Archive for the 'Breast Cancer' Category

You Can Prevent Breast Cancer!

Sometimes, one suffers from breast cancer even if you’ve taken all the necessary precautions and preventive measures. Call it fate or whatever, but if you do take care, the chances of suffering from it suddenly get that much smaller! Anyway, today, breast cancer is not the terrible disease it was a few years ago. Many women survive even after a bad case. Here, too, if it is detected early, there’s that much more of a chance to get absolutely back to normal as quickly as possible. What are the ways that you can prevent breast cancer? Take a look at the measures that you could adopt to prevent this condition. While it is not foolproof, it will definitely help in keeping the disease at bay.

First of all, watch your weight. High estrogen levels mean you could be more prone to breast cancer. The levels of estrogen go up when there is more fatty tissue in the body. This usually happens during menopause when hormonal changes mean that women tend to put on weight. Unfortunately, this is the time when not too many women bother about how they look so they just themselves go. What you need to do is to practice self-control and say a stern No to all fatty foods. This is one way to keep your weight down. Don’t eat because you’re bored or feeling low or you’re lonely. Think slim and get there. It might be worth it talking to your doctor about the quantities that you need every day and the kind of foods to eat and what to avoid. The other way to do this is to exercise. No, you do not have to spend hours at the gym. Just walk or swim if you can’t manage an exercise regime. Make sure you exercise regularly, not in fits and starts. You need at least half an hour of exercise everyday. If you’re overweight, maybe a bit more initially till you lose a bit of weight. Make this time sacrosanct.

It’s best if women cut down on the drinking. Never mind what kind of alcohol, anything is bad news as far as breast cancer goes. Why this is so is anyone’s guess but the link between the two is strong so it is best avoided. Maybe the occasional drink when you are celebrating something is fine, otherwise stick to non-alcoholic beverages. What is very good as a preventive is a citrus juice. All citrus fruits are supposed to lower the risks of breast cancer.

Antibiotics and pesticides are also bad for breast cancer. Try and use natural alternatives to get rid of pests and as far as antibiotics are concerned do not use them unless it is absolutely necessary. What is good not only for the heart but to prevent breast cancer as well seems to be aspirin. A regular intake is supposed to be beneficial.

The temptation to go in for hormone therapy is great especially when you are in the throes of hot flashes and irritability. But it is known to aggravate breast cancer. Ideally, one should just grin and try and bear the menopausal years instead of looking for quick-fix remedies.

Just a few dos and don’ts and suddenly you could find the road ahead of you clear and breast cancer-free!!

Breast Cancer Pregnancy

It is of prime importance that the obstetrician’s take a thorough breast examination of pregnant women to detect breast cancer. Often, the diagnosis is delayed because doctors and pregnant women assume that lumps in the breast are due to normal hormonal changes.

The threat of breast cancer is upsetting for anyone, particularly during pregnancy, but it is not uncommon. Pregnant women and physicians should become more aware of the risk associated with cancer. The obstetricians are usually more focused on the health of the unborn baby than the mother’s possible illness but should be more aware of the risk of breast cancer. Women should examine their breasts regularly and tell their doctor about any changes they discover.

Not only is diagnosis often delayed, but there is a high rate of false-negative results of a mammography due to the increased density of the breast during pregnancy.

Ultrasonogaphy is the best way to check for cancerous lumps in pregnant and lactating women. Many studies have shown that the tumors in pregnant women are larger and are more likely to spread.

Pregnant women should be encouraged to know that treatment is as successful and safe as in non-pregnant women. Surgery is the best route although there is a small risk of premature labor. Radiation therapy is not offered during pregnancy but patients can be safely treated with certain forms of chemotherapy from three months onwards. This may be continued after the baby is born, although mothers should not breast feed their babies while they are having chemotherapy.

Treatments are planned around the expected delivery date and are administered as close to term as possible, Through the process, oncologists communicate regularly with a woman’s obstetrician.

A substantially greater number of pregnant women have been treated now than ever before, providing a growing confidence in the safety and positive outcome of chemotherapy for pregnant breast cancer patients Carter and baby Emma are perfect examples. Weighing 5 pounds, 14 ounces, Emma entered the world with a “full head of hair,” laughs Carter, who says she was “completely bald” when her “miracle child” was born.

Overall survival of pregnant women with breast cancer may be worse than in non pregnant women at all stages however, this may be due primarily to delayed diagnoses. Termination of pregnancy has not been shown to have any beneficial effect on breast cancer outcome and is not usually considered as a therapeutic option. Termination of pregnancy, however, may be considered, based on the age of the fetus, and if maternal treatment options, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, are significantly limited by the continuation of the pregnancy.

Breast Cancer Prevention Still Needs More Attention

Breast cancer prevention is important for women to learn about, especially since breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in women. The American Cancer Society’s web site reports that over two-hundred thousand women were diagnosed with this disease in 2006 and there are over two million women in the United States who have received treatment for breast cancer. With numbers this staggering, preventing cancer should be a priority for all women.

The first and easiest step in breast cancer prevention is knowing what you are up against. This means learning all about the risk factors that may affect you. Family history and genetic make-up are two risk factors women cannot control, but must be aware of when it comes to prevention. If your mother, grandmother or even sister has been diagnosed with breast cancer, your risks go up too.

The choices you make in life also become risk factors. Women who take oral contraceptives could have a greater chance of developing this deadly disease. Having children before the age of thirty can put women at a higher risk for breast cancer. Although some risk factors are easier to control than others, familiarizing oneself with plenty of information will only make fighting cancer easier for you.

There are certain medications available to women who fall under high risk factors for breast cancer. The drug Tamoxifen has been used in the United States for over twenty-five years to help in the fight for breast cancer prevention. The drug is taken once daily as a pill and interferes with the female hormone estrogen, preventing it from attaching itself to cells in the breast tissue.

This medication can also be used to treat women already diagnosed with breast cancer because it can slow down or cease the growth of cancerous cells. Tamoxifen has even been associated with helping prevent a recurrence in women who previously suffered from breast cancer.

A more common way to prevent breast cancer is through mammograms. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast and is the most common form of prevention. Women who are over forty years of age should get mammograms on a yearly basis. For women in their twenty’s and thirty’s, the American Cancer Society’s web site recommends getting clinical breast exams at least every three years from a medical professional.

This test is performed using the tips of the fingers to check the entire breast area and under the arm. In addition to mammograms and clinical breast exams, women should also perform breast self exams each month to recognize any signs of lumps or abnormalities in the tissue.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is able to help women who fall within the lower poverty levels, are uninsured or underserved gain access to screenings for breast cancer. This program is called the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. The CDC’s web site touts it has served more than two million women under this program since its inception in 1991.

In 2000, Congress expanded this service by opening it up to women who are on Medicaid. This breast cancer control act, formally titled the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act, is a way to help women, who may have little access to quality health care, have a chance at breast and cervical cancer prevention.

For anyone who has suffered from breast cancer, maintaining prevention is critical. It should be just as important for those who never have experienced this disease. Breast cancer prevention is about learning your genetic make-up and if anyone in your family suffered from cancer.

Prevention is also about making healthier lifestyle choices by eating right, exercising and avoiding cigarettes. Be smart and make the right decisions to ensure you will have a long and healthy life.