There is still no cure, but there are some methods of prevention that can decrease the risks of breast cancer.
Follow these healthy breast habits today:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Eat a balanced diet
- Examine yourself
- Know your breasts
Learn more about each step you can towards minimizing your breast cancer risk Here.
New research has provided evidence that a healthy diet helps women with breast cancer live longer.
The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and are based on 1,901 women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Between 2000 and 2002, the women completed detailed questionnaires on their diet, exercise habits, weight and other health factors.
Men and women have different nutritional needs - therefore there are foods that are more important for each to eat. Here are a few, and why they’re important:
- Tomato Sauce - protects against prostate cancer.
- Oysters - boosts zinc intake, which helps with the male reproductive system.
- Broccoli - protects against bladder cancer, which is especially popular in men.
- Peanut Butter - protects against heart disease.
- Watermelon - has tons of potassium, therefore protects against high blood pressure.
- Papaya - contains tons of vitamin C, which protects against gallbladder disease.
- Flaxseed - potential weapon against breast cancer.
- Tofu - High in soy protein, which can lower cholesterol and may minimize menopausal hot flashes and strengthen bone.
- Buffalo Meat - contains a lot of iron, which helps with anemia (this condition occurs more in women.)
- Collard Greens - may help with osteoporosis.
A new study suggests that some breast cancer, if left untreated, could regress on their own. Unfortunately, this question will never be definitively answered because it’s considered unethical not to treat breast cancer.
The study looked at two groups of women: One group of women aged 50-64 had a mammogram once every two years between 1996 and 2001 (Meaning three mammograms). The other group of women in the same age range only had one mammogram in 1997. The women who had more mammograms had more cancer, even at the end of the study. This suggests that left undetected, some cancers may spontaneously regress. Read more…
A new review suggests that women who were bigger than average babies at birth are more likely to develop breast cancer later in life. The reason for this connection are still unclear, and therefore no recommendations are yet being made. Read more…
You can’t change most things that increase your odds of getting breast cancer. But building the following five priorities into your life may cut your risk—or make it more likely you’ll find cancer early, when it’s more easily treated.
1. Limit yourself to two or three alcoholic drinks a week.
2. Exercise at least three times a week (more often is better).
3. Maintain your body weight, or lose weight if you’re overweight.
4. Do a monthly self breast self-exam.
5. Have a mammogram once a year after 40.
According to Lorie Parch
Resveratrol, found in red wine, grape skins, inhibits abnormal cells, study finds
MONDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) — A compound found in red grapes and red wine suppresses abnormal cell formation that leads to most types of breast cancer, according to U.S. researchers.
The compound, resveratrol, is sold in extract form as a dietary supplement.
Breast cancer forms through a multi-stage process that differs depending on the type of disease, a person’s genes, and other factors. However, it’s known that increased estrogen fuels many types of breast cancer.
“Resveratrol has the ability to prevent the first step that occurs when estrogen starts the process that leads to cancer by blocking the formation of the estrogen DNA adducts. We believe that this could stop the whole progression that leads to breast cancer down the road,” study author Eleanor G. Rogan, a professor in the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said in a prepared statement. Read more…
According to Robert Preidt
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ — Study results recently presented at the Radiological Society of North America 93rd Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting demonstrated the value of Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) as a strong adjunctive imaging modality to mammography and breast ultrasound. The study, performed by Dr. Jean Weigert, Director of Breast Imaging at Mandell and Blau MDs PC in New Britain, CT, demonstrated the very high predictive values of BSGI for identifying breast cancer.
Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) is molecular imaging of the breast, a novel physiologic approach in breast diagnostics that is performed with a high-resolution small field-of-view gamma camera and Tc-Sestamibi. According to Dr. Weigert, the radioisotope is taken up by cells with increased metabolic activity, such as the rapidly dividing cells in breast cancers; and areas of concern present at highly focalized areas of radiotracer uptake, or hotspots.
The study reviewed 512 women referred to BSGI due to an indeterminate mammogram and/or ultrasound. A history of breast cancer or new diagnosis of breast cancer as well as family history also warranted study. Additional mammography work-up, second-look ultrasound or MRI was used as needed to further evaluate areas of increased radiotracer uptake on BSGI.
Eighty-one percent of the patients had 6 to 24 month follow-up with no new findings. Ninety-seven biopsies were performed, of which 46 were positive and 51 were negative; five in patients with negative studies. In patients with newly diagnosed cancer, BSGI findings resulted in a change in surgical management in seven patients, identification of four occult contralateral cancers; and six patients underwent mastectomy due to discovery of more extensive disease. The smallest cancer identified was 5mm and no infiltrating lobular carcinomas were missed.
According to Dr. Weigert, Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging is a valuable technology that can help to diagnose unsuspected cancers and find greater extent of disease than may have been identified with mammography and ultrasound alone.
About BSGI with the Dilon 6800 Gamma Camera
Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) performed with the Dilon 6800, is a molecular breast imaging technique that can see lesions independent of tissue density and discover very early stage cancers. BSGI serves as a complementary diagnostic adjunct procedure to mammography and ultrasound for difficult-to-diagnose patients. With BSGI, the patient receives a radioactive tracing agent that is absorbed by all the cells in the body. Cancerous cells in the breast, due to their increased rate of metabolic activity, absorb a greater amount of the tracing agent than normal, healthy cells and generally appear as “hot spots” on the BSGI image.
BSGI is ideal for patients with mammograms that are difficult to interpret due to a variety of factors, such as: dense breast tissue, suspicious areas on a mammogram, lumps that can be felt but not seen with mammography or ultrasound, implants and breast augmentation, scarring from previous surgeries and for women with an increased risk of breast cancer diagnosis.
About Dilon Technologies
Dilon Technologies is bringing innovative new medical imaging products to market. Dilon’s cornerstone product, the Dilon 6800, is a high-resolution, small field-of-view gamma camera, optimized to perform Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI), a molecular breast imaging procedure that images the metabolic activity of breast lesions through radiotracer uptake. Many leading medical centers around the country are now offering BSGI to their patients, including: Cornell University Medical Center, New York; George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago; and The Rose, Houston. For more information on Dilon Technologies please visit http://www.dilon.com.
SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 16 /PRNewswire/ — Psychosocial support in women with advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is as important as the need for disease- and treatment-related information, according to results of a survey presented here today at the 30th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
The survey of 367 women with advanced breast cancer, which was conducted by Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, also underscores the growing importance of the Internet as an information resource for patients. The survey uncovered that patients with MBC feel that the Internet can be utilized more effectively by healthcare professionals and patient advocates.
“Despite the growing recognition of unmet medical, educational, and psychosocial needs among women with advanced breast cancer, there has been little information regarding which of these needs are most important to this patient population,” said Margaret C. Kirk, CEO, Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization. “This survey identifies psychosocial support as a high priority for women with metastatic breast cancer, one that should be pursued in tandem with the search for more effective and better-tolerated treatments.”
Additionally, survey participants’ responses about treatment-related side effects, fears and anxieties, and the overall treatment experience suggest that healthcare professionals would benefit from more education.
Survey Highlights Negative Experiences with Disease and Treatment
The survey identified a host of challenges among women with MBC. A vast majority (94%) of respondents indicated that they had experienced weakness or fatigue while dealing with their disease; and nearly three-quarters (73%) said they had suffered from depression. Two-thirds (67%) noted they had experienced cognitive disorders associated with treatment (e.g., the so-called “chemo-brain” syndrome); and more than half (51%) complained of sexual dysfunction. When asked what has concerned them most about their treatment, nearly one-third of survey participants mentioned side effects (29%), fear that the treatment would not work (29%) and fear of the unknown (27%). Respondents noted that fatigue (30%) was the most impactful of side effects associated with standard treatment, followed by pain (21%) and hair loss (14%).
When the survey participants were asked who has given them the most support in dealing with MBC, family member (43%) was mentioned most often, followed by caregiver (16%), friend (14%), and medical oncologist (13%). Nearly as many respondents said they get most of their information about MBC from the Internet (39%) as from their doctors (42%), and 86 percent said Web- based MBC education and support materials would be most helpful to them.
The survey uncovered gaps in the treatment of MBC. Twenty-two percent expressed unhappiness with the care they have received for their disease; 73% were not offered entry into a clinical trial at diagnosis; 36% disagreed with the statement that women with MBC have a variety of treatment options available to them; 41% indicated that options were not clear to them at the time of diagnosis; and 52% said their healthcare provider does not offer a variety of treatment options or keep them informed of relevant drug approvals and clinical trials.
The survey also uncovered a strong desire for more patient advocacy groups to focus on MBC, as voiced by 82% of respondents. Nearly half of those polled (47%) expressed a wish for more monetary support in the area of MBC research to extend survival.
“Although the breast cancer advocacy communities have made great strides in developing and disseminating information about metastatic breast cancer, it is clear that we need to do a better job in these areas,” said Kirk. “The survey results should serve as a wake-up call to healthcare professionals and advocacy groups to step up and improve their communication and support to patients, caregivers, and families dealing with this devastating disease.”
About Y-ME
Y-ME’s mission is to ensure, through information, empowerment and peer support, that no one faces breast cancer alone. Y-ME does not raise money for research but is here today for those who can’t wait for tomorrow’s cure. Y-ME has the only 24-hour hotline staffed entirely by trained breast cancer survivors.
Y-ME is a 501(c)(3) and meets the National Health Council’s 41 Standards of Excellence in governance, fundraising, accounting and reporting, and evaluation.
For information or support, visit http://www.y-me.org or call 1-800-221- 2141 (English, with interpreters available in 150 languages) or 1-800-986-9505 (Spanish).
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ — According to the American Cancer Society, over 200,000 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed annually in the United States. Also, a recent article suggests that more than forty percent of women who undergo breast cancer removal are not offered any type of reconstruction, referred to a surgeon, or educated in any way on current reconstructive options available.
Dr. Gabriel Kind, M.D., FACS, is a board certified plastic surgeon who practices in San Francisco, California and specializes in breast reconstruction before and after the diagnosis of breast cancer. Dr. Kind offers a variety of surgical options to help breast cancer patients and survivors recover gracefully from this disease!
“As a surgeon, I always educate my patients as to all of their options when dealing with something as serious as mastectomy surgery to remove cancer,” says Dr. Kind. “Many options are available. What appears to be the procedure of choice for many women is the DIEP flap, or Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator flap. Spreading the word about the options women have is the key to recovery.”
With the DIEP procedure, Dr. Kind begins by harvesting tissue from a patient’s lower abdomen and uses the fat, skin and DIEP vessels that supply necessary blood, and successfully recreates a natural-looking new breast for his patient. Since the abdominal wall tissue is similar to breast tissue, it produces a natural, aesthetically pleasing result without the use of an implant, and no sacrifice of muscle resulting in less post-surgical pain and complications.
The DIEP procedure has the advantage of avoiding implants, which can leak or rupture, requiring replacement, implants usually do poorly in patients who have had or will have radiation therapy for cancer. The DIEP brings healthy tissue to irradiated areas.
Dr. Kind has performed more DIEP procedures than any other surgeon in the Bay Area, and according to Dr. Kind, there are three main types of patients who receive the DIEP procedure: Newly found breast cancer patients; patients who had breast cancer removal and opted for breast implants and are having complications; and patients who have had mastectomy surgery to remove cancer, but had no breast reconstruction afterward. For these three types of women the DIEP procedure is a remarkable option.
“Reconstructive breast surgery is a sensitive topic amongst breast cancer patients, but the DIEP procedure is a significant step forward, offering another option for women facing breast cancer surgery,” states Dr. Kind. “I believe that excellence in surgery and the compassionate care and education of patients must go hand-in-hand.”
Dr. Gabriel Kind, M.D., FACS received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College, and attended Northwestern University Medical School. Additionally, Dr. Kind was fully trained in General Surgery at Rush Presbyterian St.Luke’s Medical Center, and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Northwestern University, McGaw Medical Center. He also completed a fellowship in Hand and Microsurgery at the Davies Medical Center which is now part of California-Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. Dr. Kind was Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery, by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and received a Certificate of Added Qualification in Surgery of the Hand from the American Board of Surgery. Dr. Kind is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Association of Plastic Surgeons, and the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, as well as several other national medical organizations. Dr. Kind is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, at the University of California-San Francisco. Visit www.drkind.com
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