Health care for a better life

Archive for the ‘Breast Cancer’ Category

Breast lumps have 2 types including cancer and non-cancer. Actually most breast lumps are benign – this means non-cancerous. Breast cancer doesn’t typically lead to pain in the early stages and there might be no symptoms early on. As the tumor develops, however, symptoms might grow.

Alterations that might be noticed with breast cancer are: a lump or thickening in the breast or under the arm; pitting of the skin over the breast, making it look like orange peel; discharge from the nipple – either clear or bloody; indenting of the nipple – a pulling back or retracting of the nipple into the breast; changes to the size or shape of the breast; and warmth or redness or scaly skin on any part of the breast.

If you notice any of these alterations or changes like them to your breasts, you ought to visit your doctor as soon as possible to have them checked out.

In any event, if you experience a lump and you’re worried about it, don’t hesitate to visit a doctor.

By getting a doctor to check the lump you’ll ease your fears. And if it’s something serious, you could begin getting treatment immediately.

One method to make lumps less frightening is to find out what your breasts usually feel like. There’s no better method to find out than by performing your monthly breast self-exam. The upper, outer region-near your armpit-tends to have the most outstanding lumps and bumps. The lower half of your breast could experience like a sandy or pebbly beach. The part under the nipple could experience like a collection of large grains. Another part may experience like a lumpy bowl of oatmeal.

It is not likely for a woman or a physician to recognize for certain whether a breast lump points to breast cancer until imaging exams (like mammography and ultrasound) and/or biopsy are done.

A breast biopsy engages taking an example of breast tissue and examining it under a microscope to settle on whether it contains cancer cells. However, there are particular characteristics connected with lumps that could recommend whether they are more probable to be cancer or benign.

Male breast cancer is a deadly disease that people need to be aware of. Breast Cancer effects not just females but males also. Most people don’t know that the male breast cancer symptoms are very similar to that of females.

It does not happen as often to men. Male breast cancer statistics shows that it effects a very small amount of men. Male breast cancer pictures look just like pictures female breast cancer. Breast cancer awareness for men is very important. Male breast cancer treatment is available.

Prevention of male breast cancer is important. Organizations and foundations like HIS breast cancer awareness exists to help inform and educate about breast cancer in me.

You should talk to your doctor if you think you might have male breast cancer.

The breast cancer in men causes are not well known. It is important that you speak to them. Hopefully someday we can cure breast cancer.

There are numerous organizations and charities that are there to support awareness of breast cancer. Donating to those organizations can help them find a cure. Male breast cancer and breast cancer in general can be removed if caught early. It is important to be checked regularly.

A healthy life style with vitamins and nutrition may help prevent breast cancer in males. Certain gene mutations BRCA1 or BRCA2 can make you more likely to develop breast cancer.

Your doctor can check for this. HIS breast cancer awareness has more information on this topic as do most medical sites about breast cancer.

Terramed Alliance News Researchers at Rush University Medical Center and Argonne National Laboratory are collaborating on a study to determine if an imaging technique used by NASA to inspect the space shuttle can be used to predict tissue damage often experienced by breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. The study is examining the utility of three-dimensional thermal tomography in radiation oncology.

Preliminary results from the study are being displayed during the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, being held from November 1 – 5, 2009.

Approximately 80 percent of breast cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment develop acute skin reactions that range in severity. The more severe reactions cause discomfort and distress to the patient, and sometimes result in treatment interruptions. The severity is quite variable among patients and difficult to predict.

“Because reactions usually occur from 10 to 14 days after the beginning of therapy, if we could predict skin reactions sooner we may be able to offer preventative treatment to maximize effectiveness and minimize interruption of radiation treatment,” said Dr. Katherine Griem, professor of radiation oncology at Rush.

Terramed Alliance News : Researchers at Rush and Argonne are studying if three-dimensional thermal tomography (3DTT) can detect the earliest changes that may trigger a skin reaction. 3DTT is a relatively new thermal imaging process that is currently being used as a noninvasive away to detect defects in composite materials. The basic idea of thermal imaging is to apply heat or cold to a material and observing the resulting temperature change with an infrared camera to learn about its composition.

Unlike most thermal imaging studies which have quantitative limitations, 3DTT measures the thermal effusivity of skin tissue. Thermal effusivity is a measure of a material’s ability to exchange heat with its surroundings.

In this study, a flash of light is used to heat up the skin. An infrared camera captures a series of images over time that display the temperature of the skin, represented by colors. An algorithm developed by Argonne is used to calculate the temperature change and determine the thermal effusivity of different areas of the skin.

“How quickly the skin cools is related to the structure underneath. Damaged skin cells have different effusivity values compared to that of healthy skin, said James Chu, PhD, chairperson of the section of medical physics at Rush. “By identifying the earliest changes in damaged tissue, we may be able to predict acute skin toxicities.”

Terramed Alliance News: Preliminary data from the study show that marked decreases in thermal effusivity of irradiated skin occur well in advance of the development of high grade skin reactions.

“Our initial data with radiation induced skin changes are quite encouraging,” said Dr. Alan Coon, chief resident of radiation oncology at Rush and primary author on the study. “In addition to finding decreases in effusivity of the treated areas many days before the development of skin reactions, we have also seen that the magnitude of these decreases varies with the grade of the reactions. This exciting result bodes well for the clinical utility of this technique in predicting the severity of a skin reaction before it occurs.”

In addition, researchers note that 3DTT techniques can be used to measure these tissue property changes noninvasively with no interruption of therapy and the technique allowed for rapid feedback.

“3DTT may also be used to detect other skin diseases such as skin cancer and measure skin damage caused by electricity or lightening. Such applications require the determinations of tissue conditions below the skin that is normally not visible but can be measured by 3DTT,” said J.G. Sun, a mechanical engineer at Argonne.

Researchers plan to perform additional studies to confirm the preliminary results and hope to soon begin studying 3DTT in breast cancer patients.

The investigators on the project include Dr. Katherine Griem, James Chu, PhD; Dr. Alan Coon; Damian Bernard, PhD; Riu Yao and Alistair Templeton, all from Rush University Medical Center and J.G. Sun from Argonne National Laboratory. Source: Kim Waterman Rush University Medical Center Terramed Alliance is a non-profit charity organization dedicated to research, education and advocacy of breast cancer. One of the vision of Terramed Alliance is to provide this community and Internet users with a charity based research and education entity. Advocacy of breast cancer through education is vital to the reduction of this disease. For any requests and enquiries, please contact at us: cancer@terramedalliance.us http://www.terramedalliance.us

Hong Kong each year two thousand seven hundred new cases of breast cancer cases, of which five hundred were thus killed. A survey shows that the two breast cancer patients into seven after the discovery of more than three months or more before symptoms seek medical attention, nearly Qicheng is surprised to discover breast lumps and other symptoms, of which four as found in the shower, into the regular checks of less than one found. Patients with a doctor that a sense of crisis and lack of knowledge of the disease, delay in seeking treatment more than three months will lead to cancer recovery rate has dropped, to urge that women should seek medical advice early symptoms. Survey found that respondents had an average delay of two weeks before symptoms seek medical advice for women diagnosed with breast cancer, the two into seven or more before seeking treatment after three months. Mostly elderly patients diagnosed with breast cancer an average of fifty-eight years old, this age generally lower level of education, on Breast Cancer Little sense of crisis caused by lack of knowledge. Some people are using traditional Chinese medicine treatment.Female breast cancer patients due to inadequate sexual characteristics of this major impact with your partner. Found that patients diagnosed with breast cancer, the need to receive hormone therapy, but also so that they decreased libido and impaired self-image, thus reducing the sex life, experts called for when patients need help. University of seventeen hundred breast cancer survivors for a long time to follow up, eight persons that suffer from breast cancer before, have a happy sex life, but confirmed two years, up to Qicheng patients sexual problems.Many people believe that traditional Chinese medicine theory of the abstract, which I agree. To Western theory, the lung is Huxijitong organs, large intestine is the digestive organs, Do not take two eight nine. However, each of the corresponding organs of Chinese medicine theory, such as lung and Large Intestine, that is, large intestine and lung meridians cross each other network is the table, I believe we still do not know how related to the lung and colon, but that the medicine is so “mysterious “it. One time chatting with the Chinese, a long-term constipation in the elderly, and saw numerous doctors, always constipation, described her as hard to want to die. Chinese woman is not the large intestine and small intestine that problem, but the lung is weak, not enough strength defecation, prescription drugs lungs qi, including ginseng, that the bowel follow-old woman was smooth. Chinese medicine say that few people understand the lung and the Large Intestine, and sometimes, colon and lung-related problems. Studies have Traditional Chinese Medicine Stresses used in the treatment of cancer such Xiaoyaosan breast cancer.