Stage 2 Breast Cancer

The 5-year breast cancer survival rate for stage 2 breast cancer diagnosed in the U.S. varies according to size of the tumor and whether or not cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.

If the breast cancer is under 2 centimeters in diameter and has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm (the axillary lymph nodes), it is stage IIA breast cancer and the survival rate is 88%-92% (American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute).

If the breast cancer is between 2-5 centimeters but has not spread, it is also called stage IIA.

If the breast cancer is between 2-5 centimeters in diameter and has spread to the lymph nodes, it is called stage IIB breast cancer and the 5-year breast cancer survival rate is 76%-81%.

If the breast cancer is larger than 5 centimeters but has not spread beyond the breast, it is also called stage IIB

Up to 29% of diagnosed breast cancer is Stage 2 breast cancer for white women and 36% for black women. An average of 62% of all breast cancer is diagnosed when it is still localized to the breast area or Stage 1 breast cancer. If the cancer is detected early enough, such as Stage 1 breast cancer, then the 5-year breast cancer survival rate is as high as 98%-100%. Early detection is the most important way to save the lives of cancer patients.

Fortunately for breast cancer patients, there has been a great deal of effort put into providing information about early detection. Early detection and improved treatments are the primary reason for increasing breast cancer survival rates.

Women can help themselves with monthly self-examinations done at the same time every month. When a woman is 20 she should make sure that she gets a clinical examination at least every three years. After the age of 40, the clinical exams should be part of her annual health check-up, along with her mammogram.

Women can also help themselves with healthy habits that may help breast cancer prevention, such as regular moderate exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding excessive alcohol. These, and other healthy habits should be maintained for life since the risk of breast cancer increases with age.

Stage 3 Breast Cancer

The breast cancer survival rate for Stage 3 breast cancer depends on the degree of cancer metastasis and the individual health of the patient. The 5-year survival rate can vary from 49% to 67%.

Stage 3 (or III) breast cancer is usually divided into two categories: Stage IIIA and Stage IIIB.

Stage IIIA is breast cancer that is larger than 5 centimeters in diameter and has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm (axillary lymph nodes). It can also include any size of breast cancer that has spread extensively to any of the lymph nodes.

The breast cancer survival rate for Stage IIIA breast cancer will vary from 56% to 67% (American Cancer Society).

Stage IIIB can be any size cancer that has spread to other tissue near the breast. It may or may not have spread to the axillary lymph nodes or other lymph nodes.

The survival rate for Stage IIIB breast cancer varies from 49% to 54%.

The sharp decrease in women’s survival from almost 100% survival for Stage 1 breast cancer to approximately 50% survival for Stage 3 breast cancer is controlled by one factor only: early detection. Treatment is most successful for women when the breast cancer is small and localized to the breast tissue only.

Almost 40,000 women die of breast cancer every year in the United States alone. Using early detection procedures to detect breast cancer when it is still at Stage 1 could bring the survival rate back up to almost 100%.

Early detection procedures emphasize monthly self-examinations done at the same time each month. Clinical examinations performed by the health care provider should begin no later than age 20. For women in good health, a clinical exam should be performed every three years from age 20 to age 40. After age 40, clinical breast exams should be part of the annual health check-up, along with the annual mammogram or recommended diagnostic procedures.

After successful treatment, approximately 10% of women will experience breast cancer recurrence.
Breast cancer prevention is also an area of serious research, but there is not yet sufficient information for researchers to agree on conclusions. In general, being overweight, increased alcohol consumption, or using hormone therapy seem to increase breast cancer. Maintaining a healthy weight, regular exercise, and breast-feeding seem to decrease breast cancer.

How You Can Return To Your Sexual Life After Breast Cancer Treatment

There are some changes in sexual life which a breast cancer victim has to face after undergoing breast cancer treatment. Continue reading this article if you want to discover how a breast cancer survivor can return to normal sex and intimacy.

It is very difficult for a women to return to their normal sex life after going under breast cancer treatment. The most important thing what a woman needs after the treatment of breast cancer is a sexual health program.

It is a difficult task to have sex after the regular side effects of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, such as vaginal dryness. This is due to premature menopause which causes pain during sex. Usually it takes a longer time to get aroused and the touch of your partner is not as pleasurable as before.

The steps of treatment of breast cancer like radiotherapy and chemotherapy makes the breast more sensitive to touch and if a women has gotten a mastectomy it is great shock for the patient as well as for her partner.

It is very important to regularly visit your gynecologist during and after the treatment of breast cancer. The women who suffer from cancer of the breast are at greater risk of cervical cancer and atrophy of the vagina.

But there is some good news. The side effects of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment do not last for a long time. About six months later the woman who as gone under the treatment of cancer are ready for to resume having sex again. But these six months are full of stress and anxiety and some special techniques and ideas should be followed to return to normal sex life.

Men Get Breast Cancer Too

One of the most common cancers among Black women, as you may know, is Breast Cancer.
And that, my friends, is only surpassed by the number one culprit Lung Cancer.
More than 217, 000 people will be affected by Breast Cancer this year.
Now tell me that this fact isn’t a good reason for us to feel some fear.
Every 2 minutes, my friends, a woman is diagnosed with Breast Cancer.
And every 13 minutes because of Breast Cancer, one woman’s life is over.
Imagine, 20, 000 newly diagnosed cases are expected to occur among Black Women.
Of that, 57 hundred Black Women, because of Breast Cancer, will leave this earth my friend.
Black Women 5 year survival rate is 74%.
Compared to White Women whose survival rate is 88%.
Scientists still don’t know why Breast Cancer affects Black Women differently to White Women.
There’s a higher incidence of Breast Cancer in Black Women as compared to White Women.
Black Women are more likely to be diagnosed with much larger tumors.
And they are also more likely to be diagnosed with more advanced stages of Breast Cancer.
Among women under 45 Black Women have a higher incidence of this disease.
And this is compared to the incidences among women, if you please.
The risk of Breast Cancer for all women surely increases with age.
But yearly mammograms and monthly self- exams help to discover it at an early stage.
Women between the age of 20-30 should have a mammogram every 3 years.
Be familiar with your breasts so you’ll notice any changes occuring there.
Report any changes that you find to your doctor without delay.
The best method of protection is early detection, that’s what I always say.
Mammograms are avalable; they are free for everyone.
But if you have no insurance you can still get yourself a free one.
Ladies remind your husbands and boyfriends to check their breasts when you do;
They should report any changes they see in their breasts because men can get Breast Cancer too.

I have been busy promoting my book- Smiling Thru the Tears- A Breast Cancer Survivor Odyssey, doing radio interviews, television appearances and booked solid with Motivational Speaking engagements. I publish an enewletter- Metamorphosis, for Breast Cancer survivors and I stay busy. It is my way of staving off the demon and I thrive on the challenge of staying busy. Every new pain or change could become a potential point of worry and that is no way to live and I have no time for worry. I rise every morning cognizant that I overcame breast cancer...I am a survivor. I live with chemo related vertigo and neuropathy but I try not to let it define who I am. I know I have a new reality; the things I once took for granted have now become a challenge. I can't turn my head suddenly or lay flat on my back, but I can breath, I can laugh and I can rejoice and thank God for His New Year gift to me- my blessing. I had a biopsy on my left breast and on January 5th, 2005 after a second breast cancer scare, I was told that my biopsy came back negative. Yes folks, I am cancer free...isn't God great?

How Breast Cancer Survival Rates Increased 50%

Breast cancer statistics show that over 1.2 million persons will be diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide this year, according to the World Health Organization. For breast cancer and prevention, it has long been known that regular physical activity has been shown to decrease the likelihood of having breast cancer. What has not been known or studied has been the effect of regular physical activity on the breast cancer survival rates or likelihood of death in women that already have breast cancer. That is, until now.

The breast cancer statistics and findings as reported by the American Medical Association’s Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in May 2005 were astounding! Certain participants in the study of women with Stage I, II or III breast cancer achieved a 50% reduction in the death rate from breast cancer.

Here are these breast cancer statistics: the journal reported that in the study 2,987 female registered nurses had been diagnosed with breast cancer during the years 1984-1998. What the study found was that the women who had physical activity equivalent to walking at a steady pace of 2.0-2.9 miles per hour for 3-5 hours a week had a death rate of only 50% of the death rate of women who had physical activity equivalent to walking less than one hour a week. The conclusion of the breast cancer statistics in the study was that physical activity after breast cancer has been diagnosed may reduce the risk of death from breast cancer. The study found that there was little evidence of any relation between increased physical activity and increased benefit.

It’s time to dust off those walking shoes!

As a physical activity, walking can be done almost anytime by anyone anywhere. All that’s needed is a good pair of walking shoes. Walking is fun and reduces stress. As for injuries, walking has the lowest injury rate of all the various kinds of exercise.

You can walk with a partner, friend, family member or dog, maybe even a neighbor's dog. Or you can walk with your favorite headset and music. If you are walking outdoors with a headset, keep one ear open to hear the sounds around you.

As for basic walking tips:

· As you begin regular walking, take it easy. Standard advice is to check with your physician before starting any exercise program. If it’s been years or decades since you walked regularly, perhaps you can begin with 5 minutes of walking and slowly increase your time and distance.

· Walking at a pace of 75–95 steps a minute will have you walking at a speed of about 2-3 miles per hour.

· Walk with your head up, looking out in front of you. Do not walk looking down right in front of you except to navigate any obstacles.

· Really take it easy the first 5 minutes of walking to warm up. Afterwards, gently stretch for 5–10 minutes while your muscles are warm.

· Practice good walking form. Your arms should swing naturally in the direction you’re walking, not from side to side across your body. Your foot should strike the ground on your heel, then a rolling motion forward toward the ball of your foot, then pushing off with your toes.

And here are some basic walking shoes tips:

· Buy your walking shoes from a sporting shoes store with large selections. That will give you plenty of choices. And buy your walking shoes later in the day when your feet will be larger.

· Buy cushioned, supportive walking shoes. To see if a shoe is supportive, do this test -- take a shoe and turn it upside down. Holding each end of the shoe, try to fold it. If you find the shoe bends in the middle, then that shoe is not a supportive shoe. A supportive shoe should bend where your foot normally bends, near your toes.

· You should allow the width of your index finger between the end of your shoe and the end of your longest toe, or about one-half inch.

· Buy two pairs of walking shoes, one for home and one for the car or workplace. And if one pair gets wet, you can use the other pair that day.

Walking is the closest thing to the perfect exercise. In today’s fast-paced society, regular walking can be a welcomed break from the stress of the day. Maybe you’ll get to know your neighborhood or neighbors better. There may be walking trails you’ve never seen but wanted to.

Wherever and however you choose to walk, not only can the experience be fun, you’ll know you’re being good to your body in a variety of ways. Besides the incredible breast cancer statistics and findings of the breast cancer study, walking helps with weight control and bone strength, elevates mood, helps build and maintain healthy muscles, joints and heart. With so many great health benefits, why not get started walking today!

causes of breast cancer

Causes

Over the course of a lifetime, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Risk factors you cannot change include:

Age and gender -- Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older. The majority of advanced breast cancer cases are found in women over age 50. Women are 100 times more likely to get breast cancer then men.

Family history of breast cancer -- You may also have a higher risk for breast cancer if you have a close relative has had breast, uterine, ovarian, or colon cancer. About 20-30% of women with breast cancer have a family history of the disease.

Genes -- Some people have genes that make them more prone to developing breast cancer. The most common gene defects are found in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These genes normally produce proteins that protect you from cancer. But if a parent passes you a defective gene, you have an increased risk for breast cancer. Women with one of these defects have up to an 80% chance of getting breast cancer sometime during their life.

Other genetic defects have been linked to breast cancer, including those found in the ATM gene, the CHEK-2 gene, and the p53 tumor suppressor gene, but these are very rare.

Menstrual cycle -- Women who get their periods early (before age 12) or went through menopause late (after age 55) have an increased risk for breast cancer.

Other risk factors include:

Alcohol use -- Drinking more than 1-2 glasses of alcohol a day may increase your risk for breast cancer.

Childbirth -- Women who have never had children or who had them only after age 30 have an increased risk for breast cancer. Being pregnant more than once or becoming pregnant at an early age reduces your risk of breast cancer.

DES -- Women who took diethylstilbestrol (DES) to prevent miscarriage may have an increased risk of breast cancer after age 40. This drug was given to the women in the 1940s-1960s.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) -- You have a higher risk for breast cancer if you have received hormone replacement therapy for several years or more. Many women take HRT to reduce the symptoms of menopause.

Obesity -- Obesity has been linked to breast cancer, although this link is controversial. The theory is that obese women produce more estrogen, which can fuel the development of breast cancer.

Radiation -- If you received radiation therapy as a child or young adult to treat cancer of the chest area, you have a significantly higher risk for developing breast cancer. The younger you started such radiation, the higher your risk -- especially if the radiation was given when a female was developing breasts.

Breast implants, using antiperspirants, and wearing underwire bras do not raise your risk for breast cancer. There is no evidence of a direct link between breast cancer and induced abortion or pesticides.

What's new in breast cancer

All treatments have to be fully researched before they can be adopted as standard treatment for everyone. This is so that

* We can be sure they work
* We can be sure they work better than the treatments available at the moment
* We know they are safe

First of all, treatments are developed and tested in laboratories. For ethical and safety reasons, experimental treatments must be lab tested before they can be tried on patients. If a treatment described here is said to be at the laboratory stage of research, it is not ready for patients and is not available either within or outside the NHS.

Tests in patients are called clinical trials. There are 4 phases of clinical trials. This is fully explained in the understanding clinical trials section of CancerHelp UK. If you are interested in taking part in a clinical trial, visit our searchable database of clinical trials recruiting in the UK. If there is a trial you are interested in, print it off and take it to your own specialist. If the trial is suitable for you, your doctor will need to refer you to the research team.

You can choose from the following menu


Research into preventing and diagnosing breast cancer

Research into treating breast cancer

Research into living with breast cancer

Breast cancer information from all Cancer Research UK websites

Exercise Lowers Breast Cancer Risk

You don't have to start running triathlons or training for a boxing match to reduce your risk of breast cancer. Doing regular exercise will cut down your risk of developing the disease, as well as preventing its return, if you're a survivor. Let's see how exercise reduces your risk of breast cancer and gives you other health benefits.

How Much Exercise is Effective?

One hour of walking at a 2 to 3 mph pace lowers your risk a little. Three to five hours weekly of brisk walking gives you the most protection from breast cancer. You could vary that by switching activities -– try jogging, hiking, swimming, cycling, or other activities that get you moving. Dr. Michelle Holmes reports in her research that breast cancer survivors who spent 3 to 5 hours each week (or about half an hour a day) doing exercise had the best survival rates. And for prevention of breast cancer recurrence, the American Cancer Society recommends that you exercise for 30 to 45 minutes at least five days each week.

Here's How Exercise Reduces Your Risk

Regular exercise and a diet that is low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables lowers your levels of estradiol and estrone, two kinds of estrogen. Although women need estrogen to mature and to create strong bones, overexposure to estrogen can lead to breast cancer. Eighty percent of all breast cancers are fueled by estrogen. Exercise is a natural way to reduce your estrogen levels, as well as reducing other hormones and growth factors that can cause breast cells to turn into cancer.

Being Sedentary Increases Your Risk

Physical inactivity may contribute to the rise in several types of cancer –- colon cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer, endometrial cancer, kidney cancer, and cancer of the esophagus. Women who are overweight produce and store more estrogen in their bodies than women who have a healthy lower body mass index (BMI). Increased exposure to estrogen and risk of breast cancer are linked, since the estrogen-receptor positive kind is the most common type of breast cancer. Obese women have a greater amount of breast tissue, and it is more difficult to detect breast tumors in obese women, as compared to lean women. This can lead to detection at a more advanced stage of cancer, when it's harder to treat.

Every Body Will Benefit

Studies showed that breast cancer survivors of any age or menopausal status can reduce their risk of recurrence and improve their survival rates. Women who had estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer experienced the most benefit from exercise, because exercise lowered their estrogen levels naturally. But women who had hormone-receptor negative breast cancer also benefited from exercise, when it was paired with a diet high in fruits and vegetables. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology reported that exercise reduced mortality from all causes in breast cancer survivors by 50%, when combined with a healthy diet. These results were true for lean and obese women, although obese women had more trouble sticking to a healthy diet.

Other Benefits Of Exercise

Lowering your risk of breast cancer is just one benefit of doing regular exercise. It also improves mood, raises your self-esteem, and gives you a better body image. Doing your exercise improves muscle tone, strength, and endurance. Exercise protects you by lowering your risk of heart disease and diabetes. It can help you lower your weight, which in turn, reduces risk of breast cancer due to obesity.

HRT Drugs Found to Cause Abnormal Mammograms, Increased Breast Cancer Risk

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may increase women's risk of developing breast cancer and interfere with cancer diagnostic techniques after as little as one year, according to a new large-scale study conducted by researchers from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute and published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers used data from 16,600 postmenopausal women who had participated in the National Institutes of Health's Women's Health Initiative (WHI), comparing those who underwent combined HRT as a treatment for menopause symptoms with those who were given a placebo. The study did not look at women who underwent estrogen-only HRT. In combined HRT, women are treated with a combination of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. The combined HRT treatment in the original WHI study was halted early in 2002, when researchers found that women undergoing the treatment had a higher risk of invasive breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. But analysis of those results suggested that it took at least five years for those problems to develop, and that they occurred mostly in older women.

The current study confirmed the WHI's conclusion that combined HRT led to one additional case of breast cancer per 1,000 treatments, but it also found evidence that problems could emerge more quickly than previously believed, and in younger women. Most significantly, according to lead researcher Rowan Chlebowski, combined HRT increased women's risk of experiencing abnormal mammograms. After only one year of combined HRT, women had a 4 percent higher chance of an abnormal mammogram than women not receiving HRT. After five years, their risk was 11 percent higher than those in the control group. In absolute terms, this meant that while only 23 percent of the women in the placebo group had abnormal mammograms, 35 percent of the women in the combined HRT group did. Nearly twice as many women in the combined HRT group as in the placebo group - 10 percent as opposed to 6 percent - had breast biopsies ordered by their doctors. According to Chlebowski, this amounted to one "otherwise avoidable" biopsy for every 25 women taking combined HRT, and one abnormal mammogram for every 10 combined HRT patients. In contrast to prior studies that found combined HRT relatively harmless for younger women, Chlebowski noted that "the finding may impact women just entering menopause as well."

The rate of positive biopsies was slightly lower among women in the combined HRT group than women in the placebo group. This suggests that the early phases of combined HRT interfere with the ability of mammograms and biopsies to properly diagnose breast cancer. This effect may come from the fact that combined HRT is well-known to thicken women's breast tissue; studies have shown that mammograms have more trouble detecting tumors in more dense breasts. But some researchers warned that the effects of HRT are complex, and that scientists do not necessarily understand them well. "We have clinical trials that show women's mammograms over time, and anyone can see with a naked eye that the breast tissue has changed. There are so many hormone-sensitive cells in the breast," said Dr. Christina Clarke of the Northern California Cancer Center and the Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center. "These mammograms are harder to read. It's concerning that mammography doesn't work as well in these women." Chlebowski urged women who are considering HRT to "take the results of this study into consideration and consult with their physicians before undergoing even short-term hormone therapy." Susan Kutner, of the Kaiser Permanente Santa Teresa Medical Center in San Jose, Calif., agreed. She encouraged women to consider not just the physical consequences, but also the psychological impacts of having to undergo more biopsies.

How can I prevent breast cancer?

The most important risk factors for the development of breast cancer, such as age and family history, cannot be controlled by the individual. Some risk factors may be in a woman’s control; however. These include things like avoiding long-term hormone replacement therapy, having children before age 30, breastfeeding, avoiding weight gain through exercise and proper diet, and limiting alcohol consumption to 1 drink a day or less. For women already at very high risk due to family history, risk of developing breast cancer can be reduced by about 50% by taking a drug called Tamoxifen for five years. Tamoxifen has some common side effects (like hot flashes and vaginal discharge), which are not serious and some uncommon side effects (like blood clots, pulmonary embolus, stroke, and uterine cancer) which are life threatening. Tamoxifen isn't widely used for prevention, but may be useful in some cases. Use of Tamoxifen for prophylactic reasons should be considered carefully by an individual and her doctor, as its use is very individualized. For more information on breast cancer prevention

Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool

Scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) Biostatistics Center have developed this Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool, a computer program that allows you to project a woman's individualized estimate of risk for invasive breast cancer over a 5-year period and over her lifetime (to age 90).

To run this program, you must download it to your computer. (Minimum requirements: Windows 3.1 or later, 486 or higher processer, 33 MHz, 4MB RAM.) Please read the directions below and then click on the "Setup.exe" link to begin the process.

Breast Cancer And The Pain Of The Mammogram

Just tune into a select cable channel and keep watching long enough and you're likely to see a predictable show about women overcoming obstacles and being triumphant. The situation could take place in the workplace, bad or abussive marriage, sports, or the legal system. Or any of another hundred siturations. Including having beed diagnosed with breast cancer.

The fact is that there are millions of women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and are now celebrating two, five or even 30+ years of being cancer free.

What do they owe this to? If you ask a cancer survivor, the chances are she'll tell you that early detection was the key. And the mammogram is the technology we use most often today to detect cancer of the breast.

When should the test be done? Experts generally agree that if you have seen your 40th birthday, you should be tested at least every two years. Sometimes more often, especially if you have a family history of breast cancer. What about sooner? Well, I say: why not? What have you got to lose by early detection? Well maybe some discomfort, but women generally agree that it's worth it.

If you have never experienced a mammogram, here's an idea of what to expect. According to the web site MedicineNet, "The patient's breasts are then placed on a firm flat X-ray surface and a gentle, but firm pressure is applied to the breast using a mommogram compression device. This compression can cause a degree of discomfort in some women, but it is usually a painless procedure. The compression spreads the breast tissue out so that the X-rays display the inner breast tissue with good reslolution. If compression is not used, the mammograms may be blurry, breast tissue may not be well delineated and small lesions can be missed."

"Gentle, but firm pressure"? Interesting way of putting it, isn't it?

Anyway, while there may be some discomfort, don't you agree that that is a small price to pay to have the security and knowledge that your are cancer free? And if, God forbid, you're not, to know so you can take immediate action?

Over Coming Breast Cancer 2

Not long after I returned home, I caught an infection, and ended back in hospital. It was some form of pneumonia and was finally brought under control with heavy doses of antibiotics. I was very weak and felt worse than I had after the cancer operation. The surgeon cheered me up by explaining that an operation often weakens the immune system, which is why I caught the infection. Now having fought it off, my immune system was in good working order, so I should expect to make a full recovery.

During my convalescence I had time to think about the breast cancer, what had caused it, and how to prevent it happening again. I was and still am convinced that it was caused by stress. The surgeon had told me how long the cancer had been growing, and was surprised that it was not bigger.

The early growth of the cancer related to a very stressful period of my life. During that time I had also suffered from blackouts, which only happen to me when I am extremely stressed. However, once this period had passed, I went through a tranquil phase during which time I believe the cancer remained dormant. The medical profession will argue that I have no proof, but I think in the near future we will come to understand a lot more about how stress affects cancer and our life in general.

At this time I had been married about thirty years, and as I have said my husband was extremely supportive, so we sat down together and discussed ways of making our life stress free. Like most couples with a house and 1.5 children, we had decided to go the full Monty and have 2, and the debt that went with it. We were both working and able to service the debt, but it was always something I worried about, so we made becoming debt free our number one priority.

I also looked at my diet, being a non-smoker was a plus, but I figured I could be eating healthier food. I cut out the biscuits and cakes replacing these with fruit and nuts that I could nibble on between meals. I also increased the variety of vegetables at meal times and the number of times we had red meat. Yes I am a believer; if we were meant to be vegetarian then we would have a different digestive system. If you don't eat meat because you don't like killing animals then you should take a closer look at nature, you should also wonder if plants have feelings. Our diet is too important to have fads.

I love walking, but at this stage in my convalescence, I only had the energy to walk to the mail box, so I started a regime of simple floor exercises such as sit ups, to build up my strength. This became a morning routine that I still follow .and of course walking is one of the best exercises you can do.

In my research towards a healthy life, I read loads of books, one of them, “You can Heal your Life” by Louise Hay, made a big impact on me. I followed through with some of the suggestions and looked at life from a different perspective. I took up meditation and was amazed at how much better it made me feel. I was able to relax and let my cares lift away, while my body healed itself.

Happiness and contentment contribute to our peace of mind. My husband and I decided we weren't really happy with our way of life, so we changed it. We had virtually brought our children up on boats that we lived aboard and cruised, but for the last few years of their schooling we had decided to move ashore to give them the best chance. Now they had both left home, to go traveling of course, not to uni as we had thought, we could also go back to a life we had enjoyed and still hankered after. Being settled didn't suit us so we sold up and bought another yacht and are cruising.

We move on when the mood takes us and money allows, we have a very relaxed attitude towards life and keep our stress levels down. I walk a lot, get plenty of sleep, eat a balanced diet, meditate and enjoy life. Will it keep the cancer at bay? I don't know, but it is now twelve years since my op and I have never felt better.

Over Coming Breast Cancer 1

Being diagnosed with breast cancer is one of the most scary things a woman can learn.

We know a great deal about it because information on breast cancer is in just about every woman's magazine, along with awareness articles in papers and a staggering amount on the internet. Yet still it is a gut wrenching moment when you find you are one of the statistics.

There is though life after breast cancer. It does not have to be all doom and gloom, but it might not be life as you knew it! I have the t-shirt “I survived breast cancer” and though my path may not be the right path for you, any survival story gives hope and encouragement, so here is mine.

I felt the painful lump, and rushed off for a mammogram. (Or should that be, I felt the lump, and rushed of for a painful mammogram?) Anyway the diagnosis was that it was probably a cyst. This at least gave me some hope in the time between diagnosis and operation.

It was though a cancer, and small enough that I did not have to loose my breast. The surgeon did remove a Lymph gland as a precaution, something I don't think they now do unless necessary. The surgeon told me he thought that he had removed all the cancer and it should not return. But, yes there is always a “but” as a precaution I should have radiation treatment.

I talked this over with my husband, and we decided that I wasn't prepared to have the treatment. If the surgeon thought he had removed all the cancer, that was good enough for me. I just wanted to get on with my life. We did think though that he would try to talk me, or even bully me into having the radiation treatment. I was very surprised then when the surgeon said, “Well if you don't think it will help, then it won't!” He then went on to explain a little of the power of the mind, and how attitude plays a major part in the recovery process.

Off the hook, not a bit of it. “Even if you don't have the radiation treatment,” the surgeon said, “you must still take the Tamoxifen, especially as your family has a history of cancer.” I had read a little about this drug, and was horrified to think I would be taking it for the rest of my life! Back to discussions with hubby, (This support is invaluable, so if you don't have this sort of support in your life, get a coach) and a great deal of research. The answer for me was a resounding “No” I would try other ways to keep the cancer at bay.

Gift Giving for Breast Cancer Patients and Their Families

Did you know that each year, 182,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 die? One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year.

The above statistics are scary to say the least. If you have loved ones or friends that have been diagnosed with breast cancer, I am sure you've often wondered what, if anything, you can do to help them.

Here are some gifts that are appropriate for cancer patients, and their families to give encouragement, and support.

Probably one of the most important gifts you can offer, is the gift of your time: time to listen, and time to be with them as they accept the fact that they have cancer, and go through their treatment.

A small journal is another idea: they can put on paper their thoughts, their struggles, and their accomplishments as they fight this battle.

A book of inspiring, encouraging words will do wonders for their soul. One suggestion would be Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul: 101 Stories of Courage and Inspiration from Those Who Have Survived Cancer.

Don't forget a nice teddy bear they can hug, and a CD of soft, comforting, music.

Some cancer patients develop sensitivity to fragrance, so please stay away from scented items.

Again, remember that at times, all they need is to have someone to talk to, or hold their hand: be there for them!

For your information:

If detected early, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer exceeds 95%. Mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram.

Are You In High Risk Of Getting Breast Cancer?

No one knows the exact causes of breast cancer. Doctors can seldom explain why one woman gets breast cancer and another does not.

Doctors do know that bumping, bruising, or touching the breast does not cause breast cancer. And breast cancer is not contagious. No one can "catch" this disease from another person.

However, research has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop breast cancer. A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease. Studies have found the following risk factors for breast cancer:

1. The chance of getting breast cancer goes up as a woman gets older.

2. A woman who has had breast cancer in one breast has an increased risk of getting this disease in her other breast.

3. A woman's risk of breast cancer is higher if her mother, sister, or daughter had breast cancer, especially at a young age (before age 40).

4. The older a woman is when she has her first child, the greater her chance of breast cancer. Women who began menstruation (had their first menstrual period) at an early age (before age 12), went through menopause late (after age 55), or never had children also are at an increased risk.

5. Breast cancer occurs more often in white women than Latina, Asian, or African American women.

6. Women who had radiation therapy to the chest (including breasts) before age 30 are at an increased risk of breast cancer. This includes women treated with radiation for Hodgkin's lymphoma. Studies show that the younger a woman was when she received radiation treatment, the higher her risk of breast cancer later in life.

7. Older women who have mostly dense not fatty) tissue on a mammogram(x-ray of the breast) are at increased risk of breast cancer.

8. After menopause, women who are obese have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Being obese means that the woman has an abnormally high proportion of body fat. Because the body makes some of its estrogen (a hormone) in fatty tissue, obese women are more likely than thin women to have higher levels of estrogen in their bodies. High levels of estrogen may be the reason that obese women have an increased risk of breast cancer. Also, some studies show that gaining weight after menopause increases the risk of breast cancer.

9. Women who are physically inactive throughout life appear to have an increased risk of breast cancer. Being physically active may help to reduce risk by preventing weight gain and obesity.

It is helpful to be aware of risk factors. But it's also important to keep in mind that most of the women who have these risk factors do not get breast cancer.

A woman who thinks she may be at risk of breast cancer should discuss this concern with her health care provider. The health care provider may suggest ways to reduce the risk and can plan an appropriate schedule for checkups.

Breast Cancer- Top Ten Things Every Woman Should Know

Breast cancer is a reality many women will have to deal with. Statistics show that one woman out of nine will develop breast cancer in her life. Whether it be a dear friend, a close family member or herself, every woman will be touched by breast cancer in one way or the other. Breast cancer accounts for about 30% of all cancers.

Every woman should be aware of the risk factors and change those she can to lower her risk of developing breast cancer in her life.

Women who are not active physically, smoke or consume a lot of alcohol are at higher risk to develop breast cancer.

Women who have their first child at a later age or have never given birth are at higher risk to develop breast cancer.

Women who had their first period at an earlier age (less than 12 years old) are at higher risk for breast cancer.

Woman who have close family members who had develop breast cancer are at higher risk for themselves.

Women who are older. The further a woman advances in life, the higher her probability of developing breast cancer.

Women who experience a late menopause (after 55 years old) have an increase risk of developing breast cancer.

There is hope however and certain measures have proven to help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer for a woman. It is recommended to exercise regularly, lose any excess weight, lower alcohol consumption and stop smoking. It is also proven that women who breastfeed their babies are at lower risks to develop breast cancer.

Certain measures, by finding breast cancer at an earlier stage can lower the complication rate and morbidity associated with this condition. The two most recommended measures are to do a mammogram exam every two years after the age of 50 (or earlier if a woman has risk factors) and doing a breast self-examination. It is also recommended for a woman to visit her doctor regularly. One has to know that about two thirds of breast tumours are found by the woman herself upon doing her self-examination.

Many organizations and industries have joined forces to push back breast cancer and one can only encourage them by donating time or money for this worthy cause. There are many researches on breast cancer conducted worldwide and it is expected that the near future will see the decline of this devastating affliction.

Breast Cancer Cure With The Power Of Fame

There is no known cure for breast cancer. More than 1.5 million people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year worldwide. The incidence of breast cancer has nearly tripled in the past 50 years. A woman's lifetime risk has increased from 1 in 20 in the 1950's to 1 in 7 today. Scientists don't know why most women get breast cancer, yet breast cancer is the most frequent tumor found in women the world over. What can a woman do when fate has played a cruel joke and a woman's very life can be in question? What do you do when an intimate part of your body becomes host to an assassin, a foreign element assigned to debilitate, maim and kill?

A woman who dies of breast cancer is robbed of an average of nearly 20 years of her life. Breast cancer knows no social boundaries. It’s a disease that can affect anyone. Some prominent women whose lives that have been touched by breast cancer include: Anastacia, singer only 29 years old! Jill Eikenberry actress age 52; Ann Jillian, 48, Actress; Peggy Fleming age 49 figure skater; Kate Jackson age 50 (Charlies Angels); Olivia Newton-John age 50 actress singer; Patti LaBelle, age 57, singer; Diahann Carroll, age 63 Actress/singer; Rue McClanahan, Hollywood actress, Rue is best known for her portrayal of Blanche on the hit sitcom “The Golden Girls;” Shirley Temple Black age 70 Actress/singer; Betty Ford, Former First Lady; Nancy Reagan age 77 former first lady; Melissa Etheridge age 43 singer; Lynn Redgrave, age 59, actress; Edie Falco Sopranos star, Tami Agassi, sister to tennis star Andre Agassi, and the beautiful Suzanne Summers actress. Dusty Springfield the singer, died from breast cancer at age 59. Breast cancer also took the lives of Linda McCartney and Jill Ireland. This is a disease that has plagued women for centuries. The mother of Louis XIV of France died of breast cancer in 1666. These high rates of breast cancer are not acceptable to the women of the world and must be met with scientific research that provides results.

Epidemiology and etiology

Epidemiological risk factors for a disease can provide important clues as to the etiology, or cause, of a disease. The first case-controlled study on breast cancer epidemiology was done by Janet Lane-Claypon, who published a comparative study in 1926 of 500 breast cancer cases and 500 control patients of the same background and lifestyle for the British Ministry of Health.[verification needed]

Today, breast cancer, like other forms of cancer, is considered to be the final outcome of multiple environmental and hereditary factors. Some of these factors include:

1. Lesions to DNA such as genetic mutations. Mutations that can lead to breast cancer have been experimentally linked to estrogen exposure. Beyond the contribution of estrogen, research has implicated viral oncogenesis and the contribution of ionizing radiation in causing genetic mutations.[citation needed]

2. Failure of immune surveillance, a theory in which the immune system removes malignant cells throughout one's life.

3. Abnormal growth factor signaling in the interaction between stromal cells and epithelial cells can facilitate malignant cell growth. For example, tumors can induce blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) by secreting various growth factors further facilitating cancer growth.[citation needed]

4. Inherited defects in DNA repair genes, such as BRCA1, BRCA2 and p53.[citation needed]

Although many epidemiological risk factors have been identified, the cause of any individual breast cancer is often unknowable. In other words, epidemiological research informs the patterns of breast cancer incidence across certain populations, but not in a given individual. The primary risk factors that have been identified are sex, age,childbearing, hormones, a high-fat diet, alcohol intake, obesity, and environmental factors such as tobacco use, radiation and shiftwork.

No etiology is known for 95% of breast cancer cases, while approximately 5% of new breast cancers are attributable to hereditary syndromes. In particular, carriers of the breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, are at a 30-40% increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer, depending on in which portion of the protein the mutation occurs.

Signs and symptoms

The first symptom, or subjective sign, of breast cancer is typically a lump that feels different than the surrounding breast tissue. According to the Merck Manual, greater than 80% of breast cancer cases are discovered as a lump by the woman herself.According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the first medical sign, or objective indication of breast cancer as detected by a physician, is discovered by mammogram. Lumps found in lymph nodes located in the armpits and/or collarbone[citation needed] can also indicate breast cancer.

Indications of breast cancer other than a lump may include changes in breast size or shape, skin dimpling, nipple inversion, or spontaneous single-nipple discharge. Pain is an unreliable tool in determining the presence of breast cancer, but may be indicative of other breast-related health issues such as mastodynia.

When breast cancer cells invade the dermal lymphatics, small lymph vessels in the skin of the breast, its presentation can resemble skin inflammation and thus is known as inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include pain, swelling, warmth and redness throughout the breast, as well as an orange peel texture to the skin referred to as peau d'orange.

Another reported symptom complex of breast cancer is Paget's disease of the breast. This syndrome presents as eczematoid skin changes such as redness and mild flaking of the nipple skin. As Paget's advances, symptoms may include tingling, itching, increased sensitivity, burning, and pain. There may also be discharge from the nipple. Approximately half of women diagnosed with Paget's also have a lump in the breast.

Occasionally, breast cancer presents as metastatic disease, that is, cancer that has spread beyond the original organ. Metastatic breast cancer will cause symptoms that depend on the location of metastasis. More common sites of metastasis include bone, liver, lung and brain. Unexplained weight loss can occasionally herald an occult breast cancer, as can symptoms of fevers or chills. Bone or joint pains can sometimes be manifestations of metastatic breast cancer, as can jaundice or neurological symptoms. These symptoms are "non-specific," meaning they can also be manifestations of many other illnesses.

Most symptoms of breast disorder do not turn out to represent underlying breast cancer. Benign breast diseases such as mastitis and fibroadenoma of the breast are more common causes of breast disorder symptoms. The appearance of a new symptom should be taken seriously by both patients and their doctors, because of the possibility of an underlying breast cancer at almost any age.

Breast cancer

Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the cells of the breast in men and women. Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer (10.4% of all cancer incidence, both sexes counted) and the fifth most common cause of cancer death. Worldwide, breast cancer is by far the most common cancer amongst women, with an incidence rate more than twice that of colorectal cancer and cervical cancer and about three times that of lung cancer. However breast cancer mortality worldwide is just 25% greater than that of lung cancer in women. In 2005, breast cancer caused 502,000 deaths worldwide (7% of cancer deaths; almost 1% of all deaths). The number of cases worldwide has significantly increased since the 1970s, a phenomenon partly blamed on modern lifestyles in the Western world.

The incidence of breast cancer varies greatly around the world, being lower in less-developed countries and greatest in the more-developed countries. In the twelve world regions, the annual age-standardized incidence rates per 100,000 women are as follows: in Eastern Asia, 18; South Central Asia, 22; sub-Saharan Africa, 22; South-Eastern Asia, 26; North Africa and Western Asia, 28; South and Central America, 42; Eastern Europe, 49; Southern Europe, 56; Northern Europe, 73; Oceania, 74; Western Europe, 78; and in North America, 90.

Women in the United States have the highest incidence rates of breast cancer in the world; 141 among white women and 122 among African American women. Among women in the US, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second-most common cause of cancer death (after lung cancer). Women in the US have a 1 in 8 (12.5%) lifetime chance of developing invasive breast cancer and a 1 in 35 (3%) chance of breast cancer causing their death.In 2007, breast cancer was expected to cause 40,910 deaths in the US (7% of cancer deaths; almost 2% of all deaths).