Breast Cancer and Natural Options

Breast Cancer and Natural Options  

By David J Foreman

Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer. To date, modern medicine is still taking the invasive approach to preventing the disease. Prevention should be built around understanding the disease including such things as; knowing the risk factors and lifestyle changes (including my 4-Pillars of Great Health).
Please don't take me the wrong way, I believe there is a time and place for modern medicine. The modern medical world does-in most cases-have our best interest at heart. My regret is that too often it (modern medicine) looks at the surface of health instead of the root of the problem. There should be more focus on education about lifestyle changes and less spent on potentially bogus research.
Who gets Breast Cancer?
Remarkably, some women who have one or more risk factors never get breast cancer. And most women who do get breast cancer don't have any risk factors at all. The crazy fact is-about 70% of women with breast cancer have no known risk factors. This is even more reason to live a healthier lifestyle. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".
Things you can't change

• Age (risk rises as you get older)
• Genetics
• Sex (100 times more common in women)
• Race (Whites more than African-American, Asian, Hispanic and American Indian)
• Menstrual Periods (women who begin before 12 or end after the age(s) of 55)
• Breast lesions (previous breast biopsy with abnormal cells)

Things you can change (if it isn't too late)

• Child Birth (Either not having a child or having one after the age of 30)
• Birth Control Pill use
• Hormone Therapy
• Not breast-feeding (breast-feeding lowers the risk)
• Alcohol Use (especially 2 or more drinks per day)
• Being Overweight
• Exercise (increased activity decreases your risk)

Remember, risk factors are just that-having one or more of these will increase the possibility of developing the condition. Having any one of these isn't necessarily a sentence of doom, but should be treated as a wake-up call to take better care of you.
The following is based on "what would the Herbal Pharmacist do if he had this condition?" I choose to start with the following comments:
1. The majority of women with breast cancer have no known risk factors
2. No matter where the condition is-breast, colon, lung, etc.-CANCER can be life threatening.
3. Modern medicine does acknowledge that lifestyle choices (being overweight, smoking, eating habits, not enough exercise, etc.) increase your risk of developing cancer.
Having stated these (obvious to many) points, I am drawn to one conclusion: Lifestyle is the one constant in the majority (probably all-but I don't have the time to look it up) of the forms of cancer we get. If we could just change certain things about how we live (LIFESTYLE) we probably wouldn't get cancer. In past articles on cancer I stated that you won't get cancer if your immune system is functioning optimally. Cancer cells are abnormal cells. If your immune system was working the way it should, it would identify the bad cells and destroy them. I believe that because of the many lifestyle choices we make (not following my 4-Pillars of Great Health), we place our bodies in harms way by decreasing the effectiveness of our immune system.
As I state, the 4-Pillars are Supplements, Diet, Activity and Spirituality. Let's start with Dietary supplements. Whether I have this condition or I am looking to not develop it, I would look to the same basic supplements. Doses may change based on your condition and its severity. (Someone with Stage IV cancer would be more aggressive with dosing than someone who is just looking at prevention) This is the laundry list of supplement you should consider:

• Green Tea
• Melatonin
• Lignans (Flax)
• EPA/DHA (Fish oil)
• I3C (comes from cruciferous veggies) (besides diet, use cruciferous extracts)
• IP-6
• DIM
• Calcium D-Glucarate
• Iodine (or other natural sources of this mineral)
• Maitake Mushroom (extract-I prefer D-Fraction from Maitake Products)
• Vitamin D3
• Vitamin A (use caution-high doses are linked to liver damage)
• CoQ10
• Turmeric

Of these listed supplements, many can be purchased in "breast health" supplements. Examples such as Advanced Breast Support (M.D. Select) and Healthy Cells Breast (Enzymatic Therapy) would be a great step in the right direction. I would use these as part of my foundation when building the Herbal Pharmacist Dietary supplement program.
The next level up would be to use a good antioxidant targeting your condition. Supplements like Super Critical Antioxidant (New Chapter) would be a great fit. You may wish to add more antioxidants if you wish to be more aggressive. Finding a combination antioxidant which contains CoQ10, A, and maybe the herbs Green Tea and Turmeric would be great. I also throw Flor*Essence Tea into this level. This amazing tea is ALWAYS part of my supplement recommendations for those with cancer concerns. Not only is it a great antioxidant, but also possesses detoxification properties. I especially like its ability to work on cleansing the lymphatic system. This system is critical in all forms of cancer, but especially breast cancer. I have had great success using this tea on a daily basis. Doses ranging from 1-2 ounces per day to the more aggressive 4-8 ounces per day (very severe cases) (this large dose will usually cause side effects like digestive discomfort and diarrhea)
The third level of supplementation would be your fish oil supplement. The jury is still out on how much is enough without going overboard (no pun intended). I usually recommend we consume 2-3 grams per day as part of maintaining great health. Perhaps 5-10 grams per day would be considered the high end for a more aggressive approach.
Even though a probiotic is not listed above, I believe we all should be taking a daily supplement of these friendly bacteria. There isn't any research to say it helps, but with more "good guys" in your digestive system, your body can focus on doing positive work instead of energy on another health issue that my crop up due to insufficient friendly bacteria. Look for a guaranteed delivery product like Reuteri Pearls (Nature's Way) or MD Select for blended formulations.
As I always preach-you can't do just one Pillar and expect to be a healthy individual. Let's take a quick look at other recommendation for those concerned with Breast Cancer.
Diet
I feel like a broke record, but here it goes. Throw away and stop consuming refined foods. (Especially Sugar and flour based products) I define a refined foods as a food that isn't in its original state-Don't Eat It! (Pasta, bread, bagels, refined oils, etc.) You can eat: Whole foods! Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, meats (organic lean cuts), chicken (organic), eggs (organic) and fish (not too much because of heavy metal toxicity) I prefer being heavy on the fruits and veggies and lighter on the animal proteins. If you are having trouble with the fruits and veggies, then buy powdered supplements that contain fruit and vegetable extracts. If you're into soy, eat fermented soy products like tofu. (I recommend staying away from soy because there are too many conflicting studies about it being beneficial or harmful-especially with estrogen positive forms of cancer)
Activity
Studies show that exercise reduces breast cancer risk. I teach in my seminars that regardless of health challenge you are fighting or preventing to walk briskly 30-45 minutes per day. Brisk walking is defined like this: If you are walking with someone and talking, you should be having trouble catching your breath. According to the American Cancer Society website ( www.cancer.org ) one study found that as little as 1 hour and 15 minutes to 2 and a half hours of brisk walking per week reduced the risk by 18%. Their recommendation is you exercise for 45 to 60 minutes 5 or more days a week
Mind/Spirit
I have covered the power of prayer and the belief in GOD before. I think that the majority of us understand the power of religion (whatever you may follow) and our overall health outcome. I recommend we all take a deeper look into our hearts and souls to help us be healthier individuals. What about the mind/body connection? My favorite source for this is Louise Hay. Louise Hay believes there is a mental or emotional link to our health (and so do I). I recommend you get her book(s) and begin working on replacing your negative thought/emotion with a positive one. Too often we overlook the mind/spirit component of health. If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired then there is no time like the present to start.

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'Triple Negative' Breast Cancer

'Triple Negative' Breast Cancer
By Dr. Eric Brown

 Breast cancers are not all the same and they behave differently. To effectively target breast cancer cells with the right therapy requires that we identify the cancer subtype. By knowing the subtype and which genes the cancer expresses, we know which drugs to use, as different receptors accept different drugs.

While some subtypes lend themselves well to very specific targeted types of treatment, Triple Negative Breast Cancers (TNBCs) do not. TNBCs do, however, respond to other types of treatment. This article looks at the population that is most likely to be in the TNBC group.
Breast cancer tissue is typically tested for specific receptors to estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (her2-neu). The presence of any of these receptors, allows for targeted therapy. Targeted therapy utilizes drugs that recognize these receptors, thereby affecting only those cancer cells.
Estrogen or progesterone receptors are treated with what is called endocrine therapy. The most recognized drug used to target either of these receptors is tamoxifen. In post-menopausal women, drugs called aromastase inhibitors (Arimidex, Femara, Aromasin) perform a similar task of essentially blocking the bodies own estrogen from binding to and stimulating cancer cells that may be circulating in the body or at the site of the original tumor.
The presence of these receptors is a favorable prognostic indicator. The presence of the HER2 receptor is actually a poor prognostic indicator, suggesting a more aggressive disease. A relatively recent breakthrough in breast cancer treatment was the discovery of Herceptin, a drug that targets this receptor. While still suggesting more aggressive disease, the use of Herceptin, along with chemotherapy, has had a remarkably positive impact on the treatment of those cancers that posses this receptor.

Triple Negative Breast Cancers (TNBC), don't have any of these receptors. Thus, there is no effective targeted therapy. 10-20% of all invasive breast cancers are 'Triple Negative'. Younger women and African American women are more likely to develop this subtype of breast cancer.
In addition, women with a BRCA1 mutation are more likely to be 'triple negative'. In fact, the diagnosis of TNBC is now an indication to consider genetic testing. In addition, these subtypes of breast cancers respond differently to therapies. TNBC's tend to respond very well to chemotherapy. Thus, the indications for chemotherapy in this subgroup tends to include even small, lymph-node-negative patients.
A major focus of current research is trying to find drugs to interfere with the growth of TNBC, as well as discover new targets that might exist in this subtype. By identifying Support groups of TNBC patients have formed. For information go to http://www.tnbcfoundation.org.

About the Author
Dr. Eric Brown has twice been voted "Top Doc" in the Detroit Metro area. He is certified in breast ultrasound by the American Society of Breast Surgeons, is trained in Oncoplastic Surgery (plastic surgery for the treatment of breast disease), and is a member of The American Society of Breast Surgeons and The American Society of Breast Disease.
Dr. Brown is the Director of the Breast Care Center, as well as, The Center of Excellence Director for Breast Care, at Beaumont Hospital. His clinic is Comprehensive Breast Care in Troy, MI.

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Breast Cancer Natural Treatment

By Anna W 

Breast cancer natural treatment uses resource from nature to heal the body. It does not use conventional treatment. The natural healing process involves eating healthy organic vegetarian diet, moderate exercise and sunlight therapy.
Eating vegetables, fruits, spices, herbs, sprouted beans, legumes, whole grains, low-fat diary products, and only good oils can change the body sufficiently enough for you to notice boost of energy, higher immune system, better bowl movements, and loosing unwanted weight. naturally.
Organic leafy greens vegetables and colorful fruits does not contain harmful pesticide and chemicals that builds more toxic in your body. The breast cancer natural treatment only supports ways to heal the body without unnecessary added chemicals, including conventional foods with artificial coloring, preservatives, or hydrated fats.

It may take some time to adjust to the breast cancer natural treatment for preparing meals. Just because you cannot eat your favorite sweet dishes that have high fat and sugar does not mean that your meals are going to be tasteless. On the contrary, there are too many tasty recipes that are easy to make. Especially if you adjust to a raw vegan diet, all or most of the foods require no heating. You can make delicious smoothies, shakes, and main dishes made from sprouted beans and tasty vegetables. Do you know that there are more nutrients from sprouted grains and beans, because they are alive?
As part of the breast cancer natural treatment, moderate exercise such as walking outside on a nice sunny day provides natural vitamin D from the sun, boosting the metabolism level and more oxygen to the body. Dr. Budwig discovered in her research that cancer cells does not thrive in blood that has good oxygen supply. The sun provides the highest level of vitamin D naturally.

How does it cause sun burns and skin cancer? Again, Dr Budwig states that a person who eats processed, saturated fats, sugar, refined carbohydrates, and meats causes the body unable to accept the natural vitamin D from the sun. Eating organic foods allows the body to accept the sun without the burns or irritation.
Breast cancer natural treatment is a whole new lifestyle that is healing and enjoyable. You can google and find many breast cancer survivors who speak of their healing process via books, support groups for breast cancer, personal websites, and forums.

Anna W. supports and teaches what causes cancer, natural cancer cures, anti cancer diet, list of raw foods, support groups for cancer and more. For more information, please visit her at: http://www.all-natural-cancer-cures.com

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About breast cancer

Finding a Cancer Cure Would Put the Cancer Care Industry Out of Business!

Legally, I can't tell you that monatomic gold cures cancer, even though scientific studies have shown that cancer patients taking monatomic gold have experienced improvement in their condition. If you want references, click on the link below. For now, I'll just relate my viewpoint based on what I've read and what I've experienced.
I've never had cancer, but my mom did. She died from the TREATMENT! Her father had cancer and died. My dad's mom had cancer and died. There's a lot of conjecture in the medical community as to the causes of cancer. Before the industrial revolution, cancer cases were rare. Many effective cancer treatment protocols were developed prior to 1950's, but these treatments were suppressed by the mainstream medical establishment at the behest of the pharmaceutical corporations. One natural cancer therapy that I can't legally tell you actually works is cottage cheese and flax oil. That's pretty simple, and totally non-toxic. Won't kill you like chemo-therapy might, like radiation probably will.

A mineral supplement derived from gold, called monatomic gold has been used by ancient cultures throughout earth's history as an aid in spiritual ascension. Modern scientific research has shown that subjects taking monatomic gold show an immediate increase in brain synchronization, leading to stress relief. Legally, I can't tell you that stress causes cancer. I also won't tell you that de-stressing will cure your cancer.
It's also been observed that monatomic gold repairs DNA. It's the DNA that tells the cells what to do, when and how to divide, whether to be healthy or unhealthy. Exposure to environmental toxins like petro-chemicals can damage the DNA, leading to cancer. Certain supplements have shown to aid in detoxification of these unnatural chemicals. Would you be surprised to discover that many pharmaceutical drugs are synthesized from petroleum? What connection do you think might exist between the petroleum industry and the pharmaceutical industry?

Before the prohibition era, Henry Ford produced automobiles designed to run on pure ethanol. John D. Rockefeller of Standard Oil fame used his influence to push for the prohibition of the sale of alcohol, not to stop people from drinking, but to shut down the fuel competition from Ford's ethanol production. Ford had filling stations that were ethanol-dedicated, garnering some 25% of the fuel sales in America. Then came prohibition. Ethanol is a clean-burning fuel, producing no toxic emissions. Petroleum based fuels and petroleum refinement to make gasoline and diesel fuel produces cancer causing toxic by-products. Some of these waste by-products are used in the manufacture of cancer drugs and other pharmaceutical drugs. Read the lists of side-effects! Jeesh!
It's time we grow up and start thinking for ourselves. Television gets most of it's ad revenue from drug ads! Television also uses subliminal messages to program the subconscious mind to action. It's also been discovered that brain-waves of television watchers are identical to brain-waves of subjects under hypnotic trance!

My experience taking monatomic gold is my mind is sharper. My dreams are more vivid, and I experience a greater since of synchronicity of experience. You know those "Aha!" moments? So, how might having access to a greater mental capacity effect your ability to handle health challenges? Do you think you might be able to better sort it out for yourself, rather than just blindly following the advice of some oncologist who has yacht payments to make?
If you'd like more data on high-quality monatomic minerals that I cannot legally tell you have helped many people with cancer, click on the link below. To life!

Samuel Boydston is an explorer in human consciousness. He is intensely engaged in the pursuit of greater ability in the fields of music, the arts and education. More articles at: [http://monotomic-monatomicgoldpowder.com/monatomic-gold-powder-monotomic-and-modern-alchemy/].

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Breast Cancer Care

Breast Cancer Care - What Kind of Emotional Support Should Be Given?  

By Maggie Chang 

Emotional health plays an important role especially for breast cancer patients. A lot of patients have greater depressive symptoms and low quality of life to exercise after recovery and frequently the emotional disturbance will continue for few years to their treatment.
Normally patients have the emotional health when diagnosed and after treatment. Depressive symptoms such as low mood, low energy, lack of interest in or withdrawal from normal activities are the effects from the patients. It is very important to understand the non-supportive reaction reflect from others people. So family and friends have plays an important role by given the support and communications
When a person diagnosed with this diseases, they will be very anxious, feel abandoned or strongly supported, or both. Emotional support will provide the confident and reduce the stress to against the recurrence. Besides the treatment, they should cooperate with doctor regarding their breast health and how to improve and prevent it.

Breast cancer patients hardly have positive thinking because they have to go through the surgery, treatment which is not a pleasant experience and it is quite difficult for them to achieve and maintain a positive outlook. Emotional support is very important for the patients especially from family, friends and the love one because it can build up a communications with them and also take part in some activities as a breast cancer significant role of emotional health as well.
It is a lonely experience either in physical and emotional when a person diagnosed with the diseases and although hospitals have the support group such as counselors or psychologists which will provide the education support and services to them but with the concerns and support from family, friends and the love one are more important in order to save and continue their life.

And now I would like to offer you a free report "5 Risk Factors Of Breast Cancer" when you subscribe to my newsletter. You can get instant access at [http://www.HealthInfoPlanet.com]
From Maggie Chang - The Up And Coming Breast Cancer Enthusiast who provide valuable breast cancer information at [http://www.HealthInfoPlanet.com]

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Breast Cancer in Women

Breast Cancer is the Leading Cancer in Women

Most women share a common fear, developing breast cancer.  So what do the latest statistics show about this disease?

• Every three minutes a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Breast cancer is the leading cancer amoung Causcasian and African American wormen.
• Breast cancer incidence in women has increased from one in 20 in 1960 to one in eight today.

From a statistical view what every we have been doing to curb the disease hasn’t worked, it is getting worse!  The American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institue estimates that roughly on-third of all cancer deaths are related to diet and activity.  But diet alone is unlikely to be the cause or cure of cancer.  However, findings do suggest that physical activity and healthy diet low in certain fats and high in vegetables and fiber, and a healthy weight can help reduce the risk of breast cancer or the cancer returning.

Diet and Cancer
What you eat can hurt you, but it can also help you.  Many vegetables and oils contain important phytochemicals forming antioxidants that neutralize the damage caused by free radicals.  There isn’t a single element in a particular food that does all the work, the combined foods work synergistically when consumed as a whole plant not just active ingredients from the plants.  The best thing to do is eat a variety of whole foods.  The challenge is most people do not eat enough of these unique whole foods to allow your body to process what it needs to combate the effects of oxidation.  This creates a state of oxidative stress that is a hot topic of research today.

Foods to Consider
Studys done recently have shown that the healthful compounds in different foods work together to provide health benefits.  The benefits of any single food must be evaluated as a part of your whole diet.  The following list are some commonly not eaten but necessary foods and oils that are good for your health.

• Black Currant Seed Oil.  This wonderful oil is a natural source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).  GLA is one of two essential fatty acids that are necessary for maintaining normal functioning and growth of cells, nerves, muscles and organs.
• Cruciferous Vegetables.  Specifically less eaten Kale and Brussel Sprouts.  The more commonly used Brocholi and cauliflower are also very helpful to keep in your diet.
• Omega-3 Fats.  Scientific data implicat omega -3 fatty acids as inhibitors of development and progression of a range of human cancers.  The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in diet is equally as important.  The typical American diet contains up to 20 times as much omega-6 fats as it does omega-3 fats, the optimum ratio is 1:1.  Research has found that women with the highest omega-3 fats in breast fatty tissue were less apt to have breast cancer.
• Fiber.  Research has shown that a high fiber diet works to reduce hormone levels that may be involved in the progression of breast cancer, and that fiber increases the amount of estrogen removed from the body.
• Healthy Weight.  Maintaining a healthy weight may help reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back.  Overweight women were shown to be at a higher risk for all types of cancer in recent studies.  Along with regular body movements (sometimes called exercise) will maintain a healthy body.

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Breast Cancer Cause, Control

Breast Cancer Cause, Control And Cure For The Benefit Of Humankind

By Joydeep Guha Dam

Cancer accounts to a death of 6 million human lives per year. Modern medicine is aging with breath taking advances in cancer care with increasing awareness, preventing, detection, therapy, research and symptom management. Last 15 years has been a revolution. It is likely to fight Cancer out by getting an early detection especially at a pre cancer stage thus yielding best cure with much shorter treatment time, lesser cost, lesser body insult.

Am I at risk for breast cancer? Breast cancer is the most common malignancy-affecting woman in North America and Europe. Every woman is at risk for breast cancer. Close to 200,000 cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in the United States in 2001. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American women behind lung cancer. The lifetime risk of any particular woman getting breast cancer is about 1 in 8 although the lifetime risk of dying from breast cancer is much lower at 1 in 28. The diagnosis once confirmed by Doctor shocks in such a way that not only the patient suffers but entire family suffers the shock. Thus the patient and family both suffer differently and that adds to the total burden of cancer related illness.
Know your breast: The breast is a collection of glands and fatty tissue that lies between the skin and the chest wall. The glands inside the breast produce milk after a woman has a baby. Each gland is called as lobule and many such lobules make up a lobe. There are 15 to 20 lobes in each breast. The milk gets to the nipple from the glands by way of tubes called ducts. The glands and ducts get bigger when a breast is filled with milk, but the tissue that is most responsible for the size and shape the breast is the fatty tissue. There are also blood vessels and lymph vessels in the breast. Lymph is a clear liquid waste product that gets drained out of the breast into lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are small, pea-sized pieces of tissue that filter and clean the lymph. Most lymph nodes that drain the breast are under the arm in what is called the axilla.

Risk factors for breast cancer: They can be divided into those that you cannot change and those that you can change. Some factors that increase your risk of breast cancer that you cannot alter include being a woman, getting older, having a family history (having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer doubles your risk), having a previous history of breast cancer, having had radiation therapy to the chest region, being Caucasian, getting your periods young (before 12 years old), having your menopause late (after 50 years old), never having children or having them when you are older than 30, and having a genetic mutation that increases your risk. Genetic mutations for breast cancer have become a hot topic of research lately. Between 3-10% of breast cancers may be related to changes in either the gene BRCA1 or the gene BRCA2.
Women can inherit these mutations from their parents and it may be worth testing for either mutation if a woman has a particularly strong family history of breast cancer (meaning multiple relatives affected, especially if they are under 50 years old when they get the disease). If a woman is found to carry either mutation, she has a 50% chance of getting breast cancer before she is 70. Family members may elect to get tested to see if they carry the mutation as well. If a woman does have the mutation, she can get more rigorous screening or even undergo preventive (prophylactic) mastectomies to decrease her chances of contracting cancer. The decision to get tested is a highly personal one that should be discussed with a doctor who is trained in counseling patients about genetic testing.
Certain factors which increase a woman's risk of breast cancer can be altered including taking hormone replacement therapy (long term use of estrogens with progesterone for menopause symptoms slightly increases your risk), taking birth control pills (a very slight increased risk that disappears in women who have stopped them for over 10 years), not breastfeeding, drinking 2 to 5 alcoholic drinks a day, being overweight (especially after menopause), and not exercising. All of these modifiable risk factors are not nearly as important as gender, age, and family history, but they are things that a woman can control that may reduce her chances of developing a breast malignancy. Remember that all risk factors are based on probabilities, and even someone without any risk factors can still get breast cancer. Proper screening and early detection are our best weapons in reducing the mortality associated with this disease.
What are the signs of breast cancer? Unfortunately, the early stages of breast cancer may not have any symptoms. This is why it is important to follow screening recommendations. As a tumor grows in size, it can produce a variety of symptoms including: lump or thickening in the breast or underarm, change in size or shape of the breast, nipple discharge or nipple turning inward, redness or scaling of the skin or nipple, ridges or pitting of the breast skin
Can you prevent breast cancer? The individual cannot control the most important risk factors for the development of breast cancer. There are some risk factors that are associated with an increased risk, but there is not a clear cause and effect relationship. In no way can strong recommendations be made like the cause and effect relationship seen with tobacco and lung cancer. There are a few risk factors that may be modified by a woman that potentially could influence the development of breast cancer. If possible, a woman should avoid long-term hormone replacement therapy, have children before age 30, breastfeed, avoid weight gain through exercise and proper diet, and limit alcohol consumption to 1 drink a day or less. For women already at a high risk, their risk of developing breast cancer can be reduced by about 50% by taking a drug called Tamoxifen for five years. Tamoxifen has some common side effects (like hot flashes and vaginal discharge), which are not serious and some uncommon side effects (like blood clots, pulmonary embolus, stroke, and uterine cancer) which are life threatening. Tamoxifen isn't widely used for prevention, but may be useful in some cases.

There are limited data suggesting that vitamin A may protect against breast cancer but further research is needed before it can be recommended for prevention. Other things being investigated include phyto estrogens (naturally occurring estrogens that are in high numbers in soy), vitamin E, vitamin C, and other drugs. Further testing of these substances is also needed before they can be recommended for breast cancer prevention. Right now, the most important thing any woman can do to decrease her risk of dying from breast cancer is to have regular mammogram screening, perform breast self-exams once a month. Follow a few, easy steps, you will soon know what is normal for you and will quickly be aware of any changes. If you find a lump or other change, note down where it is and make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible.
Question for young women's are how to look? Well it is medically suggested that you stand up straight in front of a mirror with your arms loosely by your sides. Raise your arms above your head and move from side to side so you can see your breasts in the mirror, from different angles. What should you look for? A change in the size of either breast, change in the shape or position of nipple, bleeding or discharge from the nipples, unusual dimpling or puckering.
How do you feel for changes? Lie flat on your back with your head on a pillow. Put a folded towel under the shoulder on the side of the breast you are checking. This helps to spread the tissue so that it is easier to feel. Examine one breast at a time. Put the hand on the same side of the breast that you are going to examine under your head. With your other hand flat and fingers together, use the flats of your fingers to feel around the breast in small, circular movements, in an anticlockwise direction. Cover the whole of the breast including the nipple. Check your armpit for lumps in the same way, starting in the hollow and moving down towards the breast.
Now examine the other breast in the same way. If you think you have found something, feel the same area on the opposite breast. If they are the same it's probably just your shape, but if you are at all worried, do visit your doctor. Breast cancer happens when cells in the breast begin to grow out of control and can then invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body. Large collections of this out of control tissue are called tumors. However, some tumors are not really cancer because they cannot spread or threaten someone's life. These are called benign tumors. The tumors that can spread throughout the body or invade nearby tissues are considered cancer and are called malignant tumors. Theoretically, any of the types of tissue in the breast can form a cancer, but usually it comes from either the ducts or the glands. Because it may take months to years for a tumor to get large enough to feel in the breast, we screen for tumors with mammograms, which can sometimes see disease before we can feel it.
The earlier that a breast cancer is found, the more likely it is that treatment can be curable. Screening mammograms are simply x-rays of each breast. The breast is placed between two plates for a few seconds while the x-rays are taken. If something appears abnormal, or better views are needed, magnified views or specially angled films are taken during the mammogram. Mammograms often detect tumors before they can be felt and they can also identify tiny specks of calcium that could be an early sign of cancer. Regular screening mammograms can decrease the mortality of breast cancer by 30%. Woman should get a yearly mammogram starting at age 40 (although some groups recommend starting at 50), and women with a genetic mutation that increases their risk or a strong family history may want to begin even earlier. Between the ages of 20 and 39, every woman should have a clinical breast exam every 3 years and after age 40 every woman should have a clinical breast exam done each year.
There are some experimental screening modalities that are currently being studied. These include MRI, ductal lavage, ultrasound, optical tomography, PET scan, and digital mammograms. Depending on the results of the mammograms and/or ultrasounds, your doctors may recommend that you get a biopsy. A biopsy is the only way to know for sure if you have cancer, because it allows your doctors to get cells that can be examined under a microscope. There are different types of biopsies; they differ on how much tissue is removed. Some biopsies use a very fine needle, while others use thicker needles or even require a small surgical procedure to remove more tissue. Your team of doctors will decide which type of biopsy you need depending on your particular breast mass. Once the tissue is removed, a pathologist will review the specimen. The pathologist can tell if it is cancer or not; and if it is cancerous, then the pathologist will characterize it by what type of tissue it arose from, how abnormal it looks (known as the grade), whether or not it is invading surrounding tissues, and if the entire lump was excised, the pathologist can tell if there are any cancer cells left at the borders (also known as the margins). The pathologist will also test the cancer cells for the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors as well as a receptor known as HER-2/neu. Basic 4 stages of breast cancer are called as
Stage 0 (called carcinoma in situ) Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) refers to abnormal cells lining a gland in the breast. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) refers to abnormal cells lining a duct.

Stage I - early stage breast cancer where the tumor is less that 2 cm across and hasn't spread beyond the breast
Stage II - early stage breast cancer where the tumor is either less than 2 cm across and has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm; or the tumor is between 2 and 5 cm (with or without spread to the lymph nodes under the arm); or the tumor is greater than 5 cm and hasn't spread outside the breast
Stage III - locally advanced breast cancer where the tumor is greater than 5 cm across and has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm; or the cancer is extensive in the underarm lymph nodes; or the cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the breastbone or to other tissues near the breast
Stage IV - metastatic breast cancer where the cancer has spread outside the breast to other organs in the body
Depending on the stage of your cancer, your doctor may want additional tests to see if you have metastatic disease. If you have a stage III cancer, you will probably get a chest x-ray, CT scan and bone scan to look for metastases. Each patient is an individual and your doctors will decide what is necessary to adequately stage your cancer.
What are the treatments for breast cancer?
Surgery: Almost all women with breast cancer will have some type of surgery in the course of their treatment while some women will be candidates for what is called breast conservation therapy (BCT) where surgeons perform a lumpectomy which means they remove the tumor with a little bit of breast tissue around it but do not remove the entire breast. Some patients will have a sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure first to determine if a formal lymph node dissection is required. Sometimes, the surgeon will remove a larger part (but not the whole breast), and this is called a segmental or partial mastectomy. Most patients with DCIS that have a lumpectomy are treated with radiation therapy to prevent the local recurrence of DCIS.More advanced breast cancers are usually treated with a modified radical mastectomy. Modified radical mastectomy means removing the entire breast and dissecting the lymph nodes under the arm.
Chemotherapy: is the use of anti-cancer drugs that go throughout the entire body. The higher the stage of cancer you have, the more important it is that you receive chemotherapy; however, even stage I patients may benefit from chemotherapy in certain cases. In early stage patients, the risk of recurrence may be small, and thus the benefits of the chemotherapy are even smaller. There are many different chemotherapy drugs, and they are usually given in combinations for 3 to 6 months after you receive your surgery. Depending on the type of chemotherapy regimen you receive, you may get medication every 3 or 4 weeks; and you may have to go to a clinic to get the chemotherapy because many of the drugs have to be given through a vein. Two of the most common regimens are AC (doxorubicin and cycolphosphamide) for 3 months or CMF (cycolphosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil) for 6 months. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of the different regimens that your medical oncologist will discuss with you. Based on your own health, your personal values and wishes, and side effects you may wish to avoid, you can work with your doctors to come up with the best regimen for your lifestyle.
Radiotherapy: uses high-energy rays (similar to x-rays) to kill cancer cells. It comes from an external source, and it requires patients to come in 5 days a week for up to 6 weeks to a radiation therapy treatment center. The treatment takes just a few minutes, and it is painless. Radiation therapy is used in all patients who receive breast conservation therapy (BCT). It is also recommended for patients after a mastectomy that had large tumors, lymph node involvement, or close/positive margins after the surgery. Radiation is important in reducing the risk of local recurrence and is often offered in more advanced cases to kill tumor cells that may be living in lymph nodes.
Hormonal Therapy: When the pathologist examines your tumor specimen, he or she finds out if the tumor is expressing estrogen and progesterone receptors. Patients whose tumors express estrogen receptors are candidates for therapy with an estrogen-blocking drug called Tamoxifen. Tamoxifen is taken by pill form for 5 years after your surgery. This drug has been shown to drastically reduce your risk of recurrence if your tumor expresses estrogen receptors. However, there are side effects commonly associated with Tamoxifen including weight gain, hot flashes and vaginal discharge that patients may be bothered by. There are also very uncommon side effects like blood clots, strokes, or uterine cancer that may scare patients from choosing to take it. You need to remember that your chances of having a recurrence of your cancer are usually higher than your chances of having a serious problem with Tamoxifen, but the decision to undergo hormonal therapy is a personal one that you should make with your doctor. There are also newer drugs, called aromatase inhibitors that act by decreasing your body's supply of estrogen; these drugs are reserved for patients who have already gone through menopause. Talk to your doctors about these new therapies.
Biologic Therapy: The pathologist also examines your tumor for the presence of HER-2/neu over expression. A compound called Herceptin (or Trastuzumab) is a substance that blocks this receptor and helps stop the breast cancer from growing.
Follow-up testing: Once a patient has been treated for breast cancer, they need to be closely followed for a recurrence. At first, you will have follow-up visits every 3-4 months. The longer you are free of disease, the less often you will have to go for checkups. After 5 years, you could see your doctor once a year. You should have a mammogram of the treated and untreated breasts every year. Because having had breast cancer is a risk factor for getting it again, having your mammograms done every year is extremely important. If you are taking Tamoxifen, it is important that you get a pelvic exam each year and report any abnormal vaginal bleeding to your doctor.
Drink Green Tea: Generations of families in India and Asia have been turning to tea to cure what ails them. Green tea could benefit at least five vital organs, including the heart. Earlier, green tea was thought to improve urinary and brain function, combat beriberi disease, and alleviate indigestion. In other words, green tea was considered to be a multi-purpose elixir, able to treat a wide variety of health problems. But this ancient remedy has now found a place in modern scientific literature, thanks to a new wave of studies on the medicinal properties of green tea. While studies on human subjects have been inconclusive, initial evidence from the laboratory looks incredibly promising.

While green tea can be beneficial in attacking everything from high cholesterol to depression, it has perhaps gotten the most attention for its impact on cancer.
Antioxidants are important because they can stop the enzyme activities that give rise to cancer. In essence, they repair DNA problems that have been caused by oxidants or free radicals. Green tea has been considered a godsend for good health because it contains antioxidants known as catechins. These substances have been called impressive inhibitors of cancer growth. Here's how they do it: lab tests show that they combat oxidants prior to cell injuries, stop the growth of tumor cells, and reduce the occurrence of tumors.
This article is meant to give you a better understanding of breast cancer. Use this knowledge when meeting with your physician, making treatment decisions, and continuing your search for information.
Stay Healthy, as Health is Wealth!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joydeep_Guha_Dam

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Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2009: Thermography screenings best for early detection

Ask anyone about breast cancer and the most common answer you get is early detection is the key to survival.  Medical statistics prove this with a nearly 95% survival rate for cancer detected early.  So, this begs the question how early can we determine the signs of cancer?
According to Shelley Lesar, director of the Integrative Wellness Center in Roseville, California and a certified thermography technologist, “we can detect physiological changes in tissue as small as twenty to thirty cells.”  This is a significant difference from the traditional mammogram screenings which won’t show anything significant until there are 4 billion cells in growth which can take up to eight years to develop.

Lesar who has the only breast thermography facility in the Sacramento area has been doing screenings for four years.  Relatively new to the U.S. healthcare system this type of screening has been used for decades in Europe and Asia.  “Germany, France and Sweden use thermography as a first level breast screenings.  China and Russia use thermography exclusively,” according to Lesar.
 World health statistics show the U.S. is 38^th in the United Nations World Population in regards to life expectancy. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in this country and the number one cause of premature death among women with 45 thousand deaths from breast cancer every year.  The FDA has approved thermography screenings along with mammograms which has helped in the early detection of breast cancer.  According to Lesar,” several women have taken their thermography screenings to their doctor and were able to start treatment much earlier than otherwise from a physical or mammogram exam.  They definitely feel it saved their lives.”
“We want to give women peace of mind,” said Lesar. “Knowing that with the early detection of any physiological changes in breast tissue changes can be made with less urgency and panic.  We want to keep women well informed which takes the fear out of the situation.”

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Breast cancerBreast cancer may be linked to antibiotic use

Breast cancer may be linked to antibiotic use

Filed under Mans Health, Senior Health, Womens Health

Studies in the Journal of American Medical Association may cause women to rethink asking for antibiotics as possible links to breast cancer have been brought up.
It all started with a study done in Finland in 2000 that reopened a link between breast cancer and antibiotics.  This study sparked interest in the University of Washington school of Medicine to examine data collected on over 10,000 women enrolled in a large health plan in the state.
Two groups were studied; one group consisted of 2,266 cases of women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.  The second nearly 8,000 women randomly selected with no breast cancer.  Researchers used health plan data to determine the number of antibiotic prescriptions each person was given, as well as the total number of days that each woman used antibiotics over a 17 year period.
The data was shocking as it showed the risk of breast cancer was doubled among women who received 25 or more prescriptions for any antibiotics when compared to women who took none.  The group of women who took from 1 to 25 prescriptions increased their risk by one and a half times those that took none.

Death from breast cancer was highest among the women with a high rate of cumulative days on antibiotics.  According to the Washington researchers this does not definitely prove that antibiotics cause breast cancer.  There are many other factors to consider such as the possibility that the illness being treated by the antibiotics may play a roll in breast cancer development as well.

As a side note; as much as eighty percent of the total antibiotic production in the U.S. is used in agriculture.  Dairy, livestock and poultry animals are injected or fed antibiotics not for illness but to promote growth.  As these products make their way into the food chain everyone is getting exposed to antibiotics without a prescription.
A University of Maryland study supported the conclusion that agricultural antibiotic use may be introducing new antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria into the human population.

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How to Care a Cancer

Cancer Care: How to Take Care of Yourself With Less Dependency on Medications

By Nelson Berry

Thanks to much better education and scientific breakthroughs, dealing with cancer is much easier these days than in the previous years. Usually, treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation can slow down the spread or help you go into remission for several years. There are also medications you can take to control the signs and symptoms of the illness.
Most of all, there are some ways on how to manage the illness and take care of yourself without becoming too dependent on drugs and other treatment procedures. Here are some of these ideas:
1. Get a lot of rest. One of the common signs of cancer is fatigue or lethargy. You feel tired a lot of times. You have no appetite for everything. That is why you need plenty of rest when you are sick. It is time for you to cut back on your number of working hours. If not, you should reduce your commitments by delegating tasks. By resting, you give your body a chance to heal itself as well as to reserve whatever energy you have for something more important.
2. Reduce your level of stress. You also need to control your level of stress, in general. Stress affects all aspects of your life: physical, mental, and emotional. It often leads to hormonal imbalances and the improper functioning of the various neurons in the body. In case you have not noticed, you get easily depressed or suffer from panic attacks when you are under too much stress.
Stress can also weaken your immune system. If you are sick of cancer, immunity plays a very huge role. You want it to function strongly so you'll have a formidable defense system against the disease.
3. Meditate. Meditation is highly recommended to people who are suffering from cancer. For one, it boosts the immune system. It can also help in reducing the spread of cancer cells, as these types of cells don't thrive in an alkaline environment. One of the ways to make your body alkaline is by increasing the amount of oxygen in the body through proper breathing.

Mentally, emotionally, and spiritually meditation can be of great use. It brings you to the present. The action of concentrating on your breaths helps you be more aware and in tune of the now than of the future or of the past. It then ushers appreciation to your present life, what you are at that moment. Second, it clears your mind from a lot of clutter.
Using Subliminal Messages or Affirmations
In all these tips, you can utilize subliminal messages or affirmations. These are very powerful phrases and sentences. They can change the way your mind thinks by feeding your subconscious with positive statements.
Every time you are at rest or in meditation, you can listen to subliminal messages downloads that may contain the following:

My life is at peace, and I am happy.
There are plenty of things I am grateful for.
I appreciate the blessings of the present.
The future can take care of itself.

Nelson Berry is a Master of Subliminal Messages and Expert in the Subliminal Audio and Subliminal Video Field for over 2 Decades! You Love The Way That YOUR Life *Flows* and LOVE the Feelings, Fun, Fortune and Happiness it gives YOU! YOUR Dreams Really Do Come True!! Click Here for a FREE Subliminal Video Download ($39.95 Value) Right Now -- Today! Try It: http://www.subliminalmessagesdownloads.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nelson_Berry

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