Breast Cancer Information, News and Updates

For the second year in a row, the Red Sox are sporting pink bats for their Mother’s Day game in support of breast cancer awareness. And the Red Sox beat the Orioles today 6-5. Go Red Sox!

Doctors recommend three screenings for those at risk for breast cancer.  They are screening mammograms, breast exam by a medical professional, and self-exams of the breasts.  The National Cancer Institute has set specific guidelines and recommendations for how often these three screenings should be done.

Screening Mammograms

Screening mammograms are recommended for women over 40 every one to two years.  If a woman is under 40 but has other risk factors for developing breast cancer, their health care professional can help them decide how often they should have this screening.  Mammograms will often show a small lump even before it is felt, or show tiny specks of calcium.  These can be precancerous and further tests are needed to discover if there are any abnormal cells present.  If you do have a lump that shows up on a mammogram, your doctor may ask you to have further tests.  A more complex mammogram, ultrasound, or a biopsy might be suggested.  The only way to tell if the cells are cancerous is by having a biopsy.  Biopsies are performed with small, thin needles, larger needles, or by a small incision made in the affected area.  A pathologist will then examine the cells under a microscope to find out if the extracted cells are cancerous.

Mammograms are the best tool doctors have in discovering breast cancer, but they are not foolproof.  A mammogram can give a false negative, false positive, or may not detect some cancers at all.  These mammograms have little risk because of the low dosage of radiation used.  Shields can be provided to protect other areas of your body if you are requested to have several mammograms.  Normally, there is a small risk of damage from a mammogram.
Clinical Breast Exams

Clinical breast exams are performed regularly when you have your yearly physical.  Your health care provider will look at your breasts to discover if there are any size or color abnormalities.  They will check for skin discoloration, rashes, and other abnormal signs.  The nipples may be squeezed to check if fluid (other than milk) is present.  During the exam, your doctor may ask you to raise your arms above your head, put your hands on your hips, or let them dangle at your sides.

The breast exam consists of using fingers to check the entire breast, under the arm, and around the collarbone for any lumps that can be felt.  The lump normally will be the size of a pea before it can be felt.  Lymph nodes are also checked now, to check for swelling or abnormalities.

Perform Regular Self Breast Exams

A self-breast exam should be done monthly to check for any changes or lumps in your breasts.  Remember that as you age, your breasts will start to change shape, and other hormonal changes can affect them during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause, or if you are taking birth control pills.  The National Cancer Institute recommends you do a self-exam every month at the same time of each month.  One convenient way to remember is to choose your birthday as the date for performing your self-exam each month.

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When it comes to a number of other diseases, people have choices. They can prevent them if they choose to be prudent. But with the big C, things aren’t so simple. Since our bodies all contain cancer cells, it’s difficult to tell if they will react in a negative fashion and turn on us, hence destroying our body from the inside out. One of the worst types of cancer is that of the breast. Naturally this is why a breast cancer foundation was started

There are many who may not be able to pay for cancer treatment. Fortunately there is a breast cancer foundation that can help. We should all take pride in donating to such an organization that has a sole purpose of providing funds and assistance toward victims and research. After all, let’s face it, cancer always requires better health insurance and more research. The breast cancer foundation and those who’re involved will continue down this path until an answer is found.

Even you can get involved with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation or other cancer foundations for that matter. It’s all about donating a little extra cash you might have laying around. There are also bracelets available for purchase that helps support the Breast Cancer Foundation. Do your part! With everyone pitching in, so much more gets accomplished. This is the only way we can work to defeat this terrible health affliction.

My wife was researching information on breast cancer the other day. This did not surprise me one little bit. I know she has an interest in the medical field, and she always likes to keep up with current events regarding health. This is prudent if you ask me. I am basically the same way.

So, what do you know about breast cancer? Were you aware that you don’t have to be female to get it? It’s funny, but a lot of men assume they can’t become afflicted with this illness. They’re more worried about prostate cancer. I can understand this as well. We men have to take good care of our bodies just like women do in order to prevent cancer. One thing I discovered while sorting through current information on breast cancer and other types of cancer was diet. Do you really pay close attention to yours? If you’re not watching what you put into your body, then I strongly suggest that you do. With all the chemicals, hormones, antibiotics and GMOs out there, you have to be cautious. You generally don’t want to consume these things or it can affect cancer cells.

It’s easy to gather valid information on breast cancer or any cancer for that matter. As long as you’ve got your PC or Mac handy, you’re well on your way. Pop open Google and attain a little information on breast cancer now. You never know; things may have changed.

Breast cancer awareness jewelry comes in all shapes and sizes. You can find just about every style and design that carries the well-known and easily recognized pink ribbon found on all breast cancer awareness jewelry. Pink ribbon products are not limited to items you wear, either.

Pink ribbons associated with the good cause include car magnets. You can use this type of breast cancer awareness jewelry to dress up your automobile while showing your support. These inexpensive additions to your car serve a great purpose and they spread awareness to others as well.

Band bracelets are some of the most popular breast cancer awareness jewelry found today. These flexible bracelets are comfortable to wear and they are the perfect color for current fashions. They make the ideal present for a socially aware teen who appreciates knowing that her gift helps others. She can wear her band bracelet with pride.

The traditional t-shirt is another very well-worn item among the pink ribbon products. You can opt to buy a sweatshirt as well. These thoughtful outfits can be adorned with breast cancer awareness jewelry that makes a well put together, casual outfit that serves a really good purpose.

My favorite new line of breast cancer awareness jewelry is designed to dress up your cell phone. The pink ribbon products include a sparkling light pink vinyl case to carry your cell phone in style. There is a pink ribbon on the face of the cell phone holder that sparkles with pink sequins.

The cell phone carrier is of excellent quality. The sequins are sewn into the carrier not glued into place. This durable item is also handy in helping you locate your phone. It attaches easily with a belt clip located on the back of the item. The pink ribbon cell phone case makes perfect breast cancer awareness jewelry for your mobile phone.

What I love about this breast cancer awareness jewelry is that it is coordinated with similar items. It is wonderful to know that you can make a put-together look with fundraising items. The coordinating luggage tag makes a great addition to the well traveled woman who wants to add sparkle and style while serving a good cause.

So remember that when it comes to raising money for a good cause the pink ribbon collection of breast cancer awareness jewelry is the first place to start. Find your favorite items and coordinate around them. You will look sharp and you will be doing a great thing for other women.

This pink Sanyo 3100 cell phone supports breast cancer awareness. For every phone sold, 10% will go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The phone is available for Sprint users and features a built-in camera, speakerphone, voice-activated dialing and more.

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) has been running for more than 20 years. It takes place every October. The key message is to let women know about the importance of early detection through yearly mammography for women over 40 or those who are at increased risk. Breast cancer awareness has played an important role in increasing the survival rate of women who have had breast cancer.

You can read the press release for NBCAM to find out more about the ongoing campaigns.

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The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and BMW of North America organizes The Ultimate Drive® where Between March and October, two fleets of specially marked BMWs will travel across the country to honor breast cancer survivors and inspire communities to become more involved in the fight against breast cancer. At every stop along the way participants are encouraged to test-drive as many vehicles as they like. BMW will donate $1 for every mile driven. To find out more about The Ultimate Drive® you can call toll free 1.877.4.A.DRIVE or visit bmwusa.com/theultimatedrive.This program runs between March through October 2006 so hurry before the month of October is out. In 2005, BMW contributed more than $1 million to the breast cancer campaign.

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Kelly is 41 and has been diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time. You can follow her journey and read her blog which is over at Breast Cancer Care, a U.K.-based website.

The Breast Cancer Care website also has a helpline that you can call and publications that you can download. There is a lot of good information on various topics such as getting a referral to a breast cancer clinic, benign tumors, invasive and non-invasive breast cancer, living with breast cancer and also men with breast cancer.

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The different stages of breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, indicate the size of a tumor and how far the cancer has spread within the breast, to nearby tissues, and to other organs. Specific treatment is most often determined by the following stages of the disease:

Stage 0 or Carcinoma in situ: Cancer is confined to the lobules (milk-producing glands) or ducts (passages connecting milk-producing glands to the nipple) and has not invaded nearby breast tissue.

Stage I: Tumor is smaller than or equal to 2 centimeters in diameter and underarm (axillary) lymph nodes test negative for cancer.

Stage II: Tumor is between 2 and 5 centimeters in diameter with or without positive lymph nodes, or tumor is greater than 5 centimeters without positive lymph nodes.

Stage III: This stage is divided into substages known as IIIA and IIIB:

• IIIA: Tumor is larger than 5 centimeters with positive movable lymph nodes, or tumor is any size with lymph nodes that adhere to one another or surrounding tissue.
• IIIB: Tumor of any size has spread to the skin, chest wall, or internal mammary lymph nodes (located beneath the breast and inside the chest).

Stage IV: Tumor, regardless of size, has metastasized (spread) to distant sites such as bones, lungs, or lymph nodes not near the breast.

Recurrent breast cancer: The disease has returned in spite of initial treatment.

You can find more information about the different stages of breast cancer also at the NCI website.

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