Breast Cancer - Look Out For These Symptoms

Abnormal development of cells leads to the growth of tumor, when tumor is malignant in nature they are termed as cancer. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in women today. Around the world breast cancer statistics shows that after lung cancer breast cancer is the second most death-causing factor in people who develops cancer.

The risk factor of developing breast cancer increases with the age, it does not only relate to women, figures show that out of every 100 women there is one male who is diagnosed of breast cancer.

Causes of Breast Cancer

The exact cause of breast cancer is unknown and there are no fixed causes for breast cancer. Myths in identifying the causes of breast cancer are more prevalent than the real cause.

• The chances of breast cancer depends on age, as the person gets older the chances of it are more
• Family history of close relative like mother, sister and daughter who has been diagnosed with breast cancer increases the risk factor
• Early start onset of menses and early menopause are also associated with breast cancer
• Exposure to radioactive rays are carcinogenic and increases the chances of breast cancer
• Using hormone replacement therapy might also cause it
• Exposure to harmful chemicals (working in a chemical factory that uses harmful chemicals like Organochlorines)
• Late childbearing

Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

With the increased number of breast cancer there has also been increase in the diagnostic tool that can help in identifying the onset of the disease.The diagnostic tools have been listed below:

The first diagnostic tool to identify breast cancer is Mammogram. It is an X-ray of the breast that can show the presence of abnormal growth lumps in the breast area.

Use of high frequency sound waves often identifies whether the lump is filled with liquid or solid for further investigation

Fine needle is inserted in the lump to take the tissue or liquid out from the lump and then a biopsy is performed to test for carcinoma.

Surgical biopsy removes a small part of lump by surgery and then the lump is tested for further diagnosis.

Coping with Breast Cancer

The most important factor behind any disease is the way you cope with it and find a safe treatment. Breast cancer is a serious disease but with time and proper breast cancer treatment you will recovery from the initial trauma of the disease. Eating healthy and maintaining a balanced lifestyle along with family and friends cope to a great extent in coping with the disease. Ask all your queries and share your anxieties, going through clinical trials also helps to a great extent.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer remains undiagnosed mostly in older women lack of predominant symptoms often results in late treatment for the disease. Early breast cancer is devoid of pain if it is diagnosed in early stages treatment becomes far simpler and the recovery is faster.

• A lump or thickening in the breast area
• Liquid discharge from the nipple area
• Dimpling in the skin
• A change in shape and size of breast
• Blood stained discharge from the nipple area
• Sinking or changing shape of nipples
• Swelling or lumps in the breast or armpit

A lump though always does not been cancer, there are three categories of lump that can be found in women they can be:

• Cyst
• Fibroderma
• Malignant tumor

The first two categories are benign, though all of the symptoms mentioned above are of breast cancer but they may occur due to some other disease therefore it is very important to go for proper diagnosis before jumping to conclusions.

Treatment for Breast Cancer

Breast cancer treatment depends on extent in which the malignant cells have spread, once the extent is known by the physician a treatment program for the patient is planned by the doctor. Broadly there are three breast cancer stages in and depending on these stages the treatment is suggested.Breast cancer treatment may involve:

Once the tumor is identified as malign, surgery becomes one safe option to surgically remove the malign lump. Surgery could involve removing whole of the breast or just the area where lump has formed. Usually if the penetration of the malignant cells is deep the whole area is cut off for stopping them to spread in other organs.The different surgeries have different medical terms:

• Breast Conserving or Breast Sparing Surgery: The surgery removes partial part of the breast.
• Lumpectomy: Means when a partial part of the breast is removed and a part of normal tissue are also removed.
• Segmental Mastectomy: The surgery removes a large part of the breast, little tissues that lie inside and some from the arms.
• Mastectomy: The surgery removes whole of the breast and tissues around arms.
• Radical Mastectomy: This is the old form of surgery that removes the breast, muscles around chest and lymph nodes. It is most intense surgery.

Also termed as radiotherapy, the treatment is effective to destroy the malign tissues around the affected area. Radiation uses high-energy rays to kill the dead cells. Radiation is further given by either external or by implantation or combined together as the person's treatment is designed.

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill the cells and mostly injected in the body combined with other medicine. It can be taken in form of medicines as the physician suggests.

Hormonal therapy uses the treatment, as a replacement therapy where the growth of the hormones is stopped that is responsible for the growth of cells.

Side Effects of Treatment

Cancer treatment is intense and goes on for quite some years. After the initial treatment getting over it still requires regular checkups and testing. The medication is strong and therefore has its own side effects. Chemotherapy results in hair loss from all parts of body if the dose is high. After treatment the hair growth is set back to normal. Radiation though destroys the malign cells they also kill tissues or cells of the area surrounding it. In mastectomy where the whole breast is removed the weight of the person can get off balance. This might cause pain in neck and back. Hormonal therapy can lead to blood clots in legs and lungs, nausea, irregular periods if the person is pre-menopause.

Prevention of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer can be treated and assures 100% recovery if the diagnosis is done in early stages, there are some prevention options that can be undertaken to stop it:

• Balanced diet and lifestyle
• Low use of alcohol
• Low carbohydrate in diet
• Regular checkups like mammogram
• Exercising
• Avoid stress

The options might look simple but they are the most effective ways to prevent breast cancer.

Research on Breast Cancer

The breast cancer research is ongoing process and people are trying to find out from case studies, testimonials and history of the patient are used to develop better preventive measures as well as curative measures. The research has silenced many myths about breast cancer and today people have fair information about breast cancer.

My breast cancer taught me so much about laughter. Laughter has been called "the best medicine" - and for good reason - a good dose of deep, heartfelt laughter can help pull you through some of the worst times in your life. In my case it was during my mastectomy as a result of breast cancer. Being able to laugh at it just makes it easier.

Some breast cancer patient healed themselves, just by watching funny movies and comedy shows.

Laughter is so good for us, both physically and emotionally. It strengthens our immune system, improves our cardiovascular health, tones and relaxes our muscles, reduces depression and anxiety, boosts our productivity and creativity, and does a whole lot more good to our being.

Laughing is a great healer and I want to share with you how much. Think of Bob Hope and George Burns. They lived longer than most by using their God-given talent for humor to anchor them in their life. Laughter is a big key to our health. Laughter has a way of making problems melt away. It lets us know just how ridiculous we are. Comedians are so sought after by people because innately we know the healing effect they have on us.

Quite simply, laughing makes us feel good.

So why not En-lighten up a little?

Can you laugh at yourself and at things that have happened in your life??

A recent study found that 5-year old children laugh up to 400 times a day! In this case it's the kids who can teach us a thing or two! So, start counting how often you laugh!

I used a lot of laughter to ease the pain during my breast cancer.

Let's develop our own humor and laughter muscles... right now!

Are You Ready?

Here are some empowering questions you can ask yourself on a daily basis:

1. How many things can I notice today that are truly funny?

Good humor is tonic for the mind and body. It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens human burdens. It is the direct route to serenity and contentment."

Causes of Breast Cancer - Still a Mystery?

If you do your research, you'll find that the information given still points to the "I don't know, but here are the risk factors" lame explanation. What a lot of you know what! Sometimes I wonder if the people who write these things really think it through.

Here's what I mean... "most women who develop breast cancer have no risk factors other than simply being a woman and getting older (especially being over 50). Talk to your doctor about your risk... blah, blah, blah.

Wouldn't a better explanation be... "most women who develop breast cancer have no risk factors other than simply being a woman and getting older (especially being over 50),... because the older you get the weaker your immune system gets, and puts you more at risk to any kind of disease, including breast cancer or any other cancer. And by the way... your immune system has been slowly failing you since the age of 30 because of all the crap you eat!"

Ok, I'm harsh... but I've been known to tell it like it is! Other risk factors for breast cancer include...

Having had breast cancer before. No kidding. If you know anything about cancer, your odds of getting it again doubles, but I won't get into that.

A family history of breast cancer (especially in a mother, sister or daughter diagnosed before menopause.

Family history of ovarian cancer.

An above-average exposure to the hormone estrogen, which your body naturally produces, perhaps because you have never given birth or gave birth for the first time after age 30.

Began menstruating at a young age.

Reached menopause later than average.

Have taken hormone replacement therapy (estrogen plus progestin) for more than five years.

Dense breast tissue (as shown on a mammogram).

A history of breast biopsies showing certain breast changes, such as an increased number of abnormal cells that are not cancerous (atypical hyperplasia).

Radiation treatment to the chest area (for example, to treat Hodgkin lymphoma), especially before age 30.

Some factors slightly increase your risk of breast cancer. You may be at slightly higher risk if you are obese (especially after menopause), drink alcohol, take birth control pills (the Pill).

Some women develop breast cancer without having any of these risk factors. Most women with breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease.

Notice the last statement above, and more specifically "most women with breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease." Which proves my point... most women who get breast cancer have none of the above (like my ex-wife who died at the young age of 44).

So what's with all these suppositions on the causes of breast cancer? Bottom line folks... cancer is cancer (breast or otherwise), and you get it because of a weakened immune system, and an imbalance in your cells caused by a variation of outside elements invading your body which I will not go into here.

You should know that in countries where people consume low fat diets, there are many less cases of cancer (breast or otherwise). Thinner people, active people, are less likely to get diseases for obvious reasons!

Breast cancer is a devastating experience for any women to go through.

My breast cancer was the reason for causing my life to be out of balance on the physical level.

It is amazing how these four elements co-mingle and if we lack in one aspect, it immediately reflects on our lives in a form of disharmony that can appear as a form of disease or even mastectomy as a result of breast cancer that changes the whole picture.

Picture this: Close your eyes for a moment and Imagine that you are standing on a center of a table with four steady legs. You feel comfortable. You feel safe. You can even spread your legs to two corners of the table and you are still in control and feel you can keep your balance.

Now, close your eyes again and imagine yourselves standing on a center of a table. However, this table has one broken or crocked leg. How do you feel now standing on that table? Do you feel safe and steady? Do you feel out of balance? Does fear goes through your mind that you might fall, that you would not be able to keep your balance on that table much longer?

What happen to us when one of these aspects (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) of our life is in disharmony with the rest of the elements? We feel shaky, unstable, out of balance, living in fear of the unknown.

What causes these out of balance situations and illness in our lives? The answer to this question is simple and consists of only one word: stress.

Even the modern medicine recognizes the fact that stress is the biggest factor in all diseases.

What are the causes for stress?

It comes from the way we perceive life, from our core being. It comes from the attitude that we embrace to react to every event that occurs in our life.

How do we find the balance, so we can live in harmony with all aspect of our life?

We have to be very honest with ourselves and be able to look deep down inside our "divine self" and be able to change our perception on life.

When I had my breast cancer it totally changed my set of beliefs and my attitude towards life.

Channeling the energy to other elements of life that were not functioning the way they were supposed to and gain the balance back.

To your good Health and Wealth!

Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive of all these cancers in which a tumor of any size has spread to the breast skin, chest wall, or internal mammary lymph nodes (located beneath the breast right under the ribs, inside the middle of the chest). This is a very uncommon but very serious, aggressive type of cancer.

The most distinguishing feature of this cancer is redness involving part or all of the breast. The redness feels warm. You may see puffiness of the breast's skin that looks like the peel of a navel orange ("peau d'orange"), or even ridges, welts, or hives caused by a buildup of fluid and edema (swelling) in the breast.. And part or all of the breast may be enlarged and hard. A lump is present only half of the time. This cancer is sometimes misdiagnosed as a simple infection.

Inflammatory breast cancer, although rare, is called "inflammatory" because the breast often looks swollen and red, or "inflamed." This cancer accounts for 1 to 5 percent of all cancer cases in the United States. It tends to be diagnosed in younger women compared to non-inflammatory breast cancer. It occurs more frequently and at a younger age in African Americans than in Whites.

Like other types of cancer, inflammatory breast cancer can also occur in men, but usually at an older age than in women. Other symptoms include heaviness, burning, aching, increase in breast size, tenderness, or a nipple that is inverted (facing inward). These symptoms usually develop quickly-over a period of weeks or months. However, it is important to note that these symptoms may also be signs of other conditions such as infection, injury, or other types of cancer.

Diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer is based primarily on the results of a doctor's clinical examination . Biopsy, mammogram, and breast ultrasound are used to confirm the diagnosis. This cancer is classified as either stage IIIB or stage IV . Stage IIIB cancers are locally advanced; stage IV cancer is cancer that has spread to other organs. Inflammatory breast cancer tends to grow rapidly, and the physical appearance of the breast of patients with this cancer is different from that of patients with other stage III cancers.

Prognosis describes the likely course and outcome of a disease - that is, the chance that a patient will recover or have a recurrence. Inflammatory breast cancer is more likely to have metastasized (spread to other areas of the body) at the time of diagnosis than non-inflammatory cancer cases.

As a result, the 5-year survival rate for patients with this cancer is between 25 and 50 percent, which is significantly lower than the survival rate for patients with non-inflammatory. It is important to keep in mind, however, that these statistics are averages based on large numbers of patients. Statistics cannot be used to predict what will happen to a particular patient because each person's situation is unique.

Wyatt Schell is webmaster and publisher with the exclusive cancer help resource, Cancer-Help-Treatment.com Inflammatory breast cancer can be beaten!

A woman's risk of developing breast cancer depends on several factors, many of which are related to her natural hormones. Hormonal risk factors include conditions that allow high levels of estrogen to persist for long periods of time, such as early age at first menstruation (before age 12), late age at menopause (after age 55), having children after age 30, and not having children at all.

Because many of the risk factors for breast cancer are related to natural hormones, and because OCs work by manipulating these hormones, there has been some concern about the possible effects of medicines such as OCs on breast cancer risk, especially if women take them for many years. OCs were introduced in the 1960s, and sufficient time has now elapsed to allow investigators to study large numbers of women who took birth control pills for many years beginning at a young age and to follow them as they age.

Over the last 15 years, various studies examining the use of OCs as a risk factor for breast cancer have produced inconsistent results. While most have found no overall increased risk for breast cancer associated with OC use, in June 1995 investigators at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) reported an increased risk of developing breast cancer among women under age 35 who had used birth control pills for at least 6 months, compared with those who had never used them. They also saw a slightly lower, but still elevated risk among women ages 35 to 44. In addition, their research showed a higher risk among long-term OC users, especially those who had started to take the pill before age 18.

A later comprehensive analytical report, which included the 1995 study, found that although there was a slightly elevated risk of developing breast cancer in women who were current or recent users of birth control pills, the risk of developing breast cancer returned to a normal level 10 years or more after discontinuation of OCs. These study results are considered to be consistent with those of the 1995 study.

The comprehensive report analyzed the results of 54 studies conducted in 25 countries that involved 53,297 women with breast cancer and 100,239 women without breast cancer. Over 200 researchers participated in this combined exhaustive analysis of their original studies, which represent about 90 percent of the epidemiological studies throughout the world that have investigated the possible relationship between OCs and breast cancer.

The reduction in risk after 10 years or more of being off OCs was consistent regardless of family history of breast cancer, reproductive history, geographic area of residence, ethnic background, differences in study designs, dose and type of hormone, and duration of use. This risk reduction also generally held true for age at first use; however, for reasons that are not yet understood, there was a continued elevated risk among women who had started to use OCs before age 20.

One encouraging aspect of the study is that the slightly elevated risk seen in both current OC users and those who had stopped use within 10 years may not be due to the contraceptive itself. The slightly elevated risk may result from estrogen's potential to promote the growth of breast cancer cells already present, rather than its potential to initiate new malignant changes.

Furthermore, the observation that the slightly elevated risk of developing breast cancer that was seen in this study peaked during use, declined gradually after OC use had stopped, then returned to normal risk levels 10 years or more after stopping, is not consistent with the usual process of carcinogenesis. It is more typical for cancer risk to peak decades after exposure, not immediately afterward. Cancer usually is more likely to occur with increased duration and/or degree of exposure to a carcinogen. In this analytical study, neither hormonal concentration nor duration of use affected the outcomes.