Diet and Breast Cancer, Myths and Uncertainties

Article by Aditi Miscall

No area of oncology is more complex and controversial than the relationship of cancer and diet. Everyone would like to believe that there is some diet which can substantially affect the likelihood of cancer, or better still to cure it once contracted. But to date, the evidence of the effect of diet is unclear and often inconsistent.

All reputable sources agree that no diet outright cures cancer. Nor is there strong evidence to support the view that any particular diet prevents contracting it. But there are many studies that suggest that occurrence, recurrence and survivability may be affected by the foods we choose.

Though far from certain, many studies examined by researchers at Cornell University were able to correlate lower death rates – an increased five or ten year survivability, with certain dietary choices.

In one study examined (the Nurses Health Study), 1,982 women who had already developed breast cancer were followed for an average of 13 years. Over 1,200 had cancers that had not metastasized (spreading of a primary tumor to other areas producing secondary tumors of the same type). Survival rates of cancer patients whose disease has spread are known to be much lower (21% five-year survival, as contrasted to 86% for those whose cancer has not metastasized).

Continue Reading ➟

Types Of Breast Cancer

Article by Connie Limon

Women seem to fear breast cancer more than any other life threatening disease. Research shows women are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than from all forms of cancer combined. Breast cancer is rare in men, although it does occur.

If you are one that fears breast cancer, there is more reason for optimism today than ever before. Doctors have made great progress in diagnosing and treating breast cancer in the last 30 years.

Radical mastectomy is rarely performed today. There are more and better treatment options. This article addresses the different types of breast cancer.

Breast cancer type is determined from a tissue sample (biopsy) sent to the lab for analysis. The treatment for breast cancer depends upon what type it is.

The breast’s milk ducts is where the most common types of breast cancer originate. The actual point in origin is determined by the microscopic appearance of the cancer cells from a biopsy.

Continue Reading ➟

#BreastCancer – Be Aware and Beware

Article by Cancer Hospital India

With rapid industrialization and urbanization, the incidence of breast cancer is rising fast among Indian women. Proper awareness and proper treatment under proper guidance can help millions to reduce the brunt of this menace. Breast Cancer is the commonest cancer among urban women in India. As per National Cancer Registry, over 1 lakh women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. 60% of these diagnoses present at an advanced stage with less than 15% chance of survival. If these women have been diagnosed early, their survival chances can be more than 90%.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) places incidence of the disease at 30 to 33 per 100,000 women in urban India. The number of new breast cancer cases in India is about 100,000 women each year and ICMR predicts there will be approximately 250,000 new cases of cancer in India by 2015. It is reported that one in 22 women in India is likely to suffer from breast cancer during her lifetime, while the figure is definitely more in America with one in eight being a victim of this deadly cancer.

The cure rate of this cancer if detected early is 97 percent but, unfortunately, less than 10 percent of all the 100,000 new breast cancers diagnosed in India every year fall into this category. In India, this cancer presents a decade earlier affecting younger women between 30 and 40 years. Unlike in the West where typically women after 50 years get early stage disease, Indian women occurs at a younger age and is usually presented and diagnosed at a later stage due to low awareness on breast screening and self- examination.

Risk factors:

There is no known single specific cause for the illness. Urbanization has bought its own share of grief with pollution in water, air, food etc. Pesticides in vegetables and other food items are known carcinogens which are creating havoc. In a W.H.O report it was stated the Indians consume pesticides 40 times higher than permissible levels in their food.Causes like heredity, genetic mutations, environmental toxins, certain physical and chemical hazards, consumption of genetically modified food products, life style factors like stress, smoking, alcohol, eating junk food, obesity and lack of exercise are attributed to this cancer.

Symptoms:

The main symptoms which one should look out for are a lump in the breast or armpit, discharge from the nipples, nipple or skin retraction, thickening, ulceration and redness of skin

Continue Reading ➟

Effects And Benefits Of Alternative Cancer Treatments For Breast Cancer

Article by Mark Branyon

There is no doubt that breast cancer is a frightening diagnosis for any woman or man. From the moment those two words are uttered, feelings of uncertainty and fear begin to mount. Uncertainty about the future and whether there’s a way to better the chances of survival collide with feelings of life without one or both breasts. Concern about surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy treatment, as well as whether or not survival is possible at all, is what usually swirls through the mind of any person moments after hearing those two dreaded words.

But there is a silver lining around this dark cloud of bad news. The good news is that tremendous advances in cancer detection and traditional as well as alternative cancer treatments have taken place over the past few decades. As a result, the prognosis for surviving breast cancer, and even avoiding radical surgery, has never been better.

Following the advice and course of treatment recommended by your doctor is of utmost importance. But interestingly, many men and women diagnosed with breast cancer report that their symptoms have been improved, and in some cases reversed, by pursuing one of the many medically-approved alternative breast cancer treatments available today.

Of course, no “one-size-fits-all” alternative cancer treatment exists so finding the right one requires the advice of a physician who is trained in alternative cancer therapies. These physicians take a holistic approach to treating breast cancer. Simply stated, they’ll decide on one or more alternative breast cancer treatments depending on the specific type of breast cancer and the stage of the disease.

Continue Reading ➟