without risks, of course.

You can have the typical surgical complications including infection, and scarring. Breast implants also are not guaranteed to last a lifetime and depending upon your age may need to be replaced via another surgery at a later time. The final result might not be what the patient was expecting. Only a complete in depth consultation with a physician can provide a realistic assessment of what to expect.

About the Author:
The scientifically proven food that consistently show ability to destroy cancer cells is fucoidan. The essence of brown seaweed Click Alternative Cancer Treatment see how this wonderful food is backed by more then 600 indepandent research.

Alternative Cancer Treatment - The How of Breast Self-Exam?

Published
by
www.thealternativecancertreatment.com
on May 23, 2008
in Breast Cancer
. 0 Comments
by www.thealternativecancertreatment.com

In general about 1 in every 12 women will contract breast cancer at some age, the odds of contracting it later in life being greater. Thanks to modern medicine many breast cancers can be treated successfully without impacting the life in a major way. However, the success of one’s treatment depends critically on early detection. The earlier breast cancer is detected the better off you are. One simple way to increase your odds of early diction is performing a breast self examination on a regular basis.

The purpose of breast self examination is early detection of changes that might signal a condition that needs further investigation by either a professional clinical exam, mammogram or other diagnostic tool. Any changes could potentially indicate an abnormality. But to be able to determine what is abnormal one must know what is normal. Normal varies from individual to individual even though there are commonalities.

The first step in conducting a proper self-exam is to know what your own breasts feel and look like in general. Each and every part of the body goes through subtle changes on a regular basis. Throughout the menstrual cycle these changes might be exaggerated. Breasts may become enlarged and even more sensitive. If you start your self-exam a few days prior to your period every month it will become a habit. If you are post-menopausal you should choose the same day each month to perform the exam.

Stand directly in front of a mirror naked and inspect your breasts visually. Look for any changes in the size of just one breast. Typical menstrual cycles and other changes that are hormone related will typically affect both breasts simultaneously. Look for any changes in size or color of your areola (darker skin around nipple) or nipple. Take note of any wrinkling, or “orange peel” appearance that is not related to cold temperature. Most areola are round, look for any lack in symmetry.

Squeeze a nipple gently noting any fluid that might come out. Some lactation is normal in some women. Yellowish, pus-like fluid is not normal and you should call your physician for further examination. It could just be a simple infection but it could also be the early sign of a developing tumor. Make sure and do this procedure on both nipples.

Continue to look for any such tumors by feeling carefully over the surface of the entire breast with the arms lowered. Take in not just the surface from the breastbone to side, but up toward the armpit as well. Press firmly with the finger pads and move the hand slowly, feeling for any thickening or lumps.

Not all lumps are cancerous, in actuality most of them aren’t. A lump could be a simple cyst- which is a fluid filled tissue sac. Often the can be moved slightly and are round. These are benign, but you might want to have them removed regardless. Some will fade away spontaneously over time.

Cancerous lumps are typically harder and less regular in shape. They are usually attached to an individual’s breast tissue. Not all hard lumps should be immediately deemed cancerous, so don’t be unnecessarily alarmed. Most are simply what are called fibroadenomas- which are merely benign clumps of cells. Professional tests are necessary in order to know for sure.

Be particularly aware of any lumps which change in size. Cancer is a malignant, uncontrolled growth of cells in tissue. As such, cancer tumors don’t remain static but increase in size and, later, may spread to other parts of the body.

Continue the tactile exam by raising the arms overhead and applying pressure all the way from the breastbone up to the armpit again. Repeat for the other side and breast.

While lying down you should perform the procedure again. First lower your arms, and then raise them overhead. Make sure to feel any changes, especially in instances where tissue has become hard. The procedure can also be done in the shower in an attempt to reduce the amount of friction on the skin, but I can sometimes be difficult to find changes or lumps with water beating up against your skin. You might want to use baby oil or lotion to reduce friction instead.

All women over the age of 20 should be performing breast self-exams on a regular basis, and women over 40 should get a mammogram annually.

About the Author:
Can there really be a natural way to fight cancer cell ? Yes, fucoidan, was proven scientifically to do just that. The essence of brown seaweed Visit my site at Alternative Cancer Treatment see how this wonderful food is backed by more then 600 indepandent research.

Breast Cancer Awareness Day - Your Wake-up Call

Published
by
Jake Gadlin
on February 25, 2008
in Breast Cancer
. 1 Comment
by Roselyn Capen

Breast cancer awareness has given an upsurge to research going into the field. There are better screening methods and more complex technology that can be availed today, and this has saved lives of many women. These women can be diagnosed at an early stage today, which has caused the mortality rate for breast cancer to fall drastically.

Today, there are a huge number of breast cancer cases, and due to advanced technology, we have been able to fight a disease several people are ailed with across the world. Our work does not end here, and constant improvement should be made to alleviate the pain of the families who are adversely affected by their relations’ condition. The most common cancer among women is breast cancer.

The death rate for breast cancer for women has actually dropped since 1986 and that is mainly due to proper screenings and breast examinations, which are the most reliable way of discovering cancer, which in turn leads to a lower number of deaths. Everyone knows that it works, but more work needs to be done to prevent even more women from developing breast cancer and that more will survive from it.

There are certain preventive and early diagnosis strategies every woman should follow. Once she reaches adulthood, every woman should get a mammogram done every other year, and as she gets older, she should go for it more frequently, since the chance of getting the cancer increases as she ages. A woman should never hesitate in consulting her doctor about any doubts she has, and always make sure that her breast examination is done by a professionally qualified doctor. Nature has granted us the gift of automatically detecting changes in our bodies, more so the unpleasant ones. If the change you notice doesn’t seem harmful, do not brush it away. Tell your doctor about it, and let him decide if everything is good.

A woman should always be well informed of the natural ways of their breasts, and be able to point out the aberrations. Women and their partners often find something wrong with the breast when nothing was there the day before. There is no reason to panic, if that is so, but that’s a very good sign to get you examined and to make sure that there’s no chance of breast cancer developing. Not all lumps are benign, several women and some men have harmless fibroid lumps in their breasts, but a woman aware of what can go wrong with her guards her life better, always.

Research is of great importance when it comes to breast cancer, since the causes for breast cancer are a hugely dark area today. There is no sure reason as to why some women can develop cancer while others don’t; we need to work harder to help these women and know every reason, to prevent more men and women from getting the disease.

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Get all information about the breast cancer awareness day. Get all information about an alternative treatment for breast cancer

Signs And Symptoms Of Breast Cancer

Published
by
Roselyn Capen
on February 19, 2008
in Breast Cancer
. 0 Comments
by Roselyn Capen

Discovering a lump in your breasts is one of the first symptoms of breast cancer. In most cases, such lumps are just benign, meaning, they’re not going to develop into malignant cancerous tumors. The first symptom can even be a change in the shape or size of the breast or the nipple, or an oozing blood stained discharge from a nipple, or a rash, or even something as seemingly trivial as an armpit welling. The occurance of any of these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have developed a breast cancer, but taking risks in such matters is not advisable; get an examination done as soon as possible.

Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be lump, it can be a change in the nipple, the shape of the breast or nipple, getting some sort of oozing out of the nipple that is blood stained a rash that doesn’t go away or even a swelling in your armpit. Getting any of this doesn’t mean you have breast cancer but it is definitely something you should not wait to get checked out by your doctor as soon as possible.

Another helpful piece of information is that some types of cancers, like the Inflammatory breast cancer and Pagent’s disease show classic symptoms of their own type. Very red and hard breasts which keep getting sore show along with the regular breast cancer symptoms are a classic case of the Inflammatory breast cancer, whereas very itchy, red, scaly rashes, easily confused for eczema, on the breasts along with other breast cancer symptoms are Pagent’s disease. Always get the doctor to clarify your doubts.

A cyst is just a sac filled with harmless fluids. Sometimes, cysts are all there is to the lumps. These cysts can be easily and very quickly removing by inserting a needle into them and taking out all the fluid accumulated inside the cyst. If, in such a case, no fluid comes out, the needle can still be used to extract a small tissue sample from the breast, to be tested for cancer. This procedure is called a biopsy.

Removing such lumps can make some women feel a lot more comfortable and better, even if the lumps were benign and not a danger to them at all. All it requires is for you to make a decision today itself. If your will is undermined due to outward pressures on having benign lumps remove, always go for a second opinion without inhibitions. If you do not want the benign lump removed, forget about it, and stop worrying because of it, because it will never turn into a cancerous cell or be noticed by people.

All in all, cancer is not a laughing matter. Make sure you know about the causes and symptoms for breast cancer. If you start showing symptoms yourself, please do not delay contacting your doctor. Breast cancer for you implies your daughter’s risk of developing it goes up. Brushing that off with a shrug is not an option. Your doctor will tend to the rest.

About the Author:
Do you know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer? Get all the details about the breast cancer chemotherapy treatment and alternative options.