Signs of Rare Breast Cancer in Teenagers

Breast cancer originates from breast tissue. This type is usually common in women over the age of forty years, although there are a few men who suffer from it. It is also known to occur in teenagers, although it is not so common. One of the worst types is inflammatory breast cancer, which does not usually present any signs or symptoms. It is therefore one of the most difficult to diagnose especially in teenagers who may not be aware of changes in their bodies. However, where signs and symptoms are present, the breasts appear swollen, tender and often itch. Other symptoms are inverted nipples and bruises on the breast and formation of lymph nodes on the armpits.

When a teenager notices a lump, they should be taken to hospital immediately for a proper examination. However, not all lumps are cancerous and only a qualified physician can determine this. In most cases, lumps are caused by changes in the breast during the menstrual cycle. These lumps are usually fluid filled cysts. Lumps which are benign are usually smooth, and move easily within the breast tissue. Most of these lumps do not need to be removed unless they are causing serious discomfort or causing noticeable changes in the shape of the breast.

A lump that appears to be growing in size and that is immobile even when manipulated with the fingers could be an indicator that it is not benign and a sign of breast cancer. These kind of lumps should be taken for additional tests immediately. Teenagers should be encouraged to perform self-examination, and report any changes to their parents. They should be on the look-out for symptoms such as; changes in shape and size of the breast. One breast could appear to be bigger or smaller. One should also be on the look-out for change in the texture of the breast. This includes hardening and thickening of the breast.

In some cases, breast cancer in teenagers is characterized by pain. The teenager will complain about pain that comes and goes frequently on the breast. In some cases it could be constant and will last for more than one day before it stops. One should also check for change in color in parts of the breast. If these color changes do not disappear in a short-while, then it should be a cause for concern. Teenagers facing this disease need a lot of help from family members and support groups. This is especially important because, they feel that they do not fit in with their age-mates and are unlikely to find survivors among their peers.

Life After Successful Breast Cancer Treatment

Breast cancer is a malignant growth originating from the breast tissues. It is diagnosed using self-examination or through mammograms, breast ultrasound or biopsy. These examinations are recommended for women above the age of thirty years. They should be done yearly or as advised by a doctor. The disease can be life threatening if not diagnosed in time and treatment started immediately. Treatment usually takes between six months and one year. Many survivors are able to live a full life after completing treatment. In addition, recurrences are not very common and only happen in some cases.

After successful treatment, one needs to adjust to life as a breast cancer survivor. Many changes occur in your life and body after treatment which one needs to learn to deal with. Your hair begins to grow back on your head together with eyebrows and eyelashes which you had lost due to treatment. You are also likely to suffer from bouts of memory loss and also lack of concentration. In addition, due to the battery of tests that you had to go through, your body is fatigued and will take a long time to recover. This means that, despite completing treatment, you will still not be able to go back to activities that you performed with ease before.

In cases where treatment has not resulted in infertility, then a woman can go ahead and have children. Biological motherhood is now not an elusive dream for breast cancer survivors as doctors are even encouraging survivors to have children. This is also time to re-enter the social scene. This is the time to meet more friends as you are likely to have lost some due to your illness. It is also time to re-acquaint with old friends. For single women, it is important as they will want to settle down and start families after facing mortality.

For breast cancer survivors, going back to work can be a very daunting task. This is because, you feel unable to cope with the demands of the workplace. However, maintaining good eating habits and a regular exercise regime is advised to help one cope. This will help in boosting your energy levels, improve your overall health and help you stay cancer free. This is also the period that women decide to cut down on their working hours in order to focus more on family. Being a survivor helps you put things in perspective.

Bone Drugs May Lower Risk for Breast Cancer

For the millions of women who are already taking medications to help improve bone density, there may be more than one benefit. New results from a landmark women’s health study raised the exciting possibility that bone-building medications such as Actonel and Fosamax may help lower the risk or even prevent breast cancer.

The women who were already using these medications when the study began were approximately one-third less likely to develop invasive breast cancer over the next seven years when compared to the women who were not taking these pills, doctors reported on Thursday. However, the study alone is not enough to prove that these drugs, called bisphosphonates, prevent breast cancer. More definitive studies should be able to give us a clearer answer in a year or two.

This information greatly amplifies the hopeful buzz that started last year when the researchers reported that bisphosphonates reduced the chances that cancer would relapse in women that have already been treated for the disease.

Dr. Peter Ravdin, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, said, “Now we’re actually looking at this in the general population – healthy women who have never had breast cancer. And it looks like it’s protective in those women as well.” Ravdin help review the research for the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, where the results were reported on Thursday, said, “This is very promising.” Millions of women are already taking bisphosphonates for bone-thinning osteoporosis, or to help prevent fractures from cancer that has spread into their bones.

The medications range from $100 dollars for a three-month supply of the generic versions of Merck & Co. Inc.’s Fosamax pills to as much as $1,200 dollars for an infusion of Novartis AG’s Zometa, which is given every six months to treat osteoporosis. Other brands that have these kinds of medications are Warner Chilcott PLC’s Actonel and GlaxoSmithKline PLC’s Boniva.

After finding out last year that Zometa cut the risk of cancer recurrence, doctors started to wonder if it just making the bones more resistant to the spread of cancer, or does it have wide anti-tumor effects that may help prevent the cancer from developing in the first place?

Dr. Rowan Chlebowski, from Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California, sought these answers from the Women’s Health Initiative, which is a federally funded study that is best know for revealing previously unrecognized risks from progestin and estrogen pills that are taken after menopause.

Of the 151,592 participants in the study, 2,216 were taking the bisphosphonates, mostly Fosamax, when the study first began. Approximately seven years later, 31 percent fewer invasive breast cancer cases have occurred among those women when compared with the others. The benefit still persisted even after the researchers took into account differences in smoking, weight, age, vitamin D and hormone use, and other things that affect bone density and the risk for breast cancer.

However, the women that were taking bisphosphonates were more likely to develop a noninvasive tumor of the milk duct called DCIS and Chlebowski said that this would be an acceptable trade-off. For every 1,000 women that took the bisphosphonates for one year, one fewer case of invasive, life-threatening breast cancer would occur. Overall, the results from the study suggest that bisphosphonates have direct anti-cancer effects and are not just helping the bones resist the spread of cancer.

Chlebowski, who has consulted the makers of bisphosphonates and other cancer prevention medications, said that if the medications only worked in the bone marrow then it would not be influencing incidence of new cancers.

A second study also supported that view. Dr. Gad Rennert, from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel, compared approximately 2,000 women that were postmenopausal with breast cancer to 2,000 similar women that did not have the disease. He said those that had the cancer were 29 percent less likely to have been taking the bisphosphonates. However, neither of the studies collected information about the side effects. Bisphosphonates can cause muscle, bone or joint pain and in rare cases, jawbone decay can occur.

Dr. Eric Winer, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Boston, said, “These are drugs that, generally speaking, are relatively well tolerated,” and are fairly safe, but they still should not be taken for prevention of cancer until more definitive studies show their benefits and risks.

The only medications approved now for the prevention of breast cancer in healthy women at higher risk are the hormone blockers raloxifene and tamoxifen. The side effects for these medications are high blood pressure, hot flashes and a higher risk of blood clots, which have limited their use.

Pomegranates Could Be the Next Treatment for Breast Cancer

Pomegranate juice could be the next estrogen-responsive breast cancer treatment. A new lab study has demonstrated promising results when evaluating the use of pomegranate juice, a juice rich in antioxidants, as a way of fighting off and preventing breast cancer.

More than 75 percent of all breast cancer cases are fed by estrogen and there are over 400,000 women dieing annually, around the world, from breast cancer. Researchers with Ohio State University focused on the benefits of pomegranates in the breast cancer fight. The team discovered the large red fruit filled with juicy seeds naturally produces a chemical known as ellagic acid, which seems to help slow and even prevent the growth of cancer cells in breast tissue.

According to researchers, the pomegranate has recently been noted for its antioxidants and potential cancer fighting attributes, as well as its heart healthy benefits. However, the study recently published in Cancer Prevention Research is the first to take a look at the affects of the pomegranate on breast cancer and aromatase, an enzyme that plays a key role in making estrogen and promoting the growth of breast cancer.

In a lab, the team studied the effects of ten ellagitannin-derived compounds produced by pomegranates, which are thought to potentially prevent estrogen-related breast cancer. They considered the effects of the ten compounds on the growth of breast cancer cells and aromatase activity. Of the ten ellagitannin-derived compounds studied, the researchers discovered urolithin B was the standout in the fight against breast cancer.

Researchers have created a scale called the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity scale (ORAC) which measures the antioxidant level in fruits and vegetables. Dr. David Hnida, a CBS3 medical editor said, “The higher the number on the scale, the more antioxidants and disease-fighting chemicals in the food.” Researchers have measured antioxidant levels in over 200 different fruits and vegetables. Those at the top of the list include blueberries, plums, blackberries, raspberries, dark grapes, apples and strawberries.

While experts aren’t recommending substituting pomegranates for prescribed medicine yet, we may see the fruit being used in breast cancer treatment and prevention efforts eventually. Many experts in the cancer field see the test results as very promising. However, according to Powel Brown, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the clinical cancer prevention department at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, who was not involved in the pomegranate and breast cancer study, “More research on the individual components and the combination of chemicals is needed to understand the potential risks and benefits of using pomegranate juice or isolated compounds for a health benefit or for cancer prevention.” In the meantime, women may want to add a daily pomegranate to their daily diet as an extra effort to ward off the leading form of cancer found in women.

Steps in Reducing the Risks of Breast Cancer

Here are a few steps which will help reduce the risks of breast cancer to a great extent. These steps are not only useful in reducing the risks of breast cancer but also to help you lead a healthy lifestyle. Cause of breast cancer is still a question mark and no one can pin point a particular cause which causes this painful situation. So what we can do is reduce the risk or take preventive measures. Leading a healthy life style with proper food, discipline and exercises are known to keep lots of diseases and painful situations at bay. Let's take a look at some steps that will help everyone in reducing the risks of breast cancer.

Limit consumption of alcohol and quit smoking. Alcohol; whether it is beer, wine or whiskey either limit it to one glass a day or just completely avoid it. It is not doing any good anyways. And if you smoke its high time you have to quit those things as well. It might be hard if you are addicted to these but as we always know it prevention is better than cure. These factors can cause a drastic change in one's life style and other metabolic activities which is said to be the most common cause of cancer. Why risk it?

Eating properly on low fat food and keeping a calorie counter is really important. You can seek a consultant if you need help with your diet so that they can tell you what the best is for you from your weight, height and other factors. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and preferably cook for the day and don't keep it for a week or two days, just for the day, what is needed. This can ensure you are eating healthy as well. Eating at proper timings is also important.

Working out, taking yoga classes, going to the gym, jogging, aerobics or any other form of physical exercises to ensure each and every part of your body is actually at work. Sometimes when certain parts go idle they get too lazy and creates enough problems to give us painful situations. Let us not give into the laziness, let us work hard. These days lack of exercise is being a major concern

Obesity is linked with breast cancer as a possible cause. Maintain your weight. Make sure you work out enough and if you are overweight, please consult a physician's advice to cut down the weight. There is nothing to worry about if you are obese as well; these are just some prevention measures to help in reducing the risks of breast cancer.

You can also consult your doctor regarding hormonal therapy as a step for reducing the risks of breast cancer. You should also stay away from unwanted drugs. Make sure you do breast cancer checks by yourself often. If you find anything suspicious, please visit your doctor. You can also take mammograms and other methods to keep a check on your health. These steps however are just prevention procedures. Practice it and lead a healthy lifestyle, do all you can from your side and hope nothing will happen.

Mammography For Early Detection of Breast Cancer

Mammography is a special type of noninvasive imaging technique that uses a low-dose x-ray system to examine breasts. The medical test is conducted for early detection and diagnosis of breast diseases in women. During the test, a part of the body is exposed to a small dose of ionizing radiation to produce images of the inside of the body.

Two recent developments in mammography include digital mammography and computer-aided detection.

Digital mammography: Digital mammography, also called full-field digital mammography (FFDM), is a mammography system in which solid-state detectors are used to convert x-rays into electrical signals. To produce images of the breast, the electrical signals are used that can be displayed on a computer screen or can be printed on a special film similar to traditional mammograms.

Computer-aided detection (CAD) systems: In this technique, a digitized mammographic image can be obtained from either a conventional film mammogram or a digitally acquired mammogram. The computer software tries to figure out abnormal areas of density, mass, or calcification that may indicate the presence of cancer. The Computer-aided detection (CAD) systems highlight these areas on the images that can help doctors in further analysis.

Some of the benefits of using this technique are as given below:

· Physicians can detect small tumors. When cancers are detected at an early stage, the woman has more treatment options.

· Small abnormal tissue growths confined to the milk ducts in the breast, called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) can be detected by the use of screening mammography. These early tumors if removed on time, can prevent further proliferation of cancer cells.

· Detection of all types of breast cancer, including invasive ductal and invasive lobular cancer is possible.

· No radiation remains in a patient's body after an x-ray examination.

· X-rays usually have no side effects in the diagnostic range.

However, there is always a slight risk of cancer due to excessive exposure to radiation. However, the benefit far outweighs the risks involved.

The Self Examination of the Nipples

It is vital to examine the breasts after eighteen, twenty years old, especially in the first week after the menstrual period.

Before menstrual period the nipples are growing up becoming strength or nodule full. After the period it passes away.

During the pregnancy the breasts are growing up and become strength in order to be prepared for suckles.

All you need to do is to get used with the normal state of the breast in order to detect any kind of changes, such as a nodule growth. Inform your physician for any change.

The advices are available for men too.

In order to examine the nipples the next procedures are recommended:

1. Raise your arms above your head. Observe the margins of the nipples, while you are in front of a mirror. Then put your arms on your hips to see if are there any tissue and nipple irritations, a nipple different then the other one, bumps, painful nipple, nipple leaks, except the milk.

2. Put one arm on your head. With the other one examines the breasts. Start from the margins with a circular movement that goes to the nipple. Insist on the part between nipple and arm. There are lymphatic ganglions which has to move free and not to be painful when are touched. Look for hard nodules.

3. Stay on your back and repeat the second tip. See if your nipples has licks, except the milk.

According to American Cancer Society all the women have to go to the doctor every three years. Those that are over forty years old should go annually.

The breast cancer can be cured and prevented. Just believe it. It is possible. It has been done before. I want to aware all the women and men about the danger of this disease, but to help all the people, including man, who go it. Read the short information about how can be prevented and healed. Fill the form, in order to receive some free report about breast cancer healing and prevention.

A Fight For a Cure

It was three years ago my best friend's mother lay peacefully asleep under her duvet cover set next to her husband of almost twenty years. At about five in the morning one lazy Sunday afternoon her husband woke her up in a fluster, she pulled back the duvet covers from her face and sat up to see what the problem was. He rubbed his chest and said that he thought he felt a lump there. She checked for him but, she told him it was probably nothing. After a couple of months the lump would appear visible from a distance but, since most people think that only women can get breast cancer they only thought that a was something that was caused from over working the body at work. Two years later my friends father died from breast cancer.
I have known this friend all my life and spent more time at his house than my own. To me he is like a brother and his parents are like a second family. When news of his father's condition reached me it hit hard for both of us. I remember feeling as though life as I knew it had all but ended and that the world would never again be the same. This feeling is something that I would not wish on my worst enemy and I hope no one else will have to go through. My friends father would have had a chance for survival if he would have known what it was. Before we can move forward we must educate ourselves and then spread the word to the world. This fight has gone on for too long if you know how this feels than tell someone spread the word and educate people, if more people know than more people will care that something changes. Although the victims can no longer speak it is up to the families of the victims to be strong, talk about it, walk for it, and donate to it to make sure that in time we will find a cure. It is up to us to make a better tomorrow today.

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How to Grow Your Breasts Naturally and Safely

Every woman wants to possess fuller and bigger breasts. No wonder more and more women are seeking ways to enhance their breast size. Procedures like surgery do not have many takers for obvious reasons. Not only is it painful and expensive but can also lead to some rather unwanted complications.

Implants can break or leak and create huge discomfort. Not only this, they can also spoil the shape of your breasts. This can make all the effort and money spent worthless.

Breast exercises, on the other hand, are effective as far as increasing breast firmness is concerned. There is not much they can do to extend your bust line.

How to Grow Your Breasts Naturally

One of the best ways to increase the size of your breasts is with the help of certain herbs. Women have been using such herbs for hundreds of years to ensure bust growth. Some of such herbs include fenugreek, wild yam, damiana, saw palmetto etc.,

Ever wondered by harem girls used to have fenugreek?

The reason is simple- It resulted in enlarged breasts and also increased firmness.

However, there is nothing that can match the results provided by Pureria Mirifica. This is a herb that is native to Thailand and Myanmar. Women in these countries have been taking advantage of such herbs for centuries to get bigger and more attractive breasts.

The tuberous root of this herb is a rich source of phytoestrogens and ensures natural breast growth.

Now an extract of the same herb called Mirofirm is being used to formulate a bust serum. Such a serum is a new age breast enhancement product that has take bust enlargement to a new level.

It is extremely easy to use and with every day application you can actually make a your breasts increase by a full cup size within 4 weeks!

Not only this, you can experience noticeable lifting within 7 days of applying such a serum.

How does a Bust Serum Work

As already mentioned above, Mirofirm is the main ingredient is such a serum. It makes your milk ducts strong. More importantly, it ensures expansion of fat tissues in the breasts. This is what results in natural growth.

There are a couple of other benefits as well such as a reduction in wrinkles and freckles in the bust area. This can help you get younger and more fuller breasts.

One of the best part about such a serum is that there are additives or preservatives in it. Neither does it leave any residue behind nor does it have any smell or odor. There are no side effects. Yet, pregnant and nursing mothers must not use it.

Bone Drugs May Lower Risk for Breast Cancer

For the millions of women who are already taking medications to help improve bone density, there may be more than one benefit. New results from a landmark women’s health study raised the exciting possibility that bone-building medications such as Actonel and Fosamax may help lower the risk or even prevent breast cancer.

The women who were already using these medications when the study began were approximately one-third less likely to develop invasive breast cancer over the next seven years when compared to the women who were not taking these pills, doctors reported on Thursday. However, the study alone is not enough to prove that these drugs, called bisphosphonates, prevent breast cancer. More definitive studies should be able to give us a clearer answer in a year or two.

This information greatly amplifies the hopeful buzz that started last year when the researchers reported that bisphosphonates reduced the chances that cancer would relapse in women that have already been treated for the disease.

Dr. Peter Ravdin, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, said, “Now we’re actually looking at this in the general population – healthy women who have never had breast cancer. And it looks like it’s protective in those women as well.” Ravdin help review the research for the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, where the results were reported on Thursday, said, “This is very promising.” Millions of women are already taking bisphosphonates for bone-thinning osteoporosis, or to help prevent fractures from cancer that has spread into their bones.

The medications range from $100 dollars for a three-month supply of the generic versions of Merck & Co. Inc.’s Fosamax pills to as much as $1,200 dollars for an infusion of Novartis AG’s Zometa, which is given every six months to treat osteoporosis. Other brands that have these kinds of medications are Warner Chilcott PLC’s Actonel and GlaxoSmithKline PLC’s Boniva.

Weight Gain Contributes to Breast Cancer Risks

If you were to do a little time traveling, flashing back to when you were 18, how would your weight differ from what it is today? According to research by the American Cancer Society, the amount of weight a woman gains after the age of 18 is a strong indicator as to whether she will get breast cancer later in life.

Weight gain and body mass were identified long ago as risk factors for breast cancer. The Cancer Society estimates between one-third and one-half of all breast cancer deaths among older women have been contributed to weight.

Fat tissue makes estrogen, and estrogen can help breast cancer grow. Heather Spencer Feigelson, senior epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society said, “Breast cancer is strongly dependent on body weight. Even modest amounts of weight gain lead to a significantly increased risk of breast cancer.”

One of the largest studies of breast cancer and weight included 1,934 breast cancer cases among 62,756 women involved in a separate long-term study. Women ages 50 to 74, who were post-menopausal, were asked their weight in 1992 when the study began and their weight when they were 18 years old. They were also sent questionnaires at yearly intervals.

The researchers said older women who gained 20 to 30 pounds after high school graduation were 40 percent more likely to get breast cancer than women who kept the weight off. If the weight gain was more than 70 pounds, the risk was doubled. Lean post-menopausal women not taking hormone replacement therapy produce very little estrogen and had the lowest cancer risk in the study.

Associate professor of surgery at Columbia University, Dr. Paul Tartter said, “The more fat you have—fat cells are capable of synthesizing estrogen—the heavier you are, the higher your estrogen levels. There’s no question that estrogen is the common denominator of most of our risk factors for breast cancer.”

Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations Under Review

The world of cancer screening was upended in mid-November when changes in screening recommendations for two common types of cancer, breast and cervical, were announced within a week of each other. Not only did the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) advise that women wait until age 50 to begin mammography screening, but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued revised guidelines for cervical cancer screening, recommending that women wait until they reach the age of 21 to have their first Pap Test. Both groups also recommended less frequent screening, except for higher risk cases. And though the new USPSTF guidelines are based on an in-depth analysis of data that suggests the harms of testing earlier and more frequently outweigh the benefits, they have sparked a great deal of controversy and drawn criticism from some advocacy groups and specialists organizations—some going so far as to say that the new recommendations were politically motivated.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is one organization that has disagreed with the new USPSTF breast cancer screening recommendations. “Our definition of cancer was given to us by German pathologists in the 1840s after they looked at biopsies from autopsy specimens. Now, 170 years later, we’ve progressed in terms of imaging, in terms of medical diagnostics into what I call the genetic and molecular biologic age, but our ability to define cancer has not progressed beyond the light microscope,” explained Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the ACS. “What we need to be able to do eventually is say that ‘this cancer is never going to progress,’ it is not going to spread and invade other organs in the body. But right now we don’t have the molecular tools to predict their behavior.” Brawley concluded: “Our view is that breast cancer screening saves lives and women aged 40 and above should get a high quality mammogram and clinical breast exam on an annual basis.”

And on December 2, the USPSTF’s top officials, including Dr. Ned Calonge, were summoned before a Congressional committee. Calonge, chairman of the USPSTF and chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and associate professor of family medicine and of preventive medicine and biometrics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, defended the task force and its revised recommendations but acknowledged that portions of the mammography recommendations, specifically those pertaining to women aged 40-49, were poorly phrased and “did not say what the task force meant to say.” Calonge then clarified the USPSTF’s stance. “Screening starting at age 40 should not be automatic, nor should it be denied,” he said in his testimony. “What we are saying is that the decision to have a mammogram for women in their 40s should be based on a discussion between a women and her doctor. Many doctors and many women, perhaps even most women, will decide to have mammography screening starting at age 40. The task force supports those decisions.” Calonge said the task force is committed to changing the way it communicates to ensure that “this kind of miscommunication does not occur in the future.”

Cancer Patients with Dense Breasts Face Greater Risk of Disease Recurrence

Women who have dense breasts, and undergo lumpectomies for the treatment of breast cancer, are at a greater risk of a recurrence of the disease. In fact, breast cancer patients with more dense breasts are four times as likely to have their cancer return than women with less dense breasts.

The new information comes from research performed by Steven A. Narod, M.D., of the Women's College Hospital in Toronto, and colleagues. According to Dr Narod, “The composition of the breast tissue surrounding the breast cancer is important in predicting whether or not a breast cancer will return after surgery.” The study report can be found in the journal Cancer.

The researchers analyzed data on 335 breast cancer patients having an average age of 63.5 years, who had undergone lumpectomies for the removal of cancerous tumors from their breasts. Findings revealed that for women having more dense breasts, the risk of the cancer recurring over 10 years was more than four times higher at 21 percent than the 5 percent average. In addition, women who did not receive radiation as part of their initial treatment faced an even higher risk (40 percent) of a tumor recurrence that puts them at an 8 times greater likelihood of developing the disease again.

With the use of mammography, about one in three of the women in the study were found to have large amounts of dense tissue in their breasts. Breast density was discovered to be higher among the younger women in the study, and these women were less likely to be postmenopausal than the others. Of the total number of women in the study, 99 had low-density breasts with dense tissue in less than 25 percent of the breast, 107 had intermediate density in 25 percent to 50 percent of the breast, while 129 women had high-density breasts with more than 50 percent density.

Although it is not known why the density of a woman’s breast has an impact on the risk of developing cancer, it is known that high breast density can reduce the sensitivity of a mammogram by causing a masking effect. In addition, it is the belief of the researchers that the hormonal profile of denser breast tissue makes it more susceptible to cancer. Although Dr Narod noted that breast density has been found to be modifiable to some extent by physical activity and hormone therapy, the researchers cautioned that it is not clear whether these measures would impact the risk of breast cancer recurrence.

Due to this significant increase in risk for cancer recurrence, the researchers maintain that women having more dense breasts should undergo additional treatment after surgery to decrease the chances of the cancer returning. On the other hand, since radiation therapy appeared to eliminate the increased risk for cancer recurrence, they also acknowledged that the findings are an indication that women with low-density breasts may be able to safely avoid radiation. However, they also cautioned that because the study was small, further research will be necessary determine if this is the case.

According to The American Cancer Society an estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2009, and of these 40,170 lives will be lost. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, other than skin cancer. It is also the second leading cause of cancer death among women, after lung cancer. About 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer at some time during life, and about 1 in 35 will lose the battle against the disease.

Early Detection of Recurring Breast Cancer Key to Survival

One of the most common fears people have after cancer treatment is, “What if it comes back?” This is a valid concern since women who have been treated for cancer in one breast have triple the normal risk of developing a second primary cancer in the opposite breast. This risk is even higher for those who have a strong family history or a mutation in one of the BRCA genes, and reaches beyond breast cancer to include an increased risk of certain other cancers as well, especially ovarian cancer. Fortunately, there are steps that can reduce the risk of recurrence. The most important is to get regular medical care after treatment. The tests and examinations done at these follow-up visits are extremely important in helping detect cancer that has returned to the same breast, as well as cancer in the opposite breast. In fact, early detection of second breast cancers can reduce the risk of death by nearly half, according to a new international study.

For the study, published online in the Annals of Oncology, researchers analyzed information on 1,044 women who were seen at a medical center in Florence, Italy from 1980 to 2005 and who developed a second breast cancer. In 699 of the women, the second cancer was diagnosed in the asymptomatic state, while the remaining 345 women had already started to experience symptoms. A mortality registry was used to calculate the impact of cancer diagnosis timing on rates of survival.

Based on the data, the study authors concluded that the chances of survival improved between 27 and 47 percent when the second breast cancer was detected in the asymptomatic stage rather than at a later stage when symptoms were already apparent. Asymptomatic tumors were smaller than symptomatic ones, and early-stage tumors were more common in asymptomatic women (58 percent) than in symptomatic women (23 percent). Fewer women with asymptomatic cancer in the opposite breast (contralateral) than symptomatic cancer had node metastases, an indication the cancer may have spread.

In addition, mammography was found to be more sensitive than clinical examination for detecting second breast cancers—86 percent compared to 57 percent. Nonetheless, a significant number (13.8 percent) of the cancers were detected only by clinical examination. “Our study provides new evidence on several aspects of early detection of second breast cancers,” lead author Dr. Nehmat Houssami, a breast physician in the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney, Australia, said in a news release.

Previous studies have explored this topic, but each had certain methodological limitations, the study indicates. “We set out to estimate the effect of early, asymptomatic detection while adjusting for the two main biases known to be associated with non-randomized studies of the impact of early detection—lead time and length bias—so we believe that the estimates we report are more valid than previously reported estimates, while acknowledging the limitation that the evidence is not from a randomized, controlled trial,” Houssami said. “In addition, we have estimated this for early detection of either ipsilateral (same breast) or contralateral (opposite breast) cancer, while other studies have focused on one or the other, so our estimates may be more useful for clinicians discussing this aspect of breast cancer follow-up with their patient.”

“Intuitively, it makes sense to consider that early detection of second breast cancers will improve prognosis, since breast cancer survivors have a long-term risk of developing further disease or relapse in either breast,” Houssami concluded. “I think this work provides a timely reminder of the potential benefit of early detection of second breast cancers and supports ongoing surveillance in this group of women.”

Approximately 2.5 million women in the U.S. have been treated for breast cancer. And though annual mammograms are strongly recommended for these women, a report issued in April of 2006 showed that as many as two-third of survivors were not getting them. Screening rates in the study were high early on, with four out of five getting a mammogram in the first year after treatment. However, that rate declined over time and by year five, only a third of the women had gotten an annual mammogram every year since their cancer treatment ended. Women who saw their primary care physician or gynecologist regularly were more likely to get screened than women who did not.

The report noted that too many survivors are “lost in transition” once treatment ends and said more attention needs to be paid to follow-up care in the transition from cancer patient to cancer survivor. It also called for every cancer survivor to receive a comprehensive care summary and follow-up plan in writing that would include a specific schedule for future cancer screenings.

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death among women in most of the Western world and the leading cause of death for women under 50. The disease strikes more than 211,000 American women each year and kills 46,000.

Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations Under Review

The world of cancer screening was upended in mid-November when changes in screening recommendations for two common types of cancer, breast and cervical, were announced within a week of each other. Not only did the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) advise that women wait until age 50 to begin mammography screening, but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued revised guidelines for cervical cancer screening, recommending that women wait until they reach the age of 21 to have their first Pap Test. Both groups also recommended less frequent screening, except for higher risk cases. And though the new USPSTF guidelines are based on an in-depth analysis of data that suggests the harms of testing earlier and more frequently outweigh the benefits, they have sparked a great deal of controversy and drawn criticism from some advocacy groups and specialists organizations—some going so far as to say that the new recommendations were politically motivated.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is one organization that has disagreed with the new USPSTF breast cancer screening recommendations. “Our definition of cancer was given to us by German pathologists in the 1840s after they looked at biopsies from autopsy specimens. Now, 170 years later, we’ve progressed in terms of imaging, in terms of medical diagnostics into what I call the genetic and molecular biologic age, but our ability to define cancer has not progressed beyond the light microscope,” explained Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the ACS. “What we need to be able to do eventually is say that ‘this cancer is never going to progress,’ it is not going to spread and invade other organs in the body. But right now we don’t have the molecular tools to predict their behavior.” Brawley concluded: “Our view is that breast cancer screening saves lives and women aged 40 and above should get a high quality mammogram and clinical breast exam on an annual basis.”

And on December 2, the USPSTF’s top officials, including Dr. Ned Calonge, were summoned before a Congressional committee. Calonge, chairman of the USPSTF and chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and associate professor of family medicine and of preventive medicine and biometrics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, defended the task force and its revised recommendations but acknowledged that portions of the mammography recommendations, specifically those pertaining to women aged 40-49, were poorly phrased and “did not say what the task force meant to say.” Calonge then clarified the USPSTF’s stance. “Screening starting at age 40 should not be automatic, nor should it be denied,” he said in his testimony. “What we are saying is that the decision to have a mammogram for women in their 40s should be based on a discussion between a women and her doctor. Many doctors and many women, perhaps even most women, will decide to have mammography screening starting at age 40. The task force supports those decisions.” Calonge said the task force is committed to changing the way it communicates to ensure that “this kind of miscommunication does not occur in the future.”


Calonge also said the task force voted on the recommendations in June 2008—well before the presidential election and the national health reform debate that followed, adding that the release date of the recommendations was determined by the Annals of Internal Medicine’s publication schedule. “We are well familiar with the ruthless horror of cancer, and the role that detection and treatment plays,” he testified. “We certainly know that mammography saves lives. However, our job as the task force is to rigorously review scientific evidence. Politics play no part in our processes. Cost and cost-effectiveness were never considered in our discussions.”

“It’s unfortunate that things like this become so politicized, that science can’t just be science,” said Judy Ockene, a disease prevention specialist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and a member of the USPSTF who helped draft the new breast cancer screening recommendations. “I found it personally frustrating to see so much of a response and people being maligned and it being said that they’re doing this for their own self-interest. There’s not one member of that task force that gets any money out of it.” Ockene’s term on the task force ended a year ago.

However, not everyone has been critical of the task force. “I think it’s a coincidence that this (the mammogram recommendation) came out when it did, right in the middle of the healthcare reform discussion,” said Dr. Robert J. Barnet, senior scholar in residence at the Center for Clinical Bioethics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. “It’s a good panel, one that was dedicated to getting the right answer to what should be done about this.”

Soy Products May Actually Lower Breast Cancer Patients Risk of Death

There has been conflicting evidence as to whether soy foods increase breast cancer risks or reduce the chances of breast cancer. With soy products of all kinds gaining in popularity, women are concerned about consumption when they are at risk of or have experienced breast cancer. Now, there is new evidence indicating soy foods may actually benefit women that eat moderate amounts by reducing their risk of breast cancer recurrence and lower their risk of death.

Because soy contains isoflavone, an estrogen-like compound which in labs seemed to help cancer cells to grow and increase tumor growth in animals, many breast cancer patients have worried that by eating soy products they may be increasing their odds of recurrence or death. However, based on a new study published in the December 9^th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, there seems to be no reason for breast cancer patients to avoid soy foods.

The lead author of the newly released study, Dr. Xiao Ou Shu, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University, and her colleagues used data from the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study that consisted of 5,042 Chinese women ranging in age from 20 to 75 that had been diagnosed with breast cancer between March 2002 and April 2006, for their study. The group examined data on cancer progression at six months following a breast cancer diagnosis, and again at 18, 36, and 60 months following the diagnosis. The group considered the cancer diagnosis, treatment, and lifestyle factors of the patients, including their diets.

Dr. Shu said, “There was a linear response, and we found the higher the intake, the lower the mortality, up to 11 grams of soy protein.” One-fourth of a cup of tofu daily would grant someone 11grams of soy protein, according to Dr. Shu. The study found the group of women with the highest intake of soy products had a 29 percent lower risk of death, and a 32 percent less chance of suffering a recurrence of breast cancer, when compared to the group of ladies that consumed less than 5.3 grams of soy daily during the study.

Dr. Shu said, “Some doctors have advised women not to eat soy foods…. But another school of physicians think it’s safe. So it has been controversial. Our findings are important because, nowadays, it’s very difficult to avoid soy exposure. Soy flour and soy protein has been added to many foods in this country. Women may consume it and not even know it.”

Dr. Shu and her colleagues didn’t notice any adverse effects caused from soy consumption in women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, a form of cancer where tumors grow faster when exposed to estrogen or in those cancer patients with estrogen receptor-negative, a type of breast cancer thought to not be affected by estrogen. The study also found no difference in women who were taking Tamoxifen, a drug used to treat breast cancer patients, or breast cancer patients not taking the drug. However, it seems based on Dr. Shu’s study patients taking Tamoxifen and consuming lower to moderate amounts of soy products benefited from a lower risk of death. But women who consumed the most soy products and were not taking Tamoxifen, had the highest rates of survival and lowest chances of recurrence, compared to those taking the drug and eating less soy.

While the new research brings more insight into the link between soy products and breast cancer survival and recurrence rates, there is still a lot of research needed. This study was based on soy consumption in Chinese women which differs from the consumption in women in the U.S. While this study gives us a little reassurance as far as soy products being safe if consumed by a breast cancer patient, the author states, “we cannot conclude from this study that there are no negative effects” of soy. Dr. Shu cautions that her study was considering soy as a whole food and not its components and there could be some components of soy that are not good for everyone. However, she said overall they are seeing women who eat more amounts of soy are helping in their fight against breast cancer recurrence and death.

Bone Drugs May Lower Risk for Breast Cancer

For the millions of women who are already taking medications to help improve bone density, there may be more than one benefit. New results from a landmark women’s health study raised the exciting possibility that bone-building medications such as Actonel and Fosamax may help lower the risk or even prevent breast cancer.

The women who were already using these medications when the study began were approximately one-third less likely to develop invasive breast cancer over the next seven years when compared to the women who were not taking these pills, doctors reported on Thursday. However, the study alone is not enough to prove that these drugs, called bisphosphonates, prevent breast cancer. More definitive studies should be able to give us a clearer answer in a year or two.

This information greatly amplifies the hopeful buzz that started last year when the researchers reported that bisphosphonates reduced the chances that cancer would relapse in women that have already been treated for the disease.

Dr. Peter Ravdin, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, said, “Now we’re actually looking at this in the general population – healthy women who have never had breast cancer. And it looks like it’s protective in those women as well.” Ravdin help review the research for the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, where the results were reported on Thursday, said, “This is very promising.” Millions of women are already taking bisphosphonates for bone-thinning osteoporosis, or to help prevent fractures from cancer that has spread into their bones.

The medications range from $100 dollars for a three-month supply of the generic versions of Merck & Co. Inc.’s Fosamax pills to as much as $1,200 dollars for an infusion of Novartis AG’s Zometa, which is given every six months to treat osteoporosis. Other brands that have these kinds of medications are Warner Chilcott PLC’s Actonel and GlaxoSmithKline PLC’s Boniva.

After finding out last year that Zometa cut the risk of cancer recurrence, doctors started to wonder if it just making the bones more resistant to the spread of cancer, or does it have wide anti-tumor effects that may help prevent the cancer from developing in the first place?

Dr. Rowan Chlebowski, from Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California, sought these answers from the Women’s Health Initiative, which is a federally funded study that is best know for revealing previously unrecognized risks from progestin and estrogen pills that are taken after menopause.

Of the 151,592 participants in the study, 2,216 were taking the bisphosphonates, mostly Fosamax, when the study first began. Approximately seven years later, 31 percent fewer invasive breast cancer cases have occurred among those women when compared with the others. The benefit still persisted even after the researchers took into account differences in smoking, weight, age, vitamin D and hormone use, and other things that affect bone density and the risk for breast cancer.

However, the women that were taking bisphosphonates were more likely to develop a noninvasive tumor of the milk duct called DCIS and Chlebowski said that this would be an acceptable trade-off. For every 1,000 women that took the bisphosphonates for one year, one fewer case of invasive, life-threatening breast cancer would occur. Overall, the results from the study suggest that bisphosphonates have direct anti-cancer effects and are not just helping the bones resist the spread of cancer.

Chlebowski, who has consulted the makers of bisphosphonates and other cancer prevention medications, said that if the medications only worked in the bone marrow then it would not be influencing incidence of new cancers.

A second study also supported that view. Dr. Gad Rennert, from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel, compared approximately 2,000 women that were postmenopausal with breast cancer to 2,000 similar women that did not have the disease. He said those that had the cancer were 29 percent less likely to have been taking the bisphosphonates. However, neither of the studies collected information about the side effects. Bisphosphonates can cause muscle, bone or joint pain and in rare cases, jawbone decay can occur.

Dr. Eric Winer, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Boston, said, “These are drugs that, generally speaking, are relatively well tolerated,” and are fairly safe, but they still should not be taken for prevention of cancer until more definitive studies show their benefits and risks.

The only medications approved now for the prevention of breast cancer in healthy women at higher risk are the hormone blockers raloxifene and tamoxifen. The side effects for these medications are high blood pressure, hot flashes and a higher risk of blood clots, which have limited their use.

What is Breast Cancer?

Definition, Types of Breast Cancer, Common Symptoms

Breast cancer is a malignant (cancerous) growth that begins in the tissues of the breast. Cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells grow in an uncontrolled way. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, but it can also appear in men. In the U.S., it affects one in eight women.

The most common types of breast cancer are:

• ductal carcinoma (85 - 90% of all cases)
• lobular carcinoma (8% of all cases)

Invasive (Infiltrating) Breast Cancer
Invasive, or infiltrating, breast cancer has the potential to spread out of the original tumor site and invade other parts of your breast and body. There are several types and subtypes of invasive breast cancer.

Less common are:

• inflammatory breast cancer (occurs in the skin)
• Paget's disease of the nipple

Symptoms of Breast Cancer:

• a lump or a thickening in the breast or in the armpit
• a change of size or shape of the mature breast
• fluid (not milk) leaking from the nipple
• a change of size or shape of the nipple
• a change of color or texture of the nipple or the areola, or of the skin of the breast itself (dimples, puckers, rash)
• Read more details about symptoms of breast cancer

If You Have Breast Pain

Early stages of breast cancer may not cause any pain or discomfort. Having a regular mammogram and a clinical breast exam by your health professional can help you understand changes in your breasts. Doing your breast self-exam can help you keep track of regular monthly changes.

Remember, many lumps and rashes are benign (not cancerous) and can respond well to proper treatment. If you experience any symptoms that cause you concern, see your doctor.

Treatments for breast cancer, as well as survival rates, are improving. Early detection and medical help is critical to improving the chances of living beyond a diagnosis of breast cancer.

Celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) is a great time to educate and empower yourself for the best breast health. Every October, pink ribbons appear all around – from cans of soup in the grocery store to stylish bracelets and lapel pins. But how does all that pink relate to breast health and breast cancer? The pink ribbons remind of our risks, responsibilities, and raising breast cancer awareness.

Anyone with breast tissue – men and women – is at risk for developing breast cancer. But only one percent of men and one in eight women will develop breast cancer. Knowing your risks – and what you can do to reduce your risks – is a great way to raise your personal breast cancer awareness.

Tests that examine the breasts are used to detect (find) and diagnose breast cancer.

A doctor should be seen if changes in the breast are noticed. The following tests and procedures may be used:

• Mammogram: An x-ray of the breast.

• Mammography of the right breast.

• Biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer. If a lump in the breast is found, the doctor may need to remove a small piece of the lump. Four types of biopsies are as follows:
  • Excisional biopsy: The removal of an entire lump of tissue.
  • Incisional biopsy: The removal of part of a lump or a sample of tissue.
  • Core biopsy: The removal of tissue using a wide needle.
  • Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy: The removal of tissue or fluid, using a thin needle.
• Estrogen and progesterone receptor test: A test to measure the amount of estrogen and progesterone (hormones) receptors in cancer tissue. If cancer is found in the breast, tissue from the tumor is checked in the laboratory to find out whether estrogen and progesterone could affect the way cancer grows. The test results show whether hormone therapy may stop the cancer from growing.
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).