Understanding Breast Cancer

Breast cancer symptoms confusion

Breast cancer is cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts. There are numerous types of breast cancer, but cancer that begins in the milk ducts (ductal carcinoma) is the most common type.

After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States.

Causes

Breast cancer most often begins with cells in the milk-producing ducts. Doctors call this type of breast cancer invasive ductal carcinoma. Breast cancer may also begin in the milk glands known as lobules (invasive lobular carcinoma) within the breast.

Researchers have identified things that can increase your risk of breast cancer. But it's not clear why some people who have no risk factors develop cancer, yet other people with risk factors never do. It's likely that breast cancer is caused by a complex interaction of your genetic makeup and your environment.

Inherited breast cancer
Doctors estimate that only 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are linked to gene mutations passed through generations of a family. A number of inherited defective genes that can increase the likelihood of breast cancer have been identified. The most common are breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) and breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2), both of which increase the risk of both breast and ovarian cancer.

If you have a strong family history of breast cancer or other cancers, blood tests may help identify defective BRCA or other genes that are being passed through your family. Consider asking your doctor for a referral to a genetic counselor, who can review your family health history. A genetic counselor can also discuss the benefits, risks and limitations of genetic testing with you. It's important to remember that the genetic tests help to identify a high-risk individual or family, but they don't definitively predict who will or will not get breast cancer.


Risk factor
A risk factor is anything that makes it more likely you'll get a particular disease. But having one or even several risk factors doesn't necessarily mean you'll develop cancer — many women who develop breast cancer have no known risk factors other than simply being women.

Factors that are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer include:

Being female. Women are much more likely than men are to develop breast cancer.
Increasing age. Your risk of breast cancer increases as you age. Women older than 55 have a greater risk than do younger women.
A personal history of breast cancer. If you've had breast cancer in one breast, you have an increased risk of developing cancer in the other breast.
A family history of breast cancer. If you have a mother, sister or daughter with breast cancer, you have a greater chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Still, the majority of people diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.
Inherited genes that increase cancer risk. Certain gene mutations that increase the risk of breast cancer can be passed from parents to children. The most common gene mutations are referred to as BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes can greatly increase your risk of breast cancer and other cancers, but they don't make cancer inevitable.
Radiation exposure. If you received radiation treatments to your chest as a child or young adult, you're more likely to develop breast cancer later in life.
Obesity. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of breast cancer because fat tissue produces estrogen that may help fuel certain cancers.
Beginning your period at a younger age. Beginning your period before age 12 increases your risk of breast cancer.
Beginning menopause at an older age. If you began menopause after age 55, you're more likely to develop breast cancer.
Having your first child at an older age. Women who give birth to their first child after age 35 may have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Postmenopausal hormone therapy. Women who take hormone therapy medications that combine estrogen and progesterone to treat the signs and symptoms of menopause have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Drinking alcohol. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer. Experts recommend no more than one alcoholic beverage a day for women.
Signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include:

A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue
Bloody discharge from the nipple
Change in the size or shape of a breast
Changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling
Inverted nipple
Peeling, scaling or flaking of the nipple or breast skin
Redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange

When to see a doctor
Although the majority of breast changes don't turn out to be cancer, make an appointment to see your doctor if you find a lump or other change in your breast. Even if you've just had a mammogram with normal results, it's still important to have your doctor evaluate any changes.


Most women check for lumps
- but not other symptoms
Many women are confused about the signs of breast cancer, a survey suggests.
The charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer found a quarter of women polled thought wrongly that having a persistent cough was a sign of breast cancer.
Some 81% wrongly believed a mole on the breast could be a symptom, while a third incorrectly linked an extra nipple to the disease.
The charity is calling on GPs to help clear up the confusion and improve the number of cases that are caught early.
The survey of 1,190 women aged over 50 found 87% of respondents carry out regular checks for breas

lumps.

MISSED CHECKS
Only 10% look for inversion of the nipple
Only 14% look for changes in the skin on the breasts
Only 16% check for discharge from the nipple
Only 22% look for changes in the appearance of the nipple
Only 23% looked for changes in the size or shape of the breast
Just over half looked for lumps in the armpit
However, knowledge of the full range of symptoms to look out for remains poor.
The survey also found that half of women aged 70 and over were unaware they can continue to get free breast screening by making their own appointments through their GP, or local breast screening unit.
The vast majority (88%) of women in this group reported that since turning 70 their GP or surgery had not talked to them about continuing to make their own breast screening appointments.
Breast cancer risk continues to increase the older a woman gets and breast screening can pick up cancer before it can be seen or felt by hand.


Awareness campaign
Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "It's clear that despite breast cancer now being the most common cancer in the UK, women remain extremely confused about what they should be looking out for - with their focus still very much on feeling for breast lumps.
"At the same time there appears to be misunderstanding amongst women aged 70 and over about whether they should continue breast screening.
"We would like to see more GP surgeries making patients in this age group aware that they can, and should, make their own regular breast screening appointments
Breakthrough, which has launched a campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer, is offering GP surgeries a poster containing information for patients on how to check for the disease.
The awareness campaign is supported by a raft of celebrities, including actress Imelda Staunton, who said: "Get to know what your breasts look and feel like usually and go to your doctor if you find anything unusual or are worried.
"It is important to remember that the earlier breast cancer is detected and treated the better the chances of survival.

(Source http://on.fb.me/UiurQT )

 

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Stella is making a difference!

Wow! For all the people who struggle with their self image, this is a perfect example that it's not what's on the outside that makes a person beautiful. Now Stells is helping others with the same challenge she had and making a difference in people's lives! I hop many read Stella's story as there's so much to learn from it!

 

About Stella:

I struggled with body image my whole life. As a young teen, I was diagnosed with Polycystic ovarian syndrome. PCOS makes it incredibly hard to lose weight, and spikes up your insulin levels which can lead to diabetes and other complications. I felt like I was just getting bigger and bigger and could do nothing to stop it. I was so awkward and uncomfortable with what I looked like that I began to self-medicate in the way most teenagers do, except it was to a scary excess. Finally, my parents intervened and when I was 15 I got the help I needed. The past 2 and a half years have essentially been a struggle to come to terms with who I am and live life in a constructive, not destructive manner.
A couple weeks ago, I started a blog, just as a way to get out my thoughts and feelings. I found the body acceptance movement online, and it was like my eyes were open for the first time. I realized that my size or weight is not something to be ashamed of, it is a part of me. Health and weight are not synonymous, and I know that to be healthy means to manage my sobriety and PCOS the best that I can. I may not ever be thin, but that's okay. It's all about progress, not perfection.
So I posted a picture of myself in my underwear with a message to all the people who'd ever bullied me about what I looked like. Amazingly, in less than a week, it got over 50,000 likes and reblogs. It's upwards of 80,000 now, and the response has been 90% positive, I would say.
Two friends of mine, Savanna and Lucy, are in the process of planning a documentary on sizeism and its effect on young girls. My dream is to go back to my middle school, where all my body image issues began, and work with young girls on the issues of self-esteem, body image, sizeism, and bullying. I want to give these girls something I never knew, which was that your body does not define who you are as a person. To people who judge people on their size, weight, pants size or health - shame on you. No one is the authority on beauty, and everyone has a different road to trudge to happy destiny.  

 

You can check out Stella's blog at this link:  http://thebodyloveblog.tumblr.com/

 

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Relief of PMS Symptoms

There are natural PMS remedies that work wonders for PMS relief of symptoms – IF your endocrine hormonal system is working well.

This is because symptoms of PMS are often considered the result of raging hormones.

Your endocrine system controls your hormones, which affect how you feel – if your hormones are out of whack, you feel out of whack too!

The natural remedies for PMS relief (below) help balance your hormones. They combine all the best natural PMS remedies with a healthy PMS diet. Studies show that most women suffering from PMS symptoms

• Have diets low in certain nutrients, vitamins and minerals,
• Eat too many sweets and salty foods, causing fluid retention,
• Drink too much alcohol and caffeine, altering mood and energy.

So using natural remedies for PMS relief only makes good sense.

The Main PMS Symptoms Reported by Women


Symptoms of PMS (premenstrual syndrome) begin a week or two before a woman’s period starts and tend to go away soon after bleeding begins.

While there are many different PMS symptoms and the symptoms of PMS can vary from woman to woman and even from month to month, here are the 10 most common symptoms of PMS that women experience:

• Mood swings: Tension can create irritability, crying spells or anger. Little annoyances may seem huge and cause lashing out at others.

• Feeling tired: Fatigue is one of the most common PMS symptoms.

• Appetite shifts: Cravings for sweets and salty foods can lead to fluid retention and weight gain. But sometimes there's loss of appetite.

• Tender breasts: Many have sore, swelling breasts or nipples.

• Depression: PMS symptoms include anxiety and depression.

• Poor concentration: Memory and focusing problems are common.

• Abdominal upset: This can lead to constipation, diarrhea, swelling, bloating or puffiness in the stomach, hands and legs.

• Acne flare-ups: Skin may break out just before a period begins.

• Aches and pain: These common symptoms of PMS can take the form of joint or muscle pain, headaches and backaches.

• Sleep problems: Some women experience trouble falling asleep.

But the natural remedies for PMS symptoms below can work miracles by greatly reducing and even eliminate the above symptoms of PMS.

The Best Natural Remedies for PMS Relief


Fortunately, studies show most women get natural PMS relief from symptoms with a hormone-balancing diet and healthy lifestyle. The following natural PMS remedies are both effective and inexpensive.

• Eat healthy food. To greatly decrease your symptoms of PMS, eat a healthy low glycemic diet that includes plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and omega 3 fish. Avoid refined carbohydrates, red meat, bad fats, sweets and excess salt.

• Drink more water. Increase your healthy water intake instead of drinking caffeine, alcohol, juice, sodas and other sweetened drinks. 


• Exercise regularly. Regular physical activity releases natural feel-good endorphins into your brain. A half-hour of exercise a day can greatly reduce both physical and emotional PMS symptoms.

• Reduce stress. Practice good time management, exercise, get a good nights sleep every night and use relaxation techniques, like yoga, meditation and massage for stress management.

• Be more positive. Studies show attitude affects your health and hormone balance. So surround yourself with positive people.


• Take supplements. Certain nutritional health supplements have been shown to help balance hormones and decrease stress, depression and the symptoms of PMS. Take quality multi-supplements that include B-complex, calcium, magnesium, vitamin E and the essential fatty acids, especially omega 3 fish oil.

• And don't smoke. Smoking health risks affect your endocrine system and all other bodily function. If you smoke, quit!

So, if you or women you care about are suffering from PMS symptoms, start benefiting from these natural remedies for PMS relief right away!
(Source from Common Sense Health)

Have a Healthy and Successful Day!