Estrogen and Breast Cancer - The Evolving Mystery

As many women begin the transition through menopause a lot of consideration goes into the idea of taking Hormone Replacements - whether it is just Estrogen (Estrogen Therapy or ET) or a combination of Estrogen and Progesterone (Hormone Therapy or HT). For the purpose of this article Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) will refer to both HT and ET.

Replacing your hormones with either natural or synthetic (laboratory made) forms of hormones may offer some benefit by helping to reduce many of the symptoms of early menopause - such as, hot flashes, insomnia, moodiness, and vaginal dryness. As well as more serious problems that may result from menopause like weakened bones, and osteoporosis.

But as with EVERY pharmaceutical product made to help relieve pain or discomfort there are risks, and hormone therapy is not without them. What's important is that your unique health history and risk factors are discussed with your doctor to best determine whether or not HT or ET is the best option for you.

Estrogens Impact on the Breast

What you have to recognize is that the scientific community is just beginning to realize the uniqueness of every woman's hormone profile. The effect of HRT on one of your female friends may be vastly different from the effect they have on you. This is why there is such a large amount of variation in what each woman experiences as they transition through menopause. This is also one of the greatest challenges that Doctor's and Scientist face in their effort to understand the affects HRT has on the female breast.

Probably the biggest concern women have about HRT is the increased risk of that dreaded disease - Breast Cancer! Breast cancer risk, like many diseases, increases with age for women, but it is not specifically affected by menopause. Unfortunately, recent studies have generated a lot of conflicting data between HRT and breast cancer risk.

But, before I go into the risk of developing breast cancers from HRT, it is important that you understand how Estrogen and Progesterone hormones affect your body, or more particularly, your breasts.

There are two primary thoughts on how cancer develops in the breast. One is that cancer tends to appear in fast growing tissue - Estrogen (and Progesterone) can cause breast tissue to grow at a faster rate - therefore this may be one way Estrogen is related to developing breast cancer. A second theory is that when estrogen is broken down in breast tissue the resultant compounds may bind to genetic material (DNA) and damage it. Damaged DNA is a common cause of cancers. For the moment - these are two primary theories on how HRT may increase the development of breast cancer.

Understand that the scientific community is hard at work trying to unravel the link between Estrogen and Breast Cancer -- or if there is even really a link -- but good science takes time. There are so many variables (like medical history and diet) in every study that it is impossible to blame ET or HT alone for breast cancer. Although the results of many clinical trials does show that HRT MAY increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

The Risk Factors

As a result of the various studies and clinical trials done, one thing is for sure, many more studies will need to be done before we unravel the mystery of HRT and breast cancer. In the mean time be aware of the fact that:

Breast cancer risk is increased with the use of ET, and to a greater extent with HT, use beyond 5 years. And observational data suggest a slight potential increase for breast cancer with HRT use for less than five years.

By how much the risk is increased is not exactly clear at this point and will likely vary depending on each woman's unique genetic makeup, diet and exposure to various environmental factors. Obviously, the risk factor of taking HRT has a much greater impact if you are already at risk of developing breast cancer. If you fit into any of the categories below - then most physicians would probably agree that you should avoid HRT.

• If you are a breast cancer survivor: The concern is that HRT may stimulate the growth of small or hidden tumors, it is nearly impossible to determine how many women harbor these hidden cells known as micrometastases.
• If you have a family history of breast cancer: It is not clear whether women with a family history are at increased risk of developing breast cancer when taking HRT and therefore the medical community is cautious about recommending it.
• If you have a history of: Uterine cancer, Liver disease, Blood clots, Undiagnosed vaginal bleeding or Heart disease.

One major consideration when contemplating HRT should be whether or not you are at a higher than average risk of developing breast cancer. Some other minor factors that may increase your cancer risk are weight gain and women who experience menopause later in life than average.

HRT - A Personal Decision

HRT is really a personal choice - there is no right or wrong answer. While some women may not want to accept the risks associated with HRT others may want to. Each woman must decide for herself, with input from her doctor, the best course of action. Both patient and doctor should be comfortable with the decision to take HRT or to pursue other treatments.

If you do decide to try HRT make sure you work closely with your doctor - prescribing the right dosage may sometimes turn into a bit of a guessing game. Keep your doctor informed as to how you are feeling and whether or not you think it is helping. The best thing you can do is actually keep a journal and track the symptoms that you're hoping HRT will help with. The lower the dosages and the shorter the duration is best if you are worried about increased breast cancer risk. But again your personal situation should be discussed in detail with your doctor, if you have another medical condition where the benefits HRT provide outweigh the increased breast cancer risk, then HRT should be considered.

If HRT is not for you - you are not without help. Thanks to all the ongoing research, new therapies and alternatives are being investigated every day and have proven successful for many women. But a word of warning - since this is a very new field, don't necessarily believe every thing you hear and read. There are a lot of companies trying to take advantage of this relatively new market. And since a lot of the herbal remedies are not regulated by the FDA some companies will package almost anything with no regard for scientific data to back up their claims. Look for resources that are impartial and companies that provide actual data to support what they are claiming.

Lastly, I personally am an advocate of a healthy diet and active lifestyle to beat menopausal symptoms and weight gain -- you should know that every clinical study I have read has shown that these two factors are proven to ease the menopause transition by regulating hormones naturally. And with no increased risk of breast cancer -- actually eating the right foods will help prevent breast cancer as well as many other types of cancer and disease. So regardless of your HRT decision -- the first step you should take when it comes to helping yourself is to eat a proper macronutrient profile and get that body of yours moving!

Jenny May and Health Thru Fitness, LLC focus on researching, developing, and implementing fitness and health strategies that the menopausal woman, as well as women of all ages, can apply to their current physical status. To learn more about the Jenny May Principles check out http://www.menopause-weight-gain.com and http://www.healththrufitness.com. You are welcome to use this article for your website or newsletter provided that you include the above stated bio and website links. Copyright © Health Thru Fitness, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Breast Cancer: Explained in Detail

Introduction

Breast Cancer is a form of cancer that occurs in the breast tissue. Although the breast is made up of similar tissues in both males and females, breast cancer occurs mostly in females.

Causes

Like other cancers, breast cancer is an uncontrollable growth of breast cells, and is caused due to the mutation of certain genes present in your breast cells. This mutation can either be genetically inherited, i.e. it might have come from your parents, or it happened during changes in your body, like aging or due to life in general. Breast Cancer can also occur due to hormonal changes in the body, like during menopause.

Types of Breast Cancer

Breast Cancers can be divided into four types based on the location they occur and whether it is a local one or not.

1. Ductal Carcinoma in Situ, or DCIS

2. Lobular Carcinoma in situ or LCIS

3. Invasive Ductal Carcinoma or IDC

4. Invasive Lobular Carcinoma or ILC

Breast Cancer normally occurs either in the milk duct (Ductal), or in the lobules (Lobular) or glands that make milk. Both can either be “in situ”, meaning it remains where it started and does not spread, or it may be “invasive”, meaning it spreads into the surrounding tissues. Carcinoma is a word used for any cancer that begins in the skins or tissues covering internal organs.

Early Detection

There are no ways to prevent breast cancer. However, breast cancer can be treated effectively if it is detected in an early stage. Self Breast Examination for lumps and unusual changes should be carried out each month, preferably at the same time each month to minimize effects of menstruation. A clinical breast examination should be done once every year from ages 29 – 39, and once every year from the age of 40.

Diagnosis

Primary diagnosis is done using mammography, an x-ray of the breast. If breast cancer is suspected or diagnosed, this is followed by MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and PET Scans.

Treatment

The main form of treatment used for Breast Cancer is surgery. Depending on the size of the tumour, it can be lumpectomy, also known as breast conserving surgery, where only the tumour is removed, or mastectomy, where the entire breast is removed. Both forms of surgery are usually followed by radiotherapy, which is a form of treatment by exposure to radiation, to stop the cancer from spreading. Another major form of treatment is chemotherapy, where treatment is done through various forms of drugs. These drugs interfere with the growth of cancer cells, and thus help curing cancer. Breast cancer can also be treated using hormone therapy, using chemicals to stop activities of certain hormones. Hormone therapy can only be used if the cancer cells are responsive to hormones, and have varied side effects, ranging from vaginal dryness and weak bones to infertility. Even after effective removal of Breast Cancer, patients should be in constant touch with the physician to make sure that the cancer does not return.

Chetan Bhawani is a medical consultant and pathologist and gives regularly Helpful Health Tips and provides health Information and information about any disease in the human body.

Breast Cancer Symptoms And Diagnosis

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in women if the relatively less aggressive skin cancer is excluded from counting. Breast cancer accounts for about 32 percent of all cancer diagnosed in women.

Breast cancer is very uncommon in male. In families carrying the breast cancer associated genes, male members may be affected disproportionately compared to the general population. In the general population female to male breast cancer may occur at a rate of 1 to 100 (1:100 for male: female).

Prior to introduction of mammography screening breast cancer was often diagnosed as a large lump in the breast, because women were not paying attention to the development of breast tumors. Introduction of mammography had significantly changed the natural history breast caner. In industrialized nations like the United States breast caner is most commonly detected on mammography screening. Mammography screening also brought a great sense of awareness to women and this has resulted in earlier detection of breast cancer.

Even if a woman does not get mammography screening, they are very much aware of the risk of development of breast cancer and thus tend to observe and even examine their breasts. Most women do self-breast examination in between mammograms. Because of this increased awareness, women presenting with locally advanced breast cancer are quite rare in the industrialized nations.

In some women breast cancer may have spread to distant organs, before mammography screening or symptoms showed the breast cancer. This can happen because early stage breast cancer does not usually cause any symptoms. If the cancer has spread to other organs these women may present with symptoms related to these organs. For example if the cancer has spread to the bone the woman may develop bone pain or bone fracture.

Diagnosis of breast cancer involves a biopsy procedure. Most often an abnormality in the mammogram leads to a biopsy, many other times, the woman may have felt a lump in the breast or the physician examining the patient may have felt a lump in the breast.

Biopsy is the procedure by which a small part of the breast tissue is removed and examined under the microscope. A typical beast cancer would show classic features of breast cancer. Sometimes the abnormality may be a non-invasive breast cancer or so called carcinoma in situ.

Copyright ©Medicineworld.org 2006

Scott William is the webmaster for Medicineworld.org a site dedicated to medical information. For more information regardings diagnosis and symptoms of breast cancer please visit authors website.

Recognizing And Battling Breast Cancer

Breast cancer occurs due to the irrepressible growth of cells in the breast that invades the nearby tissues and spreads throughout the body. These collections of irrepressible growth of tissue are called tumors or malignant tumors. However, not all tumors are cancerous.

Breast cancer has been diagnosed in large numbers in North America and Europe. In 2001, about 200,000 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in the United States alone. Every woman has a 1 in 8 risk of developing breast cancer, but the risk of dying from breast cancer is much lower, barely 1 in 28.

The risk of getting breast cancer is generally higher among older women, women with a family history or previous history of breast cancer, women who had radiation therapy in the chest region, women who started their periods before 12 years old, women who had menopause after 50 years old, women who never had children or had them age 30 or older, or women with genetic mutation. In recent times genetic mutations for breast cancer have become a hot topic of research.

The breast cancer tumor has the following symptoms: lump or thickening that appears on the breast or underarm, changes in the breast's shape, nipple turned inwards followed by colorless discharge, red or scaled skin or nipple, or ridges on the breast skin.

If a woman experiences any of these symptoms, it does not necessarily mean she has breast cancer. In such a case she should undergo a breast cancer personal check-up. It is estimated that 95% of breast cancer is detected through personal check-up. The breast cancer personal check-up includes checking for lumps in the breasts after each menstrual period, puckering the skin, and checking for nipple retraction or discharge. For consistent result, every woman should do a breast cancer personal check-up at the same time every month. Various other techniques such as mammography, thermography, ultrasonography, computerized tomography scan etc, can also help detect breast cancer.

Breast cancer treatments include surgery that removes cancerous tissues, with breast conservation therapy (BCT) being one such surgery. Other breast cancer treatments include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy and biologic therapy. Radiotherapy is a common breast cancer treatment, and radiation treatment and chemotherapy may follow surgery to ensure the destruction of the stray cancer cells.

Even after undergoing many or all of these breast cancer treatment measures, unfortunately almost half the women suffer from a recurrence of the disease.

If you are searching for ways to battle Breast Cancer [http://www.breast-cancer-treatment.info/sitemap.htm], visit Susan's site at breast-cancer-treatment.info. Susan's other articles are also available at sports-and-recreation-hub.info.

Breast Cancer - Touchable And Unbelievable

The most common form of cancer in women - which affects about 10% of the world's female population - is still the second most common cause of cancer deaths in women. about 20% of all breast cancer cases ending in death.

This form of cancer is the one considered to have the most serious psychological effects on women. Some specialists say that it happens because this form cancer affects what most women consider to be their symbol of femininity: the breast. Depression is often diagnosed in women who have breast cancer, which makes the treatment even harder.

Risk factors

Many factors are considered to be the possible causes of breast cancer. Contrary to what many people may think, breast cancer also affects men, in smaller proportions - about 1 case in 1000.

Here are some factors considered to be involved in the development of breast cancer:

Age

One thing is for sure about breast cancer: the risks increase with age . Statistics show that for a woman who lives to the age of 90, the risk of getting breast cancer is about 12,5% (or 1 in 8) . However, it's not impossible for young women to have breast cancer and when it happens, the cancer tends to be more aggressive. This is inflammatory breast cancer, difficult to detect because it does not appear in mammography or ultrasound and is often mistaken for mastitis, a simple breast infection .

Genes

Familial breast cancer is rare (less than 5%), but it can happen and it was found to be linked to two different genes. Although this is not a high risk factor for breast cancer, women who have cases of breast cancer among their relatives should have tests more often.

Hormones

The International Agency for Research on Cancer found that women who take combined estrogen-progestogen contraceptives and combined estrogen-progestogen menopausal therapy were at increased risk.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Earlier found, better chances of survival. This is the statement that summarizes the cure for breast cancer and it only makes more important the medical advice that says that women should have a complete check up, including a mammogram and an ultrasound, once a year, especially once they reach their 30s or 40s. A self-examination of the breasts should be done monthly.

Any sign of nodules or lumps found by the woman while doing her self-exam must be taken into account. Most women think that these lumps have something to do with their periods and in many cases they do, but they can also signify the presence of a tumor and that's why the doctor must be told as soon as possible .

The symptoms vary from woman to woman. Some have lumps and some don't. Some women have a white or light-yellow secretion "leaking" from the nipple, some women feel that their breast is tender and swollen. There are those women who feel nothing and these are the most dangerous cases .

The self-exam and the mammogram once a year are the best ways to diagnose breast cancer. If something is found by self-examination, regardless of whether the woman had already had a mammogram that year, another should be done.

Treatment

Medicine has improved a lot in the past few years and the treatments for breast cancer have become more powerful and effective .

There are different options for treatment of breast cancer and doctors can choose the correct one by taking into account the overall health of the woman affected:

- Local or Regional Treatments are directed right to the breast and also to the lymph nodes around the breast.

- Systemic Treatments are directed to the whole body.

- Alternative and Holistic Treatments are important to the person because they include not only the body, but also the mind and spirit as well.

In spite of that, the best treatment is no treatment at all, in other words, prevention.

-------------------------------------------------------
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer

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

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]