Breast Cancer Information

2007-07-01T14:46:00.001-07:00

Three Simple Steps Toward Breast Cancer Prevention

2007-07-01T14:37:00.000-07:00

Three main lifestyle habits lay the foundation for breast cancer prevention. They include:

• Staying physically active
• Limiting alcohol
• Eating right

The evidence so far tells us healthy eating and regular exercise really does contribute to breast cancer prevention. Plus, if you limit your exposure to substances that promote breast cancer, you will benefit even more.

There are some risks toward a higher incident of breast cancer that you cannot control. These include:
• Your age
• Genetic make-up

Although these two factors may loom against you there are still steps you can take on your own to prevent breast cancer. They provide no guarantee that you still will not develop the disease.

They will give you a start toward breast cancer prevention.
Some of the easiest things you can control is what you eat and drink and how much exercise you get.

There remains a strong link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer. Seems that it does not matter the type of alcohol one consumes, whether it be wine, beer or mixed drinks, there does not seem to be a difference according to researchers. A step toward breast cancer prevention would be to limit your alcohol to less than one drink per day or to avoid alcohol completely.

Researchers tells us there is also a clear link between obesity or weighing more than is appropriate for your age and height and breast cancer. This is especially true if you gain the extra weight late in life or after menopause. The reason for this is that excess fatty tissue is a source of circulating estrogen in the body. Breast cancer risk is linked to how much estrogen you are exposed to during a lifetime.

If you stay active with a regular exercise regime you are better able to maintain a healthy weight. This one accomplishment alone lowers your risk of breast cancer regardless of age or genetic make-up. We are consistently told to aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days of the week. Always try to include weight-bearing exercises like walking, jogging or aerobics, which have the added benefit of keeping your bones and joints strong and healthy.

To date studies suggest a slight decrease in risk of invasive breast cancer for women who eat a low-fat diet. The effect is modest. It is probably a good idea to eat a low-fat diet anyway because it reduces your risk of other diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke. A low-fat diet also can help you maintain healthy weight, which in turns, will help you in taking steps toward breast cancer prevention.

For the greatest benefit limit fat intake to less than 35 percent of your daily calories and restrict foods high in saturated fat.

Researchers have discovered two promising agents to help us prevent breast cancer. They are:
1. Retinoids
2. Flaxseed

Retinoids are natural or synthetic forms of vitamin A. Retionids may have the ability to destroy or disturb the growth of cancer cells. Retinoids may also be effective in premenopausal women and in those whose tumors are not estrogen-positive.

Flaxseed is quite high in one phytoestrogen, which is “lignan.” Phytoestrogens are compounds that occur naturally and lower circulating estrogens in the body. Lignan appears to decrease estrogen production and may help to inhibit the growth of some breast cancers.

Research continues, however, any woman at any age or genetic make-up can start today toward breast cancer prevention simply by staying active, watching what you eat and limiting intake of alcohol.

Source: Mayo Clinic

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

2007-07-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

There are many different risk factors for breast cancer. The most significant of these risks factors is gender and age. Most occurrences of breast cancer occur in a certain gender and age group. Even though those outside this gender and age group are still at risk for breast cancer, the risk is not as great.

Women are at the greatest risk of developing breast cancer. Contrary to what many people believe, men can also develop breast cancer. However, women are at a much greater risk of developing breast cancer than men. Age also plays a factor in the development of breast cancer.

The cancer is far more common in women over 50 versus women under 20.
Women who have relatives with breast cancer are also at a greater risk of developing the cancer themselves. This risk increases with first-degree relatives like a mother, sister, or daughter. A male relative with prostate cancer also increases the risk of developing breast cancer. If a mother and sister both have breast cancer then the risk is increased.

A history of breast cancer also leaves women at a greater risk of developing the same cancer. This happens when the cancer cells spread to the lymph glands. There is a great risk that the cancer will develop in the opposite breast. When breast conservation therapy is used as treatment for the cancer, there is a risk of cancer redeveloping in the same breast.

Some hormonal factors increase the risk of breast cancer. A woman who started her menstrual period before the age of 12 has a slightly increased risk of developing breast cancer. This is also true of women that have menopause after 55, women who have a first child after age 30, and women that have never had children.

If you happen to fall into this category,You should have a mamograhm at Least once a year.
As Like any Cancer it can sneak up on us very Quickly. Early detection is our best chance of fighting this Disease.

Lloyd Perry is the founder of Infoservice.us An Online Health & Fitness Resource. Where you'll find all your Health Info Resources all in One Place.

2007-07-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Breast Cancer Cure With The Power Of Fame

2007-06-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

There is no known cure for breast cancer. More than 1.5 million people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year worldwide. The incidence of breast cancer has nearly tripled in the past 50 years. A woman's lifetime risk has increased from 1 in 20 in the 1950's to 1 in 7 today.

Scientists don't know why most women get breast cancer, yet breast cancer is the most frequent tumor found in women the world over. What can a woman do when fate has played a cruel joke and a woman's very life can be in question? What do you do when an intimate part of your body becomes host to an assassin, a foreign element assigned to debilitate, maim and kill?A woman who dies of breast cancer is robbed of an average of nearly 20 years of her life. Breast cancer knows no social boundaries. It’s a disease that can affect anyone. Some prominent women whose lives that have been touched by breast cancer include: Anastacia, singer only 29 years old! Jill Eikenberry actress age 52; Ann Jillian, 48, Actress; Peggy Fleming age 49 figure skater; Kate Jackson age 50 (Charlies Angels); Olivia Newton-John age 50 actress singer; Patti LaBelle, age 57, singer; Diahann Carroll, age 63 Actress/singer; Rue McClanahan, Hollywood actress, Rue is best known for her portrayal of Blanche on the hit sitcom “The Golden Girls;” Shirley Temple Black age 70 Actress/singer; Betty Ford, Former First Lady; Nancy Reagan age 77 former first lady; Melissa Etheridge age 43 singer; Lynn Redgrave, age 59, actress; Edie Falco Sopranos star, Tami Agassi, sister to tennis star Andre Agassi, and the beautiful Suzanne Summers actress.

Dusty Springfield the singer, died from breast cancer at age 59. Breast cancer also took the lives of Linda McCartney and Jill Ireland. This is a disease that has plagued women for centuries. The mother of Louis XIV of France died of breast cancer in 1666. These high rates of breast cancer are not acceptable to the women of the world and must be met with scientific research that provides results.Despite over a decade of research, and more than $1.7 billion spent, hundreds of women worldwide are dying from breast cancer every day. Yet doctors don’t know how breast cancer starts or how to cure it.

Doctors are still approaching treatment for breast cancer in the same old fashioned ways: surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Barbaric treatments…And scientists keep doing the same old redundant research that’s simply not working. Over 30 US federal agencies and dozens of foundations, pharmaceutical and biotech companies are conducting or funding research, but: No one knows how much money is being raised every year. No one knows how much money is being spent every year. No one knows where the money is going. Meanwhile, mothers, sisters and daughters are dying-at a rate of nearly 110 women a day. It’s time for a new approach to cure this deadly killer. We don’t want you to have to under go surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.A global action is the only answer to rising cancer deaths. Someone needs to answer the action call on all types of cancer. Newly formed International Celebrity Cancer Research Foundation has answered that call on global cancer. ICCRF’s war on cancer will be fought with the power of fame with celebrities from all 192 countries of the world. But the war on cancer can only be won with the support from the citizens of the world. Each and every one of you can answer your personal call to action to help fight the global war on cancer by supporting ICCRF’s battle on the war on cancer now.Billionaires whom we have been recommended that we should contact for support include: Paul Allen, Bill and Melinda Gates, Jon Huntsman, William and Alice Goodman, Ann Lurie, Jamie and Karen Moyer, Harold C. Simmons, Alfred Mann, Sumner M. Redstone, Michael Milton and the Palm beach billionaires. There are simply too many billionaires to mention them all. The combined wealth of the three Microsoft billionaires alone is more than ten times the amount spent by the U.S. Federal Government on research to fight cancer and other deadly diseases. We could use help from the media with publicity stories, ads and promotions to get the word out. We are particularly interested in looking for assistance from the billionaires of the world; there are approximately 600 in the world. Billionaires like Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google billionaires), Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner, and Oprah Winfrey and others who control the media could get our life-saving message to the world fast. Here’s what some very influential and famous people have to say about breast cancer research. Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta Jones, "Catherine and I are committed to do everything possible to eradicate this disease," says Oscar-winner Michael Douglas. Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, “I lost my aunt to breast cancer about two years ago and my very good friend Liz to ovarian around the same time," says Wilson, who is married to Tom Hanks. "I've seen what these cancers are really like and we have to support more research.” Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw, “Steven and I are passionate about improving women's health," says Capshaw.”Stars that we know that are interested in supporting cancer research including breast cancer research include: Melissa Etheridge, Charlie Sheen, Kirk and Anne Douglas, Sting and wife Trudie Styler, Larry King, Sylvester Stallone, Nicole Kidman, Bon Jovi, Julia Roberts, Jack Lemmon, Dustin Hoffman, Denzel Washington, Warren Beatty, Candice Bergen, Angie Dickinson, Sally Field, Larry Hagman, Merv Griffin, Carroll O'Connor and his wife, Nancy, Robert DiNiro, Cybill Shepherd, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, Sean Penn, Gwyneth Paltrow, Carmen Electra, Gene Wilder, Oprah Winfrey, Brad Pitt, Michael J. Fox, Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Leonardo Di Caprio, Sigourney Weaver, Bruce Willis, Billy Joel, Tim McGraw, Robbin Williams, Elizabeth Hurley, Tiger Woods, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Will Smith, Katie Couric, George Clooney, Mike Myers, Ben affleck, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Al Pacino, P Diddy, George Lucas, Oliver Stone, Drew Barrymore, Britney Spears, Barbara Streisand, Gene Hackman, Fred Thompson , Burt Reynolds, William Shatner, Donald Trump, Donald Sutherland, Morgan Freeman, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Sidney Poitier, Tom Arnold, Quincy Jones, Eminem, Shaquille Oneal, Adam Sandler, Steven Soderbergh, Bono/U-2, Patti LaBelle, Rosie O’Donnell, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon, Actor Rob Lowe, he was moved to serve as a spokesperson for the Lee National Denim Day, which raised money for breast cancer research, because his grandmother and great-grandmother both suffered from the disease, Sharon Osbourne, Britt Ekland, Westlife, Simon Cowell, Emma Thompson, Philip Treacy, Geri Halliwell, Paul McCartney, and Lance Armstrong.Country music stars who support breast cancer research include: Wynona Judd, Amy Grant, Donny Osmond, Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain, Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Toby Keith, LeAnn Rimes, the Dixie Chicks, Lonestar, Brad Paisley, Diamond Rio, Trick Pony, Alan Jackson, SHeDAISY, Terri Clark, Lee Ann Womack, Phil Vassar, Buddy Jewell, Joe Nichols, Amy Grant, Anne Murray, Vince Gill, Randy Travis, Tracy Lawrence, Tammy Cochran, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lee Greenwood, George Jones, Rascal Flatts, Emerson Drive, Bering Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Clint Black, Steve Wariner, Kenny Rogers, Alabama, Faith Hill and Sara Evans, Richard Marx, Anne Cochran, Lee Ann Womack, Terri Clark, Dave Koz, Sophie B. Hawkins, Jonatha Brooke, Heart’s Anne and Nancy Wilson and Mercy Me.We are also hoping that more of my celebrity friends will come forward as spokespersons and spread their wings to help support our breast cancer research. My friends and acquaintances include: Steven Seagal, Charlie Sheen (Charlie, has done a great job for breast cancer research by leading an effort in the fight against breast cancer, by encouraging the American public to take part in a National Denim Day), Wesley Snipes, Danny Glover, Erik Estrada, Tom Arnold, Dolph Lundgren, Roger Clinton, Bill Clinton, Usher, Clint Black, Hulk Hogan, Ivana Trump, Clint Black, John Secada, Sylvester Stalone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Reno, Eddie Money, Paul Hogan, Jay Leno, Danny Glover, Danny Aiello, Larry Hagman, Lee Majors, Tyson Becford, Jennifer Tilly, David Hasselhoff, Richard Branson, Brendan Fraser, Cindy Crawford, (whose grandmother died from breast cancer), Cher, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and other stars that I have had the good fortune of meeting in person and others celebrities that I hope to meet in the future. How about Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnon, Mick Jagger and Pamela Lee Anderson. (Photos of Denny and the stars can be viewed at his promotional group listed below.) We have star friends who are bigger than life and they are ready to become our spokespersons. But we still need your donations to get our celebrities to international print and broadcast ads to get the word out. We, the people of the world can cure breast cancer as well as all the cancers of the world.

Breast Cancer The Cure

2007-06-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

There is no known cure for breast cancer.

More than 1.5 million people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year worldwide. Scientists don't know why most women get breast cancer, yet breast cancer is the most frequent tumor found in women the world over. A woman who dies of breast cancer is robbed of an average of nearly 20 years of her life.

Breast cancer knows no social boundaries. It’s a disease that can affect anyone. Some prominent women who’s lives that have been touched by breast cancer include Jill Eikenberry actress age 52; Peggy Fleming age 49 figure skater; Kate Jackson age 50 (Charlies Angels); Olivia Newton-John age 50 actress singer; Nancy Reagan age 77 former first lady; Melissa Etheridge age 43 singer; and the beautiful Suzanne Summers actress. These high rates of breast cancer are not acceptable to the women of the world and must be met with scientific research that provides results.Despite over a decade of research, and more than $1.7 billion spent, hundereds of women worldwide are dying from breast cancer every day. Yet doctors don’t know how breast cancer starts or how to cure it. Doctors are still approaching treatment for breast cancer in the same old fashioned ways: surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

Barbarick treatments…And scientists keep doing the same old redundant research that’s simply not working. It doesn’t have to be that way. Gen Cells Cures is a scientific biotechnology company that is focused on a cure for breast cancer. The company is dedicated to curing breast cancer before it’s too late for you. We’re not interested in a cure in five, ten, or twenty years from now. We want your cure for breast cancer within a year or two. We don’t want you to have to under go surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or take toxic drugs. Why Gen Cells Cures? You can search the medical journals; you can search the internet until your blue in the face. You will find the same old news which is no new news about breast cancer research and treatments.

Breast cancer research is locked up in a black whole. Gen Cells Cures is approaching the cure for breast cancer from different angles and using tomorrow’s scientific technologies today. Our expertise is in stem cell research and genomics. Malfunctioning stem cells have already been linked to the development of breast cancer. We’re not talking about using generic stem cells from an egg and sperm cell. There is no genetic match for you with the politically controversial generic stem cells that are always in the news.

The isolation of cancer stem cells, coupled with our understanding of genetic mutations causing cancer, and our knowledge of genomics will result in ways to eliminate cancer cells while sparing normal breast tissues. Genetics and Breast CancerPeople will tell you to accept what you can’t change…

Your genetics, your genes, the genes your mother and father handed you when you were born that came with their particular genetic make-up. Most inherited cases of breast cancer have been associated with two genes: BRCA1 and BRCA2. The past five years has been a period of unparalleled discovery in the field of genetics, genomics, and stem cell research, but these discoveries are not being applied to breast cancer treatments.

A job that Gen Cells Cures definitely wants to get our hands dirty in. Recently researchers have found that by blocking a gene called beta1-integrin the growth of tumor cells can be stopped. When this gene was removed the tumor cells quit growing. You don’t have to accept the genes that you were given at birth. Gen Cells Cures will be able to manipulate your genes to cure your breast cancer.

Our Cancer Stem Cell and Genomics Program will bring together the top scientific minds in the world under one tin roof to maximize the use of diverse approaches to the understanding of cancer genomics fused with stem cell solutions. Gen Cells Cures isn’t looking for a multi-million dollar biomedical research center like the Stowers Institute in Kansas City, which is a medical center to be admired. A rented tin shack will do just fine. Of course, we would accept hand-me down michroscopes from the Stoweres (billionaires who bought their own multi-million dollar biomedical research center) if they would be gracious enough to grant them to us or we would accept a small prime the pump check to move forward with our research.

The Stowerses and all the scientists from the Stowers Institute have an open invitation to visit our lab in the Caribbean. What we are looking for is a cure for breast cancer to stop the humiliation, pain and suffering this menace to society causes millions of women and thousands of men worldwide, and not a new biomedical center… Every dollar invested with us goes into pure medical research and equipment. The same offer goes out to all the millionaires and especially the billionaires of the world.

People that come to mind are: Paul Allen, Bill and Melinda Gates, Jon Huntsman, William and Alice Goodman, Ann Lurie, Jamie and Karen Moyer, Harold C. Simmons, Alfred Mann, Sumner M. Redstone, Michael Milton and the Palm beach billionaires, there are simply too many to mention. The combined wealth of the three Microsoft billionaires alone is more than ten times the amount spent by the U.S. Federal Government on research to fight cancer and other deadly diseases. We know we’re in the wrong business to become billionaires ourselves.

This kind of biotechnology has never produced even one billionaire. It’s the cure for breast cancer that we want.Simply put the cancer research organizations are funding the wrong researchers. It’s time to go outside the normal research channels. Do something different. The same story year after year after year and no cure. These unmotivated researchers just aren’t getting results. Let someone else have a shot at it. It’s time to try something new and different. A different approach. There are races for the cure, golf tournaments for the cure, there are walks for the cure, there are foundations for the cure. These foundations have been funding the same ineffective research for more than twenty years now. These foundations have been betting on the wrong horse. Joining the crusade won’t help if the research being done doesn’t take on a twenty-first century scientific approach. It’s been time to move forward scientifically for five years now.

But today’s breast cancer researchers are stuck in a twentieth century mind-set. The Excuse is someday we’ll find the cure, but someday doesn’t help today’s victims of breast cancer. We need top notch scientific action today.The genetics are out of the bottle and stem cell research is moving forward whether the U.S. government likes it or not. Gen Cells Cures has moved off-shore to the Caribbean to avoid the political controversy over stem cell research. I am sure you won’t mind a walk on the beach with me to talk about your cure for your breast cancer. Once we have the cure we can take the cure from the bench to the patient without a long and costly wait for FDA approval. There are many advantages to not having big brother breathing down your neck. The governments of the United States and Western countries have nothing to offer except road blocks, red tape and detours. Our patients don’t have time for political smoke and mirrors. With a little luck we could have your cure before the time comes that you need that dreaded surgery and chemo.

Our gifted world-class researchers are visionary and have been schooled in winning and have courage, creativity, can-do attitudes, burning desires, unfaltering belief and an obsession that they will be there first. By first we mean years ahead of the other biotechnology companies. Like determined, fighting NASCAR drivers our scientists are living to take the chequered flag of biotech and win the coveted race for the cure for breast cancer.Focused on breakthrough discoveries, Gen Cells Cures nurtures a culture that encourages high standards of excellence, original thinking, hard work and a willingness to take risks. Our world-renowned scientists believe in themselves and its belief that gets us there. The company will seek to develop a work environment that is results focused and team-orientated. We compete against time. Though we compete intensely we maintain high ethical standards and trust and respect for each other.

Quality is the cornerstone of all our activities. We seek the highest quality information, decisions and people. Our success depends on superior scientific innovation. We see the scientific method as a multi-step process which includes designing the right experiment, collecting and analyzing data and rational decision making. It is not subjective or emotional but rather a logical, open and rational process.

Our success comes from one simple fact; we are committed to being a science-based, patient-driven company, driven by that one special breast cancer patient…you.Gen Cells Cures lost most of our one million dollar start-up money in offshore bank scandal and currency devaluation last year. We are now actively pursuing financial support. Unfortunately, the Gen Cells Cures team is made up of great scientific minds and not great marketers, salesmen, or fund raisers.

Yes, we are looking for a millionaire or billionaire without a cause to support our work, but if you are not our wealthy saviour, we welcome any help, be it financial or a donation of your time. The scientific team is on stand-by. What we’re lacking is the funding to go forward. We could use motivated salesmen to sell our research, fund raisers, skilled internet marketers or someone just to pass out flyers or mail out promotional material. We could use help from the media with publicity stories, ads and promotions to get the word out.

We are particularly interested in looking for assistance from the billionaires of the world; there are approximately 600 in the world. Billionaires like Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google billionaires), Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner, and Oprah Winfrey and others who control the media could get our life-saving message to the world fast. We are also hoping that some of my celebrities friends will come forward and spread their wings to help support our breast cancer research: Steven Seagal, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, Danny Glover, Erik Estrada, Tom Arnold, Dolph Lundgren, Roger Clinton, Bill Clinton, Usher, Hulk Hogan, Ivana Trump, John Secada, Sylvester Stalone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Reno, Richard Branson, Cindy Crawford, Cher, Demi Moore, Michelle Pfeiffer, and other stars that I have had the good fortune of meeting in person and others celebrities that I hope to meet in the future. (Photos of Gerald and the stars can be viewed at his promotional group listed below.) I am waiting to get my photo with Suzanne Summers! Gen Cells Cure offers more than hope. We can do the job. If you’re going to eradicate cancer you have to have the right people doing the right research. One thing is for sure. We couldn’t do any worse than what the scientists before us have done. Which is virtually nothing! Help us alleviate the pain and suffering.

Together, with your help, we can cure breast cancer.Article by Gerald Armstrong- scientist0707@yahoo.com Gerald is the owner of Gen Cells Cures Visit his group for information about “The Cure” for incurable diseases and aging.Group address http://www.msnusers.com/cures

Understanding Breast Cancer Staging..

2007-06-28T15:50:00.000-07:00

Breast cancer staging

To stage cancer, the American Joint Committee on Cancer, first places the cancer in a letter category using the tumor, nodes, metastasis (TNM) classification system. The stage of a breast cancer describes its size and the extent to which it has spread. The staging system ranges from stage 0 to stage IV according to tumor size, lymph nodes involved, and distant metastasis.

T indicates tumor size.
The letter T is followed by a number from 0 to 4, which describes the size of the tumor and whether it has spread to the skin or chest wall under the breast. Higher T numbers indicate a larger tumor and/or more extensive spread to tissues surrounding the breast.

TX: The tumor cannot be assessed.
T0: No evidence of a tumor is present.
Tis: The cancer may be LCIS, DCIS, or Paget disease.
T1: The tumor is 2 cm or smaller in diameter.
T2: The tumor is 2-5 cm in diameter.
T3: The tumor is more than 5 cm in diameter.
T4: The tumor is any size, and it has attached itself to the chest wall and spread to the pectoral (chest) lymph nodes.N indicates palpable nodes.

The letter N is followed by a number from 0 to 3, which indicates whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the breast and, if so, whether the affected nodes are fixed to other structures under the arm.

NX: Lymph nodes cannot be assessed (eg, lymph nodes were previously removed).
N0: Cancer has not spread to lymph nodes.
N1: Cancer has spread to the movable ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes (underarm lymph nodes on the same side as the breast cancer).
N2: Cancer has spread to ipsilateral lymph nodes (on the same side of the body as the breast cancer), fixed to one another or to other structures under the arm.
N3: Cancer has spread to the ipsilateral mammary lymph nodes or the ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph nodes (on the same side of the body as the breast cancer).M indicates metastasis.

The letter M is followed by a 0 or 1, which indicates whether the cancer has metastasized (spread) to distant organs (eg, lungs or bones) or to lymph nodes that are not next to the breast, such as those above the collarbone.
MX: Metastasis cannot be assessed.
M0: No distant metastasis to other organs is present.
M1: Distant metastasis to other organs has occurred.

Breast Cancer Prevalence..

2007-06-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

In November 2003, the American Cancer Society stated that breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 44.

In the United States, there are approximately 200,000 new cases of breast cancer and more than 40,000 deaths; making the U.S. one of the countries with the highest death rates due to breast cancer. Perhaps the most alarming statistic is 1: 8 women will eventually develop breast cancer over their lifetime.
Generally Accepted Risk Factors for developing breast cancer can be divided into two categories; those a woman can control and those she cannot. Women who choose pharmaceutical hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and oral contraceptives may increase their risk of breast cancer. Additionally, a woman who consumes one or more alcoholic drinks per day or lives a sedentary lifestyle faces an increased risk for acquiring breast cancer. Those factors that are beyond the immediate control but still may lead to increased risk include: onset of menstruation prior to age 12 or onset of menopause after the age 50 and inheritance of the breast cancer genes, BRCA 1 and BRCA 2. Inheriting the breast cancer genes, BRCA 1 and BRCA 2, are known to be associated with both breast and ovarian cancers, but only account for 5-10% of all breast cancer. In 70% of all cases, the cause of breast cancer is still yet unknown.

Conventional screening methods all examine structure. For example, mammography uses X-ray to examine breast tissue. Any structure that has grown large enough to be seen by X-ray could be detected by mammography. However, mammography can have a high false positive rate. In fact, only 1 in 6 biopsies are found to be positive for cancer when found by mammography or clinical breast exam. This leads to increased psychological stress, physical trauma and financial worries.

Other risks of mammography include the radiation exposure, although this has been debated by doctors for many years. Recently published in Radiation Research, 2004 the author suggests that the risks associated with mammography screening may be FIVE times higher than previously assumed and the risk-benefit relationship of mammography needs to be re-examined.

There exists a technology that can detect a breast issue YEARS before a tumor can be seen on X-ray or palpated during an exam. This technology has been approved by the FDA as an adjunctive screening tool since 1982 and offers NO RADIATION, NO COMPRESSION AND NO PAIN. For women who are refusing to have a mammogram or those who want clinical correlation for an existing problem, digital infrared thermal imaging may be of interest.

Thermal cameras detect heat emitted from the body and display it as a picture on a computer monitor. These images are unique to the person and remain stable over time. It is because of these characteristics that thermal imaging is a valuable and effective screening tool.

Breast thermography has undergone extensive research since the 1950s. There are over 800 peer-reviewed studies on breast thermography with more than 300,000 women included in large clinical trials. An abnormal thermogram is 10 times more significant as a future risk indicator for breast cancer than a first order family history of the disease. A persistently abnormal thermogram carries a 22-fold higher risk of future breast cancer.

Medical doctors who interpret the breast scans are board certified and endure an additional two years of training to qualify as a thermologist. Thermography is not limited by breast density and is ideal for women who have had cosmetic or reconstructive surgery. It is recommended that since cancer typically has a 15 year life span from onset to death, that women begin thermographic screenings at age 25.

Thermographic screening is not covered by most insurance companies but is surprisingly affordable for most people. For more information or to find a certified clinic in your area, go to http://www.proactivehealthonline.com/.

What You Really Need To Know About Breast Cancer?

2007-06-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the United States (other than skin cancer). Each year, in the United States alone, approximately 220,000 women are told they have breast cancer. Upon hearing this unexpected and overwhelming news, a woman is faced with having to make treatment choices within a very short period of time. While curable if detected early, breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women ages 35 to 54.

Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases. Cancer occurs when, for unknown reasons, cells become abnormal and multiply without control or order. All parts of the body are made up of cells that normally divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. When cancer occurs, cells keep dividing even when new cells are not needed. There are several types of breast cancer.

The most common is ductal carcinoma, which begins in the lining of the milk ducts within the breast. Another type, lobular carcinoma, begins in the lobules where breast milk is produced. If a cancerous tumor invades nearby tissue, it is called invasive cancer. Cancer cells may spread beyond the breast to other lymph nodes, or the bones, liver or lungs. When breast cancer spreads, it is called metastatic breast cancer even though it is found in another part of the body. For example, breast cancer that has spread to the liver is called metastatic breast cancer, not liver cancer.

Doctors can not always explain why one person gets cancer and another does not. Medical researchers are, however, learning about what happens inside cells that may cause cancer. They have identified changes in certain genes within breast cells that can be linked to a higher risk for breast cancer. Genetic changes may be inherited from a parent or may accumulate throughout a person's lifetime. Breast cancer usually begins with a single cell that transforms from normal to malignant over a period of time. Presently, however, no one can predict exactly when cancer will occur or how it will progress.

Every woman has some chance of developing breast cancer during her lifetime. As women get older, those chances increase. Overall, a woman's chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer is 1 out of 8. Even though breast cancer is more common in older women, it also occurs in younger women and even in a small number of men (1,300 cases per year in the U.S.).While there is yet no preventive to stop breast cancer, early detection is vital to surviving the disease. There are three things women can, and should do. Get an annual mammogram (special X-ray screening) after the age of 50; regular (yearly) breast examination by a doctor; and breast self-examination (BSE) at least once a month.If breast cancer is detected, it is important to remember there is no single treatment that is "right" for all women. As with most medical conditions, there is no "one-size-fits-all" treatment or cure.

And all breast cancers are not alike. Breast cancer is a complex disease. Once breast cancer has been found, more tests will be done to find the specific pattern of your particular cancer. This is an important step called staging.Knowing the exact stage of your disease will help your doctor plan your course of treatment.

Your doctor will want to know: the size of the tumor; if the cancer has spread within your breast; if cancer is present in your underarm lymph nodes; if cancer is present in other parts of your body.There are many options available and you can always ask more than one doctor about your diagnosis and treatment plan. Your best start is to gain as much knowledge about the disease and the treatments as possible. Find answers to your questions and gain assistance in your fight against a terrifying enemy. Remember, there are no "dumb" questions when you are faced with cancer. Most women who are treated for early breast cancer go on to live healthy, active, productive lives.

The best chance of survival is early detection, so plan for mammograms, have yearly visits with your doctor, and use self-examination frequently. Best wishes for years of good health!

Breast Cancer

2007-06-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast begin to grow out of control enabling them to invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body.
Collections of these out of control tissues are called tumors. However, not all breast tumors are considered cancerous since certain types of large cells just cannot be spread or threaten a person’s life and this kind of tumor is called benign tumor.
On the other hand, the tumors that can spread all throughout the body or invade nearby tissues are considered cancerous cells and are malignant.
Cancer cells usually comes from either ducts or glands in the breast that is why it may take months or even years for a tumor to be notice in the breast.
Breast tumors are screened with the use of mammograms that are rather accurate in screening tumor or cancer cells.
Women are much prone to develop breast cancer that men.
Only 1% to 2% of men have been known to have cases of breast cancer. The early onset of menstruation in women at the age of 12 increases the risk for a breast cancer on the other hand an early menopausal period may reduce the risk of breast cancer.
The risk for women to have breast cancer increases with age in fact a study shows that women over 50 are more likely to develop breast cancer. Nevertheless, the incidence of breast cancer among younger women is also increasing in an alarming rate that is why more women of ages 20s to 30s have subjected themselves to be diagnosed.
Breast cancer is not only acquired but also can be inherited. For women who have genetic mutation such as BRCA1 or BRCA2 has an 80% risk of developing breast cancer. Women who have first-degree relative diagnosed to have breast cancer increase their risk of also acquiring breast cancer.
Moreover, women with first-degree relative that are diagnosed to have breast cancer before menopause increase the risk for them in acquiring breast cancer. Some factors contribute to the occurrence of breast cancer and these are as follows: smoking, alcohol and radiation exposure. Women who are smoking will increase their chances to have breast cancer. Aside from that, high intakes of alcohol have been found to be a source of breast cancer. Radiation exposure is another factor that contributes to breast cancer. Studies have shown that women as well as children who have undergone high-dose radiation therapy have a much higher chance of having breast cancer.