Bras and Breast Cancer - Are You Dressed to Kill?

Breast cancer is a cultural phenomenon. The incidence of breast cancer is dramatically increased only in cultures that wear bras. How could this be?
The author’s of the book, Dressed to Kill : The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras © 1995 by Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer examined the habits of 4700 American women, nearly half of whom had breast cancer, before writing their book.
They found that wearing a bra more than 12 hours a day dramatically increased the incidence of breast cancer, cystic breasts (also known as tight-bra syndrome), breast pain, breast tenderness and other breast issues. Women who wear bras 18-24 hours/day have over 100 times greater incidence of breast cancer than those who go bra-less. So, basically you are 3-4 times more likely to get breast cancer from wearing a bra, than by smoking cigarettes!
Bras create constant pressure which compresses and constricts the lymphatic movement to the chest area. If you are a woman who wears a bra and you see red marks and lines after taking your bra off, you are at a greater risk for breast cancer.
The role of lymph is to flush out toxins and debris from tissues. If this flow is impaired, like when wearing a bra, tissues get toxic. We also impair toxin release by using underarm deodorants--they plug up and block our pores.
One interesting study done in the UK in the year 2000, followed 100 women with fibrocystic breast disease. These women went bra-free for three months. The results of this study were astounding, showing how effective this one treatment of going bra-less was in overcoming this particular health challenge.
Singer and Grismaijer validated their own study by going to Fiji and studying the incidence of breast cancer in that country. After working with the country’s epidemiologists, they found only a small percentage of the population with breast cancer. When interviewing these women, they found that every one of them had taken jobs in the corporate world and had started wearing bras within a few short years previous.
Eight Things You CAN Do if You MUST Wear a Bra:
1) Make sure the bra has a loose fit. Remove it when it is not necessary to wear it.2) Choose a bra with no underwires. These wires block the energy meridians from moving freely through their natural cycles.3) Use a larger size bra around your menstrual time as increased estrogen causes tissues to retain fluids making the breasts larger and the bra tighter.4) Discontinue use of deodorizer/antiperspirants. Wash your armpits often with soap and water instead.5) Bathe daily. The body releases 30% of all the toxins it produces through the skin.6) Use a shower filter that filters out chlorine. Chlorine also causes several forms of cancer. As you shower, your skin and lungs are absorbing huge amounts of chlorine.7) Occasionally incorporate Poke Root tincture into your diet to help the lymph flow easier (especially if you have little white dots around the outside of your irises. This is known as a Lymphatic Rosary and is a sign of a slow or sludging lymphatic system.)8) Sleep naked or in a stretchy T-shirt. Women who wear cotton or nylon non-stretchable materials while they sleep who roll over often can cut circulation off as these materials resist stretching.
Are you dressed to kill? If so, take note and DO something for your health and your life.

Recognize Breast Cancer Symptoms

The figures concerning breast cancer are alarming. One woman in every nine will get breast cancer at some point in her life. There are more than 212,000 cases of breast cancer diagnosed in the USA each year. In Canada the figure is about 20,500, Australia 13,000 and in UK the figure is over 41,000. It doesn’t matter if you are a mature women or a young girl in your teens. It is important for all females to know the symptoms of this dreaded disease.
Who is at risk?
Breast cancer is overwhelmingly a female disease, but rarely a few men are also affected. It becomes more common in women as age increases. Over 80% of the cases occur in women over the age of 50. Other risk factors include:
-taking an oral contraceptive pill-having hormone replacement therapy-obesity and/or high fat diets-one or more relatives who have had breast cancer-alcohol use
Early detection is very important
Currently, six out of every seven patients diagnosed with breast cancer are cured at an early stage. However, if they are diagnosed when the cancer has become advanced, the cure rate falls to about one in seven. It is extremely important to catch breast cancer at an early stage. Knowing the symptoms is crucial.
Common symptoms of breast cancer
Usually, early breast cancer does not cause pain. As a matter of fact, when breast cancer first develops, there may be no symptoms at all. As the cancer grows and spreads, it can cause changes that women should watch for.
Here are few symptoms one should be aware of:
-Itching in the armpit or around the breast region.-Pink, red, or dark colored area (called erythematic) with texture similar to the skin of an orange (called peau d'orange).-Ridges and thickened areas of the skin of nipple or breast.-Appearance of a bruise that does not go away.-Nipple getting inverted. -Breast is warm to the touch.-Pain in the breast (from a constant ache to stabbing pains).-Change in texture as well as color of the aureole.-Change in the shape or size of a breast.-Dimpling of the breast skin.-Swelling or a lump in the armpit.-A discharge from the nipple.
On noticing any of these changes, a woman should see her doctor. However, there is no need to panic. Most often, it is not cancer. Many conditions can cause symptoms listed above. Only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis.

Bras Do Not Cause Breast Cancer

Women should continue to wear bras if they want to because there is no evidence whatever to associate bras with breast cancer. This theory was developed by Syd Singer and Soma Grismaijer who wrote a book called Dressed to Kill, claiming that bras constrict breast tissue and block lymph drainage, causing chemical toxins to remain in the breast. The Singers say that "because lymphatic vessels are very thin, they are extremely sensitive to pressure and are easily compressed." Their press release claims: "Soma and Syd were struck by the low incidence of breast cancer in poorer nations awash in pesticides dumped by northern nations." So their theory claims that bras constrict breasts, close blood vessels and lymphatics, and keep pesticides in breasts for along time, so the pesticides can then cause cancer.
They report that three out of four women who wear their daytime bras to sleep contract breast cancer. They claim that 80 percent of bra-wearers who experience lumps, cysts and tenderness will see those symptoms vanish, "within a month of getting rid of the bra." However, there is no data in the scientific literature to show that women with larger breasts are more likely to suffer breast cancer; that wearing bras is associated with breast cancer; that constricting breasts causes pesticides to accumulate in breasts; or that avoiding bras gets rid of cysts or lumps in the breast.
The authors have not published their findings in medical journals, and I could not find any academic appointments at an accredited university for either of them. Their web site asks for contributions to support their research that they conduct from a 67-acre farm in Hawaii.

Antiperspirant and Breast Cancer: Linked?

The information below is taken from the FDA newsletter that I receive:
"FDA is aware of concerns that antiperspirant use -- in conjunction with underarm shaving -- may be associated with increased risk of developing breast cancer. FDA continues to search scientific literature for studies examining this possible adverse drug effect. Unfortunately, there are many publications that discuss the issue but very few studies in which data have been collected and analyzed. Overall, the studies that contain data are inconclusive in determining whether antiperspirants, in any way, contribute to the development of breast cancer. FDA hopes that definitive studies exploring breast cancer incidence and antiperspirant use will be conducted in the near future."
The issue is the aluminimum found in antiperspirants. Given this fact, numerous companies in the beauty industry are shifting away from adding aluminum and other potentially harmful ingredients to their products.
Why wait for solid proof that aluminum is causing breast cancer - especially as there are alternatives. Visit your health store, pharmacy or even quality supermarket. There you will find aluminum free deodorants.
CBS did a two-part special on Tom's of Maine deodorants. Part 1 evaluates the correlation between cancer and use of antiperspirants and Part 2 evalutes Tom's of Maine's antiperspirant products.
It may seem odd yet I have not used deoderant for about 10 years now. I do not need it. No I don't stink! It is based on what my observant older sibling told me years ago, "Don't eat dairy and you won't stink."
I thought he was full of it. Yet when I tried it, he was correct. I do not totally eliminate dairy from my diet as it tastes too damn good. Yet I do not drink milk.
Yet if one is in a stressful job and sweating all the time [which I am beginning to do being a medical student in clinical training], a safe anti-perspirant may be necessary

Breast Cancer IS Preventable

Let me start off by saying that breast cancer is NOT a death sentence anymore. If detected early it can be treated and the patient can enjoy a full recovery and a long life afterwards.
In this particular article I am going to cover prevention, or at least as close to prevention as you are going to get. Unfortunately no matter what preventative measures you take there is always a chance you will get breast cancer.
I'm going to list these preventative measures in plain English and NOT in medical babble. I never could understand half that stuff anyway.
1. Don't drink so much. Supposedly there is a strong link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer and it doesn't matter what type of alcohol it is. They're all bad. They say to have less than 1 drink per day. My wife has a drink about once a week so I guess she's okay there. If ,however, you do drink, also drink lots of citrus juices. Supposedly this lowers the risk of breast cancer.
2. Keep your weight down. Supposedly there is a link between being overweight and getting breast cancer, especially if you gain a lot of weight after menopause It seems that the more fatty tissue the more oestrogen you have and high oestrogen levels are linked to breast cancer.
3. Exercise. Sounds simple enough, but in today's fast paced society it is sometimes very hard to find time to hit the gym or the treadmill or even to go for a walk. Exercise is important for maintaining a healthy weight. They say at least 30 minutes a day. My wife and I both do an hour but believe me, it's not easy.
4. Stay away from fatty foods. I guess this goes hand in hand with keeping your weight down. They say your fat intake should be no more than 35% of your total calories for the day. I'm not sure how to figure that out. You may want to consult with your doctor on this.
5. Aspirin. Well, they said that aspirin was good for preventing heart attacks and now they say there is definitely a link between taking a regimen of aspirin and preventing breast cancer. That is one thing my wife and I don't do at all. The last time either of us had an aspirin was 20 years ago. Hopefully, that she's skinny will be good enough.
6. Avoid hormone therapy. There is a link between women who have hormone therapy after menopause and breast cancer. Simply stated, don't do it. It's not worth the risks just to avoid hot flushes.
7. Pesticides. This one surprised me but there is a definite link between exposure to pesticides and breast cancer. So try to use them as little as possible. There are many natural ways to kill pests. There are books you can buy on the subject. Just do a Google search for "Natural Pest Removal."
8. Antibiotics. Avoid taking them if possible. Excessive use of antibiotics weakens the immune system which increases the risk of getting breast, or for that matter, any kind of cancer.
And that's about it in plain English. Follow the above guidelines and you have an excellent chance of avoiding breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Treatments

In this article I am going to cover options for treating breast cancer, once it has been diagnosed.
Unlike years ago when options for treatment were few and not very effective, today there are many options for treating breast cancer, many with excellent results and chances for full recovery, depending on the type of breast cancer and how advanced it is.
Here is a brief overview of your options today.
1. Local Regional Treatment. This is actually treatment of the lymph nodes in the area surrounding the breast as well as the breast itself. If metastatic disease is present then the treatment is given to specific areas. One of these methods is radiation therapy or radiotherapy. Much to womens’ surprise there are very few side effects from this therapy and they are restricted to the area being treated. Radiotherapy is an effective way to destroy the cancer cells and provide the best chance that the cancer will not come back.
Another method of this type of treatment is surgery which is usually the last recourse when all other methods have failed. With surgery in many cases reconstruction is needed afterwards as often part or all of the breast needs to be removed, which is called having a mastectomy. However, even this radical a surgery is not as drastic as it was years ago. Today every attempt is made to preserve as much of the healthy breast as possible.
2. Systemic Treatments. This is where the whole body is treated as a system.
The most common systemic treatment is chemotherapy. The purpose of chemotherapy is to get rid of any cancer cells that may have spread from the breast to other areas of the body. The reason chemotherapy works and also the reason it is so hard on your body is because it attacks the rapidly dividing cancer cells in your body. Unfortunately cancer cells are not the only cells in your body that divide, thus the reason that chemotherapy can have such a sickening effect on a person. Still, chemotherapy is not as hard to go through today as it was years ago and is an important insurance policy against the spread of the disease, especially to the lymph nodes, which in many cases is fatal.
Another treatment that isn't as common is tamoxifen, which is a very powerful drug. This drug reduces the risk of breast cancer returning after surgery and even reduces the risk of a woman ever getting breast cancer. However the side effects, though not fatal, can be very serious and uncomfortable. They include blood clots and uterine cancer, hot flushes, early menopause, problems with fertility, nausea and vomiting, weight gain, mood swings, depression and loss of energy.
3. Alternative and Holistic Treatments. These are treatments where the body, mind and spirit are all treated. Unfortunately there is very little medical evidence to show that these treatments are effective. Some of these alternative methods include acupuncture, meditation, relaxation techniques, and the use of flaxseed and black cohosh. Flaxseed supposedly reduces the growth and spread of breast cancer. Black cohosh is supposed to stop the hot flushes associated with those who have breast cancer. Again, there is nothing to support either of these claims.
Years ago breast cancer was pretty much a death sentence. Today with the effective and relatively safe treatments that have been developed a woman can not only survive breast cancer but also have a normal healthy life afterwards.

Diagnosing Breast Cancer

As the number one cancer affecting women in the United States, breast cancer is getting a lot of attention. Studies show that the earlier breast cancer is detected the better chance a woman has of beating it. Learning the warning signs and symptoms may help a women to get an early diagnosis.
Cancer is a disease that starts in the cells. Cancer is formed when cells keep dividing even though they are supposed to stop. They then form extra cells that lump together and form a tumor. Symptoms of breast cancer vary depending on the stage it is in. In the early stages of breast cancer there may be no symptoms. There is usually no pain or any other sign that breast caner is present. However, as the cancer grows symptoms may start to appear. There may be a lump either on or around the breast or under the arm. The breast may change in looks and size. There may be discharge or change in the nipples. If a women experiences any of these symptoms a visit to the doctor is recommended.
A common test to check for signs of breast cancer is called a mammogram. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast that will show abnormal tissue growth. Another way to check for breast cancer is through an exam. A breast exam can be done by a woman or her doctor. It involves touching and feeling around the breast and under the arms for any lumps or abnormalities. Getting regular breast exams and mammograms are one of the best ways to detect breast cancer in the early stages.
Besides mammograms and physical exams there are some other ways to diagnosis breast cancer. An ultrasonography is where an ultrasound is used to look at the breast. Aspiration, also known as a needle biopsy is where a needle is used to remove fluid or tissue that is then looked at in a laboratory. Usually tests like these are done if a mammogram or exam show signs for concern.
Breast cancer is a very real threat for women of all ages. Every woman should be conscious of any changes in her breasts. A doctor will recommended when a women should start getting a mammogram, typically this in the later thirties or early forties. Knowing the symptoms and keeping diligent about exams is the best way to prevent breast cancer from spreading and growing.

Breast Cancer: Battleground Stories

A slip of paper with the information below was handed to me by one of the brave women I had the pleasure of knowing during the meeting of a local support group. She said, “Whatever you do, make sure at least one person reads it.”
”Of all the cancer related deaths, breast cancer is the second cause of death after lung cancer among women. This disease strikes the male population as well. An estimated 40,200 women will die of breast cancer this year, but many may be spared by early detection. Some medical providers may be offering low or no cost mammograms. Some referrals for information: Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization 1 800 221 2141 National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations 1 888 806 2226 http://www.medicare.gov/ National Cancer Institute 1 800 422 6237 Komen Breast Cancer Foundation 1 800 462 9273 or 1 800 IM AWARE American Cancer Society 1 800 227 2345”
I had asked a friend to ask the group to let me sit in on one of the survivor meetings. When the group accepted my presence, we met in a comfortable lounge with five wonderfully vibrant women and two robust men, all ranging in ages from twenty-eight to sixty-four who had come together to talk about their battles of survival and their innermost feelings. They told me that they were twenty-two people but a few couldn’t make it to this session. Having two men in a group like this was unusual because men refuse to tell their problems in a group setting, especially about a disease like breast cancer that is known to be a women’s malady.
Celia, the first one who spoke, was twenty-four when her cancer was detected. Now, she is forty. She said, her cancer comes back uninvited every few years. She is currently under treatment again. There were times when she wanted to do away with herself to save her parents the heartache and trouble. She still has awful nightmares. The night before she had a hippopotamus chasing her into a lake filled with milk. Celia is a very bright woman. She doesn’t easily give in to depression and has an indomitable spirit. She said what she tells here to the group, she’d never tell to her family or to her doctors. The group has always understood and respected each other’s confidence.
During her first round of treatments, Celia got to know one of the male social workers. It was the best time in her life, although she looked awful with no hair and an uncontrollable nausea. He became her lover while she was in treatment. She said, he held her while she vomited, took off from his work to be with her on her bad days, and waited for her at the door while she was going through chemotherapy. As soon as she was given a clean bill of health, he left her; she was devastated.
“Why is it,” she asked the group, “Some men love women only when they are in despair?” Then she answered her own question, “Saving the damsel in distress syndrome! It inflates the male ego.”
I couldn't help but reflect that this affair had hurt Celia more than the illness. Still, she tried to have a positive attitude and considered herself a survivor, even though her cancer had returned again.
Eileen, the bubbliest in the group, was forty-one when the cancer was discovered. There was no breast cancer in her family. She was an athlete who ran every day and played singles tennis twice a week. She ate a low-fat diet with practically no red meat. Moreover she had a mammogram done when she was thirty-five and then another one when she turned forty. Both those mammograms’ reports were clean. Fortunately she examined herself frequently. Several months after her last mammogram she discovered a lump in her right breast. Three months later she went in for a follow up and had a biopsy. The diagnosis was benign but the doctor called her back in three months.
When she went back, the same spot showed some scar tissue. She wasn’t afraid because she trusted in her first biopsy. She said, at the time, she had a ‘this can’t happen to me’ attitude.
This time, however, things were very different. The breast cancer was in her body, but Eileen wasn’t going to give up. She obtained all the information she could get her hands on.
She says she went through a wide range of feelings. The strongest emotion she felt was anger. She went around the house kicking in the doors.
Eileen is one of the lucky ones. She is healthy at the moment and has finished her last reconstructive surgery. “Thanks to advances in medicine, my figure looks better than ever,” she said jokingly.
Martha has raised two children to adulthood after her cancer was discovered fourteen years ago. She has a wonderful, supportive, sunshiny attitude and she is a joy to be with. She has just retired from a twenty-five year teaching career.
Martha says she wasn’t always like this. She went through all the emotions and then some. Now, she is learning to play the guitar, something she yearned for all her life. She is also very active in the affairs of her church. She prefers to believe that she is living with the cancer with gusto and in spite of it. She has done a lot to bring about cancer awareness nationwide. She has even attended fancy parties without a wig. “I try to make at least one person aware per day,” she said.
The oldest one in the group that day was Paul. Paul was already suffering from skin cancer when the breast cancer was discovered four years ago. He went to see a surgeon in another state because this surgeon was one of the few doctors around who specialized in male breast cancer. Paul has a wry sense of humor. He described with motions the funny incidents of himself getting a mammogram and of being pulled like taffy when almost nothing was there to pull. He said all the bad feelings he had experienced were already finished with “the other C”, referring to his skin cancer. So there was nothing left for this one. As he put it, he has been through the “four horsemen”: Mastectomy, Chemotherapy, Radiation, Tamoxifen. He felt bad only when he discovered his wife weeping secretly before the mastectomy. He didn’t let her know he saw her. One person in the group suggested that maybe he should. He said he can’t handle that. Paul still cuts his own lawn and fixes things around the house but talking to the family about fears--his or theirs--is not his thing.
Sheila now believes that breast cancer is not a death sentence, even though her cousin, who was also her best friend, was diagnosed with this terrible disease around the same time as Sheila was diagnosed. Her cousin is no longer alive. “She always wondered what we did wrong,” she remembered. She felt, when her cousin died in a year and a half, her life had to come to a stop also. She went under extensive counseling because of it, and she discovered that her family, her children, and her life were the most important things.
Nowadays, Sheila sees her battle as a blessing. She believes her cousin would be living now if her cancer had been caught ahead of time. She volunteers at the clinic in her free time, especially counseling the newcomers.
When he too was diagnosed, Jonathan, the other man in the group, had already lost a sister and a cousin to this “woman’s disease”. He was furious. He blamed the medical profession, God, his mother, his wife, his co-workers, the government, and everybody in existence. After the surgery, he picked a fight with the doctors accusing them of not paying enough attention to him. Jonathan still felt that people were more compassionate to women with breast cancer. He said he didn't blame them because of the losses in his family but nobody knew how to give support to frightened men. “I am not afraid of showing my feelings on the subject but the medical profession is not ready for men with emotions,” he said.
According to him the best way is what they have now, the support group of survivors receiving encouragement from each other. He said, “There would be more men here if we could only get them to agree to talk about it.”
The last one of the group and the youngest, Karen, found a lump while she was in the shower. She immediately went to her doctor and asked for a mammogram and an ultrasound. The results were normal. They showed nothing nasty. Both the doctor and the radiologist thought that the lump was fibrocystic.
After a few months, Karen still had the lump. So Karen went to see a surgeon on her own. The surgeon also thought that the lump was fibrocystic. After two more months when she found few more lumps near the original lump, she forced the surgeon to remove them. On the surgeon’s recommendation, she went to have a needle biopsy one early morning. Later that day the pathologist called to inform her that she had breast cancer.
At first Karen cried. She cried until she had no more will or strength to even stand up. Then she called her mother. Not wanting to face reality, her mother said, “At your age? What are you trying to pull?” Karen banged the phone down. That is when her anger surfaced and she promised herself that she would fight this tooth and nail. She told us that she owed her life to her mother for making her angry enough.
Later, it was found out that Karen’s cancer was the aggressive kind. She had to go through mastectomy plus chemotherapy.
Karen’s doctors are very cautious now. She is scheduled for a bone scan in a few days. Karen has read practically all the literature on the disease. She believes in her chances of survival greatly because of the recent advances in medicine. At the end, Karen recited a quote from her notebook, “The journey back is no longer or farther than the forward run.” She didn't know who said it, but they all agreed it could have been any one of them.
I can’t help but admire the bravery of these men and women, and not only of these seven but of those everywhere, fighting with this dreadful disease. The seven I met were radiant, hopeful, and with spirit. Their courage will always be an inspiration.

Breast Cancer; Facts and Figures

It would not be surprising, therefore, that any ailment or condition that endangers the look, health and functionality of this vital body part would be a real source of worry to every lady.
Breast cancer, despite all medical and technological advances, as been on the rise in the last 50 years or so. The figures that stare us in the face when we check the records are quite alarming. But, there is no running away from these figures, they are real.
It's alarming but it is true that there's more breast cancer now than ever before. It is true that between 1979 and 1986 the incidence of invasive breast cancer in the United States alone has increased 29 percent among white women and 41 percent among black women, and incidences of all breast cancers doubled. It's true that despite yearly mammograms and advanced medical and diagnostic technology the percentage of women dying from breast cancer has remained virtually unchanged over the past 50 years, and that every 12 minutes throughout the last half of the 20th Century another woman died of breast cancer.
It is also fact that more than two hundred thousand cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year in the United States. In Canada about twenty thousand new cases, thirteen thousand in Australia and over forty one thousand in the UK. And it's true that breast cancer is the disease that women fear more than any other, that breast cancer is the biggest killer of all women aged 35 to 54, and that of the 2.5 million women currently diagnosed with breast cancer, half will be dead within ten years.
It really does not matter if you are 20 years old or 50 years old. You stand some risk of catching the monster. It is estimated that one in every nine women will get breast cancer at some period in her life
These are not pleasant tales. My purpose in painting these gory pictures, is not to scare anyone, but to make you see the importance of giving more attention to your breast. The more you know about breast cancer, the better.
Almost every woman is at risk of breast cancer, but records show that 80% of cases are found in woman over 50 years of age. There are several factors that can predispose one to breast cancer. Some are within your control and others are not. It therefore makes much sense to avoid the humanly controllable factors as much as possible. Most of these are the daily lifestyle choices we make. The problem is that these habits do not show the extent of damage they can cause to our body until we begin to get older, and by then the damage is done already.
Factors associated with breast cancer include:
- Taking an oral contraceptive pill- Hormone replacement therapy- Obesity and/or high fat diets- Family history of breast cancer
It is worth stating here, however, that most breast cancers are hormonally related Other factors may also affecting the risk, include stress, carcinogens, excessive use of stimulants like alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes and exposure to pesticides and radiation.
Early detection of breast cancer is still the best guarantee of getting cured. Presently, six out of every seven patients diagnosed with breast cancer are cured at an early stage. However, if they are diagnosed when the cancer has become advanced, the cure rate falls to about one in seven. It is extremely important to catch breast cancer at an early stage if it is to be satisfactorily cured. This therefore makes knowing the symptoms very crucial.
Breast cancer, in its early stages hardly shows any sign at all. It does not cause any pain in most instances. Some of the symptoms associated with breast cancer include:
- Itching in the armpit or around the breast region- Pink, red, or dark colored area (called erythematic) with texture similar to the skin of an orange- Ridges and thickened areas of the skin of nipple or breast- Appearance of a bruise that does not go away- Nipple getting inverted- Breast warm to the touch- Pain in the breast which could vary from a constant ache to stabbing pains- Change in texture as well as color of the skin around the nipple- Change in the shape or size of a breast- Dimpling of the breast skin- Swelling or a lump in the armpit- Discharge from the nipple
None of these symptoms is clear evidence of breast cancer, as most of the signs may also arise due to other conditions affecting the breast. Only a doctor can made a definite statement about the presence or otherwise of breast cancer after an exhaustive examination.
Know your breast, and how to self examine your breast and always report the slightest changes to a doctor. It's not worth taking chances with breast cancer. It's real and it's spreading like wild fire in the ever-polluted society we live in today. Do the little you can to keep your name off the breast cancer list, the sacrifice is worth it.

Tips For Preventing Breast Cancer

There is so much awful news and information out there about breast cancer. These days it seems that every magazine, newspaper, radio show, and piece of mail has a headline declaring that every woman's risk of developing breast cancer is increasing. There is a numbing feeling of inevitability in all this information we hear and read that more and more women tend to think about breast cancer as a 'when' rather than an if.
There is so much frightening information about the disease out there. The stats available are horrible and this bring one major question to mind; 'what can be done to prevent breast cancer?' The bulk of medical advancement in the area of breast and indeed most cancers, involves what should be done after, and not essentially before, getting the disease. There is more to preventing breast cancer than the ritual yearly mammogram. Of course this may help detect the breast cancer at its early stage, but that is about the best it can do. It won't prevent you from getting the disease. To prevent breast cancer, we need to be more proactive, we need to take individual and collective action.
The first step towards proactively preventing breast cancer is to understand the causes and risk factors of breast cancer and what decreases breast cancer risk. However, there are few conclusive answers to these queries, partly because most research focuses on eliminating breast cancer after - not before - it occurs. Medical research has validated so few risk factors for breast cancer that almost 70 percent of the women diagnosed with breast cancer are not associated with any clear cut risk factor.
To make matters worse, our sex, age, reproductive history, family history, exposure to radiation (such as fallout from above-ground atomic bomb tests), race, culture, and height are factors beyond our control. When we're told that these factors play crucial roles in the cause of breast cancer, we can be left with feelings of hopelessness and panic. For instance, being a black woman or being from a family with history of breast cancer, puts you in the forefront of those at risk of breast cancer. These are things we don't decide for ourselves.
When we include risk factors that are considered "not well substantiated", but which are clearly contributing to breast cancer incidence, including ingestion of and exposure to prescription hormones, hormone-mimicking organochlorines, prescription drugs, petrochemicals, and electromagnetic fields, as well as unwise lifestyle choices such as smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol immoderately, wearing tight bras, or not exercising, then we can find that there are indeed many ways we can reduce our chances of getting breast cancer and in essence preventing it.
Individually, we can prevent breast cancer by buying and eating organically grown food, filtering our water, building powerful immunity, living wisely and vigorously, being in touch with our breasts, using natural remedies for menopausal problems.
Try out the following tips:
- Aerobic exercise 3-4 times a week- Maintaining a positive mental attitude- Breathwork and deepening body-awareness- Expressing your feelings to keep your energy flowing- Eating healthy foods and taking the "right" supplements- Avoiding toxicity
Try as much as you can to avoid the following and you will be as far from breast cancer as you humanly can:
Any medication containing acetaminophen
Products such as Tylenol, Sudafid, Bromo seltzer, vicodin, and many others which drive down the glutathione levels in the body. Glutathione is an essential antioxidant and detoxifier.
Aspartame (not to be confused with aspertate) has been proven to cause cancer in rats. It is a common ingredient in many no-sugar products such as yogurt, ice cream, desserts and carbonated beverages. Splenda is also harmful.
Toxins. Use toxin-free, organic products. Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly with soapy water to remove chemical residues. Better yet, buy only organic products and non-GMO (non-genetically modified) foods. Read labels (veggies and fruit will have an 9 to indicate organic and an 8 for non-GMO).
Active computer screens should be at least 18 inches away from your body. You need to be at least 36 inches from your active television screens.
It is obvious that several factors that are known to predispose someone to breast cancer are not completely within our control. It makes more sense therefore, to be very keen about your breast. This serves a dual function. Even when it does not completely protect you from cancer, it allows for early detection of the cancer when it does occur. No one knows your body as well as you do. That's why it's essential to examine your breasts at the same time every month - so you can detect any changes that might occur. When you do the self-examination, you are reassuring yourself that your body is still in great condition
Breast Self Exams still remain the number one method for detecting changes in breast health. Although, finding any symptoms does not really mean you have cancer but when you have it, early detection means your survival probability is very high. Very high! It also means you have a broad range of alternative and complementary treatment options.
When we talk about breast cancer, the second worst killer after lung cancer, knowledge is not just power, it is your life!

Go Bra-Less and be Free from Breast Cancer

The increasing rate of breast cancer has changed so many things about how an average lady should dress, eat or live. It is estimated that every two minutes someone is diagnosed with breast cancer and every thirteen minutes some dies as a result of breast cancer. This is an alarming record. It has also been shown that breast cancer tends to be higher in cultures where bras are worn frequently compared to where bras are absent.
In a report titled 'Dress to Kill, the link between breast cancer and bras', the authors examined the habits of 4700 American women, nearly half of them had breast cancer before compiling the report. It was discovered that wearing a bra for 12 hours daily increased the risk for breast cancer, cystic breasts, breast pain, breast tenderness and other breast related conditions. Ladies who had bras on for 18-24 hours daily have over a 100% increased incidence of breast cancer compared to those who don't wear bras at all. It is quite funny, but what this suggests is that by wearing a bra you are 3-4 times more likely to get breast cancer than by smoking cigarettes.
You may be wondering 'why is this so?' but the facts available are that bras create constant pressure on the breast, which compresses and constricts and hinders the lymphatic movement to the chest area. If you are a woman who wears a bra and you see red marks and lines after taking your bra off, you are at a greater risk for breast cancer.
The role of lymph is to flush out toxins and debris from tissues. If this flow is impaired, like when wearing a bra, tissues get toxic. We also impair toxin release by using underarm deodorants, which plug up and block our pores.
In another similar study done in the UK with a hundred women who suffer from fibrocystic breast disease, it was discovered that going bra free for three months had an astounding effect on the cure of these womens’ disease. This study showed how effective this single treatment of going bra free was in overcoming a particular breast condition.
The bra has been a fundamental part of female clothing for so long, no matter what it is associated with it, I understand that it isn't going to be an easy task to suddenly drop a life long habit, not when it has to do with such crucial part of the body. This is understandable. You cannot just go bra free overnight but if you must wear a bra, try it along the lines below which will most likely reduce the risk associated with the wearing of a bra:
- Don't wear tight bras. Make sure the bra has a loose fit and always remove it when it is not necessary to wear it.
- Choose a bra with no under wires. These wires block the energy meridians from moving freely through their natural cycles.
- Around your menstrual periods, use a larger size bra as increased oestrogen levels in the blood during this period cause tissues to retain fluids making the breasts larger and the bra tighter.
- Stop the use of deodorants/antiperspirants, if you can. Wash your armpits often with soap and water instead.
- Bathe daily. The body releases 30% of all the toxins it produces through the skin.
- Use a shower filter that filters out chlorine. Chlorine also causes several forms of cancer. As you shower, your skin and lungs are absorbing huge amounts of chlorine.
- Occasionally incorporate Poke Root tincture into your diet to help the lymph flow more easily (especially if you have little white dots around the outside of your irises. This is known as a Lymphatic Rosary and is a sign of a slow or sluggish lymphatic system.)
- Sleep naked or in a stretchy T-shirt. Women who wear cotton or nylon non-stretchable materials while they sleep and who roll over often, can cut circulation off as these materials resist stretching.
- And most importantly wear bras only when it is completely necessary, this will reduce the number of hours you wear bra a day to the barest minimum.

Eating to Avoid Breast Cancer

Breast cancers tend to be seen as a completely feminine affair but the truth is, men too are at risk, albeit very rarely, of developing breast cancer. Despite medical advances several things are still not clear about breast cancer and in most sufferers of this a disease, a clear cause can still not be shown to be responsible for the disease.
Breast cancer is not hereditary, though a family history of breast cancer increases the risk. Certain other factors linked with developing breast cancer include; the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer is increased by being overweight, the use of hormone replacement (HRT) increases the risk, having the last menstrual cycle from the early 50's and older increases the risk, having the first menstrual cycle at a later age and being pregnant at an early age lowers the risk. Although most breast cancers are hormonally related other factors may affect the risk, such as stress, carcinogens, use of stimulants, exposure to pesticides and oral contraceptive.
In its early stages, breast cancer doesn't show any sign and when it does the first sign is usually a painless lump that is found in the breast. When breast cancer becomes more advanced and spreads to other parts of the body then the symptoms could be more obvious depending on the part of the body affected. The symptoms could range from neurological problems, bone pain, weight loss, fatigue and anaemia.
Along with traditional medicine, changing the diet and one's lifestyle can help with breast cancer. Keeping to a vegetarian style diet by reducing animal fats in the diet; eating very little meat and cutting down on dairy products, will help. Only eating organic vegetables and meat (this will reduce the exposure of pesticides and hormones), consuming lots of tomatoes as these are high in lycopene which can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, consuming plenty of olive oil, increasing fiber in the diet, reducing the exposure of soft, fatty or acid foods to soft plastics; not using cling film, buying food that comes in paper, glass or ceramic containers or if food is supplied in a plastic container then removing and storing in a glass or ceramic container in the fridge. Cutting out stimulants such as caffeine, sugar and alcohol, changing one's lifestyle to minimize stress, maybe taking up Yoga and meditation, increasing exercise, cutting out smoking and increasing the consumption of the essential oils Omega 3 and Omega 6 which are found in oily fish, seeds, evening primrose oil, borage oil and flax oil.
Some food materials are known to be anti cancer in action. Increasing the amount of such food in your daily diet regime could go along way to preventing cancer. Such foods include sweet potatoes, carrots, watercress, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, spinach, onions, leeks, garlic, soy products, lemons, mangoes, melon, peppers, pumpkin, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, elderberries, pears, shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes, cabbage, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, oranges, seeds, nuts, squash, tuna, mackerel, salmon, wheat or rice bran, oats, wild rice, rye, apricot, walnuts, beans and the herbs and spices - rosemary, thyme, oregano and turmeric. These vegetable and fruits should be eaten raw and as fresh as possible or lightly steamed so that no goodness is lost. Soybeans and products are extremely good in reducing tumor growth and inducing cancer cells to revert to normal. Soybeans have genistein in them, which is an angiostat (anti-growth compound that prevents cancer from growing by preventing the formation of new blood vessels that aid cancer cells to grow).
There are so many factors linked to breast cancer that are beyond our control. Factors like exposure to radiation and chemicals, caused by environmental pollution, a family history of breast cancer and a couple of other factors are outside our reach. It makes real sense therefore, to play the little part we can in the prevention of this dreaded disease.

How Women Can Protect Themselves From Getting Breast Cancer

Chances are you know someone - a family member, colleague, or friend who has been affected by cancer. You'll want to learn more about prevention especially if you have a history of cancer in your family. There are over two hundred different types of cancer and the most common one for women is breast cancer. The lifetime probability of a woman developing breast cancer is 1 in 9. The good news is that it is possible for women to protect themselves from breast cancer. When breast cancer is discovered and treated early, the chances for recovery are better.
Every woman should know their own breasts so that any changes are noticed soon and can be reported to a physician. Knowing your breasts includes having a mammogram every two years if you are between the ages of 50 and 69 and getting a clinical breast exam by a doctor or trained health professional at least every two years from the age of 40. Regardless of age, all women should do their own monthly breast self-examination a few days after her period. When doing breast self-examination, things to look for include: puckering of the skin, the appearance of what is sometimes called 'orange peel skin', any place in your breasts that feels lumpy or harder than the rest and bleeding from the nipples or crusting.
It is important to note that most breast problems are not breast cancer and most lumps are not cancerous. When a lump is not cancerous it is referred to as 'benign'. A cancerous lump is called 'malignant'.
While there are no cures yet, researchers have discovered that a healthy lifestyle is the best way to prevent cancer. Since cancer is a disease that starts in our cells, everything we eat and are exposed to can affect them. Choose to be a non-smoker and avoid second-hand smoke. In regards to diet, choose a variety of lower fat, high fiber foods. Studies have shown that intake of total fat, saturated fat and meat are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Maintain a healthy body weight and limit alcohol consumption. Protect yourself from the sun. At home and at work, follow health and safety instructions when using hazardous materials. The link between an active lifestyle and breast cancer prevention is as yet unclear but general health is improved when regular exercise is an integral part of a person's lifestyle.
Taking care of ourselves is an ongoing commitment that requires self-discipline and knowledge. It is well worth the effort and you'll feel much better for it.

Breast Cancer Treatment: Conventional Treatment Methods

Your team of doctors will make treatment recommendations based on the stage of your cancer. Your standard treatment options may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy. If you have been diagnosed with DCIS or LCIS, your stage is the lowest and the road you will travel will be easier. For DCIS, your options may include breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy with or without radiation and hormone therapy.
LCIS treatments options are a bit different. They include observation to determine changes, hormone therapy to prevent cancer from developing, or bilateral prophylactic (preventive) mastectomies.
Things get more complicated when your cancer spreads beyond the ducts or lobes/lobules. Once your cancer has been staged, you can visit http://www.cancer.gov to determine your treatment options. They will typically include: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and/or hormone therapy. For IBC, treatment options are similar to the other types of breast cancer, but they will always include chemotherapy because of its aggressiveness.
• Surgery: Breast surgery can be either a lumpectomy, where the tumor is removed, or a partial or modified radical mastectomy. With a lumpectomy, it is typically followed by radiation. This way, you get to keep your breast and studies have shown no difference in survival rates between lumpectomy/radiation and mastectomy.
Note: Not too long ago, they used to perform radical mastectomies where the breast, all the lymph nodes, and the underlying muscle were cut away. Thankfully, medicine has discovered that's not necessary. Now, a partial or modified radical mastectomy is performed, where either part of the breast tissue, or the entire breast, and possibly a portion of the lymph nodes, are removed. On the whole, a mastectomy isn't too bad a surgery, although everyone is different. I found both of mine to be quite easy, but you will wake up with drain tubes, which you’ll typically have for at least a week.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is defined by Wikipedia as “the use of chemical substances to treat disease. In its modern-day use, it refers primarily to cytotoxic drugs used to treat cancer.” This can be a frightening prospect for anyone. We've all heard horror stories about how very debilitating chemotherapy can be. However, much progress has been made in the management of chemo's side effects, to the point that, once you have the right management tools, you can continue to enjoy the activities you typically do. Chemo is a means of treating your cancer systemically and is typically recommended for those whose tumor is larger than a certain size and/or the cancer has spread to your lymph nodes. The thinking is that if your cancer has had the opportunity to access the rest of your body, your treatment should be systemic as well.
• Radiation: Radiation therapy is typically a localized treatment option, where rapidly dividing cells are damaged. Cancer cells are very rapid dividers, so radiation is an effective option. Typically, radiation therapy is given for about six weeks, five days a week. It's very much like lying still for an x-ray, only instead of lasting a second or two, it lasts a couple of minutes. It can cause fatigue, toward the end and slightly after, and can cause a sunburn effect on your skin.
• Hormone Therapy: Many breast cancers are hormone-dependent. In these cancers, there are receptors on the tumor that can be filled with estrogen. The thinking is that when estrogen fills these receptors, it causes the tumor to grow. This is called estrogen-receptor positive (ER). These cancers respond well to hormone therapy and the hormone therapy drug that will be recommended for you will depend on your menopausal status. These drugs are in pill form and you take them once a day. The most popular of these drugs, for pre-menopausal women, is Tamoxifen and, for post-menopausal women Femara or Arimidex. There is new evidence that suggests that taking Femara, after taking Tamoxifen for five years, increases survival rates.
• Immunotherapy: There is a fourth modality of treatment on the horizon and it's called Immunotherapy. This involves getting your immune system to fight your cancer and there is, and will be, a lot of research being done in this area.

Breast Cancer Myths

Breast Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women, yet, did you know that men can also be affected by it? It is not solely a disease that women can get, although it is less likely, men are still at risk as well. This fact may startle some, and many individuals still hold onto various myths pertaining to such a disease. Let's work on dispelling some of those myths.
As mentioned above, the first myth pertaining to this disease is that it only affects women. This, of course, is not at all true. In fact, men also get it, although it occurs less frequently. Actually, about one percent of all breast cancer occurs in male patients. Further, it is even more dangerous for men, because men do not typically do self-examinations. Thus, when the cancer is finally detected, it is far more advanced.
Another myth that is associated with this disease is that if one has found a lump during an examination, it is cancer. Again, this is not always the case. In fact, both men and women can develop lumps in their breast tissue for a variety of reasons and only a doctor can determine whether or not a lump is cancerous. Other identified lumps in breast tissue are caused by the formation of cysts, natural fibrocystic changes, fibroadenomas, low grade infections, calcium deposits and minor injuries to breast tissue.
Yet another myth associated with this disease is that it is solely hereditary. Again, nothing could be further from the truth. Actually, although a history of breast cancer in one's family increases the risk that one might get breast cancer, the plain and simple truth is that anyone can develop this disease. Remember, even families that have a family history of breast cancer had to, at one time, experience the unwelcome surprise that one individual in the family got the disease in the first place.
The next myth associated with breast cancer is downright ridiculous. Would you believe, that in this day and age, some individuals still think that breast cancer is contagious? Unlike the common cold or flu, it is not a contagious disease. Thus, it cannot be directly passed from one individual to another through human contact.
Conversely, some individuals foolishly believe that breast size determines whether or not one gets cancer. Again, this is a misconception. Women with smaller breasts are at equal risk of getting the disease and this fact is confirmed in that men, individuals that possess almost no breast tissue, also get the disease. Thus, size has nothing to do with getting breast cancer.
Finally, another myth that is associated with this disease is that it only affects older people. This is not so. Although the chance of getting breast cancer increases with age, women as young as 18 have been diagnosed with the disease. Therefore, no matter what age you are, self examinations are important and should be done on a monthly basis, in conjunction with regular checkups with a physician.

Living With Chemotherapy: Tips From A Survivor

Chemotherapy is a word that strikes fear into most of our hearts. We've seen the movies and heard such horrible stories about undergoing this difficult treatment for a disease that could very well kill us. I underwent chemo for breast cancer and know that, in some cases, the cancer isn't hard … it isn't painful … it doesn't make us sick. That's the case for most of us who have breast cancer, but don't have distant metastases. But then, they say we need to do chemo and we know we'll feel that.
Although chemo drugs haven't changed that much, and they're still terribly hard on our bodies, the management drugs have changed a lot. Chemotherapy, for many of us, isn't the show-stopper we thought it would be. Of course, each of us is different and the chemo drugs affect each of us in different ways, but, for the most part, chemo is definitely doable.
My breast cancer was Stage IIIa, with a 5.8 cm tumor, 8 of 10 lymph nodes positive, and I was only 39 years old. That bought me a ticket for the chemo ride. And I was scared out of my wits. But, I found an online breast cancer support group, at WebMD, and those women told me everything to expect and more. I went through four rounds of adriamycin and cytoxan. Both of them are some pretty stout breast cancer chemo drugs. After that, I did a controversial treatment that involved extremely high doses of cytoxan, taxol, and cisplatin, so I learned quite a bit about surviving chemotherapy.
First of all, I would highly recommend getting a port. This is a line that goes into a vein in your chest, the entrance to which sits just under your skin, right below your collarbone. It requires a quick surgery to put it in but, if you're having a mastectomy for your breast cancer, you can get the chemo port put in at the same time. If you choose not to do that, you'll have to get your chemo treatments through your veins and chemo is really hard on your veins. This means that you will, most likely, have to endure multiple attempts for them to find a vein, as time goes by. With the port, it's already in a vein, so all they have to do is stick the needle into the port to access it. If you find this uncomfortable, there is a cream they can give you called Emla cream. One of the first things I learned was to tell them the moment I was uncomfortable. It's all fixable. You'll put the Emla cream on a bit before you have to have your port accessed and it'll numb your skin.
Most breast cancer chemotherapy drugs will cause your hair to fall out. This is because chemo kills the rapidly dividing cells in your body. Your mucous areas and hair follicles are affected for this reason. That's why you may have nausea or develop mouth or throat sores. Again, all this sounds scary, but is totally manageable. Since you will probably be losing your hair, which can be quite traumatic, I would advise going wig or hat shopping before you even get your first chemo. Take a girlfriend with you and be adventurous. Try on different styles, and even colors. If you've always wanted to be a blonde, now's your chance! Make a day of it and have fun with it. Goodness knows, you have to look for that silver lining every chance you get. Also, make sure to have your nausea med prescription filled before you go so you'll have it waiting for you if you need it at home. You may be pretty tired, afterward, so don't wait till then to get those meds.
On your first chemo day, they will probably give you some steroids, intravenously or through your port, to help with the nausea. This may make you hungry; it sure did for me! But, I would recommend you don't eat your favorite food on chemo day. Chemo is manageable, but after you're all done, you may find that you have associations. For example, I used to love the cucumber melon fragrance when I was going through chemo. I had cucumber melon everything! But, to this day, the smell of cucumber melon makes my stomach do a little somersault because it reminds me of such an unpleasant time in my life. The same can happen with food. I still can't look a chicken burrito in the eye! But, I'm sure glad I didn't eat a taco because I would've hated for that to be ruined for me!
Many breast cancer chemo drugs are hard on your bladder, so be sure to drink, drink, drink. If you don't feel like drinking water, then broth, jello, or even popsicles will help. Since you've gotten your nausea meds all filled in advance, be sure to take them as prescribed, whether you think you need them or not. Chemo nausea isn't just any kind of nausea and it's much easier to stay ahead of it than to try to fix it once it occurs. If you do happen to get nauseated, and I can't stress this enough, call your doctor!!! There are many, many nausea meds and you do not have to feel sick just because you're doing chemo. Once they find the right drug for you, it will be so much easier. So, do not suffer this in silence! The same applies for if you get sores in your mouth or throat.
You will be tired from this treatment. Most of us get more tired as the treatments progress because they make our white blood cell counts drop really low. Because of this, it's a good idea to keep some Purell, or something similar, with you all the time for use when you've had to touch, for example, public restroom door handles. Your risk of infection will be much higher during this time.
If you lose your hair, it will typically happen in 10-14 days after your first chemo treatment. If you have long hair, you might want to cut it short in preparation. I know I felt so out of control of everything, during that time. When your hair comes out, it lets go quickly and in large clumps, getting all over your pillow and clogging your drain. For many women, that is more traumatic than even losing a breast. So, I figured that was the one thing I could control about this whole breast cancer thing … when my hair came out. I cut it really short, beforehand and, when it started to let go, I had my husband get the clippers and shave my head. My daughter helped and we did a little Mohawk and stripe action first!
That was my way of shaking my fist at this cancer … it might take my breasts, and it might take my hair for a while, but I beat it to the punch! It was my way of saying, "You cannot take my spirit!" You can do the same thing. Your breast cancer does not define you. It is but a speed bump in the course of your life. Strap on your gloves and step into the ring. This chemo is your biggest punch. Your spirit is your own and that breast cancer can't touch it!

Breast Cancer Treatment: Coping With A Mastectomy

As women, especially American women, much of our femininity is centered on our breasts. No matter where you look, there are pictures, billboards, commercials, television shows, and movies with women with these beautiful breasts and ample cleavage. The thought of losing one or both breasts, to breast cancer, can be devastating for many of us. Sure, there's reconstruction, but will it ever really look the same again? Even if you have reconstruction, you'll never have sensation there again and, for many of us, that definitely affects our sexuality.
I went through two separate mastectomies, for my breast cancer, despite the fact that I wanted them both done at the same time. Two different surgeons told me that wasn't necessary. They found out, later, that it was, as I had the same breast cancer in both breasts. Through these surgeries, I learned a few things about what to expect, and how to get up and running again, after a mastectomy for breast cancer.
The first thing to realize is that, apart from the emotional aspect of such an operation, this is a simple surgery. The breast is composed, mostly, of fatty tissue and, of course, milk ducts and lobes. The removal of this breast tissue is way easier than operating on an organ, but carries much more emotional impact for most of us. Most surgeons will get as much of the breast tissue out as they can to help alleviate the chance of a recurrence of your breast cancer. You will typically wind up with a horizontal scar about four inches long. The scar may be red for quite a while but, ultimately, should fade to where you can hardly see it anymore.
You want to be sure to take loose-fitting, button-down shirts (raiding your hubby's closet is helpful) with you, to the hospital, as you won't be able to raise your arms over your head for a while. You will also need a sports bra and I would highly recommend one that fastens in the front. They will put that on you after your surgery. Typically, you should be able to stay in the hospital for one night. If you're going to have lymph nodes removed, a small pillow, to slip under that arm, will help make you more comfortable. Check with your local American Cancer Society as they may have small pillows for you. An extra pillow to hold to your chest, if you need to cough, sneeze, or laugh, can help keep your incision from hurting.
When you wake up, you will have a couple of drain tubes for each side you have done. These tubes are important as they allow the excess fluid, which your body will produce, to drain out. If you didn't have them, the fluid would have to be aspirated with a needle. The drains, even though they're no fun, are better than that. These drains will have to be emptied a couple of times a day and you will have to write down how much fluid you drain so the doctor will know when you've slowed down enough to remove them. You may not know where to put these drains under your clothing. I pinned mine up to the sports bra and that way, they didn't pull when I moved.
When you get home, plan on having someone there to help you for the first few days. You won't be allowed to reach into your cabinets and definitely won't be able to clean house or pick up your children, if you have little ones. You'll be sent home with pain meds and definitely take them if you need them. Studies show that you will heal faster if you keep yourself out of pain, so don't be afraid to take them as prescribed.
If you have a recliner, you might consider moving it into the bedroom as you won't be able to lie flat for a while. You'll need to sleep in a partial sitting position. If you don't have one, or don't have space for it in your bedroom, lots of pillows will work, too. That's what I used. Just be sure you have enough pillows to keep yourself comfortable propped up.
If you would like someone who's been there before you to visit with, be sure to call your local American Cancer Society and ask for a Reach 2 Recovery volunteer. This is an American Cancer Society program where they try to match you with one of their volunteers who have as similar experience as you're facing. This woman will come visit you and will bring you all sorts of brochures and information on conventional treatment. She will also bring you a list of exercises you can start to do to regain your mobility and range of motion.
This is VERY important. It hurts to stretch your arm up, after surgery, but if you haven't had reconstruction, and you don't start soon, you will lose that range of motion. I would recommend starting to gently, slowly reach your arm up … let your body be your guide … the day after your surgery. This is ONLY if you have not had reconstruction. If you have, let your plastic surgeon tell you when to start stretching. Push to where it hurts just a little, but do not push too far past that. Little by little, you'll find yourself able to stretch a little farther every couple of days.
Most of all, allow yourself to heal emotionally, as well as physically. Some of us just can't look at that incision right away. That's OK. Take as much time as you need. I know I felt like some kind of freak with no breasts and, even six years later, I still do sometimes. But remind yourself that these scars are your battle scars. They do not make you less of a woman. They make you a warrior.

Breast Cancer - Touchable And Unbelievable

The most common form of cancer in women - which affects about 10% of the world's female population - is still the second most common cause of cancer deaths in women. about 20% of all breast cancer cases ending in death.
This form of cancer is the one considered to have the most serious psychological effects on women. Some specialists say that it happens because this form cancer affects what most women consider to be their symbol of femininity: the breast. Depression is often diagnosed in women who have breast cancer, which makes the treatment even harder.
Risk factors
Many factors are considered to be the possible causes of breast cancer. Contrary to what many people may think, breast cancer also affects men, in smaller proportions - about 1 case in 1000.
Here are some factors considered to be involved in the development of breast cancer:
Age
One thing is for sure about breast cancer: the risks increase with age . Statistics show that for a woman who lives to the age of 90, the risk of getting breast cancer is about 12,5% (or 1 in 8) . However, it's not impossible for young women to have breast cancer and when it happens, the cancer tends to be more aggressive. This is inflammatory breast cancer, difficult to detect because it does not appear in mammography or ultrasound and is often mistaken for mastitis, a simple breast infection .
Genes
Familial breast cancer is rare (less than 5%), but it can happen and it was found to be linked to two different genes. Although this is not a high risk factor for breast cancer, women who have cases of breast cancer among their relatives should have tests more often.
Hormones
The International Agency for Research on Cancer found that women who take combined estrogen-progestogen contraceptives and combined estrogen-progestogen menopausal therapy were at increased risk.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Earlier found, better chances of survival. This is the statement that summarizes the cure for breast cancer and it only makes more important the medical advice that says that women should have a complete check up, including a mammogram and an ultrasound, once a year, especially once they reach their 30s or 40s. A self-examination of the breasts should be done monthly.
Any sign of nodules or lumps found by the woman while doing her self-exam must be taken into account. Most women think that these lumps have something to do with their periods and in many cases they do, but they can also signify the presence of a tumor and that's why the doctor must be told as soon as possible .
The symptoms vary from woman to woman. Some have lumps and some don't. Some women have a white or light-yellow secretion "leaking" from the nipple, some women feel that their breast is tender and swollen. There are those women who feel nothing and these are the most dangerous cases .
The self-exam and the mammogram once a year are the best ways to diagnose breast cancer. If something is found by self-examination, regardless of whether the woman had already had a mammogram that year, another should be done.
Treatment
Medicine has improved a lot in the past few years and the treatments for breast cancer have become more powerful and effective .
There are different options for treatment of breast cancer and doctors can choose the correct one by taking into account the overall health of the woman affected:
- Local or Regional Treatments are directed right to the breast and also to the lymph nodes around the breast. - Systemic Treatments are directed to the whole body. - Alternative and Holistic Treatments are important to the person because they include not only the body, but also the mind and spirit as well.
In spite of that, the best treatment is no treatment at all, in other words, prevention.

Breast Cancer: Know Your Risk Factors, the Signs and Symptoms and What to Do About It

All women, essentially, are at some degree of risk for developing breast cancer—considering that breast cancer is the most common cancer among North American women and that one in seven women either has it or will get it in their lifetime.
But some women have a higher risk of contracting breast cancer than others, and that’s why it’s important for all women to assess their individual risks.
There is no single cause of breast cancer, but some factors seem to increase the risk of developing it.
The risk is increased the older you are, if you had your first child after the age of 30 (or no children at all) and if you have a family history of breast cancer, especially a mother, sister or daughter. Other minor, suggested risk factors—some of which have not been fully documented or studied—include previous breast disorders, early first menstruation, dense breast tissue, use of combination birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy (with both estrogen and progestin), a diet high in fat and alcohol and not breastfeeding or exercising.
If you’re a woman who has assessed a higher personal risk of developing breast cancer, you need to know what to watch for; the first signs and symptoms of the disease.
The first sign of breast cancer is normally a lump, a spot or other abnormality on the breast, usually felt by you first or seen on a mammogram (an x-ray of the breast) before you can even feel it. The lump is also constantly present, may feel hard, tender and unusual and like it’s attached to your skin.
Additional signs and symptoms of early breast cancer include other lumps, spots or abnormalities of the breast or nipple, such as a lump in the armpit, an inverted nipple, nipple discharge or eczema-type symptoms on the nipple, and irregular changes in the size, shape and skin of the breast.
Early detection is key. One way to help out with early detection is to learn how to do a breast self-examination—and to do them regularly. Breast self-exams basically allow you to “get to know” your particular breasts and how they look and feel normally, so you are better prepared to detect any unusual changes.
Mammograms and clinical breast examinations, which are done by doctors, are usually considered more reliable than self-exams. Mammograms aren’t recommended until women are a bit older (into their 40s and 50s, although slightly younger if a woman’s personal risk factor is higher), but clinical breast exams can, and should, be done sooner and more regularly.
At the first sign of what may appear to be breast cancer, and even if it’s not, it’s important for women to talk to their doctor right away. The sooner breast cancer is detected, the sooner it can be treated, and the greater chance of survival.

Five Easy Things You Can Do Now to Help Prevent Breast Cancer

Rather than focusing on breast cancer, Wise Women choose to concentrate on keeping our breasts healthy through wise lifestyle and dietary choices.
The following tips may amaze you, since the actions and foods they suggest run counter to many alternative views of cancer prevention. They are supported with strong research, however - from the lab, with animals, and in long-term human studies. Thus, each of these tips has a solid scientific basis, unlike the assertions made by those intent on selling you their opinions and products.
Embarking on even one of these suggestions will definitely lower your risk of breast cancer. Using them all is even better. And as a special treat, I have added three extras. Look for lots more tips for keeping your breasts healthy in my book Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way, recommended by many oncologists and breast health specialists including Dr. Susan Love. And please visit my special breast health website: http://www.breasthealthbook.com
1. Be more active
Evidence continues to accumulate that a vigorous lifestyle is one of the best ways to cut breast cancer risk. A study of 20,624 Norwegian women found those who exercised or worked out regularly cut their breast cancer risk by 72%. (NEJM, 5/1/1997)
For breast health I walk every day, take a weekly yoga class, and do tai chi twice a week.
2. Eat more unrefined seed foods
All seeds provide phytoestrogens. Women who eat the most phytoestrogenic foods are four times less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than those who eat the least. "No study has shown a degree of risk reduction similar to that found for phytoestrogens ..." (Lancet, 10/4/1997)
Whole grains such as wheat, rice, corn, kasha, millet, and quinoa are unrefined seed foods. Beans such as lentils, black beans, pinto beans, lima beans, and chickpeas are unrefined seed foods. Nuts including peanuts, walnuts, almonds, and pecans are unrefined seed foods. And edible seeds such as sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin are unrefined seed foods. Fruits and vegetables that are eaten with their seeds - such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi fruit, summer squash, tomatoes, and cucumbers - count as unrefined seed foods. Even seeds used as seasonings count, such as cumin, coriander, caraway, anise, and dill seeds.
For breast health, I have replaced all refined carbohydrates - including white rice and white/unbleached flour products such as pasta, bread, cookies, crackers, pretzels, bagels, donuts, and cakes - with whole grain products.
3. Eat less vegetable oil; increase animal fat, especially from dairy products
"Diets high in corn oil leave animals especially vulnerable to chemically induced cancers" say researchers. (Science News, 6/24/89; 10/2/99) Frightening as this statement is, it is not true only of corn oil but of all vegetable (or seed) oils including those made from soy, sesame, sunflower, cottonseed, flax, and hemp.
If you are dubious about eating more animal fat and dairy products to reduce breast cancer risk, consider this landmark study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine (1/12/1998). To determine if food affected breast cancer risk. The diets of 61,000 Swedish women between the ages of 40-76 were followed for four years. The results? For every 5 grams (about a teaspoonful) of vegetable oil consumed per day, breast cancer risk increased by 70%. In contrast, for each 10 grams of fat from meat and dairy products in the daily diet, breast cancer risk was decreased by 55%.
Another study, begun in the early 1970s, followed 4,000 Finnish women's diets for 25 years. Results recently released found that those who "drank the most milk had only half the breast cancer risk of those who drank the least."
American researchers agree. According to a report in International Journal of Cancer (2001), women who drank milk as children and continued drinking it as adults had half the rate of breast cancer of non-milk drinkers. (Yes, I do buy organic milk, but the studies used regular supermarket milk.)
Why? Galactose, the primary sugar in milk, slows ovarian production of estradiol, a cancer-promoting hormone. Additionally, milk is rich in CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), a fat known to suppress breast tumors in animals.
For breast health I use yogurt, cheese, milk, butter, and olive oil daily, and eat meat occasionally.
Remember that olive oil is pressed from a fruit, not a seed. Women whose diets are high in olive oil, and who eat meat and dairy products regularly, have the lowest rates of breast cancer in the world. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1/18/1995)
4. Eat less tofu and soy beverage; eat more miso and tamari
While it is true that if you begin eating soy foods as a child and continue throughout puberty the breast tissues you create during your adolescence will be highly resistant to cancer until after menopause. However, if you begin eating unfermented soy (tofu, soy milk, and the like) after puberty, your risk of breast cancer increases. (Science News, 4/24/1999)
The active ingredient in soy - isoflavone - when given to breast cancer cells in petri dishes causes them to grow rapidly. (Extracts of dong quai and licorice have a similar effect.)
Miso and tamari - fermented soy foods - are the exceptions. Both are strongly cancer preventative, no matter when you start eating them. Animal studies have found both miso and tamari highly effective in preventing cancer, even in mice genetically programmed to get breast cancer. And the more you eat, the more you lower your risk of cancer.
For breast health, I use miso and/or tamari every day. I occasionally eat tofu or edemame. I drink no soy milk, and eat no other soy products of any kind.
5. Eat foods rich in antioxidants; avoid supplements of vitamins C and E
A diet that contains plenty of foods rich in antioxidants definitely lowers breast cancer risk. But supplements seem to do the opposite.
Doctors in Stockholm observed that, among breast cancer patients, treatment failures were higher for women taking vitamin E supplements - and the failure rate increased with dose. Studying this effect, researchers found that the anti-cancer benefits of fish oils "disappeared when [we] gave ... antioxidant vitamins”. In fact, when mice with breast cancer were given vitamin E supplements "the more we gave them, the bigger their tumors grew." The authors conclude that vitamin E supplements "preferentially protect a cancer and even aid its spread." (Science News, 4/29/1995 and 7/15/1995)
Supplements of vitamin C (synthetic ascorbic acid) are poorly used by body tissues. But cancer cells seem to thrive on it. (Cancer Research, 9/15/1999) One new "chemotherapy" links a lethal form of zinc to an ascorbic acid molecule; when the cancer eats the ascorbic acid, the zinc is set free to kill the cancer cell.
For breast health I eat 5-7 servings of dark green and bright red/orange foods daily.
Besides being active, choosing a diet high in phytoestrogens, eating one or more servings of dairy products daily, using miso and tamari regularly, and avoiding vitamin supplements, here are three more things you can do to help prevent breast cancer:
6. Sleep in the dark
Exposure to light at night increases the risk of breast cancer. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute (8/17/2001) reports that chronic suppression of melatonin - an anti-cancer hormone made only in the dark - increases breast cancer risk by at least 36%.
For breast health, be certain there is no light (except from the moon) in the room where you sleep. Not even a night-light. Not the light from a clock. Not the little lights on electronics.
7. Drink red clover blossom infusion
Red clover is a potent anti-cancer herb. It contains ten times more phytoestrogens than soy, and in a more complete form. I have seen it clear in situ cancers and pre-cancerous polyps hundreds of times. Since many breast cancers take 7-10 years to become big enough to be seen on a mammogram, I drink a quart of red clover infusion every week and skip the mammogram.
To prepare the infusion:
Place one ounce, by weight (about a cup by volume), of dried red clover in a quart canning jar.
Fill the jar to the top with boiling water and lid tightly.
Let steep for four hours or overnight.
Strain and drink.
Refrigerate excess and drink within 24-36 hours.
For breast health, I drink red clover infusion regularly.
8. Eat seaweed as a vegetable
If the long-lived and cancer-free Japanese have a secret, it is seaweed, not soy. A sprinkling of kelp as a seasoning is nice, and so are nori rolls - but neither does much to prevent cancer. For that we must eat seaweed as a vegetable - at least a half-cup serving per week. Wakame, kombu, kelp, and alaria are especially effective, but sea palm fronds, hijiki, nori, and dulse may be used on occasion.
There is a rich variety of seaweeds available in Chinese grocery stores, health food stores, and by mail. Seaweed recipes are available in many books (including my herbal Healing Wise).
These eight tips - five easy ones and three more difficult ones - will vastly increase your chances of living to be a wild, wise old woman with healthy breasts. That's the Wise Woman Way the world round.
Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.
Susun WeedPO Box 64Woodstock, NY 12498Fax: 1-845-246-8081
Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.

Research and Discuss Breast Cancer Treatment Options

Once the first sign of breast cancer is detected and confirmed, it’s important for women to research and discuss with their partners and health-care providers what their options are as far as treatment is concerned as soon as possible. It can be more than a little overwhelming, however, as it seems the possibilities are endless for women nowadays when it comes to breast cancer treatment—of both the disease, the symptoms associated with breast cancer and the side-effects of medication.
Personal research into the options available is recommended, as well as thorough discussion with a doctor or health practitioner. A woman’s age, whether she is a first-time breast cancer patient or it is recurring, the specific type, stage, grade and locality of the breast cancer, and the individual risk factors—as well as other health issues she may have—all must be taken into consideration.
Probably the most commonly used as well as the most well-known treatment options are surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. These are still considered to be very effective, but many other treatment options are gaining in popularity, such as herceptin, tamoxifen and other types of hormonal therapy, as well as alternative and complementary therapies. Most women choose a combination of therapies.
Surgery is almost always recommended as one of several treatment options for first-time breast cancer patients. The two different types are lumpectomy, or “breast-conserving surgery,” which involves surgically removing the tumor and some surrounding healthy tissue in the breast, and a mastectomy, which is the surgical removal of the whole breast. There are many factors that come into play when deciding between a lumpectomy and a mastectomy, such as the chance of recurrence, and considering radiation therapy and breast reconstructive surgery.
Radiation therapy is often used in conjunction with surgery. After a lumpectomy the whole breast is “radiated” with high energy x-rays, used to kill cancer cells, and after a mastectomy the lymph nodes and chest wall may also be treated. Although radiation does produce side-effects and symptoms, these are usually localized, and this form of treatment is usually well tolerated.
Chemotherapy, also very common and widely used, involves the use of medications to destroy cancer cells by interfering with its growth. However, it can also kill healthy cells and cause undesirable side-effects in women, such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, increased risk of infection and hair loss.
Herceptin is a treatment given intravenously into the bloodstream once every one to three weeks, targeting only HER2 (a protein)-positive breast cancer in women with metastatic (advanced) disease, medium to large tumors and cancers with lymph nodes involved.
Hormone therapy is also sometimes used—by pill or injection—if the breast cancer tumor is sensitive to the hormones estrogen and/or progestin. Hormone therapy will reduce the availability of these hormones, “starving” the cancer and hindering its growth. Tamoxifen is one such drug under this category, prescribed for women with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Tamoxifen is the hormonal drug of choice for pre-menopausal women but has been shown to be slightly less effective in post-menopausal women than other hormonal therapies, like aromatase inhibitors.
Alternative therapies to treating breast cancer are becoming more popular, either used instead of or in addition to conventional methods. However, there has not been enough clinical research to support their effectiveness and safety. Such alternatives include acupuncture, meditation and therapeutic touch, flaxseed and black cohosh, and special restrictive diets.
It is vital for women considering alternative therapies to research these options as much as possible and to consult their health-care team, as they should be doing with any combination of the above-mentioned treatments for breast cancer.

Estrogen and Breast Cancer - The Evolving Mystery

As many women begin the transition through menopause a lot of consideration goes into the idea of taking Hormone Replacements - whether it is just Estrogen (Estrogen Therapy or ET) or a combination of Estrogen and Progesterone (Hormone Therapy or HT). For the purpose of this article Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) will refer to both HT and ET.
Replacing your hormones with either natural or synthetic (laboratory made) forms of hormones may offer some benefit by helping to reduce many of the symptoms of early menopause - such as, hot flashes, insomnia, moodiness, and vaginal dryness. As well as more serious problems that may result from menopause like weakened bones, and osteoporosis.
But as with EVERY pharmaceutical product made to help relieve pain or discomfort there are risks, and hormone therapy is not without them. What's important is that your unique health history and risk factors are discussed with your doctor to best determine whether or not HT or ET is the best option for you.
Estrogens Impact on the Breast
What you have to recognize is that the scientific community is just beginning to realize the uniqueness of every woman's hormone profile. The effect of HRT on one of your female friends may be vastly different from the effect they have on you. This is why there is such a large amount of variation in what each woman experiences as they transition through menopause. This is also one of the greatest challenges that Doctor's and Scientist face in their effort to understand the affects HRT has on the female breast.
Probably the biggest concern women have about HRT is the increased risk of that dreaded disease - Breast Cancer! Breast cancer risk, like many diseases, increases with age for women, but it is not specifically affected by menopause. Unfortunately, recent studies have generated a lot of conflicting data between HRT and breast cancer risk.
But, before I go into the risk of developing breast cancers from HRT, it is important that you understand how Estrogen and Progesterone hormones affect your body, or more particularly, your breasts.
There are two primary thoughts on how cancer develops in the breast. One is that cancer tends to appear in fast growing tissue - Estrogen (and Progesterone) can cause breast tissue to grow at a faster rate - therefore this may be one way Estrogen is related to developing breast cancer. A second theory is that when estrogen is broken down in breast tissue the resultant compounds may bind to genetic material (DNA) and damage it. Damaged DNA is a common cause of cancers. For the moment - these are two primary theories on how HRT may increase the development of breast cancer.
Understand that the scientific community is hard at work trying to unravel the link between Estrogen and Breast Cancer -- or if there is even really a link -- but good science takes time. There are so many variables (like medical history and diet) in every study that it is impossible to blame ET or HT alone for breast cancer. Although the results of many clinical trials does show that HRT MAY increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
The Risk Factors
As a result of the various studies and clinical trials done, one thing is for sure, many more studies will need to be done before we unravel the mystery of HRT and breast cancer. In the mean time be aware of the fact that:
Breast cancer risk is increased with the use of ET, and to a greater extent with HT, use beyond 5 years. And observational data suggest a slight potential increase for breast cancer with HRT use for less than five years.
By how much the risk is increased is not exactly clear at this point and will likely vary depending on each woman's unique genetic makeup, diet and exposure to various environmental factors. Obviously, the risk factor of taking HRT has a much greater impact if you are already at risk of developing breast cancer. If you fit into any of the categories below - then most physicians would probably agree that you should avoid HRT.
If you are a breast cancer survivor: The concern is that HRT may stimulate the growth of small or hidden tumors, it is nearly impossible to determine how many women harbor these hidden cells known as micrometastases.
If you have a family history of breast cancer: It is not clear whether women with a family history are at increased risk of developing breast cancer when taking HRT and therefore the medical community is cautious about recommending it.
If you have a history of: Uterine cancer, Liver disease, Blood clots, Undiagnosed vaginal bleeding or Heart disease.
One major consideration when contemplating HRT should be whether or not you are at a higher than average risk of developing breast cancer. Some other minor factors that may increase your cancer risk are weight gain and women who experience menopause later in life than average.
HRT - A Personal Decision
HRT is really a personal choice - there is no right or wrong answer. While some women may not want to accept the risks associated with HRT others may want to. Each woman must decide for herself, with input from her doctor, the best course of action. Both patient and doctor should be comfortable with the decision to take HRT or to pursue other treatments.
If you do decide to try HRT make sure you work closely with your doctor - prescribing the right dosage may sometimes turn into a bit of a guessing game. Keep your doctor informed as to how you are feeling and whether or not you think it is helping. The best thing you can do is actually keep a journal and track the symptoms that you're hoping HRT will help with. The lower the dosages and the shorter the duration is best if you are worried about increased breast cancer risk. But again your personal situation should be discussed in detail with your doctor, if you have another medical condition where the benefits HRT provide outweigh the increased breast cancer risk, then HRT should be considered.
If HRT is not for you - you are not without help. Thanks to all the ongoing research, new therapies and alternatives are being investigated every day and have proven successful for many women. But a word of warning - since this is a very new field, don't necessarily believe every thing you hear and read. There are a lot of companies trying to take advantage of this relatively new market. And since a lot of the herbal remedies are not regulated by the FDA some companies will package almost anything with no regard for scientific data to back up their claims. Look for resources that are impartial and companies that provide actual data to support what they are claiming.
Lastly, I personally am an advocate of a healthy diet and active lifestyle to beat menopausal symptoms and weight gain -- you should know that every clinical study I have read has shown that these two factors are proven to ease the menopause transition by regulating hormones naturally. And with no increased risk of breast cancer -- actually eating the right foods will help prevent breast cancer as well as many other types of cancer and disease. So regardless of your HRT decision -- the first step you should take when it comes to helping yourself is to eat a proper macronutrient profile and get that body of yours moving!

Breast Cancer: What Women Should Know

From relative obscurity, breast cancer has become one of the leading causes of deaths among women in the world. In 2001, about 200,000 cases of breast cancer have been reported in the United States, making it the second leading cause of cancer death in the US. It is, in fact, the most common malignancy problem that is affecting women in North America and Europe today.
But what is breast cancer and how do people get it?
Breast cancer occurs when malignant tumors in the breast grow and start to affect other tissues in the body. There is still no clear indications how tumors are created but what is often observed is that cancerous cells usually comes from ducts or glands.
Although women’s health organizations advise women to massage the breast daily and to feel for any lumps, it may a long time before a cancerous cell get big enough for us to feel it. By that time, it may already be too late. Doctors make use of mammograms for their diagnosis.
Breast at risk
All women are actually at risk, with the risk increasing with the presence of some risk factors that are already part of the natural cycle, for example, aging. Family history of breast cancer can also significantly affect the prognosis as heredity has been found to play a role. Women who got their periods before they were 12 years old and those who never had or had children after 30 years old are also more likely to develop breast cancer.
There are also risk factors that medical science can help alter such as hormonal problems through replacement therapies. Women are also advised to decrease their consumption of alcoholic drinks, exercise every day and decrease the use of birth control pills. Breastfeeding has been found to decrease the risk of breast cancer development.
Although there are some factors that women can avoid to prevent breast cancer from developing, cause and effect relationships between these factors and breast cancer is still debatable. For women who are already at high risk, doctors often recommend a drug called Tamoxifen, which is known to decrease the risk by as much 50 percent when taken in five years. Still, like all medications, Tamoxifen has side effects such as hot flushes, vaginal discharges and sometimes even blood clots. Taking the drug can also lead to pulmonary emobolus, stroke and uterine cancer, although these are all isolated cases.
Another avenue that women can go to is Vitamin A, which some studies show to be effective in decreasing the risk. Still, research is still in the initial stages and nothing has been proven yet. Other things that are being linked to the breast cancer fight are phytoestrogens, which can be found in soya, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C.
But until something concrete is found in research, the only thing that women can do to ensure that they are safe from breast cancer is early detection. This can be done through daily self-examinations as well as annual check ups and mammogram tests. It is also important that women know the beginnings of breast cancer. Here are some of the signs that they should watch out for.
Lumps in the breast and in the underarmsScaling of the skin of the breast and of the nippleRedness in the skin of the breast and of the nippleChanges in the size of their breastsDischarges from the nipple
If these signs are observed, it is best to consult a specialist so that you can know whether you have breast cancer or not.