Archive for the ‘Breast Cancer’ Category

Last week’s column reviewed new clinical research findings suggesting that higher levels of soy-derived isoflavones in the diet, and in the blood, may significantly reduce the risk of prostate cancer. This week, I will be discussing a new research study that makes similar claims regarding the prevention of breast cancer.

Breast cancer in women is, in several important ways, analogous to prostate cancer in men. Like prostate cancer, most breast cancer cells are fueled by the body’s sex hormones (androgens stimulate prostate cancer growth, while estrogen in women stimulates breast cancer growth). Prostate cancer is the number one cause of cancer in men, and breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer in men. Approximately 192,000 cases of each of these cancers will be diagnosed in 2009, with prostate cancer accounting for about one-fourth of all cancers afflicting men, while breast cancer also represents about one-fourth of all cancers that affect women. Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in men, and, analogously, breast cancer is the number two cause of cancer death in women. More than 27,000 men will die of prostate cancer in 2009, while more than 40,000 women will succumb to breast cancer this year.

In last week’s column (Diet & Prostate Cancer Risk), I reviewed an innovative clinical research study that assessed both the dietary intake of soy-derived isoflavones and the concentration of these dietary nutrients in the blood. Isoflavones belong to a larger group of dietary compounds that are, collectively, referred to as phytoestrogens, as these nutrients are able to stimulate (albeit weakly) chemical receptors for the sex hormone estrogen. In a newly published clinical study, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the results of a large prospective Chinese women’s health study add to previous similar research in suggesting that a diet rich in soybean-derived products, especially when consumed before and during adolescence, may be associated with a decreased overall risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

In this prospective public health study, more than 73,000 Chinese adolescent girls and women were followed for an average of 7.4 years. All of the participants in this very large study completed validated dietary surveys, and the incidence of new breast cancers among this very large group of Chinese women was then compared to their self-reported intake of soy-based foods.

The results of this study were rather striking, and were highly statistically significant when comparing the incidence of breast cancer among women with the highest levels of soy intake versus the women with the least soy intake. In this epidemiological study, the women who reported the highest regular dietary intake of soy-based foods were, overall, nearly 60 percent less likely to be diagnosed with premenopausal breast cancer during the course of this clinical research trial. This dramatic reduction in the risk of premenopausal breast cancer was observed in both the women who reported high levels of soy-derived foods in their diet and in the women who frequently consumed foods that were generally rich in isoflavones.

While this particular study did not measure isoflavone levels in the blood, as was done in the prostate cancer study that I reviewed last week, its results, nonetheless, mirror the findings of other similar epidemiological studies.

As with all survey-based disease prevention studies, of course, there is the potential for significant bias in this particular research study, and studies such as these cannot, by themselves, prove a “cause-and-effect” mechanism behind the clinical findings that they reveal. However, such studies, when conducted prospectively and with a high degree of scientific integrity, can still suggest potentially important disease prevention strategies. When the results of studies such as these appear to be especially compelling, they should then be followed-up by large, prospective randomized, placebo-controlled clinical research studies that provide so-called “Level I” clinical evidence.

Previous studies that have supported a role for soy consumption in breast cancer prevention have suggested that the increased consumption of soy-derived isoflavones before and around the time of adolescence is critically important, when the female breast is actively developing, and that this apparent protective effect of soy foods against breast cancer diminishes greatly after breast development is completed in early adulthood. (At the same time, however, the weakly estrogenic effects of dietary isoflavones have raised concerns about soy intake among women with a prior history of breast cancer, although there is no convincing scientific data, yet, showing that dietary isoflavones increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence.)

Another caveat that must be mentioned regarding the findings of this particular study is that the potentially beneficial effects of soy-derived foods, and of dietary isoflavones in general, in preventing breast cancer were observed in a homogeneous population of Asian women. Even if high levels of isoflavones in the diet really are protective against breast cancer, as this epidemiological study strongly suggests, it is still unclear whether or not this putative cancer prevention benefit applies equally to non-Asian women as well. Once again, only well-balanced, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies can confirm or contradict the findings of this very large Chinese public health study. Fortunately, there are several such studies underway at this time.

Finally, although I don’t, as a rule, include links to other websites within this column, I am making an exception for The Prostate Cancer Charity in the United Kingdom. This cancer awareness charity is competing in an online contest to have their prostate cancer public service announcement displayed on London buses at no charge. Please click the following link, and cast your online vote for this charity’s worthy cause (you can cast a vote for them on a daily basis): Bluefrog – The Prostate Cancer Charity

Last week’s column reviewed new clinical research findings suggesting that higher levels of soy-derived isoflavones in the diet, and in the blood, may significantly reduce the risk of prostate cancer. This week, I will be discussing a new research study that makes similar claims regarding the prevention of breast cancer.

Breast cancer in women is, in several important ways, analogous to prostate cancer in men. Like prostate cancer, most breast cancer cells are fueled by the body’s sex hormones (androgens stimulate prostate cancer growth, while estrogen in women stimulates breast cancer growth). Prostate cancer is the number one cause of cancer in men, and breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer in men. Approximately 192,000 cases of each of these cancers will be diagnosed in 2009, with prostate cancer accounting for about one-fourth of all cancers afflicting men, while breast cancer also represents about one-fourth of all cancers that affect women. Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in men, and, analogously, breast cancer is the number two cause of cancer death in women. More than 27,000 men will die of prostate cancer in 2009, while more than 40,000 women will succumb to breast cancer this year.

In last week’s column (Diet & Prostate Cancer Risk), I reviewed an innovative clinical research study that assessed both the dietary intake of soy-derived isoflavones and the concentration of these dietary nutrients in the blood. Isoflavones belong to a larger group of dietary compounds that are, collectively, referred to as phytoestrogens, as these nutrients are able to stimulate (albeit weakly) chemical receptors for the sex hormone estrogen. In a newly published clinical study, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the results of a large prospective Chinese women’s health study add to previous similar research in suggesting that a diet rich in soybean-derived products, especially when consumed before and during adolescence, may be associated with a decreased overall risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

In this prospective public health study, more than 73,000 Chinese adolescent girls and women were followed for an average of 7.4 years. All of the participants in this very large study completed validated dietary surveys, and the incidence of new breast cancers among this very large group of Chinese women was then compared to their self-reported intake of soy-based foods.

The results of this study were rather striking, and were highly statistically significant when comparing the incidence of breast cancer among women with the highest levels of soy intake versus the women with the least soy intake. In this epidemiological study, the women who reported the highest regular dietary intake of soy-based foods were, overall, nearly 60 percent less likely to be diagnosed with premenopausal breast cancer during the course of this clinical research trial. This dramatic reduction in the risk of premenopausal breast cancer was observed in both the women who reported high levels of soy-derived foods in their diet and in the women who frequently consumed foods that were generally rich in isoflavones.

While this particular study did not measure isoflavone levels in the blood, as was done in the prostate cancer study that I reviewed last week, its results, nonetheless, mirror the findings of other similar epidemiological studies.

As with all survey-based disease prevention studies, of course, there is the potential for significant bias in this particular research study, and studies such as these cannot, by themselves, prove a “cause-and-effect” mechanism behind the clinical findings that they reveal. However, such studies, when conducted prospectively and with a high degree of scientific integrity, can still suggest potentially important disease prevention strategies. When the results of studies such as these appear to be especially compelling, they should then be followed-up by large, prospective randomized, placebo-controlled clinical research studies that provide so-called “Level I” clinical evidence.

Previous studies that have supported a role for soy consumption in breast cancer prevention have suggested that the increased consumption of soy-derived isoflavones before and around the time of adolescence is critically important, when the female breast is actively developing, and that this apparent protective effect of soy foods against breast cancer diminishes greatly after breast development is completed in early adulthood. (At the same time, however, the weakly estrogenic effects of dietary isoflavones have raised concerns about soy intake among women with a prior history of breast cancer, although there is no convincing scientific data, yet, showing that dietary isoflavones increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence.)

Another caveat that must be mentioned regarding the findings of this particular study is that the potentially beneficial effects of soy-derived foods, and of dietary isoflavones in general, in preventing breast cancer were observed in a homogeneous population of Asian women. Even if high levels of isoflavones in the diet really are protective against breast cancer, as this epidemiological study strongly suggests, it is still unclear whether or not this putative cancer prevention benefit applies equally to non-Asian women as well. Once again, only well-balanced, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies can confirm or contradict the findings of this very large Chinese public health study. Fortunately, there are several such studies underway at this time.

Finally, although I don’t, as a rule, include links to other websites within this column, I am making an exception for The Prostate Cancer Charity in the United Kingdom. This cancer awareness charity is competing in an online contest to have their prostate cancer public service announcement displayed on London buses at no charge. Please click the following link, and cast your online vote for this charity’s worthy cause (you can cast a vote for them on a daily basis): Bluefrog – The Prostate Cancer Charity

Last week’s column reviewed new clinical research findings suggesting that higher levels of soy-derived isoflavones in the diet, and in the blood, may significantly reduce the risk of prostate cancer. This week, I will be discussing a new research study that makes similar claims regarding the prevention of breast cancer.

Breast cancer in women is, in several important ways, analogous to prostate cancer in men. Like prostate cancer, most breast cancer cells are fueled by the body’s sex hormones (androgens stimulate prostate cancer growth, while estrogen in women stimulates breast cancer growth). Prostate cancer is the number one cause of cancer in men, and breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer in men. Approximately 192,000 cases of each of these cancers will be diagnosed in 2009, with prostate cancer accounting for about one-fourth of all cancers afflicting men, while breast cancer also represents about one-fourth of all cancers that affect women. Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in men, and, analogously, breast cancer is the number two cause of cancer death in women. More than 27,000 men will die of prostate cancer in 2009, while more than 40,000 women will succumb to breast cancer this year.

In last week’s column (Diet & Prostate Cancer Risk), I reviewed an innovative clinical research study that assessed both the dietary intake of soy-derived isoflavones and the concentration of these dietary nutrients in the blood. Isoflavones belong to a larger group of dietary compounds that are, collectively, referred to as phytoestrogens, as these nutrients are able to stimulate (albeit weakly) chemical receptors for the sex hormone estrogen. In a newly published clinical study, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the results of a large prospective Chinese women’s health study add to previous similar research in suggesting that a diet rich in soybean-derived products, especially when consumed before and during adolescence, may be associated with a decreased overall risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

In this prospective public health study, more than 73,000 Chinese adolescent girls and women were followed for an average of 7.4 years. All of the participants in this very large study completed validated dietary surveys, and the incidence of new breast cancers among this very large group of Chinese women was then compared to their self-reported intake of soy-based foods.

The results of this study were rather striking, and were highly statistically significant when comparing the incidence of breast cancer among women with the highest levels of soy intake versus the women with the least soy intake. In this epidemiological study, the women who reported the highest regular dietary intake of soy-based foods were, overall, nearly 60 percent less likely to be diagnosed with premenopausal breast cancer during the course of this clinical research trial. This dramatic reduction in the risk of premenopausal breast cancer was observed in both the women who reported high levels of soy-derived foods in their diet and in the women who frequently consumed foods that were generally rich in isoflavones.

While this particular study did not measure isoflavone levels in the blood, as was done in the prostate cancer study that I reviewed last week, its results, nonetheless, mirror the findings of other similar epidemiological studies.

As with all survey-based disease prevention studies, of course, there is the potential for significant bias in this particular research study, and studies such as these cannot, by themselves, prove a “cause-and-effect” mechanism behind the clinical findings that they reveal. However, such studies, when conducted prospectively and with a high degree of scientific integrity, can still suggest potentially important disease prevention strategies. When the results of studies such as these appear to be especially compelling, they should then be followed-up by large, prospective randomized, placebo-controlled clinical research studies that provide so-called “Level I” clinical evidence.

Previous studies that have supported a role for soy consumption in breast cancer prevention have suggested that the increased consumption of soy-derived isoflavones before and around the time of adolescence is critically important, when the female breast is actively developing, and that this apparent protective effect of soy foods against breast cancer diminishes greatly after breast development is completed in early adulthood. (At the same time, however, the weakly estrogenic effects of dietary isoflavones have raised concerns about soy intake among women with a prior history of breast cancer, although there is no convincing scientific data, yet, showing that dietary isoflavones increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence.)

Another caveat that must be mentioned regarding the findings of this particular study is that the potentially beneficial effects of soy-derived foods, and of dietary isoflavones in general, in preventing breast cancer were observed in a homogeneous population of Asian women. Even if high levels of isoflavones in the diet really are protective against breast cancer, as this epidemiological study strongly suggests, it is still unclear whether or not this putative cancer prevention benefit applies equally to non-Asian women as well. Once again, only well-balanced, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies can confirm or contradict the findings of this very large Chinese public health study. Fortunately, there are several such studies underway at this time.

Finally, although I don’t, as a rule, include links to other websites within this column, I am making an exception for The Prostate Cancer Charity in the United Kingdom. This cancer awareness charity is competing in an online contest to have their prostate cancer public service announcement displayed on London buses at no charge. Please click the following link, and cast your online vote for this charity’s worthy cause (you can cast a vote for them on a daily basis): Bluefrog – The Prostate Cancer Charity

Last week’s column reviewed new clinical research findings suggesting that higher levels of soy-derived isoflavones in the diet, and in the blood, may significantly reduce the risk of prostate cancer. This week, I will be discussing a new research study that makes similar claims regarding the prevention of breast cancer.

Breast cancer in women is, in several important ways, analogous to prostate cancer in men. Like prostate cancer, most breast cancer cells are fueled by the body’s sex hormones (androgens stimulate prostate cancer growth, while estrogen in women stimulates breast cancer growth). Prostate cancer is the number one cause of cancer in men, and breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer in men. Approximately 192,000 cases of each of these cancers will be diagnosed in 2009, with prostate cancer accounting for about one-fourth of all cancers afflicting men, while breast cancer also represents about one-fourth of all cancers that affect women. Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in men, and, analogously, breast cancer is the number two cause of cancer death in women. More than 27,000 men will die of prostate cancer in 2009, while more than 40,000 women will succumb to breast cancer this year.

In last week’s column (Diet & Prostate Cancer Risk), I reviewed an innovative clinical research study that assessed both the dietary intake of soy-derived isoflavones and the concentration of these dietary nutrients in the blood. Isoflavones belong to a larger group of dietary compounds that are, collectively, referred to as phytoestrogens, as these nutrients are able to stimulate (albeit weakly) chemical receptors for the sex hormone estrogen. In a newly published clinical study, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the results of a large prospective Chinese women’s health study add to previous similar research in suggesting that a diet rich in soybean-derived products, especially when consumed before and during adolescence, may be associated with a decreased overall risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

In this prospective public health study, more than 73,000 Chinese adolescent girls and women were followed for an average of 7.4 years. All of the participants in this very large study completed validated dietary surveys, and the incidence of new breast cancers among this very large group of Chinese women was then compared to their self-reported intake of soy-based foods.

The results of this study were rather striking, and were highly statistically significant when comparing the incidence of breast cancer among women with the highest levels of soy intake versus the women with the least soy intake. In this epidemiological study, the women who reported the highest regular dietary intake of soy-based foods were, overall, nearly 60 percent less likely to be diagnosed with premenopausal breast cancer during the course of this clinical research trial. This dramatic reduction in the risk of premenopausal breast cancer was observed in both the women who reported high levels of soy-derived foods in their diet and in the women who frequently consumed foods that were generally rich in isoflavones.

While this particular study did not measure isoflavone levels in the blood, as was done in the prostate cancer study that I reviewed last week, its results, nonetheless, mirror the findings of other similar epidemiological studies.

As with all survey-based disease prevention studies, of course, there is the potential for significant bias in this particular research study, and studies such as these cannot, by themselves, prove a “cause-and-effect” mechanism behind the clinical findings that they reveal. However, such studies, when conducted prospectively and with a high degree of scientific integrity, can still suggest potentially important disease prevention strategies. When the results of studies such as these appear to be especially compelling, they should then be followed-up by large, prospective randomized, placebo-controlled clinical research studies that provide so-called “Level I” clinical evidence.

Previous studies that have supported a role for soy consumption in breast cancer prevention have suggested that the increased consumption of soy-derived isoflavones before and around the time of adolescence is critically important, when the female breast is actively developing, and that this apparent protective effect of soy foods against breast cancer diminishes greatly after breast development is completed in early adulthood. (At the same time, however, the weakly estrogenic effects of dietary isoflavones have raised concerns about soy intake among women with a prior history of breast cancer, although there is no convincing scientific data, yet, showing that dietary isoflavones increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence.)

Another caveat that must be mentioned regarding the findings of this particular study is that the potentially beneficial effects of soy-derived foods, and of dietary isoflavones in general, in preventing breast cancer were observed in a homogeneous population of Asian women. Even if high levels of isoflavones in the diet really are protective against breast cancer, as this epidemiological study strongly suggests, it is still unclear whether or not this putative cancer prevention benefit applies equally to non-Asian women as well. Once again, only well-balanced, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies can confirm or contradict the findings of this very large Chinese public health study. Fortunately, there are several such studies underway at this time.

Finally, although I don’t, as a rule, include links to other websites within this column, I am making an exception for The Prostate Cancer Charity in the United Kingdom. This cancer awareness charity is competing in an online contest to have their prostate cancer public service announcement displayed on London buses at no charge. Please click the following link, and cast your online vote for this charity’s worthy cause (you can cast a vote for them on a daily basis): Bluefrog – The Prostate Cancer Charity

Last week’s column reviewed new clinical research findings suggesting that higher levels of soy-derived isoflavones in the diet, and in the blood, may significantly reduce the risk of prostate cancer. This week, I will be discussing a new research study that makes similar claims regarding the prevention of breast cancer.

Breast cancer in women is, in several important ways, analogous to prostate cancer in men. Like prostate cancer, most breast cancer cells are fueled by the body’s sex hormones (androgens stimulate prostate cancer growth, while estrogen in women stimulates breast cancer growth). Prostate cancer is the number one cause of cancer in men, and breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer in men. Approximately 192,000 cases of each of these cancers will be diagnosed in 2009, with prostate cancer accounting for about one-fourth of all cancers afflicting men, while breast cancer also represents about one-fourth of all cancers that affect women. Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in men, and, analogously, breast cancer is the number two cause of cancer death in women. More than 27,000 men will die of prostate cancer in 2009, while more than 40,000 women will succumb to breast cancer this year.

In last week’s column (Diet & Prostate Cancer Risk), I reviewed an innovative clinical research study that assessed both the dietary intake of soy-derived isoflavones and the concentration of these dietary nutrients in the blood. Isoflavones belong to a larger group of dietary compounds that are, collectively, referred to as phytoestrogens, as these nutrients are able to stimulate (albeit weakly) chemical receptors for the sex hormone estrogen. In a newly published clinical study, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the results of a large prospective Chinese women’s health study add to previous similar research in suggesting that a diet rich in soybean-derived products, especially when consumed before and during adolescence, may be associated with a decreased overall risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

In this prospective public health study, more than 73,000 Chinese adolescent girls and women were followed for an average of 7.4 years. All of the participants in this very large study completed validated dietary surveys, and the incidence of new breast cancers among this very large group of Chinese women was then compared to their self-reported intake of soy-based foods.

The results of this study were rather striking, and were highly statistically significant when comparing the incidence of breast cancer among women with the highest levels of soy intake versus the women with the least soy intake. In this epidemiological study, the women who reported the highest regular dietary intake of soy-based foods were, overall, nearly 60 percent less likely to be diagnosed with premenopausal breast cancer during the course of this clinical research trial. This dramatic reduction in the risk of premenopausal breast cancer was observed in both the women who reported high levels of soy-derived foods in their diet and in the women who frequently consumed foods that were generally rich in isoflavones.

While this particular study did not measure isoflavone levels in the blood, as was done in the prostate cancer study that I reviewed last week, its results, nonetheless, mirror the findings of other similar epidemiological studies.

As with all survey-based disease prevention studies, of course, there is the potential for significant bias in this particular research study, and studies such as these cannot, by themselves, prove a “cause-and-effect” mechanism behind the clinical findings that they reveal. However, such studies, when conducted prospectively and with a high degree of scientific integrity, can still suggest potentially important disease prevention strategies. When the results of studies such as these appear to be especially compelling, they should then be followed-up by large, prospective randomized, placebo-controlled clinical research studies that provide so-called “Level I” clinical evidence.

Previous studies that have supported a role for soy consumption in breast cancer prevention have suggested that the increased consumption of soy-derived isoflavones before and around the time of adolescence is critically important, when the female breast is actively developing, and that this apparent protective effect of soy foods against breast cancer diminishes greatly after breast development is completed in early adulthood. (At the same time, however, the weakly estrogenic effects of dietary isoflavones have raised concerns about soy intake among women with a prior history of breast cancer, although there is no convincing scientific data, yet, showing that dietary isoflavones increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence.)

Another caveat that must be mentioned regarding the findings of this particular study is that the potentially beneficial effects of soy-derived foods, and of dietary isoflavones in general, in preventing breast cancer were observed in a homogeneous population of Asian women. Even if high levels of isoflavones in the diet really are protective against breast cancer, as this epidemiological study strongly suggests, it is still unclear whether or not this putative cancer prevention benefit applies equally to non-Asian women as well. Once again, only well-balanced, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies can confirm or contradict the findings of this very large Chinese public health study. Fortunately, there are several such studies underway at this time.

Finally, although I don’t, as a rule, include links to other websites within this column, I am making an exception for The Prostate Cancer Charity in the United Kingdom. This cancer awareness charity is competing in an online contest to have their prostate cancer public service announcement displayed on London buses at no charge. Please click the following link, and cast your online vote for this charity’s worthy cause (you can cast a vote for them on a daily basis): Bluefrog – The Prostate Cancer Charity

Breast cancer if detected earlier can be cured easily. Now most breast cancer victims are cured with out necessarily removing their breast.

When cells in our breast begins to grow uncontrollably and keeps spreading, causing damage to all the tissues surrounding it, this is most likely to be breast cancer. This uncontrollably growth is generalized as tumor. Tumor is not the same as cancer. A tumor can be benign, pre-malignant or malignant. By definition, cancer is a malignant tumor. Cancerous tumors can cause so much damage to the body.

It takes a while for tumors to grow. The best treatment for breast cancer is early detection. Cancerous tumors may sometimes be difficult to detect in its early stage during self examination, but always easily to detected by the help of mammograms.

It is advice that all women of age 20 and above should make it a point to start performing Breast Self Examination-(BSE) at least once a month. You get the best results from BSE if you perform it a few days after your menstruation. BSE is known to be a very easy way of detecting cancer. Besides BSE, you need to visit the clinic for a more thorough breast examination at least once a year. This has very helpful in cases where cancerous tumors cannot be determined by BSE.

While performing your BSE, these are some of the signs you should look out for:

- Do you find any lump in and around the nipple or underarm
- Do you see any change in the size or shape of your breast?
- Is there any nipple discharge?
- Is your nipple turning inward?
- Is there any redness of skin or warmth?
- do you see any formation of dimple or change in skin texture?

Here we look at some of the causes of having breast cancer:

Gender: Some men do suffer from breast cancer but in very rare cases, majority of breast cancer victims are women. So as a women you are more like to be affect by this disease.

Age: Statistics shows that women in their old ages are at risk more that younger women. Usually it starts at age 40.

Family history: You may have a high chance of suffering from breast if somebody in your family has suffered it before.

Alcohol: Alcohol drinking can escalate your likelihood of breast cancer

Being overweight or obese: People who are obese also have a higher chance of breast cancer especially after menopause. This means that anything that leads you into becoming obese is indirectly a contributing factor to a higher chance of suffering from breast cancer, for this reason lack of exercise can contribute to breast cancer.

If you find out that you are at risk of suffering from breast cancer you can prevent it by the following approaches:

-Become a vegetarian

-Eat a lot of organic food and vegetables

-Stop eating red meat and processed foods

- Stop consuming alcohol and colas

- Use Stevia, as a substitute to any artificial sweetener

-Consume more food with good source of fiber. Oatmeal, Kamut, Psyllium and other whole grains are good examples.

- Wheat, bran and Cabbage help to prevent breast cancer and very nutritious, so your diet must include a lot of such foods

- Some of the highest cancer fighting nutrients can be found in Garlic, carrots, ginger, parsnip, celery, cilantro and parsley so make sure to include them in all your daily diet.

By following the above advice, you are in your own small way helping with the other breast cancer foundations to fight against breast cancer. And if there is any Breast Cancer Foundation near where you live, make sure to join their activities.

Identifying breast cancer causes can help health experts and doctors formulate methods for treating such condition. Basically, the cancer starts at the tissues of the breast and the type of breast cancer that one experiences is determined by exactly which part of the breast is affected.

Having knowledge about possible breast cancer causes can help create awareness of what lifestyle choices or other health choices are to be made in order to prevent this condition.

Below are just some of the most common causes of this illness recognized to date.

Breast Cancer Cause # 1: Hereditary Factors

Although it has been known that only 5 to 10 percent of cancerous cells are inherited, several cases of women suffering from breast cancer have inherited them in the family.

A significant number of breast cancer patients (about 20 to 30 percent, with other statistical research reaching up to 50 percent) have reported that a close relative previously had the same disease or had any previous record in their family.

Therefore, health experts have opted not to neglect this factor in terms of analyzing this disease in the hopes of finding an effective cure. Genetic defects in either one of two breast cancer genes can be a culprit.

Breast Cancer Cause # 2: Genetic Mutations

As opposed to inherited genes, genetic mutations are recognized as one of the major causes of this disease. This one can be brought about by various environmental factors such as radiation exposure, which happens when a woman previously had a therapy or treatment.

Those women who have undergone any form of treatment that require their chest area to be exposed to radiation are more likely to develop breast cancer, even when the treatment took place at an earlier age. The risk increases for those who have had such treatment during their adolescent years.

Although it does not guarantee that you will be acquiring the disease if you had undergone such treatment requiring exposure to radiation, it does increase the possibility.

As of now, researchers are furthering their efforts to unlock the relationship between environmental factors and an individual’s genetic make-up.

Breast Cancer Cause # 3: Age and Gender

Health experts have identified and proven that the risk of acquiring this illness increases as you age. Therefore, women over the age of 50 take up majority of the demographics for patients suffering from breast cancer. Moreover, those women over 50 who experience this disease suffer from advanced cases of the disease.

Gender could also play a role since women are 100 times more prone to having breast cancer as compared to men.

Breast Cancer Cause # 4: Exposure to DES (diethylstilbestrol)

Pregnant women used to be administered with a drug called DES since it has been known to reduce the possibility of miscarriage. However, recent studies revealed that this exposed the pregnant women and the child (especially daughters) in the womb to higher risk of developing breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Cause # 5: Use of Birth Control Pills

Women in their premenopausal stage who administer birth control pills are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. This kind of risk though is known to produce short-term effects and the risk is rather small. Since studies are still ongoing, it is best to consult your doctor before using any kind of birth control pills.

Breast Cancer Cause # 6: Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy

Several women undergo this therapy to relieve any menopausal symptoms. Since there are no other motivation for undergoing this treatment aside from relief from menopausal symptoms, it is best to consult your doctor on other methods of finding relief to reduce the risks as this is widely known as one of the causes for breast cancer.

Armed with this knowledge, you can now take precautionary steps to avoid the risks of contracting this serious condition.

There are two mistakes commonly made by doctors that can delay the diagnosis of a woman’s breast cancer:

(1) failing to order a diagnostic test to rule out cancer when a lump is felt in the breast and

(2) misreading a mammogram. 

If a doctor makes either of these mistakes and causes a delay in the diagnosis of cancer until it reaches an advanced stage, the patient may have a claim for medical malpractice.

Failing to order diagnostic testing.

Doctors all too often assure women that the lump in their breast is nothing more than a benign cyst. Perhaps these doctors are simply playing the odds. After all, most abnormal findings from breast examinations are due to something other than cancer. The odds are even stronger in young women with no family history of breast cancer. Statistically, women with not family history of breast cancer are at a lower risk than those with a family history. Further, the majority of new cases of breast cancer occur in women over 50 years old. Some women have reported being told by their doctor that they are too young to have cancer. Unfortunately, some of the women whose breast examination reveal a lump, even young women and women with no family history of breast cancer, turn out to have breast cancer.

Perhaps these doctors believe they can tell whether a mass in the breast is cancerous by conducting a clinical breast examination. Unfortunately, it is simply not possible to determine, based on a clinical breast examination, whether a lump in the breast is a benign or cancerous. Thus, most cancer specialist conclude that when a woman reports feeling a lump in her breast or a mass is detected during a clinical breast examination, it is necessary to conduct diagnostic testing to determine whether the mass is cancerous. Examples of diagnostic tests include an aspiration, a biopsy, and a mammogram. 

For those patient who do have breast cancer, the failure to order diagnostic testing can result in the growth and spread of the cancer.     

Misreading a mammogram 

Mammograms are used to detect structures and changes in the breast that may be cancerous. The mammogram creates images of the inside of the breast by using low dose x-rays of the patient’s compressed breast. The resulting images are then analyzed by doctors for the presence of any structures or changes that might be cancerous.  An abnormal finding is generally followed by diagnostic testing, such as a biopsy to determine whether it is cancerous.

Unfortunately, doctors sometimes miss what is literally in front of their eyes. They sometimes fail to detect an abnormal structure or change from a prior mammogram.  Other times, doctors incorrectly diagnose a structure or change from a prior mammogram as benign without ordering any diagnostic testing to rule out cancer. 

Mistake may result in medical malpractice claim

Either of the common mistakes described above can cause a delay in the diagnosis of the patient’s breast cancer. The longer the detection of cancer is delayed, the more likely it is that the cancer will spread and reach an advanced stage. When the cancer spreads, the treatment options available to the woman are more limited.  In addition, her 5-year survival rate, the chance she has of surviving the cancer for 5 years or more, even with treatment, decreases significantly. At Stage III, it is approximately 55 percent. By Stage IV, it can be as low as 20 percent.  If the cancer is detected early, however, the 5-year survival rate is over 80 percent, possibly as high as over 95 percent if it is detected early enough.

Medical mistakes can have tragic consequences. This is particularly true for patients with cancer. The delay in diagnosis can result in the loss of the breast, limited treatment options, and in some cases, can be fatal. When this happens, mistakes such as those described above may constitute medical malpractice. 

The law limits the amount of time a victim of medical malpractice and her family have in which to pursue any resulting legal claim(s). Thus, if you suspect that you or a family member are a victim of medical malpractice you should contact an attorney immediately.

Most people think that breast cancer only strike those who are older. It is true that the older you are the more likely you are to get breast cancer but the younger you are (if you get breast cancer) it can be fatal. If you get breast cancer when you are younger chances are you may die from it.

Could it happen to you?

No women want to hear the words … “You have got Breast Cancer”.

You definitely look better having two breasts. And if you look better and feel better you will definitely live better. Thus we have to learn how to improve our odds of not having cancer at all.
Breast Cancer

1. Most common form of cancer in women – more than 30% of the cancers.
2. In the US, I out of 8 women will be diagnosed as having breast cancer. In Canada 1 out of 17. And in Malaysia 1 out of 14.
3. 85% have no family history of breast cancer.
4. 2nd only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death.

Prevention is the best option. It’s for yourself and the people you care about.

Prevention of breast cancer is also applicable to other forms of cancer.

Managing your risk of Breast Cancer – 3 Step Process

1. Prevention (Best)
2. Early detection (Best Alternative)

If you do step (1) chances are low that you will not get cancer. If you do step (2) you may survive.
Prevention of Breast Cancer

1. Maintain BMI below 25 – maintain a healthy body weight.
2. Reduce alcohol consumption.
3. Stop smoking.
4. Take a blood or lymphatic cleanser.
5. Take Phytoestrogens
6. Take Whole Food Antioxidants.
7. Take B-complex vitamins.
8. Take Fiber Supplement (25 gm per day)
9. Avoid HRT.

Your goal is to stay healthy – by Prevention. Fibre, Antioxidants and Glucarate – all helps to prevent breast cancer.

Early Detection

1. Monthly Breast Self-examination starting at age 20.
2. Clinical Breast Examination every 3 years from age (20-39)
3. Annual mammogram starting at age 40

Why Early Detection?

The difference between a 1 cm (about the size of a blueberry) and a 2cm tumour (about the size of a cherry) is several years worth of growth and several million cancer cells. A woman do not die from breast cancer. It’s when it spreads to other vital organs that death occur.

Nobody wants to hear the words – “You’ve got cancer”. However, early detection when it is still small is okay. Better not to have cancer. But if you have it, better to find it when small.

Reasons not wanting to do a Breast Self-Examination.

* It takes time
* Lack of confidence
* Fear

Are the above reasons or excuses? Most people don’t do it even though they know how to do it. In most lumps detected 80% is not cancer and 20% will be cancer.

Find out how anyone can help their loved ones to prevent breast cancer by using a device to help making breast self examination easier at http://www.howcanigethealthy.com/healthblog/womens-health/breast-examination-prevents-breast-cancer

I was speaking in Milwaukee a few weeks ago to a large Komen group and a young lady, just 26 years old, came up to me and said, “I have estrogen receptor negative breast cancer…I don’t fit into the same mold as other women. So, what kinds of foods should I be eating?”

Eight years ago, when I was writing Challenge Cancer and Win!, that same question sent me to the National Library of Medicine to find an answer. I couldn’t find one. While we have thousands of studies specific to breast cancer, it is only recently that researchers are focusing on the dietary link to breast cancer based on estrogen receptor status.

As you probably know, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States. Most women will be diagnosed with estrogen receptor positive breast cancer-which means that their cancers are spurred on by excess estrogen in the body. Many studies have helped us formulate certain dietary recommendations specific to this kind of cancer. But what about the individuals who are diagnosed with estrogen receptor negative breast cancer-a type of cancer that accounts for nearly 25% of all breast cancer diagnoses?

Recent studies have surfaced in the last five years and now we have a game plan for estrogen receptor negative breast cancer survivors too! In a study published in the February 2006 issue of the Journal of Nutrition, researchers found that women who scored high on Harvard University’s Alternate Healthy Eating Index had a lower risk of estrogen receptor negative breast cancer. This index provides guidelines describing the “gold standard” for cancer risk reduction and includes recommendations to consume a daily intake of the following: 9 servings of fruits and veggies, 7+ grams of dietary fiber, eating three times more chicken and fish than beef, lamb and pork, consuming 30-40% less saturated fat than polyunsaturated fats, eating less than 3 grams of trans fats and consuming 1 ounce of nuts or soy. So, basically, the researchers recommend a diet that is rich in plants. That’s no surprise. And those recommendations apply to any woman concerned with breast cancer, or any cancer or disease for that matter.

In August 2005, a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention revealed that researchers looked at folate intake and risk of breast cancer characterized by hormone receptor status. Remember that folate is a B vitamin given to pregnant women to help prevent birth defects. B vitamins play a crucial role in many body functions, including accurate cell division. For optimal health, we want accurate cell division-we want those healthy cells to keep duplicating themselves so we have even more healthy cells! The researchers found that women whose diets were deficient in folate had an increased estrogen receptor negative breast cancer risk. Higher folate intake was not associated with a lower risk of developing estrogen receptor breast cancer. So, while it makes sense for everyone to strive for accurate cell division and consume foods rich in folate, those individuals with estrogen receptor negative breast cancer may want to add these folate-rich foods to their daily checklist: fruits like cherries, oranges and strawberries, beans and peas, and dark, green leafy veggies. Alcohol, by the way, robs the body of folate and other B vitamins, so it’s prudent to enjoy alcohol only occasionally, if at all.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center researchers found that high intakes of linoleic acid were associated with more than a 300% greater risk of estrogen receptor negative disease than estrogen receptor positive disease. Linoleic acids are found in polyunsaturated fats like cottonseed, soybean, and corn oil as well as vegetable-based margarines. We have certainly seen a link to all breast cancers with the intake of excessive polyunsaturated fats (sources for linoleic acid) but this study offers significant insight for those individuals with estrogen receptor negative status. I would recommend exclusive use of extra virgin olive oil and butter, rather than margarine. And don’t forget the hidden fats found in crackers and other bakery products. It’s time to choose non-hydrogenated food products if you haven’t paid attention to this suggestion already.

In a final study, Roswell Park Cancer Institute researchers published their findings in Breast Cancer Research Treatment journal in October 2006. They found that among premenopausal women, there was a reduced risk of estrogen receptor negative breast cancer for those women who consumed the highest lignan intake. We see benefits of lignans in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer studies as well. Lignans, a fibrous compound, are found in flaxseed, and to a lesser degree in sesame seeds, and kale. Ground flax seed can be added into soups, stews, cereals, waffle and pancake batter, tossed into a salad, mixed into a smoothie or stirred into a glass of orange juice.

The take home message is simple: dietary recommendations for estrogen receptor negative breast cancer survivors are similar to those recommended to estrogen receptor positive breast cancer survivors. It’s time to eat more fruits, veggies and fiber containing foods like grains and beans, limit alcohol and fats, use olive oil and butter and include flax in your diet. I believe that impact of these studies is more profound: For those of you with estrogen receptor negative breast cancer, when you read nutrition information specific to breast cancer, you can rest assured that the majority of those recommendations will apply to you too. You are not alone! Isn’t that positively wonderful?