Tuesday, November 3, 2009

“5 Things You Can Do to Support Breast Cancer” plus 3 more

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“5 Things You Can Do to Support Breast Cancer” plus 3 more

5 Things You Can Do to Support Breast Cancer

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 06:36 PM PST

When someone you love is diagnosed with breast cancer, it can be devastating. It shakes your whole life. You have no idea what to do, what to say, or how to help. You want to help but you honestly and truly have no idea what do. You are afraid of doing the wrong thing. Unfortunately, this inaction leaves breast cancer patients in a situation where her basic needs are not being covered. She is left in a place where she is uncomfortable to ask for help and is too tired to do it herself. Below are five things you can do to help someone you know fight breast cancer.

#1 Set Up a Visa Money Card

A Visa money card allows people to donate money to cover expenses. Believe it or not, gas money adds up fast. Doctor visits, fast food and a ton of other little things add up. For those who don't know what else to do, adding funds to a Visa card really helps.

#2 Set Up a Volunteer Schedule

Often times, cleaning takes a back burner to chemotherapy and other doctor visits. Someone needs to step up and take charge of the people willing to volunteer. Whether people are willing to volunteer to clean, cook or babysit, a schedule needs to be made and the breast cancer patient should not be left in charge.

#3 Leave the Death Stories at the Door

No matter how many people you know that have died of cancer, keep it to yourself. While you may think this is helpful, this is not the time to share your story. We know you are trying to relate to what the breast cancer patient is going through but if you only knew how many death stories the breast cancer patient has to hear you would understand.

#4 Don't Take it Personal

The whole experience is an emotional roller coaster. Sometimes the cancer patient may cry and yell. Other times the cancer patient may laugh and giggle. No matter how the cancer patient acts, please remember this is a hard time and do not take anything they say personally. Many times, it is nothing more than a lack of sleep.

#5 Books, Books and More Books

The chances are the breast cancer patient is going to spend a lot of time waiting. They will need some books, magazines, games or whatever else you can think of to pass the time. This is yet another reason the Visa money card comes in handy. Find out what they like and get them plenty of it. Remember, this is only a short period of time and they will get through it. Help them in any way you can. It is worth it in the end. In a year or two, this will all be a memory that you will live to tell about.

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Ways of Doing Breast Cancer Screening

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 02:23 PM PST

One of the main reasons why more and more women are not surviving breast cancer is because of not detecting them in an earlier manner. Because of the increasing number of women who are having breast cancer these days, women now are being asked to do breast cancer screening. In this way, women will know whether they have breast cancer and treat them early on.

However, many women do not really know how to do breast cancer screening. They are thinking that breast cancer screening may only be done in one way. However, many are not aware that there are several ways in doing cancer screening.

This type of cancer screening that is most popular among women is the one being done by physicians during routine check ups. In this process, the doctor will feel the breasts if there are lumps. Aside from this manual checkup, the doctor can issue a request in order to do several radiological or ultrasonic screening in laboratories. These are the machines being manipulated by professionals that would do several physical screening in order to see if there are lumps that cannot be felt.

Mammography is the next breast cancer screening option being done by professionals. This is the screening program being used because of its accuracy and speed in generating results. It will be able to detect smaller lumps that may not be detected with manual check up. This means that mammography is effective in detecting earlier cancer stage.

After the mammogram is done and found out that there is a mass on the breast, they would get a sample of the mass and subject it to several testing. In this way, they would find out if the cancer cells are malignant or not. Upon learning if the cancer cells are benign or malignant, they would now suggest treatment options in order to prevent it from growing.

If mammogram can detect smaller lumps, using breast MRI or magnetic resonance imaging will detect those that are too small for mammograms. The good thing about MRI is that it will be able to detect the benign cancer cells in the breast. Because of this, it will prevent people from spending too much by undergoing biopsies. With MRI, you are hitting two birds with one stone.

Breast MRI is very much recommended to be used in screening women who have strong genetic loading of breast cancer in the family. These are the people who have a lot of relatives who have suffered from cancer. Aside from these, people who may have had breast surgeries and even breast implants should also undergo this type of screening because of its sensitivity.

With the increasing awareness about breast cancer, these types of screening are being taught to women as it will be very helpful for them in knowing if they have breast cancer or not. This is a good way for them to know it early on and to treat it properly even before it can develop to a more serious problem.

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Breast Cancer Survival Rates - What Does Breast Cancer Survival Rate Tell You

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 12:08 PM PST

The sad truth is that not everyone, who undergo treatments for breast cancer, are able to survive. A lot of people die every year and there is very little we can do about it. That is why it is necessary to know more about breast cancer survival rates and what treatments you should then choose. The more you know about cancer the better your chances are.

The rates of survival certainly depends on many different factors and the more advanced the cancer is, the lower the survival rates are obviously. The breast cancer stages are the best way to determine the rate of survival for breast cancer patients.

For example Stage 0 means the cancer cells can only be found on the walls of the lump inside the breast and that the cancer is non-invasive. Stage 1 of breast cancer means that the cancer has become invasive already and that the tumor is around 2 cm long. Stage 2A means that the tumor is around 2-5 cm long.

Stage 2B of breast cancer means that the tumor is 2 cm long, but some auxiliary lymph nodes have been affected and if the tumor gets above 5 cm, then the cancer is already reached stage 3A. When the cancer has already reached the skin of the breast, then it has reached stage 3B. When already other organs of the body are affected then the cancer has reached stage 4.

The survival rates from diagnosis for 10-year period is around 76% and 5-year survival rate is 86%. Cancer patients that have metastatic, have a 5-year survival rate of 21% and without metastatic it is 96%. For example Stage 0 has a survival rate of 100%, like Stage 1, Stage 2A has 92%, Stage 2B has 81%, Stage 3A has 67%, Stage 3B has 54% and Stage 4 has only 20% survival rate.

The sooner you have been diagnosed the better you chances will be, as you can see and another way how your chances can be increased is with alternative cancer treatments. There are so many treatments that can either prevent cancer or increase your chances of survival.

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Recovering From Breast Cancer

Posted: 02 Nov 2009 09:48 AM PST

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with over 125 women a day being diagnosed with the disease. Approximately 75% of these women put on weight during treatment, including those who were a healthy weight before their diagnosis. Other long term physical side effects can include insomnia, fatigue, loss of muscle tone, reduced flexibility and loss of libido. These physical symptoms can subsequently lead to feelings of low self esteem, depression, anxiety or lack of confidence.

Despite many women looking for advice on diet and exercise, frustratingly there is very little information available for those affected by breast cancer. However, there is increasing evidence that weight control, exercise and good nutrition may lower the risk of the cancer returning, reduce the chances of developing other health problems, and improve quality of life.

Here are a few exercise and diet tips for post breast cancer surgery (Please note: always consult with your doctor before embarking on a new exercise programme):-

· To regain arm strength, start off with gentle mobility exercises in the shower as the warm water will allow your muscles to move more freely. Extend your reach, in different directions, every day until you have acquired a full range of motion. Once this is achieved, try doing some common chores around the house such as writing, weeding or dusting.

· If you have access to a warm pool, try participating in an aqua aerobics class. The water provides a suitable level of resistance that you obviously don't get on land.

· Aim to do some form of cardio activity every day. Walking and biking are shown to work well for many women recovering from surgery. However, make sure that your arm is fully healed, with a good range of movement, before attempting to cycle.

· Don't wait until mealtime to eat. When you are hungry, take this opportunity to consume good quality foods. Nutritious foods can help people withstand chemotherapy more effectively, and also helps the body to rebuild and repair more efficiently.

· Drink lots of fluid, preferably water, to flush away the toxins in your body. If you find that water causes a problem with your stomach, try drinking green tea or iced tea.

· If and when you (and your doctor) feel ready to start an exercise routine, always consult with a fully qualified fitness professional to ensure you are following an appropriate plan.

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