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
Monday, 21 December 2009
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.
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.
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