Awareness

I have been planning to this for a while but but never got to it. I had what seemed like more imprtant things to write about-but a recent incident has pretty much convinced me I should have done this a long time ago but anyway- I will do it now.

This post isnt really like you would find in my blog so dont be bored- please do read through it. I am just copying and pasting some the more basic information from a few sites.

I am just going to copy and paste the more important information.

Breast cancer is a cancer of the breast tissue. Worldwide, it is the most common form of cancer in females - affecting, at some time in their lives, approximately one out of nine^[1] to one out of thirteen women who reach age ninety in the Western world. It is the second most fatal cancer in women (after lung cancer), and the number of cases has significantly increased since the 1970s, a phenomenon partly blamed on modern lifestyles in the Western world.^[1][2] Because the breast is composed of identical tissues in males and females, breast cancer also occurs in males, and as statistics show, it is on a massive increase, hence the mass TV promotions aimed at men at present.^[3]

What are the symptoms of IBC?
Symptoms may include:

One breast larger than the other Red or pink skin Swelling Rash (entire breast or small patches) Orange-like texture (peau d’ orange) Skin hot to the touch Pain and/or itchiness Ridges or thickened areas of breast Nipple discharge Nipples that appear inverted or flattened Swollen lymph nodes under the armpit Swollen lymph nodes of the neck (sometimes

Age

The risk of getting breast cancer increases with age. For someone who lives to the age of 90, the chances of getting breast cancer is about 14.3% or one in seven during their lifetime.^[5] Men can also develop breast cancer, but their risk is less than one in 1000 (see sex and illness). This risk is modified by many different factors. In a very small (~ 5%) proportion of breast cancer cases, there is a strong inherited familial risk.

The probability of breast cancer rises with age but breast cancer tends to be more aggressive when it occurs in younger people. One type of breast cancer that is especially aggressive and disproportionately occurs in younger people is inflammatory breast cancer. It is initially staged as Stage IIIb or Stage IV. It also is unique because it often does not present with a lump so that it often is not detected by mammography or ultrasound. It presents with the signs and symptoms of a breast infection like mastitis

Environmental causes

All women and men are at risk for breast cancer, regardless of hereditary factors. In fact, 85 to 90 percent of breast cancer incidences cannot be explained by inherited genetic predisposition. Other known risk factors and personal characteristics include personal or family history of breast cancer, high breast tissue density, earlier onset of menstruation (12 years or younger), later menopause (55 years or older), late first-term pregnancy (30 years or older), no children or no breast-feeding, early or recent use of oral contraceptives, more than four years use of hormone replacement therapy, postmenopausal obesity, alcohol consumption, exposures to secondhand cigarette smoke and exposure to ionizing radiation.^[15]

When all known risk factors and characteristics are added together including genetics and family history, as much as 50 percent of breast cancer cases remain unexplained.^[16]

Although environmental exposures are not generally cited as risk factors for the disease (except for diet, pharmaceuticals and radiation), a substantial and growing body of evidence indicates that exposures to certain toxic chemicals and hormone-mimicking compounds including chemicals used in pesticides, cosmetics and cleaning products contribute to the development of breast cancer.

Genes

Two autosomal dominant genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, have been linked to the rare familial form of breast cancer. People in families expressing mutations in these genes have a 60% to 80% risk of developing breast cancer according to Robbins Pathological Basis of Disease.

[edit] Hormones

Persistently increased blood levels of estrogen are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, as are increased levels of the androgens androstenedione and testosterone (which can be directly converted by aromatase to the estrogens estrone and estradiol, respectively). Increased blood levels of progesterone are associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women.^[18] A number of circumstances which increase exposure to endogenous estrogens including not having children, delaying first childbirth, not breastfeeding, early menarche (the first menstrual period) and late menopause are suspected of increasing lifetime risk for developing breast cancer.^[19]

Prevention of Environmental Causes

Fewer than 10 percent of breast cancers are genetic.

The Breast Cancer Fund suggests the following environmental prevention methods:

• Practice Healthy Purchasing: Don’t bring toxic chemicals home from the store. Choose chlorine-free paper products to reduce dioxin, a carcinogen released when chlorinated products are incinerated. Read food labels, and choose pesticide-free, organic produce and hormone-free meats and dairy products. Replace harmful household cleaners that contain bleach with cheaper, nontoxic alternatives like baking soda, borax soap and vinegar. Look for alternatives to chemical weed and bug killers— many contain toxic chemicals that accumulate in our bodies.

• Use Caution with Plastics: Some plastics leach hormone-disrupting chemicals called phthalates into the substances they touch. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics release carcinogens into our air and water during the production process. PVC plastics are especially dangerous in toys that children put in their mouths, so keep an eye out for nontoxic toys. Further, never put plastic or plastic wrap in the microwave, as this can release phthalates into food and beverages.

• Advocate for Clean Air: The soot and fumes released by factories, automobiles, diesel trucks and tobacco products contain chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are linked to breast cancer. Indeed, breathing these compounds from secondhand tobacco smoke may increase your risk for breast cancer more than active smoking. Stay away from secondhand smoke, and advocate for stronger clean air protections.

• Avoid Unnecessary Radiation: Ionizing radiation is a known cause of breast cancer. Radiation damage to genes is cumulative over a lifetime—thus many low doses may have the same effect as a single high dose. Mammograms, other X-rays and CT scans expose you to radiation. While mammography screening may benefit postmenopausal women, mammography for women in their 30s and 40s remains controversial. Whenever you have an X-ray or scan, request a lead shield to protect the areas of your body not being X-rayed.

• Explore Alternatives to Artificial Estrogens: Women who have prolonged exposure to estrogens are at higher risk for breast cancer, and major studies continue to show an increased risk when postmenopausal women use hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Women who use both birth control pills and—later in life—HRT face an even greater risk of breast cancer than those who use neither. Explore your options with healthcare professionals.

• Advocate for Safe Cosmetics: Chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects do not belong in cosmetics, period. However, some popular brands of shampoo, deodorant, face cream and other everyday products contain these dangerous chemicals. The Breast Cancer Fund demands safer products and smarter laws by letting cosmetics companies know they need a makeover. The public can join BCF in asking cosmetic companies to sign the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a pledge to substitute chemicals linked to birth defects, infertility, cancer, brain damage and other serious health consequences with safer alternatives.

Early onset of menses and late menopause: Onset of the menstrual cycle prior to the age of 12 and menopause after 50 causes increased risk of developing breast cancer.

Diets high in saturated fat: The types of fat are important. Monounsaturated fats such as canola oil and olive oil do not appear to increase the risk of developing breast cancer like polyunsaturated fats; corn oil and meat.

Family history of breast cancer: Patients with a positive family history of breast cancer are at increased risk for developing the disease. However, 85% of women with breast cancer have a negative family history!

Family history only includes immediate relatives, mother, sisters and daughters. If a family member was post-menopausal (fifty or older) when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, the lifetime risk is only increased 5%. If the family member was premenopausal, the lifetime risk is 18.6%. If the family member was premenopausal and had bilateral breast cancer, the lifetime risk is 50%.

Genetic testing of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes is increasingly being integrated into clinical care for appropriately counseled adults who meet established criteria for this testing. The American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) are among the professional healthcare organizations who have published criteria for genetic counseling/testing and cancer risk management. Increased and earlier surveillance, chemoprevention (tamoxifen, oral contraceptives) and surgical interventions (mastectomy, oophorectomy - removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes) are among the current early detection and risk-reducing strategies discussed with women undergoing BRCA testing. In contrast to breast cancer, there is no reliable early detection for ovarian cancer, which is often fatal due to late stage at diagnosis. Therefore, oophorectomy is generally recommended between ages 35-40 or upon completion of childbearing for women at high risk for ovarian cancer.

caution should be exercised in those women with a significantly positive family history of breast cancer or atypical intraductal hyperplasia. Women with breast cancer are not currently give estrogen replacement. There are no scientific studies currently justifying this practice. However, until those studies are available, by convention, women are taken off estrogen.

Female: The mere fact that being female increases the risk of developing breast cancer. However, for every 100 women with breast cancer, 1 male will develop the disease.

Moderate obesity: The relationship of breast cancer to obesity is more complex but associated with an increased risk

Breast cancer is staged. Not only will this allow for better understanding of the disease process, but it will also facilitate interpretation of data, and determine treatment. Prognosis is closely linked to results of staging.

Summary of stages:

• Stage 0 - Carcinoma in situ
• Stage I - Tumor (T) does not exceed 2 cm, no axillary lymph nodes (N) involved.
• Stage IIA – T 2-5 cm, N negative, or T <2>
• Stage IIB – T > 5 cm, N negative, or T 2-5 cm and N positive (<>
• Stage IIIA – T > 5 cm, N positive, or T 2-5 cm with 4 or more axillary nodes
• Stage IIIB – T has penetrated chest wall or skin, and may have spread to <>
• Stage IIIC – T has > 10 axillary N, 1 or more supraclavicular or infraclavicular N, or internal mammary N.
• Stage IV – Distant metastasis (M

What should people do if they have IBC symptoms?
If one or more symptoms continue for more than a week, look for information and talk to a physician with experience with this particular type of breast cancer.

The resources below may help guide you to physicians and centers with this expertise.




Guys dont feel left out- you to can have breast cancer- If not I will soon write something on testicular cancer.

Until then- stay alive