A slip of paper with the information below was handed to me by one of the brave women I had the pleasure of knowing during the meeting of a local support group. She said, “Whatever you do, make sure at least one person reads it.”

”Of all the cancer related deaths, breast cancer is the second cause of death after lung cancer among women. This disease strikes the male population as well. An estimated 40,200 women will die of breast cancer this year, but many may be spared by early detection. Some medical providers may be offering low or no cost mammograms. Some referrals for information: Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization 1 800 221 2141 National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations 1 888 806 2226 www.medicare.gov National Cancer Institute 1 800 422 6237 Komen Breast Cancer Foundation 1 800 462 9273 or 1 800 IM AWARE American Cancer Society 1 800 227 2345”

I had asked a friend to ask the group to let me sit in on one of the survivor meetings. When the group accepted my presence, we met in a comfortable lounge with five wonderfully vibrant women and two robust men, all ranging in ages from twenty-eight to sixty-four who had come together to talk about their battles of survival and their innermost feelings. They told me that they were twenty-two people but a few couldn’t make it to this session. Having two men in a group like this was unusual because men refuse to tell their problems in a group setting, especially about a disease like breast cancer that is known to be a women’s malady.

Celia, the first one who spoke, was twenty-four when her cancer was detected. Now, she is forty. She said, her cancer comes back uninvited every few years. She is currently under treatment again. There were times when she wanted to do away with herself to save her parents the heartache and trouble. She still has awful nightmares. The night before she had a hippopotamus chasing her into a lake filled with milk. Celia is a very bright woman. She doesn’t easily give in to depression and has an indomitable spirit. She said what she tells here to the group, she’d never tell to her family or to her doctors. The group has always understood and respected each other’s confidence.

During her first round of treatments, Celia got to know one of the male social workers. It was the best time in her life, although she looked awful with no hair and an uncontrollable nausea. He became her lover while she was in treatment. She said, he held her while she vomited, took off from his work to be with her on her bad days, and waited for her at the door while she was going through chemotherapy. As soon as she was given a clean bill of health, he left her; she was devastated.

“Why is it,” she asked the group, “Some men love women only when they are in despair?” Then she answered her own question, “Saving the damsel in distress syndrome! It inflates the male ego.”

I couldn’t help but reflect that this affair had hurt Celia more than the illness. Still, she tried to have a positive attitude and considered herself a survivor, even though her cancer had returned again.

Eileen, the bubbliest in the group, was forty-one when the cancer was discovered. There was no breast cancer in her family. She was an athlete who ran every day and played singles tennis twice a week. She ate a low-fat diet with practically no red meat. Moreover she had a mammogram done when she was thirty-five and then another one when she turned forty. Both those mammograms’ reports were clean. Fortunately she examined herself frequently. Several months after her last mammogram she discovered a lump in her right breast. Three months later she went in for a follow up and had a biopsy. The diagnosis was benign but the doctor called her back in three months.

When she went back, the same spot showed some scar tissue. She wasn’t afraid because she trusted in her first biopsy. She said, at the time, she had a ‘this can’t happen to me’ attitude.

This time, however, things were very different. The breast cancer was in her body, but Eileen wasn’t going to give up. She obtained all the information she could get her hands on.

She says she went through a wide range of feelings. The strongest emotion she felt was anger. She went around the house kicking in the doors.

Eileen is one of the lucky ones. She is healthy at the moment and has finished her last reconstructive surgery. “Thanks to advances in medicine, my figure looks better than ever,” she said jokingly.

Martha has raised two children to adulthood after her cancer was discovered fourteen years ago. She has a wonderful, supportive, sunshiny attitude and she is a joy to be with. She has just retired from a twenty-five year teaching career.

Martha says she wasn’t always like this. She went through all the emotions and then some. Now, she is learning to play the guitar, something she yearned for all her life. She is also very active in the affairs of her church. She prefers to believe that she is living with the cancer with gusto and in spite of it. She has done a lot to bring about cancer awareness nationwide. She has even attended fancy parties without a wig. “I try to make at least one person aware per day,” she said.

The oldest one in the group that day was Paul. Paul was already suffering from skin cancer when the breast cancer was discovered four years ago. He went to see a surgeon in another state because this surgeon was one of the few doctors around who specialized in male breast cancer. Paul has a wry sense of humor. He described with motions the funny incidents of himself getting a mammogram and of being pulled like taffy when almost nothing was there to pull. He said all the bad feelings he had experienced were already finished with “the other C”, referring to his skin cancer. So there was nothing left for this one. As he put it, he has been through the “four horsemen”: Mastectomy, Chemotherapy, Radiation, Tamoxifen. He felt bad only when he discovered his wife weeping secretly before the mastectomy. He didn’t let her know he saw her. One person in the group suggested that maybe he should. He said he can’t handle that. Paul still cuts his own lawn and fixes things around the house but talking to the family about fears–his or theirs–is not his thing.

Sheila now believes that breast cancer is not a death sentence, even though her cousin, who was also her best friend, was diagnosed with this terrible disease around the same time as Sheila was diagnosed. Her cousin is no longer alive. “She always wondered what we did wrong,” she remembered. She felt, when her cousin died in a year and a half, her life had to come to a stop also. She went under extensive counseling because of it, and she discovered that her family, her children, and her life were the most important things.

Nowadays, Sheila sees her battle as a blessing. She believes her cousin would be living now if her cancer had been caught ahead of time. She volunteers at the clinic in her free time, especially counseling the newcomers.

When he too was diagnosed, Jonathan, the other man in the group, had already lost a sister and a cousin to this “woman’s disease”. He was furious. He blamed the medical profession, God, his mother, his wife, his co-workers, the government, and everybody in existence. After the surgery, he picked a fight with the doctors accusing them of not paying enough attention to him. Jonathan still felt that people were more compassionate to women with breast cancer. He said he didn’t blame them because of the losses in his family but nobody knew how to give support to frightened men. “I am not afraid of showing my feelings on the subject but the medical profession is not ready for men with emotions,” he said.

According to him the best way is what they have now, the support group of survivors receiving encouragement from each other. He said, “There would be more men here if we could only get them to agree to talk about it.”

The last one of the group and the youngest, Karen, found a lump while she was in the shower. She immediately went to her doctor and asked for a mammogram and an ultrasound. The results were normal. They showed nothing nasty. Both the doctor and the radiologist thought that the lump was fibrocystic.

After a few months, Karen still had the lump. So Karen went to see a surgeon on her own. The surgeon also thought that the lump was fibrocystic. After two more months when she found few more lumps near the original lump, she forced the surgeon to remove them. On the surgeon’s recommendation, she went to have a needle biopsy one early morning. Later that day the pathologist called to inform her that she had breast cancer.

At first Karen cried. She cried until she had no more will or strength to even stand up. Then she called her mother. Not wanting to face reality, her mother said, “At your age? What are you trying to pull?” Karen banged the phone down. That is when her anger surfaced and she promised herself that she would fight this tooth and nail. She told us that she owed her life to her mother for making her angry enough.

Later, it was found out that Karen’s cancer was the aggressive kind. She had to go through mastectomy plus chemotherapy.

Karen’s doctors are very cautious now. She is scheduled for a bone scan in a few days. Karen has read practically all the literature on the disease. She believes in her chances of survival greatly because of the recent advances in medicine. At the end, Karen recited a quote from her notebook, “The journey back is no longer or farther than the forward run.” She didn’t know who said it, but they all agreed it could have been any one of them.

I can’t help but admire the bravery of these men and women, and not only of these seven but of those everywhere, fighting with this dreadful disease. The seven I met were radiant, hopeful, and with spirit. Their courage will always be an inspiration.

Joy Cagil is an author on a site for Creative Writing (http://www.Writing.Com/) Her training is in foreign languages and linguistics. In her background are varied subjects such as women’s issues, mental health, and visual arts. Her portfolio can be found at http://www.Writing.Com/authors/joycag.

Chances are you know someone - a family member, colleague, or friend who has been affected by cancer. You’ll want to learn more about prevention especially if you have a history of cancer in your family. There are over two hundred different types of cancer and the most common one for women is breast cancer. The lifetime probability of a woman developing breast cancer is 1 in 9. The good news is that it is possible for women to protect themselves from breast cancer. When breast cancer is discovered and treated early, the chances for recovery are better.

Every woman should know their own breasts so that any changes are noticed soon and can be reported to a physician. Knowing your breasts includes having a mammogram every two years if you are between the ages of 50 and 69 and getting a clinical breast exam by a doctor or trained health professional at least every two years from the age of 40. Regardless of age, all women should do their own monthly breast self-examination a few days after her period. When doing breast self-examination, things to look for include: puckering of the skin, the appearance of what is sometimes called ‘orange peel skin’, any place in your breasts that feels lumpy or harder than the rest and bleeding from the nipples or crusting.

It is important to note that most breast problems are not breast cancer and most lumps are not cancerous. When a lump is not cancerous it is referred to as ‘benign’. A cancerous lump is called ‘malignant’.

While there are no cures yet, researchers have discovered that a healthy lifestyle is the best way to prevent cancer. Since cancer is a disease that starts in our cells, everything we eat and are exposed to can affect them. Choose to be a non-smoker and avoid second-hand smoke. In regards to diet, choose a variety of lower fat, high fiber foods. Studies have shown that intake of total fat, saturated fat and meat are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Maintain a healthy body weight and limit alcohol consumption. Protect yourself from the sun. At home and at work, follow health and safety instructions when using hazardous materials. The link between an active lifestyle and breast cancer prevention is as yet unclear but general health is improved when regular exercise is an integral part of a person’s lifestyle.

Taking care of ourselves is an ongoing commitment that requires self-discipline and knowledge. It is well worth the effort and you’ll feel much better for it.

Travis Waack is the webmaster of http://health.online-006.com/breast_cancer.html If you would like more information on breast cancer and prevention, this is where you will want to start.

There is so much awful news and information out there about breast cancer. These days it seems that every magazine, newspaper, radio show, and piece of mail has a headline declaring that every woman’s risk of developing breast cancer is increasing. There is a numbing feeling of inevitability in all this information we hear and read that more and more women tend to think about breast cancer as a ‘when’ rather than an if.

There is so much frightening information about the disease out there. The stats available are horrible and this bring one major question to mind; ‘what can be done to prevent breast cancer?’ The bulk of medical advancement in the area of breast and indeed most cancers, involves what should be done after, and not essentially before, getting the disease. There is more to preventing breast cancer than the ritual yearly mammogram. Of course this may help detect the breast cancer at its early stage, but that is about the best it can do. It won’t prevent you from getting the disease. To prevent breast cancer, we need to be more proactive, we need to take individual and collective action.

The first step towards proactively preventing breast cancer is to understand the causes and risk factors of breast cancer and what decreases breast cancer risk. However, there are few conclusive answers to these queries, partly because most research focuses on eliminating breast cancer after - not before - it occurs. Medical research has validated so few risk factors for breast cancer that almost 70 percent of the women diagnosed with breast cancer are not associated with any clear cut risk factor.

To make matters worse, our sex, age, reproductive history, family history, exposure to radiation (such as fallout from above-ground atomic bomb tests), race, culture, and height are factors beyond our control. When we’re told that these factors play crucial roles in the cause of breast cancer, we can be left with feelings of hopelessness and panic. For instance, being a black woman or being from a family with history of breast cancer, puts you in the forefront of those at risk of breast cancer. These are things we don’t decide for ourselves.

When we include risk factors that are considered "not well substantiated", but which are clearly contributing to breast cancer incidence, including ingestion of and exposure to prescription hormones, hormone-mimicking organochlorines, prescription drugs, petrochemicals, and electromagnetic fields, as well as unwise lifestyle choices such as smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol immoderately, wearing tight bras, or not exercising, then we can find that there are indeed many ways we can reduce our chances of getting breast cancer and in essence preventing it.

Individually, we can prevent breast cancer by buying and eating organically grown food, filtering our water, building powerful immunity, living wisely and vigorously, being in touch with our breasts, using natural remedies for menopausal problems.

Try out the following tips:

- Aerobic exercise 3-4 times a week
- Maintaining a positive mental attitude
- Breathwork and deepening body-awareness
- Expressing your feelings to keep your energy flowing
- Eating healthy foods and taking the "right" supplements
- Avoiding toxicity

Try as much as you can to avoid the following and you will be as far from breast cancer as you humanly can:

Any medication containing acetaminophen

Products such as Tylenol, Sudafid, Bromo seltzer, vicodin, and many others which drive down the glutathione levels in the body. Glutathione is an essential antioxidant and detoxifier.

Aspartame (not to be confused with aspertate) has been proven to cause cancer in rats. It is a common ingredient in many no-sugar products such as yogurt, ice cream, desserts and carbonated beverages. Splenda is also harmful.

Toxins. Use toxin-free, organic products. Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly with soapy water to remove chemical residues. Better yet, buy only organic products and non-GMO (non-genetically modified) foods. Read labels (veggies and fruit will have an 9 to indicate organic and an 8 for non-GMO).

Active computer screens should be at least 18 inches away from your body. You need to be at least 36 inches from your active television screens.

It is obvious that several factors that are known to predispose someone to breast cancer are not completely within our control. It makes more sense therefore, to be very keen about your breast. This serves a dual function. Even when it does not completely protect you from cancer, it allows for early detection of the cancer when it does occur. No one knows your body as well as you do. That’s why it’s essential to examine your breasts at the same time every month - so you can detect any changes that might occur. When you do the self-examination, you are reassuring yourself that your body is still in great condition

Breast Self Exams still remain the number one method for detecting changes in breast health. Although, finding any symptoms does not really mean you have cancer but when you have it, early detection means your survival probability is very high. Very high! It also means you have a broad range of alternative and complementary treatment options.

When we talk about breast cancer, the second worst killer after lung cancer, knowledge is not just power, it is your life!

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer

It would not be surprising, therefore, that any ailment or condition that endangers the look, health and functionality of this vital body part would be a real source of worry to every lady.

Breast cancer, despite all medical and technological advances, as been on the rise in the last 50 years or so. The figures that stare us in the face when we check the records are quite alarming. But, there is no running away from these figures, they are real.

It’s alarming but it is true that there’s more breast cancer now than ever before. It is true that between 1979 and 1986 the incidence of invasive breast cancer in the United States alone has increased 29 percent among white women and 41 percent among black women, and incidences of all breast cancers doubled. It’s true that despite yearly mammograms and advanced medical and diagnostic technology the percentage of women dying from breast cancer has remained virtually unchanged over the past 50 years, and that every 12 minutes throughout the last half of the 20th Century another woman died of breast cancer.

It is also fact that more than two hundred thousand cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year in the United States. In Canada about twenty thousand new cases, thirteen thousand in Australia and over forty one thousand in the UK. And it’s true that breast cancer is the disease that women fear more than any other, that breast cancer is the biggest killer of all women aged 35 to 54, and that of the 2.5 million women currently diagnosed with breast cancer, half will be dead within ten years.

It really does not matter if you are 20 years old or 50 years old. You stand some risk of catching the monster. It is estimated that one in every nine women will get breast cancer at some period in her life

These are not pleasant tales. My purpose in painting these gory pictures, is not to scare anyone, but to make you see the importance of giving more attention to your breast. The more you know about breast cancer, the better.

Almost every woman is at risk of breast cancer, but records show that 80% of cases are found in woman over 50 years of age. There are several factors that can predispose one to breast cancer. Some are within your control and others are not. It therefore makes much sense to avoid the humanly controllable factors as much as possible. Most of these are the daily lifestyle choices we make. The problem is that these habits do not show the extent of damage they can cause to our body until we begin to get older, and by then the damage is done already.

Factors associated with breast cancer include:

- Taking an oral contraceptive pill
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Obesity and/or high fat diets
- Family history of breast cancer

It is worth stating here, however, that most breast cancers are hormonally related Other factors may also affecting the risk, include stress, carcinogens, excessive use of stimulants like alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes and exposure to pesticides and radiation.

Early detection of breast cancer is still the best guarantee of getting cured. Presently, six out of every seven patients diagnosed with breast cancer are cured at an early stage. However, if they are diagnosed when the cancer has become advanced, the cure rate falls to about one in seven. It is extremely important to catch breast cancer at an early stage if it is to be satisfactorily cured. This therefore makes knowing the symptoms very crucial.

Breast cancer, in its early stages hardly shows any sign at all. It does not cause any pain in most instances. Some of the symptoms associated with breast cancer include:

- Itching in the armpit or around the breast region
- Pink, red, or dark colored area (called erythematic) with texture similar to the skin of an orange
- Ridges and thickened areas of the skin of nipple or breast
- Appearance of a bruise that does not go away
- Nipple getting inverted
- Breast warm to the touch
- Pain in the breast which could vary from a constant ache to stabbing pains
- Change in texture as well as color of the skin around the nipple
- Change in the shape or size of a breast
- Dimpling of the breast skin
- Swelling or a lump in the armpit
- Discharge from the nipple

None of these symptoms is clear evidence of breast cancer, as most of the signs may also arise due to other conditions affecting the breast. Only a doctor can made a definite statement about the presence or otherwise of breast cancer after an exhaustive examination.

Know your breast, and how to self examine your breast and always report the slightest changes to a doctor. It’s not worth taking chances with breast cancer. It’s real and it’s spreading like wild fire in the ever-polluted society we live in today. Do the little you can to keep your name off the breast cancer list, the sacrifice is worth it.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer

Breast cancers tend to be seen as a completely feminine affair but the truth is, men too are at risk, albeit very rarely, of developing breast cancer. Despite medical advances several things are still not clear about breast cancer and in most sufferers of this a disease, a clear cause can still not be shown to be responsible for the disease.

Breast cancer is not hereditary, though a family history of breast cancer increases the risk. Certain other factors linked with developing breast cancer include; the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer is increased by being overweight, the use of hormone replacement (HRT) increases the risk, having the last menstrual cycle from the early 50’s and older increases the risk, having the first menstrual cycle at a later age and being pregnant at an early age lowers the risk. Although most breast cancers are hormonally related other factors may affect the risk, such as stress, carcinogens, use of stimulants, exposure to pesticides and oral contraceptive.

In its early stages, breast cancer doesn’t show any sign and when it does the first sign is usually a painless lump that is found in the breast. When breast cancer becomes more advanced and spreads to other parts of the body then the symptoms could be more obvious depending on the part of the body affected. The symptoms could range from neurological problems, bone pain, weight loss, fatigue and anaemia.

Along with traditional medicine, changing the diet and one’s lifestyle can help with breast cancer. Keeping to a vegetarian style diet by reducing animal fats in the diet; eating very little meat and cutting down on dairy products, will help. Only eating organic vegetables and meat (this will reduce the exposure of pesticides and hormones), consuming lots of tomatoes as these are high in lycopene which can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, consuming plenty of olive oil, increasing fiber in the diet, reducing the exposure of soft, fatty or acid foods to soft plastics; not using cling film, buying food that comes in paper, glass or ceramic containers or if food is supplied in a plastic container then removing and storing in a glass or ceramic container in the fridge. Cutting out stimulants such as caffeine, sugar and alcohol, changing one’s lifestyle to minimize stress, maybe taking up Yoga and meditation, increasing exercise, cutting out smoking and increasing the consumption of the essential oils Omega 3 and Omega 6 which are found in oily fish, seeds, evening primrose oil, borage oil and flax oil.

Some food materials are known to be anti cancer in action. Increasing the amount of such food in your daily diet regime could go along way to preventing cancer. Such foods include sweet potatoes, carrots, watercress, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, spinach, onions, leeks, garlic, soy products, lemons, mangoes, melon, peppers, pumpkin, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, elderberries, pears, shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes, cabbage, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, oranges, seeds, nuts, squash, tuna, mackerel, salmon, wheat or rice bran, oats, wild rice, rye, apricot, walnuts, beans and the herbs and spices - rosemary, thyme, oregano and turmeric. These vegetable and fruits should be eaten raw and as fresh as possible or lightly steamed so that no goodness is lost. Soybeans and products are extremely good in reducing tumor growth and inducing cancer cells to revert to normal. Soybeans have genistein in them, which is an angiostat (anti-growth compound that prevents cancer from growing by preventing the formation of new blood vessels that aid cancer cells to grow).

There are so many factors linked to breast cancer that are beyond our control. Factors like exposure to radiation and chemicals, caused by environmental pollution, a family history of breast cancer and a couple of other factors are outside our reach. It makes real sense therefore, to play the little part we can in the prevention of this dreaded disease.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer

The increasing rate of breast cancer has changed so many things about how an average lady should dress, eat or live. It is estimated that every two minutes someone is diagnosed with breast cancer and every thirteen minutes some dies as a result of breast cancer. This is an alarming record. It has also been shown that breast cancer tends to be higher in cultures where bras are worn frequently compared to where bras are absent.

In a report titled ‘Dress to Kill, the link between breast cancer and bras’, the authors examined the habits of 4700 American women, nearly half of them had breast cancer before compiling the report. It was discovered that wearing a bra for 12 hours daily increased the risk for breast cancer, cystic breasts, breast pain, breast tenderness and other breast related conditions. Ladies who had bras on for 18-24 hours daily have over a 100% increased incidence of breast cancer compared to those who don’t wear bras at all. It is quite funny, but what this suggests is that by wearing a bra you are 3-4 times more likely to get breast cancer than by smoking cigarettes.

You may be wondering ‘why is this so?’ but the facts available are that bras create constant pressure on the breast, which compresses and constricts and hinders the lymphatic movement to the chest area. If you are a woman who wears a bra and you see red marks and lines after taking your bra off, you are at a greater risk for breast cancer.

The role of lymph is to flush out toxins and debris from tissues. If this flow is impaired, like when wearing a bra, tissues get toxic. We also impair toxin release by using underarm deodorants, which plug up and block our pores.

In another similar study done in the UK with a hundred women who suffer from fibrocystic breast disease, it was discovered that going bra free for three months had an astounding effect on the cure of these womens’ disease. This study showed how effective this single treatment of going bra free was in overcoming a particular breast condition.

The bra has been a fundamental part of female clothing for so long, no matter what it is associated with it, I understand that it isn’t going to be an easy task to suddenly drop a life long habit, not when it has to do with such crucial part of the body. This is understandable. You cannot just go bra free overnight but if you must wear a bra, try it along the lines below which will most likely reduce the risk associated with the wearing of a bra:

- Don’t wear tight bras. Make sure the bra has a loose fit and always remove it when it is not necessary to wear it.

- Choose a bra with no under wires. These wires block the energy meridians from moving freely through their natural cycles.

- Around your menstrual periods, use a larger size bra as increased oestrogen levels in the blood during this period cause tissues to retain fluids making the breasts larger and the bra tighter.

- Stop the use of deodorants/antiperspirants, if you can. Wash your armpits often with soap and water instead.

- Bathe daily. The body releases 30% of all the toxins it produces through the skin.

- Use a shower filter that filters out chlorine. Chlorine also causes several forms of cancer. As you shower, your skin and lungs are absorbing huge amounts of chlorine.

- Occasionally incorporate Poke Root tincture into your diet to help the lymph flow more easily (especially if you have little white dots around the outside of your irises. This is known as a Lymphatic Rosary and is a sign of a slow or sluggish lymphatic system.)

- Sleep naked or in a stretchy T-shirt. Women who wear cotton or nylon non-stretchable materials while they sleep and who roll over often, can cut circulation off as these materials resist stretching.

- And most importantly wear bras only when it is completely necessary, this will reduce the number of hours you wear bra a day to the barest minimum.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women, yet, did you know that men can also be affected by it? It is not solely a disease that women can get, although it is less likely, men are still at risk as well. This fact may startle some, and many individuals still hold onto various myths pertaining to such a disease. Let’s work on dispelling some of those myths.

As mentioned above, the first myth pertaining to this disease is that it only affects women. This, of course, is not at all true. In fact, men also get it, although it occurs less frequently. Actually, about one percent of all breast cancer occurs in male patients. Further, it is even more dangerous for men, because men do not typically do self-examinations. Thus, when the cancer is finally detected, it is far more advanced.

Another myth that is associated with this disease is that if one has found a lump during an examination, it is cancer. Again, this is not always the case. In fact, both men and women can develop lumps in their breast tissue for a variety of reasons and only a doctor can determine whether or not a lump is cancerous. Other identified lumps in breast tissue are caused by the formation of cysts, natural fibrocystic changes, fibroadenomas, low grade infections, calcium deposits and minor injuries to breast tissue.

Yet another myth associated with this disease is that it is solely hereditary. Again, nothing could be further from the truth. Actually, although a history of breast cancer in one’s family increases the risk that one might get breast cancer, the plain and simple truth is that anyone can develop this disease. Remember, even families that have a family history of breast cancer had to, at one time, experience the unwelcome surprise that one individual in the family got the disease in the first place.

The next myth associated with breast cancer is downright ridiculous. Would you believe, that in this day and age, some individuals still think that breast cancer is contagious? Unlike the common cold or flu, it is not a contagious disease. Thus, it cannot be directly passed from one individual to another through human contact.

Conversely, some individuals foolishly believe that breast size determines whether or not one gets cancer. Again, this is a misconception. Women with smaller breasts are at equal risk of getting the disease and this fact is confirmed in that men, individuals that possess almost no breast tissue, also get the disease. Thus, size has nothing to do with getting breast cancer.

Finally, another myth that is associated with this disease is that it only affects older people. This is not so. Although the chance of getting breast cancer increases with age, women as young as 18 have been diagnosed with the disease. Therefore, no matter what age you are, self examinations are important and should be done on a monthly basis, in conjunction with regular checkups with a physician.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer

As women, especially American women, much of our femininity is centered on our breasts. No matter where you look, there are pictures, billboards, commercials, television shows, and movies with women with these beautiful breasts and ample cleavage. The thought of losing one or both breasts, to breast cancer, can be devastating for many of us. Sure, there’s reconstruction, but will it ever really look the same again? Even if you have reconstruction, you’ll never have sensation there again and, for many of us, that definitely affects our sexuality.

I went through two separate mastectomies, for my breast cancer, despite the fact that I wanted them both done at the same time. Two different surgeons told me that wasn’t necessary. They found out, later, that it was, as I had the same breast cancer in both breasts. Through these surgeries, I learned a few things about what to expect, and how to get up and running again, after a mastectomy for breast cancer.

The first thing to realize is that, apart from the emotional aspect of such an operation, this is a simple surgery. The breast is composed, mostly, of fatty tissue and, of course, milk ducts and lobes. The removal of this breast tissue is way easier than operating on an organ, but carries much more emotional impact for most of us. Most surgeons will get as much of the breast tissue out as they can to help alleviate the chance of a recurrence of your breast cancer. You will typically wind up with a horizontal scar about four inches long. The scar may be red for quite a while but, ultimately, should fade to where you can hardly see it anymore.

You want to be sure to take loose-fitting, button-down shirts (raiding your hubby’s closet is helpful) with you, to the hospital, as you won’t be able to raise your arms over your head for a while. You will also need a sports bra and I would highly recommend one that fastens in the front. They will put that on you after your surgery. Typically, you should be able to stay in the hospital for one night. If you’re going to have lymph nodes removed, a small pillow, to slip under that arm, will help make you more comfortable. Check with your local American Cancer Society as they may have small pillows for you. An extra pillow to hold to your chest, if you need to cough, sneeze, or laugh, can help keep your incision from hurting.

When you wake up, you will have a couple of drain tubes for each side you have done. These tubes are important as they allow the excess fluid, which your body will produce, to drain out. If you didn’t have them, the fluid would have to be aspirated with a needle. The drains, even though they’re no fun, are better than that. These drains will have to be emptied a couple of times a day and you will have to write down how much fluid you drain so the doctor will know when you’ve slowed down enough to remove them. You may not know where to put these drains under your clothing. I pinned mine up to the sports bra and that way, they didn’t pull when I moved.

When you get home, plan on having someone there to help you for the first few days. You won’t be allowed to reach into your cabinets and definitely won’t be able to clean house or pick up your children, if you have little ones. You’ll be sent home with pain meds and definitely take them if you need them. Studies show that you will heal faster if you keep yourself out of pain, so don’t be afraid to take them as prescribed.

If you have a recliner, you might consider moving it into the bedroom as you won’t be able to lie flat for a while. You’ll need to sleep in a partial sitting position. If you don’t have one, or don’t have space for it in your bedroom, lots of pillows will work, too. That’s what I used. Just be sure you have enough pillows to keep yourself comfortable propped up.

If you would like someone who’s been there before you to visit with, be sure to call your local American Cancer Society and ask for a Reach 2 Recovery volunteer. This is an American Cancer Society program where they try to match you with one of their volunteers who have as similar experience as you’re facing. This woman will come visit you and will bring you all sorts of brochures and information on conventional treatment. She will also bring you a list of exercises you can start to do to regain your mobility and range of motion.

This is VERY important. It hurts to stretch your arm up, after surgery, but if you haven’t had reconstruction, and you don’t start soon, you will lose that range of motion. I would recommend starting to gently, slowly reach your arm up … let your body be your guide … the day after your surgery. This is ONLY if you have not had reconstruction. If you have, let your plastic surgeon tell you when to start stretching. Push to where it hurts just a little, but do not push too far past that. Little by little, you’ll find yourself able to stretch a little farther every couple of days.

Most of all, allow yourself to heal emotionally, as well as physically. Some of us just can’t look at that incision right away. That’s OK. Take as much time as you need. I know I felt like some kind of freak with no breasts and, even six years later, I still do sometimes. But remind yourself that these scars are your battle scars. They do not make you less of a woman. They make you a warrior.

Melissa Buhmeyer is a breast cancer survivor and has been so for seven years. She is also the founder of http://www.breastcancer-treatment.us, a site focusing on breast cancer treatment options, news, articles, and survivor experiences.

Chemotherapy is a word that strikes fear into most of our hearts. We’ve seen the movies and heard such horrible stories about undergoing this difficult treatment for a disease that could very well kill us. I underwent chemo for breast cancer and know that, in some cases, the cancer isn’t hard … it isn’t painful … it doesn’t make us sick. That’s the case for most of us who have breast cancer, but don’t have distant metastases. But then, they say we need to do chemo and we know we’ll feel that.

Although chemo drugs haven’t changed that much, and they’re still terribly hard on our bodies, the management drugs have changed a lot. Chemotherapy, for many of us, isn’t the show-stopper we thought it would be. Of course, each of us is different and the chemo drugs affect each of us in different ways, but, for the most part, chemo is definitely doable.

My breast cancer was Stage IIIa, with a 5.8 cm tumor, 8 of 10 lymph nodes positive, and I was only 39 years old. That bought me a ticket for the chemo ride. And I was scared out of my wits. But, I found an online breast cancer support group, at WebMD, and those women told me everything to expect and more. I went through four rounds of adriamycin and cytoxan. Both of them are some pretty stout breast cancer chemo drugs. After that, I did a controversial treatment that involved extremely high doses of cytoxan, taxol, and cisplatin, so I learned quite a bit about surviving chemotherapy.

First of all, I would highly recommend getting a port. This is a line that goes into a vein in your chest, the entrance to which sits just under your skin, right below your collarbone. It requires a quick surgery to put it in but, if you’re having a mastectomy for your breast cancer, you can get the chemo port put in at the same time. If you choose not to do that, you’ll have to get your chemo treatments through your veins and chemo is really hard on your veins. This means that you will, most likely, have to endure multiple attempts for them to find a vein, as time goes by. With the port, it’s already in a vein, so all they have to do is stick the needle into the port to access it. If you find this uncomfortable, there is a cream they can give you called Emla cream. One of the first things I learned was to tell them the moment I was uncomfortable. It’s all fixable. You’ll put the Emla cream on a bit before you have to have your port accessed and it’ll numb your skin.

Most breast cancer chemotherapy drugs will cause your hair to fall out. This is because chemo kills the rapidly dividing cells in your body. Your mucous areas and hair follicles are affected for this reason. That’s why you may have nausea or develop mouth or throat sores. Again, all this sounds scary, but is totally manageable. Since you will probably be losing your hair, which can be quite traumatic, I would advise going wig or hat shopping before you even get your first chemo. Take a girlfriend with you and be adventurous. Try on different styles, and even colors. If you’ve always wanted to be a blonde, now’s your chance! Make a day of it and have fun with it. Goodness knows, you have to look for that silver lining every chance you get. Also, make sure to have your nausea med prescription filled before you go so you’ll have it waiting for you if you need it at home. You may be pretty tired, afterward, so don’t wait till then to get those meds.

On your first chemo day, they will probably give you some steroids, intravenously or through your port, to help with the nausea. This may make you hungry; it sure did for me! But, I would recommend you don’t eat your favorite food on chemo day. Chemo is manageable, but after you’re all done, you may find that you have associations. For example, I used to love the cucumber melon fragrance when I was going through chemo. I had cucumber melon everything! But, to this day, the smell of cucumber melon makes my stomach do a little somersault because it reminds me of such an unpleasant time in my life. The same can happen with food. I still can’t look a chicken burrito in the eye! But, I’m sure glad I didn’t eat a taco because I would’ve hated for that to be ruined for me!

Many breast cancer chemo drugs are hard on your bladder, so be sure to drink, drink, drink. If you don’t feel like drinking water, then broth, jello, or even popsicles will help. Since you’ve gotten your nausea meds all filled in advance, be sure to take them as prescribed, whether you think you need them or not. Chemo nausea isn’t just any kind of nausea and it’s much easier to stay ahead of it than to try to fix it once it occurs. If you do happen to get nauseated, and I can’t stress this enough, call your doctor!!! There are many, many nausea meds and you do not have to feel sick just because you’re doing chemo. Once they find the right drug for you, it will be so much easier. So, do not suffer this in silence! The same applies for if you get sores in your mouth or throat.

You will be tired from this treatment. Most of us get more tired as the treatments progress because they make our white blood cell counts drop really low. Because of this, it’s a good idea to keep some Purell, or something similar, with you all the time for use when you’ve had to touch, for example, public restroom door handles. Your risk of infection will be much higher during this time.

If you lose your hair, it will typically happen in 10-14 days after your first chemo treatment. If you have long hair, you might want to cut it short in preparation. I know I felt so out of control of everything, during that time. When your hair comes out, it lets go quickly and in large clumps, getting all over your pillow and clogging your drain. For many women, that is more traumatic than even losing a breast. So, I figured that was the one thing I could control about this whole breast cancer thing … when my hair came out. I cut it really short, beforehand and, when it started to let go, I had my husband get the clippers and shave my head. My daughter helped and we did a little Mohawk and stripe action first!

That was my way of shaking my fist at this cancer … it might take my breasts, and it might take my hair for a while, but I beat it to the punch! It was my way of saying, "You cannot take my spirit!" You can do the same thing. Your breast cancer does not define you. It is but a speed bump in the course of your life. Strap on your gloves and step into the ring. This chemo is your biggest punch. Your spirit is your own and that breast cancer can’t touch it!

Melissa Buhmeyer is a breast cancer survivor and has been so for seven years. She is also the founder of http://www.breastcancer-treatment.us , a site focusing on breast cancer treatment options, news, articles, and survivor experiences.

The most common form of cancer in women - which affects about 10% of the world’s female population - is still the second most common cause of cancer deaths in women. about 20% of all breast cancer cases ending in death.

This form of cancer is the one considered to have the most serious psychological effects on women. Some specialists say that it happens because this form cancer affects what most women consider to be their symbol of femininity: the breast. Depression is often diagnosed in women who have breast cancer, which makes the treatment even harder.

Risk factors

Many factors are considered to be the possible causes of breast cancer. Contrary to what many people may think, breast cancer also affects men, in smaller proportions - about 1 case in 1000.

Here are some factors considered to be involved in the development of breast cancer:

Age

One thing is for sure about breast cancer: the risks increase with age . Statistics show that for a woman who lives to the age of 90, the risk of getting breast cancer is about 12,5% (or 1 in . However, it’s not impossible for young women to have breast cancer and when it happens, the cancer tends to be more aggressive. This is inflammatory breast cancer, difficult to detect because it does not appear in mammography or ultrasound and is often mistaken for mastitis, a simple breast infection .

Genes

Familial breast cancer is rare (less than 5%), but it can happen and it was found to be linked to two different genes. Although this is not a high risk factor for breast cancer, women who have cases of breast cancer among their relatives should have tests more often.

Hormones

The International Agency for Research on Cancer found that women who take combined estrogen-progestogen contraceptives and combined estrogen-progestogen menopausal therapy were at increased risk.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Earlier found, better chances of survival. This is the statement that summarizes the cure for breast cancer and it only makes more important the medical advice that says that women should have a complete check up, including a mammogram and an ultrasound, once a year, especially once they reach their 30s or 40s. A self-examination of the breasts should be done monthly.

Any sign of nodules or lumps found by the woman while doing her self-exam must be taken into account. Most women think that these lumps have something to do with their periods and in many cases they do, but they can also signify the presence of a tumor and that’s why the doctor must be told as soon as possible .

The symptoms vary from woman to woman. Some have lumps and some don’t. Some women have a white or light-yellow secretion "leaking" from the nipple, some women feel that their breast is tender and swollen. There are those women who feel nothing and these are the most dangerous cases .

The self-exam and the mammogram once a year are the best ways to diagnose breast cancer. If something is found by self-examination, regardless of whether the woman had already had a mammogram that year, another should be done.

Treatment

Medicine has improved a lot in the past few years and the treatments for breast cancer have become more powerful and effective .

There are different options for treatment of breast cancer and doctors can choose the correct one by taking into account the overall health of the woman affected:

- Local or Regional Treatments are directed right to the breast and also to the lymph nodes around the breast.
- Systemic Treatments are directed to the whole body.
- Alternative and Holistic Treatments are important to the person because they include not only the body, but also the mind and spirit as well.

In spite of that, the best treatment is no treatment at all, in other words, prevention.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell