luni, 8 aprilie 2013

What You Really Need to Know About Breast Cancer

--> What You Really Need to Know About Breast Cancer Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the United States (other than skin cancer). Each year, in the United States alone, approximately 220,000 women are told they have breast cancer. Upon hearing this unexpected and overwhelming news, a woman is faced with having to make treatment choices within a very short period of time. While curable if detected early, breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women ages 35 to 54.

Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases. Cancer occurs when, for unknown reasons, cells become abnormal and multiply without control or order. All parts of the body are made up of cells that normally divide to produce more cells only when the body needs them. When cancer occurs, cells keep dividing even when new cells are not needed.

There are several types of breast cancer. The most common is ductal carcinoma, which begins in the lining of the milk ducts within the breast. Another type, lobular carcinoma, begins in the lobules where breast milk is produced. If a cancerous tumor invades nearby tissue, it is called invasive cancer.

Cancer cells may spread beyond the breast to other lymph nodes, or the bones, liver or lungs. When breast cancer spreads, it is called metastatic breast cancer even though it is found in another part of the body. For example, breast cancer that has spread to the liver is called metastatic breast cancer, not liver cancer.

Doctors can not always explain why one person gets cancer and another does not. Medical researchers are, however, learning about what happens inside cells that may cause cancer. They have identified changes in certain genes within breast cells that can be linked to a higher risk for breast cancer. Genetic changes may be inherited from a parent or may accumulate throughout a person's lifetime. Breast cancer usually begins with a single cell that transforms from normal to malignant over a period of time. Presently, however, no one can predict exactly when cancer will occur or how it will progress.

Every woman has some chance of developing breast cancer during her lifetime. As women get older, those chances increase. Overall, a woman's chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer is 1 out of 8. Even though breast cancer is more common in older women, it also occurs in younger women and even in a small number of men (1,300 cases per year in the U.S.).

While there is yet no preventive to stop breast cancer, early detection is vital to surviving the disease. There are three things women can, and should do. Get an annual mammogram (special X-ray screening) after the age of 50; regular (yearly) breast examination by a doctor; and breast self-examination (BSE) at least once a month.

If breast cancer is detected, it is important to remember there is no single treatment that is "right" for all women. As with most medical conditions, there is no "one-size-fits-all" treatment or cure. And all breast cancers are not alike. Breast cancer is a complex disease. Once breast cancer has been found, more tests will be done to find the specific pattern of your particular cancer. This is an important step called staging.

Knowing the exact stage of your disease will help your doctor plan your course of treatment. Your doctor will want to know: the size of the tumor; if the cancer has spread within your breast; if cancer is present in your underarm lymph nodes; if cancer is present in other parts of your body.

There are many options available and you can always ask more than one doctor about your diagnosis and treatment plan. Your best start is to gain as much knowledge about the disease and the treatments as possible. Find answers to your questions and gain assistance in your fight against a terrifying enemy. Remember, there are no "dumb" questions when you are faced with cancer.

Most women who are treated for early breast cancer go on to live healthy, active, productive lives. The best chance of survival is early detection, so plan for mammograms, have yearly visits with your doctor, and use self-examination frequently. Best wishes for years of good health!

Weight Loss And Breast Cancer

--> Weight Loss And Breast Cancer We hear it all the time...lose weight for your health. Few people however, realize the extent to which a healthy body weight is critical to their physical and mental well-being and ultimately, their life expectancy. Just how does obesity lead to disease and death?

At the risk of oversimplifying a complex set of interactions, the typical Western diet - high in saturated fats, sugar and refined flours - which may lead to obesity; may also act to stimulate the growth of cancer cells.

The interaction of diet and the development of cancer is an active field of research and Dr David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. and author of "What Color is Your Diet", says "It appears that diet has its most significant effects after the cancer has already formed, acting to inhibit or stimulate the growth of that cancer".

Women who are obese after menopause have a 50% higher relative risk of breast cancer. This is just one of the notable documented links between obesity and cancer.

It is never too late to improve your health through healthful eating and adopting a more health-giving lifestyle. Here are simple steps to follow which can make an immediate improvement to your health and vitality.

1. Check your Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine if weight has become health risk. A sijmple search on the net will bring up a number of sites offering a body mass index.

2. Match your diet to your body's requirements. If you eat and drink more calories than your body requires you will put on weight. Learn to control calories and portion sizes, make recipes leaner, and eat infrequently from fast food restaurants. Also learn how to snack with healthful choices.

3. Color your diet with a large variety of colorful, cancer-fighting fruit and vegetables. There are seven different color ranges of both fruit and vegetables and by choosing between 5 to 9 daily serves from a wide range of fruit and vegetables, we are extending our consumption of cancer (and other disease) fighting nutrients.

4. Eat lean protein with every meal. Protein provides a powerful signal to the brain providing a longer sense of fullness. The right source of protein is essential to controlling your hunger with fewer calories and necessary to maintain your lean muscle mass. Choices of protein should be flavored soy shakes with fruit; the white meat of chicken and turkey, seafood such as shrimps, prawns scallops and lobster and ocean fish or vegetarians may prefer soy based meat substitutes.

5. Rev up your metabolism with activity. If you want to enjoy a lifetime of well-being, exercise is a key ingredient. Adults should do something for 30 minutes each day that takes as much effort as a brisk walk. It is also helpful to build physical activity into your daily routine: use the stairs instead of the escalator or lift at work, park your car in the parking bay furthest from the super marketing and don't use the remote control to change TV channels.

6. Get support to ensure you develop a healthful eating plan and reach your goal weight. Whilst a small percentage of people possess the discipline to lose weight, you may respond better to some form of consistent encouragement and coaching from a professional weight loss coach.

Being overweight or obese has been identified next to smoking, as the most preventable major risk to developing cancer. Even small weight losses have been shown to have beneficial health effects. So it's never to late to start and you can never be too young or too old to be concerned about your health and do something about achieving a more healthy weight.

(c) Kim Beardsmore

Walk to beat breast cancer

--> Walk to beat breast cancer WOMEN with breast cancer who walk at least an hour a week have a better chance of beating the disease than those who don't exercise at all, researchers said. "It is well established that exercise plays an important role in preventing many diseases, including breast cancer," said lead researcher Michelle Holmes of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

"However, we found that women who are physically active after breast cancer diagnosis may lower their risk of death from breast cancer and cancer recurrence." Even walking an hour a week lifted survival rates but exercising more than five hours a week did not confer any added survival benefit. The study noted discouraging estimates that women with breast cancer tend to decrease their levels of physical activity by two hours a week and those whoa re obese reduce activity even more.

Understanding Breast Cancer Staging.

--> Understanding Breast Cancer Staging. N.B This topic will make you understand why it is important to do monthly breast exam. The earlier the cancer is detected, the better the prognosis.

Breast cancer staging
To stage cancer, the American Joint Committee on Cancer, first places the cancer in a letter category using the tumor, nodes, metastasis (TNM) classification system. The stage of a breast cancer describes its size and the extent to which it has spread. The staging system ranges from stage 0 to stage IV according to tumor size, lymph nodes involved, and distant metastasis.

T indicates tumor size. The letter T is followed by a number from 0 to 4, which describes the size of the tumor and whether it has spread to the skin or chest wall under the breast. Higher T numbers indicate a larger tumor and/or more extensive spread to tissues surrounding the breast.

TX: The tumor cannot be assessed.
T0: No evidence of a tumor is present.
Tis: The cancer may be LCIS, DCIS, or Paget disease.
T1: The tumor is 2 cm or smaller in diameter.
T2: The tumor is 2-5 cm in diameter.
T3: The tumor is more than 5 cm in diameter.
T4: The tumor is any size, and it has attached itself to the chest wall and spread to the pectoral (chest) lymph nodes.

N indicates palpable nodes. The letter N is followed by a number from 0 to 3, which indicates whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the breast and, if so, whether the affected nodes are fixed to other structures under the arm.

NX: Lymph nodes cannot be assessed (eg, lymph nodes were previously removed).
N0: Cancer has not spread to lymph nodes.
N1: Cancer has spread to the movable ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes (underarm lymph nodes on the same side as the breast cancer).
N2: Cancer has spread to ipsilateral lymph nodes (on the same side of the body as the breast cancer), fixed to one another or to other structures under the arm.
N3: Cancer has spread to the ipsilateral mammary lymph nodes or the ipsilateral supraclavicular lymph nodes (on the same side of the body as the breast cancer).

M indicates metastasis. The letter M is followed by a 0 or 1, which indicates whether the cancer has metastasized (spread) to distant organs (eg, lungs or bones) or to lymph nodes that are not next to the breast, such as those above the collarbone.

MX: Metastasis cannot be assessed.
M0: No distant metastasis to other organs is present.
M1: Distant metastasis to other organs has occurred.

The Insidiousness of Breast Cancer and its Current Treatment

--> The Insidiousness of Breast Cancer and its Current Treatment
In our modern world, the benefits that today's manufacturing and agricultural activities have brought us is more than painfully offset by the damage to our personal health and wellness. During the course of our daily lives, we are continually exposed to common household products such as detergents, insulation, fabric treatments, flame retardants, cosmetics, paints, upholstery preservatives, and coatings for electronic equipment. When these chemicals accumulate within our bodies, they distribute into body fluids as well. While it is painfully clear that we may find such toxic chemicals as fire retardants in the breast milk of Americans who unsuspectingly ingest these and unhealthy levels of many other of toxins form the air they breath, the water they drink, and the food they eat, then it is obvious that our drive for cultural, technological, and scientific advancement has taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way. The chemicals we have produced and utilized in the modern era have had many negative effects upon various human body organ systems and have caused many health problems that will have serious implications far into the future. Data from recent explorations into these issues suggest that all of us are at risk of developing serious diseases from long-term exposure to these chemicals that we had hoped would improve our lives. Our synthetic chemicalization of planet Earth, in the past 60 years, is showing up as a body burden that is a physical tragedy and a fiscal catastrophe. Nowhere are these terrifying results more evident than in today's battles with breast cancer.

The link between toxins in our environment and diseases like breast cancer showing up in our populations is one about which there is little debate as to the cause and effect relationship. While media, political, and health watch organizations warn of the danger associated with large doses of synthetic chemicals within the living environments of human populations, it is apparent that even very low doses of certain chemicals can harm a developing fetus or newborn infant. Small amounts of lead, mercury or PCBs in amounts that would not harm adults readily damage the developing nervous system, causing defects that appear later on. While the general health of an individual is a factor in who is more susceptible to developing diseases from the exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment, the fact that breast cancer is claiming its victims from women both young and old, makes this situation all the more deplorable. We need to take a fresh look at not only the disease itself, but also at what may be alternatives to the current treatment of this abomination.

Since it is obvious that government, with its bureaucratic pace of environmental protection reform and industry with its millions of dollars spent lobbying against regulations that would impact the manufacture of their toxic products despite the obvious health concerns, will not solve this problem in the immediate future; we then, must take responsibility for our own health and wellness with education and pro-active prevention and treatment strategies. Since the current treatment methods, which have produced little to indicate real progress over the past thirty years, are the very essence of barbarism, we must seek out alternative ways of prevention and treatment, and help to bring them into the accepted mainstream of health care practices. We must also work to help ban dangerous chemicals and take immediate steps to protect ourselves from unnecessary exposure to those chemicals that we know to be harmful and contributory to the development of chronic and degenerative diseases.

The current medical practices to treat breast cancer seem more like torturous mayhem that therapeutic intervention. And is it any wonder when doctors and medical students alike get most of their primary, secondary, and continuing education funded, to a large degree by the megalithic pharmaceutical industry, the very authors and purveyors of drastic and toxic medical intervention procedures. This situation is all the more dreadful when it is pointed out that these increasingly toxic and experimental measures lead to future complications and the susceptibility to the premature development of other chronic diseases. This preoccupation with burning with radiation, poisoning with toxins, and slicing and dicing cancer is an appalling state of affairs that must end now. If you believe that current medical interventions do anything but dehumanize cancer victims, then perhaps you will want to go to your local video rental store and check out a movie by the name of "WIT". That our bodies are nothing more than test tubes to those involved in the current cancer treatment methodologies is dramatically illustrated by this fine film. And just when current medical practitioners will leave this seemingly medieval torture seen behind is not immediately apparent.

Imagine if you will that a woman is called into her doctor's office to review the results of her previous examination. The doctor looks at the images on the films that were taken and declares that he sees the shadow of something that could be deadly cancer and as a result has scheduled surgery within 24 hours. Before she even has a chance for the shock and terror to take hold, she is reeling with the realization that she will be going under the knife in less than a day and will never be the same again. Don't kid yourself. This has been and is happening. This is a strategy designed to prevent you from stepping outside of the box of current medical interventions for the treatment of cancer, taking a deep breath, and processing this information in the new light of other possible courses of action. You may, after all, discover that you have other viable alternatives to choose from in this instance. The probable fact of the matter is that a health care provider, who rushes to execute such measures, would not be quite so eager to cut off the breast of his wife or of his daughter without considering less drastic options first. And, not to put too fine a point on the matter, but bringing it closer to home, I also do not believe that your doctor would be as eager to part with one of his testicles should a comparable diagnosis for him be pronounced. It is imperative that we, as consumers, prevail upon our service providers to consider alternatives should we find ourselves in a similar circumstance. In fact, it may speed things along if, when confronted with a situation like this, we would graphically drive the point home by saying something like: "OK doctor, if you want to take away from me one of these (gesturing to the appropriate area of your body), then I think you should have to part with one of those, (pointing with your finger at his "family jewels" location). I will wager that a lively discussion of alternatives for this problem would ensue with little hesitation.

There are alternative remedies out there. Find them. It is known, for example, that certain foods, including many vegetables and fruits, may offer some positive effects in the fight against cancer. Dietary suggestions such as choosing most of the foods you eat from plant sources, limiting your intake of foods high in fat, particularly from animal sources, becoming physically active, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight and limiting the consumption of alcoholic beverages, will add to your efforts to achieve a desired state of wellness and avoid diseases. One approach which has not had wide spread acceptance to date but has become quite intriguing, is the dietary use of certain carbohydrate containing plant materials to either prevent or treat certain cancers. There are numerous references which underscore the importance of a diet obtained primarily from plant sources as a major step in preventing cancer, or at least benefiting cancer patients. There are literally hundreds of reports supporting this concept.

Today the prevention of cancer with proper nutrition is widely accepted. It is believed, that in time, the efficacy of these materials in the fight against cancer will be firmly established, and that alternative choices for treatment will be included in the accepted resources for the treatment of cancer. This will help to negate the current propensity to pressure cancer patients into surgery or toxic therapies causing them to agree for fear that they have few, if any other viable options. Cancer cells and the means to deal with them effectively are located within our bodily systems. Those systems need but to be catalytically activated by the proper raw materials. If we are functioning properly at the cellular level, then the growth of cancer can be controlled and held in check from within by natural mechanisms that were in place long before modern medicine dreamed up its current toxic and drastic strategies. So, educate yourself about prevention and alternative options, move your body, eat well, supplement wisely, and TAKE BACK YOUR LIFE!

Support Breast Cancer Foundation

--> Support Breast Cancer Foundation The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Northeast Ohio Affiliate
Fund Raising Event - February 24

Cleveland OH: For more than 10 years, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Northeast Ohio Affiliate has made great progress in the fight to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease. The generosity of our donors is vital as we continue our efforts to help breast cancer patients today and invest in the health of future generations.

A special one-day event on Thursday, February the 24th has been scheduled for the greater Cleveland Ohio area.

The Cleveland area Oreck Locations, "Home of the Total Cleaning System" are hosting an event to support the efforts of The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Northeast Ohio Affiliate.

Stop in at any of the Cleveland area Oreck stores and tell the manager that you are there to support The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Northeast Ohio Affiliate.

The manager will provide you with a free demonstration of the Oreck Cleaning System. You are not obligated to make a purchase; in fact, Oreck will give you a FREE Oreck Car Vacuum (retail value of $39.95) just for listening. Should you choose to make a purchase, you will receive a Substantial Discount!

The totals from this event are then tallied. Oreck will present The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Northeast Ohio Affiliate a donation of 15% of this total!

Get ready for spring-cleaning, save on your purchase and at the same time, support a very worthy cause! Oreck is a Certified Senior Approved Service, see
http://www.seniorsapprove.com/Oreck-Vacuums.html

This one-day event runs from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm on Thursday, February the 24th. Each of the Cleveland area stores is participating. The Oreck Locations are:

5891 Mayfield Rd. Mayfield Heights, OH 44124 (440) 646-9080
18050 Royalton Rd. Strongsville, OH 44136 (440) 268-9320
4570 Great Northern Blvd. North Olmsted, OH 44070 (440) 801-1067
7870 Plaza Blvd. Mentor, OH 44060 (440) 205-3500

For additional information or to learn how your group may qualify for a similar fund-raising event, please contact Barbara Mascio at 440-268-9320.

###

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Northeast Ohio Affiliate
10819 Magnolia Drive, Cleveland Ohio 44106
216-791-2873
www.neohiorace.org

Six Steps to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer

--> Six Steps to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer

We hear it all the time...lose weight for your health. Few people however, realize the extent to which this is critical to their physical well-being and ultimately their life expectancy.

In January 2003, the Journal of the American Medical Association featured a study finding that obesity appears to lessen life expectancy, especially among young adults. The researchers compared Body-Mass Index (BMI) to longevity and found a correlation between premature death and higher BMIs. For example, a 20-year-old white male, 5'10" weighing 288 pounds with a BMI of greater than 40 was estimated to lose 13 years of his life as a result of obesity.Jamie McManus, M.D., F.A.A.F.P. and author of "Your Personal Guide to Wellness" notes that while this study referenced extreme levels of obesity, there are still millions of overweight people in developed countries with a life expectancy rate that is three to five years less than their healthy-weight counterparts. She also estimates that there are 600,000 obesity related deaths each year in America.

Just how does obesity shorten our lifespan? The answer to this question is complex, yet there is a clear link between obesity and the development of cancer. An extensive study conducted by the American Cancer Institute involving 750,000 people showed that obesity significantly increased the risk of cancer developing in the following organs: breast, colon, ovaries, uterus, pancreas, kidneys and gallbladder.

Michael Thun, MD, vice-president of epidemiology and surveillance research for the American Cancer Society (ACS) says one reason obesity may raise cancer risk is because fat cells produce a form of estrogen called estradiol that promotes rapid division of cells, increasing chances of a random genetic error while cells are replicating, which can lead to cancer. In addition, fat centered around the abdomen may increase insulin and insulin-like growth factors in the blood, which may increase cancer risk.

"Women who are obese after menopause have a 50% higher relative risk of breast cancer," notes Thun, "and obese men have a 40% higher relative risk of colon cancer.... Gallbladder and endometrial cancer risks are five times higher for obese individuals".There is evidence that cancer rates in developed countries are increasing at 5 to 15 times faster than developing countries. A major contributor to this alarming reality has proven to be diet. In populations where the diet consists mostly of fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains - in contrast to the typical Western diet of fatty meats, refined flours, oils and sugars - the risk of cancer is much lower.

The interaction of diet and the development of cancer is an active field of research and Dr David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. and author of "What Color is Your Diet", says "It appears that diet has its most significant effects after the cancer has already formed, acting to inhibit or stimulate the growth of that cancer". At the risk of oversimplifying a complex set of interactions, the typical Western diet that leads to obesity may actually act to stimulate the growth of cancer cells.It is never too late to improve your health through healthful eating and adopting a more health-giving lifestyle. Here are simple steps to follow which can make an immediate improvement to your health and vitality.


  1. Check your Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine if weight has become health risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of Americans are overweight, defined as having a BMI (a ratio of height to weight) over 25. Of those, nearly half (27%) qualify as obese, with a body mass index of 30 or more. In 1980, just 15% of Americans were considered obese. You can check your BMI at the website below.

  2. Match your diet to your body's requirements. If you eat and drink more calories than your body requires you will put on weight. Learn to control calories and portion sizes, make recipes leaner, and eat infrequently from fast food restaurants. Also learn how to snack with healthful choices.

  3. Color your diet with a large variety of colorful, cancer-fighting fruit and vegetables. There are seven different color ranges of both fruit and vegetables and by choosing between 5 to 9 daily serves from a wide range of fruit and vegetables, we are extending our consumption of cancer (and other disease) fighting nutrients.

  4. Eat lean protein with every meal. Protein provides a powerful signal to the brain providing a longer sense of fullness. The right source of protein is essential to controlling your hunger with fewer calories and necessary to maintain your lean muscle mass. Choices of protein should be flavored soy shakes with fruit; the white meat of chicken and turkey, seafood such as shrimps, prawns scallops and lobster and ocean fish or vegetarians may prefer soy based meat substitutes.

  5. Rev up your metabolism with activity. If you want to enjoy a lifetime of well-being, exercise is a key ingredient. Colleen Doyle, MS, RD, director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society (ACS), says adults should do something for 30 minutes each day that takes as much effort as a brisk walk. Children should be active for an hour each day. We are more likely to develop habits around things we enjoy, so seek activities which you enjoy doing. It is also helpful to build physical activity into your daily routine: use the stairs instead of the escalator or lift at work, park your car in the parking bay furthest from the super marketing and don't use the remote control to change TV channels.

  6. Get support to ensure you develop a healthful eating plan and reach your goal weight. Whilst a small percentage of people possess the discipline to lose weight, many obese people have developed strong thoughts and habits concerning the food they eat. In order to establish new habits, most people respond well to some form of consistent encouragement and coaching. A study, "Effects of Internet Behavioral Counseling on Weight Loss in Adults at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes" shows that participants who had the support of weight loss coaching lost more weight than those who didn't. The study concluded that the support of a weight loss coach can significantly improve weight loss results.

    Being overweight or obese has been identified next to smoking, as the most preventable major risk to developing cancer. Even small weight losses have been shown to have beneficial health effects. So it's never to late to start and you can never be too young or too old to be concerned about your health and do something about achieving a more healthy weight.

    (c) Copyright by Kim Beardsmore

    Kim Beardsmore is successful a weight loss coach who will cut through the diet-hype and ensure you find consistent results: week in, week out.You will learn how to stabilize at your goal weight and never 'diet' again. No public 'weigh-ins', meetings that cost you money or fads...simply long term results. You can receive a free, no obligation consultation. Visit: http://leanmachine.org/?refid=bc-27546.