Save Yourself and Identify the Early Warning Signs of Breast Cancer

General Information on Breast Cancer
Breast cancer has been one of the leading health concerns for women. For over 3,600 years the cancer has affected the lives of women in immeasurable ways. According to the Edwin Smith papyrus, awareness of breast cancer has been well established since 1600 BC in Egypt, thus making it the oldest form of cancer known to humans. "There is no treatment", this is what early Egyptian physicians writes about breast cancer according to the papyrus and for centuries this has been the attitude displayed by both health practitioners and patients.
But while the Egyptians have considered the disease incurable, we now have medical advancements that make survival almost an absolute certainty at early stages. All we need is a firm knowledge on warning signs of the cancer and the determination to go through the treatment process.
What are the Causes of Breast Cancer?
About one in eight women will be diagnosed with this cancer in a lifetime. There are several risk factors which are part of our lives that we could not change. This includes aging, familial history, genetics and menstrual cycle.
The risk of getting cancer becomes higher as a person ages. Advanced cancer stages are commonly found in women fifty years old and above. About thirty percent of women who have breast cancer have a family history of breast, ovarian, uterine or ovarian cancer.
Some people have gene defects that make them more susceptible to acquiring the disease. This includes defects commonly found in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Women with these gene defects have an eighty percent chance of getting breast cancer. Those who have started menstruation before the age of twelve or went through menopause after the age of fifty-five have higher breast cancer risk.
Women who never had children or gave birth only after the age of thirty also have an increased risk for breast cancer.
Other risk factors include alcohol consumption, obesity, hormone replacement therapy to avert menopause, the use of the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES) to prevent miscarriage, and radiation.
Curiously, there is no evidence linking the use of breast implants, antiperspirants, pesticides and underwire bras in raising cancer risks.
What are the Symptoms of Breast Cancer?
Undergoing regular breast examination is important in detecting cancerous growths because in early stages, cancer of the breast may not manifest any symptom at all. As the cancer develops women may experience one or a combination of the following.

• A painless hard lump with uneven edges in the breast or armpit area.
• Noticeable change in size, shape, feel and texture of the breast and nipple.
• Unusual fluids, such as pus, coming out of the nipple.

For women who are in advanced breast cancer stages, symptoms may include bone pain, pain and discomfort in the breast area, skin ulcers in the breast or underarm, weight loss, and swelling of one arm.
How to Prevent Breast Cancer?
Since some risk factors are uncontrollable, awareness is the most important step in fighting the disease. In general, having a healthy diet and lifestyle reduces a person's chance of getting cancer. Early detection of the cancer raises the cure rate and thus, breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination and screening mammography are highly recommended.
Experts advise BSE once a month for women over twenty. The test should be done a week after their menstruation. For those between the ages of twenty to thirty-nine, clinical examination should be done every three years.
Women above the age of forty are generally advised to undergo a complete breast examination and mammography once a year. Breast MRI should also be done for women who are have higher breast cancer risk factors.
Certain drugs, such as Tamoxifen, are approved by the USDA for cancer prevention in women aged thirty-five or older. Preventive prophylactic mastectomy, or the surgical removal of the breast, is advised for those who already had one breast removed and for those who are identified to have genetic mutations that raise tumor risks.
What exams and tests are involved in the detection of breast cancer?
Your doctor will gather information of your symptoms and risk factors. A thorough physical examination, which includes the breast, armpit, chest and neck, would then be performed to check for possible tumor growths.
To confirm the diagnosis additional test may be performed, this includes mammography, breast MRI, CT scan and PET scan, to identify the size, shape and location of the breast lump. Breast ultrasound is also done to check if the lump is solid or is filled with fluids. Needle aspiration and sentinel lymph node biopsy is done for further laboratory examination of a breast lump and adjacent lymph nodes.
How do we classify breast cancer?
After positive diagnosis of breast cancer, further test will be done in order to check the extent of the cancer. This is called breast cancer staging. This helps doctors identify the treatment methods necessary and to give the patient a prognosis.
Breast cancer stages ranges from zero to four. When a cancer has not yet spread, it is called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The cancer may be noninvasive or invasive depending of the advancement of cancer.
A combination of treatments is commonly received by women and this differs on the stage of the cancer. In stage one, the goal to eliminate the cancer and prevent its spread to other tissues and organs of the body. For women with stage four breast cancers, the treatment is aimed at prolonging the life span of the patient as the cancer in stage four cannot be treated.
How is breast cancer treated?
The treatment of cancer depends on the type and stage of the cancer and its sensitivity to certain hormones. The cancer is also monitored for overproduction of the HER2 gene.
The general breast cancer treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Surgical removal of cancerous tissues is also done to effectively remove breast lumps. Surgery may be in form of removal of breast lumps (lumpectomy) or removal of the entire breast and nearby structures (mastectomy). Radiation therapy is the use of high energy x-rays to destroy cancerous tissues.
Treatments such as hormonal therapy and targeted therapy may also be done in order to avert possible metastasis and to stop certain hormones from fueling cancer growth. Some samples of hormonal therapy include drugs such as Tamoxifen and Exemestane which are used to block the effects of estrogen and reduce cancer development. Drugs such as Herceptin plus trastuzumab may be used as a form of targeted therapy in women with stage IV HER2 positive breast cancer.
What to expect after treatment?
There are a number of medical advancements that makes it possible for patients to live longer, more active lives after cancer treatment. Still, we cannot help but stress the importance of early detection. In the American Cancer Society's study, the five year survival rate for stage zero and one cancer is at a high of a hundred percent and this goes down to at least twenty percent for stage four. Visit your physician and find out more about cancer and learn how breast self examination is done.

Don't Fall Victim to Breast Cancer, Identify the Early Warning Signs and Find out about Symptoms and Treatment Options Today. Visit Symptoms-of-Cancer.com today and find more information about how to identify Breast Cancer Symptoms

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Early Detection Signs Or Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in UK women, is the disease women fear most.
Early detection of this disease is vital!
There are different signs and symptoms of breast cancer. One of the first signs or symptoms is feeling a lump in the breast. This lump will feel different then the other breast tissue around it.
It is known that more then eighty percent of women discover lumps by checking themselves. A physician can detect breast cancer by giving you a mammogram.
Knowing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer may help save your life.
When the disease is discovered early, you have more treatment options and a better chance for a cure. Most breast lumps aren't cancerous.
Yet the most common sign of breast cancer for both men and women is a lump or thickening in the breast.
Often, the lump is painless.
Even though the public has learned a great deal about breast cancer, there remain more than a half-dozen popular breast cancer myths.
At least one such myth relates to the signs of breast cancer. Many women believe that finding a lump in the breast means that they have breast cancer, which is untrue.
Another symptom of breast cancer is Paget?s disease of the breast.
It is a syndrome that presents skin changes like redness and flaking skin of the nipple. As this advances symptoms may include itching, tingling, sensitivity, pain and burning and on occasion discharge from the nipple. About half of women that are diagnosed with Paget?s will also have a lump in the breast.
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.
Unlike the more common form of breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer does not generally present as a lump.
The disease grows as nests or sheets that clog the lymph system under the skin. Often the symptoms are attributed to other diseases and thus the diagnosis may take a long time to occur.
For many women, abnormal cell activity in breast fluid will be the first warning of the potential development of breast cancer signs and symptoms. This early warning system gives women and their doctors precious extra time to implement a more vigilant, personalized breast health treatment plan.
A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast. This test is used to look for breast disease in women who do not appear to have breast problems. It can also be used when women have symptoms such as a lump, skin change, or nipple discharge.
Each year 180,000 women get breast cancer, this is an increase of over 50 percent of the women who were developing breast cancer before 1950.
The chances of developing breast cancer increases with age.
But, don't think that you don't have to worry if you are younger than 40, because more and more young women are also developing breast cancer than ever before.
Be vigilant in your breast exams and you will have greater peace of mind.
Early detection methods of detecting breast cancer has improved survival rates tremendously. Even with the amount of women developing breast cancer increasing, the amount of women who actually die of breast cancer these days is decreasing due to early detection and better treatment methods.
A screening mammogram is used to look for breast disease in women who have no breast concerns. A diagnostic mammogram is used when a woman has symptoms or if there are other barriers to accurate testing like breast implants.
Unfortunately, the early stages of breast cancer may not have any symptoms. This is why it is important to follow screening recommendations. In most cases, the first signs of breast cancer are recognized as a small and often palpable lump in the breast.
Women with a higher risk of breast cancer should talk with their doctor about the best approach for them. They may benefit from starting mammograms when they are younger, having them more often, or having other tests. If you are at higher risk, your doctor might recommend an ultrasound or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) be done along with your mammograms.
If you notice any of these warning signs of breast cancer do not panic. Call your health care provider early and have it checked out. Not all these changes may represent cancer but you will not know unless you are examined.
Yet there is more reason for optimism than ever before.
In the last 30 years, doctors have made great strides in early diagnosis and treatment of the disease and in reducing breast cancer deaths.
In 1975, a diagnosis of breast cancer usually meant radical mastectomy - removal of the entire breast along with underarm lymph nodes and muscles underneath the breast.
Today, radical mastectomy is rarely performed. Instead, there are more and better treatment options, and many women are candidates for breast-sparing operations.
Most breast cancer symptoms are visually observable and highlight the need for regular breast self exams.
While breast cancer cannot be prevented, early detection of cancer warning signs and early diagnosis dramatically increases the likelihood of successful treatment.
The good news is that many times, especially if a lump is caught early, women with breast cancer go on to live full, healthy lives after treatment.
Some women also join support groups so they can talk to other women with breast cancer who are feeling the same emotions, this can be very beneficial and supportive.

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Breast Cancer Information - Every Woman Should Read This

Breast Cancer Information - Every Woman Should Read This

Millions of women are affected with breast cancer all around the world. Breast cancer is growing like an epidemic and is predicted that 45,000 patients will die from breast cancer, this year. If you feel a solid lump in your breast, you must visit a specialist for consultation.
Breast cancer symptom:
Breast cancer in its early stages does not cause any pain. Unfortunately, in early stages when breast cancer develops, it does not show any breast cancer symptom. But as it grows, it can cause remarkable changes, which a woman should note. Breast cancer symptoms include thickening or lump near or in the breast, change in the shape or size of the affected breast, tenderness of nipple or nipple discharge, inversion of nipple into the breast, pitting or ridges of the breast, skin of the breast appears warm, red, swollen and scaly. A lady should visit her doctor if she persist with any breast cancer symptom.
Specialists diagnose breast cancer by any of the following examinations:
palpation, mammography, ultrasonography, fine needle aspiration, needle biopsy or surgical biopsy.
Breast cancer treatment:
Breast cancer treatment options depend on location and size of the tumor in her breast.
Various methods of breast cancer treatment
Breast cancer treatments can be systemic or local. Radiation therapy and Surgery are the local breast cancer treatments. Local breast cancer treatments are used to destroy, remove, or control the growth of cancer cells. Hormonal therapy and Chemotherapy are systemic treatments. Systemic treatments are targeted to control or destroy cancer cells all over the body. Different forms of breast cancer treatment can be prescribed at the same time or one after other.

Surgery is one of the most common breast cancer treatments. Many types of surgical interventions may be used. A surgical intervention to remove breast is called a mastectomy. An operation carried out to remove the cancer cells without affecting the size of breast is called breast conserving surgery or breast sparing.
Radiation therapy or radiotherapy: Under this breast cancer treatment specialists use high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells and stop them from growing.
Chemotherapeutic breast cancer treatment: specialists use different types of drugs or combination of different drugs to kill cancerous cells or stop them from growing. Drugs are given in cycles; a treatment period is followed by a recovery period that is again followed by another breast cancer treatment.

Hormonal therapy for breast cancer treatment is used to stop the growth of cancerous cells that affect the female hormones. This breast cancer treatment may include use of medicines, which change the way hormones work or surgery to remove the ovaries that produce female hormones.
Breast cancer treatment decisions are complex. The decisions are usually affected by the stage of the disease, judgment of the doctors and the consent of the patients.

Breast cancer pictures can be found on various websites and in medical books. These breast cancer pictures can be helpful to make the patient's know about their cancer stage and the possible remedy if any..
Funds are arranged through various programs like breast cancer walk to spread breast cancer information among the affected and suspected people and to give them moral and economic support as well.

Tyson J Stevenson writes on a wide variety of health related subjects, always with valuable news & reviews. Expect to see his name often.
A related resource is Breast Cancer Signs [http://breast-cancer-sign.info]
Further information can be found at News2Reviews [http://news2review.com]

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Breast Cancer Risk Factors

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

Anything that may increase the chance of developing a disease is considered a risk factor. As research has indicated women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop breast cancer.
The exact causes for breast cancer are not known. Often doctors cannot explain why one woman may develop breast cancer but another does not. What is known is that bruising, bumping or touching the breast does not cause cancer. Breast cancer is not contagious. It is not "caught" from others.
There have been studies that have revealed some of the risk factors for breast cancer. Among those risk factors are a woman's age, a family or personal history of breast cancer, changes in her breast, changes in her genes and her menstrual history. Other risk factors for breast cancer include a woman's race, if she has had radiation therapy to the chest, and her breast density. Still other factors for breast cancer include taking diethylstilbestrol (DES), her being overweight or obese after menopause, not being physically active, and her alcohol consumption.
Breast cancer is not common in women before menopause. As women age their chances for breast cancer development can increase. Breast cancer occurrence is greater for women over age 60.
The chance of a woman developing breast cancer is greater if her mother, sister or daughter has a history of the disease. If a family member developed breast cancer before the age of 40, the risk is even greater for a woman developing breast cancer. Other relatives having breast cancer, either on her maternal or paternal side of the family, can also place a woman at greater risk for developing breast cancer.
Having a personal history of breast cancer can also increase a woman's risk. If a woman has had breast cancer in one breast the risk of getting breast cancer in the other breast increase.
Changes in a woman's breast can place a woman at risk for breast cancer. Cells in a woman's breast may look abnormal under a microscope. Abnormal cells such as atypical hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ (or LCIS) increase a woman's risk for breast cancer.
Changes in a woman's genes including BRCA1, BRCA2, and others may increase the risk for breast cancer. Tests from family members who have been known to have breast cancer can reveal the presence of specific gene changes in family members. In order to improve the detection of this disease in women who have these changes in their genes health care providers may be able to suggest ways to try to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
A woman's menstrual and reproductive history can place a woman at risk for breast cancer. Women having their first menstrual period before age 12 have a greater risk for developing breast cancer. The risk of breast cancer increase the older a woman is when she had her first child. A woman going through menopause after age 55 places her at greater risk for breast cancer. If a woman has never had children she is at a greater risk of breast cancer. Taking menopausal hormone therapy with estrogen plus progestin after menopause appears to increase risks for breast cancer. Studies have shown no link between miscarriage or abortion and risks for breast cancer.
Race is another risk factor for breast cancer. Caucasian women more often than Latina, African or Asian American women are diagnosed with breast cancer.
Radiation therapy performed to the chest, including the breast, before a woman is age 30 is another known risk factor for breast cancer. Studies indicate the younger the age of a woman when she received radiation treatment the higher the risk for breast cancer in later life.
A woman's breast tissue is either fatty or dense. Placing them at a higher risk of breast cancer are older women whose mammograms, or breast x-rays, reveal more dense tissue.
Diethylstilbestrol, also known as DES, was given to some pregnant women in the United States during the 1940's until 1971. This is no longer given to pregnant women. Taking DES during pregnancy may slightly increase the risk for breast cancer. The possible effects on the daughters of women who were given DES while pregnant are still being studied.
A woman being overweight or obese after menopause can increase a woman's risk for developing breast cancer. Studies have indicated that after menopause the risk increases for women who are overweight.
A physically inactive lifestyle may contribute to risks for breast cancer. If a woman is active it can prevent weight gain and obesity and therefore reduce chances for breast cancer.
Drinking alcohol increases risks for breast cancer. Studies indicate the more alcohol a woman drinks her risk for breast cancer increase.
Researchers are currently studying other possible risk factors for breast cancer. Currently being studied are the effect of diet, genetics, physical activity, and certain environmental substances increasing the risks for breast cancer.
Avoiding known risk factors for breast cancer can help women protect themselves against breast cancer. Risk factors for breast cancer such as family history cannot be avoided. These should be discussed with her doctor.
Most women who have known risk factors do not get breast cancer. Many women with breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease. Most women with breast cancer have no clear sign for risk factors other than growing older.
If a woman thinks she is at risk for breast cancer she should discuss her concern with her doctor. Her doctor may be able to suggest ways she can reduce her risk. At risk or not, a woman should plan scheduled checkups with her health care provider. Prevention is the best cure.

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What You Should Know About Breast Cancer

What You Should Know About Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and the second leading cause of cancer death, exceeded only by lung cancer in 1985. One woman in eight who lives to age 85 will develop breast cancer at some time during her life.
At present there are over 2 million women living in the United States who have been treated for breast cancer. About 41,000 women will die from the disease. The chance of dying from breast cancer is about 1 in 33. However, the rate of death from breast cancer is going down. This decline is probably the result of early detection and improved treatment.
Breast cancer is not just a woman's disease. The American Cancer Society estimates that 1600 men develop the disease yearly and about 400 may die from the disease.
Breast cancer risk is higher among those who have a mother, aunt, sister, or grandmother who had breast cancer before age 50. If only a mother or sister had breast cancer, your risk doubles. Having two first-degree relatives who were diagnosed increases your risk up to five times the average.
Although it is not known exactly what causes breast cancer; sometimes the culprit is a hereditary mutation in one of two genes, called BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes normally protect against the disease by producing proteins that guard against abnormal cell growth, but for women with the mutation, the lifetime risk of developing breast cancer can increase up to 80 percent, compared with 13 percent among the general population. In effect, more than 25 percent of women with breast cancer have a family history of the disease.
For women without a family history of breast cancer, the risks are harder to identify. It is known that the hormone estrogen feeds many breast cancers, and several factors - diet, excess weight, and alcohol consumption - can raise the body's estrogen levels.
Early Signs
Early signs of breast cancer include the following:
- A lump which is usually single, firm and most often painless is detected.
- An area of the skin on the breast or underarm is swollen and has an unusual appearance.
- Veins on the skin surface become more prominent on one breast.
- The affected breast nipple becomes inverted, develops a rash, changes in skin texture, or has a discharge other than breast milk.
- A depression is found in an area of the breast surface.
Types and Stages of Breast Cancer
There are many different varieties of breast cancer. Some are fast-growing and unpredictable, while others develop more slowly and steady. Some are stimulated by estrogen levels in the body; some result from mutation in one of the two previously mentioned genes - BRCA1 and BRCA2.
Ductal Carcinoma In-Situ (DCIS): Generally divided into comedo (blackhead), in which the cut surface of the tumor shows extrusion of dead and necrotic tumor cells similar to a blackhead, and non-comedo types. DCIS is early breast cancer that is confined to the inside of the ductal system. The distinction between comedo and non-comedo types is important, as comedocarcinoma in-situ generally behaves more aggressively and may show areas of micro-invasion through the ductal wall into surrounding tissue.
Infiltrating Ductal: This is the most common type of breast cancer, representing 78 percent of all malignancies. On mammography, these lesions can appear in two different shapes -- stellate (star- like) or well circumscribed (rounded). The stellate lesions generally have a poorer prognosis.
Medullary Carcinoma: This malignancy comprises 15 percent of breast cancers. These lesions are generally well circumscribed and may be difficult to distinguish from fibroadenoma by mammography or sonography. With this type of breast cancer, prognostic indicators estrogen and progesterone receptor are negative 90 percent of the time. Medullary carcinoma usually has a better prognosis than other types of breast cancer.
Infiltrating Lobular: Representing 15 percent of breast cancers, these lesions generally appear in the upper outer quadrant of the breast as a subtle thickening and are difficult to diagnose by mammography. Infiltrating lobular can involve both breasts (bilateral). Microscopically, these tumors exhibit a linear array of cells and grow around the ducts and lobules.
Tubular Carcinoma: This is described as orderly or well-differentiated carcinoma of the breast. These lesions make up about 2 percent of breast cancers. They have a favorable prognosis with nearly a 95 percent 10-year survival rate.
Mucinous Carcinoma: Represents 1-2 percent of carcinoma of the breast and has a favorable prognosis. These lesions are usually well circumscribed (rounded).
Inflammatory Breast Cancer: This is a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer that is usually evidenced by changes in the skin of the breast including redness (erythema), thickening of the skin and prominence of the hair follicles resembling an orange peel. The diagnosis is made by a skin biopsy, which reveals tumors in the lymphatic and vascular channels about 50 percent of the time.
Stages of Breast Cancer
The most common type of breast cancer is ductal carcinoma. It begins in the lining of the ducts. Another type, called lobular carcinoma, arises in the lobules. When cancer is found, the pathologist can tell what kind of cancer it is - whether it began in a duct (ductal) or a lobule (lobular) and whether it has invaded nearby tissues in the breast (invasive).
When cancer is found, special lab tests of the tissue are usually done to learn more about the cancer. For example, hormone (estrogen and progesterone) receptor tests can help determine whether hormones help the cancer to grow. If test results show that hormones do affect the growth of the cancer (a positive test result), the cancer is likely to respond to hormonal therapy. This therapy deprives the cancer cells of estrogen.
Other tests are sometimes done to help predict whether the cancer is likely to progress. For example, x-rays and other lab tests are done. Sometimes a sample of breast tissue is checked for a gene, known as the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2 gene) that is associated with a higher risk that the breast cancer will recur. Special exams of the bones, liver, or lungs are done because breast cancer may spread to these areas.
A woman's treatment options depend on a number of factors. These factors include her age and menopausal status; her general health; the size and location of the tumor and the stage of the cancer; the results of lab tests; and the size of her breast. Certain features of the tumor cells, such as whether they depend on hormones to grow are also considered.
In most cases, the most important factor is the stage of the disease. The stage is based on the size of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread. The following are brief descriptions of the stages of breast cancer and the treatments most often used for each stage. Other treatments may sometimes be appropriate.
Stage 0
Stage 0 is sometimes called non-invasive carcinoma or carcinoma in situ. Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) refers to abnormal cells in the lining of a lobule. These abnormal cells seldom become invasive cancer. However, they are an indicator of an increased risk of developing breast cancer in both breasts. The treatment for LCIS is a drug called tamoxifen, which can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. A person who is affected may choose not to have treatment, but to monitor the situation by having regular checkups. And occasionally, the decision is made to have surgery to remove both breasts to try to prevent cancer from developing. In most cases, removal of underarm lymph nodes is not necessary.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) refers to abnormal cells in the lining of a duct. DCIS is also called intraductal carcinoma. The abnormal cells have not spread beyond the duct to invade the surrounding breast tissue. However, women with DCIS are at an increased risk of getting invasive breast cancer. Some women with DCIS have breast-sparing surgery followed by radiation therapy. Alternatively, they may choose to have a mastectomy, with or without breast reconstruction (plastic surgery) to rebuild the breast. Underarm lymph nodes are not usually removed. Also, women with DCIS may want to talk with their doctor about tamoxifen to reduce the risk of developing invasive breast cancer.
Stage I and II
Stage I and stage II are early stages of breast cancer in which the cancer has spread beyond the lobe or duct and invaded nearby tissue.
Stage I means that the tumor is about one inch across and cancer cells have not spread beyond the breast.
Stage II means one of the following:
The tumor in the breast is less than 1 inch across and the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm.
The tumor is between 1 and 2 inches (with or without spread to the lymph nodes under the arm).
The tumor is larger than 2 inches but has not spread to the lymph nodes under the arm.
The treatment options for early stage breast cancer are breast-sparing surgery followed by radiation therapy to the breast, and mastectomy, with or without breast reconstruction to rebuild the breast. These approaches are equally effective in treating early stage breast cancer. (Sometimes radiation therapy is also given after mastectomy.)
The choice of breast-sparing surgery or mastectomy depends mostly on the size and location of the tumor, the size of the breast, certain features of the cancer, and how the person feels about preserving the breast. With either approach, lymph nodes under the arm usually are removed.
Chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy after primary treatment with surgery or surgery and radiation therapy are recommended for stage I and most frequently with stage II breast cancer. This added treatment is called adjuvant therapy. Systemic therapy sometimes given to shrink the tumor before surgeries called neoadjuvant therapy. This is given to try to destroy any remaining cancer cells and prevent the cancer from recurring, or coming back, in the breast or elsewhere.
Stage III
Stage III is also called locally advanced cancer. In this stage, the tumor in the breast may exhibit the following:
More than 2 inches across and the cancer has spread to the underarm lymph nodes.
The cancer is extensive in the underarm lymph nodes.
The cancer is spreading to lymph nodes near the breastbone or to other tissues near the breast.
Inflammatory breast cancer is a type of locally advanced breast cancer. In this type of cancer, the breast looks red and swollen (or inflamed) because cancer cells block the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast.
Patients with stage III breast cancer usually have both local treatment to remove or destroy the cancer in the breast and systemic treatment to stop the disease from spreading. The local treatment may be surgery and/or radiation therapy to the breast and underarm. The systemic treatment may be chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or both. Systemic therapy may be given before local therapy to shrink the tumor or afterward to prevent the disease from recurring in the breast or elsewhere.
Stage IV
Stage IV is metastatic cancer. The cancer has spread beyond the breast and underarm lymph nodes to other parts of the body.
The treatments for stage IV breast cancer are chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy to destroy cancer cells and control the disease. Patients 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.
Recurrent Cancer
Recurrent cancer means the disease has returned in spite of the initial treatment. Even when a tumor in the breast seems to have been completely removed or destroyed, the disease sometimes returns because undetected cancer cells remained somewhere in the body after treatment.
Most recurrences appear within the first 2 or 3 years after treatment, but breast cancer can recur many years later.
Cancer that returns only in the area of the surgery is called a local recurrence. If the disease returns in another part of the body, the recurrence is called metastatic breast cancer. The patient may have one type of treatment or a combination of treatments for recurrent cancer.
For more information, see "Nine Ways to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk" on this site.
Sources: National Cancer Institute; Centers for Disease Control

Syble James is a consultant and author with knowledge of the food, beverage, supplements, MLM, and health and fitness industry. She provides consultations to individual and organizations. She can be reached at Syble.James@AlphaHealthSource.net.

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Breast Cancer Cause, Control And Cure For The Benefit Of Humankind

Breast Cancer Cause, Control And Cure For The Benefit Of Humankind

Cancer accounts to a death of 6 million human lives per year. Modern medicine is aging with breath taking advances in cancer care with increasing awareness, preventing, detection, therapy, research and symptom management. Last 15 years has been a revolution. It is likely to fight Cancer out by getting an early detection especially at a pre cancer stage thus yielding best cure with much shorter treatment time, lesser cost, lesser body insult.

Am I at risk for breast cancer? Breast cancer is the most common malignancy-affecting woman in North America and Europe. Every woman is at risk for breast cancer. Close to 200,000 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in the United States in 2001. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American women behind lung cancer. The lifetime risk of any particular woman getting breast cancer is about 1 in 8 although the lifetime risk of dying from breast cancer is much lower at 1 in 28. The diagnosis once confirmed by Doctor shocks in such a way that not only the patient suffers but entire family suffers the shock. Thus the patient and family both suffer differently and that adds to the total burden of cancer related illness.
Know your breast: The breast is a collection of glands and fatty tissue that lies between the skin and the chest wall. The glands inside the breast produce milk after a woman has a baby. Each gland is called as lobule and many such lobules make up a lobe. There are 15 to 20 lobes in each breast. The milk gets to the nipple from the glands by way of tubes called ducts. The glands and ducts get bigger when a breast is filled with milk, but the tissue that is most responsible for the size and shape the breast is the fatty tissue. There are also blood vessels and lymph vessels in the breast. Lymph is a clear liquid waste product that gets drained out of the breast into lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are small, pea-sized pieces of tissue that filter and clean the lymph. Most lymph nodes that drain the breast are under the arm in what is called the axilla.
Risk factors for breast cancer: They can be divided into those that you cannot change and those that you can change. Some factors that increase your risk of breast cancer that you cannot alter include being a woman, getting older, having a family history (having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer doubles your risk), having a previous history of breast cancer, having had radiation therapy to the chest region, being Caucasian, getting your periods young (before 12 years old), having your menopause late (after 50 years old), never having children or having them when you are older than 30, and having a genetic mutation that increases your risk. Genetic mutations for breast cancer have become a hot topic of research lately. Between 3-10% of breast cancers may be related to changes in either the gene BRCA1 or the gene BRCA2.
Women can inherit these mutations from their parents and it may be worth testing for either mutation if a woman has a particularly strong family history of breast cancer (meaning multiple relatives affected, especially if they are under 50 years old when they get the disease). If a woman is found to carry either mutation, she has a 50% chance of getting breast cancer before she is 70. Family members may elect to get tested to see if they carry the mutation as well. If a woman does have the mutation, she can get more rigorous screening or even undergo preventive (prophylactic) mastectomies to decrease her chances of contracting cancer. The decision to get tested is a highly personal one that should be discussed with a doctor who is trained in counseling patients about genetic testing.
Certain factors which increase a woman's risk of breast cancer can be altered including taking hormone replacement therapy (long term use of estrogens with progesterone for menopause symptoms slightly increases your risk), taking birth control pills (a very slight increased risk that disappears in women who have stopped them for over 10 years), not breastfeeding, drinking 2 to 5 alcoholic drinks a day, being overweight (especially after menopause), and not exercising. All of these modifiable risk factors are not nearly as important as gender, age, and family history, but they are things that a woman can control that may reduce her chances of developing a breast malignancy. Remember that all risk factors are based on probabilities, and even someone without any risk factors can still get breast cancer. Proper screening and early detection are our best weapons in reducing the mortality associated with this disease.
What are the signs of breast cancer? Unfortunately, the early stages of breast cancer may not have any symptoms. This is why it is important to follow screening recommendations. As a tumor grows in size, it can produce a variety of symptoms including: lump or thickening in the breast or underarm, change in size or shape of the breast, nipple discharge or nipple turning inward, redness or scaling of the skin or nipple, ridges or pitting of the breast skin
Can you prevent breast cancer? The individual cannot control the most important risk factors for the development of breast cancer. There are some risk factors that are associated with an increased risk, but there is not a clear cause and effect relationship. In no way can strong recommendations be made like the cause and effect relationship seen with tobacco and lung cancer. There are a few risk factors that may be modified by a woman that potentially could influence the development of breast cancer. If possible, a woman should avoid long-term hormone replacement therapy, have children before age 30, breastfeed, avoid weight gain through exercise and proper diet, and limit alcohol consumption to 1 drink a day or less. For women already at a high risk, their risk of developing breast cancer can be reduced by about 50% by taking a drug called Tamoxifen for five years. Tamoxifen has some common side effects (like hot flashes and vaginal discharge), which are not serious and some uncommon side effects (like blood clots, pulmonary embolus, stroke, and uterine cancer) which are life threatening. Tamoxifen isn't widely used for prevention, but may be useful in some cases.
There are limited data suggesting that vitamin A may protect against breast cancer but further research is needed before it can be recommended for prevention. Other things being investigated include phyto estrogens (naturally occurring estrogens that are in high numbers in soy), vitamin E, vitamin C, and other drugs. Further testing of these substances is also needed before they can be recommended for breast cancer prevention. Right now, the most important thing any woman can do to decrease her risk of dying from breast cancer is to have regular mammogram screening, perform breast self-exams once a month. Follow a few, easy steps, you will soon know what is normal for you and will quickly be aware of any changes. If you find a lump or other change, note down where it is and make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible.
Question for young women's are how to look? Well it is medically suggested that you stand up straight in front of a mirror with your arms loosely by your sides. Raise your arms above your head and move from side to side so you can see your breasts in the mirror, from different angles. What should you look for? A change in the size of either breast, change in the shape or position of nipple, bleeding or discharge from the nipples, unusual dimpling or puckering.
How do you feel for changes? Lie flat on your back with your head on a pillow. Put a folded towel under the shoulder on the side of the breast you are checking. This helps to spread the tissue so that it is easier to feel. Examine one breast at a time. Put the hand on the same side of the breast that you are going to examine under your head. With your other hand flat and fingers together, use the flats of your fingers to feel around the breast in small, circular movements, in an anticlockwise direction. Cover the whole of the breast including the nipple. Check your armpit for lumps in the same way, starting in the hollow and moving down towards the breast.
Now examine the other breast in the same way. If you think you have found something, feel the same area on the opposite breast. If they are the same it's probably just your shape, but if you are at all worried, do visit your doctor. Breast cancer happens when cells in the breast begin to grow out of control and can then invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body. Large collections of this out of control tissue are called tumors. However, some tumors are not really cancer because they cannot spread or threaten someone's life. These are called benign tumors. The tumors that can spread throughout the body or invade nearby tissues are considered cancer and are called malignant tumors. Theoretically, any of the types of tissue in the breast can form a cancer, but usually it comes from either the ducts or the glands. Because it may take months to years for a tumor to get large enough to feel in the breast, we screen for tumors with mammograms, which can sometimes see disease before we can feel it.
The earlier that a breast cancer is found, the more likely it is that treatment can be curable. Screening mammograms are simply x-rays of each breast. The breast is placed between two plates for a few seconds while the x-rays are taken. If something appears abnormal, or better views are needed, magnified views or specially angled films are taken during the mammogram. Mammograms often detect tumors before they can be felt and they can also identify tiny specks of calcium that could be an early sign of cancer. Regular screening mammograms can decrease the mortality of breast cancer by 30%. Woman should get a yearly mammogram starting at age 40 (although some groups recommend starting at 50), and women with a genetic mutation that increases their risk or a strong family history may want to begin even earlier. Between the ages of 20 and 39, every woman should have a clinical breast exam every 3 years and after age 40 every woman should have a clinical breast exam done each year.
There are some experimental screening modalities that are currently being studied. These include MRI, ductal lavage, ultrasound, optical tomography, PET scan, and digital mammograms. Depending on the results of the mammograms and/or ultrasounds, your doctors may recommend that you get a biopsy. A biopsy is the only way to know for sure if you have cancer, because it allows your doctors to get cells that can be examined under a microscope. There are different types of biopsies; they differ on how much tissue is removed. Some biopsies use a very fine needle, while others use thicker needles or even require a small surgical procedure to remove more tissue. Your team of doctors will decide which type of biopsy you need depending on your particular breast mass. Once the tissue is removed, a pathologist will review the specimen. The pathologist can tell if it is cancer or not; and if it is cancerous, then the pathologist will characterize it by what type of tissue it arose from, how abnormal it looks (known as the grade), whether or not it is invading surrounding tissues, and if the entire lump was excised, the pathologist can tell if there are any cancer cells left at the borders (also known as the margins). The pathologist will also test the cancer cells for the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors as well as a receptor known as HER-2/neu. Basic 4 stages of breast cancer are called as
Stage 0 (called carcinoma in situ) Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) refers to abnormal cells lining a gland in the breast. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) refers to abnormal cells lining a duct.
Stage I - early stage breast cancer where the tumor is less that 2 cm across and hasn't spread beyond the breast
Stage II - early stage breast cancer where the tumor is either less than 2 cm across and has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm; or the tumor is between 2 and 5 cm (with or without spread to the lymph nodes under the arm); or the tumor is greater than 5 cm and hasn't spread outside the breast
Stage III - locally advanced breast cancer where the tumor is greater than 5 cm across and has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm; or the cancer is extensive in the underarm lymph nodes; or the cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone or to other tissues near the breast
Stage IV - metastatic breast cancer where the cancer has spread outside the breast to other organs in the body
Depending on the stage of your cancer, your doctor may want additional tests to see if you have metastatic disease. If you have a stage III cancer, you will probably get a chest x-ray, CT scan and bone scan to look for metastases. Each patient is an individual and your doctors will decide what is necessary to adequately stage your cancer.
What are the treatments for breast cancer?
Surgery: Almost all women with breast cancer will have some type of surgery in the course of their treatment while some women will be candidates for what is called breast conservation therapy (BCT) where surgeons perform a lumpectomy which means they remove the tumor with a little bit of breast tissue around it but do not remove the entire breast. Some patients will have a sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure first to determine if a formal lymph node dissection is required. Sometimes, the surgeon will remove a larger part (but not the whole breast), and this is called a segmental or partial mastectomy. Most patients with DCIS that have a lumpectomy are treated with radiation therapy to prevent the local recurrence of DCIS.More advanced breast cancers are usually treated with a modified radical mastectomy. Modified radical mastectomy means removing the entire breast and dissecting the lymph nodes under the arm.
Chemotherapy: is the use of anti-cancer drugs that go throughout the entire body. The higher the stage of cancer you have, the more important it is that you receive chemotherapy; however, even stage I patients may benefit from chemotherapy in certain cases. In early stage patients, the risk of recurrence may be small, and thus the benefits of the chemotherapy are even smaller. There are many different chemotherapy drugs, and they are usually given in combinations for 3 to 6 months after you receive your surgery. Depending on the type of chemotherapy regimen you receive, you may get medication every 3 or 4 weeks; and you may have to go to a clinic to get the chemotherapy because many of the drugs have to be given through a vein. Two of the most common regimens are AC (doxorubicin and cycolphosphamide) for 3 months or CMF (cycolphosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil) for 6 months. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of the different regimens that your medical oncologist will discuss with you. Based on your own health, your personal values and wishes, and side effects you may wish to avoid, you can work with your doctors to come up with the best regimen for your lifestyle.
Radiotherapy: uses high-energy rays (similar to x-rays) to kill cancer cells. It comes from an external source, and it requires patients to come in 5 days a week for up to 6 weeks to a radiation therapy treatment center. The treatment takes just a few minutes, and it is painless. Radiation therapy is used in all patients who receive breast conservation therapy (BCT). It is also recommended for patients after a mastectomy that had large tumors, lymph node involvement, or close/positive margins after the surgery. Radiation is important in reducing the risk of local recurrence and is often offered in more advanced cases to kill tumor cells that may be living in lymph nodes.
Hormonal Therapy: When the pathologist examines your tumor specimen, he or she finds out if the tumor is expressing estrogen and progesterone receptors. Patients whose tumors express estrogen receptors are candidates for therapy with an estrogen-blocking drug called Tamoxifen. Tamoxifen is taken by pill form for 5 years after your surgery. This drug has been shown to drastically reduce your risk of recurrence if your tumor expresses estrogen receptors. However, there are side effects commonly associated with Tamoxifen including weight gain, hot flashes and vaginal discharge that patients may be bothered by. There are also very uncommon side effects like blood clots, strokes, or uterine cancer that may scare patients from choosing to take it. You need to remember that your chances of having a recurrence of your cancer are usually higher than your chances of having a serious problem with Tamoxifen, but the decision to undergo hormonal therapy is a personal one that you should make with your doctor. There are also newer drugs, called aromatase inhibitors that act by decreasing your body's supply of estrogen; these drugs are reserved for patients who have already gone through menopause. Talk to your doctors about these new therapies.
Biologic Therapy: The pathologist also examines your tumor for the presence of HER-2/neu over expression. A compound called Herceptin (or Trastuzumab) is a substance that blocks this receptor and helps stop the breast cancer from growing.
Follow-up testing: Once a patient has been treated for breast cancer, they need to be closely followed for a recurrence. At first, you will have follow-up visits every 3-4 months. The longer you are free of disease, the less often you will have to go for checkups. After 5 years, you could see your doctor once a year. You should have a mammogram of the treated and untreated breasts every year. Because having had breast cancer is a risk factor for getting it again, having your mammograms done every year is extremely important. If you are taking Tamoxifen, it is important that you get a pelvic exam each year and report any abnormal vaginal bleeding to your doctor.
Drink Green Tea: Generations of families in India and Asia have been turning to tea to cure what ails them. Green tea could benefit at least five vital organs, including the heart. Earlier, green tea was thought to improve urinary and brain function, combat beriberi disease, and alleviate indigestion. In other words, green tea was considered to be a multi-purpose elixir, able to treat a wide variety of health problems. But this ancient remedy has now found a place in modern scientific literature, thanks to a new wave of studies on the medicinal properties of green tea. While studies on human subjects have been inconclusive, initial evidence from the laboratory looks incredibly promising.
While green tea can be beneficial in attacking everything from high cholesterol to depression, it has perhaps gotten the most attention for its impact on cancer.
Antioxidants are important because they can stop the enzyme activities that give rise to cancer. In essence, they repair DNA problems that have been caused by oxidants or free radicals. Green tea has been considered a godsend for good health because it contains antioxidants known as catechins. These substances have been called impressive inhibitors of cancer growth. Here's how they do it: lab tests show that they combat oxidants prior to cell injuries, stop the growth of tumor cells, and reduce the occurrence of tumors.
This article is meant to give you a better understanding of breast cancer. Use this knowledge when meeting with your physician, making treatment decisions, and continuing your search for information.
Stay Healthy, as Health is Wealth!

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