It is often said that the most important ingredient in the Mediterranean diet is extra virgin olive oil. However, some would argue that. Most of the notoriety of the Mediterranean diet is due to research unlike other high profile diets which have normally received their promotional thrust through commercial vehicles. The facts remain that hardly anyone would take any notice of the Mediterranean diet except for the highly satisfactory findings that have resulted from universities and food research foundations across the globe.

The reason I mentioned extra virgin olive oil first up is because it's always present in any of the many countries who are labeled with using the diet. You would think that this would make the diet high in fat. The calorie intake from the Mediterranean diet that comes from fat is over 30%. However, all the fat is 100% unsaturated fat and is a product of olive oil. This means (in general) that the fat that comes from extra virgin olive oil is a healthy type of fat.

From another angle, it means that the fat from olives does not trigger unhealthy consequences which are said to come from animal fat. This is also supported by several scientific studies in the USA and Europe in the last decade which indicate that extra virgin olive oil and a diet high in fruits and vegetables can work to lower the incidence of breast cancer in women.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil differs to day-to-day olive oil in that extra virgin olive oil comes from the first crush. Thereby retaining many of the nutrients. If you decide to work with the Mediterranean diet, you would be wise to shop only for extra virgin olive oil and make that a discipline.

I hope this tidbit of knowledge helps.

Have you ever thought you were "all that?" Untouchable? Invincible? On top of the world? That's how I felt on my wedding day. I was a successful single mother and Houston entrepreneur with several major awards under my belt, an Ebony magazine top bachelorette and had reconnected with my college sweetheart after a sixteen year hiatus. Yes, I was finally getting married after a string of painful relationships at the age of 35 and ready to live happily ever after.

As I flip through my wedding album, all of the details are a blur. I don't notice the flowers or the detailed cake. What I cherish is the genuine smile on my face which reflects the love in my heart for so many things- life, my husband, my daughter, my family and friends. Dazzling in my strapless wedding gown, little did I know I had breast cancer. Ironic isn't it? I look so happy while cancer was dwelling inside me.

I never would have imagined that I would grow up to have breast cancer. When I first noticed the marble sized lump under my armpit eight months prior to my wedding day, I dismissed it as a swollen lymph gland as a result of a sinus infection. Life went on while the tumor grew. I found every excuse not to go to the doctor. My grandmother had breast cancer so I knew that there may be a slight likelihood that I would have it but I convinced myself that Superwoman doesn't get cancer.

Shortly after my honeymoon, my husband urged me to go to the doctor to determine the cause of the lump which was beginning to get bigger. Within four days of seeing the doctor, I was diagnosed with Stage III A breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy and axillary lymph node dissection with 16 positive lymph nodes. Due to the positive nodes, chemotherapy would be a treatment option. The thought of chemotherapy was terrifying to me. I had always had a headful of beautiful long hair which was highly prized in the Black community. I couldn't imagine being bald and taking my new husband through the negative cosmetic changes.

After much research and consideration, I opted for 4 cycles of chemotherapy. My hair began to fall out about twenty days after my first treatment. One day while driving, I got a wave of courage and drove to the nearest salon. I decided it was time to empower myself and just shave my head. It was falling out daily and was matted and dry. To my surprise, I didn't shed one tear in the chair. The big picture was extending my life; hair couldn't rob me of that.

Since the thought of losing my hair was so frightening to me, I went on a Houston, Texas community affairs program bald to show viewers that being bald wasn't so bad and what the result of chemotherapy looked like. I even shared home video of my hair falling out to help other women facing this medical challenge. For a former Texas beauty queen, this took a lot of courage.

As my one year "cancerversary" approaches, I realize that God was holding my hand the entire journey. He gave me strength and courage when I needed it and he broke me down so I could grow strong with Him again. I also realize the meaning of true beauty and it isn't based on external features.

I never heard my 13 year old daughter say to me that she was proud of me, despite my numerous accomplishments, until I showed her my bald head. She gave me the biggest hug and I knew that it would be ok. I am forever humbled by this experience and hope to share my testimony with other young patients someday. Cancer doesn't care if you are all that and a bag of chips. Cancer doesn't care at all.

Each year hundreds of women are diagnosed with breast cancer disease. In America, breast cancer in women is the most common form of cancer, with 1 out of every 8 women being diagnosed in there lifetime. No one knows why some women develop breast cancer, but there are a number of risk factors associated with the disease. Breast cancer may be one of the oldest forms of cancer known to mankind, dating back as early as 1600 BC. Since women and men have identical breast tissue, men can also develop the disease, but the number of cases is small in comparison.

Symptoms of breast cancer can include a lump in the breast or the armpit area, a change in the size or shape of the breast, pain in the breast or discharge from the nipple.

Breast cancer is diagnosed many various ways. Monthly self breast exams can help find cancer early when it is most treatable. Mammograms are a very useful tool to determine the presence of tumors, cysts, or abnormal growths, but are not the only measure taken by doctors. Chest X rays, bone scans, and MRI's can also give doctors the information necessary for proper diagnosis. An examination of surgically removed breast tissue is the most accurate approach for diagnosis of the size, stage and course of treatment appropriate for that individual.

Treatment depending on the variations of the disease can include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and medicines to stop the further progression. Breast cancer can also spread to the lymph nodes most commonly found under the arms. Not all cancer patients experience the disease, its symptoms or treatments the same.

The emotional impact of the diagnosis and treatment can be severe for many women. Emotional and practical support is extremely crucial for these women. Many hospitals have cancer support groups to help women cope with the stress and anxiety of the situation. As well as there are many online support groups that offer a wealth of support and information.

If caught early enough, the prognosis for breast cancer is excellent! There are more than two million breast cancer survivors today. Approximately 88% of women diagnosed with breast cancer will survive at least 10 years. While it's tragic that so many women have been affected by the disease, the number of survivors shows the great strides that have been made in early detection, advanced treatments, and research of the breast cancer disease.

The days when I am not busy cleaning or writing my mind seems to snap back to the reality that my little girl might die. Die! I can't seem to comprehend that word and my little girl in the same sentence. All the reading to make sure I understand what lies ahead for her just brings it home to sit in my mind like a vulture and conjure up the idea without her. Her, she, my beautiful child who is so full of loving and caring for other people, and now worrying that her family and friends need consoling. My God, the pain in my breast is like a sympathy pain, if there really is such a thing. My eyes burn from the crying. My mind reels at the thought of her having to go through all the treatments, and then the great possibility of losing her after such an ordeal.

I find my self staring at the pictures of young women on the internet that have poured their stories out in hopes it might help someone else understand this awful disease. These women, and some men, have come together through the Internet and met and consoled and learned from each other.

These people come from France, Germany, Denmark, England, Australia, New Zealand and yes, the United States. There is no trade zone barrier to abide by when we are all talking about one thing. Inflammatory Breast Cancer, and why did I not know about this form of breast cancer a long time ago. We all pretty much say the same thing. Why Were We Not Armed With Knowledge Before Now?

We have a Doctor in the family that actually understands this form of cancer. He has been gentle and kind in his words to me, but honest at the same time. "When young women in their childbearing years get Inflammatory breast cancer, the prognosis is not good. Because they are active and young, their system moves the dreaded cancer cells through their bodies at an accelerated rate and their strength is taxed incredibly soon. Older people don't have such active hormones to move the disease so fast, and have a better chance the chemotherapy can stop the disease in its tracks."

My 37-year-old daughter has made up her mind that this is not going to change her life. She is continuing to work, and do the things she always has done. "Mom, these drugs are either going to kill this thing, or I am going to die. That is the reality of it all." With her chin in the air, a smile on her face and a determination I have never seen, my baby has conjured up all the will, anger and stubbornness she has to keep going forward with the knowledge that the drugs will kill these obscene little marauders and she will come out of this cancer free.

The song Wind beneath my wings replays in my brain until I can't shut it out. Tina is the wind beneath my wings, because through this ordeal she is going through, she is holding everyone up. I just want to hold her tight and cry and rock her as I did when she was a baby. But I know I can't. She needs my strength right now. I can't break down, but it is so hard to hold the tears back.

Yesterday I put my arms around her and stroked her very think short hair. Soon it will be gone, that hair she has always hated. That hair that has always had a mind of it's own. "I bought a blonde wig Mom", she said. "I'm ready to be bald, that doesn't bother me." Loosing her hair doesn't bother me either, but loosing her life is uncontainable.

My hope in writing, is that through the knowledge that even one person reading this might one day shed light into the black hole of misdiagnosis and misinformation about Inflammatory Breast Cancer we can be armed for the conflict instead of being confused.

Inflammatory breast cancer, known only by some doctors and men and women who have been diagnosed with this rare form of cancer, are aware of its existence.

As any woman who is knowledgeable about how to check for breast cancer will tell you, they check regularly for lumps. That is what we have been told to do. That, and getting annual mammogram scans.

But IBC is amongst us, and has been for quite awhile. It is a rare type of breast cancer, and the need for knowledge on this issue should be highly publicized. Because by the time a woman, and in some cases men know, when the symptoms rear their ugly head, it is usually in a very advanced stage.

How do I know? I learned the hard way.

My 37 year old healthy athletic daughter has just been diagnosed. In just a few months she went from knowing she was very healthy, to the reality that IBC had invaded her body. My daughter has besieged me to write about this form of cancer. To get the word out to women and men about this untalked about cancer, IBC. Did she have symptoms? Not the type we are all told to watch for. She has related the below to explain what happened in her case.

"I had been working out for about 8 months, with a trainer. All the other women in my workout class were getting fit and trim, but I just got heavier and seemed to build muscle in my arms, legs and breast. In April of 2003 I decided to quit the weights and the workouts and try to shed some of the pounds, which I did quite quickly. I lost 25 to 30 pounds rapidly.

That's when I noticed that the nipple on my right breast seemed slightly inverted and it was bigger than my left. Being right handed, I thought it was from all the weight lifting and shedding of pounds that caused this oddity.

In May I noticed that the right breast was a little harder than the left, but no lump, no pain, nothing to signal what I had been told all my life to watch out for. It was a gradual thing, this lopsided look that I was seeing in the mirror.

I began the search for a Doctor in the small town I had moved to just the year before. By the time I found one that would take my insurance, it was September and the first day of my vacation. I saw a nurse practitioner who took one look at my enlarged right side and immediately called for a mammogram and ultrasound that same day. I will never forget the woman that took the scans. She flippantly said, Oh, she's done.

The very next day I saw a surgeon who did a deep core biopsy, a needle biopsy and a skin biopsy. Before he even got the results back he told me he believed it was cancer. He walked out of the room and started making phone calls, then came back and said I was to see an Oncologist the next morning.

The Oncologist had seen the biopsy already, and told me I had Inflammatory Breast Cancer. After years in nursing school and also pharmacy training, I had never heard of IBC. I learned that day how invasive this rare form of cancer is, that I was 'classed at stage 4.

I was immediately scheduled the next day for surgery to implant a portable catheter in my left chest wall and told I was going in for a PET scan the next week to see if the cancer had spread to any other parts of my body. The scan came back positive for right arm lymph nodes and my liver. The Chemotherapy that had been scheduled was changed to now attack the liver also. On October 3rd I started the first round of massive doses of cancer fighting drugs, six grueling hours of IV bags dripping into the portable catheter, Herceptin, Taxol, and Carboplatin."

My daughter was told by the many clinical savvy medical personnel, "Why in the world did you wait so long?" The why is the reason for this writing. The why is because we are not told about the symptoms of this fast moving form of cancer. Only if you go looking for information about IBC do you find the articles, the symptoms and the support groups from the many women world wide that found out about IBC the hard way. And there are still many Doctors that will treat a patient like my daughter with antibiotics before ever realizing what they have right in front of them.

The word INFLAMMATORY in itself suggests just an infection for the lay person.You ask yourself, if this was me, would I know that I could have breast cancer. Before that day in September when my daughter called me, I would have said no, maybe I have an infection in a milk duct or some other thing. With no lump as we are told to look for, your mind doesn't really kick in if you're unaware of IBC.

BE AWARE! Not just in October when it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but all the time. Ask your Doctor, put it in a search engine, read about it. Know what the signs are.

From the articles and research papers which I have read till my eyes burn, I have found people with this rare disease offer assistance and emotional support. They also have urged that the public awareness of this disease needs to be put on the front page, not at the bottom of a list.

There are many statistics of the prevalence of breast cancer, how to watch for it, how to check for it and what the gruesome regimen of chemotherapy, removal of the breast, then radiation are clinically required. Inflammatory Breast Cancer actually has been around for many years, but because of it's rareness, it isn't talked about that much. BUT IT SHOULD BE.

Age of women who get it vary, but from this writers research it seems that this occurs to women and some men in their early productive years. Treated just as the name implies An Inflammation, many doctors are in the dark when the mammogram comes back clear, and even in some incidences, a biopsy can come back normal. The patient on the other hand knows something isn't right, and in many cases only relies on her Doctor for guidance. But there it lurks in the system, triggered by an unknown cause. Researchers say it isn't hereditary.

There was one case in Castro Valley California, where 3 women were diagnosed with IBC and they all worked in the same place. The Doctor who treated these women has cried out for funding to find the cause in this particularly incident, because they all worked in a lab and were all close to the same age. But, because IBC is so rare, funding did not come quick enough.

Breast cancer is a disease caused by the formation of cancerous (malignant) cells that can occur within one or more breasts. According to some sources, bladder cancer is believed to be the second most common type of cancer (lung cancer is #1). Amongst women, however, breast cancer far exceeds other forms of cancer, including cervical, as the most common cancer.

Whom is at risk for breast cancer?

Women are approximately 100 times more likely to develop breast cancer than men; women are at higher risk primarily because of growth effects of female hormones such as estrogen. In addition, those age 55 and older are much more likely to develop this cancer than those under 55. Research indicates that about two-thirds of all breast cancers occur in individuals 55 and older.

Signs and Symptoms

The most obvious and common symptom is a lump on the breast that feels different from the surrounding breast tissue. It is believed, according to studies done by Merck, that approximately 80% of all breast cancer cases are discovered as a lump by the individual. However, lumps can also be found not only in the breasts, but in the collar bone as well as the armpit.

Other signs that breast cancer may be developing include:

* nipple discharge
* changes in the size, shape, or feel of the breast
* skin dimpling
* inversion of the nipple


Warning: It is notable, that not all forms of breast cancer can be detectable by a sign or symptom during the initial stages. Periodic mammograms should be undergone by the patient as recommended by a physician.

Diagnosis

To diagnose breast cancer, a physician will need to surgically remove and test a sample of the tissue. This is known, more formally, as a breast biopsy. The most common procedures for conducting a biopsy include:

* ductal lavage
* fine needle aspiration
* core needle biopsy
* large core surgical
* open surgical incision


Once the tissue has been removed through a biopsy, it will be sent to a lab where it is examined through a microscope by a pathologist to determine if its cancerous. Fortunately, in more than half of all biopsies, the sample tissue is found to be benign (non-cancerous). If the tissue is cancerous, however, the next step that will be performed is to determine which stage the cancer is currently in.

More and more studies showing now that the type of foods we eat can genetically modify our bodies and the risk of all major diseases.

For years, researchers have studied the role of diet in breast cancer. By comparing different countries, researchers found strong links between high fat diets and breast cancer risk. The disease is rare where the diets are very low in fat and where rice and other plant products are dietary staples. For example, before 1950, the rice-based Japanese diet drew less than 10 percent of its calories from fat. Breast cancer was exceedingly rare. But over the years, as Western influences have altered Japanese eating habits, breast cancer rates have climbed dramatically.

These international studies are just one line of evidence, however. Case-control studies are another research tool in which researchers compare diets of cancer patients ( "case") with those of healthy women of similar age and background ( " control"). Such studies have also shown a links between fatty diets and higher risk of breast cancer, and even on cancer patient's chances for survival. One study tracking Canadian breast cancer patients for ten years found that for 5 percent increase in saturated fat in diets, the risk of dying of breast cancer shot up by 50 percent.

How does fat do its dirty work? Fat increase the amount of estrogen in the blood. In turn, this hormone stimulates breast cells in such a way that cancer is more likely to occur and is more aggressive. Fatty foods also leads to obesity which itself is linked to higher estrogen levels in the blood. Increased estrogen levels are also linked with early menarche ( onset of first period), also a breast cancer risk factor.

Despite such evidence, doubts about the fat connection have persisted, fueled mainly by the results of a large study of nurses run by Harvard University in which researchers found no association between fatty diets and breast cancer rates.

Why the conflicting results? Unlike the populations examined in international studies, the nurse were a fairly homogeneous group, all eating fairly high-fats diets. No group in the study was following anything similar to a traditional Asian diet or other low -fat diet.

As important as it is to get fat off your plate, it's just as important to pile on the vegetables and other healthful plants foods. Their fiber helps cut breast cancer risk by naturally decreasing estrogen levels. Plants foods are also rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, and other vitamins which protect cells against damage. Unlike animal products, most plants foods have little fat and do not store up large amounts of pesticide residue.

A brisk morning walk- or any other regular exercise- also helps cut breast cancer risk.

Of course, the good fats ( omega 3 and 6), known as essential fatty acids are vital to one's health. Their paramount importance comes from the facts that they constitute the membranes of every cell in the body, therefore the ones allowing nutrients into the cells ( to the eliminated).
The major organ helping fats metabolism is the liver, therefore ensuring that the liver always works well one can reduce breast cancer risks.

Breast cancer is one of the most important health issues a woman may have to face in her lifetime. Although the condition is more prevalent in the later years of life, younger women cannot afford to ignore it.

Breast cancer is one of the most important health issues a woman may have to face in her lifetime. Although the condition is more prevalent in the later years of life, younger women cannot afford to ignore it.

There are various naturopathic clinics throughout the world that deal with patients with breast cancer. They all employ a similar approach, which uses the many modalities of naturopathic medicine: homeopathy, botanical medicine, Chinese herbs and acupuncture, clinical nutrition and lifestyle counseling. These therapies focus on a diet geared towards detoxification; this is based on the belief that cancer is the result of autointoxication, chemical exposure, stagnation and congestion. Also extensively used are high doses of supplements of pancreatic enzymes and antioxidants (free-radical scavengers). Some of the most effective nutrients used to treat breast cancer are as follows:

Vitamin D : The risk of fatal breast cancer in major cities is inversely proportional to the intensity of local light

vitamin E: improves the hormones which protect against breast cancer.

vitamin K: breast tumors respond very well to vitamin K treatment.

Calcium: studies have shown that reduced vitamin D and Calcium consumption increased the incidence of breast cancer from 37% to 75%.

Selenium: high Selenium levels slow down the development of breast cancer.

Iodine: breast cancer is associated with an under active thyroid gland and lower than normal levels of thyroid hormone in the blood (of which Iodine is a part of).

Other nutrients with anti-breast cancer properties are: vitamin A and Beta-carotene, vitamin B, B6, carnitine, vitamin C, Magnesium, garlic, green tea and evening primrose.

There are also numerous botanicals, homeopathic remedies and Chinese herbs that have also been shown to be effective in the battle against breast cancer. Further, there are many individualized treatments (such as oxygen therapy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, etc.) that can produce results against breast cancer. An individualized program is always recommended, because all the above-mentioned modalities can come together and effectively fight breast cancer.

It is important to note that, as with any other life-threatening diseases, it is much easier to prevent breast cancer than it is to treat it. This is, essentially, the area in which naturopathic medicine focuses all its energy and obtains excellent results. As a survivor, you might want to investigate further how naturopathic methods can help you in your natural recovery.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, and second only to lung cancer in female cancer mortality. Presently, about one in nine American women develops this disease at some time in her life, compared to one in 17 in 1950. Experts are uncertain whether this represents a true rise in the incidence of breast cancer or improved detection of it due to mam mography and better public awareness. The risk of breast cancer increases with age, especially after menopause. Risk is also higher among women who had their first child after age 30 or never had children; already have had cancer in one breast, had an early first menstrual period or a late menopause; or have a close relative, such as a sister or mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer before menopause.Some studies have linked a high-fat diet to an increased risk of breast cancer, but others have shown otherwise. Cancer specialists emphasize that about 70 percent of all cases of breast cancer arise in women with none of the above risk factors. In rare instances, men also develop breast cancer, accounting for less than five percent of occurrences.

Diagnostic Studies And Procedures

Early detection is the single most important factor in surviving breast cancer, because early, localized malignancies are more than 90 percent curable. The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that all women age 20 or older perform a monthly self examination of their breasts . Although more than 80 percent of the lumps found by women during self examination are benign, women initially discover more than 85 percent of all breast cancers. Breast examination by a physician is recommended every three years between the ages of 20 and 40 and annually thereafter. The age at which a woman should begin regular screening with mammography remains controversial. Present guidelines from the National Cancer Institute recommend starting annual mammography at age 50, but many cancer experts advocate beginning at age 40. There is no doubt, however, that mammography is the most effective means of early breast cancer detection in women over 50 because it can locate suspicious areas of calcification, a common sign of cancer, long before a tumor is large enough to be felt by a woman or her doctors. Mammography is not as effective in younger women because they have denser, lumpier breasts, making it harder to discern normal from abnormal tissue. Mammography should be scheduled for the week after menstruation, when breasts are unlikely to be swollen and painful. To help assure an accurate mammogram and avoid repeats, no deodorant, powder, cream, or other substance should be applied to breasts or the underarm area that day because they can cause misleading results.

If any suspicious areas are found by mammography or physical examination, a biopsy is necessary to rule out cancer. In most cases, a doctor will attempt to obtain a tissue sample by aspiration, a procedure in which a hollow needle is inserted into the lump. If fluid can be withdrawn, it will be analyzed for malignant cells, but such lumps, especially those that disappear after aspiration, are usually harmless cysts. If a lump returns rapidly, no fluid can be withdrawn, or malignant cells are detected in the fluid, another biopsy is necessary. Again, this may be done by needle. With a new procedure called stereotaxic needle aspiration, a special X-ray scanning technique is used during aspiration to locate suspicious areas too small to be felt. In some cases, a surgical biopsy is necessary. This may be excisional, in which the entire mass is removed, or incisional, in which only part of the lump is taken out. A pathologist will then determine whether the tissue is cancerous, and if so, what kind of cancer it is. Cells from a cancerous lump will also be tested to determine if they are stimulated by estrogen or proges terone, a finding that may influence the choice of anticancer drugs. If breast cancer is diagnosed, additional tests are needed to find out if it has metastasized to other parts of the body. These may include a bone scan, X-rays, and sampling of lymph nodes.

Surgery. Treatment varies according to the type and stage of cancer, but surgery remains the first choice for most tumors. The majority of operations now are less disfiguring than the radical mastectomy that was standard until the 1970s. Operations for breast cancer are Extended radical mastectomy involves removal of the breast, underarm lymph nodes, and underlying chest muscles. This procedure, rarely performed today, is reserved for women with large tumors that are attached to or have invaded the chest muscle and its connective tissues. If the mammary lymph nodes deep in the chest are involved, they will also be removed. Modified radical mastectomy is the removal of the breast, underarm lymph nodes, and sometimes part of the chest muscle. The amount of tissue removed from the underarm depends on the spread of the tumor. This remains the most common operation for women with invasive breast cancer. Total, or simple, mastectomy is the removal of the entire breast, including its extensions to the armpit and some times near the collarbone. Because the lymph nodes are left intact, radiation therapy usually follows the operation.

Subcutaneous mastectomy involves removing the breast tissue but leaving the skin and nipple intact. A prosthesis is then slipped under the skin to restore normal appearance. This procedure is rarely performed, because it may miss cancer cells and the cosmetic results are often poor. Lumpectomy or partial mastectomy involves removal of the cancerous lump and a surrounding margin of normal tissue. Some of the armpit lymph nodes are also taken out and examined for spread, and the operation is followed by radiation therapy. Preventative, or prophylactic, mastectomy is the removal of a breast to prevent the development of cancer. This operation is done only if a woman has a very high risk of breast cancer and is so worried by the prospect that she cannot live a normal life. Breast reconstruction by a plastic surgeon can sometimes be performed immediately following a mastectomy, but more often it is done after the original incision has healed. If the opposite breast is larger, it may be reduced in size to match the reconstructed one, either at the same time as the reconstruction or in a later operation. In the past, a prosthetic implant filled with silicone gel was the first choice for reconstruction. Because questions have arisen about the long term safety of silicone, many women are now opting for implants filled with a saline solution, or a more extensive procedure in which fatty tissue from the woman's own buttocks or elsewhere is used to reconstruct a breast.

Radiation Therapy . The purpose of this treatment is to destroy any cancer cells that may have escaped surgical removal. Radiation is routinely administered after a simple mastectomy and a lumpectomy, or if numerous lymph nodes have been affected. It is also prescribed for recurring or inoperable cancer, and to alleviate the pain of advanced cancer. Typically, radiation treatments are begun two or three weeks after the surgery, or after the scar has healed and the woman has regained the use of her arm. Immediate side effects include blistering of the skin and fatigue. Later, the skin exposed to the radiation may darken, thicken, and lack sensitivity if any nerve endings have been damaged. Long term complications may include impaired lung function due to scar tissue, an increased risk of heart disease, and easy fracturing of the ribs. Chemotherapy. Studies indicate that adjuvant chemotherapy greatly increases long term survival, even for women with localized stage I cancer.

Chemotherapy may begin before surgery; however, it is usually started a few weeks afterwards. This treatment is also prescribed for recurrent or inoperable cancers. Chemotherapy appears to be most effective in preventing a recurrence among younger women who have not gone through menopause. The side effects loss of hair, nausea, reduced immunity to infections, mouth sores, fatigue, and bleeding problems are temporary, but still very trying. For this reason, chemotherapy may not be recommended for an older woman, especially if her cancer is localized. Hormone Therapy. Cancer specialists now believe that almost all breast cancer patients can benefit from hormone therapy, even if their tumors are not the type stimulated by estrogen or proges terone. Thmoxifen (Nolvadex), a drug that blocks estrogen, is the treatment of choice. It has fewer side effects than anticancer drugs, although it may cause hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms in younger women. Other, more radical approaches to hormone manipulation include ovarian ablation, a procedure in which the ovaries are either surgically removed or destroyed by chemicals or radiation, and perhaps the removal of other hormone producing glands.

Experimental Treatments

Women with advanced breast cancer may be candidates for experimental therapies such as hyperthermia, in which very high fevers are induced to kill cancer cells, photodynamic therapy, which uses a light sensitive anticancer drug; and bone marrow transplantation, in which the woman's bone marrow is destroyed by drugs and then replaced with healthy marrow to bolster the body's ability to fight the cancer.