Invasive Breast Cancer

Published on May 29 2010, in the categories: breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women and many are presently victims of it and not even know it yet. There are more types of breast cancer depending on its location, on how much it has extended and others.
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Invasive breast cancer is one such type that represents a higher risk for the patient and it can be locally advanced or metastatic. Metastasis is well known for its highest death rate but it can still offer some options for treatment. Also called infiltrating cancer, invasive cancer instates itself once the cancerous cells have spread beyond the breast's ducts and lobules to other parts of the breast or body. If it is just locally advanced then the cancerous cells are limited to just the breast area but when it becomes metastatic it spreads to distant lymph nodes and even other organs, even the brain, bones, liver or lung. Even if secondary tumors are detected in the brain for example the cancer is still called metastatic breast cancer and is treated accordingly, starting with the primary tumor.

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Invasive cancer can also be further divided into several other cancer types which can be treated differently. This is where diagnosis and staging is important. At its first stages the cancer might present no symptoms. It is only as the cancer progresses that signs of the disease become visible and can include a lump which persists during your period near the breast, a mass which may feel no bigger than a pea, a change in the size and shape of the breast, fluid discharge from the breast containing blood, the skin feeling dimpled, puckered or inflamed. You might also notice a change in the position or shape of the nipple and a redness on its skin. Another symptom can simply be detecting an area different from any other area on both breasts. These changes can also be detected through a breast self-exam and if you do one every month you are more likely to detect any abnormalities immediately.

What treatments give you most hope for curing invasive breast cancer? There are actually many treatments for lung cancer and basically include the standards ones like surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy but also hormone therapy and biological therapy. Your oncologist might establish a treatment plan that combines more of these to offer you the best chances for a cure.

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Life expectancy for this type of cancer has gone up mainly due to clinical trials. This is why most doctors recommend that you participate in such trials which can either guarantee the best standard treatment customized for each individual case or an innovative treatment that holds promises for a real cure. Either way you should best consult your oncologists to make a good decision about this and to become more aware about your condition.

What Does A Breast Cancer Lump Feel Like

Published on May 29 2010, in the categories: symptoms

We all become paranoid as soon as we hear about breast cancer and its high incidence today. The first thing we do is feel up our breasts in search for abnormal lumps but often enough panic at the presence of harmless signs easily mistaken for tumors. This fear can really turn into an obsession. On the good side, that woman is bound to undergo a medical test to ensure she is safe from the cancer but until you don't find out exactly what breast cancer is and how a cancerous lump feel like exactly you won't find peace.
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There are also harmless lumps you can feel and that should not represent any risk or stress factor for you. It's important to go over the differences between benign and malign lumps in order to have some degree of control over the development of the cancer.

There are actually three kinds of benign lumps. These are cysts, fibroadenomas and pseudolumps while there's just one malign lump: breast cancer. We should take a look at these types of lumps in order to really be able to differentiate between them. We can start with cysts. When you feel up your breast the cyst will feel like a sack of fluid, soft and squishy. It's just like a water balloon that can also move around from time to time, particularly during your period. You can easily treat and permanently eliminate it through a fine needle aspiration.

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Next are the fibroadenomas which feel like hard or firm lumps. They are usually easy to feel at the breast's surface and they can also be removed through a special procedure.

Breast pseudolumps can be deemed harmless through a mammogram, ultrasound or a needle biopsy. These feel rather hard and are often not movable. They are caused by scar tissue, hardened silicone, dead fat or a rib bone compressing the tissue.

Finally we come to breast cancer lumps which are malignant and consist of abnormal cells in the tissue that grow out of control.

So what does it feel like?

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A cancerous lump is different through its obvious irregular shape with a surface like pebbles reminding of a golf ball. It feels very hard and may not be movable during a breast self-exam. It is hard however to detect the fact that is does not move because of the moving tissue around it. It can be located both deeper in the tissue or at the surface. You can also feel it sometimes near the armpit area.

No matter what is feels like if you cannot absolutely rule out cancer you should get a mammogram or a needle biopsy to either diagnose the cancer and decide its stage or to be reassured of your health.

Breast Cancer Tattoos

Published on May 26 2010, in the categories: breast cancer

Tattooing ourselves is a highly known ritual for hundreds of years, and it was used by tribe members, and in our days, it has become very popular. Still, aside from the being-cool trend, tattoos can also have a deep, meaningful story. We tend to make a tattoo on our body after an important event in our lives, which marked us deeply and we want to remember it for a long time- such as wedding, the death of someone close or, on the contrary, the birth of a new member, or the battle won by Good and God.

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In 1991, the Susan G. Komen Foundation handed out pink ribbons to participants at NYC's race for breast cancer survivors. Later, ribbons were distributed in various New York City department stores and a few years later they became the international symbol for breast cancer. And if now marketing is everywhere and you can find almost all articles with a pink breast cancer ribbon, something purchasing relating articles won't do a lot, or, won't do enough. For those of us who were in deed affected, who suffered and then got cured by breast cancer, the experience is much more painful and dramatic than a simple object could describe.

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This is why hundreads of women chose a different approach to the breast cancer fight and decided they will get a tattoo, a special one, the international symbol of the pink heart. Some survivors are getting pink ribbon tattoos over scars on their chests, while others are getting them as well as body paintings for cosmetic reasons only. Either way, tattooing the breast cancer international symbol, to carry on your skin forever is an act of bravery for all of you who won the fight against the cancer or who have someone close who is taking the battle.

And if you are at your first tattoo, here are some important rules you might want to take into consideration so the result is exactly the one you wished for! First of all, be sure you have a positive state of mind and that you never, never get tattoos under pressure. Secondly, the most important decision is to find the right design which should be something that you love or you're really bound to.

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Another important thing to bear in mind is that you always have to let the pros handle the procedures and always use high quality tattoo stencils. You can also adjust for size, placement and see how your tattoo will look exactly before it becomes permanent, so always make sure that it is the right one for your demands. And, as any other scar, no tattoo is finished until the healing process is over, so make sure you won't take off your bandage unless your artist says you can, especially if it's on a more vulnerable area such as the breasts zone.

Jackets Or Hoodies With Breast Cancer Logo

Published on May 26 2010, in the categories: breast cancer

We all know breast cancer is not an easy thing to pass through. We should also know how to be there for the women who need us, for those who are fighting against it for the chance to have a more normal life. And for all women across the globe who are fighting with this tremendous disease, as well as for all women who should be aware of the danger and get medical consults regulate, the pink ribbon is a universal symbol.

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There are hundreds of humanitarian organizations which fight breast cancer and offer funds as well as give donations for foundations which are taking care of ill women. In addition, besides the massive media campaignes made in the last years, besides the direct involvement of international stars in this humanitarian actions, the pink ribbon has a soul and a power of its own, and the pink ribbon brand is one of the most profitable. Why? Because we would all feel better if we'd purchase small articles with a logo embroded which will guarantee us that a part of the profit from the sells will go directly to supporting the breast cancer cause.

And among all big companies across the globe, AVON has done a huge job by warning women of the risks and by sending millions of dollars funds into scientific research which will provide cures and not only.

If you are looking to purchase online different products which have engraved or embroded the pink ribbon breast cancer logo, you either check the online webiste of the AVON company, avon.com, or you hit a click on www.thefind.com.

The AVON site provides you various breast cancer logo products, from tea spoons and tea cups sets, to teddy bears, keycharms, mobile charms, notebooks and many others more. Some other online shops like Mary Maxim, Zazzle, OpenTip or weddingfavours.ca can also offer you a full range of logo products, including tees, jackets and hoodies.

For example, at zazzle.com you can purchase a wonderful Think Pink Breast Cancer awareness pink ribbon jacket for $44.95 or go for the Breast Cancer Hoodie, with a custom relaxed fit which will cost you $34.97. Many hoodies and jackets with funny and pink messages can enrich your wardrobe if you know what to chose, and going pink is also a good option.

So, whatever it is- either you're supporting or you're buying them just because they're cool, every bought product with the pink breast cancer logo will bring scientists more close to finding a cure and improving the life of millions and millions of women worldwide. And because you don't have to sacrifice style for being solidar with breast cancer, feel free to purchase online as many outfits as possible which can be combined with a lot of other items to create every day a new look, joyful and fun.

Advanced Breast Cancer Stages

Published on May 24 2010, in the categories: breast cancer, treatment

The cancer stages I to IV to understand what is tumor size (from Q1 to Q4) and whether or not lymph nodes, mobile or fixed. According to UICC International Classification of tumors in breast cancer can be distinguished:

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Depending on these stages will determine which treatment should follow.
Advanced breast cancer stage III begins with 3-4 series of chemotherapy sessions, according to oncology. If the answer is positive, is an adjunct after surgery (1 year), surgery followed by radiotherapy. Also, if the cancer is HER2-positive are given Herceptin,

Metastasis in areas near the breast, for example in the armpit (under arm) is called regional metastasis. Metastasis in other areas of the body such as bones, liver or lung, is called metastasis from a distance. Metastatic cancer at diagnosis may be present initially or may appear months or years later, following treatment for stage It is unusual to have a comma following a subject pronoun. Consider removing the comma or changing the pronoun, e.g.I, stage II or stage III. Metastatic cancer is down to 5% of 245 comments

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Breast Cancer Signs Stages

Published on May 22 2010, in the categories: breast cancer, treatment

Breast cancer signs are usually detected in early stages of disease. Early-stage breast cancer is often detected by mammography before any symptoms have appeared. The most common symptom is painless breast nodule. However, mammary glands of breast cancer can also be painful.
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Breast cancer general symptoms include:
- A lump in the breast or armpit appeared recently
- Changing breast size or shape
- Changes in the breast skin, such as a wrinkle or stain
- Nipple discharge or bleeding to occur in this collection
- Nipple changes such as retraction or inversion
- Nipple crusting
- Changes in skin color or texture of the breast or darker around the nipple

90% of women, which have breast cancer signs first of all, they noticed as a node (appearance of tumor tissue that emerges from the normal plane breast). Nine out of ten breast growths are benign, many among these are cysts.
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However, there are other signs that require attention: changes in size, shape or appearance of breasts (increasing of breast cancer compared with other, wrinkled of the skin), and a not easy way to movement compared with other breast, it is possible to develop a hypersensitivity to this
level; enlarging lymph nodes on the periphery of the breast or armpit, as well the appearance of nodules in these levels, which persist after menstruation; pain associated with nodules that persist and interfere style living or sleeping patient; unilateral pain that persists in the breast in women postmenopausal; abscess or inflammation of the breast (translated by redness and pain) as resistant to a first set of antibiotics;

Breast cancer is not painful, so do not expected appearance a pain to consult a doctor. In fact, many women find that their healthy breasts are full of lumps before a cycle and that some types of benign breast growths are painful.

After diagnosis of cancer, will determine prevalence of the disease. This step is very important because the proposed treatment and recommendations for recovery depend on cancer stage. Staging takes place after certain rules and uses three concepts key, which serve as decisive criteria:
• T represents the tumor.
• N represents the lymph nodes.
• M stands metastasis.

TNM descriptions can groupe breast cancer signs into a simpler set of stages, graded from I to IV.
▪ Stage I - small breast tumor size up to 2 cm without affecting the lymph nodes or spread in the body
▪ stage II - mammary tumor is slightly larger, usually not than 5 cm, with or without affecting the lymph nodes, without widespread evident in the body
▪ stage III - tumors can be any size, but lymph nodes are bulky or fixed between them and / or structures adjacent, there is no spread of disease in body
▪ stage IV - is suffering once the disease spread primarily the body, the so-called metastasis - bone, lung, liver, regardless of how the disease manifests itself locally, the breast or lymph.
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Due to ignorance, fear of diagnosis or lack of education health in our country, over 60% of patients diagnosed with breast cancer are in advanced stages, III and IV, their chances survival is low and high treatment cost. In view of this staging, but other factors such as: age, general health, diseases associated installation menopause, deciding a particular type of treatment. Using a appropriate treatment program is unlikely passage cancer from one state to another.

Breast Cancer Stage 4 Prognosis

Published on May 22 2010, in the categories: breast cancer, treatment

Breast cancer is a very rare disease before the age of 25 years. His growing frequency after 30 years. Three quarters of breast cancer cases occur after 50 years. It can be found in an early stage, intermediate or advanced, and can evolve slowly or moderately fast. There are many types of cancer breast cancer, each requiring a treatment adapted and updated by medical staff according to patient needs.
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Like others types of cancer, breast cancer has many stages.
▪ Stage I - small breast tumor size up to 2 cm without affecting the lymph nodes or spread in the body
▪ Stage II - mammary tumor is slightly higher, usually not than 5 cm, with or without affecting the lymph nodes, without widespread evident in the body
▪ stage III - tumors can be any size, but lymph nodes are bulky or fixed between them and / or structures adjacent, there is no spread of disease in body
▪ stage IV - the pain is due of the disease spread in the entire body, the so-called metastasis - bone, lung, liver, regardless of how the disease manifests itself locally, the breast or lymph.
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Stage 4 of breast cancer prognostics are not so good because at this level, the disease is very advanced. The treatment of stage IV and metastatic breast cancer may include the following:
- Hormone therapy and / or chemotherapy with or without trastuzumabum (Herceptin)
- Radiotherapy and / or surgery to relieve pain and other symptoms
- Inclusion in clinical trials investigating new chemotherapy and / or hormone therapy. Also, clinical trials are investigating new mixtures between trastuzumabum (Herceptin) and other anticancer drugs
- In clinical trials are investigating new therapies associated with high dose chemotherapy stem cell transplantation.

Also, stage 4 of breast cancer prognostics are made it after many reserches in breast cancer medicine, where many women died after a long treatment, only because they made the medical investigations too late.

If is treated early, breast cancer can have good prognosis. However, approximately 50% of patients make a relapse in the first 10 years after treatment. For detection of recurrence is required supervision by:
- Consulting the doctor frequently (every 6 months for 4 years, then annually);
- Monthly breast self-examination with rapid presentation to the doctor if a change is detected;
- Systematic examination or only recommended if the person has some symptoms, to detect signs of metastasis or recurrence of cancer in other organ (heart ultrasound, bone scintigraphy, chest radiography, liver ultrasound, CT brain, determination of tumor markers).
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- A very healthy and natural diet
Due to ignorance, fear of diagnosis and lack of education health in our country, over 60% of patients diagnosed with breast cancer are in advanced stages, III and IV, their chances survival is low and high treatment cost. In view of this staging, but other factors such as: age, general health, diseases associated installation menopause, deciding a particular type of treatment. Using a appropriate treatment program is unlikely passage cancer from one stage to another.

Breast Cancer Prevention

Published on May 14 2010, in the categories: breast cancer

Cancer is a disease that is manifested by uncontrolled cell division and their spread in the body. Breast cancer is the cancer where the cancer cells develop in the breast. This disease affects not only women but also men (1% of breast cancers are in the men). Most cases of breast cancer are counted in women over the age of 40 (almost 75% of all breast cancer cases). Age represents an important risk factor, the more we go in age, the risk of developing breast cancer increases.

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Risk factors in breast cancer – because it was not established an exact cause for breast cancer cells appearance, the risk factors are not to be neglected:

- Age
- Gender; women generally suffer from this disease
- Heredity (risk of developing cancer increases if there is family history, if mother, daughter or sister have suffered from this disease)
- Alcohol
- A diet which is rich in fatty foods (if a lot of fat is consumed)
- High oil consumption (especially sunflower oil, corn or soy)
- Obesity (especially after menopause)
- The presence in the blood of certain hormones such as estrogen may increase the chances of cancer
- The use of hormonal contraceptives
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Breast cancer prevention. Although there is no direct cause of breast cancer, a series of preventive actions can reduce the risk of developing the disease, or even detect the disease in an early stage, increasing the chances of cure:

- Monthly the self-examination of the breasts

- Medical breasts check at least once a year (doctors that may do an assessment of the breasts are: personal doctor, general doctor, gynecologist, internist or general surgeon doctor).

- Quit smoking

- Adopt a healthy diet, surely low in fat

- Making exercise (at least 3 times per week)

- A diet rich in vitamin D

- Consumption of vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower or Brussels cabbage, etc

- Mushrooms consumption (it appears that women who consumed a lot of mushrooms shows a lower risk of developing breast cancer)

- Having a pregnancy before 25 years significantly reduces your risks of developing the disease, compared with women who remained pregnant after 30 years old or compared with women who never had any children’s.

- Breastfeeding (the specialists say that the breastfeeding is playing a very important role in breast cancer prevention)

Types of treatment for breast cancer are:
1. Surgical excision - removal processes are:
- Removing the breast lump with the breast preservation

- Removing the entire breast (mastectomy)
2. Radiotherapy
3. Chemotherapy
4. Hormone therapy with tamoxifen or with inhibitors
5. Biological therapy with monoclonal antibodies that block the protein HER-2 (this therapy is used sometimes in the treatment of breast cancer which is metastasis in other parts of the body).

When deciding the method of treatment, doctor and patient should consider the following:
- Size and location of breast cancer;
- Microscopic appearance of tumor cells;
- Cancer response to hormonal action;
- The existence or not of cancer cells in the palpable lymph nodes.
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The doctor should take into account also the personal preferences and health status of the patient, including:

- Desire for breast preservation;
- Family and personal history of breast cancer;
- Other coexisting diseases.

Types Of Breast Cancer

Published on May 14 2010, in the categories: breast cancer

World Health Organization has recently confirmed that all warnings released by dermatologists are based since long ago on a real danger: yes, artificial tanning has become the leading cause of skin cancer. While in Great Britain, for example, people are warned that the solarium is a huge danger and the medical cabinets from UK are controlled very carefully, in other countries it does not go this way. In Great Britain, each salon which offers artificial tanning is forced to write down and display all the risks that clients are exposed to. In other countries, there are only promotions displayed.

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Artificial tanning in other words means: ticket to skin cancer. No less than a total of 20 experts from several countries have confirmed that ultraviolet rays emitted by artificial tanning devices in salons, are more dangerous than they estimated to be when they were created. Experts believe that the solar tanning is a certain death. The risk of developing skin cancer because of solar is real even since the first sessions of solar tanning and youth are 75% more likely to develop this disease.
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To give you the most closer to reality idea, solarium has come to be considerate as harmful to the body exactly as smoking, arsenic or asbestos. The alternative is that if you really want to be tanned fast, then the best solution is to appeal to tanning creams.
Anyway, what else does solar tanning offers us.. aging, spots and skin cancer as I said. Experts say that exposure to solar for only two minutes, is equivalent with unprotected sun exposure over an entire year.
A solar produces two types of ultraviolet rays: UVA and UVB. UVA rays penetrate the deeper layers of the skin and they are related to risk of cancer, while UVB radiation affect our skin surface and are responsible for producing melanin, the substance that brings the tan. But both kinds of rays cause skin aging and lead to premature wrinkles.
It’s no joke with skin cancer, we better give up to such “pleasures” as solar tanning. And because the things written above appeal mostly to women, I will continue with another type of cancer, generally seen in women: breast cancer.
Breast cancer is a type of cancer in which the cells grows inside the breast. Most breast cancer cases are recorded in women over 40 (75% of cases). Depending on the area where it forms, there are two types of breast cancer:
-ductal carcinoma which is forming in the channels that are leading milk
-lobular carcinoma which is forming in the lobes where milk is produced.
Depending on how it is responding to hormones, there are again two types of breast cancer:
-sensitive cancer to estrogen levels (the estrogen helps the tumor to grow) and is the most common type;
-sensitive cancer to HER2 protein (caused by a gene that encourages the multiplication of breast cancer cells) and is the most aggressive type of breast cancer.
Breast cancer symptoms. (pay attention.. because some symptoms can announce that there it may be something wrong):
-Node in breast, painful or not -Node in the armpit -A stain or a wrinkle appeared on the breast or nipple -Breast changes (in shape/size) -Leakage from the nipple (may be transparent, yellow, greenish or crimson) -A swelling appeared on the arm near the breast -Pain in a breast or in both breasts -Weight-loss
-Skin suppurations -Bone pain
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You must be careful because it is true that it can not be really avoided as you can avoid skin cancer, but if it is diagnosed in an early stage, breast cancer can be treated.

Breast Cancer Poems

Published on May 08 2010, in the categories: Breast cancer poems

It has been demonstrated that fighting against cancer cannot be done only with a treatment, the most important thing remaining the positive thinking. This is the advice that persons who suffer from this ailment hear over and over again. Some of these women remain positive throughout the process of healing, and research has proved this as a vital factor in escaping cancer. In other words, we can come to the conclusion that no matter how many treatments a breast cancer women undergoes, if she doesn’t stay optimistic and doesn’t trust that one day that cancer will disappear, she will not be cured.

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Of course, there are many ways to keep a positive thinking. Some people are happy when they play a computer game, or read a book, others when they ride a bicycle, or walk in the park. In this article we will give some examples of poems written by breast cancer fighters, which we hope you will find inspiring.

Our Hero
So tender and so gentle, as only she could be For all that she believed in, as far as we could see Was living life and having fun and don’t forget her love For “angel” does describe her best along with her white dove.
She said to laugh and cry with joy, and don’t forget to sing All the songs she’d taught us, like the wind beneath my wings. That was her favorite song you know, so sing it out my dear But don’t regret that she is gone, she hears you loud and clear!
Today we learned what hero means, she’d be so very proud To see her name so brightly lit from atop her great white cloud. She watches closely over us and guides us through each day So please remember Gloria, each and every time you pray!
Not one of us would disagree, she left us way to soon The only time we see her now is through the big bright moon. Her legacy lives on today and those who knew her boast That life and love and laughter too, are what she loved the most.
Cancer may come unexpectedly into your life, Bringing fear, hard times, and great strife.
Families suffer and the end clearly unknown. Families are stronger than ever and not alone.
Our personalities must stay optimistic, Feeling better and free will be realistic.
The experience could be a long, hard ride, Twists and turns in which you have cried.
When you fight and beat it and go on to live, Don't forget the people who are here to give.
Love and care will forever and always stay. Cancer will be knocked out of the way.
Your soul is and will be stronger than this; It can conquer cancer, destroy and dismiss.
Courage and memories are very much needed, As tiring treatments have faithfully succeeded.
Friendship, family, and faith cannot be suppressed; They are the loving souls that make you blessed.
When my love-filled Mom became a cancer survivor, I soon realized that I was an underwater diver.
You dive in but you never know what is there for you, It could be your worst experience or the very best view.
By: Michaela Fournier