Breast cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in UK women, is the disease women fear most.

Early detection of this disease is vital!

There are different signs and symptoms of breast cancer. One of the first signs or symptoms is feeling a lump in the breast. This lump will feel different then the other breast tissue around it.

It is known that more then eighty percent of women discover lumps by checking themselves. A physician can detect breast cancer by giving you a mammogram.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of breast cancer may help save your life.

When the disease is discovered early, you have more treatment options and a better chance for a cure. Most breast lumps aren't cancerous.

Yet the most common sign of breast cancer for both men and women is a lump or thickening in the breast.

Often, the lump is painless.

Even though the public has learned a great deal about breast cancer, there remain more than a half-dozen popular breast cancer myths.

At least one such myth relates to the signs of breast cancer. Many women believe that finding a lump in the breast means that they have breast cancer, which is untrue.

Another symptom of breast cancer is Paget?s disease of the breast.

It is a syndrome that presents skin changes like redness and flaking skin of the nipple. As this advances symptoms may include itching, tingling, sensitivity, pain and burning and on occasion discharge from the nipple. About half of women that are diagnosed with Paget?s will also have a lump in the breast.

Another helpful piece of information is that some types of cancers, like the Inflammatory breast cancer and Pagent's disease show classic symptoms of their own type. Very red and hard breasts which keep getting sore show along with the regular breast cancer symptoms are a classic case of the Inflammatory breast cancer, whereas very itchy, red, scaly rashes, easily confused for eczema, on the breasts along with other breast cancer symptoms are Pagent's disease.

Always get the doctor to clarify your doubts.

Unlike the more common form of breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer does not generally present as a lump.

The disease grows as nests or sheets that clog the lymph system under the skin. Often the symptoms are attributed to other diseases and thus the diagnosis may take a long time to occur.

For many women, abnormal cell activity in breast fluid will be the first warning of the potential development of breast cancer signs and symptoms. This early warning system gives women and their doctors precious extra time to implement a more vigilant, personalized breast health treatment plan.

A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast. This test is used to look for breast disease in women who do not appear to have breast problems. It can also be used when women have symptoms such as a lump, skin change, or nipple discharge.

Each year 180,000 women get breast cancer, this is an increase of over 50 percent of the women who were developing breast cancer before 1950.

The chances of developing breast cancer increases with age.

But, don't think that you don't have to worry if you are younger than 40, because more and more young women are also developing breast cancer than ever before.

Be vigilant in your breast exams and you will have greater peace of mind.

Early detection methods of detecting breast cancer has improved survival rates tremendously. Even with the amount of women developing breast cancer increasing, the amount of women who actually die of breast cancer these days is decreasing due to early detection and better treatment methods.

A screening mammogram is used to look for breast disease in women who have no breast concerns. A diagnostic mammogram is used when a woman has symptoms or if there are other barriers to accurate testing like breast implants.

Unfortunately, the early stages of breast cancer may not have any symptoms. This is why it is important to follow screening recommendations. In most cases, the first signs of breast cancer are recognized as a small and often palpable lump in the breast.

Women with a higher risk of breast cancer should talk with their doctor about the best approach for them. They may benefit from starting mammograms when they are younger, having them more often, or having other tests. If you are at higher risk, your doctor might recommend an ultrasound or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) be done along with your mammograms.

If you notice any of these warning signs of breast cancer do not panic. Call your health care provider early and have it checked out. Not all these changes may represent cancer but you will not know unless you are examined.

Yet there is more reason for optimism than ever before.

In the last 30 years, doctors have made great strides in early diagnosis and treatment of the disease and in reducing breast cancer deaths.

In 1975, a diagnosis of breast cancer usually meant radical mastectomy - removal of the entire breast along with underarm lymph nodes and muscles underneath the breast.

Today, radical mastectomy is rarely performed. Instead, there are more and better treatment options, and many women are candidates for breast-sparing operations.

Most breast cancer symptoms are visually observable and highlight the need for regular breast self exams.

While breast cancer cannot be prevented, early detection of cancer warning signs and early diagnosis dramatically increases the likelihood of successful treatment.

The good news is that many times, especially if a lump is caught early, women with breast cancer go on to live full, healthy lives after treatment.

Some women also join support groups so they can talk to other women with breast cancer who are feeling the same emotions, this can be very beneficial and supportive.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Neill

Radiotherapy for breast cancer can be a bit of an ordeal.

For me, the worst moment after being told I had cancer was being told I would need chemotherapy and radiotherapy as treatment to fight the disease. Having been there I know its shocking and I felt I just simply would never cope with it all.

My treatment regime was to consist of four treatments of FEC chemo, four weeks of radiotherapy treatment then four treatments of Taxotere chemo. This would all take the best part of ten months.

Having survived the first part of the chemo ( just! ) I went into my radiotherapy a bit bruised and battered. The first thing that needed done was going to a simulator to have the very complicated process of marking out where your treatment would be. This is done with lasers and details of where your tumour or tumours were. Small tattoos are then done to mark out the treatment area. This enables the machine to be set up very quickly every day during treatment.

I mentally decided that for the four weeks of radiotherapy I would treat it like a job. It took 45 minutes or so to drive to the hospital and back every day. The Western General in Edinburgh where I had all my treatments has a fantastic set up for radiotherapy patients. There is a dedicated car park next to the unit and you are guaranteed a space or they will valet park your car. This was amazing and a big weight off my mind as your appointment only lasts five minutes and you have to be there in time as the machines are in use constantly.

The actual radiotherapy lasts a few minutes and is painless-quite relaxing really. Some people find the treatment very tiring. I didn't, but I think if you've had chemo first then your perception of tiredness changes! The going to the hospital every day is a bit of a bind but use any mental trick to over come this.

After a few weeks of treatment the skin over the treated area can become very red and fragile. No soap or creams should be used as these can make your skin even more sensitive. This does clear up but it did cause discomfort for a few weeks. The skin on this area will always be more sensitive and sun should be avoided. It's also worth mentioning not to forget the exit area - mine was on my back - where the radiotherapy exists your body during treatments.

Radiotherapy treatment, for me, was the least unpleasant of the treatments I went through. At the outset it seems daunting but really it's not - honestly!



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marjory_Ramsay

How Does a Mammogram Work?

A mammogram can help to detect breast cancer at the earliest stage and it's an important part of our fight against the breast cancer epidemic.

Some of these tests are performed when there is nothing at all to find on breast examination - no lumps and no suspicious problem areas. This is called a screening mammogram.

The other kind of mammogram is called a diagnostic mammogram and this is done when a screening test shows a suspicious area or when the person is aware of a lump in the breast or of some other symptom that could relate to breast cancer.

New digital techniques allow the images to be enhanced and make the screening and diagnostic tests easier for doctors to read. Digital mammography is probably more accurate at picking up problems in women under the age of fifty, or for those who have not yet had their menopause.

The latest versions of breast cancer guidelines say that if a woman over the age or thirty discovers a lump in the breast then both a diagnostic mammography test and an ultrasound scan of the breast should be performed. Ultrasound is a good test to show if a lump is solid or full of fluid - like a simple cyst might be for example. A lump with fluid in it looks dark or black on ultrasound - a solid area looks white because of the way that the sound waves from the ultrasound bounce off it.

When a breast mass is solid, its alignment and shape provide clues as to whether it is benign or cancerous. Usually a benign mass is horizontally aligned with smooth borders, while one that is malignant is vertically aligned with irregular borders. The nature of a solid mass can be clarified by performing an image-guided core-needle biopsy. During this procedure, ultrasound or mammography is used to help a radiologist extract a tissue sample from the mass with a needle. A pathologist evaluates the sample.

But ... for some women who have found a lump in the breast, both the mammogram and the ultrasound might be normal. This is obviously good news but if the lump persists then doctors advise having repeated checks - and in rare cases, if the lump is still present after a month or two - a minor operation to remove it or biopsy it should be performed.

Mammograms and breast ultrasound can save lives. So can self examination of the breasts.

When did you last check yourself? Are you breast aware?



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"It's too early, it's too late, I'm tired, my feet hurt, my whole body hurts, I'm hungry," these are many of the excuses that keep us from exercising. It is really important that you don't make excuses but make changes to your life. I'm saying this not because I enjoy working out all the time, which I don't, but because your risk of breast cancer can be diminished by exercise.

The latest American Cancer Society's guidelines for physical activity recommend 30 minutes daily of brisk exercise at least 5 days a week. Is there any data to back this up? There sure is. In fact exercise can help prevent both pre and post menopausal breast cancer and if you have had breast cancer, a regular exercise program will improve your survival. Here's the data.

The first study was recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2008;100:608). This is a report from the Nurses Health Study II which included 64,777 premenopausal nurses. They were given questionnaires regarding physical activity starting in 1997. After 6 years of follow up, 550 women developed breast cancer. Women whose total activity equaled 3.25 hours per week of running or 13 hours per week of walking had a 23% lower chance of getting breast cancer. This was especially true when the activity occurred in younger women aged 12-22.

A similar article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2003 (2003;290:1331) demonstrated a 20% drop in the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women who engaged in 10 hours per week of moderate intensity exercise like tennis, jogging or aerobics. This information is taken from the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study involving more than 74,000 women aged 50-79. Don't worry if you can't jog, there were also benefits for those who walk, bike, or swim 5 days a week.

Finally, a study of 1491 women who had received treatment for early stage breast cancer revealed a 44% improvement in survival if they engaged in 30 minutes of walking a day for 6 days every week (J Clin Oncol 2007;25:2345). This survival improvement was enhanced if the women also ate a diet high in fruits and vegetables. The interesting finding is that the benefit was regardless of weight. Your weight is less important than your lifestyle choices of exercise and diet preventing breast cancer recurrence.

So, no more excuses. Get out there and move a little, walk, run, play tennis, or swim. Whatever you do, you can be sure that you will decrease your risk of breast cancer.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Avery_M.D.

Breast cancer is the cancer that embraces the company of cancerous cells within the breast. Although it can be present in both sexes but is more typically present amongst the females. The milieu for the presence of this deadly disease in men and women are dissimilar. As far as the women are concerned in that case the cells of the cancer are exist in the breast and might reveal it-self in the form of protuberance in the breast or the armpits. Depending upon the different category it can fundamentally be classified as either commencement or malignant.

The reason for the growth of this disease is usually hereditary. If a person has a history of ancestor who endures from this disease then such a person is more at threat than the average folks. In this case if any unusual lumps are observed they should be reported to the doctor right away. Yearly checkup and conventional self examinations are also viable. The indicators not only include the presence of lumps but may also be escorted by changes in the appearance of the effected breast. Pain is also common but may not present itself until the disease has progressed to a later stage.

A mammogram is conducted for this purpose and if the result of the mammogram is positive then in that case instant treatment should be sought. The options for that vary. Surgery is generally sought way. It mainly involves the amputation of the effected tissue/area and the area that is likely turn out to be malignant in the future; without the cutting of the connective tissues.

For lowering the threat, regular exercise is recommended. Quite a lot of studies have been conducted to date and numerous are ongoing. If someone has been diagnosed he/she should conduct a thorough examination of this disease before opting for a particular treatment.

Sarfaraz was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, surrounded by traffic and technology. He writes mostly about diseases, the storybooks, futuristic columns, mysteries, as he likes to call it. He enjoys writing for web.

He wrote his first book (The Black Bodyguard of Stone-Pyramid) in 2003 and since then has provided the picture for 1 more title. His book was honored as a BEST SELLER.



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