Ann's Weblog

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

AHughes — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:20:00 GMT

You can have breast cancer, without having any pain at all. Here are some common symptoms of breast cancer, from The National Cancer Institute:

A change in how the breast or nipple feels

A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm area

Nipple tenderness

A change in how the breast or nipple looks

A change in the size or shape of the breast

A nipple turned inward into the breast

The skin of the breast, areola, or nipple may be scaly, red, or swollen. It may have ridges or pitting so that it looks like the skin of an orange.

Nipple discharge (fluid)

Early breast cancer usually does not cause pain. Still, a woman should see her health care provider about breast pain or any other symptom that does not go away. Most often, these symptoms are not due to cancer. Other health problems may also cause them. Any woman with these symptoms should tell her doctor so that problems can be diagnosed and treated as early as possible.

Breast Cancer Sobering Fact

AHughes — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:25:00 GMT

Every 13 minutes, a woman dies of breast cancer.

Breast Cancer in Younger Women

AHughes — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 21:46:00 GMT

A reminder to all young women that no one is immune to breast cancer.

There's a whole website devoted to young women who've battled and survived breast cancer: www.youngsurvival.org.

Here's a little information from that site:

Over 11,100 young women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the next year. But, despite the fact that breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women ages 15 to 54: Many young women and their doctors are unaware that they are at risk for breast cancer. There is no effective breast cancer screening tool for women 40 and under. Young women are often diagnosed at a later stage than their older counterparts. There is very little research or educational material focused on issues unique to this younger population, such as fertility, pregnancy, genetic predisposition, the impact of hormonal status on the effectiveness of treatment, psycho-social and long-term survivorship issues, and higher mortality rates for young women, particularly for African-Americans and Latinas. Young women diagnosed with breast cancer often feel isolated and have little contact with peers who can relate to what they are experiencing. As the incidence of young women with breast cancer is much lower than in older women, young women are underrepresented in many research studies.

The young survival coalition wants young women to educate themselves about breast cancer and be proactive about their health.

A message we should all be hearing.

Foods That Could Keep Breast Cancer Away

AHughes — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 16:21:00 GMT

From Breastcancer.com:

The following tables list the best foods for breast-cancer treatment and prevention, based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Vegetables Vegetables must be cooked, not raw.

Broccoli, Celery, Fennel , Ginger, Cauliflower, Carrots, Scallions, Garlic, Eggplant, Radishes, Mushrooms

Fruits

Kiwi, Watermelon, Dates, Pears (any type), Pineapple, Asian pears, Lemons

Nuts

Chestnuts, Walnuts, Peanuts, Pine nuts

Seafood

Clams, Mussels, Shrimp

Asian Foods

Seaweedm Quail eggs (fresh or canned), Red beans (Hong dao), Chinese white fungus, Bamboo shoots (available canned), Chinese pearl barley, Mung beans, Lotus seeds, Bamboo tips (available canned), Black beans, Chinese red dates (Hong zau)

Green tea (any kind except decaffeinated)

Bee Products

Honey and Bee pollen

***For general breast-cancer prevention, eat at least two servings each of a recommended fruit and vegetable daily. Supplement this with a recommended seafood two to three times a week. ***

When eating for healing, the goal is to maximize the nutrients your body can absorb from the foods you eat while minimizing the energy required to digest them. To this end, try to eat a varied diet that consists primarily of vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, some grains, and some seafood. Avoid red meat, poultry, and pork, which require a great deal of energy to digest.

Start by gradually modifying your existing diet to incorporate as many of the recommended foods as possible. For example, use honey instead of sugar in your tea. Or rather than having oatmeal in the morning, opt for a bowl of Chinese barley soup and a kiwi. Many small adjustments can collectively have a measurable impact on your health.

As important as these dietary recommendations are, do not let following them become a source of stress. Your emotions have a far greater impact on your health than the foods you eat.

Breast Cancer Risk and The Pill

AHughes — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:20:00 GMT

Young women on the pill shouldn't worry about an increased risk of breast cancer, according to a new study. Doctors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill looked at oral contraceptives and the risk of dying from breast cancer in nearly 4,300 women. They found no increased risk of death linked to using the pill, no matter the type of pill or how long the women were using it.

There's been concern since a 1996 study found an increased breast cancer risk among pill users. But this new study supports previous research published in 2002, countering that 19-96 finding.

The UNC researchers say their new findings show for many younger women, the pill can be a good birth control option. However, they were not able to say the same thing about older women approaching menopause. They think more research is needed to determine if the pill has similar affects to hormone replacement therapy, which is used to supress menopause symptoms. A landmark 2002 study called the "Women's Health Initiative" linked HRTs to an increase incidence of breast cancer.

The study appears in this month's issue of the journal "Obstetrics and Gynecology."

As If Battling Breast Cancer Isn't Enough...

AHughes — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:52:00 GMT

Breast cancer survivors have already cleared one major hurdle...now, a warning for another major health issue some may need to worry about. According to doctors at Duke University, women who survive breast cancer are at an increased risk of heart and vascular disease because of cancer treatments. They say most modern day breast cancer therapies - including ones still being developed - increase the long term risk of heart disease. They're not yet sure how much of a risk it is, but they say it's significant enough to counter the recent gains in breast cancer survival.

The doctors make the comments in the new issue of the "Journal of the American College of Cardiology."

It's October 23rd and time for your buddycheck23 reminder!

AHughes — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:55:00 GMT

Every month at FOX23 News, we stress the importance of doing a breast self-exam on a regular basis.

It's the foundation of our buddycheck23 program, a partnership between FOX23 and Saratoga Hospital.

If you're wondering how to properly perform a self-exam, just click on this - a step-by-step guide from the American Cancer Society:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6x_How_to_perform_a_breast_self_exam_5.asp

Don't forget, detecting a lump - or anything unusual - early can save your life. Pass that message along.

Breast Cancer Treatment Success!

AHughes — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:32:00 GMT

Doctors say they have pinpointed a protein that could determine how a breast cancer patient will respond to treatment.

A new study out of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center finds if a woman's tumors are fueled by the protein HER-2, she may benefit from additional chemotherapy drugs. Doctors looked at tissue samples from more than 1,500 women. Each received so-called AC chemotherapy. (that means they were given the chemotherapy drugs adriamycin and cytoxan). In addition to the AC chemotherapy, some of them were given the chemotherapy drug taxol too.

Researchers found the women with the HER-2 protein benefited from the added drug.

HER-2 breast cancers only account for about fifteen to twenty percent of all cases. The rest are considered estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancers, because they're fueled by the hormone estrogen. For those women, the study found taxol won't help.

Based on the findings, researchers say doctors can now target treatment, saving some women from needless side effects.

The study appears in the "New England Journal of Medicine."

Interesting Breast Cancer Facts

AHughes — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 23:40:00 GMT

Taken from the website www.breastthermography.com. If you have a chance, click on the link. The site has a lot of facts I had never heard and it also gives very detailed information on thermography - a procedure we don't hear about very often.

Breast cancer is the leading killer of women ages 35 to 54.

Breast cancer in women under 50 is more aggressive and virulent.

70% of breast cancers occur in women without a family history of the disease.

Despite modern technology, breast cancer mortality has not been significantly reduced in more than 40 years. The main reasons for this are:

90% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed with a palpable tumor size.

Large numbers of women are without screening tests until a palpable lesion is felt.

As a stand-alone screening test, mammography misses approximately 20% of all cancerous tumors (false negatives).

The majority of breast cancers revealed by mammography are not detected early enough.

25% of women die within the first 5 years and 40% within 10 years of their diagnosis.

Over 90% of women diagnosed with Stage 1 cancers are alive 5 years later, unfortunately only 58% of breast cancers are diagnosed at this stage.

Most cancers take 8-10 years to grow to 1 cm in size, but only 1.5 years more to grow to 3.5 cm.

No one procedure or method of imaging is solely adequate for breast cancer screening.

Sources: 1997-2000 Index Medicus - ACS, NEJM, JNCI, Lancet, BMJ, J Breast

Just Click, To Give A Free Mammogram

AHughes — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:24:00 GMT

You may have been to this site before, but it's worth another visit:

www.thebreastcancersite.com

All you have to do is click on the box you see on the home page, to help fund a mammogram for someone in need. The site has been up and running for more than seven years, and in that time, it's made it possible for 11,000 women to have mammograms. One small click, making a big difference.

Breaking News: New Breast Cancer Drug Approved

AHughes — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:29:00 GMT

This happened just hours ago. From U.S. News & World Report:

Ixempra Approved for Breast Cancer

Targets protein that spurs growth of cancer cells

A new chemotherapy drug called Ixempra has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to treat women with advanced breast cancer who haven't responded to three other types of chemotherapy.

The drug, made by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., was also approved for use with the chemotherapy drug capecitabine (brand name Xeloda) for treatment of women with breast cancer that's spread to other parts of the body, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Ixempra was granted priority review status by the FDA. This status, which cuts four months off the standard 10-month drug review time, is given to products that are considered to be an advance over existing therapies on the market.

Ixempra, which belongs to a new class of drugs called epothilones, is designed to stop the growth of cancer cells. It does this by targeting a protein called tubulin that helps cells proliferate, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Bristol-Myers also is studying the use of Ixempra to treat earlier-stage breast cancer, as well as ovarian, prostate, renal, pancreatic and non small cell lung cancers.

Breast Cancer - How You Can Reduce York Risk

AHughes — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:50:00 GMT

"Breast Cancer Facts and Figures 2007-2008" is out and includes four difference categories where a woman's actions can influence her risk of developing breat cancer.

Weight: Obesity increases a woman's risk of postmenopausal (but not premenopausal) breast cancer, as does weight gain during adulthood.

Alcohol use: Women who drink just 2 alcoholic beverages a day face a 21% increase in their risk for breast cancer.

Secondhand smoke: Although most studies have found no link between cigarette smoking and breast cancer, the link between secondhand smoke and breast cancer remains controversial.

Exercise: Women can lower their risk of breast cancer by exercising vigorously for 45 to 60 minutes on 5 or more days per week. Postmenopausal women can lower their risk, according to one study, with any level of physical activity performed on a regular basis.

10 Breast Cancer Myths Debunked

AHughes — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:49:00 GMT

Interesting information from MSN.com:

10 Breast Cancer Myths Debunked

By Marisa Weiss, MD, with Barbara Loecher, Prevention

Could that sexy underwire bra cause breast cancer? What about that frozen yogurt you just ordered? Or hormone therapy? And how would you know if you had the disease until it was too late anyway? Don't some studies show that examining your breasts and getting mammograms are useless?

Amid all the rumors and controversies surrounding breast cancer these days what causes it, how to diagnose and treat it it's hard to know what to think. Or do. One thing we can tell you is that being able to separate fact from fiction could make the difference between life and death.

MYTH 1: HAVING A RISK FACTOR FOR BREAST CANCER MEANS YOU'LL DEVELOP THE DISEASE.

No risk factor either alone or in combination with others means you'll definitely get breast cancer. There are various factors that may increase your risk of developing the disease. Some of these appear to increase your risk only slightly. They include smoking, drinking (more than five alcoholic drinks per week year after year), getting your first menstrual period before age 12, continuing to have periods after age 55, and not having your first full-term pregnancy until after age 30. If you have a number of these, the increase in risk can start to be more meaningful.

That said, even an inherited genetic abnormality in your family doesn't necessarily mean you're going to get breast cancer. Abnormalities in the so-called breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are very strong risk indicators. But 20 to 60 percent of women with these inherited abnormalities will not develop breast cancer.

MYTH 2: IF THERE IS NO BREAST CANCER IN YOUR FAMILY, THEN YOU'RE NOT AT RISK FOR THE DISEASE.

Every woman is at risk for breast cancer. So are some men! For any individual woman, an inherited abnormality is the strongest risk factor, but only about 10 percent of all cases of breast cancer are due to inherited abnormalities. About 85 percent of women who develop the disease don't have a family history. That's why it's important for all women to get screened regularly.

MYTH 3: BREAST CANCER IS PASSED ONLY FROM YOUR MOTHER, NOT YOUR FATHER.

We now know that breast cancer genes can be inherited from your dad's side of the family. So ask relatives about cases on both sides and in both men and women. About 2,000 cases of male breast cancer are diagnosed in the US each year. In fact, male breast cancer is most closely associated with a BRCA2 abnormality. So if there's a man in the family who's had breast cancer, be sure to tell your doctor.

MYTH 4: NO MATTER WHAT YOUR RISK FACTORS ARE, YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BREAST CANCER UNTIL YOU'RE THROUGH MENOPAUSE.

The odds of getting the disease do increase as you age. But breast cancer can occur at any age. That's why all women need to be vigilant. Though experts recommend yearly mammograms starting at age 40, your doctor may suggest that you start even earlier if you have a family history of breast cancer at a young age.

Mammography isn't the ideal screening test for women younger than 40 because it can't "see through" their dense breast tissue. So your doctor may also recommend ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). You may be able to enroll in a study of MRI for breast cancer detection for women at increased risk.

MYTH 5: WEARING A BRA OR USING ANTIPERSPIRANTS AND DEODORANTS INCREASES YOUR RISK OF BREAST CANCER.

These are two Internet rumors that never seem to quit. It's not true that wearing a bra, especially underwire bras, traps toxins by limiting lymph and bloodflow in your breasts, increasing risk. There's also no proof for the claims that antiperspirants and deodorants cause cancer by keeping the body from sweating out the cancer-causing substances that build up in the breasts, or because they contain harmful chemicals that are absorbed through the skin.

MYTH 6: IF YOU HAVE SMALL BREASTS, YOU'RE MUCH LESS LIKELY TO GET BREAST CANCER.

Size doesn't matter. Anyone with breasts can get it.

MYTH 7: RESEARCH SHOWS THAT USING HORMONE THERAPY (HT) " EVEN FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME - CAUSES BREAST CANCER.

Many women were understandably concerned when a major study found that HT combining estrogen and progestin increased risks of invasive breast cancer slightly. Another study also showed that combination therapy boosts breast cancer risk somewhat, however, it was able to offer some reassurance: This risk appeared to return to normal within a year or so after women stopped using the therapy. This seems to be the case for women who've been on HT for just months and those who've used it for more than 5 years.

One more thing: It's important to note that no studies have found a boost in breast cancer risk for women using estrogen-only therapy. This type of therapy is prescribed solely for women who have had hysterectomies, because estrogen taken alone can cause cancer in the lining of the uterus (endometrial cancer).

MYTH 8: EATING HIGH-FAT FOODS AND DAIRY PRODUCTS BOOSTS YOUR RISK.

A number of studies have found that women who live in countries where diets tend to be lower in fat have a lower risk of breast cancer. But the majority of studies focusing on women in the US haven't found a solid link between dietary fat consumption and breast cancer risk. Why are these findings contradictory? It may be that women in other countries are at lower risk for other reasons: They exercise more, eat less, weigh less, smoke less, or have a different genetic profile or environmental interaction that makes them less susceptible. One thing we do know: Postmenopausal obesity is a risk factor that does put you at risk for breast and other cancers, so it pays to maintain a healthy weight.

As for dairy products, the study results are mixed. But Harvard's Nurses' Health Study, a large-scale study of 120,000 women, recently found that premenopausal women who ate a lot of dairy products, especially low-fat and fat-free ones, ran a lower risk of breast cancer. The study found no link between dairy product consumption and breast cancer risk in women who are past menopause.

MYTH 9: MAMMOGRAMS CAN PREVENT BREAST CANCER.

A 2003 Harris survey of more than 500 women found that about 30 percent thought mammograms could prevent breast cancer. The truth: While mammograms can detect breast cancer, they can't prevent it.

MYTH 10: SOME STUDIES ACTUALLY SHOW MAMMOGRAMS ARE WORTHLESS.

Two studies, including a review study done by Danish scientists, did suggest that getting a regular mammogram didn't lower a woman's risk of dying of breast cancer. But several other studies, including one done by the US Preventive Services Task Force, totally disagree. You can maximize the benefit of mammography screening by seeking out the best facilities and staff in your area. Look for the radiology center that handles the most breast cancer cases in the region. Go to a radiologist who specializes in reading mammograms, and ask, "How many mammograms do you read each year?" More tends to be better. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that radiologists who read more than 300 mammograms a month were more accurate.

Think Before You Pink

AHughes — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 01:19:00 GMT

There are definitely two sides to every story. You've no doubt seen pink products that raise awareness about breast cancer - everything from breath mints to mixers. But there is a group that doesn't think you should rush out and buy these items - and believe me, they are as in favor of finding a cure as anyone. Their point is: we've raised awareness, now let's get to the bottom of breast cancer. Check out their website, www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org

Breast Cancer Fact Of The Day

AHughes — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:23:00 GMT

From the American Cancer Society:

Did you know...

178,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected in women in the U.S. this year.

97 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer at an early stage survive more than five years.

Remember, do a monthly breast self-exam and have a yearly mammogram once you turn 40.

See your doctor if you notice anything unusual!