“What to Expect From Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy” plus 2 more |
- What to Expect From Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy
- Obesity and the Risk of Breast Cancer
- The Role of Oncologist For Breast Cancer
| What to Expect From Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy Posted: 29 Jul 2009 12:27 PM PDT Radiation therapy is carried out using a large machine called a linear accelerator. The machine delivers a minute quantity of high-energy radiation which kills the cancerous cells. The radiation causes only the absolute minimal damage to skin tissue and stop cancer cells from reproducing. Radiation therapy has shown to vastly improve survival rates in women with breast cancer. Radiation therapy can be used for several reasons when related to breast cancer. Following a mastectomy or lumpectomy, the treatment can be used in conjunction with chemotherapy to lower the risk of cancer growing back. Radiation therapy can also be used if a surgeon feels that the removal of a tumor isn't entirely in the best interests of a patient's health. Treatment can also help if cancer has spread into the bone structure or the brain, and can also be used if the cancer actually reoccurs. The treatment process when undergoing radiation therapy is painless, but some patient can experience side effects. These may include dryness and discomfort of the skin that can be treated by your general practice if it occurs. However, it can take up to twelve months for the effects to completely heal. There is also the inevitable side effect of fatigue which normally happens around a fortnight into treatment. Fatigue can last up to a month after treatment is completed, but can be countered by getting more rest and having early nights. Blood will need to be checked regularly for reduced counts and some women will experience a sore mouth or throat if treatment is carried out around that particular area. There are also significant lifestyle changes that may have to be made while radiation therapy is taking place. Rest is imperative and close attention needs to be paid to a healthy diet. Regular blood tests will be necessary, and visits to the doctor should be made if unusual symptoms such as coughing, sweating, fever or pain occur. The affected area should receive extra care and be treated gently. Tight clothes around the area should be avoided to prevent rubbing. It's also important to moisturize the affected area after radiation therapy is complete and the treated area must also be kept out of direct sunlight. The advances in radiation therapy means that long-term side effects are quite rare but they do still occur. Rib fractures, lung inflammation, damage to the heart, scarring and the association of other tumors like sarcoma are all possible but not as common as they once were.  |
| Obesity and the Risk of Breast Cancer Posted: 29 Jul 2009 05:48 AM PDT Obesity is a famous risk factor for breast cancer after menopause, but it shows to keep women from raising the disease earlier in life as well. Being overweight or obese has been connected to menstrual cycle irregularities and other medical states that restrict ovulation. Less ovulation denotes lower circulating levels of the breast-cancer- supporting hormones estradiol and progesterone. The idea has been that obesity assists look after against breast cancer before menopause, but not after it, by decrease circulating levels of these sex hormones. Obesity remains one of the strongest risk factors for postmenopausal breast cancer. Approximately 80% of the diseases are identified in women who are 50 and over. Obese women might be more probable to expand the disease mainly since their bodies create more estrogen than thin women do. New research advocates that the upsurge in its risk faced by obese postmenopausal women might mainly be because of higher levels of estrogens circulating in their bodies. High levels of estrogen are recognized to rouse certain types of breast cancer tumors to grow up and expand. The study, issued in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, demonstrates that the average attention of estrogens in obese women was between 50% and 219% higher than in thin women, and the risk of breast cancer augmented by approximately 18% with every growth in body mass index. Experts suggest that people establish customs of healthy eating and physical activity early in life to put off overweight and obesity. Those who are already overweight or obese are recommended to keep away from added weight gain, and to lose weight by way of a low-calorie diet and exercise. Preventing overweight and obesity could potentially be a factor to lower levels of breast cancer risk. Many factors contribute to obesity including genetics, behavior, environment, and culture. However, recent agreement is that the continuing epidemic shows to stalk from current alterations in our environment encouraging overeating and discouraging physical activity. Surplus calories used but not applied eventually cause weight gain.  |
| The Role of Oncologist For Breast Cancer Posted: 29 Jul 2009 05:45 AM PDT Oncology is certainly the most quickly growing sub-specialty in the field of medicine, and breast cancer is one of the most crucial problems of oncology. It is the principal cause of death of women in lots of countries and is really a multidisciplinary problem with no geographic constraints. It is the most usual cancer of women in the US, affecting approximately one in eight as long as their life span. It affects men, but it is rare, accounting for less than 1 percent of all cases. In 2007, roughly 200,000 women and 1,600 men in the US had the disease. As a person ages, the possibility of getting breast cancer rises. To treat breast cancer well, many medical professionals with various specialties are required. Every diagnosis is distinctive and treated in a different way. A number of women might visit a cancer center where a group of physicians who focus in breast disease (radiologist, oncologist, surgeon, etc.) collaborate to settle on treatment. Other women are referred to cancer specialists by their principal care physician (family practitioner, gynecologist). Medical professionals engaged in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment might include: Gynecologist or OB/GYN, Radiologist, Oncologist (general, medical, radiation, surgical), Nurse/oncology nurse specialist, Oncology social worker, Surgeon, Radiation therapy oncologist, Radiation therapy technologist, Radiation therapy physicist, Pathologist, and Reconstructive/plastic surgeon. An oncologist is a medical doctor who trains in the diagnosis and also treatment of cancer. If a radiologist identifies breast cancer, a woman might be referred to an oncologist for treatment. Medical oncologists concentrate in the use of chemotherapy and other drugs to care for cancer. Radiation oncologists focus in the usage of x-rays and other radiation techniques to eradicate tumors. |
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