Breast cancer has become a threat all over the world. Many women are killed in the United States due to breast cancer. Only lung cancer is liable for killing more women than breast cancer. But it is unknown to common to people that why a few women are affected by this cancer. Basically, there are several causes behind affecting this cancer.

In the cells of the breast of women and men this cancer begins initially. After lung cancer, it is considered as the second common kind of cancer globally (10.4 percent of all cancer occurrences, both males and females are calculated) and the fifth common reason of cancer death.

Some Reasons of Breast Cancer

In the aspect of this type of cancer, a few of the cells initiate to grow unusually in the breast. These cells separate more swiftly than strong cells do along with may widen (metastasize) by the breast to the lymph nodes or to the different areas of the body. Those women who are initiated to start their puberty early or else suffer from a late menopause are under the high risk of this cancer to a few extents. Those females who put attempt to take HRT which are elaborately known as hormone replacement therapy or else have lately initiated to take it, have under the risk of breast cancer to some extent.

Though the exact reasons of this type of cancer are undetected, we discern what the major risk issues are. Up till now, most of the women deemed at high risk for this cancer do not catch it, whereas many females who do not have any recognized risk factors.

Some symptoms of Breast Cancer

Lumps in the Breast:

Lump in the breast is the initial sign of breast cancer for many females. Approximately 90 percent breast lumps are benign. That indicates that they are not the sign of cancers. But most of the compassionate breast lumps are simply not the sign of cancers.

A thickening or a lump in the armpit or in the breast:

A few lumps or puffiness in the tissue of the breast can be owing to hormonal alterations. But if a thickening or lump exists, either it is in the armpit area or in the breast; it can be a reason for risk.

Fluid (not milk) emerging from the nipple:

From the ages 41 to 58, there can be a little bit of non-bloody outflow from the nipples of breasts. This leakage is typically owing to hormonal alters and is simply not troublesome.

Some Treatments

Surgery

There are some common treatments for breast cancer which are very effective, such as lumpectomy (breast-conserving surgery), mastectomy, radiation therapy and chemotherapy

Long Term Health Plan

Why it is very significant to affix to the treatment sketch. Receive the entire way of medications as well as carry on the doctors’ visits and regular tests can make a person healthy and robust for the future.

Simple mastectomy

At the time of a simple mastectomy, doctors eliminate all the tissue of the breast – the ducts, lobules, skin and fatty tissue comprising the areola as well as nipple.

Tissue flap’s reconstruction

It is (TRAM) flap that is elaborately recognized as a transverse rectus abdominal muscle. This surgery takes an attempt to rebuild the breast employing tissue, comprising muscle and fat from the abdomen.

I do a great deal of speaking regarding breast health and taking charge of one’s life. As a motivational speaker you hope that your message reaches the spirit of your audience to take action regarding their health, particularly their breast health. When it comes to our breast health, or any health issue for that fact, as individuals we must be willing to get to know our bodies and become aware of any change from yesterday, last week, last month or last year.

Often times our body will send us warning signs that we can heed or simply ignore. I believe in the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” So when I meet women who tell me they have a family history of breast cancer and know they should being doing things to manage their breast health but elect not to, because they prefer not to know if something is wrong, I am left speechless. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths, after lung cancer in women. If you had a blister on your foot would you not do something about it instead of letting it fester into a serious wound? Of course you would. That is why it is so important to follow the American Cancer Society guidelines to have annual mammograms after the age of 40 (or younger for women with a family history of breast cancer), have annual clinical exams and even do monthly breast self exams to know your body.

When my friend of thirty plus years told me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer last month my heart stopped. This was the first time someone so close to me had heard those words “you have breast cancer.” I asked if she had any indications of something wrong – an unfamiliar lump, skin discoloration, swelling or a strange secretion from the nipples. She told me this cancer was discovered through her mammogram and she was now scheduled for a lumpectomy the following week.

After further discussion she shared that she had not had a mammogram in two years. At a concert on the National Mall grounds she and a stranger discussed a variety of topics and one thing led to another. She told the stranger she had not had a mammogram in two years. This stranger happened to be a double mastectomy survivor and told my friend to schedule her mammogram immediately. I’m listening and thinking “have you not heard anything I’ve been saying for the past 15 years?” Apparently not, but I’m glad God sent an angel to my friend to get her moving.

She then disclosed to me that she had been diagnosed with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) three years ago. DCIS is the most common non-invasive breast cancer. It is non-invasive because it has not spread outside of the milk duct into the surrounding breast tissue. It is considered a Stage 0 cancer, and treatment is removal of the cancer cells and surrounding margins.

I’m now floored as she continues to tell me she never said anything because she did not want me to worry and make a big deal about it. She is correct, in that I would make a big deal about it. Having been diagnosed with DCIS, her risk factors had increased for breast cancer to reoccur or create a new breast cancer, which is where she now finds herself. Delaying her mammograms was not a good plan of breast health management.

The entire conversation made me realize that no matter how much we preach, teach or reach out to others, the ultimate caretaker of one’s health is you. People will only tell you what they want you to know, and will only do what they are not afraid to do. If there is any drop of fear in their mind about a health issue, that drop grows into a puddle, river, of ocean of fear that makes it harder each day to act on what one knows they should do.

Fear is a state of mind that creates a physical reaction of no action. The challenge we as a community face is to defuse the natural fear of hearing the word “cancer.” Over 96% of women diagnosed early with no metastatic breast cancer (cancer that has not spread to other organs from the original site) survive 5 years or more. For the hundreds of thousands of women who proudly proclaim “I am a survivor” they are living testaments that there is life after breast cancer. Don’t let fear steal your life.

I explained to my dear friend that because she has now been diagnosed with breast cancer, her daughter’s risk factors have increased. The women in her family now have a higher risk factor. This information needs to be shared, because so many women believe there is no history of breast cancer in their family. We must be willing to speak openly about breast cancer in order to help others in our family manage their breast health. The time for silence on this issue needs to end.

My friend has just begun her journey with breast cancer. Her journey is now my journey, because she is my sister.

Denice Whalen-White
Executive Director
All Shades of Pink, Incorporated
http://www.allshadesofpink.org

The world frightens with this word – cancer. Actually what is a cancer? Cancer is actually a condition where our body cells display uncontrolled growth, a growth in excess which is not required for a human body. This unusual growth becomes more dangerous when it gets transmitted to other parts of the body through lymph or blood. In most cases with cancer the patient develops a tumor. Cancer takes a death toll of around 13% of the world population annually and still there is no concrete treatment of cancer. Yah the chances of it getting treated are higher if it is detected at an early stage. Breast cancer is one such breed of cancer which strikes around 10% of the women annually around the globe.

Breast cancer instigates from breast tissue arising from inner linings of milk ducts or lobules which supply milk to the ducts. Ductal carcinomas and lobular carcinomas are the names given to cancer originating from ducts and lobules respectively. This cancers are caused by two sex hormones- estrogen and progesterone. This type of cancer can be treated with surgery or by medication with a drug called tamoxifen that stops the production of these hormones but damages ovaries and hence ends fertility. Low risk hormone sensitive breast cancers can be treated by hormonal therapy, chemotherapy and radiation.

Breast cancer comprises different stages. The stages are determined by the fact whether the tumor has spread to the lymph nodes in the armpits and by its size and its coverage range. If the cancer has already spread to a larger part of the body then the cancer might already have reached stage 4 which is incurable. If the metastasize is small and the prognosis is not that much worse then the cancer is between stage 1-3. This stage is considered as early cancer and potentially curable as well. Stage 0 shows a marker or is often a pre-malignant disease.

Breast cancer shows its symptoms with an abnormal appearance of lump which is different from the rest of the breast tissue. Studies have shown that around 80% of this cancers are diagnosed when the women feels a lump. This form of cancer also shows certain signs of changes in the shape and size of breast, skin dimpling, nipple inversion or impulsive single nipple discharge. Breast pain cannot be considered an out-and-out symptom of cancer as this might be due to other breast problems.

Breast cancer occurs highest in the women of United States and so it is the most feared disease in America. More than forty thousand deaths occur annually with breast cancer. Around the world a women dies every 13 minutes because of this disease. But there is a sign of relief since ninety six percent of women who find and treat breast cancer early will be completely cancer free in 5 years time. No one is too young to develop breast cancer so women are suggested to check their breast at regular intervals by the time they reach the age of twenty.

With the advent of technology, researchers and scientists have come up with wide varieties of life-saving breast cancer treatment instead of the 1 or 2 options available in the past. This brings new hope to breast cancer sufferers. Today, there are many treatment choices to choose from in fighting the cancerous cells. Because of the many choices, choosing a breast cancer treatment that suits you can be overwhelming. Listed below are the treatments that are available.

Diagnosed with Breast Cancer, Now What?

So your doctor has diagnosed you as having breast cancer. Now what? Hearing that you have cancer is devastating. Often times, one will think that it is the end of the life. However, this is not true. With the advance of technology these days, there is help for sufferers.

Together with your doctors, a breast cancer treatment plan will be put together based on the pathology report after a diagnosis. The kind of treatment plan recommended depends on your unique and specific situation. It usually consists of one or more specific treatments and is intended to kill or stop the cancerous cells from spreading further. It also reduces recurrence risk in the future. In putting together a breast cancer treatment plan, your overall medical condition will be taken into consideration. Treatments are evaluated periodically.

Surgery

Surgery, a breast cancer treatment, is usually the first option in the fight against it. Many factors, such as the cancer’s stage and its personality, contribute to surgery decisions. It also depends on your acceptability. Based on these factors, your doctor will determine what kind of surgery is the most appropriate for you.

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy, also known as radiation therapy is a highly effective and targeted breast cancer treatment to destroy cancerous cells found in the breast. There may still be traces of cancerous cells that are stuck after surgery. It reduces the recurrence risk by 70%. Although many people fear this treatment method, radiation therapy is easily tolerated. The side effects are limited to only the treated part. Radiation treatments are overseen by a specialized radiation oncologist, a radiation therapy cancer doctor.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a breast cancer treatment that uses medicine to destroy and weaken cancerous cells in the body. It destroys cells at the original cancer area and even those cells that may have spread to other body parts. Also known as chemo, it is a systemic therapy which combines 2 or more medicines. It goes through the bloodstream and affects the whole body.

Chemo is used to treat this disease in its early stage. It gets rid of any traces of cancerous cells that may have been left behind after surgery and reduces the cancer recurrence risk. It is also used to treat the cancer in its advanced stage. It damages or destroys the cancerous cells. In some cases, chemo is administered to shrink the tumor before surgery.

Hormonal Therapy

Medicine of hormonal therapy is a breast cancer treatment that treats this disease by lowering the hormone estrogen levels in the body. It also blocks the estrogen action of the cells. Hormonal therapy medicines come in several types. They are selective receptor estrogen modulators, aromatase inhibitors, and estrogen receptor down regulators.

Estrogen is produced by the ovaries in the body. It grows the hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers. Therefore, by blocking the estrogen’s action or lowering the estrogen amount, it reduces the recurrence risk after surgery. Hormonal therapy medicines are also used to stunt the growth or shrink the cancers in advanced stage. However, it does not have any effect on hormone-receptor-negative cancers.

In some cases, the fallopian tubes and ovaries are removed surgically to treat hormone-receptor-positive disease. It is also viewed as a measure to prevent this disease for women at very high risks. Medication may also be used to shut down the ovaries temporarily. It is important to take note that hormonal therapy is different from hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy, also known as immune targeted therapy, is a breast cancer treatment that targets specific cancerous cells characteristics, such as protein allows the cancerous cells to thrive and grow in an abnormal or rapid way. Compared to chemo, it is generally less likely to harm healthy and normal healthy cells. Targeted therapies are antibodies that work exactly like the antibodies produced by our body’s immune systems. The 3 targeted therapies that doctors use for breast cancer treatment are Avastin, Herceptin, and Tykerb.

Felicia does health fitness and women’s health medical researches. To win the fight against breast cancer, find out how you can eliminate it and not your breast while developing a healthy body that will take care of you for years to come.

Prevention is better than cure. Learn how to stay healthy always to prevent cancer.

About Breast Cancer

It is the most common cancer in women in the developed world where it affects about 100 per 100,000 women annually. Estimates indicate that every 9th woman shall be affected by it in the future. White women over the age of 35 are most affected. Other races show lower incidence of this disease. The lowest incidence is in the Southeast Asia and in Africa. Breast cancer can also affect men, but it is 100 times less common than in women.

It is characterized by uncontrolled cell division. The cancer-modified cells may travel to other body parts, seed them and grow further. Medically speaking, they metastasize.

Why should you have your DNA tested for predisposition to breast cancer?

We examines genes for which a connection with breast cancer development was shown. Familial predisposition is a chapter in itself among risk factors. The greater the number of family members affected by it, the higher the risk of developing breast cancer. By knowing your risk for breast cancer development you can take appropriate preventive measures.

Causes for development

The exact cause of breast cancer has not yet been elucidated, but certain risk factors affecting the development of it are known, including a long time period between the menarche (i.e. the start of menstrual cycles) and menopause (cessation of menstrual cycles), relatively late age at first pregnancy, obesity and a fatty diet. Oral contraceptives also increase the risk.

Familial predisposition is a chapter in itself among risk factors. It has been found that breast cancer appears much more commonly in close relatives than among random population. The greater the number of family members affected by it, the higher the risk of developing this cancer. Changes in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes play an important role in familial predisposition. BRCA genes protect the breast cells from cancer. If these genes malfunction, the protection is gone and cancer may develop.

Disease recognition

The most common sign of breast cancer is a lump or thickening in the breast. Most lumps are harmless, but these changes should nevertheless be evaluated by a physician. Other potential signs of breast cancer include a clear or bloody nipple discharge; retraction or indentation of the nipple; change in the size or contours of the breast; any flattening or indentation of the skin over the breast; redness or pitting of the skin over the breast, resembling the skin of an orange.

The most important diagnostic activity that every woman should regularly perform is breast self-examination to check for possible changes that can be palpated in the breast. Only a fast and timely detection of changes can help diagnose cancer in the early stages when very effective therapy is still possible. Physicians employ various techniques to diagnose it. The best and most widely used is mammography which is an X-ray imaging of the breast. Unfortunately, mammography are not error-proof. It may happen that a harmless change is mistaken for it or, even worse, that it is overlooked. Besides mammography, the other examination options include a breast ultrasound, MRI or CT.

Biopsy of the disease-modified tissue is an absolute must in breast cancer diagnostics. In this procedure, a physician removes a tissue sample with a needle and sends it to the laboratory for histological examination. Biopsy results reveal the degree of cancer malignancy which aids in further therapeutic decision-making.

How is it prevented or treated?

Due to its genetic background, it is very hard to prevent cancer development. However, risk factors can be diminished by certain methods, including taking hormonal pills which do not increase cancer risk. Due to the development of various techniques, the best treatment option is a surgery. In addition to surgery, there are other therapies such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and therapy with biological drugs.

GenePlanet.com,
Act NOW – perform your genetic test for breast cancer!

Gloria Glickman from Clifton, New Jersey remembers the day in 2000 when her 28-year-old daughter, Jennifer called her on the telephone to tell her she felt a lump in her left breast.

YOU’LL BE FINE

Gloria’s first reaction was to tell her not to worry about it, that she was sure it was fine, but to still be sure to get it checked by a doctor. Her daughter took her mother’s advice. But like most people waiting for results of a biopsy, she worried.

When she called her mom about her anxiety, Gloria recalls reminding her daughter that she herself had once had a cyst and it turned out to be nothing, so she reassured her daughter that everything would be okay.

MOM, IT’S MALIGNANT

One week later, Gloria was at home with her husband, Don and heard the words from her daughter that a mother never imagines she’ll hear in her lifetime. Her athletic, healthy, beautiful, full of energy daughter, Jennifer calling to say, “Mom it’s malignant. I have breast cancer.”

DISBELIEF

Jennifer was athletic and ate well and was in very good shape. This was more of a genetic predisposition to breast cancer than anything else. The only reason she even went in to have a mammogram was because of the lump she felt in her left breast. She otherwise wouldn’t have given it a second thought. Even with a family history, she never thought it would affect her. Jennifer’s grandmother on her father’s side had breast cancer, as well as several aunts. But she still saw breast cancer as something far removed from her own life. She was healthy. She never once imagined it would strike her, especially not in her twenties. She was too young. She was too active. She was too fit. She took good care of herself and took pride in eating right and exercising regularly.

Gloria could barely hold the telephone in her hand. She remembers wanting to run as far away as she could from what the voice on the other end of the telephone, but her body was frozen in time. Her heart seemed to stop.

COURAGE

Gloria held her breathe and fought back the tears while listening to her daughter’s courageous words:

“Mom, I want you to be brave because I’m going to fight this.” Gloria could hardly believe how calm her daughter was at this moment. Their roles were suddenly reversed. Instead of a mother offering solace to a child, it was the other way around. Jennifer was comforting her mother. Jennifer reminded her mother that she was a fighter and she wouldn’t allow anything change her optimistic outlook on life. She intended to live a long and happy life.

LIFE GOES ON

That life included being engaged to be married just three months after her diagnosis. This meant she was faced with not only telling her mother, but telling her fiance about the news. How do you tell your prospective husband that you may die. That question, that life — that future flashed before Gloria’s eyes as she hung up the phone. Her hands shook uncontrollably and shared the news with her husband, Don who knew from the look on her face that something was terribly wrong. Her husband was supportive and told her, “We’ll get through this together.”

Next, Gloria called her own mother, who was in her seventies to say, “Mom I just got a call from Jen and we have to be strong and support her.” Gloria’s mom, Ann Tausk, a Holocaust survivor was used to surviving the worst in life without letting it affect her spirit. This time, she didn’t know if she had it in her to fight. Her own mother told Gloria she didn’t know if she could handle it.

Meanwhile, Jennifer was faced with telling her fiance. Upon being told, he reaffirmed his soon-to-be wife and was extremely supportive and offered to take care of her. Gloria thought he could have ran and said he didn’t want anything to do with her, but he stayed by her daughter’s side.

DECISIONS

Back at the hospital, the doctors wanted to remove lymph nodes to find out if the breast cancer had spread.

They were relieved to learn the cancer was just contained in her one breast. After careful consideration, Jennifer then decided to have a mastectomy and have the breast removed. She also reduced the other breast, so it would not be that drastically noticeable. Jennifer wanted to remove the cancerous breast and had the most aggressive chemotherapy to get it out of her body. She was told she would lose her hair, but she desperately wanted the disease out of her body. Jennifer had a full head of long, curly hair down to the middle of her back. She knew chemotherapy would mean sacrificing a part of her external looks at a time when she wanted to look her best — her wedding day.

Gloria remembers asking her daughter when she would take her wedding photos knowing she would lose her hair. Jennifer didn’t care. She said she’d make a turban since she would be completely bald. Jennifer did just that. Even though she was completely bald on her wedding day, she was a radiant, beautiful bride. So beautiful that she was featured in the January 2001 issue of MAMM Magazine, Women Cancer and Community. The title of the article was fitting. It was called, “Bald is Beautiful” and it featured many women

IN HER OWN WORDS

In the magazine, Jennifer was quoted saying, “On March 30, 2000 at age twenty-eight, I was diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma. My fiance and I had been planning our wedding for nearly a year. People were traveling from all over the country and as far away as Australia and I was going to be in the middle of chemotherapy. My hair started to fall out a month before the wedding. After trying wig after wig, I gave up. I was afraid that without hair, I’d be an ugly bride. But I looked and felt beautiful. With the love of the people around me and the strength I had inside, we went through with the wedding.”

Jennifer was in the middle of her chemotherapy, and took a few weeks break from it so she wouldn’t feel nauseas during the wedding.

She got married and finished her chemotherapy two months following the wedding. And then she continued doing what she had to following doctor’s orders. She was on tamoxofin, her hair grew back and she kept it short. Yet, her hair wasn’t the only thing that would be short. Her new marriage did not survive. Relatives and friends noticed Jennifer was nervous and unhappy. They didn’t know if it was the cancer or the marriage. Jennifer seemed irritable. Everyone assumed she wasn’t happy because of the illness.

FIVE YEARS LATER

In 2005, when she passed her five year milestone of being “clean”…it was called NED…No Evidence of Disease…a common term within the cancer community, Gloria received another call that made her heart skip a beat. Jennifer called to say, “I just reached my five year milestone AND my marriage isn’t working. I’m getting divorced”

She was married five years and had been cancer-free for five years. Jennifer told her mom that she needed to move on. Since she had begun therapy at this time, she realized that she was unhappy in the marriage. Jennifer felt she would live another fifty years and she wanted them to be happy and healthy. She went through marriage counseling, but had the courage to leave a marriage that wasn’t right for her despite everything else she had gone through. Gloria, her husband Don, and the family, including her step-siblings Howard and Jennifer all supported her in her decision. Her daughter also decided to change jobs. She switched careers and went from computer graphics for another engineering firm to work in marketing for an engineering firm instead. She said she would rather be alone than not be happy within the marriage. Gloria wasn’t a stranger to divorce since she had been divorced from Jennifer’s father when Jennifer was four- years- old.

Soon after her divorce, Jennifer met Greg Hoffmann who was to be her second husband. Jennifer also decided to get active in the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. She met her future husband through participating in this foundation, and he would become the love of her life. They fell in love and Jennifer was happier than she had ever been.

THE CANCER RETURNS

Two years later, in 2007, Gloria received another dreaded call. Gloria was in the South Pacific with her husband and she hadn’t spoken to her daughter for three weeks because they had been vacationing on a freighter. Jennifer said she wanted to wait to tell Gloria the latest news until she got home, but couldn’t. The breast cancer was back but this time in the liver and ovaries. Gloria wanted to die. Jennifer told her not to worry, they were going to zap it and get rid of it. Gloria got off the phone and felt paralyzed. She remembers sobbing. Again.

BACK TO LIVING

That same year, Jennifer was planning to climb Mt. Whitney in California to put up a banner flag for cancer and she did it in between radiation treatments. Her new job was going well. She never missed a day of work. She got promoted and was thriving professionally. Greg was as courageous as Jennifer. His sense of humor helped. Jennifer felt supported, happy, in love and that she could conquer the world.

Jennifer started writing a blog in December of 2007 called, http://www.laceupyourgloves.blogspot.com where she gave a day by day description of her experience. So many people wrote on it when she passed away in 2009. Jennifer came up with the name for the blog because that was her motto: “Time to lace up my gloves and keep fighting” when she got diagnosed.

Again, Jennifer surprised her mother by announcing that in April 2008 she and Greg planned to go to Sante Fe and marry in a Chapel there. Just the two of them. Gloria supported her decision, even though she would have loved to have been there.

Jennifer had MRI’s every three months. In November 2008, she would learn that the breast cancer had gone to her brain. She had to have radiation. Jennifer told her mother they would zap it. Gloria couldn’t believe the news once again. Jennifer had the radiation and went for another MRI in the beginning of 2009 and she was told they got most of the cancer by zapping it with the radiation.

Gloria remembers going from New Jersey to Phoenix, Arizona to see her daughter in February 2009. She just wanted to hug her daughter and be with her in person. Gloria saw that her daughter was fine on the surface, but also knew that Jennifer was good at hiding any weakness. At this time, Jennifer only confided in her husband and didn’t want her mom to worry, so she put up a brave front during her visit. Gloria saw a vibrant daughter and returned to New Jersey feeling good about her daughter’s health and future.

SHOCK

Two months later, on the evening of Friday, April 10, 2009, Gloria would get a call from Greg saying that it was urgent that she and Don come to Phoenix because Jennifer was in the hospital. Gloria, and her husband, Don dropped everything and flew to Phoenix, as did Jennifer’s siblings, Howard and Jennifer and their significant others. There were no flights going west that same night due to the lateness of the hour and Gloria was so frustrated that she couldn’t teleport herself there. When Gloria arrived at the hospital, she saw her daughter hooked up to a lot of machines and on painkiller drugs. Jennifer asked her mom why she was there and that she was going to be okay and didn’t know why her mother had traveled there.

Jennifer’s oncologist told Jennifer and her husband Greg that there was not much they could do. Jennifer’s response was that she wasn’t ready to slip on the banana peel just yet, and she would be alright. Jennifer didn’t want to hear anything negative. The doctor spoke to Jennifer in front of the whole family. The doctors wanted to do a spinal tap to see if there was cancer there, but it was risky and against odds. They tried it, but they didn’t find what they were looking for. They wanted to do it again, but then Greg, Gloria and Don made the decision that there was nothing to be gained to do it again.

Gloria believed in her daughter and that she would live a long time. Gloria never said goodbye. Instead, she told her daughter, “I am so blessed to be your mother. You have shown so much courage and inspired so many people. Thank God I have a daughter like you.”

Her daughter told her the past five years had been her best ever. She said she had such a wonderful, blessed life. Gloria said, “I love you, Jen.” and Jennifer replied, “I love you too, Mom.”

That was the last conversation they had.

STRENGTH

The day before, Don called Gloria’s sisters to tell them to tell Jennifer’s grandmother that Jennifer was in the hospital and the prognosis was not good. Gloria asked her sisters and her mother to come to Phoenix to see Jennifer. At 82-years-old, Gloria’s mother arrived and told Jennifer, “We’re survivors in our family. You have to be strong.”

Four days later, Greg in consultation with Gloria and Don agreed that allowing Jennifer her dignity was paramount at this time and they made the decision to stop aggressive treatment and transfer Jennifer to a hospice.

Once they brought her to hospice, Jennifer was in a coma. Even though she wasn’t conscious, Gloria felt her daughter knew she was there sleeping by her side 24/7 every night. Gloria whispered to her that it was okay to let go. The last day, the hospice nurse said she could tell by Jennifer’s labored breathing that it would be 24-hours before she would pass away. Jennifer had her entire family there. Jennifer’s family and Jennifer’s husband’s family were there when she passed away.

Greg stood by the bed and Jennifer tightened his hand, kicked her foot and then she was gone. Gloria feels so blessed that her daughter allowed her to be in the room for her last breath. Her love of her life was there. April 21, 2009 next week is the one year anniversary of her passing.

JENNIFER’S LEGACY

Today, Gloria continues to keep her daughter’s memory alive. Jennifer’s husband, Greg is a crusader for cancer and started the Desert Cancer Foundation of Arizona, which raises money for The Banner Desert Medical Center and Mobile On-Site Mammography, a mobile way for women to get their mammograms. The On-Site Mobile Mammography is funded by The Jennifer Hoffmann Memorial, the charity set up by Jennifer’s parents, husband, friends and family specifically for women who can not afford mammograms.

On April 10, 2009, they had a screening and 45 women who signed up were given free mammograms. These are women who do not have medical insurance.

Jennifer wanted to be cremated and have her ashes scattered at the Grand Canyon because she loved going there to hike with her husband, who followed her wishes. He did so alone.

Her husband, Greg Hoffmann is going there on Wednesday, April 21, to commemorate Jennifer’s passing.
He plans to continue Jennifer’s fight for a cure.

Greg is now on the board of the Foundation. Each November, his team, THRIVR, walks in the Three Day Walk for Susan G. Komen Walk for Cancer, as do other members of Jennifer’s family.

JENNIFER’S SPIRIT

Despite her diagnosis, Jennifer went on with her life. A life that meant divorce, marriage, work, family, friends. She continued to live. The message she gives is that illness does not have to prevent someone from living as if they would live forever.

After Jennifer passed away, Gloria received so many letters telling her what an inspiration Jennifer was to them during this time.

Jennifer’s friend is a photographer named Jill Stafford in California has made an exhibit with Jennifer’s sayings from her blog and she gifted the photograph with the saying to Gloria. The saying reads:

“…and then we go on with the business of living whether or not the scenery has changed. We have no choice in what we are dealt, but we have a choice in how we deal with it.”

That saying keeps Gloria going. It also keeps Jennifer’s husband going. He wrote the following tribute.

In memory of Jen…

On April 21, 2009, the world lost one of the good ones to breast cancer. My wife, Jen Hoffmann, after a 9-year battle with the beast, elegantly unlaced her gloves and did what all of us should aspire to do — she left the world a better place.

Much more than just a survivor, I called her my “thriver.” Literally and figuratively, she climbed mountains, and while doing so, she inspired thousands, courageously fighting a disease that just wouldn’t let go, reminding us all what a precious gift it is just to be alive. Never a woman dying of cancer, she was always a woman living with cancer — and oh how she lived.

She was a five-time participant in the Arizona Breast Cancer 3-Day, and the team she founded, Team THRIVR, will once again hit the pavement in November 2009, determined more than ever to raise money to find the cure. We’ll walk with heavy hearts, and we’ll walk with the sweetest memories of a life well-lived. We’ll walk, because everyone deserves a lifetime — and because far too often, not everyone gets one.
Godspeed, beautiful girl. Thrive on.

–Greg Hoffmann

Gloria Glickman and Greg Hoffmann want to keep her daughter’s spirit, courage and message alive. They encourage women to get regular mammograms. All women are at risk of breast cancer with advancing age, regardless of their age. But like her young daughter, Jennifer — if your family does have a history of breast cancer in the family, she wants you to make sure you schedule an appointment and if you don’t have health insurance, she wants you to know there is someone you can contact.

The Mobile Mammography Screening was set up in honor of her daughter, Jennifer to help others who may not be able to afford early detection.

About the author: Maria Dorfner is a veteran broadcaster and the founder of NewsMD Communications, LLC, a full-service production company specializing in health stories.

Cancer is a disease that is considered fatal killer in the world. This is for the reason that a significant number of people have been affected and as of present time, there is still no cure discovered for several types of cancer known. Two of the cancers that kill women are breast cancer and cervical cancer. However like other types of cancers, these two can be treated when known at an early stage.

Contrary to what most women believe, annual breast check up by clinically observing any lump that may have formed into the breasts does not guarantee that you are 100% cancer free. Breast cancer symptoms are not initially manifested by feeling a lump on the breasts. It is not always the lump that speaks itself loudly but can be the gradual silent killer that weakens the body. This is because not all breast cancers can show symptoms and in some cases would manifest its symptoms when it is on Stage 4 or when the condition is already severe.

There are various types of cancers of the breasts and have varying degree of severity.

- Ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, is the most common kind of non-invasive cancer of the breast

- Lobular carcinoma in situ, or LCIS, is generally considered to be a pre-cancerous condition

- Invasive ductal carcinoma, or IDC, accounts for about 80% of all breast cancers

- Invasive lobular carcinoma, or ILC, accounts for about 10%-15% of all breast cancers

- Inflammatory cancer of the breast is a very serious, aggressive form in its kind that accounts for about 1% to 5% of breast cancers in the U.S. and is not defined by a lump and is not found by an average mammogram.

It is important that you are able to monitor breast cancer’s progress when it is discovered and after it has been treated. There is a possibility of recurrence and spread (metastasis) of cancer after treatment or removal.

Treatment for cancer of the breast can be done by hormone therapy, radiation, chemotherapy or surgery when it has spread to a large tissue area.

To monitor the possibility of cancer in women, annual clinical check up may be helpful. Moreover, as an added caution, women over 40 should have a yearly mammogram especially when you have a family history of cancers.

Breast cancer can be treated or removed when discovered at an early stage. Make an annual visit to your physician and make sure that you have a healthy body.

Riza C. Belgira is health enthusiast and an advocate of strengthening women’s health and well-being through informative health resources and articles.

Visit her web site and explore informative and useful tips on pregnancy, dieting and weight loss at http://www.4d-ultrasoundscan.co.uk/.

The best way to deal with breast cancer, both before being diagnosed and after, is to be completely knowledgeable about it. Educating yourself about its symptoms, signs and causes can help you detect it early and also avoid it. With every one woman in eight being at the risk of getting this cancer, it is the best thing we can do for ourselves.

To understand this type of cancer, it is important that you understand its signs and symptoms so you can detect it at an early stage and prevent any further harm.

Signs & Symptoms

The first subjective sign or first symptom of breast cancer is a lump that feels different from the rest of the breast tissue. As per the Merck Manual, more than almost 80 percent of cancer cases are detected by a women when she feels a lump through a breast self examination. The American Cancer Society states that the first medical sign of breast cancer is detected by the physician when he discovers it through a mammogram. Another indication of this cancer is the detection of lumps in the lymph nodes located in the armpits, as the first area it starts spreading to is the lymph nodes there.

There are other signs or symptoms as well, like:

o Change in the size of the breast,
o Change of the shape,
o The skin of the breast starts dimpling,
o There is nipple inversion,
o Spontaneous single nipple discharge,
o Pain in the breast (mastodynia) is not a reliable symptom, but can also be indicative of other breast problems.

When the cancer cells spread to the dermal lymphatics, that is, the small lymph vessels present in the skin of the breast, it can resemble skin inflammation and thus is known as Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). The symptoms of this kind include pain, warmth, swelling, redness throughout the breast and an orange peel texture to the skin, which is referred to as peau d’orange.

Paget’s disease of the Breast

Another complex symptom of this cancer is the Paget’s disease of the breast. In this syndrome the skin presents changes as eczematoid skin changes. It shows redness and mild flaking of the skin of the nipple. It is said that as Paget’s advances, the symptoms may change to redness, itching, tingling, burning, increased sensitivity and pain. Around half of the women diagnosed with Paget’s syndrome have also had a lump in the breast.

Metastatic Breast Cancer

Sometimes the cancer presents itself as metastatic disease, which means the cancer that has spread from its original organ, the breast. The symptoms of this type depend upon the location of the metastasis. Common sites where metastasis occurs is the bone, lung, liver and the brain. Unexplained weight loss can be a sign of an occurrence of cancer, as can fever and chills. Pain in the joints can be manifestations of this cancer. Jaundice and neurological symptoms, too, could point towards this. These symptoms are non-specific; that means they could be the symptoms of any other illness.

Many times the symptoms of a breast disorder do not turn out to represent breast cancer. There are benign breast diseases, like mastitis and fibrodenoma, which can be the causes of the symptoms, though any symptom should be considered seriously at all times by both patients and doctors.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer can be an unsettling experience. Useful resources to deal with this time are books. You could consider Secrets of Cancer Survivors by Elizabeth Gould. For more information, please click here: http://www.secretsofcancersurvivors.com

Danielle Summers works as a counsellor specialising in helping the patients of life threatening diseases such as cancer. She also likes to talk about her work through her articles over the internet. For more information, please click here: http://www.secretsofcancersurvivors.com

The best way to deal with breast cancer, both before being diagnosed and after, is to be completely knowledgeable about it. Educating yourself about its symptoms, signs and causes can help you detect it early and also avoid it. With every one woman in eight being at the risk of getting this cancer, it is the best thing we can do for ourselves.

To understand this type of cancer, it is important that you understand its signs and symptoms so you can detect it at an early stage and prevent any further harm.

Signs & Symptoms

The first subjective sign or first symptom of breast cancer is a lump that feels different from the rest of the breast tissue. As per the Merck Manual, more than almost 80 percent of cancer cases are detected by a women when she feels a lump through a breast self examination. The American Cancer Society states that the first medical sign of breast cancer is detected by the physician when he discovers it through a mammogram. Another indication of this cancer is the detection of lumps in the lymph nodes located in the armpits, as the first area it starts spreading to is the lymph nodes there.

There are other signs or symptoms as well, like:

o Change in the size of the breast,
o Change of the shape,
o The skin of the breast starts dimpling,
o There is nipple inversion,
o Spontaneous single nipple discharge,
o Pain in the breast (mastodynia) is not a reliable symptom, but can also be indicative of other breast problems.

When the cancer cells spread to the dermal lymphatics, that is, the small lymph vessels present in the skin of the breast, it can resemble skin inflammation and thus is known as Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). The symptoms of this kind include pain, warmth, swelling, redness throughout the breast and an orange peel texture to the skin, which is referred to as peau d’orange.

Paget’s disease of the Breast

Another complex symptom of this cancer is the Paget’s disease of the breast. In this syndrome the skin presents changes as eczematoid skin changes. It shows redness and mild flaking of the skin of the nipple. It is said that as Paget’s advances, the symptoms may change to redness, itching, tingling, burning, increased sensitivity and pain. Around half of the women diagnosed with Paget’s syndrome have also had a lump in the breast.

Metastatic Breast Cancer

Sometimes the cancer presents itself as metastatic disease, which means the cancer that has spread from its original organ, the breast. The symptoms of this type depend upon the location of the metastasis. Common sites where metastasis occurs is the bone, lung, liver and the brain. Unexplained weight loss can be a sign of an occurrence of cancer, as can fever and chills. Pain in the joints can be manifestations of this cancer. Jaundice and neurological symptoms, too, could point towards this. These symptoms are non-specific; that means they could be the symptoms of any other illness.

Many times the symptoms of a breast disorder do not turn out to represent breast cancer. There are benign breast diseases, like mastitis and fibrodenoma, which can be the causes of the symptoms, though any symptom should be considered seriously at all times by both patients and doctors.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer can be an unsettling experience. Useful resources to deal with this time are books. You could consider Secrets of Cancer Survivors by Elizabeth Gould. For more information, please click here: http://www.secretsofcancersurvivors.com

Danielle Summers works as a counsellor specialising in helping the patients of life threatening diseases such as cancer. She also likes to talk about her work through her articles over the internet. For more information, please click here: http://www.secretsofcancersurvivors.com

The best way to deal with breast cancer, both before being diagnosed and after, is to be completely knowledgeable about it. Educating yourself about its symptoms, signs and causes can help you detect it early and also avoid it. With every one woman in eight being at the risk of getting this cancer, it is the best thing we can do for ourselves.

To understand this type of cancer, it is important that you understand its signs and symptoms so you can detect it at an early stage and prevent any further harm.

Signs & Symptoms

The first subjective sign or first symptom of breast cancer is a lump that feels different from the rest of the breast tissue. As per the Merck Manual, more than almost 80 percent of cancer cases are detected by a women when she feels a lump through a breast self examination. The American Cancer Society states that the first medical sign of breast cancer is detected by the physician when he discovers it through a mammogram. Another indication of this cancer is the detection of lumps in the lymph nodes located in the armpits, as the first area it starts spreading to is the lymph nodes there.

There are other signs or symptoms as well, like:

o Change in the size of the breast,
o Change of the shape,
o The skin of the breast starts dimpling,
o There is nipple inversion,
o Spontaneous single nipple discharge,
o Pain in the breast (mastodynia) is not a reliable symptom, but can also be indicative of other breast problems.

When the cancer cells spread to the dermal lymphatics, that is, the small lymph vessels present in the skin of the breast, it can resemble skin inflammation and thus is known as Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). The symptoms of this kind include pain, warmth, swelling, redness throughout the breast and an orange peel texture to the skin, which is referred to as peau d’orange.

Paget’s disease of the Breast

Another complex symptom of this cancer is the Paget’s disease of the breast. In this syndrome the skin presents changes as eczematoid skin changes. It shows redness and mild flaking of the skin of the nipple. It is said that as Paget’s advances, the symptoms may change to redness, itching, tingling, burning, increased sensitivity and pain. Around half of the women diagnosed with Paget’s syndrome have also had a lump in the breast.

Metastatic Breast Cancer

Sometimes the cancer presents itself as metastatic disease, which means the cancer that has spread from its original organ, the breast. The symptoms of this type depend upon the location of the metastasis. Common sites where metastasis occurs is the bone, lung, liver and the brain. Unexplained weight loss can be a sign of an occurrence of cancer, as can fever and chills. Pain in the joints can be manifestations of this cancer. Jaundice and neurological symptoms, too, could point towards this. These symptoms are non-specific; that means they could be the symptoms of any other illness.

Many times the symptoms of a breast disorder do not turn out to represent breast cancer. There are benign breast diseases, like mastitis and fibrodenoma, which can be the causes of the symptoms, though any symptom should be considered seriously at all times by both patients and doctors.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer can be an unsettling experience. Useful resources to deal with this time are books. You could consider Secrets of Cancer Survivors by Elizabeth Gould. For more information, please click here: http://www.secretsofcancersurvivors.com

Danielle Summers works as a counsellor specialising in helping the patients of life threatening diseases such as cancer. She also likes to talk about her work through her articles over the internet. For more information, please click here: http://www.secretsofcancersurvivors.com