Every woman’s dilemma

Although breast cancer deaths have decreased because of earlier detection and better treatment, the fact that 66% of cancer patients experienced painless breast mass bulks the threatening explosion.

Breast cancer can begin in the lining of the ducts and is called ductal carcinoma. Another type is lobular carcinoma, the type that arises in the lobules. It is a malignant tumor that can be spread through either the lymphatic system or invades other organs (metastasis). Its existence and spread is hampered by medical advancements. The use of folate, a vitamin found in both vegetables and meat, is said to reduce breast cancer risk particularly among women with greater alcohol consumption. Studies indicate dietary fiber, Vitamin A and C and beta carotene are deterrence to the disease.

New ways to fight the disease

One of the latest breakthroughs in the fight against breast cancer is the Peregrine system, created by a group of scientists at Lawrence Livermore Laboratories in California. It refines the treatment of cancer with radiation therapy. Radiation treatment uses gamma and X-rays to zoom in on and kill cancer cells, preventing their reproduction. The system tells physicians the radiation doses to be absorbed by the patient's body and determine where to aim the radiation beams, how many beams to use, and how to shape them.

Another new technique being administered is immunohistochemistry, which detects the extent of spreading of breast cancer by analyzing the disease’s proteins. The process includes antibodies that are placed on a patient's lymph node tissue.

These breakthroughs can combat the side effects of surgery-- imbalance caused by discomfort in woman’s neck and back, loss of strength in the arm and shoulder, numbness and tingling in the chest, underarm and hand due to injuries, or of radiation therapy- fatigue and more sensitivity of breast skin, or of chemotherapy—vulnerability to infection , loss of hair and appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and infertility.

Prevention to no pain?

Early breast cancer causes no pain. Warm, swollen, red and scaly breast skin, areola or nipple and ridges or pitting of the breast like the skin of an orange flaunt cancer symptoms. Lumps or nipple discharge are also evident and significant determinants.

Accumulated consequences of unhealthy lifestyles, environmental factors, or long-term use of hormones such as synthetic forms of estrogen for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or oral contraception might develop into a fatal disease. Further, genetic predisposition especially the presence of oncogenes that can trigger normal cells to mutate into cancer cells, breast biopsy that revealed hyperplasia, and hereditary breast, colon, uterine and ovarian cancers are medical contributions to cancer existence.

Women with early menstruation before age 12, first pregnancy and birth at age 30 have higher risk than average. Also, menopausal women and those who have never given birth are vulnerable.

If you have more than 35% of daily calories from fat, moderate to heavy drinking, lack of daily exercise, weight of 40% or more over the ideal, are exposed to multiple x-ray or radiation treatment, to pesticides, to pollutants including cigarettes smoke, then you are entitled to undergo medical examinations.

Age matters

Women aged 30 to 80 comprised the 99% of the breast cancer victims. Risks increase with age and 80% of patients occur to women 50 and up. There’s 1 in 5,900 women aged 30. At 40, 1 out of 1,200 has cancer.

National Cancer Institute recommends that women in 40"s and older have mammograms on regular basis every 1 to 2 years to detect calcium deposits, a cluster of very tiny speck of calcium maybe a sign of cancer. Palpation or carefully feeling the lump and tissue performed by doctor and ultrasonography, which shows whether a lump is solid or water-filled using high frequency sound waves can also be performed both to aged or young concerns.

Breast Self Examination develops cancer cognizance for those who are not yet victims of the disease. The BSE allows women to find out if they are possible candidates for breast cancer. Here are some tips to keep in mind when doing monthly BSE:

* Three in four breast cancers appear in the upper outer region of the breast, in the area under the armpit, or behind the nipple. So examine these areas extra carefully.

* If your breasts are normally lumpy, make a note of how many individual lumps you find and their locations. Check for changes or size increases each month.

* After examining your breasts by feel, be sure to do a visual check as well. Stand in front of a mirror and look for changes in shape or symmetry of your breasts, any dimpling or dents, or a nipple that draws inward or points in a new direction.

· See your doctor to evaluate any changes or new lumps that you find during BSE.

Remember that the majority of breast lumps turn out to be noncancerous.

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Reposted from DoctorGeorge.com