What is Breast cancer?

A health article about Breast cancer fromYour Health Online the A to Z directory of dealing with Health Problems & nutritional Self Care Strategies

Every woman who hears the words ‘breast cancer’ feels a sense of fear.

According to the American Cancer Society cancer in the breast is the second most common form of cancer in women after skin cancer.

While it is also possible for a man to get breast-cancer women are 100 times more likely to develop it than men.

This form of cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in women. Lung cancer is the leading cause. The chance of dying from breast-cancer is one in 33, but that number is decreasing as new forms of treatment and early detection are being implemented.

There are several forms of cancer that occur in different areas of the breast. Most cancers are treated with radiation, chemotherapy or surgery. It depends on the type of cancer, how far it has spread and where it is located in the breast which treatment program is determined for any individual.

Great strides are taking place to treat and prevent breast-cancer. Women with a high risk should discuss the possible preventive measures currently available with their doctor.

Signs & Symptoms

The lymph nodes of the breast is the place where breast cancer usually begins. Cancer of the breast can spread all over the body to the bones, liver, lungs and brain. Even though the cancer may wind up in the brain, it's still breast cancer. This disease usually strikes women who are over 40 years of age. Women who are younger and even men can develop this cancer. For women over 40 years of age, they need to be especially diligent in protecting themselves against this disease.

The breast cancer tumor has the following symptoms: lump or thickening that appears on the breast or underarm, changes in the breast's shape, nipple turned inwards followed by colorless discharge, red or scaled skin or nipple, or ridges on the breast skin.

If a woman experiences any of these symptoms, it does not necessarily mean she has breast cancer. In such a case she should undergo a breast cancer personal check-up. It is estimated that 95% of breast-cancer is detected through personal check-up. The breast cancer personal check-up includes checking for lumps in the breasts after each menstrual period, puckering the skin, and checking for nipple retraction or discharge.

For consistent result, every woman should do a breast cancer personal check-up at the same time every month. Various other techniques such as mammography, thermography, ultrasonography, computerized tomography scan etc, can also help detect breast cancer.

Breast self-examination

Breasts come in all shapes and sizes and do not stay the same throughout your life. Your monthly period, pregnancy, age and weight changes may alter the shape, size and feel of your breasts.

To know what is normal for your breasts –

• LOOK
Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips. Look for any changes to the size, shape and skin of your breasts, including your nipples.
If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor’s attention:

- dimpling, puckering or bulging of the skin
- a nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple
- redness, soreness, rash or swelling
Now raise your arms and look for the same changes

• FEEL
Step One
While you are at the mirror, gently squeeze each nipple between your finger and thumb and check for nipple discharge – this could be milky, yellow fluid or blood

Step Two
Now feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few fingers of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together.
Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side, from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen and from your armpit to your cleavage

Be sure to feel all the breast tissue: just beneath your skin with a soft touch and down deeper with a firmer touch. Begin examining each area with a very soft touch and then increase pressure so that you can feel the deeper tissue down to your ribcage

Step Three
Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting.
Many women find that the easiest way top feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery so this step can be done while in the shower.

sourced from - BREAST CHECK IMAGING:

St Leonards Street, Corner Stirling Highway, Mosman Park, WA, 6012. Australia mailto:info@breastcheckimaging.com.au

What Causes Breast cancer?

What causes cancer cells to form within the breast? As in other forms of cancer, cancer cells are created when normal cells go berserk by growing and dividing improperly. This can happen when new cells are created that the body does not find necessary to have. There are also old cells with extended lives that the body expected to die but didn't.

Tumors form when these extra cells separate and multiply causing a tumor to grow. There are benign tumors and malignant tumors. Benign tumors usually are not dangerous because they are not cancerous. They usually don't spread within the body, so they're easy to contain.

On the other hand, malignant tumors are cancer. They pose a deadly risk to the body and although they can be removed by surgery, they often grow back. They can spread to other parts of the body as well. The spreading throughout the body can be fatal to your health.

Risk Factors For Breast Cancer:

1 Age

2 Family history of breast cancer in mother or sister

3 Estrogen excess

4 Breast changes

5 Weight gain

6 Regular alcohol consumption

7 Early menarche, late menopause, delayed childbearing

8 Diet and nutrition – linked to 60% of all cancers.

9 Physical inactivity

10 Over-nurturing/feelings of powerlessness/inability to express emotions

Who is More Likely to Get Breast Cancer?

The American Cancer Society reports that 1 in 8 women in the US will experience invasive breast cancer in her lifetime.

While every woman is at risk there are certain factors that increase the likelihood a person may develop breast cancer. Not having these risk factors does not mean you will not develop cancer just as being at a high risk doesn’t mean you will develop cancer.

Smoking, age and family history are the common factors that are assessed when determining risk.

While smoking can be controlled, age and family history cannot. The older you are the greater the risk that you will develop breast cancer – almost 8 out of 10 women diagnosed with breast cancer are over 50. If women in your family developed breast cancer you are also at an increased risk.

Certain genetic changes increase the risk to as high as 80% that a woman will develop the cancer. Testing for these changes can help a woman and her doctor discuss preventative measures that might be taken.

Caucasian women have a higher risk of developing breast cancer but African-American women more often die from the disease. Asians, Hispanics and American Indian women are less likely to get it.

Starting your period (menstruation) before age 12 or going through menopause after 55 slightly increases the risk.

Having taken the drug DES (diethylstilbestrol), which some women were given in the belief it would prevent them from losing a baby, slightly increases the risk while radiation to the chest earlier in life greatly increases the risk.

Being overweight, use of alcohol, long term use of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and not having children have all been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Using birth control pills may increase the risk and should be discussed with your doctor.

On the other hand exercise, healthy eating (especially reducing the intake of alcohol and red meats) or having had children early in life and breastfeeding for as long as 1 ½ -2 years have been linked to a REDUCED risk of developing breast cancer.

The fear of developing breast cancer hangs over women all over the world. And statistics can be scary because breast cancer among American women is the second leading cause of death from cancer -- coming just behind lung cancer.

Although finding out that you have breast cancer in the past would have been like receiving a death sentence, today things have changed. That's because of the outstanding advances in the medical treatment of breast cancer that have been developed recently. There are many more alternative treatments available now than were available 20 years ago. Happily, more and more women have joined the category of breast cancer survivors.

There are many risk factors for developing breast cancer. Some of these factors can be changed, but some cannot be changed. The mere fact that you're a woman makes you more susceptible to this disease than if you were a man. Aging is another factor that you can't change. You can't change what family you were born into either and your inherent genetic traits. If your mother died of breast cancer, your risks of developing the disease are greater. If another close family member developed breast cancer, that's another risk factor for you.

In fact, your risks of developing breast cancer double if you have a close family member with breast-cancer. Another risk factor that you can't change is when you started having your menstrual periods. For example, if you started menstruating before you were 12 years old or if menopause came later for you -- after 50 years old -- that's another risk.

Now there's a genetic test that can be performed to check if you carry the mutated gene that can increase your breast cancer risk.

If you're taking estrogens with progesterone for menopausal symptoms, your risk of developing breast-cancer will be slightly increased. Your risks will also be increased if you take birth control pills. If you drink alcohol, your risks increase. If you are overweight, your risks are increased as well. If you don't exercise, your risks are increased too. If you never breast-feed, this also increases your risk of developing breast cancer.

No one knows for sure who will developed breast cancer because even men can suffer with it.

Since there are risks you can do nothing about and other risks that you can do something about, it would be wise to do all you can to decrease the risks that you can do something about. So be sure to take care of your health, exercise and lose excess weight.

If you are at risk in a special way because of your family history, be sure to have regular breast screenings and examine your breasts every month as well. Those are two important actions you can take to protect yourself from breast cancer.

Prevention:

Did you know that there are quite a number of things that you can do to help reduce your chances of developing breast cancer?

For example, it might surprise you to learn that your weight is a key factor in whether you develop cancer or not. If a lot of extra fat is collecting around your middle, that gives you an increased risk factor of breast cancer. This is especially true after menopause. A high fat diet also increases your risk for developing this disease. It's crucial that you get a handle on keeping your weight in check. As a result, you'll be healthier and protect yourself from not only breast cancer but other deadly diseases as well.

I don't know if you're aware of the fact, but exercise is critical in protecting yourself against breast-cancer. If you haven't started and maintained a regular program of exercising, there's no better time to begin than right now! Why not start a walking program and walk around the block on a regular basis? It might surprise you to learn that even if you only exercise an hour and 15 minutes each week, that will be a big help to your health. Want to boost your protection even more -- simply exercise 2 1/2 hours per week or more.

Studies have shown the more exercise you do, your risk of developing breast cancer lowers.

Here's another surprising fact. If you decide not to have any children, that will increase your risk of developing breast cancer. If you wait until after you are 30 to have your first child, that will also increase your risk.

Breast-feeding seems to have an important relationship to the prevention of breast cancer. Those who breast-feed their children for about one and a half to two years actually decrease in a significant way their risk of developing breast cancer.

If breast cancer runs in your family, you should be cautious about taking hormonal replacements because that increases your risk of not only developing breast cancer, but also experiencing heart attacks, strokes and even blood clots.

It's a proven fact that women who drink alcohol also have a greater possibility of developing breast cancer. Want to decrease your risk of developing breast cancer? Don't drink alcohol at all.

Breast cancer is a dangerous foe, so protect yourself as much as possible by following the tips in this article.

What Can I Do to Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer?

Since early detection is so important it is vital that women learn how to detect lumps in their breasts and understand what precautions must be taken.

Those who are more at risk of developing cancer should take extra steps to detect cancer as early as possible since the lumps found by self-examination are much farther progressed than those found by other forms of detection.

While a doctor or nurse can show you how to perform a BSE (breast self-exam) the American Cancer Society still recommends women in their 20’s and 30’s should have a clinical exam every three years and once a year after 40.

After 40 most women should also have regular mammograms to catch cancers earlier.

Changes in the breast including dimpling, swelling, discharges other than milk or any other change to the nipple should be brought to the attention of a doctor.

While most of changes can be linked to non-cancerous causes catching the cancer early is definitely the most important factor in surviving breast cancer.

When to seek Medical Advice:

Women over 40 years of age should have a mammogram once a year because finding a cancer early is the key to survival. Women should also receive a yearly breast exam by their doctors. You should perform a monthly breast examination in your home as well.

Check and see if the appearance of your breasts or nipples has changed. Are your nipples inverted or turning inwards? Has the shape of your breasts suddenly changed in size or shape? Is there a discharge from your nipples? These are symptoms of breast cancer. If you notice anything like this, check with your doctor right away.

Conduct the breast self-examination test above and if you notice any abnormalities you must seek medical advice immediately.

Treatment/Therapy:

Breast cancer treatments include surgery that removes cancerous tissues, with breast conservation therapy (BCT) being one such surgery. Other breast cancer treatments include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy and biologic therapy. Radiotherapy is a common breast cancer treatment, and radiation treatment and chemotherapy may follow surgery to ensure the destruction of the stray cancer cells.

If you are facing breast cancer surgery or have had a mastectomy or partial mastectomy, there are certain activities you can avoid to bypass extra suffering after your surgery.

Here are some tips to help yourself be more comfortable:

1. As you are probably aware, emotional and psychological pain can sometimes hurt even worse than physical pain. With that in mind, you will want to have a support group standing behind you before surgery and after as well. For example, there may be a friend that you have in mind right now who has already gone through breast surgery. She will probably be a great comfort to you at this time in your life.

2. After breast cancer surgery you may experience a sense of imbalance in your body. In time your body will adjust. A physical therapist can help you regain as much movement as possible. He or she can suggest special exercises to help work out the stiffness and help you to feel better physically after surgery.

3. If you have lymph nodes removed, the affected arm may swell from time to time. So avoid wearing tight clothing or bracelets.

4. Use the arm that has not been involved in your mastectomy or partial mastectomy to carry heavy items.

5. After surgery you will want any medical procedures to be done on your stronger arm. For example, receive injections and have your blood pressure taken on the arm that has not been involved in your surgery.

6. For heavy-duty cleaning or gardening use protective gloves. If your arm is swelling, you'll feel worse having it scratched by thorns from your rose bushes.

7. Protect your skin against sunburn. A swollen sunburned arm can cause a great deal of misery!

8. Be especially careful not to cut yourself when you trim your nails or cuticles. 9. Purchase an elastic sleeve to wear on your arm if it swells.

10. Wear insect repellent to avoid being bit by mosquitoes.

11. Your arm may bother you if you have lymph nodes removed, so be sure to consult with your doctor if your arm should bother you.

12. Be very careful to avoid junk foods and eat healthy foods to give your body the nourishment it needs.

By putting these 12 tips into practice after you have had breast cancer surgery, you will help yourself feel better and avoid needless extra suffering.

Other Treatments for Breast Cancer to consider

Although surgery is the most effective (and hence, the most widely used) breast cancer treatment method, there are several other ways of dealing with the disease, some are more powerful than the others. These include radiation therapy, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy, each of them with their own assets and downsides.

Most of them however are used in combination with surgery for best effects, either prior to it, in order to reduce the size of the tumor or after the operation, in order to remove any remaining cancerous cells. For a better understanding of these alternative treatment methods for breast cancer, we’ll take a closer look at each, explaining how they work and in what cases they might prove useful.

Radiation therapy uses powerful gamma rays (x-rays) which target the specific area that needs to be treated with high precision. Usually, radiation therapy is performed after surgery, to destroy any cancer cells that have not been removed or the ones that formed up where the tumor was removed. Although it can’t be used as, a treatment on its own, radiation therapy is one of the most accepted post-surgery methods of breast conserving therapy (BCT) and has a high chance of stopping the cancer from recurring.

As with all treatments involving x-rays, there are some downsides to radiation therapy. First, in order to wipe out the cancerous cells that might have formed (or remained) in the area where the tumor was removed from, the x-rays will eventually damage some of the healthy tissue too. Although the process is highly precise, the rays cannot make a difference between cancerous and normal cells, so they “burn” them together.

Chemotherapy involves the administration of drugs that kill the cancer cells or stop them from growing. Most chemotherapy medications are given through an intravenous line, although some are administered in pill form. Chemotherapy is a harsh regime, which often makes people feel more ill than the illness they are suffering from; however, it has been proved very effective.

Chemotherapy is a great treatment method to use both prior and after surgery. With the help of this method, you can virtually contract the cancerous tumor before the actual surgery, making it easier and less complex to remove. In addition, chemotherapy is used in the same sense as radiation therapy after the surgical intervention, to stop the diseased cells to recur.

Chemotherapy is administered usually in cycles where each cycle consists of a period of intensive treatment that lasts for a few days or weeks followed by a week of recovery. Most patients with breast cancer have two to four cycles of chemotherapy to start with before tests are performed to see what effects it has had on the cancer.

Chemotherapy is different to radiation as it can treat the whole body with the potential of finding other tumor cells that have migrated from the breast and surrounding area. Many people are familiar with chemotherapy’s side effects although the side effects do depend upon drugs to treat the patient.

The most common side effects are loss of hair, loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting and low blood cell count making the patient more susceptible to infections, feeling sick or tired. Many notice that they bleed more than usual, especially from gums, sores and small scrapes etc.

There are three different chemotherapy strategies are used in breast cancer:

Adjuvant chemotherapy – this is given to patients who have undergone curative treatment for breast cancer such as radiation or surgery. In order to decrease the possibility of the breast cancer recurrence, this treatment is given.

Pre-surgical chemotherapy – this is given to shrink a large tumor and/or to kill any stray cancerous cells. This will also increase the chance that the surgery will kill the cancer completely.

Regular chemotherapy – this is given routinely to people who have breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast or the surrounding local area.

Hormonal therapy may also be given, as many breast cancers such as those that have ample estrogens or progesterone receptors are sensitive to changes in hormones.

Tamoxifen Breast Cancer Treatment
Those women who are genetically at high risk of developing breast cancer may benefit from tamoxifen as it has previously been seen to decrease the incidence of the disease occurring. Raloxifene, which is used to treat osteoporosis, is now being studied for treating breast cancer.

In some breast cancer cases, a woman’s natural hormones are suppressed with drugs whereas other patients find benefits by adding hormones. Tamoxifen for instance is currently the most commonly prescribed effective hormone treatment. It can be used for treating breast cancer and in the prevention of breast cancer. Tamoxifen has few side effects and can considerably improve the life span of those women who have advanced cases of breast cancer.

Fulvestrant Breast Cancer Treatment
A further treatment, Fulvestrant has recently been approved in the USA. It is planned to be used for treating hormone receptor positive metastastic breast cancer in women who have been through the menopause. It is given following antiestrogen therapy.

Monoclonal Breast Cancer Treatment
Another treatment known as monoclonal is antibodies that are antagonistic against the proteins, which are in or around cancer cells. They recognise an invader such as a cancer cell and attack it. This antibody therapy is currently being investigated holds out a lot of hope for breast cancer sufferers.

Excessive alcohol intake and obesity following menopause can increase the risk of developing breast cancer although this increase is slight. Those physically active women have a lower risk.

Preventative or Prophylactic Mastectomies
More and more women who are at a high risk of developing breast cancer are having preventative or prophylactic mastectomies to avoid them developing breast cancer.

Self Care strategies for Living with Breast cancer

• Exercise is crucial to good health
• Give up smoking and reduce alcohol consumption
• Drink 8 – 10 glasses of pure, filtered water daily
• Avoid anti-perspirants which contain aluminium
• Reduce wearing of under-wire bras which can block the lymphatic system
• Breast self massageis a useful habit
• Reduce xenoestrogens (foreign estrogens) which mimic the action of very active, proliferative estrogens in the body and upset the delicate balance of female hormones.

Sources include:
- synthetic hormones
- plastics, such as PVC and polycarbonates
- petrochemicals, organochlorines, microchips, building materials, paints, solvents, acetates, pharmaceuticals,adhesives, detergents, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, perfumes, make-up, toiletries
- animal fats in non-organic meats, chicken, eggs and dairy foods

Dietary Factors to Avoid or Reduce:

• Minimise or eliminate refined or processed food
• Avoid refined sugars
• Replace ‘white’ products with wholegrain bread, pasta, brown rice, etc
• Limit or avoid food additives such as flavour enhancers, colourings, flavourings and preservatives
• Restrict intake of fatty foods, particularly fried foods
• Avoid microwaved, barbequed or burnt food
• Minimise consumption of processed meats and smoked and pickled foods
• Reduce consumption of red meat and pork

Dietary Factors to Increase:

• Increase consumption of fruit, vegetables and legumes (lentils, dried beans and peas)
• Organic meat, chicken, eggs, fruit, vegetables and grains are the best choice
• Eat fish three times per week and avoid large varieties such as shark, sword fish, tuna and barramundi which have increased levels of mercury. Choose fish with high levels of Omega 3 oils such as salmon, cod, mackerel and sardines
• Use cold pressed virgin olive oil in cooking and for salad dressings
• Increase fibre in ground flaxseeds, psyllium, bran, pectin, fruits and vegetables. Constipation is clearly linked to fibrocystic breasts and cancer
• Increase phytoestrogens in the diet
• Supplement the diet with a quality antioxidant and mineral supplement

Vitamin & Nutrient Associations

by Laura S. Garrett, RD. www.NutrActive.com

Research has shown that women who eat their fair share of fruits and vegetables have much lower rates of breast cancer. The minimum recommendation is to eat 5 servings per day, aiming for 10 servings.

Specific nutrients naturally found in fruits and vegetables seem to play a role in reducing risk. Some of these nutrients include vitamins C and E, and phytochemicals such as pycnogenols and carotenoids. The most popular carotenoid is beta carotene.

Word of caution: If you desire to boost your intake of specific nutrients by taking supplements, beta carotene is not one that has not shown favorable results in studies. Taking an isolated amount of any one carotenoid can throw the natural balance that you obtain through your diet out of whack.

It is far better to eat a handful of baby carrots to get a boost of carotenoids the way mother nature intended. As far as vitamins C and E, if you wish to supplement your diet, these are both relatively safe and effective supplements. My recommendation for vitamin C is do not take more than 500 mg per day in supplement form. For vitamin E, do not exceed 400 IU per day.

Another nutritional element that may help reduce breast cancer risk is fiber. Some of the fiber in your diet binds to estrogen. High exposure to estrogen throughout one's life is one of the high risk factors for breast cancer. Fiber intake can be increased by eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Carrying around extra baggage is a strong risk factor for developing breast cancer, especially if it is added during your adult years. Some health experts used to think there was no harm in packing on a few extra pounds with each passing year. It is now believed that even a 10 to 20 pound increase in weight over an adult's life span can increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Why? Possibly because increased body weight seems to result in increased circulating estrogen levels.

Effects of Fat:
Unfortunately, research on the role of total fat consumption is inconsistent. There has not been a lot of good research due to the fact that people who eat high-fat diets are typically overweight. Even if future research were not able to find an association between total fat intake and breast cancer risk, consuming a diet low in fat makes it much easier to maintain a lean body weight.

The standard advice is to consume no more than 30% of your calories from fat. Some health professionals say it is better to limit fat calories to 20% of your food intake. Here is an example to show you how to calculate how many grams of fat you can eat and be following the above guidelines. Let's say you typically eat 1800 calories a day. Multiply 1800 times 30% (or .30). You get 540 which is the total fat calories you can have that day. To calculate grams of fat, divide 540 by 9. You can have 60 grams of fat per day. The number 9 is used because there are 9 calories per every 1 gram of fat.

There is evidence that saturated fats may increase breast cancer risk. Sources include foods from animal origin, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and cocoa butter. Monounsaturated fats may actually help decrease breast cancer risk. Sources include olive oil, canola oil, and peanut oil.

Of particular interest is olive oil. Aside from being a monounsaturated fat, olive oil contains important phytochemicals and a significant amount of vitamin E. Phytochemicals and vitamin E possess antioxidant activity meaning they help protect against oxidation, a process by which cancer can develop. Greek women typically consume 42% of their calories from fat versus 35% consumed by American women. Yet, Greek women have substantially lower rates of mortality due to breast cancer when compared to American women. How can that be? Unlike the typical American diet, most all of the fat in the Greek diet comes from olive oil or fish. Fish has promising benefits, too. Studies involving the use of fish oils seem to indicate that fish oils can help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

Keep in mind that the speculations associated with olive oil are fairly new. There is no reason to start taking olive oil by the spoonfuls. Because it is a beneficial fat, there is absolutely no harm to included it in your diet. Just keep in mind that it is a fat and fats provide a significant amount of calories. The biggest key is to keep your weight under control.

Effects of Alcohol:
Alcohol consumption: Three out of four Americans say there is too much conflicting information when it comes to eating a healthy diet. This can be particularly true when it comes to alcohol. Some say a drink a day can provide health benefits, some say not so. So what are the facts?

Strong evidence suggests that consuming more than 3 to 4 drinks per week increases your risk of breast cancer. One drink is equal to 12 oz. beer, 5 oz. wine, 1.5 oz liquor. If you have included red wine to your diet to help reduce heart disease risk, why not eat red grapes or drink purple, 100% natural grape juice. The protective phytochemicals are found in the grapes, not the alcohol. Tea and onions are another source of these protective phytochemicals.

However, there is no denying that alcohol in moderation is associated with a lower risk of heart disease. A large body of evidence supports this. But, there is convincing evidence that moderate alcohol consumption may lead to modest increases in breast cancer risk.

In 1994 experts reviewed 38 case-controlled studies involving alcohol and breast cancer. Their findings indicated that 1 drink per day resulted in a 10% increase in breast cancer. More recently, a pooled analysis of data published in 1998 showed that for every 10 grams per day of alcohol consumption, breast cancer risk increased 9%. Did it matter what type of alcoholic beverage was being consumed? No. In addition, this pooled analysis showed that women who drank 2 to 5 drinks per day had a 41% higher risk - OUCH!

What is my advice? If you are a woman who is at high risk for developing cancer, I would advise that you limit your consumption to less than one alcoholic drink per day. To find out if you are at risk, visit The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Here is a link to their site:
http://www.acog.com/from_home/wellness/snippet.cfm?rec_no=32

Because heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women, I cannot advise you to eliminate alcohol altogether. There is a greater chance you will develop heart disease than breast cancer. A consistent finding in studies shows the lowest risk of death from heart disease is among moderate drinkers. Weigh your risks. Discuss them with your doctor. Then hopefully you can make an educated decision about whether or not you should include alcohol as part of your "healthy" diet regimen.

Effects of Meat Consumption:
Evidence that meat consumption increases breast cancer risk is growing. Two culprits are speculated to be the saturated fat and the type of animal protein in meat. Red meat consumption has conclusively been linked to colon cancer. The conclusive evidence is not as strong for breast cancer. Nonetheless, I would recommend limiting red meat to no more than two servings per week (2-3 ounces per serving or about the size of a deck of cards).

Third culprit: When meat (such as beef, poultry, or fish) is exposed to high temperatures, harmful substances called heterocyclic amines - HCAs - are formed. HCAs are known to be harmful to the pancreas, colon, and prostate. Recently the Iowa Women's Health Study published a report stating that women who consistently ate their red meat cooked well done had almost FIVE times the risk of breast cancer as those who ate their meats rare or medium. (Note: I am NOT recommending you eat your meat cooked rare. It is well known that undercooked meat carries its own health concerns, namely exposure to harmful bacteria.)

In addition to limiting the amount of red meat you consume, I recommend the following:

(1) Trim fat from meat BEFORE grilling
(2) Avoid foods that have been charred (black)
(3) Before grilling, marinate meat AND microwave the meat for 3 to 5 minutes to cut down on carcinogens (substances that cause cancer).
[This step is important because it limits the meat's exposure to high-temperatures.]

Effects of Soy:
You have probably heard a lot of recent news about soy. You have probably even heard that soy can help reduce your risk of cancer. Interest in soy's role in preventing breast cancer developed after scientists observed that Asian women have significantly lower rates of breast cancer than women in the U.S. Asian women typically consume a diet that is rich in soy products. Women in the U.S. typically do not.

Experts are not ready to make strong claims concerning soy and its ability to prevent cancer. However, there is substantial data that links soy to the prevention of breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancers. A recent study in England found a strong association between a high intake of soy phytoestrogens (to be discussed in a minute) and a lower risk of breast cancer. Even still, experts will not say with certainty that soy does reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. Because there is a large amount of evidence suggesting that soy is beneficial, I recommend incorporating soy into your diet.

So, what are phytoestrogens? Phytoestrogens are plant hormones that are similar to human estrogens. Of importance is the fact that phytoestrogens are weaker than human estrogens. Phytoestrogens are believed to be among the key substances in soy that helps reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancers.

As weaker versions of estrogen, phytoestrogens seem to play a dual role. When there is too much estrogen, the phytoestrogens actually block estrogen's harmful effects. When there is not enough estrogen, phytoestrogens make up for the difference. In addition, phytoestrogens seem to act as antioxidants, thus further protecting cells.

Other foods besides soy products contain phytoestrogens. The best source without a doubt is soy. Flaxseed is a strong second. Studies are lacking in support for getting your phytoestrogens from a pill. Food sources are absolutely your best bet.

How can you start incorporating soy into your diet? Do not look to soy sauce or soybean oil for the benefits associated with breast cancer risk reduction. These products may be made from soy, but they contain none of the beneficial phytoestrogens and no soy protein. Below is a list of soy products and the amount in milligrams (mg) of the beneficial phytoestrogens contained per each serving size listed. To reap soy's benefits, I recommend that you try to include 30 to 60 mg per day.

1/2 cup fresh or frozen soybeans = 70 mg
1 cup soy milk = 20 mg
1/4 cup soy nuts, roasted = 84 mg
4 ounces tofu = 38 mg
1/4 cup soy powder = 60 mg
Fresh or frozen soybeans, sometimes called edamame, are mild, sweet-tasting green beans. Boil them for 15 to 20 minutes and get ready for a real treat!

Soy nuts are dried soybeans that have been roasted and usually salted. They make a good alternative to peanuts with half the fat and a lower price tag.

Don't like soy milk straight?

Strawberry-Banana Shake:

In a blender, place 1 ripe banana,
1/2 cup frozen strawberries,
1 cup soy milk,
1/3 cup soy protein powder,
and 1 TBSP honey.
Blend until thick and creamy.
[100 mg phytoestrogens]

Let's put everything into perspective:

Here is a list identifying "cancer protectors":

* Fruits and Vegetables, especially those dark in color, aim for 5-9 servings/day
* Fiber, especially for colon cancer, aim for 25-35 grams per day
* Antioxidants, such as carotenes and vitamins C & E
* Selenium, especially for prostate cancer, do not take more than 800 mcg/day as a supplement
* Calcium, aim for 1200-1500 mg per day
* Omega-3 fatty acids (from fish oil), try to include fish in your diet at least 1 to 2 times per week
* Soy, aim for 1 to 2 servings of soy products per day
* Tea (black or green), aim for 3 to 5 servings per day
* Exercise, aim for 30 minutes most days of the week

Here is a list identifying cancer promoters:

* Overweight, limit weight gain in adulthood to 10 pounds or less
* Dietary fat, try to use canola and olive oil in cooking
* Red meat, especially colon cancer, limit to 1-2 times per week - 3 oz. serving size
* Burned food, avoid charred foods when possible
* Nitrates and nitrites, avoid cured meats when possible
* Alcohol, MEN: Limit to 2 drinks or less/day, WOMEN: Limit to 1 drink or less/day

I will finish by providing you with "The Best Overall Anticancer Diet" (Source: Environmental Nutrition/vol.22/no.10):

* Eat a diet that is largely vegetarian (certainly low in red meats), centering on legumes, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

* Eat fish once or twice a week.

* Eat five to nine servings a day of fruits and vegetables. Include citrus fruits or other foods rich in vitamin C, dark leafy greens, high-fiber produce and cruciferous vegetables.

* Limit fat intake to mostly monounsaturated and omega-3 fats (from olive oil, canola oil, nuts, and seeds).

* Choose whole grains (whole wheat, oatmeal, brown rice) over refined grains.

* Include a source of calcium (from diet or supplement).

* Include soy and flaxseed in your diet.

* Relax with a few cups of tea a day.

* Exercise regularly.

Even when we try to eat well, we're disadvantaged. The nutritional content of most food has been compromised over the years, not only by deficient soils and modern production, transportation, storage and processing methods, but also by the enormous amounts of chemical and artificial substances added to promote growth, storage life, taste and appearance.

It's for this reason that more and more medical authorities are advocating the use of vitamin and mineral supplements. However, finding them in the right combination can be both confusing and costly. The nutrition products I am going to recommend you make use of knowledge gained from the botanical world's 6,000 year history. They incorporated health building nutritional herbs with the best modern technology to help our bodies cleanse and detoxify so that the cells - the tiniest living units - can be as fully nourished as possible. This allows the cells to grow, repair and to perform their functions with the best possible efficiency so that we feel and look better and are more able to prevent and fight disease. Once the body begins to clear itself of toxins it can more efficiently absorb nutrition.

Further reading through our articles on health issues will give you a body of information that will help you decide what options you have to deal with the underlying causes of your problem through giving your body the nutrition products that will assist you body to heal from the inside out.

You can visit our health food products page here: Herbalife Health Nutrition Supplements and learn more about our core nutrition program, the Cellular Nutriton Advanced Program and also check out these targeted products, Florafiber to replace your healthy flora and Aloe Vera Juice to help cleanse your system.

We wish you well in your search for solutions to this problem and your movement towards better health in all areas.

More Resources available about Breast care:

Breast Enhancements
There are several alternatives that women can try to improve the shape of their breasts before resorting to surgery. These breast enhancement techniques range from breast enhancement creams and pills to easy breast enhancement exercises that tone all of your upper body. (To read the rest of this article click on the Title above here.)

Breast health & self examinations
Breasts come in all shapes and sizes and do not stay the same throughout your life. Your monthly period, pregnancy, age and weight changes may alter the shape, size and feel of your breasts. It is important to get to know your breasts, and to perform regular breast self-examinations.

Breast feeding
No one expects you to be an expert when you first start, so you shouldn't hesitate to ask for advice or have a nurse show you what you need to do. Once you start, keep in mind that nursing shouldn't be painful. When your baby latches on, pay attention to how your breasts feel. If the latching on hurts, break the suction then try again. (To read the rest of this article click on the Title above here.)

You can visit our health food products page here: Herbalife Health Nutrition Supplements to learn more about some of the nutrition products mentioned in our recommendations above.

See the instruction sheet for Breast self massage

Learn more about breast cancer by visiting this website --
http://www.azhealthtips.com

Some info sourced from - BREAST CHECK IMAGING:

St Leonards Street, Corner Stirling Highway, Mosman Park, WA, 6012. Australia mailto:info@breastcheckimaging.com.au

Below here are examples of Health Success Results other people have had with using a self care strategy for Breast care:

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SITE DISCLAIMER: Do these products “cure” anything? Of course not… but it stands to reason that if you cleanse your body and feed it the finest nutrition available, giving it everything it needs in balance, on a daily basis, that your body will do what nature intended, and give you the best possible chance to fend off sickness and disease. This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.
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