Cancer treatment

Whenever breast cancer first develops, there could be no symptoms, and sometimes the only detectable signs come when the cancer has grown to an uncontrollable size.

Difficulty

A method to determine if a person has breast cancer is to check for lumps. It can be difficult to verify if a lump is due to breast cancer, because a woman breast tends to feel lumpy and tender before she undergoes her monthly menstrual cycle. Experiencing pain in the breast does not necessarily mean that a person has breast cancer as well. Benign cancer cells may cause pain, but they are not life threatening. The best way to determine if there is a condition is to consult a doctor.

Warnings

Signs to look for personal protection from breast cancer are: if there is a sudden change in sensation in the nipple; check for the tenderness of the nipple; if there is a sudden change in the appearance of the breast or the nipple; if the nipple turned inward into the breast; if you notice a lump on the breast or in the underarm area; if the skin on the breast, areola or nipple becomes red, scaly and swollen, and may appear to look like an orange peel; or if there are fluid discharges or bleeding in the nipple.

Lumps

This is usually the first sign if a person has breast cancer. Whether it is a male or a female patient, he may experience a lump in the breast if he acquires the disease.

Having a lump is not a guarantee that a person does have cancer. 9 out of 10 patients who find lumps in their breast found out that these were benign cells, meaning they are non-lethal cancer cells. Even if the person has inverted nipples, blood stains or fluid discharge from the nipple or rashes, this can all mean other things. The best way to verify the existence of the condition is to seek professional medical opinion.

Do you fear breast cancer? Many women do because it is such a killer! Surprisingly, men are not immune to this disease either.

If you received a diagnosis of breast cancer just 20 years ago, your chances of being a survivor would have been much less than they are today. That’s because of the marvelous advance of medical research.

There are a lot more options available now for treating malignant tumors than were available a few years ago. And more and more women are breast cancer survivors today.

But you would like to know what your particular risks are for developing breast cancer, wouldn’t you? Although no one knows exactly who is going to get breast cancer, there are risk factors that can be taken into consideration. You can do something about some of these risk factors, and other risk factors there’s not much you can do about. — except to be on your guard.

Here are the risk factors you can control:

1. Obesity

2. Drinking alcoholic beverages

3. Smoking

4. Taking estrogen with progesterone for menopausal symptoms

5. Using birth control pills

6. Lack of exercise

7. Choosing to feed your baby with a bottle instead of breast-feeding.

The following are risk factors over which you have no control:

1. Aging

2. Breast cancer in your immediate family

3. Starting your periods before the age of 12

4. Passing through menopause after the age of 50

So as you can see, there are risks you can do something about and risks that you can’t do anything about. So why not start with what you can do? For example, choose to eat healthy foods instead of junk food. Stay away from alcoholic beverages and smoking. Exercise regularly.

For the risks you can do nothing about, you can use preventative measures. If your mother or and or another close relative had breast cancer, try to remember to schedule a yearly mammogram. And have a doctor examine your breasts once a year. Learn how to do breast exams once a month yourself and be faithful about checking your breasts on a regular basis.

To even more accurately assess your personal risk for developing breast cancer, you can take a test that will let you know if you carry a mutated gene related to breast cancer.

Why not choose to reduce your risk factors by doing all you can to protect yourself from this deadly disease?

One day shortly after I had a mastectomy, I was talking with friends about how swimming was helping the range of motion in my arm which had been compromised by the surgery incision. All of a sudden and with great sincerity a women said to me “how do you swim with only one breast”? Knowing full well what she meant I chose to tease her by responding with “Well, I just swim with the one that is left”. What she was really asking was; how do you fill out the other side of your bathing suit with a missing breast? It was/is a really great question and one that is not easily answerable. You see, if one has had a mastectomy and has chosen to wear prosthesis, then one is faced with several new challenges.

For example, the “everyday” prosthesis that I bought cost $300.00 and is not pool friendly. Evidently, the pool chemicals would destroy the “breast”. So, it cost another $100.00 to buy a pool friendly “breast”. That would have been irritating enough but I am here to tell that that sucker must weigh 10 lbs not to mention how weird it looks when I am floating on my back. As nature takes its course with my very-own-god-given-still-attached breast, which only s-e-e-m-e-s to disappear when I am lazily floating on my back, the hard shinning new chemically friendly 10 pound boob sticks straight up for all the world to see. To say that I looked lopsided, while floating on my back, would be a kind understatement. Consequently, I am endeavoring to learn the unique art of face down floating. While I am in training for that feat, I thought that I would share a much simpler solution with those of you who understand the implicit ironies of this situation.

There is a product called Water Push Up Pads which cost approximately $5.56 for a package of two and can be purchased at local stores such at K-Mart or Wal-Mart. They come in sizes A-B or B-C. Not a problem if they are not large enough for you, simply turn one A-B or B-C facing up and one facing down then stitch them together and viola you have a “no-breast” bobble or boobble (Boob + Bobble) that is inexpensive, lasts a long time, is chemical friendly (or at least they do not readily fall apart), may be purchased in any city should you forget yours while away from home and/or buy several at this price.

These inserts look much more natural in a swim suite than does the expensive, not readily available, strange looking ten pounder. See, I keep telling you, it’s not the mastectomy that is problematic; it’s the lack of “no breast bobbles” and information thereof. Oh yes, and please do not attempt the floating face down exercise, it scares the life guards.

©2006 Dawn Novotny

Many women all over the world fear breast cancer. It is a killer! It is one of the leading causes of death for women and even men are not immune.

Not that long ago a diagnosis of breast cancer would have been like receiving a death sentence! That’s because it was often fatal. However, things are different today because of the amazing advances in medical science in the area of breast cancer research.

For example, a lot more treatments are available to you today than were available 20 years ago. And many women are survivors of this dreaded disease.

Do you know your personal risk factor for developing breast cancer?

It’s obvious that just because you’re a woman you are more at risk than a man would be. As you age, your risks increase. But you can’t really change that. Your genetic makeup is another risk factor. If breast cancer claimed your mother, that increases your risks as well. If you had another close family member who developed breast cancer that also increases your risk of developing it yourself. The age that you had your first menstrual period also affects your risk factor. If you started menstruating before the age of 12, your risk increases. If you passed through menopause after the age of 50, that also increases your risk.

There is a test available now that you can take to see if you carry a mutated gene related to breast cancer.

If you have menopausal symptoms and you are taking estrogen with progesterone, that will increase your risk of developing breast cancer by a small percent. Taking birth control pills is another factor in slightly increasing your risk of having this disease. Your risks will increase if you drink alcoholic beverages and smoke. Obesity may lead to breast cancer as well. You will increase your risks if you seldom exercise. Those who have never breast fed their babies have an increased risk too.

Surprisingly, even men can suffer from breast cancer. And no one really knows who will be its next victim.

As you have seen in this article, there are some risks that you have control over, while there are other risks over which you have no control.

Here are some risks that you can control. Choose healthy habits like regular exercise and watching your weight. Avoid alcoholic beverages as much as possible and don’t smoke.

If your genetic background is a risk factor for you, be sure to have regular mammograms and breast examinations by your doctor. You ought to examine your own breasts every month too.

Now that you know a little more about what your own personal risk factors for breast cancer are, you can choose healthy habits to protect yourself. And don’t forget to schedule regular examinations by your doctor and examine your breasts yourself once a month. Be sure to include a yearly mammogram for your protection from breast cancer.

As many doctors will tell you where most diseases or health issues are concerned, the methods for fighting them is by prevention, being aware and early detection. Therefore if are aware that there is a history in your family of heart problems and cancer then you an advantage over others. Because you know of the risks involved concerning the family history of the disease or health issue involved you can educate yourself on having a healthier lifestyle and what factors in the environment could be contributing to you becoming a higher risk. Certainly with the issue regarding breast cancer this is no different, in fact awareness and knowledge are the strongest you will have in not only detecting the disease early but also beating it.

If you were able to detect breast cancer early enough, you will find that it can often be treated more effectively. In fact the five year survival rate for women who are treated for the early stages of breast cancer is an astounding 96%.

However in its early stage breast cancer does not usually cause the patient any pain and this is why it can be easy for us to recognize it. In fact when breast cancer is in the first developmental stages there are often no symptoms which make it easily identifiable, and it is only as the cancer grows that the changes will begin which should be watch for and be aware of.

So how do you go about detecting the signs and symptoms (changes):-

One of the first signs you may notice is a new or persistent lump or a thickening in or near the breast or possibly in the underarm area.

The size or shape of your breast may change over time.

You will discover that there is discharge from either of the nipples that had not occurred before.

There will be a change in colour or feel of your breast, areola or nipples, which may consist of dimpling, puckering or a scaliness of the skin.

By carrying out regular self breast examination you should be able to detect any one of this signs or symptoms and if you find something that you feel is abnormal then arrange an appointment to see your doctor. There is nothing wrong in being cautious where this disease is concerned. Just remember that most abnormalities that you find are not cancerous and are more likely to be cysts or a growth of fatty tissue and this can be quickly and painlessly dealt with. I’m sure that not only your doctor but you and your family will be pleased that you are erring on the side of caution, rather than ignoring something that can become more serious later on.

Certainly in this day and age nearly every worthy cause uses a ribbon and certainly without going in to too much detail and they way in which people use them, the ribbon which I feel is more important than most is the breast cancer ribbon.

Many women will agree that breast cancer is an enemy to any woman and although awareness concerning the risks and understanding the preventive measures that need to be taken on a regular basis has increased over the last few years, and which has probably saved many lives, there are some people who are still not aware of the dangers of breast cancer and there are many others who prefer to live in denial of it happening to them.

There it is important for more women to take up the pink ribbon and join in the fight against breast cancer. Firstly and the most important thing is that it shows that you care and that you are willing to give a little of your time or energy to try and educate more women as well as warn others and then just may be by carrying out this one small action you are contributing to saving the life of someone. Certainly this is not a joke, and it is only sometimes awareness that separates the ill from the healthy and those that live or die. We are now at a stage where people are learning of new dangers all the time and now with the potential dangers arising relating to terrorism and natural disasters, breast cancer although it has been around for such a long time and has caused so much grief and pain it certainly deserves to be treated with a little more respect and should be remembered even on a daily basis. So by wearing the pink ribbon you will be doing this.

Now every October across the globe this has been international breast cancer awareness month and it is at this time when we should try and do our utmost to increase the general public’s awareness of the disease and so educate more women in the ways of fighting breast cancer. Also during the month time is dedicating to raising money for the many different organizations and foundations that are working through the year on helping the many victims of the disease. There are many patients who do not have the money or funds to be able to try and treat the disease and it is with the help of the organizations that money is raised for they can provide them with the support that they need.

So when October next comes around all you need to do is purchase one of these pink ribbons and place it on your shirt or jacket and show your solidarity for those patients who are presently dealing with the disease, those that have become victims of the disease and those members of a victims family or their friends who find that they have been effected by this dreadful disease. But you don’t have to limit yourself to wearing it just during the month of October as it only takes one person to ask you about it and just think what a difference this will make over the term of a year, and if liked minded people do the same across the world every day and each person is approached by someone who has no knowledge of what it means, imagine the number of lives that could be saved or spared.

So hopefully that in the future the fight against breast cancer as is the same with the fight against all forms of cancer will achieve the goal it is striving to reach and will end up claiming less victims. Also that it will help modern medicine and science to discover a cure and that even more and more people across the globe will live happier and healthier lives.

Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare cancer that happens in a very small percentage of women. It is an aggressive type of locally advanced cancer.

In general, women with inflammatory breast cancer are diagnosed at a younger age. In extremely rare circumstances, this form of breast cancer is diagnosed in men. Inflammatory breast cancer usually develops as a sheet rather than a lump.

Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include:

Breast becomes red, purple, pink or bruised;

Breast becomes firm and enlarged;

A warm feeling in the breast;

Itching of the breast;

Pain;

Skin texture similar to an orange peel;

Enlarged lymph nodes under the arm;

Flattening of the nipple;

Swollen skin on the nipple;

Change in color of the skin around the nipple.

It is very easy to mix up the symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer with those of a breast infection. If you become aware of any of the signs of inflammatory breast cancer, see your doctor immediately.

This form of cancer is not caused by an inflammation or infection. Inflammatory breast cancer happens when cancer cells clog the lymphatic vessels in the skin overlying the breast.

In the past, inflammatory breast cancer was treated by surgery and was associated with a 100% mortality rate. Fortunately, major progress has been made in recent years using a combination of treatments, including surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

These treatments have greatly improved the prognosis for a woman with inflammatory breast cancer. Recent studies have shown as much as a 50% survival rate after 5 years and a 35% survival rate after 10 years.

Did you know that men can also have breast cancer? Be surprised and amazed but it is a matter of fact. Men, just like women, can also develop cancer cells in their breasts. Only, the chances of men having one is much lower than that of women’s. Moreover, the reason most people, even most men themselves, think that breast cancer is only for women is the very low incidence or recorded cases of male breast cancer. In America, male breast cancer accounts for only 1 percent of cases of breast cancer, and represents about 0.2% of all malignancies in men. This figure is far from tens of thousands of cases for women each year. In 2005, roughly 1,690 cases of male breast cancer were recorded in the United States, 460 of which led to death.

The principle behind male breast cancer is not that hard to understand. Basically, what happens when a woman develops a breast cancer is largely the same event leading to a breast cancer for men. What probably confuses people is the word “breast” for it has always been associated with femininity and seldom, if ever, with masculinity. So for both men and women startled with the idea of male breast cancer, the first thing to do is to understand cancer in itself, independent of gender.

Cancer, as most people already know, is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells. As these cancer cells increase in number, they form masses of tissues that the body does not need– tumor. If the growth is greatly uncontrollable, damages in the health system occur and can even lead to death, if not attended immediately and properly. The process of developing cancer cells can happen in the different parts of the body– men’s breasts included.

At the onset of physiological development in men, male hormones (such as testosterone) produced by the testes deters the growth of breast tissue and the development of lobules. The male breast is made up of predominantly small, undeveloped ducts and a small amount of fat and connective tissue, unlike that of women’s breasts. Male breast cancer happens when there is an uncontrollable growth of the small amount of non-functioning breast tissues. These breast tissues do not produce milk and are found in the area directly behind the nipple, on the chest wall.

Just like in women, the causes of male breast cancer are still unknown even to this date. What are identified by years of studies and researches are just the risk factors for developing male breast cancer. The first contributing factor is exposure to radiation. Exposure to ionizing radiation or radiation therapy for previous illnesses is identified as a factor that triggers growth of breast tissues. Hyperestrogenism is also a risk factor. From the word itself, there is an overproduction of the female hormone estrogen in a man’s body. Men, by nature, really have estrogen in their bodies. But when the amount increases beyond what the body needs, chances of developing a breast cancer also increase. Actually, majority of male breast cancer cases is attributed to this risk factor. Men with Klinefelter’s syndrome (abnormal sex chromosome) and cirrhosis are likely to develop breast cancer because of stimulated estrogen production. Genetics also play a great role. Men with female relatives who had breast cancer are at greater risks of developing breast cancer.

Male breast cancer has different types, most common of which is the infiltrating ductal carcinoma. This is the breast cancer type when the cancer started from the tubular ducts and has spread to the surrounding area. Opposite of this is ductal carcinoma in situ, the second type. The others are Paget’s disease (affecting the skin of the nipple), papillary carcinoma, inflammatory carcinoma, and medulla carcinoma. Symptoms of breast cancer include the presence of a lump (usually right beneath the nipple), nipple discharge (more likely to happen in men than women), nipple retraction, and skin ulceration. In advanced cases, symptoms like malaise, weight loss, and weakness are commonly present.

Like breast cancer in women, male breast cancer is commonly treated with mastectomy. Mastectomy is a surgery which removes the lining over the chest muscles and portions of the axillary lymph nodes. This then is followed by adjuvant therapies like chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy. The combination of possible treatments is defined and administered by medical experts based on the patient’s cancer stage and overall health condition.

The National Cancer Institute has made it clear that in order to mitigate the damages of male breast cancer, and all cancers at that, early detection is a must. This then should send a message to all men that it is high time for them to recognize that their breasts may be at risk, too. Being aware of their health will not make them lesser of a man but more of a complete man (with no breast missing), actually.

It was 7:20 Monday morning and I was so relieved to see that Mike, the radiation therapist, was already there preparing the radiation room. One more time I made my way through the huge ominous door averting my eyes from the large red letters that read “DANGER- DO NOT ENTER”. I headed for the cold steel table upon which I was instructed to lie perfectly still so that the radiation therapist could line up the diagnostic x-ray machine with the tiny permanent ink dots that had been tattooed on my chest. This process allows for more precision in the delivery of the radiation thereby causing less damage to the surrounding healthy tissue.

Mike, with his usual calm, laid back manner always seemed to emit a quiet, confident, competent strength. He was humorous and attentive but, at first glance, I would not have called him sensitive. As I was to find out, Mike did not miss a thing. He could not have known that I failed all 4 years of high school PE because I would not undress for showers. Nor could he have known that at age seven I elected to have the entire series of rabbi shots administered into my back vs. the normal administration to the stomach. Bearing my stomach elicited intolerable feelings of vulnerablity . Like radar, Mike picked up on my fear even though I tried my hardest to appear “together”. Truth be told, I was so scared during all 33 threatments that I was grateful to just not drool.

So it was that when the right side of my chest was exposed, it felt exactly like the right side of my back when exposed as both areas are flatter than a pancake. Conversely, when the left side of my chest became inadvertently exposed, I would instantly feel embarrassed, vulnerable and sometimes even ashamed. Most of the technicians’ would endeavor to replace the cover when it fell from the right breast. After awhile it became a tedious task and they were trying to get their job done as efficiently as possible because their waiting room was filled with weary women wearing but a thin hospital gowns patiently awaiting their turn to proceed through the “DANGER DO NOT ENTER” room.

I never understood how it happened but by some mysterious cue, if my breast became exposed, Mike was back in the room as if he had some good reason to be there. He would nonchalantly put the cover back on my exposed breast. Once again my “back” was covered, my childhood monsters were soothed and I could breath again. As quick as Mike appeared he would disappear closing behind him the door that read “DANGER DO NOT ENTER”.

Of all the ways and means of extending appreciation and gratitude, thanking someone for keeping those intangable feelings of vulnerability and dignity intact, is among the most difficult to express. Nevertheless, in my book he exemplifies the very essence of professionalism and compassion effortlessly and without even a hint of solicitation of praise. Thank You, Mr. Mike and the entire staff at Olympic Medical Cancer Center.

Dawn DeLisa Novotny LMSW, MTS

©2006 Dawn Novotny July4@tenforward.com