Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer; What is it?

Breast Cancer is a disease, and it is formed by cancer cells that are malignant which have formed in the tissues of the breast. Breast Cancer is considered to be a, 'heterogenerous,' disease; it differs depending on the individual, as well as by the age of the person. It also differs by the kinds of cells within the tumors themselves

No woman wants to hear this diagnosis from their doctor, but should you find yourself facing a diagnosis of Breast Cancer, understand that it doesn't always mean the end. A diagnosis of Breast Cancer can be the beginning of learning how to obtain facts, knowledge, hope, and learning how to fight this disease.

In the United States, Breast Cancer is the form of cancer that women get most except for skin cancer. Breast Cancer is second only to lung cancer as a cause of death from cancer for women in America.
 
Estimates suggests that every year almost two-hundred thousand women will find themselves facing a diagnosis of Breast Cancer; more than forty-thousand of these women will die. Educational efforts have raised some level of awareness among men, and more needs to be done. Men do get Breast Cancer as well, and about one-thousand seven hundred men will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer each year; of them, four-hundred and fifty will die from it. Evaluation of men with Breast Cancer is very similar to the evaluation methods used for women, and this includes mammography imaging techniques.

There are some noted factors that raise the risk of getting Breast Cancer. These risks include:

Your Age: Statistic show that half of all women diagnosed with Breast cancer are over the age of sixty-five.

Your Weight: Obesity, or being overweight, increases your risk of getting Breast Cancer.

Your Diet and Lifestyle: A Diet that is high in saturated fats, more than two alcoholic drinks per day, and lacking in physical activity increases your risk for getting Breast Cancer.

Your Reproductive and Menstrual History: If you began menstruation early, or menopause late; had your first child at an older age, or have never had a child, or have taken birth control for more than ten years if you are under the age of thirty-five - you are at an increased risk for Breast Cancer.

Your Personal and Family History: If there is a history of Breast Cancer in your family, in your Mother or Sister in particular, or if you have a personal history of Breast Cancer in a benign form, you are at increased risk for Breast Cancer.

There are also other factors that may increase your risk for Breast Cancer. If you have dense breast tissue, which may be identified through a mammogram, or have had past radiation therapy - these are risk factors for Breast Cancer. A history of hormone treatments like progesterone or estrogen, or gene changes including BRCA1 and BRCA2 or others; are risk factors as well.

Breast Cancer - Examination Diagnosis Treatments

Further Information Regarding Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Treatments Improve
More women are surviving breast cancer as a result of improvements in early detection methods and more effective, targeted treatment, say experts at Baylor College of Medicine.

More Women Removing Healthy Breast After Cancer Diagnosis
The number of women opting for surgery to remove the healthy breast after a cancer diagnosis in one breast is rising, despite a lack of evidence that the surgery can improve survival. The study also finds that despite extensive press coverage of women who choose to have both breasts removed because of a strong family history of cancer, the rate of this surgery is relatively low and has changed little in the last decade.

Medications for Breast Cancer Risk can Cause Serious Side Effects
Three drugs that reduce a woman's chance of getting breast cancer also have been shown to cause adverse effects, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Chemobrain - The Flip Side of Surviving Breast Cancer
Study shows deterioration in brain function following breast cancer therapy has negative effects on quality of life. One of the most problematic side effects of cancer treatment, chemobrain - a range of symptoms including memory loss, inability to concentrate, difficulty thinking and other subtle cognitive changes following chemotherapy - seriously diminishes women's quality of life and daily functioning.

Treating Bone Loss in Breast Cancer Survivors
Osteoporosis is a growing concern among breast cancer survivors and their doctors, because certain cancer drugs can cause bone loss. Many breast cancer patients also experience secondary causes of bone loss, such as vitamin D deficiency.

Removing Breasts and Ovaries to Reduce Cancer Risk
Many women at high risk for breast or ovarian cancer are choosing to undergo surgery as a precautionary measure to decrease their cancer risk, according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Metabolic Factors in Risk of Breast Cancer
Physiological changes associated with the metabolic syndrome may play a role in the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, according to study results published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Teenage Girls and Breast Lumps
If a lump is found in the breast of an adolescent girl, she often will undergo an excisional biopsy. However, breast cancer is rare in adolescents, and the vast majority of teenage breast lumps turn out to be benign masses that are related to hormones.

High PEA-15 Levels Shrink Breast Cancer Tumors
Overexpression of PEA-15, which binds and drags an oncoprotein out of the cell nucleus where it fuels cancer growth, steeply reduced breast cancer tumors in a preclinical experiment, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reported at the 100th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Pregnancy Hormone Protects Against Breast Cancer
Pregnancy hormone hCG protects against breast cancer even in short-term treatments. In an animal model of breast cancer, Fox Chase Cancer Center researcher shows how smaller doses of hCG could offer some of the same benefits of longer doses.

Women with Early Breast Cancer Choosing Double Mastectomies
A University of Minnesota cancer surgeon and researcher has found a dramatic increase in the number of women diagnosed with the earliest stage of breast cancer choosing to have both breasts surgically removed.

New Test May Predict Breast Cancer Metastasis
The National Cancer Institute (NCI)- funded translational study could lead to the first test to predict the likelihood of breast cancer metastasis via the bloodstream - a development that could change the way breast cancer is treated.

Super Micro-surgery Hope for Breast Cancer Patients with Lymphedema
Breast cancer patients with lymphedema in their upper arm experienced reduced fluid in the swollen arm by up to 39 percent after undergoing a super-microsurgical technique known as lymphaticovenular bypass, report researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Waiting for Breast Cancer Biopsy Results can Affect Health
More than 1.2 million breast biopsies are performed in the U.S. annually, with 80 percent resulting in non-cancerous findings, according to the American Cancer Society. Women experience considerable anxiety while waiting to undergo breast biopsy and while waiting for the results. Dr. Lang and colleagues sought to establish a biochemical marker to assess the physical effects associated with the stress of extended waiting for a final diagnosis after breast biopsy.

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Susan G. Komen for the Cure, formerly known as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, often referred to as simply Komen, is an organization supporting breast cancer research. Since its inception in 1982, Komen has raised over $1 billion for research, education and health services, making it the largest breast cancer charity in the world.

Researchers Identify Protein Trigger of Breast Cancer
Canadian researchers have identified a new protein in the progression of breast cancer. According to a recent study from the University of Montreal and the University of Alberta, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the protein ARF1 plays a critical role in cancer cell growth and the spread of tumours. Targeting this protein with drug therapy may provide hope to women with breast cancer.

High Insulin Levels Raise Risk of Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal Women
Higher-than-normal levels of insulin place postmenopausal women at increased risk of breast cancer, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University report. Their findings, published in the January 7 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, suggest that interventions that target insulin and its signaling pathways may decrease breast cancer risk in these women.

Breast Cancer Remission
Though many woman dread that yearly mammogram, we've all heard often enough that early detection of breast cancer saves lives... finding lumps when they're too small to feel and before they get a chance to grow and spread gives you the best chance for a cure.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Inflammatory Breast Cancer is a form of cancer that requires immediate and very aggressive forms of treatment with chemotherapy. This form of cancer requires chemotherapy before any surgical intervention, and it is treated differently than other, more common forms of breast cancer.