Breast Cancer Statistics - How Breast Cancer Survival Rates Increased 50%

Breast cancer statistics show that over 1.2 million persons will be diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide this year, according to the World Health Organization. For breast cancer and prevention, it has long been known that regular physical activity has been shown to decrease the likelihood of having breast cancer. What has not been known or studied has been the effect of regular physical activity on the breast cancer survival rates or likelihood of death in women that already have breast cancer. That is, until now.

The breast cancer statistics and findings as reported by the American Medical Association’s Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in May 2005 were astounding! Certain participants in the study of women with Stage I, II or III breast cancer achieved a 50% reduction in the death rate from breast cancer.

Here are these breast cancer statistics: the journal reported that in the study 2,987 female registered nurses had been diagnosed with breast cancer during the years 1984-1998. What the study found was that the women who had physical activity equivalent to walking at a steady pace of 2.0-2.9 miles per hour for 3-5 hours a week had a death rate of only 50% of the death rate of women who had physical activity equivalent to walking less than one hour a week. The conclusion of the breast cancer statistics in the study was that physical activity after breast cancer has been diagnosed may reduce the risk of death from breast cancer. The study found that there was little evidence of any relation between increased physical activity and increased benefit.

It’s time to dust off those walking shoes!

As a physical activity, walking can be done almost anytime by anyone anywhere. All that’s needed is a good pair of walking shoes. Walking is fun and reduces stress. As for injuries, walking has the lowest injury rate of all the various kinds of exercise.

You can walk with a partner, friend, family member or dog, maybe even a neighbor's dog. Or you can walk with your favorite headset and music. If you are walking outdoors with a headset, keep one ear open to hear the sounds around you.

As for basic walking tips:

· As you begin regular walking, take it easy. Standard advice is to check with your physician before starting any exercise program. If it’s been years or decades since you walked regularly, perhaps you can begin with 5 minutes of walking and slowly increase your time and distance.

· Walking at a pace of 75–95 steps a minute will have you walking at a speed of about 2-3 miles per hour.

· Walk with your head up, looking out in front of you. Do not walk looking down right in front of you except to navigate any obstacles.

· Really take it easy the first 5 minutes of walking to warm up. Afterwards, gently stretch for 5–10 minutes while your muscles are warm.

· Practice good walking form. Your arms should swing naturally in the direction you’re walking, not from side to side across your body. Your foot should strike the ground on your heel, then a rolling motion forward toward the ball of your foot, then pushing off with your toes.

And here are some basic walking shoes tips:

· Buy your walking shoes from a sporting shoes store with large selections. That will give you plenty of choices. And buy your walking shoes later in the day when your feet will be larger.

· Buy cushioned, supportive walking shoes. To see if a shoe is supportive, do this test -- take a shoe and turn it upside down. Holding each end of the shoe, try to fold it. If you find the shoe bends in the middle, then that shoe is not a supportive shoe. A supportive shoe should bend where your foot normally bends, near your toes.

· You should allow the width of your index finger between the end of your shoe and the end of your longest toe, or about one-half inch.

· Buy two pairs of walking shoes, one for home and one for the car or workplace. And if one pair gets wet, you can use the other pair that day.

Walking is the closest thing to the perfect exercise. In today’s fast-paced society, regular walking can be a welcomed break from the stress of the day. Maybe you’ll get to know your neighborhood or neighbors better. There may be walking trails you’ve never seen but wanted to.

Wherever and however you choose to walk, not only can the experience be fun, you’ll know you’re being good to your body in a variety of ways. Besides the incredible breast cancer statistics and findings of the breast cancer study, walking helps with weight control and bone strength, elevates mood, helps build and maintain healthy muscles, joints and heart. With so many great health benefits, why not get started walking today!

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

Olinda Rola is President of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com - a website of natural solutions for a variety of health problems. For information about preventing breast cancer, visit Breast Cancer and Prevention to read more.

Breast Cancer; Facts and Figures

It would not be surprising, therefore, that any ailment or condition that endangers the look, health and functionality of this vital body part would be a real source of worry to every lady.

Breast cancer, despite all medical and technological advances, as been on the rise in the last 50 years or so. The figures that stare us in the face when we check the records are quite alarming. But, there is no running away from these figures, they are real.

It's alarming but it is true that there's more breast cancer now than ever before. It is true that between 1979 and 1986 the incidence of invasive breast cancer in the United States alone has increased 29 percent among white women and 41 percent among black women, and incidences of all breast cancers doubled. It's true that despite yearly mammograms and advanced medical and diagnostic technology the percentage of women dying from breast cancer has remained virtually unchanged over the past 50 years, and that every 12 minutes throughout the last half of the 20th Century another woman died of breast cancer.

It is also fact that more than two hundred thousand cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year in the United States. In Canada about twenty thousand new cases, thirteen thousand in Australia and over forty one thousand in the UK. And it's true that breast cancer is the disease that women fear more than any other, that breast cancer is the biggest killer of all women aged 35 to 54, and that of the 2.5 million women currently diagnosed with breast cancer, half will be dead within ten years.

It really does not matter if you are 20 years old or 50 years old. You stand some risk of catching the monster. It is estimated that one in every nine women will get breast cancer at some period in her life

These are not pleasant tales. My purpose in painting these gory pictures, is not to scare anyone, but to make you see the importance of giving more attention to your breast. The more you know about breast cancer, the better.

Almost every woman is at risk of breast cancer, but records show that 80% of cases are found in woman over 50 years of age. There are several factors that can predispose one to breast cancer. Some are within your control and others are not. It therefore makes much sense to avoid the humanly controllable factors as much as possible. Most of these are the daily lifestyle choices we make. The problem is that these habits do not show the extent of damage they can cause to our body until we begin to get older, and by then the damage is done already.

Factors associated with breast cancer include:

- Taking an oral contraceptive pill

- Hormone replacement therapy

- Obesity and/or high fat diets

- Family history of breast cancer

It is worth stating here, however, that most breast cancers are hormonally related Other factors may also affecting the risk, include stress, carcinogens, excessive use of stimulants like alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes and exposure to pesticides and radiation.

Early detection of breast cancer is still the best guarantee of getting cured. Presently, six out of every seven patients diagnosed with breast cancer are cured at an early stage. However, if they are diagnosed when the cancer has become advanced, the cure rate falls to about one in seven. It is extremely important to catch breast cancer at an early stage if it is to be satisfactorily cured. This therefore makes knowing the symptoms very crucial.

Breast cancer, in its early stages hardly shows any sign at all. It does not cause any pain in most instances. Some of the symptoms associated with breast cancer include:

- Itching in the armpit or around the breast region

- Pink, red, or dark colored area (called erythematic) with texture similar to the skin of an orange

- Ridges and thickened areas of the skin of nipple or breast

- Appearance of a bruise that does not go away

- Nipple getting inverted

- Breast warm to the touch

- Pain in the breast which could vary from a constant ache to stabbing pains

- Change in texture as well as color of the skin around the nipple

- Change in the shape or size of a breast

- Dimpling of the breast skin

- Swelling or a lump in the armpit

- Discharge from the nipple

None of these symptoms is clear evidence of breast cancer, as most of the signs may also arise due to other conditions affecting the breast. Only a doctor can made a definite statement about the presence or otherwise of breast cancer after an exhaustive examination.

Know your breast, and how to self examine your breast and always report the slightest changes to a doctor. It's not worth taking chances with breast cancer. It's real and it's spreading like wild fire in the ever-polluted society we live in today. Do the little you can to keep your name off the breast cancer list, the sacrifice is worth it.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer

Hypnosis Complements Breast Cancer Treatment and Breast Surgery

If you are scheduled for breast surgery (biopsy, lumpectomy or mastectomy) or you are undergoing post-surgical breast cancer treatment, hypnosis is an excellent complementary therapy that can enhance the positive effects of various therapies.* Using hypnotherapy in combination with your medical breast cancer treatment will make you feel more empowered and in control of your care, and it will help you maximize your overall wellness.

The power of the subconscious mind can be a potent ally in healing from surgery and recovering from breast cancer, for it is the subconscious mind that controls automatic body processes, including immune function and pain perception. Additionally, the subconscious mind is the source of all emotions, which also makes hypnosis a logical choice for dealing with the emotional aspects of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Hypnosis for breast cancer treatment can help with the following issues:

Pre-Surgical Preparation: Numerous studies in medical journals have shown that people who prepare for surgery using hypnosis generally have fewer complications, heal faster and have less post-operative pain. Hypnosis will help you feel calm, relaxed and positive before, during and after surgery. Usually, the hypnosis therapy is geared toward making positive suggestions to your subconscious regarding your surgery and its outcome, as well as teaching you how to effectively manage pre-surgery stress.

When we see pre-surgical clients in our hypnosis practice, we give them a CD to play before and immediately after surgery (and with headphones during surgery, if their surgeon permits). The CD contains soothing music, relaxing imagery and positive suggestions to reassure the client's subconscious mind that the surgery will go smoothly and that their body will heal quickly, with as little discomfort as possible.

The results of pre-surgical hypnosis can be quite amazing. Patients frequently report that they needed very little pain medication and that they were back on their feet very quickly after surgery. I recently spoke with a client with whom I had worked before her major abdominal surgery. After her surgery, her surgeon told her he would order a narcotic pain killer. She told him to hold off on the narcotics because she was not in much pain. In fact, she required only ibuprofen and she was up and walking around just two hours after her surgery! Needless to say, her doctor was amazed.

Any surgery can be stressful, but breast surgery that may indicate a need for follow-up breast cancer treatment can be extremely stressful for any woman. In our practice, hypnosis for breast cancer surgery focuses specifically on this extreme stress. The calmer you stay before the surgery, the more resources your body has to heal itself as quickly as possible.

Follow-Up Treatment If Cancer Is Detected: If you require follow-up radiation and/or chemotherapy as part of your breast cancer treatment, hypnosis can teach you how to feel more relaxed and manage your stress. A growing body of evidence suggests that chronic stress and the cascade of stress hormones it produces can interfere with the proper functioning of the immune system. An immune system which is as healthy as it can be (given the specific treatment) is critically important during breast cancer treatment.

When we work with breast cancer clients in our practice, we teach them relaxation, self-hypnosis and stress management techniques. We also teach our clients how to use mental imagery to encourage their immune system to work together with their medical therapies in order to maximize the benefits of their breast cancer treatment. For example, we may teach a client to visualize her immune system attacking and killing the cancer cells, or surrounding and transforming the cancer cells into something harmless. The visualization work for each client's breast cancer treatment is always tailored to her needs and the way her imagination works.

If your breast cancer treatment creates side effects, including nausea, hypnosis can help you minimize those side effects. And if your breast cancer treatment creates body image issues, hypnosis can also help you feel good about your body again. Each woman is different, both in her needs and in her physical and emotional reactions to the breast cancer treatment and its side effects. Accordingly, each woman's hypnosis sessions will need to be tailored specifically to her requirements and goals.

Whether you are scheduled to undergo breast surgery to determine if you need follow-up breast cancer treatment, or you are already undergoing breast cancer treatment, hypnosis can complement your medical treatment in multiple ways.

*Hypnosis is not a substitute for medical breast cancer treatment. Rather, it is an excellent complement to standard medical breast cancer treatment. Hypnosis works with doctors, not against them. Do not discontinue medical breast cancer treatment when you begin hypnotherapy.

Loretta Sernekos, Ph.D., is a Certified Hypnotherapist in private practice in Cherry Hill, NJ and Philadelphia, PA. You can visit her hypnosis practice website at http://sghypnosis.com for more information and audio podcasts. For additional hypnosis information and articles, both modern and antiquarian, visit http://hypnosisgateway.com.

Breast Cancer - How Stress & Inescapable Shock Causes Cancer

And when there is too much sugar in cells of the body, the body becomes acidic.

But how does emotional stress cause cancer in the body? And why does emotional stress only cause cancer in some people, while not in others? For the majority of people, coping with stress and highly stressful or traumatic events or conflicts is dealt with, with relative ease. Although those in this larger group feel the devastating effects of stress, stressful events, trauma, and conflicts, including grief and loss � stressful events are seen as part of life's challenges, life's ups and downs, and they are for they most part anticipated and not completely unexpected. Adrenaline is responsible for transporting sugar away from cells. When faced with a major trauma, the cancer personality feels trapped and unable to escape from the memory of the traumatic experience and the painful feelings of the experience. Adrenaline levels also skyrocket initially, but are then drained and depleted over time.

And because their mind cannot fathom what has happened, and remains in a state of disbelief or denial, these inner painful feelings are continually perpetuated, shooting up stress hormone levels, lowering melatonin and adrenaline levels, causing a slow breakdown of the emotional reflex centre in the brain, and creating the beginning of cancer progression in the body. These people are able to move on with their lives quickly afterwards. Cancer cells also thrive on sugar to keep them alive. This is especially bad news for the cancer personality. They have difficulty in expressing their inner grief, their inner pain, their inner anger or resentment, and genuinely feel there is no way out of the pain they are feeling inside.

Cancer cells thrive in a low oxygen state, as demonstrated by Nobel Prize winner Otto Warburg. High stress levels generally means a person cannot sleep well, and cannot produce enough Melatonin during deep sleep. Cancer is only a physical symptom of underlying emotional stress on the body and the body's cells. And when faced with a highly stressful or traumatic event they have not anticipated, which inevitably happens during their life, react adversely and are unable to cope. Melatonin is responsible for inhibiting cancer cell growth.

Those susceptible to cancer, are highly vulnerable to life's stresses and trauma, and feel unable to cope when life throws a curve-ball their way. This means cancer cells are now free to multiply. This means normal body cells cannot breathe properly because of low oxygen. Stress hormone cortisol levels skyrocket and remain at high levels, directly suppressing the immune system, whose job it is to destroy cancer cells that exist in every human being. They experience Inescapable Shock and remain deeply affected by the experience.

Put simply, too much internal stress causes a depletion of adrenalin, leads to too much sugar in the body, resulting in the perfect environment for. These people are perfectionists and live in fear of conflict, stress, trauma and loss and are deeply frightened of negative events "happening" to them.

Breast Cancer - A Death Sentence Caused By Neglect

Cosmetic Surgery for women is common after a a breast operation.

If the lump is solid then treatment will be with the use of a very fine needle where a sample of tissue will be taken and tested for cancer cells. Breast cancer caught in the early stages of growth will give better odds for the patient to control the disease with the help of today`s modern medicines and technology. One of the first signs or symptoms of breast cancer is a lump in the breast. By neglecting yourself in this department with absent regular check ups then you can expect a painful road ahead - comgested of heartache and pain for those close to you as well.

Breast cancer is treatable, so now is the time to set a date in the diary for regular self breast examination. The biggest majority of women who concern themselves over develping breast cancer are the ones who do not even bother to do a self examination (Not all) Self inspection of the breasts should be a main priority for every woman. Blood-stained discharge from the nipple or an unusual blemish or rash around the surrounding area needs to be checked out. Other signs to look out for is dimpling of the skin or nipple shape changing, for example, if ithe nipple turns in or sinks back into the breast. If the results from a mammogram or ultra sound shows a cyst, then to have it removed may entail draining it through a fine needle.

If you have found that you have any of the above symptoms then seek medical attention right away. Breast lumpiness can be that of breast change which usually becomes more obvious just before the start of a period, particularly in women over the age of 35 Also cysts/sacs of fluid is not uncommon in the breast tissue causing a feel of lumpiness. Do not worry at this stage because breast lumps as such do not necessarily mean cancer. Breast cancer is common among the female species and can be a death sentence if ignored. Early detection can stop this war.

However the above mentioned inverted nipple or blood stained discharge etc can mean another type of ailment, either way these will need attention The doctor will examine the breast and if necessary will refer you to a specialist for further checks. Fibroadenoma is a collection of fibrous glandular tissue which is more notably known to occur in younger women If you notice a change in the shape/size of the breast or a lump even thickening then always check this out with your doctor. This is a disease you can fight but once it spreads, then the breast cancer becomes a battlefield leaving you fighting for survival. A swelling or lump under your armpit can also be a sign. You will find that most breast lumps discovered early are rated as 9 out of 10 as being benign.