Articles filed under 'Breast Cancer'
Modern women always have a fear of breast cancer. Whilst average woman has around 12% risk of getting affected with breast cancer, others have 85% chance of getting their life troubled with this menace. For women with high risk of breast cancer, fear is very much real, and most of them look to ways for lowering its risk.
An option, which some high-risk women considers for treating breast cancer, is prophylactic or preventive mastectomy. You may consider it, if you:
1-Are having cancers in one of your breasts and looking forward to remove the healthy breast for avoiding it to get affected too.
2-Are at high risk of breast cancer and looking forward to remove both breasts before it develops to advance and untreatable stage.
Mastectomy is a surgical procedure done for removing nearly all the tissues of your breast, where cancer may grow. This is, in no mean, a guarantee that you will not have breast cancer, as it’s impossible for taking out every bit of the tissue. However, experts have estimated that mastectomy can reduce the risk by almost 90%.
Some women find losing their breast for reducing risks of cancer to be beneficial. However, their choice cannot be clear cut. Various factors, which include women’s personal risk and their own feelings on the same, can affect the application of Mastectomy on their breasts.
Who Can Opt For Preventive Mastectomy?
You should opt for preventive mastectomy, if you know that you’re at high risk of breast cancer. You might be at high risks if:
1-You are sure that you have BRCA (breast cancer) gene change. You can find about BRCA by having a gene testing. Gene testing is generally done on women having a history of ovarian or/and breast cancer in their family.
2-You are having a history of breast cancers in your family. If any (or more than one) of your close family member (mother or sister) had breast cancer before, you are said to have a strong history. Risks are also considered high, if you are having both ovarian and breast cancer on any side of your family.
3-You are already having cancers in your breast. This means that there is a possibility of getting it on the other breast.
4-You have already been diagnosed with LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma in Situ). LCIS means that you are having abnormal cells in lobules (milk glands) of your breast. Experts classify it to be a pre-cancer or stage ‘0’ cancer. It might be increasing your risks of breast cancer. However, figures suggest that most women, who have been diagnosed with LCIS, do not get breast cancer.
5-Your chest has been exposed to radiation therapy before you were 30.
How Can I Make A Decision On Preventive Mastectomy?
Decision for having mastectomy to prevent cancer is a very personal one. To make the decision easy and right, it might help if you:
1-Consult your doctor or genetic counselors for getting a better idea of the risk involved.
2-Give consideration to your feelings. Some of us cannot imagine the thought of giving up our breasts, whereas others feel greater peace of mind covers up the loss.
3-Discuss this decision with the one, who are close to you. Suggestions from them can go a long way in helping you to decide.
However, you should always remember that it’s your body and it will always be your decision.
About the Author
Abortion Clinic. Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Orlando Women’s Center in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women, including
abortion clinic, physical examinations, family planning, counseling, laboratory services and sexually transmitted disease screening and counseling.
Abortion Clinic.
October 6th, 2009
The most recent of several studies involving women who had breast cancer and who also take drugs to strengthen bone shows encouraging results. The study of 1,800 women, published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved those who took hormonal therapy to block estrogen production that fuels growth in certain breast cancers. Half of the group was also given zoledronic acid, or Zometa, intravenously twice a year for three years. Women given Zometa showed a 36 percent reduction in cancer recurrences and metastases, compared to half the group who didn’t get it.
 Four years later, 54 women receiving zoledronic acid and 83 who didn’t get the bone drug had a recurrence, a new cancer in the second breast, or a spreading of cancer to the bone. The question is, shouldn’t all women on hormonal therapy for breast cancer receive Zometa or a similar bone drug? Before prescribing these drugs as standard therapy, researchers plan to examine results from two other large studies now nearing completion. Women taking hormonal therapy are blocking estrogen production, which in turn can cause thinning of bones. Why not add the bone-building drugs to their anti-cancer therapies?
 Cancer cells are known to interact with a type of bone cell called osteoclasts, whose role is to break down bone. Breast cancer cells sometimes migrate to the bones and stimulate osteoclasts, which in turn stimulate cancer cells. It’s a vicious cycle. But what if the cycle can be interrupted?
 Drugs used to treat the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis have been shown to stop osteoclasts from releasing substances that cause bone loss. As osteoclasts stop working, they die. Other studies of bisphosphonates to prevent osteoporosis have shown in lab studies that they might have other anticancer effects. Bisphosphonates affected the ability of cancer cells to stick to surrounding tissue, to invade and grow in numbers. One of the new study’s lead researchers believes that bisphosphonates could squelch the cells that migrate to the bones and hide in marrow, thus affecting the ability of breast cancer to recur.
 Researchers are also investigating whether bisphosphonates could treat cancer that has already metastasized to bone. After determining that they could, zoledronic acid and other bisphosphonates were approved for women with bone metastasis. These therapies were shown in one study to prevent further spread of cancer in bones. Zometa is approved only for bone complications of cancer and is not an official drug for osteoporosis. There is a rare but quite serious side effect, osteonecrosis of the jaw, which has been seen with bisphosphonate use. No instances have been seen in study participants, however.
 Studies are still in progress to investigate whether these bone drugs used in high doses to treat cancer can prevent breast cancer from initially spreading. Results have been mixed. In research now ongoing, there is hope that zoledronic acid could add a benefit to existing breast cancer therapy to the same degree as the magnitude from chemo or hormonal therapy alone. Scientists and physicians are waiting for data from other studies. Clinical trials may have the answers in the near future.
 Source: Gina Kolata; New York Times; Feb. 11, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/health/research/12bone.html?th&emc=th
blog article by Anna Dabney
February 16th, 2009
An “Early Stage†breast cancer is sometimes referred as Stage 1 breast cancer. In such cases, the affected region is less than 2–2.5 centimetres in diameter. However, cancer does not spread inside the tissue of the breast. In fact, among all the women detected for breast cancer in the U.S, 63% of them suffer from “Early Stage†Breast Cancer, as it is still localized to the tissue of the breast.
Today, Breast Cancer is considered to be one of the most deadly and emotional types of cancers occurring in women. However, it should be kept in mind that it is not only women, who are at a risk of having breast cancer. Men can also have such type of cancers, but most patients are female.
Early detection increases chances of survival
If the breast cancer is an early stage one and it is properly detected and treated, the survival rate of that patient increases to a large extent. The best trick to fight breast cancer is to catch it early on and generally women can detect it by finding a typical lump in any one of their breasts. Women should immediately check out in such cases but they should not worry, as all lumps are not cancers.
Early stage breast cancer cannot always be cured, even though cancerous cells are unable to reach the lymph nodes. Women, who catch early stage breast cancer, gets treated at that point and many of them are able to enjoy life in a normal lifestyle for more than ten years. It is highly recommended for every woman to check her breasts regularly to be on the safe side, so that possible cases of breast cancers can be detected early. With proper treatment, women can enjoy high survival rates.
Symptoms of Early Stage Cancer
An early stage breast cancer can be detected on the basis of various symptoms. Some of them are unexpected abnormal changes in the anatomy & the size of the breast, appearance of the skin of the breast becomes dimpled & puckered, sudden unexpected changes in the size and shape of the nipple like the changing position and nipple being inverted. Other symptoms include abnormal discharge from the nipple, development of rash in the nipple, continuous pain in the region of armpit & breast, thickening or formation of the lump in the armpit & breast and swelling of the collarbone region & armpit.
Treatment following the detection
Any of the above symptoms determine an early stage breast cancer and any woman having such symptoms should immediately contact her general physician. Doctors examine the patient properly and if necessary, can refer them to a breast clinic for more examinations and mammogram. Upon detection of a lump, the cancerous cells can be extracted with the help of a delicate needle. A biopsy should also be done to ascertain, if the affected area or lump is malignant.
Every woman should know how to do self-examination of her beasts, so that she can know her breasts easier and recognise abnormal changes on them.
To Your Health!
About the Author
Abortion Clinic. Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Orlando Women’s Center in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women, including
abortion clinic, physical examinations, family planning, counseling, laboratory services and sexually transmitted disease screening and counseling.
Abortion Clinic.
January 25th, 2009
A mammogram is one of the safest ways that is used to check if there is any problem with the breast of a woman. It is actually an x-ray of the breasts, as it involves in using a special and very low dose x-ray machine taking pictures of both breasts.
Effective Method of Preventing Cancer
Mammogram is an effective way of breast cancer prevention, as it is the most reliable procedure to detect early stages of breast cancer. However, there are some limitations of mammogram. Many cancers may not be detected by mammograms. Such breast cancers can be detected by breast self-exam. This article will guide you in getting ready for your mammogram.
What You Should Watch Out For?
Firstly, you should check the place where you are going to have your mammogram, so that you get to know about any special instructions, which you must follow before you arrive there. You should make the appointment for your mammogram for at least one week after the completion of your period. This is because your breast generally hurt less during this time. You should make sure that you tell your mammography facility, if you have ever got any type of breast implants.
Things to Remember Before Visiting Mammogram Facility
It is better that you wear a shirt preferably with shorts, skirt or pants. This helps you to undress from the waist up, thus leaving your pants, skirt or shorts on while you are getting your mammogram. It is highly advised that do not use any sort of deodorant, lotion, powder or lotion on your breasts or under your arms on the day you are having your mammogram.
Using these things may result in shadows on your mammogram, as they contain small aluminium particles. You can use cornstarch in place of talcum powder or deodorant, as it does not interfere with the x-ray image. You should not use any sort skin lotions on your breasts, as it can make them slippery. Hence, it will result in a movement during the process and a blurred image may be produced.
What Actually Happens During the Diagnosis Process?
After reaching the clinic, you should undress up to your waist. Try wearing clothes that can be easily removed and has loose fittings. Do not wear a bra on the day. Do not forget to take a hairbrush, so that you can tidy up at the time of redressing. After undressing, you will be asked to put on the hospital gown, opening to the front. The technician will help you in positioning yourself in front of the mammogram machine while standing. While taking the mammogram, your technician will rest each of your breasts on a metal plate, arranging maximum of the breast tissue between the top compression plate and the bottom plate. Your breasts will then be imaged and compressed for various lateral and vertical images.
It is recommended that women, especially those belonging to the upper age limit of 40 years or more, have a mammogram of their breasts done every year. This helps in early detection of breast cancer in one’s breast and ensures proper treatment, which can even cure cancer.
To Your Health!
About the Author
Abortion Clinic. Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Orlando Women’s Center in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women, including
abortion clinic, physical examinations, family planning, counseling, laboratory services and sexually transmitted disease screening and counseling.
Abortion Clinic.
January 23rd, 2009
One of the most prominent cases of cancer in women, which we hear today, is breast cancer. Cases of breast cancer have increased at an alarming rate and therefore, it is very important that we know the exact signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Women are the worst victims of this breast cancer, but men are also reported to suffer from this deadly disease.
Breast cancer can be cured in cases when women catch that they are having breast cancer in very early stages when the cancer is unable to reach the lymph nodes. In fact, 80% of all the women suffering from breast cancer are fully cured and they enjoy life as a normal person provided they are treated in the early stages of breast cancer.
Catch the Disease at an Early Stage
The best way to survive from cases of breast cancer is to catch it early on. For this, a woman should regularly perform breast self-exam of her breasts. This helps in finding and detecting breast cancer in the early stages ensuring that with proper treatment, it can be cured. A woman should perform self-exam of her breast regularly, so that she knows how her breasts normally feel. She can easily locate, if there is any sort of change in the anatomy of her breasts in future. This helps in improving the chances for her survival and eliminating the risks of breast cancer.
Consult Your Physician Immediately
As soon as you notices change in your breasts by performing self-exam, you should immediately contact your general physician or healthcare provider. Although most lumps or breast changes are found to be non-cancerous, such preventive measures can help you in determining the exact reason behind the abnormality of your breasts.
Fix a Time for Self-Exam
Every woman should conduct regular self-exam of her breasts. It is recommended that she does it every month and particularly after a few days before her period ends. This is because during that particular time, a woman’s breast is found to be less swollen or tender. Doctors also say that a woman should perform self-exam of her breast at the same time of every month, so that she notices exact changes.
Symptoms to Watch Out For
While performing a self-exam of your breasts, you should immediately contact your doctor if you notice any sort of abnormal lump. Again, you should consult them if any of your breasts shows some other symptoms like nipple retraction or skin irritation, skin dimpling & skin irritation, watery discharge from the nipple and redness on the breast skin or nipple.
Benefits of Regular Self-Exam
Regular self-exam ensures that a breast cancer is found early and there are more treatment choices for the affected person. Woman having breast cancer in the early stages have a better chance of recovery, as the cancer is unable to affect the lymph nodes.
It is very important that every woman perform regular self-exam of her breasts, so that the breast cancer can be detected and treated as early as possible.
To Your Health!
Abortion Clinic. Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Orlando Women’s Center in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women, including
abortion clinic, physical examinations, family planning, counseling, laboratory services and sexually transmitted disease screening and counseling.
Abortion Clinic.
Published At: www.Isnare.com
January 22nd, 2009
Some women in their 40s can still get pregnant without assistance from fertility clinics. That’s good news for those who have postponed motherhood, but for women who have completed their family, continuing fertility can be problematic. Today, the Pill and the IUD (intra-uterine devices) are both considered good options for some women in their fourth decade. These two methods are much safer than, for example, in the 1960s and 1970s. In the past, most women over age 40 underwent a tubal ligation (a fallopian tube-tying procedure), or relied on condoms or vasectomy with their male partner.
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Sterilization is now easier for women, thanks to a non-surgical method of tubal treatment called Essure. The new technique was approved by the U.S. government in 2002. No cutting of the abdomen or tying of the tubes is involved. Instead, the doctor works through the cervix, using a thin tube to insert small devices into the ends of the fallopian tubes. These “plugs†in about three months produce scarring to block the woman’s tubes, thus preventing ovulated eggs from reaching the uterus.
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Women over 40 should continue to use birth control until well into menopause. This age group has been shown to have high abortion rates, similar to those of adolescents. Under certain conditions, the Pill is now safe for “older†women. The dosage of estrogen in today’s Pill is greatly reduced and considered by many physicians to be a good alternative for lean, healthy women over 40. The Pill has other benefits besides contraception for appropriate women. It can help to control irregular menstrual bleeding and hot flashes, reduce hip fractures and cases of ovarian cancer. Yet, some physicians urge caution even in lean and healthy women who are approaching menopause.
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If a woman over 40 is significantly overweight, has high blood pressure or diabetes, the Pill would not be a good option. For them, the chances of dangerous blood clots rise sharply. Middle-aged women who are obese, who smoke, have migraine headaches or other identified risk factors might instead consider IUDs or progestin-only treatments termed “mini-pills.†Although higher breast cancer rates have been found in older women taking estrogen-progestin pills to control menopausal symptoms, women 35 and older taking oral contraceptives have not shown an increase in breast cancers.
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Another birth control product called Implanon, FDA-approved in 2006, is a matchstick-sized plastic rod that is implanted under the skin of the upper arm. Implanon is similar to the earlier Norplant and can last up to three years.
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Today’s IUDs are safer and more effective than those used by women in the 1970s. The earlier Dalkon Shield version resulted in a number of serious medical problems due to its defective design. A large class-action lawsuit was filed and millions in payouts were made over the years. American women and their physicians are again considering the IUD as a simple and effective method of birth control.
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Women should discuss with their OB-GYN physician their preferences for contraception, the appropriateness for their age group and their individual health risks. New options in birth control methods and technologies greatly reduce the risk of an unwanted pregnancy.
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San Francisco Chronicle, Mike Stobbe, AP story, April 5, 2008
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23954260/Â
April 8th, 2008
A large study conducted over 24 years at Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland, California, concluded that having three or more alcoholic drinks a day can increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer by 30%. Those who drank one to two drinks per day had an increased breast cancer risk of 10%. Women who drank less than one drink per day showed no significant increased cancer risk. According to researchers at Kaiser, the risk of heavy drinking is roughly equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day or taking estrogenic hormones well beyond the menopause.
Of the 70,033 multi-ethnic women who supplied information during their health exams between 1978 and 1985, roughly 3,000 of them had been diagnosed with breast cancer by 2004. It mattered not what type of alcohol was consumed – wine (red or white), beer, or spirits – the end result was the same. Results were similar for all ages and ethnicities. Heavier drinking was related to breast cancer risk in each group (classified by the type of alcohol consumed).
Breast cancer is known to vary between populations, and only a small proportion of women are heavy drinkers. However, women who are heavy drinkers may translate to an extra 5% of all U.S. women developing breast cancer due to this lifestyle factor. The study provides more evidence to influence women who are heavy drinkers to cut back or quit. Those with a strong family history of breast cancer should consider eliminating alcohol entirely or drinking only on special occasions.
Source:Â Science Daily
September 28th, 2007
A German study indicates that women at high-risk for breast cancer can benefit from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans by detecting a nonmalignant tumor called ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS). If the pre-cancerous growth is discovered and removed before it becomes malignant, breast cancer could be prevented. Almost all malignant breast cancer is believed to begin with DCIS.
Because MRI is expensive, about $1,000 to $1,500 per scan, the technology does not yet make sense as a routine screening tool for all women. However, for women who have a strong family history of cancer or a genetic mutation found through testing, MRI can be especially effective. Apart from the expense, MRI has a high rate of false positives – often detecting lesions that are harmless. MRI scanning of breasts should always be paired with mammography, which finds things that MRI doesn’t.
The German study of 7,319 women took place over a five-year period. MRI scanning found DCIS in 90% of the 167 high-risk women discovered to have the condition, while mammograms detected only 56% of DCIS cases.
Two Dutch researchers involved with the study published their findings and recommendations in Lancet medical journal. They suggested that MRI be tested in more women to determine whether the technology should be used as a standard screening tool. They also noted that autopsy results show 9% of women have undetected DCIS.
The American Cancer Society recommends for women at high risk that MRI screening be performed annually in conjunction with mammography starting at age 30.
About 1.2 million cases of breast cancer are diagnosed annually, and each year 500,000 women (and a small percentage of men) die of the disease.
Source: Yahoo News
August 11th, 2007
This spring, new information came out about breast cancer screening, much of it perplexing to women. Past guidelines for annual mammograms included women in their 40s. Now, a major medical group disputes the need to screen women between the ages of 40 and 49.
The American College of Physicians has issued new and controversial guidelines. Their rationale is that for every 10,000 women screened in their 40s, perhaps six might avoid death from breast cancer. In addition, a high percentage of false positives could lead to unnecessary biopsies, increased costs, and potential for injury. Younger women receiving annual screenings might also incur a tiny risk of cancer developing from radiation used in mammograms.
All medical groups and experts agree that women 50 and over should get regular annual mammograms. Some women are known to have a very high risk of developing breast cancer — based on a strong family history or genetic testing showing defective BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. The American Cancer Society recommends screening mammograms and MRI imaging for these women, beginning at age 30. Sonograms are also used for more definitive imaging in high-risk young women whose breasts are quite dense.
Recently, a new study found that MRI scans can detect tumors mammograms missed in about 3% of women. This sensitive technology, not available in all hospitals, often picks up suspicious but harmless growths that need to be biopsied. The result can be costly procedures that might cause unnecessary alarm in women. For those few in whom cancer is found at an early stage, MRI can prove valuable and, hopefully, life-saving.
Another controversial subject is a computer-assisted program designed to help radiologists identify small cancers on mammograms. This system has proved to be no more effective than traditional mammography read by an experienced radiologist. The technology also has led to many false alarms requiring needless biopsies. About 30% of mammography centers use computer-assisted technology, and no clear medical benefits have been found. Government and private insurers may be re-evaluating whether these expensive systems are worth the price.
The best advice in the screening controversy is to assess your risks carefully with your physician and determine what is right for you. If you are very high risk for breast cancer, use all available technologies at an early age. Early detection is still the best strategy.
Source:Â Â New York Times
April 7th, 2007
For women with very dense breasts or a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer, MRI can yield much greater detail than mammography. MRI is so sensitive that it can reveal many types of suspicious growths in the breast. For this reason, there may be more false-positive findings leading to some unnecessary biopsies and additional scans. But for women at high risk for the disease, MRI can find tumors when they are most treatable.
Breast MRI requires special equipment, software and trained radiologists, and the expense can be 10 times the cost of mammography. In addition, breast MRI may not be available outside large cities.
Women at high risk are defined as having at least a 20 to 25% chance of developing breast cancer over their lifetime. Most U.S. women have about a 9% lifetime risk. Those who inherited defective BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes – a condition involved in only 10 percent of breast cancers – have a lifetime risk ranging from 36 to 85% of getting the disease. Especially at risk are those whose mothers, sisters or daughters carry those mutations, even if the woman herself has not been tested.
Using MRI for breast scans is especially useful for women who have been diagnosed with cancer in one breast and who need to know the status of the other breast. This sensitive technology can find tiny tumors that mammograms have missed. If an early cancer is detected in the other breast, both can be treated at the same time. Studies have shown that 10% of women with cancer in one breast over time will also develop it in the second breast.
MRI scans are most useful in younger women with cancer diagnosed in one breast and those with dense tissue that mammograms do not clearly image. Older, post-menopausal women with early tumors and clear mammograms are less likely to need MRI imaging.
Breast MRI can cost between $1,000 and $2,000. It may not always be covered by medical insurance. Figuring out just who needs MRI scans in addition to mammography can be difficult and much will depend on having a knowledgeable referring physician. A simple risk calculator is available online at http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/. Genetic counseling can also be valuable in determining a woman’s level of risk.
Sources: New York Times ; MSNBC
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March 31st, 2007
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