How To Detect the Signs of Skin Cancer

What Is Skin Cancer

Skin cancer, including the face is caused by long term overexposure to the sun. Persons with pale skin that freckles easily or have red or blonde hair with blue or green eyes are at the greatest risk of skin cancer. There are actually several types of skin cancer and can occur anywhere on the skin and face.

Pre Cancer

Facial and body pre cancer cells are the most common form with more than 10 million individuals having them. This is called Actinic Keratosis. Fairer skinned people are more susceptible to these facial pre cancer cells as well as those living closer to the equator due to the hotter climate. This is a scaly or crusty growth commonly seen on the face, ears, arms and scalp.

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Approximately one million Americans will get Basal Cell Carcinoma which is in the lining of the skin and will resemble psoriasis and is easily cured if caught in time. This type also appears on the face.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous Cell Carcinoma is the next most common facial skin cancer and is also curable if caught in time. Squamous Cell Carcinoma will appear as a thick scaly patch that can bleed. If this type is left untreated it can possibly spread to other organs.

Melanoma

The most serious form of facial skin cancer is melanoma. This form will show up as a mole or discoloration of the skin. It is important to watch any moles or discolorations for any changes or growth. There is a guideline called “ABCDE” rule to watch the moles on the body. A-asymmetry, B-border, C-color, D-diameter and E-evolving. Any changes detected should be reported to the physician immediately.

Treatment

Advances in surgery have increased cure rates to 95% with a procedure called Mohs Surgery. Instead of just removing the mole itself in traditional surgery, Mohs surgery takes minute sections of tissue of the area and tests the pieces each time. The procedure can be time consuming, however, by testing after each dissection, this gives the physician the ability to remove only the diseased areas, which ultimately removes all of the facial cancer at once without having to worry about it coming back.

Vigilance

Since facial skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, it is important to maintain a close watch on any changes to the skin. Any changes, however small, should be seen by a Dermatologist as these physicians are the only way to determine if a mole or skin legion has the ability to turn into cancer.

(Bukisa ID #100205)

Content Source: How To Detect the Signs of Skin Cancer - Bukisa.com

How to Lower Your Breast Cancer Risk By Changing What You Drink

There's been a lot of publicity lately about reducing your breast cancer risk by eating a diet low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables. Less attention has been focused on another factor that may reduce your
breast cancer risk, changing what you drink each day. Yes, more evidence is showing that what you drink on a daily basis can play a role in the development of certain types of cancer including breast cancer. Here are some tips for breast cancer risk reduction by changing what you drink:

Reduce or eliminate your alcohol intake.

Although some studies have shown that an alcoholic drink or two a day may reduce your risk of heart disease, evidence is accumulating that alcohol has a negative impact on your risk of breast cancer. A study carried out by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle showed that as little as two alcoholic drinks per increased the risk of breast cancer by 80%. Another study performed by the American Cancer society showed that only one drink a day increased breast cancer risk by 30% compared to women who didn't drink at all. If you're serious about reducing your breast cancer risk, eliminate alcohol from your diet entirely.

Drink green tea on a daily basis.

Studies have shown that the polyphenols found in green tea may be potent inhibitors of breast tumors. In studies where rats had their water replaced with green tea, researchers found that the rats that drank green tea on a daily basis were slower to develop breast tumors and the ones they did develop were smaller in size. To get the breast cancer protective effects of green tea, you would need to drink at least four glasses per day. Since this may be a problem if you can't tolerate caffeine, consider investing in a green tea supplement available in pill form. It seems to have similar properties to the actual green tea drink.

Filter your water.

Unfortunately, many households have tap water that's full of impurities and potential carcinogens. Of particular concern is the chlorine in tap water that's used to kill bacteria. When you ingest chlorine through your water supply or through other means, the chlorine reacts with certain chemicals in the body to form trihalomethanes which are thought to be carcinogenic. When a group of women with breast cancer were examined and compared to normal women, they were found to have higher levels of chlorine by products in their breast tissue, suggesting a possible association between chlorine and breast cancer. The best way to reduce impurities in your water is to get a good home water filter that removes chlorine and other impurities. Even better, get a whole house water filter for better protection. There's evidence that these impurities are readily absorbed through the skin when bathing or showering.

Reduce your intake of nonorganic dairy milk.

Unfortunately, many of the milk cattle in the dairy industry have been treated with growth hormone and antibiotics which can enter the milk supply. Growth hormone in dairy milk can increase levels of a chemical in the body called IGF-1 which plays a key role in the development and growth of breast and prostate cancers. Recent studies have also shown that antibiotic intake may increase a woman's breast cancer risk. If you're going to consume milk, buy organic milk products. There are also excellent nondairy milk substitutes such as almond milk, rice milk, and soy milk.

Replace soft drinks with fruit and vegetable juices.

There is some evidence that a diet high in fruit and vegetables may reduce breast cancer risk, although this is not proven. Fruit and vegetable juices are a great way to make sure you're getting your five to seven servings per day.

As you can see, it's not just what you eat that may affect your risk for breast cancer, it's also what you drink. Why not eliminate those soft drinks and alcoholic beverages and replace them with a tasty beverage that may reduce your risk for breast cancer?

(Bukisa ID #112386)

Content Source: How to Lower Your Breast Cancer Risk By Changing What You Drink - Bukisa.com

Asparagus - Natural Cure For Cancer

I received an email from my uncle about asparagus being a natural medicine against cancer. I decided to research a bit and found the following facts:

- Asparagus is widely used as a vegetable and sometimes medicine due to its diuretic properties.
- It is low in calories, has no fat or cholesterol, and low sodium.
- It is a good source of folic acid, potassium, dietary fiber, and rutin.

it is the fact that it is high in rutin that it is considered to be a cancer cure. This is because rutin is an antioxidant, therefore playing a role in inhibiting some cancers.

However, it is also high in purines, which would be a problem for people suffering from gout and other related illnesses.

In any case, if this theory proves to be true, people with cancer have something good to look forward to. Asparagus is cheap and can be easily grown. and it wouldn’t really be like taking medication, since as a vegetable, it can be cooked in a lot of ways.

Here is a tasty recipe that even kids would enjoy:

Asparagus and Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

16 oz packet Pasta(e.g. Penne)
8 x Asparagus Sprigs
4 x Chicken breasts, skinned
2 teaspoons of Olive oil
½ teaspoon of Basil Salt and pepper
½ cup of Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons of White wine

Procedure:

1. Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling water for about 8 minutes.
2. Trim the Asparagus, cut in to 2 inch pieces and set aside.
3. Cut the chicken in to strips, and fry in the oil over medium heat. Cook for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the wine, cheese and seasoning to the chicken.
5. For the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the Asparagus pieces to the pasta.
6. Drain the pasta and asparagus. Toss with the chicken and serve.

Personally, I like asparagus soup better. It is a perfect companion on rainy nights.

Here is the article from Cancer News Journal, December 1979 - “Asparagus for Cancer”:

I will share it here, just as it was shared with me: ‘I am a biochemist, and have specialized in the relation of diet to health for over 50 years. Several years ago, I learned of the discovery of Richard R. Vensal, D.D.S. that asparagus might cure cancer. Since then, I have worked with him on his project. We have accumulated a number of favourable case histories.

Here are a few examples:

Case No. 1,
A man with an almost hopeless case of Hodgkin’s disease (cancer of the lymph glands) who was completely incapacitated. Within 1 year of starting the asparagus therapy, his doctors were unable to detect any signs of cancer, and he was back on a schedule of strenuous exercise.

Case No. 2,
A successful businessman 68 years old who suffered from cancer of the bladder for 16 years. After years of medical treatments, including radiation without improvement, he went on asparagus. Within 3 months, examinations revealed that his bladder tumor had disappeared and that his kidneys were normal.

Case No. 3
A man who had lung cancer. On March 5th 1971, he was put on the operating table where they found lung cancer so widely spread that it was inoperable. The surgeon sewed him up and declared his case hopeless. On April 5th he heard about the asparagus therapy and immediately started taking it. By August, x-ray pictures revealed that all signs of the cancer had disappeared. He is back at his regular business routine.

Case No. 4,
A woman who was troubled for a number of years with skin cancer. She finally developed different skin cancers which were diagnosed by asking specialist as advanced. Within 3 months after starting on asparagus, her skin specialist said that her skin looked fine and no more skin lesions.
This woman reported that the asparagus therapy also cured her kidney disease, which started in 1949. She had over 10 operations for kidney stones, and was receiving government disability payments for an inoperable, terminal, kidney condition. She attributes the cure of this kidney trouble entirely to the asparagus.

I was not surprised at this result, as `The elements of Materia Medica’, edited in 1854 by a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania , stated that asparagus was used as a popular remedy for kidney stones. He even referred to experiments, in 1739, on the power of asparagus in dissolving stones. We would have other case histories but the medical establishment has interferred with our obtaining some of the records.
I am therefore appealing to readers to spread this good news and help us to gather a large number of case histories that will overwhelm the medical skeptics about this unbelievably simple and natural remedy.

For the treatment, asparagus should be cooked before using, and therefore canned asparagus is just as good as fresh. I have corresponded with the two leading canners of asparagus, Giant Giant and Stokely and I am satisfied that these brands contain no pesticides or preservatives.

PROCEDURE:
1) Place the cooked asparagus in a blender and liquefy to make a puree, and store in the refrigerator.
2) Give the patient 4 full tablespoons twice daily, morning and evening. Patients usually show some improvement in from 2-4 weeks. It can be diluted with water and used as a cold or hot drink. This suggested dosage is based on present experience, but certainly larger amounts can do no harm and may be needed in some cases.

It was a convincing old saying that ‘what cures can prevent’.

Based on this theory, I and my wife have been using asparagus puree as a beverage with our meals.

My wife and I, take 2 tablespoons diluted in water to suit our taste with breakfast and with dinner. I take mine hot and my wife prefers hers cold. For years we have made it a practice to have blood surveys taken as part of our regular checkups. The last blood survey, taken by a medical doctor who specializes in the nutritional approach to health, showed substantial
improvements in all categories over the last one, and we can attribute these improvements to nothing but the asparagus drink…

As a biochemist, I have made an extensive study of all aspects of cancer and all of the proposed cures. As a result, I am convinced that asparagus fits in better with the latest theories about cancer. Asparagus contains a good supply of protein called histones, which are believed to be active in controlling cell growth.

For that reason, I believed that asparagus can be said, to contain a substance that I call cell growth normalizer. That accounts for its action on cancer and inacting as a general body tonic. In any event, regardless of theory, asparagus used as he suggested, is a harmless substance.

The FDA cannot prevent you from using it and it may do you much good.. It has been reported by the US National Cancer Institute, that asparagus is the highest tested food containing glutathione, which is considered one of the body’s most potent anticarcinogens and antioxidants.

Please spread the news…
…the most unselfish act one can ever do is paying forward all the kindness one has received even to the most undeserved person.

(Bukisa ID #95750)

Content Source: Asparagus - Natural Cure For Cancer - Bukisa.com

Can What We Eat Really Prevent Cancer?

According the the CDC, cancer is the second highest cause of death in the US, heart disease being the first leading cause of death. If we can prevent cancer by eating certain foods, why aren't we doing it? Or maybe a better question might be, why are so many people dying if it can be prevented? I think the answer lies in our preferences. Most of us don't think about our health until something major has happened to us. An example of that might be, one doesn't quit smoking, and lose weight until they have had a heart attack.

There is more education available now that can help us ward off cancer, but we have to be consistent. Our diets should mainly consist of green leafy vegetables, Besides the green leafy vegetables, we should also eat cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

Why should we eat green vegetables? Green veggies contain chlorophyll which is a chemical that acts on the body's cells as a detoxifier. It's important to eat a lot of the green vegetables raw so that the nutrients are not cooked out of them. When I cook green vegetables I do not overcook them. I will stir fry cabbage and leave it a little chewy. I also make coleslaw quite a bit.

What do you eat as a snack food? Do you eat junk food or do you eat good wholesome fruits, such as blueberries, raspberries, and grapes? If you are healthy now, and you want to remain healthy you will want to think about what you put into your body. We need to think of our bodies as machines that need proper fuel to keep running efficiently. If we make a habit of snacking on potato chips and other junk foods we are tearing apart our bodies, rather than building them up. Berries, grapes and even cherries are essential in the fight against developing cancer. These types of fruits contain antioxidants that act to boost the immune system and act as an anti-inflammatory. I mentioned in one of my other articles that one of my content producer friends eats cherries to relieve ankle pain. The cherries act similarly to an anti-inflammatory drug to relieve pain.

Besides relieving pain, berries, cherries, and other fruits such as cantaloupe and green vegetables helps to prevent weight gain, which in turn helps to prevent cancer. The National Cancer Institute and the American Heart Association suggest that we eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every single day. Studies show that being overweight or obese raises your risk of dying of cancer; therefore, people who continually eat high fat and high sugar foods run a greater risk of dying from cancer, than those who eat a healthier diet.

It's true that fruits and vegetables help to prevent cancer, but eating right isn't the only factor involved. Your lifestyle plays a significant role in preventing cancer. Eating the right foods alone may have a minor role in preventing cancer, but when you combine eating the right foods and changing from a sedentary lifestyle to a more active lifestyle will work together to decrease your risk of dying from cancer.

We are often at least partly to blame when we come down with a catastrophic disease such as cancer. Many of us still live a risky lifestyle. We need to look at how we live, as well as what we eat, which means if we smoke, we need to stop. Smoking cigarettes is poison. We might try to fool ourselves that if smoking is our only vice that we are doing better than many people in society. We have to change the way we think.

Would you put sugar in your gas tank and expect it to take you to work every day? Would you put sand where the oil is supposed to go? Of course not. We know without being told that it would 'kill' the vehicle to put sand or sugar in the oil or fuel tank; however, we don't seem to think the same way about our own bodies, which are indeed biochemical machines. We kill ourselves slowly every day when we don't live a lifestyle and make choices that is conducive to good health.

Making the right food choices is beneficial to preventing cancer, but that is only half of the equation. We have to live a proactive lifestyle, which means getting off our seats and on our feet. I'm as guilty as the next person. I sit here in front of my computer every day working to submit articles for a living. I had to make changes to live a healthier lifestyle. I have a starting time and quitting time for work, so that I can do other things. One of the things I do every day is get outside in the sun and walk for 20 to 30 minutes each day. I know from my own experience that I am healthier and feel younger now than I did 10 years ago.

Source:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Do_Fruits_and_Veggies_Protect_Against_Cancer.asp

(Bukisa ID #37157)

Content Source: Can What We Eat Really Prevent Cancer? - Bukisa.com

Top Cancer-Fighting Moves

Five top cancer fighting moves and three more you may not have heard of.

Five Cancer Fighting Moves

1.Stay a healthy weight
New research reveals that carrying excess body fat increases your risk for colon, kidney, pancreatic, esophageal, endometrial and post menopausal breast cancer. While the healthy BMI is considered between 18.5 and 24.9, the lowest cancer risk has been found along people with a BMI of 23 or less. Calculate your BMI at nhibisupport.com/bmi

2.Add 10 minutes of walking each day
That's all you need to start slashing your breast cancer risk, reports a University of California study. Step it up and you'll fare even better: studies show that 45 to 60 minutes of moderate activity (a brisk walk, a rigorous bike ride) at least 5 days a week offers strong protection against breast and colon cancer.

3.Get your five-a-day of fruits and veggies-and eat a colorful variety
"We know that this amount, as part of an overall healthy diet, has been linked to a lower risk of many cancers," says Colleen Doyle, RD, director of nutrition and physical activity for the ACS.

4.Don't smoke and avoid secondhand smoke
About 87 percent of lung cancer deaths are due to smoking. About a decade after you quit, your risk is cut at least in half, and the likelihood of other cancers, such a mouth, bladder and kidney cancer, is greatly reduced.

5.Limit the vino
Alcohol ups your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, liver and breast. Regularly consuming even a few drinks a week is linked to an increase risk of breast cancer in women. If you do imbibe, limit it to no more than one drink (12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of hard alcohol) per day.

Three Moves You May Have Not Heard Of

1.Put sunscreen on before you get in the car
(Don't forget to slather it on in the A.M., either.) There's a higher incidence of left-sided skin cancers in drivers because the side and rear windows are made from glass that allows UVA rays to penetrate.

2.Test your home for radon
This natural product of decaying uranium found in soil and rocks is the number-two cause of lung cancer, resulting in about 21,000 lung cancer deaths a year.

3.Breastfeed
Some research has shown that having your first child after age 25 is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, but a recent University of Southern California study found that breastfeeding can help mitigate that risk.

(Bukisa ID #16155)

Content Source: Top Cancer-Fighting Moves - Bukisa.com

All About Cervical Cancer

All About Cervical Cancer

In this earth, every two minutes a woman dies because of cervical cancer. Even, in development countries, cervical cancer is in the top rank of death because of cancer. Because of this reason, it is very important to know the facts about this disease. Don't hesitate to do pap smear test if you are a sexually active woman. Below are things we had better know about cervical cancer:

1. What is Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is a kind of abnormal growth of cells in the cervix, that is the narrow part of a woman's womb where it joins the vagina. Start from cervix, in the late stage, this cancer could be spreaded to the other parts in whole body.

2. How danger is this disease?
According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, from 15.000 cervical cancer cases, about 8000 cases end by death. Why is this cancer so dangerous? Because this sickness is undetected until the late stage.

3. What is the cause of cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer is caused by HPV (Human Papilloma Virus). This virus
has 100 type, most of the type are not dangerous and can be disappear even when we do nothing. HPV that cause cervical cancer, the most dangerous and the most fatal are type 16 and 18. The abnormal cells in the cervix also can grow because of radiation of chemical pollution in a long term.

4. How does HPV infect?
HPV can infect woman through sexual relationship, especially if a woman has many sexual relationships with many different partners. The infection can happen by transmission through genital organ to genital organ, oral to genital, or manual to genital. The use of condom in intimate relationship cannot prevent the HPV because this virus does not only infect through liquid subtance, this virus can infect through skin touch.

5. What is the symptom of cervical cancer?
In the early stage, this disease is undetected. It is not easy to recognize the symptom of this disease. That's why for woman who is sexually active it is suggested to do cervical smear every two years. Advanced stage sufferer experiences the physical symptoms because of carvical cancer. The symptoms are:
a. Bleeding when doing intimate relationship (contact bleeding)
b. Excess transparent liquid from vagina, which is abnormal.
c. Bleeding between two menstruation cycles
d. Drastically weight reduction
e. If cancer has been spreaded to pelvis, the sufferer will feel painful in her back, has difficulty when urinate, and also abscess on the kidney.

6. How long is the incubation process?
* Preinvasif process : the growth of abnormal cells before become a ferocity/viciousness. This disease grows in a long term so the sufferer who detect this disease at the early stage can do many steps to overcome this disease. The advanced infection will cause abnormal cell growth and will direct to cancer growth. The growth will take 5 to 20 years, starting from infection, pre-cancer and finally become cervical cancer.

7. Is it true that a smoker has the higher risk of cervical cancer?
There are many researches that prove relationship between smoking habit with cervical cancer sufferer. One of the researchers was done in Karolinska Institute in Sweden and was published in British Journal of Cancer in year 2001. According to Joakam Dillner, M.D., the chief of the research, the nicotine and other "poison" which enter blood through the smoke will enhance "cervical neoplasia" or the growth of abnormal cells in the womb. Cervical neoplasia is the early condition of cervical cancer in the body.

8. Who does have great risk?
a. 35-50 years old women.
b. Woman who is having sexual relationship before 16 years old. Doing sexual relationship in the early age can enhance the risk of cervical cancer.
c. Woman who has multiple sexual partners.
d. Woman who experience many pregnancies.
e. Has a partner who has had sexual contact with a woman with cervical cancer
f. Someone who is infected by HIV
g. Woman whose the result of pap smear is abnormal
h. Malnutrition women
i. Woman with tight diet
j. Woman who is lacking vitamin A, C, and E, so cause low immunity of her body.

9. How to detect?
Do pap smear, which is the standard method of cervical cancer. There is also test with acetate acid, which is easier and cheaper. For more accurate result, there is new technique to detect cervical cancer that is technology of Hybrid Capture II System (HCII).

10. Can we prevent cervical cancer?
Yes, we know the cause of cervical cancer.
- Don't do sexual relationship with many different partners.
- Take cervical smear every two year.
- Take care your body healthiness.
- Take HPV vaccination, especially for woman who never do sexual relationship.

11. How does HPV vaccination work?
This vaccine works by enhancing the immunity of the body and catch the HPV virus before entering cervix. This vaccine is effective for 9 to 26 years old women who don't often do sexual relationship. By this vaccine, the risk of cervical cancer can be reduced by 75%.

12. Does the vaccine have side effect?
This vaccine has ben tested to thousand women around the world and have not shown dangerous side effect. The usual side effect are fever. This vaccine is prohibited for pregnant woman,

13. Can someone who is infected by cervical cancer be healed?
Usually the victim come to hospital in stage 3 of cancer. The problem, in this stage, the cancer has broken body organs like kidney. The surgery sometimes can do nothing to make the victim healthy as previous condition. Beside surgery, the victim still has to take further therapies like radiation and chemotherapy. This action cannot guarantee that the victim will be 100% healed.

(Bukisa ID #72363)

Content Source: All About Cervical Cancer - Bukisa.com

Breast Cancer - Things You Should Know

The Basics

First of all, let's try to understand what cancer is. Our body's cells have genes which regulate the growth of said cells. A normal, healthy cell grows at a reasonable rate and eventually it dies out and is replaced by a new one. A cancer cell has the ability to divide at a rapid pace and produces many cells which form a tumor. A benign tumor is simply one that is made up of cells that are virtually normal and is considered harmless for the most part. The ones that concern doctors are malignant tumors which are cancerous and can continue to multiply spreading throughout the body.

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that develops in the breast, usually in the lobules (milk producing glands) or ducts(tubes that carry milk to the nipple). I say usually because it can also develop in the connective tissues of the breast; which is the fatty part that surrounds the ducts and lobules.

Understanding the Lymphatic System is an important part to understanding how breast cancer can spread. Lymph nodes are an assembly of immune system cells which are connected by lymphatic vessels (small veins carrying lymph away from the breast. Lymph is a clear fluid that contains tissue fluid, waste products and immune system cells. If cancer cells enter the lymphatic vessels they can begin to grow in the lymph nodes. If this happens there is a good chance that they have also gotten into the bloodstream therefore spreading to other parts of the body. However, just because it has reached the lymph nodes, does not mean that you will develop metastases (spread of cancer from one part of the body to another).

Stats

- Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in North America, behind skin cancers
- Approximately 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer at some time in their life
- Caucasian women are more likely to develop breast cancer than women of African descent, but are less likely to die from it. Asian, Hispanic and Native women have the lowest risk for developing and dying from breast cancer.
- A women's risk doubles if a sister, mother or daughter has had breast cancer
- Approximately 5-10% of breast cancers are hereditary
- Breast cancer death rates have declined in every age group since the mid1990's
- 1.3 Million people will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer worldwide this year, 465,000 of them will die from it
- 1% of breast cancers diagnosed are in Men

Why?

Only 5 - 10% of cancers are hereditary (passed down from mother or father). The cancer itself is not inherited, but the gene that increases the risk factor for developing the cancer is inherited. The other 90 - 95% of cancers are sporadic.

So what does that mean? Well, our genes have many jobs and are in charge of telling our cells what to do and when to do it. If there is a mutation in those genes it causes the cells to do strange things. In the case of cancer, a mutated gene is telling cells to divide when they shouldn't be which causes tumors (as discussed in The Basics). For the most part, gene mutations usual happen later in life and are a result of natural aging or exposure to things like smoke, hormones, certain viruses or chemicals and dietary influences. The damage to our cells doesn't always lead to cancer because our cells are also equipped to repair damage and, as you may remember from grade 9 Science, we have 2 copies of each damage repairing gene (one from each parent). But if a mutation occurs in both copies of the gene, it can mean uncontrolled growth and can lead to cancer.

If a person is born with a mutation in one of the copies of a damage repairing gene pair, this means their risk for developing cancer is higher, known in the medical community as "genetic susceptibility". That is because they only have one good protective gene remaining and if it is damaged in the aging process or because of other environmental exposures, it can lead to the gene communicating to its cells to divide and multiply at a rapid rate. Hereditary cancer, therefore, usually develops earlier in life.

When a cancer develops in someone who has no family history or "genetic susceptibility" it is called "sporadic cancer". Since both copies of the protective gene which eventual mutate, start out in good condition, sporadic cancer usually develops later in life as it takes longer for both copies to become damaged.

The genes that are linked to breast cancer are called the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Genetic risk assessment and genetic counselling are available to help you discover your risk for breast and other forma of cancer. Genetic Risk assessment will tell you if you carry the BRCA1 or 2 gene mutation, but it won't tell you what your risk of developing breast cancer is. Find out more about BRCAPro. Genetic Counselling can help you to understand your risk for hereditary cancer by reviewing family history, discussing genetic testing and providing information and referrals to experts.

Symptoms & Detection

Symptoms or signs of breast cancer can range from lumps and swelling to changes in the skin. Non-cancerous cysts and infections often have the same symptoms. So how can you be sure?

Watch for the following symptoms:
*swelling of all or part of the breast
*skin irritation or dimpling
*breast pain
*nipple pain or the nipple turning inward
*redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple of breast skin
*nipple discharge other than breast milk
*a lump in the underarm area

Detection

Breast Self-Exam (BSE)

It is, in my humble opinion, the most important way to stay on top of your breast health - because it is something you can do on your own, and will get you familiar with your body. It is becoming quite a controversial subject. There was a study performed in Russia and China in 2008 of 400,000 women, which reported that BSE does not reduce the mortality rate and may cause more harm due to prompting unnecessary biopsies. It is my opinion that it's better to be safe than sorry. According to Breastcancer.org about 20% of breast cancers are found by physical exams rather than mammography.

Breast self-examination can be frustrating at first, because you don't know what to look for, and if you are like most women, there are many bumps and lumps in your breasts that are harmless. That is exactly why you should do this on a regular basis - every month. The best time to perform a BSE is a few days after your period when swelling has gone down. If you feel a lump don't panic, it is most likely not cancerous. But have it checked out by your doctor and then keep an eye on it to see if anything changes. You may want to keep a journal with notes on where and when you found something suspicious. If a change lasts longer than one cycle see your doctor to have it checked. Learn more about how to perform your BSE

Mammogram

It is one of the most hated words in the English language for women! But I'm here to tell you that they've been given a bad rap and they aren't as horrible as they have been made out to be. They save lives after all! Doctors have been using mammography for the past 40 years to find and diagnose breast cancer. Mammograms have been shown to lower the risk of dying from breast cancer by 35% in women over 50 years old. Cancer Foundations world wide are now recommending that women over 40 be screened annually in order to find tumours before they are able to develop into invasive breast cancers. Early detection often means that the cancer can be removed without having to resort to a mastectomy (breast removal).

Of course, nothing is guaranteed and mammography alone can miss up to 20% of breast cancers because they simply aren't visible. Breast Self-Examination and other techniques such as ultrasounds or MRI's can also help detect problems. Read more about Mammography.

Treatment

There are several types of breast cancer and your treatment can differ based on what your diagnoses is. Some of the most common types of breast cancer are explained below:

DCIS - Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

This form of cancer is considered non-invasive because it stays inside the milk duct. It can grow within the duct, but will not spread into the rest of the breast tissue or to the lymph nodes. If caught early enough, DCIS can be removed with a lumpectomy, which is the removal of just the area of the breast containing the cancer. However if the cancer is large, or appears in more places throughout the breast, a mastectomy may be necessary. In most cases a lumpectomy is followed by radiation, but a mastectomy is only followed by radiation if lab tests show cancer near the edge of the removed tissue.

IDC - Invasive Ductal Carcinoma

This is the most common type of breast cancer, making up about 80% of all cases. It begins in the milk ducts and spreads to surrounding breast tissue. If left untreated it can spread to the lymph nodes and other areas of the body. Invasive cancers are given a stage to describe how far it has spread from its original location. It is based on the size of the tumor, whether or not it spread to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body. It can range from stages 1 to 4, where 1 is the earliest stage and 4 is the most advanced stage.

Your doctor will order a variety of tests to help determine which stage the cancer is at and to help determine the best treatment regime. Typically the patient would undergo surgery to remove the tumor and determine whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. This surgery can range from a lumpectomy (removal of only the lump or tumor) to a radical mastectomy (removal of the breast[s] and all the muscle under the breast[s]) or somewhere in between. Radiation may be recommended after the surgery to destroy and remaining invasive IDC cells. This has also been shown to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Chemotherapy is used to treat many higher stage cancers where the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body. Chemo (for short) is a medication (or combination of medicines) which enter the bloodstream to travel throughout the body interfering with rapidly dividing cells. For the most part they are the cancer cells, however there are also many healthy cells in your body which divide rapidly, such as those in your blood, mouth, intestinal tract, nose, nails, vagina and hair. Therefore the chemotherapy will also affect them causing symptoms ranging from hair loss to osteoporosis.

Your doctor may also recommend hormonal or other targeted therapies. As with any major medical diagnoses, there is follow up care that will be important to your continued health. Regular exams and tests will be required by your doctor.

LCIS - Lobular Carcinoma In Situ

Like DCIS, LCIS is not considered an invasive cancer as it does not spread into other areas within, or outside the breast. It is considered a marker for breast cancer, meaning that the person is at a higher risk for developing an invasive breast cancer in the future and should be monitored with regular mammography and ultra sounds. It is usually found in pre-menopausal women aged 40-50. It is difficult to estimate the risk of a patient with LCIS developing an invasive cancer because LCIS can go undetected, however it has been estimated that your risk increases from 12.5% for the average women, to 30-40% if diagnosed with LCIS.

LCIS is usually diagnosed when a biopsy is performed because of an abnormality in a mammogram. It does not require typical cancer treatment but should be carefully monitored to watch for early signs of invasive cancer. Talk to your doctor about medications and treatments which may help to reduce your breast cancer risk.

ILC - Invasive Lobular Carcinoma

This is the second most common type of breast cancer, making up about 10% of all cases. It begins in the lobules and spreads to surrounding breast tissue. . If left untreated it can spread to the lymph nodes and other areas of the body. ILC tends to be found in more than one area within the breast and is likely to affect both breasts. It is slow to spread outside the breast and tends to show up in the stomach, intestines and ovaries and has been known to eventually spread to the brain spinal cord tissues.

Treatments and care for ILC are similar to that of IDC and will vary depending on the stage of the cancer cells.

Some other, less common forms of breast cancer are Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Male Breast Cancer and Recurrent and Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Coping

Once you have been diagnosed with a form of breast cancer, you have so many questions that you don't even know where to start. Most of them are likely about your health and what your options are. But there are many other factors in your life that are affected by breast cancer besides your health. Such as how will I pay for my care? What if I can't work? How will my family cope? How will my life change?

You will need more than just medical support, you need mental and spiritual support. Who do you talk to about your cancer concerns? The same people you talk to about your everyday concerns. You should have a support group that can help you through the difficult times. If you don't feel that you have anyone close to you that you can talk to, there are still options. Talk to a social worker or psychologist. It is important to get your thoughts and fears out in the open, and as long as you have a sympathetic ear, it will help you let go of some of those fears.

There are many support groups of other people with breast cancer and cancer survivors who can lend an ear, and can also benefit from talking with you. Ask you doctor about support groups in your area, or go the discussion boards on Breastcancer.org.

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Content Source: Breast Cancer - Things You Should Know - Bukisa.com