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Jul 25
Male Breast Cancer
icon1 Raymond Lam | icon2 Cancer | icon4 07 25th, 2008| icon3No Comments »
by Ray Lam

Most people believe that breast cancer only affects women; this is because most men are not aware that they are also at risk of getting the disease. Given this, men need to be aware of the symptoms and the ways they can handle the disease. Below is a discussion of some important information that men should know about breast cancer in men.

Some of the most obvious symptoms of breast cancer among men are breast lumps, swelling, dimpling around the breast area, nipple retraction, redness, scaling and nipple discharge. Given that men have less breast tissue than women do, these symptoms are more obvious in men and are more dangerous because the cancer can easily invade nearby tissues. However, most men ignore these symptoms.

Men who have male boobs should be worried about breast cancer. In most cases, when a man develops breast cancer – whether or not he has male boobs – the cause is hormonal changes – specifically a rise in estrogen, which is contributed to the development of man boobs.

Just as in females, the presence of a lump is a symptom for male breast cancer. It is often painless, and may be occur along with increasing thickness of breasts. The breast skin may appear pitted and show the peau d’orange syndrome. Changes in the nipple, fluid discharge from nipples, inverted nipples, redness around the nipples, and change in the breast skin texture are all symptoms of male breast cancer.

Research has shown that approximately 40% of the men who develop man boobs will also develop breast cancer. Those are staggering numbers, and because that number is so high, it is vital that any male who develops man boobs seek treatment from his health care provider. It is also important for any man, even if he doesn’t have man boobs, to be aware of the signs of breast cancer.

If the diagnosed breast cancer has not spread outside the original site, that is, if it is in situ, a mastectomy gives great results. If the cancer is invasive, which means it has metastasized outside the site where the cancer started developing, doctors test it to see how much it has advanced. There are four stages, Stage I being the most curable and more reactive to treatment, and Stage IV meaning the cancer has metastasized beyond the stage where a certain cure is possible. This grading helps doctors determine what kind of treatment is needed for you.

Leading a healthy life during treatment is quintessential. Abstinence from alcohol and curing weight problems go a long way in both prevention and cure of breast cancer. You will always have family and friends for all the help and support you need, and you should never stop yourself from availing that help. Rest assured, you will lead a perfectly happy life thereafter.

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Jul 24
by Ray Lam

There are many different risk factors for breast cancer. The most significant of these risks factors is gender and age. Most occurrences of breast cancer occur in a certain gender and age group. Even though those outside this gender and age group are still at risk for breast cancer, the risk is not as great.

First I want to write about the factors which cannot be changed, if you are a woman your risk of getting breast cancer is automatically increased. Women are at a greater risk of getting breast cancer as the breast cells are persistently exposed to hormones like estrogen and progesterone. Men can also suffer from breast cancer but breast cancer in men is a very rare case.

The female hormones progesterone and estrogen are responsible for breast cancer. Female who takes hormone therapy after menopause have a higher risk of breast cancer.

One more factor aging but you cannot control this factor. Females who are involved in physical activity have less chance to develop breast cancer as compare to those females who have sedentary life style. There is no clear about except alcohol and cigarette consumption.

Some hormonal factors increase the risk of breast cancer. A woman who started her menstrual period before the age of 12 has a slightly increased risk of developing breast cancer. This is also true of women that have menopause after 55, women who have a first child after age 30, and women that have never had children.

You have a higher risk of suffering breast cancer if you have one or more family members who have developed breast or ovarian cancer themselves. The more members of your immediate family suffering from breast cancer, the greater your risk of developing the disease. If this is the situation, be keen on doing monthly self examination.

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Jul 24
by Ray Lam

Invasive lobular breast cancer is uncommon, and affects about 10-15% of all women with breast cancer. It can occur at any age, but more commonly affects women in the 45-55 year age group. Men can also get invasive lobular breast cancer but this is very rare. Invasive lobular breast cancer is generally no more serious than other types of breast cancer. However, it is sometimes found in both breasts at the same time and there is also a slightly greater risk of it occurring in the opposite breast at a later date.

The types of cancer vary in their prognosis and the way in which they present. Lobular carcinoma (in situ and invasive) will be discussed here. The term ‘in situ’ refers to pre-invasive breast cancer. This is breast cancer which has not yet penetrated (‘invaded’) through the basement membrane (the membrane at the base of the epithelial lining of ducts or glands). In situ carcinoma has the potential to become invasive carcinoma, and so is treated as an early form of breast cancer. In the left-hand image below, you can see how the normal cells which form the lobules of the breast might look. In lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS, the image to the right), the lobular cells have developed the ability to multiply out of control – one of the characteristics of cancer. The cancerous cells have not yet spread beyond the lining of the lobule. This is known as LCIS.

Once your GP has referred you to a specialist, certain tests may be done to help make the diagnosis. They include mammogram, ultrasound scan, fine needle aspiration and needle core biopsy. Invasive lobular breast cancer can sometimes be difficult to diagnose. This is because it is less likely to present as a firm lump and is therefore not easy to feel. It is also more difficult to see on a mammogram. This is because the white dots (calcifications) that may be seen on a mammogram with other types of breast cancer are not usually formed by invasive lobular cancers.

Invasive lobular breast cancer does not always show up as a firm lump. And it does not form the pattern on a mammogram called calcification. So it can be difficult to diagnose. Because of this, invasive lobular cancers may be larger than other types of breast cancer when they are diagnosed. You may have a thickened area of breast tissue instead of a definite lump. The tests for lobular breast cancer are the same as for ductal breast cancer.

The treatment for invasive lobular breast cancer is the same as for ductal breast cancer. Usually, you will have surgery, possibly followed by radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or both. You may also have hormone therapy after surgery, if your breast cancer cells are oestrogen receptor positive. Look at the which treatment for breast cancer? page to find out more about how the various treatments are used.

If you have a wide local excision you will usually be offered radiotherapy to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back in the same breast. If you have a mastectomy you may not need radiotherapy.

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Jul 23
by Ray Lam

Inflammatory breast cancer is a special kind of advanced breast cancer and it’s a serious one. Though we see an increasing number of cases, it is rare, accounting for only 1 to 4 percent of all breast cancers. Overall survival is worse in women with this kind of breast cancer than in other forms of breast cancer. It is inflammatory because its initial manifestations are usually redness and warmth in the skin of the breast, often without a palpable lump. Oftentimes, the patient and even the doctor will mistake it for a simple infection and she’ll be put on antibiotics. But it doesn’t get better. It also doesn’t get worse and that’s the tip-off: an infection will always get better or worse within a week or two – it rarely stays the same. If no change seems to be evident, the doctor should perform a biopsy of the underlying tissue to see if it is cancer.

An asymptomatic breast cancer patient was breast-feeding and developed what her doctor thought was lactational mastitis or inflammation of the breast brought about by breast-feeding. It never cleared up and did not hurt much – there was no fever sign of infection. It hadn’t gone away or gotten worse in six months. Another patient, not breast-feeding, noticed that one breast had suddenly become larger than the other; there was also redness and swelling. In both cases, the doctors at first thought the women had breast infections. So if the symptoms continue after treatment, you should ask to have a biopsy done of the breast tissue and of the skin itself. With inflammatory breast cancer, you have cancer in the lymph vessels of your skin, which makes the skin red. An internet survey done on women with the disease by a man whose wife had died of inflammatory breast cancer showed that most women said they wished they had known that when there is redness of the breast skin unresponsive to antibiotic therapy, this is indicative of inflammatory breast cancer. Probably their doctors were not breast specialists and did not know about this unusual type of breast cancer.

It is very easy to mix up the symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer with those of a breast infection. If you become aware of any of the signs of inflammatory breast cancer, see your doctor immediately.

The incidence of inflammatory breast cancer is quite variable. Women with this cancer tend to be significantly younger than those with other breast cancers and African Americans with this type of cancer tend to be younger than Caucasians.

As with all advanced cancers, chemotherapy is started with three or four cycles of Adriamycin and Cytoxan with or without Taxol or Taxotere. After which local treatment can be done – usually in the form of mastectomy. After mastectomy, most women will receive four more cycles of chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy to the chest wall. Serious though it can be, inflammatory breast cancer is still an extremely variable disease.

These treatments have greatly improved the prognosis for a woman with inflammatory breast cancer. Recent studies have shown as much as a 50% survival rate after 5 years and a 35% survival rate after 10 years.

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Jul 20
by Sable Woods

Gout can be treated by any doctor. But some people prefer natural cures for gout. One such natural cure is cherries which, if eaten regularly, have been known to regulate the effects of gout and even cure it altogether. To make it easier, you can get cherry juice concentrate, which has the essential vitamins found in cherries.

Another natural gout cure is a charcoal poultice. Charcoal as a compound has been known to act as a great remedy for gout. Charcoal poultries in particular have been known to be particularly effective due to the fact that they flush out toxins from the body. You can easily mix half a cup of powdered charcoal with a few spoons of warm water in a blender. The key to this cure lies with adding enough warm water.

Some make a paste with the poultice instead. They rub it on the joint and cover it with a warm cloth, leaving it to sit during the night. If you decide to do this, treat the charcoal with care and make sure it doesn’t stain your clothes.

Another natural gout cure is having a charcoal bath. A charcoal bath can be easily prepared by pouring half a cup of charcoal in a tub of warm water, and then placing the affected foot in it for about an hour.

What you eat is also important in the battle against gout. Dairy products, vegetables, and fruits are very essential and can buttress the body against gout. Lots of fluid intake, notably water, has been known to prevent gout attacks. This is because water flushes out excess uric acid. Also, foods such as organ meats, sweetbreads, brains, kidneys, meat extracts, and wild game and some fish ought to be eaten sparingly because they are high in purine, the substance that causes the painful crystallization in the joints that lead to gout.

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Jul 20
by Sable Woods

Many medicinal and natural remedies are said to be gout cures. The natural remedies are discovered by those who want to try something different in search of pain relief. You’ll discover some treatments to help get rid of your gout pain below.

One kind of natural gout cure is wild cherries. People who live in the West have an amble supply of cherries. Others simply drink cherry juice.

There are some countries where cherries are hard to come by. People who live in these areas and don’t want to incur huge medical expenses trying to cure gout go with charcoal remedies.

Charcoal has been known to drastically lessen the effects of gout and even eliminate it altogether. One can easily eat charcoal mixed with water (but it is recommended to consult with your doctor before doing this) or simply take a charcoal bath. A charcoal bath can be easily prepared by mixing charcoal powder in a basin of warm water. Then dip the afflicted foot inside the basin, wait for about an hour, and then dry it.

One of the best ways of treating and preventing gout is eating right and exercising. Slow blood circulation can actually accelerate gout, so you should develop an active lifestyle.

Drinking lots of water is one of the best gout cures. This is because water naturally flushes out the toxic uric acid that builds up in the blood stream and produces the crystals that cause all that pain during a gout attack.

You can also take some over-the-counter medicines as gout cures, like Febuxostat which has been approved recently by the FDA. In case you experience an acute attack, you can also take cortisone.

Eating foods that are too rich in protein without balancing your diet with greens, fruits, and lots of fluids can also be a catalyst for gout. Such foods include red meat and organ meat. The best foods involve lots of fiber, water, fruits, vegetables and white meats. Eating lots of red meat with little vegetables is a sure recipe for a gout attack.

About the Author:
Jul 20
by Ray Lam

You’ll find a variety of stores to be host to a vast selection of awareness jewelry. Some of the most popular items in the collection are those designed to increase breast cancer awareness. Items like bracelets, necklaces, cookies, lollipops are now available to show support. A Breast Cancer Awareness Pin is an excellent example. A sophisticated and elegant lapel pin featuring dozens of beautiful pink Swarovski crystals, the purchase of this item is an excellent way to show your support.

The past 10 years have been successful in promoting the cause and foundations like the Susan G. Komen Foundation. This quickly growing foundation has created events like Race for the Cure and cancer walks across the country to raise funds to promote continued research and support for fighting breast cancer.

You will still find, however, the Breast Cancer Awareness Bracelet to be the most popular. Featuring sterling silver, pink Swarovski crystals and delicate pearls, bracelets are ideal for the individual who wants to keep the cause close to her heart. Many bracelets include ribbon charms in silver, pink or crystals.

Breast cancer awareness is not limited to woman only. Men are encouraged to support the cause as well. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, 1600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Even the most masculine man should rethink wearing pink when it comes to supporting a great cause.

Although, October is designated as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, supporting the cause can be a year-round commitment. Those who are unaffected by breast cancer should help join the fight against breast cancer for their loved ones. Whether you decide to participate in an American Cancer Society sponsored walk, donate money to breast cancer charities, or invest in business gifts that help support breast cancer research, you will certainly contribute to saving someone’s life.

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Jul 19
by Ray Lam

The most frightening words imaginable for any woman are those when she is told that she has breast cancer. The morbid thoughts run through her head and the fear is overwhelming. Now she must endure medical treatments and examinations for several months as begins her battle against this disease.

Cancer is defined by four different stages and metastatic breast cancer is defined as stage 4 and it means that the cancer has spread beyond the breast and underarm lymph nodes to other part of the body. Another way to explain this is that the cancer cells have migrated and are now growing outside of the original tumor.

Women who have stage IV breast cancer usually receive chemotherapy and or hormonal therapy to destroy cancer cells and control the disease. They may have surgery or radiation therapy to control the cancer in the breast. Radiation may also be useful to control tumors in other parts of the body. The symptoms of metastatic breast cancer varies depend on where the cancer is and how large it is.

The most common places for breast cancer to spread are within the breast or to the nearby chest wall or to the liver, lungs, or bones. Common symptoms include a lump in your breast or on your chest wall, bone pain, or shortness of breath. It is also possible that you will not have any symptoms and that the only way to keep yourself healthy is to be proactive and to take an active role in your health care. It may be necessary to have continuous laboratory tests and x-rays to determine whether or not the cancer has spread.

The most common secondary locations are the lungs, brain, liver, and bones. Metastatic breast cancer is certainly not confined to these locations and not all may be affected; these are statistically the most frequently affected areas. However it is not defined as cancer that has spread to any places close to the breast such as skin, muscles underneath or around the breast, or bones nearby the primary cancer location.

Treatment choices may include surgery, medicines like chemotherapy or hormone therapy, and radiation. Sometimes a mix of these treatments is used and there can be side effects. Your doctor can tell you what problems to expect and can help you find ways to manage and live with them during the treatment phase.

If it is “estrogen-receptive,” hormonal therapies such as the drug Herceptin can be lifesaving. Chemotherapy is indicated in bone, lung and liver metastases. For bone metastases, radiation and the drug bisphosphonate are often used. For liver and lung metastases, occasionally surgery is used. For cancer that has spread to the brain, radiation and surgery are used.

North American white women have the highest rates of breast cancer in the world, but the 5-year survival rate for all stages (Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, and Stage 4) combined is 88% for the U.S. A recent study found European countries have lower 5-year breast cancer survival rates, with England at 77.8% and Ireland at 76.2% (Lancet Oncology). The difference in these survival rates is usually attributed to life-saving early detection.

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Jul 19
Breast Cancer Drugs
icon1 Ray Lam | icon2 Cancer | icon4 07 19th, 2008| icon3No Comments »
by Ray Lam

New research shows that a new drug called an aromatase inhibitor may boost the survival rate of post menopausal women who suffer from breast cancer. It has show to be a good improvement over the current tamoxifen therapy.

The new drug called Tykerb, couple with chemotherapy, has show in clinical trials to do a better job of fighting breast cancer than chemo alone.

This was a large study and it backs up other reports which also seem to show a benefit from Raloxifene in terms of breast cancer in women after the menopause. The latter point here may be important – after the menopause.

According the HealthDay News, Tamoxifen has been in widespread use among breast cancer survivors for the last two decades. The drug is typically taken after surgery, because it targets the hormone estrogen, which can promote tumor cell growth in women with estrogen-sensitive breast cancer. A standard five-year treatment of tamoxifen has been found to reduce breast cancer death rates by as much as 31 percent.

Tamoxifen must still undergo many tests and trials before it will even be considered for approval. But it is definitely a step in the right direction not to just find a new better cure, but to also realize where our current treatments fall short.

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Jul 19
7 Tips
icon1 Ed Philips | icon2 Other - Diseases | icon4 07 19th, 2008| icon3No Comments »
by Ed Philips

Deciding to stop the cycle of alcohol abuse is a difficult one. For many the first step is the hardest, but here are 7 tips to help you on the path to sobriety.

1. You have to do it for yourself – You hear this and it’s true. Not your family, significant other, or whoever might be asking you to stop. If you don’t do it for yourself, you will be starting out with a handicap.

2) Importance of Physical Exercise – Many studies have suggested that people who exercise regularly while trying to stay sober are less likely to relapse. Exercise has a tendency to lower stress and keep a person in a more relaxed state which is a plus when working toward sobriety.

3. Give yourself rewards – People forget this aspect of recovery, and it is an important one. Rewards help to keep you in the game. The more frequent the better.

4) Don’t Feel Guilty Should You Fail – Guilt over a relapse or setback is only counterproductive to your end goal. Don’t give up, but forget it and continue to move forward. Alcohol addiction is a major challenge and like most challenges, is not easy.

5) Seek Outside Help – Reach outside of what you already know. There are so many options available from A.A., to therapy and other support groups that can help you to see yourself and your addiction in different ways. Facing all of the issues that come with both alcoholism and ending it can be overwhelming. Many of these issues are probably factors that led you to drink in the first place.

6) Seek Out Company – This can be a challenge for those who are single. If you can’t encircle yourself with people, get out more which helps create a brand new outlook on life.

7. Develop a new daily routine that does not include drinking alcohol. Get up earlier, incorporate some exercise into the daily routine, the possibilities are endless. After all, to stop drinking is to make a fresh start on its own.

Everyone is different and will have to develop his or her own exclusive program. There are no rules or given time frame to go from addiction to sobriety. Find your own pace for success.

If you need help with a drinking problem, here is an easy, painless, tested method. You can get sober now.

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