Discover How Breast Cancer Awareness Can Benefit You

You have undoubted run across many of the breast cancer awareness days and sessions that appear around the country sporadically. These are usually put on by a local group, a church, or sponsored by the American Cancer Society to promote breast cancer awareness in the community.

You might be wondering why your breast cancer awareness level should be raised and what benefit that represents for you, but all you need to do is look at the statistics about the reported cases of breast cancer. The reported cases of breast cancer has been rising steadily year after year, and for the coming year, the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be more than 200,000 diagnosed cases. Even scarier is that they also estimate that more than 40,000 of those cases of breast cancer will die from it.

Here is an even scarier fact for you -- did you know that breast cancer is not limited to women? Yes it is true. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 1600 cases of breast cancer in MEN this year, and that about 400 of them will die. So are you starting to see where breast cancer awareness is starting to be important to you and your health? With statistics like this, it is no wonder that they want to promote breast cancer awareness as much as possible.

Many people do not take this disease seriously, even despite these statistics. Although it is difficult to believe, there are many people who have not had a checkup or medical exam in the past 4, 5, or 10 years or more. How can you possibly take your health seriously if you do not have regular checkups and exams from your doctor or medical professional? One way is of course to raise your breast cancer awareness level since that is a disease where there is currently not a known cure.

Your best option for fighting breast cancer is to get early detection and early diagnosis. When breast cancer is detected early, your chances of being able to cope with it, to fight it, and via treatments like chemo, there are many documented cases of people who have beat it. But if it had not been detected and diagnosed early, those would almost certainly be different stories with radically different outcomes. What about those people who have not had a medical examination in the past 4 or 5 years? If they have developed breast cancer in that timeframe, it will certainly not be considered an early diagnosis and could even mean another fatality from breast cancer.

You need to become knowledgeable about the typical symptoms of breast cancer, and if you detect any of those symptoms at home, you should schedule a checkup with your doctor as soon as possible. For women of ages 18 to about 40, you should plan to schedule a checkup with your doctor once about every 2-3 years. For women over 40, that checkup should be not less than annually. Although breast cancer has not conclusively been determined to be hereditary, you might want to consider having checkups even more often is there is a history of cancer in your family tree. Keeping these statistics in mind, your level of breast cancer awareness should be raised where these regular checkups should be at the forefront of your mind.

Raise your breast cancer awareness levels and get those checkups. Be aware of the symptoms and if you see any of them, be sure to get an exam soon. Remember, the best chances for beating breast cancer are early detection and early diagnosis.

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Breast Cancer in Women - Know the Facts

Breast cancer should be a major concern for all women today since it is the single most common type of cancer in women. There is about a 15% chance of developing breast cancer by the age of 90 if you are a woman and have a full, healthy lifestyle. This percentage may not sound like a lot, but it is one of the highest as far as cancer risks go. You can lower this risk by having a breast cancer test frequently.

Have a Basic Mammogram Regularly

The basic mammogram is the most effective test available even though it can be very uncomfortable for some women. During the time of your test, keep thinking, “This may save my life.” It will help you get through it.

You do not want to wait for symptoms to develop before getting your mammogram, as symptoms don’t usually become clear until the cancer is already in its later stages of growth.

Usually, if the cancer has hit the later stages it is more difficult to treat and more likely has spread to other parts of the body. You may feel like a mammogram is too unpleasant, but terminal cancer is without a doubt worse than the test. Please make the breast cancer test part of your annual check-up.

Self-Examination for Breast Cancer

Also, as soon as you reach the puberty age, it is a good idea to carry out your own breast cancer test, which you can do on a regular basis in the privacy of your own home. A pamphlet describing how this should be done can be picked up at your local doctor’s office or health department. Most breast cancer occurs in women over 40, but there are several cases found in young teen girls each year.

Cancer does not have a certain age or time when it occurs. You just need to check yourself regularly for any lumps or other unusual occurrences. If any are found, go to your doctor immediately.

Breast Cancer Risks

Your chances of developing breast cancer are slightly higher if there is a history of such cancer in your family. So, if you don’t have anyone in your immediate family that has had breast cancer, this is very good news. But unfortunately, many families do have a history. With or without a family history, you still should have regular checkups.

Most people do not realize that there is a 1% occurrence of breast cancer in men. But there are still many more men that are never diagnosed with breast cancer, but they do have it.

Keep up with your self-examination and your regular mammogram since your chances of survival are much greater if the cancer is found early.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM)

Also, remember that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) and is observed all over the world thanks to National Breast Cancer Foundation. Breast cancer month has been extremely successful in making more women aware of the signs of breast cancer. More women than ever are now getting their annual mammogram, and this has contributed to a greater survival rate for cancer patients.

Many women have lost their lives to this devastating disease, and this is the main reason why efforts must be continued to teach all women young and old about breast cancer and the risk factors.

Be a true friend or family member and help educate your loved ones about breast cancer and early detection. You may save their lives.

Jean Pardue is a freelance content writer and can be contacted at speed-writer@hotmail.com.

She works with her husband, Bob Pardue, who is a stock female lifestyle and fashion photographer. http://www.parduephotos.com

Breast Cancer - Myths And Facts

Myth: Breast cancer is primarily a genetic disorder.

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

Myth: Radiation therapy causes a person to be radioactive.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer

Preventing Breast Cancer Recurrence with Green Tea

In recent years, lots of research has been performed on green tea’s ability to prevent and treat breast cancer. The news has been extremely promising; it appears that as we learn more, we’ll eventually determine that green tea is, indeed, one of the simplest things we can do to protect breast health. Since about 13% of all American women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime, breast health is a significant concern for all of us.

One study showed that tea helped to ensure that women had an appropriate level of the sex hormone binding globulin on critical days of their cycle. The level of binding globulin is important because low levels of this hormone in pre-menopausal women have been associated with a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

Another study showed that one group of Chinese women who were at a higher than average risk of developing cancer, due to angiotensin activity in their blood, were able to lower their breast cancer risk by drinking green tea. This study concluded that even women who drank green tea only weekly were at a lower risk than those who drank it only monthly or not at all.

One study also showed that green tea may be able to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Green tea was shown to increase the concentration of chemotherapy drugs in the cancer cells, compared to women who received chemotherapy without green tea as an adjunct treatment. Green tea was also shown to slow the growth of cancer cells, suggesting that it may inhibit cancer progression and metastasis.

Green tea’s anti-oxidants are what make it such a powerful health protector. The anti-oxidants in green tea have been shown to be more than 100 times as effective at neutralizing free radicals as vitamin C, and 25 times more powerful than vitamin E, both of which are well recognized as anti-oxidants. In addition, the EGCG in green tea have also been found to be more powerful than BHA, BHT and Resveratol, all of which are considered some of the most potent anti-oxidants around.

And, now there’s a study that’s shown that green tea may prevent breast cancer from recurring, too. This study, reported by the UK Tea Council, examined many databases that contained information about breast cancer patients and their rate of recurrence.

The study concluded that women who consumed more than 5 cups of green tea per day had a slightly lower than average risk of developing breast cancer than women who consumed a smaller amount or who did not drink green tea at all.

In addition, this study showed that women with Stages 1 and 2 breast cancer who drank green tea daily showed a decreased risk of breast cancer recurrence over women who did not drink green tea.

This is very promising news, both for women who are trying to prevent breast cancer and for women who are already battling the disease. It appears that green tea may be an important part of the treatment of breast cancer, in order to lessen the chances that the cancer will recur later.

Each recurrence of breast cancer is more difficult to treat than the previous ones, and each one increases your mortality risk from the disease. So, while prevention is critical in all women – preventing recurrence for those who are already battling the disease is just as critical.

When you combine all the evidence that’s out there, it’s hard to ignore the fact that green tea holds a lot of promise in the fight against breast cancer.

So, if you’re at a higher than average risk for developing breast cancer, it’s wise to consider adding green tea to your diet. Even if it doesn’t prevent you from getting breast cancer, green tea has no side effects, and is considered to be completely safe to consume.

In addition to adding green tea to your diet, you should also take steps to ensure that you’re living an overall healthy life. This means eating a healthy diet, that includes lots of fruits and vegetables (these are high in anti-oxidants just like green tea) and is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Switch to whole grains and be certain that you’re getting an adequate amount of fiber.

You should also exercise. Exercise helps burn calories and maintain a normal body weight. In addition, exercise helps build muscle and keep your body strong, which comes in handy as we age.

Finally, if you smoke, stop. We’re all aware that smoking increases our risk for lung cancer, but what many people don’t know is that smoking increases your overall risk of cancer. So, smoking may contribute to you having a higher risk of breast cancer, too. Smoking also contributes to heart disease.

We’re learning more and more about the benefits of drinking green tea. It’s likely that in a few years, we’ll truly understand how this popular beverage keeps us healthy. But, in the meantime, you should get a head start on the road to health by having some green tea today and every day!

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea) and chai. Visit goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company's fine line of teas.

Modern Breast Cancer Treatment Methods

Breast cancer has become a more common disease among women in modern times. Once known as an older women's disease, women in their 20's are now experiencing more cases of it. Statistics reveal that the average breast cancer risk is 14%. This climbs by 32% for smokers. The incidence of breast cancer could also be inherited but is likely more too environmental factors and lifestyle. Studies show that two genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 should normally prevent cancer cell growth but when there are abnormalities in these genes, they can become the cause of higher breast cancer risk. Combine this with the present toxic environment and multiple carcinogens and the higher rates are easier to understand.

Typical breast cancer symptoms are the formation of lumps, swelling or skin changes in the breast. However, a cyst or an infection could also exhibit the same symptoms. Regular self-examination of the breast and an annual mammogram would help in early diagnosis of breast cancer. If there is a doubt and concern that breast cancer may be starting, further scans like ultrasound, MRI, CAT, and PET scans should be taken.

Breast cancer treatment depends on several factors, like the size and stage of the tumor, as well as the lymph node and hormone receptor status. Breast cancer is classified as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), and invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC).

Modern technology has ushered in several treatment options. They are surgery, radiation, hormonal therapy, and chemotherapy. These treatments could be done singly or in a combination of more than one. Normal breast cancer surgery, called lumpectomy, is done where only the tumor in the breast is removed. Normally, radiation therapy is applied as a follow-up measure to ensure that the remaining breast tissues are hopefully cleansed of cancer cells. In mastectomy, the entire breast is removed and in most cases followed up by radiation and/or chemotherapy. This is because the current understanding of cancer is that they really don't know the cause or the extent so they recommend this in hopes that it gets all the cancerous cells.

In persons having invasive breast cancer, surgery and radiation might be supplemented by an axillary lymph node dissection. Further hormonal therapy or chemotherapy - or both - might be needed in a few breast cancer patients. Radiation therapy is an effective process for the destruction of cancer cells that might remain after surgery. Radiation therapy reduces the risk of recurrence significantly. The side effects of radiation therapy are dependant on the type, duration and health of the patient. Dietary changes and nutritional supplements are highly recommended.

If the breast cancer is hormone-receptor-positive, then hormonal therapy is a primary method of breast cancer treatment. Hormonal therapy stops the hormone known as estrogen to stimulate breast cancer cell growth. In recent times, aromatase inhibitors are preferred to tamoxifen, particularly for breast cancer treatment of post-menopausal women who have hormone-receptive-positive breast cancer. Chemotherapy is resorted to mainly to eliminate any cancer cells that could have spread from the breast to other parts of the body. However, the chemotherapy treatment regimen would differ with each individual. It is very important to be regular in the treatment plan and continue with follow-up checkups to avoid recurrence, as well as a change in lifestyle.

Darren Dunner is the author of this article on Breast Cancer Treatment . Visit today http://www.facr.org

Breast Cancer Risks and Prevention Tips

One risk factor for breast cancer is hormone stimulation. One way to stimulate hormones is hormone replacement therapy. Hormone replacement therapy was a popular treatment for women going through menopause. It was used to control the mood swings and other menopause symptoms. The hormone commonly being replaced was estrogen, with progesterone sometimes being used as well. The greatest risk comes from using a combination of progesterone and estrogen.

One other way for hormone stimulation is an uncontrollable factor, the age a woman begins menstruation and menopause. If a girl starts menstruation before 12, or a woman starts menopause before age 55, she will have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. There are ways to decrease that risk though. If a woman has a full-term pregnancy (38 to 40 weeks) before the age of 30 that may decrease her risk. Also, if a woman breast feeds her infant for at least 12 months or breast feeds several children, her risk may also be reduced.

Medication can also be used to prevent breast cancer. Tamoxifen is the most commonly used and others are being researched right now for their potential use in preventing breast cancer. Tamoxifen is often prescribed to women who have an increased risk of developing breast cancer, either because of genetic factors or other risk factors. This medication works by blocking how estrogen affects the cells in your breast. There are several serious risks associated with tamoxifen use however. These include an increased risk of uterine cancer, stroke and blood clots in the legs or lungs. You need to see your doctor immediately if you develop any symptom of these side effects.

Some women may choose to surgically remove their breasts in order to prevent breast cancer. This is called a preventive mastectomy. This is usually done by women who have a strong family history of breast cancer, as in several women (usually a woman's mother, sisters and/or aunts) in the family have been diagnosed with breast cancer. This surgery reduces the risk of breast cancer by as much as 90%.

Another type of surgery that may be performed to reduce the risk of breast cancer is a prophylactic oophorectomy, or elective surgery to remove the ovaries. This helps reduce the risk of breast cancer because the hormones produced by the ovaries increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. The genetic mutations that increase breast cancer risk may also increase a woman's chances of developing ovarian cancer. By removing her ovaries, a woman can dramatically decrease her chances of developing either type of cancer.

A woman's choice of foods and lifestyle may increase her risk of breast cancer. There seems to be a connection between obesity and breast cancer. Some studies have shown that obese women have a higher chance of developing breast cancer because of an increased amount of estrogen in their systems. Another study has shown that women who regularly eat high-fat foods have an increased risk of dying from breast cancer, not just developing it, compared to women from the same population that eat low-fat foods. These two studies suggest that an exercise program and a low-fat diet may decrease your chances of developing breast cancer. One lifestyle choice that may increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer is alcohol drinking. Studies have shown that drinking alcohol may slightly increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. This does not mean that every woman who had a drink to celebrate her birthday or job promotion is at greater risk of cancer. The study suggested that current drinking had more of an impact on the risk than drinking as a young adult.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer

An Overview Of Breast Cancer

Many women consider their breasts to be their defining feature and cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases of the world. As the name signifies, cancer of the breast, or breast cancer, is a type of cancer. It is predominantly a female disease and it is one of the most common forms of cancer. In the United States alone, approximately 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, though the figure is somewhat lower in countries like Canada and Australia. It is also a major cause of cancer deaths in women. The majority of patients are women who have crossed the menopause stage. Birth control pills also increase the chances of its occurrence as do treatments like HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy). Being overweight and the excessive consumption of alcohol also contribute significantly to it. The occurrence of breast cancer in family members can increase the chances as there is a gene which can be inherited.

What is Breast Cancer? Simply put, cancer of the tissues in breast is called breast cancer. It usually surfaces in the form of a lump or tumor in and around the breast. Every lump found in the breasts is not necessarily an indicator of breast cancer; sometimes it may not be associated with breast cancer at all. It is normal for lumps to be formed, especially during the growing up stage. They can also be formed as a result of hormonal changes and they are usually temporary.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

It is not possible to detect this disease in the starting stages. The symptoms start appearing slowly and slowly as the disease progresses. They could be anything like:

. A lump or swelling in the breast or adjoining area like the underarm.

. Increase or decrease in the shape or size of the breasts.

. Dimpling or change in the color of the skin

. Discharge from the nipples.

Factors that increase the risk of Breast Cancer

. Contraceptives.

. Hormone therapy.

. Overweight.

. Alcohol.

. Age factor.

. Genes.

. Dairy products.

How To Detect Breast Cancer

Early detection of breast cancer is vital to cure the disease. The sooner it is detected, the better. The chances of curing it are more if detected in the early stages. It is very difficult to cure it in the advanced stages. There are many ways to find out if you are suffering from breast cancer. A few of them are:

. Medical examination of breasts and armpits by a doctor, at least once in a year.

. Mammogram, especially if you are above 40 years of age.

. Ultrasound, can be done separately or combined with other tests.

. BSE (Breast Self-Examination).

. Biopsy.

Types of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer occurs broadly in two places, lobules or the milk ducts. They are:

. Invasive lobular carcinoma - Cancer originated in the lobules, but has now spread.

. Invasive ductal carcinoma - Cancer, which originated in the milk ducts but has spread.

. Lobular carcinoma in situ - Cancer in the lobules.

. Ductal carcinoma in situ - Cancer in the milk ducts.

Treatments available for Breast Cancer

There are various options available for its treatment. Some of them are:

. Surgery.

. Radiation Therapy.

. Chemotherapy.

. Hormone Treatment.

Prevention of Breast Cancer

The most important aspect of this dangerous and fatal disease is prevention. The various treatment options are costly and damaging to the body. The old saying prevention is better than cure is aptly applicable to this disease. Prevention of breast cancer is more important than its cure. Routine medical examinations and immediate medical advice in case of suspected symptoms can greatly reduce the chances of breast cancer spreading.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer