Breast Cancer Treatments - How is Breast Cancer Treated?

Breast Cancer Treatments - How is Breast Cancer Treated?

Becoming diagnosed with cancer is one of the worst things you can find out. It is becoming incredibly more common today with people infected with all types of cancer. Among these, one of the more common type is breast cancer and it is rapidly becoming more prevalent. If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, the next thing you should think about is to consult your doctors on what are the breast cancer treatments options that are available to you. This article will talk about some of the ways breast cancer is currently being treated.

Depending on what stage the cancer is in, surgery or a lumpectomy (removal of just the lump) might be necessary. Lumpectomy is used for a breast conservation surgery where they want to keep the breast. However, removal of the entire affected breast might even be necessary. Surgical removal of the entire breast is known as a mastectomy.

After surgery, radiation therapy is commonly prescribed. The radiation therapy is used to reduce the chances that the cancer relapse. The radiation therapy consists of gamma rays that target the tumor or where the tumor once was before the surgery. The radiation removes the traces of cancer cells left behind around the area where the surgery was performed. Unfortunately, the radiation also attacks the other normal cell in the body as well and can cause damages to the tissue around the tumor.

There are other ways, as an alternative and an addition in the breast cancer treatment mentioned above. Chemotherapy can be used before, after and even as an alternative to surgery - it all depends on the type of breast cancer and the stage that it is in. Hormonal treatment is often used after chemotherapy. Targeted therapy is also another way to treat breast cancer. With this type of treatment, monoclonal antibodies are used to battle an over abundance of HER2 protein in cancer cells slowing the growth of the cancer cells in the process. When used with chemotherapy, this can reduce the chances of cancer cells returning as well as improving the patient's survival rate.

These are just a few of the many ways breast cancer is being treated. Incidentally, these are the most commonly used and sometimes the most reliable treatments of breast cancer. A lot of research is presently being conducted worldwide in the hope of discovering the cure for breast cancer and cancer in general. It's only a matter of time before a new and better treatment or cure is discovered. In the meantime, it's very important for you to be kept informed about breast cancer and the type of breast cancer treatments that are available to you.

Breast Cancer - Reducing Your Risk

Breast Cancer - Reducing Your Risk

Almost one in twelve women will make grow breast cancer sometime in her life. There are a lot of risk brokers for condensing breast cancer, some within your control and a few that are not. Fortunately, for those factors that are in your control, no great sacrifice is required to minimize them.

Diet

Using up a healthy diet is the first, and in many ways the easiest, step. There's considerable evidence to suggest that diet does alter the odds. While there's nothing you eat that will produce breast cancer, nor anything you can eat to prevent it, a lot of foods are helpful, other people less so.

Since one leading theory indicates that breast cancer is, if not caused by at least encouraged by, free radicals in the blood, eating foods rich in antioxidants is a good idea. Free radicals are charged ions, usually oxygen, that can do damage to cells. Antioxidants chemically combine with these active molecules to render them harmless. There'sample evidence to suggest that eating foods rich in antioxidants lowers the risk of breast cancer. Green River vegetables are great for this purpose, but any others will also help. Apples, strawberries and other fruits are also beneficial. Blood-red wines in moderation, as well as green teas, are rich in antioxidants.

Exercise

Physical exercise is another risk factor within your personal control. Along with diet, not only does it help raise the general level of health but it can help smooth hormone levels and provide other health values. Even if you do contract breast cancer, making up in good shape helps you deal with treatments in an optimal way.

Hormones

Estrogen and progesterone are strongly believed by research worker* to contribute to the risk of contracting breast cancer (the first in particular). These natural hormones are vital for health, but excessive amounts can occur. They are readily stored in fat tissues and regular exercise helps keep your body fat percentage at the appropriate level. Proper diet helps here, too.

Alcohol

High alcohol wasting disease has been correlated with increased cancer risk. It has a typically bad effect on health and tends to raise estrogen levels and interfere with the body's ability to combat antioxidants.

A glass of wine per day is generally beneficial. Still a small drink of hard alcohol can be beneficial. Just for every 10g of alcohol consumed per day over long periods, the peril of contracting breast cancer increases by about 10%.

Menstruation

Reducing the number of menstrual cycles correlates with a reduced risk of experiencing breast cancer, since hormone levels are altered. The jury is still out on the contribution to cancer risk, if any, of taking oral contraceptives.

So far, no clear cut evidence suggests that long term use is harmful. And new pills that may soon come on the market promise to eliminate menstrual cycles entirely.

Gestation, of course, is another way of reducing the risk of breast cancer but it has its own set of risks for other

problems, of course. For those who wish to bear children, however, having them before age 30 has been correlated with a lower risk of breast cancer.

Although there is no magic bullet, a healthy lifestyle is your best preventative. Even if you do contract the disease, better health gives you a much better chance of detecting and eliminating it early. Those in good health have much better adventures of full recovery and long term endurance.