Breast Cancer - Reconstruction

One of the treatment options with breast cancer is a mastectomy, or removal of the breast. Depending on risk factors and genetic issues, some women have both breasts removed. Reconstruction is the rebuilding of one or both breasts. Reconstruction cannot completely replace a lost breast, but some women decide to have it done either at the time of the mastectomy, which is immediate reconstruction or at a later date, known as delayed reconstruction. It is a very personal decision that is usually based on how the patient feels about their body and breasts. Some women chose to have no reconstruction and use what is called a breast form.

One type of reconstruction makes use of synthetic implants. They can be either silicone filled or saline filled. Sometimes a temporary expander will be used if the implant is too large to insert under the skin and muscle of the chest wall. When an expander is used, it is injected every few weeks with a small amount of saline to gently stretch the skin and muscle to the size of the implant, at which time the actual implant will be inserted. This usually takes three to six months.

The other type of reconstruction makes use of the patient's own tissue. The tissue is transfered from another part of the body and consists of skin, muscle and fat - a myo-cutaneous flap, or just a flap. This is a fairly extensive procedure and not without a degree of risk. It is painful, both where the tissue is taken from and at the breast area, but it also provides the most natural looking results. The three different types of flap are the TRAM flap, which uses the abdominal muscles, the LAT flap, which uses the muscle from the upper back, and a Free Flap, which can be from the abdominal area or buttocks.

The TRAM flap involves cutting into the abs. The muscle, fat and skin are removed and pulled up to the breast area. The blood vessels are kept intact during the procedure. The flap is shaped into the form of the breast. Usually a good match to the other breast can be made and no implant is required in addition to the flap. The patient receives a tummy tuck as part of the deal, but runs the risk of developing a hernia from where the flap was removed.

A LAT flap follows the same procedure, using the latissimus dorsi muscle instead. The flap is pulled through a temporary tunnel, which is created under the skin from the back to the breast area. Because of the smaller size of the flap, an implant is usually added to make the breast larger.

The Free flap is the most technical of the three and involved the disruption of the blood supply to the flap during surgery. For this reason, you must have a surgeon that is skilled in microsurgery.

Another part of the reconstruction process involves nipple and areola recreation. In this procedure, a piece of skin is removed from another part of the body, the abdomen, leg or breast itself and shaped into a nipple. After it has healed, an areola is tattooed around the reconstructed nipple.

The reconstruction decision is a very personal one and since it involves surgery times of up to 4-5 hours under anesthesia, it's not one to be taken lightly.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Prevention

Have you ever wondered why so many women and men get breast cancer? After much research there are 3 main reasons why and how people get it.

1. At the cancer institute they discovered that 100% of all breast cancer patients, none of them have iodine in their systems. The most enriched form of Iodine is seaweed. With all of the sushi sales in the past few years more and more people are eating seaweed so that will help a lot.

2. Deodorant is a major factor also. Try to only buy deodorants that contain no aluminum. You are rubbing aluminum into your arm pits daily, and that metal is good for no one ever! Only get deodorants that say deodorant and if it says antiperspirant then never buy it.

Try not to cook with aluminum, throw away any Teflon pans that you own - and only use iron pans.

3. If you get pregnant then please nurse your baby if you are able. Try to nurse for at least 6 months. It is healthy for the baby and it will greatly reduce your risk for getting breast cancer. Studies show that longer you nurse the less likely you are to get it.

So take care of your body and eat right. Drink lots of water at least 8 glasses a day, and no sodas. Try not to let your body get too stressed out and all will be well with you. And most importantly eat as much sushi as you can keep down- yummy!

Breast Enlargement

Breast Cancer - 101

The cancer is a term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide uncontrollably invading near by tissue and spreading to other parts of the body via blood stream or lymphatic system.

Similarly, in breast cancer, a single cell begins to divide and grow abnormally. This is the most common kind of cancer in women. Besides being women, age is the other important factor for developing breast cancer. The breast is made up of lobes and ducts. Each breast has 15 to 20 sections called lobes, which have many smaller sections called lobules. Lobules end in dozens of tiny bulbs that can produce milk. The lobes, lobules, and bulbs are linked by thin tubes called ducts.

The breast cancer is classified into:

-Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
-Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
-Inflammatory breast cancer
-Recurrent breast cancer

The most common type of breast cancer is ductal carcinoma, which begins in the cells of the ducts. Cancer that begins in the lobes or lobules is called lobular carcinoma and is more often found in both breasts than are other types of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is an uncommon type of breast cancer in which the breast is warm, red, and swollen. Recurrent breast cancer that has come back after it has been treated. Early detection through regular breast self-exams and a regular program of mammogram and physical exams show excellent results in curing it. Breast self exam is the process developed by the American cancer society for women to examine the breasts monthly. This process can reveal breast problem. Any swelling or unusual lumps or hardness in the breast is the indication of breast disease and a reason to rush to your doctor.

There are various factors, which increases the chance of getting disease as a breast cancer. Like:

1) Older age
2) A mother or sister with breast cancer.
3) Drinking alcoholic beverages.
4) Being white.
5) Treatment with radiation therapy to the breast/chest.

Women who have an altered gene related to breast cancer and who have had breast cancer in one breast have an increased risk of developing breast cancer in the other breast. These women also have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer, and may have an increased risk of developing other cancers.

Tests related to detect and diagnose breast cancer are:

1) Mammogram – In which X ray is done of the breast.

2) Biopsy - The removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer. If a lump in the breast is found, the doctor may need to cut out a small piece of the lump.

3) Estrogen and progesterone receptor test: A test to measure the amount of estrogen and progesterone (hormones) receptors in cancer tissue. If cancer is found in the breast, tissue from the tumor is examined in the laboratory to find out whether estrogen and progesterone could affect the way cancer grows. The test results show whether hormone therapy may stop the cancer from growing.

There are different 4 types of treatment option for breast cancer patients:

1) Surgery- Most patients with breast cancer have surgery to remove the cancer from the breast.

2) Radiation therapy - Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells.

3) Chemotherapy -Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing.

4) Hormone therapy - Hormone therapy is a cancer treatment that removes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from growing. Hormones are substances produced by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream.

For latest information about Breast Cancer please visit medicineworld.org. You can get more information through dedicated breast cancer message board, breast cancer support forum at bcancer.com

Breast Cancer Symptoms

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women, and one of the most common types of cancer in general. It is estimated that one in seven women that live to age 90 will develop breast cancer. It is especially prevalent in some families, making the statistics a bit skewed.

If you have a family history of breast cancer, your chances of developing the disease are much greater. It’s therefore a good idea to stay especially vigilant for breast cancer symptoms.

Breast cancer symptoms don’t often manifest themselves until the cancer is already in its later stages of growth, and may have already metastasized to other more vital areas of the body. That is why it is so important for women to regularly get checked. Mammograms may be unpleasant, but late stage breast cancer symptoms are worse.

The most clear and common breast cancer symptom is of course a lump in your breast. It is important to keep in mind that not all lumps are cancerous. Most women will develop numerous lumps in their breasts throughout their lives; they are especially common during periods of rapid hormonal changes such as puberty, and menstruation. Some women will have more lumps than others.

A more severe breast cancer symptom will be pain in your breasts. A cancer that has grown large enough to impinge on nerves will be a noticeable lump in a self check or mammogram, so hopefully you’ll catch anything before it gets to the point of causing pain. If one or both of your breasts are in pain, again its important to keep in mind that you don’t necessarily have breast cancer. During puberty and periods of hormone fluxes, tenderness of the breasts is common. Also pregnancy, and some medications can cause pain or tenderness in your breasts.

Even though most cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women over 40, women in their teens and twenties are occasionally diagnosed as well. Most people don’t know that about one percent of the cases are in men. Starting from puberty, it is a good idea to start checking yourself for lumps.

Remember, during this period you’re likely to find a lot of lumps that are harmless. With some experience and some consultation with your doctor, you’ll soon get an idea of the kinds of lumps that are normal, and the kinds of lumps that may be breast cancer symptoms.

For more current health articles on all subjects, please see: Current Health Articles Natural Health Directory

Breast Cancer Treatments

In this article I am going to cover options for treating breast cancer, once it has been diagnosed.

Unlike years ago when options for treatment were few and not very effective, today there are many options for treating breast cancer, many with excellent results and chances for full recovery, depending on the type of breast cancer and how advanced it is.

Here is a brief overview of your options today.

1. Local Regional Treatment. This is actually treatment of the lymph nodes in the area surrounding the breast as well as the breast itself. If metastatic disease is present then the treatment is given to specific areas. One of these methods is radiation therapy or radiotherapy. Much to womens’ surprise there are very few side effects from this therapy and they are restricted to the area being treated. Radiotherapy is an effective way to destroy the cancer cells and provide the best chance that the cancer will not come back.

Another method of this type of treatment is surgery which is usually the last recourse when all other methods have failed. With surgery in many cases reconstruction is needed afterwards as often part or all of the breast needs to be removed, which is called having a mastectomy. However, even this radical a surgery is not as drastic as it was years ago. Today every attempt is made to preserve as much of the healthy breast as possible.

2. Systemic Treatments. This is where the whole body is treated as a system.

The most common systemic treatment is chemotherapy. The purpose of chemotherapy is to get rid of any cancer cells that may have spread from the breast to other areas of the body. The reason chemotherapy works and also the reason it is so hard on your body is because it attacks the rapidly dividing cancer cells in your body. Unfortunately cancer cells are not the only cells in your body that divide, thus the reason that chemotherapy can have such a sickening effect on a person. Still, chemotherapy is not as hard to go through today as it was years ago and is an important insurance policy against the spread of the disease, especially to the lymph nodes, which in many cases is fatal.

Another treatment that isn't as common is tamoxifen, which is a very powerful drug. This drug reduces the risk of breast cancer returning after surgery and even reduces the risk of a woman ever getting breast cancer. However the side effects, though not fatal, can be very serious and uncomfortable. They include blood clots and uterine cancer, hot flushes, early menopause, problems with fertility, nausea and vomiting, weight gain, mood swings, depression and loss of energy.

3. Alternative and Holistic Treatments. These are treatments where the body, mind and spirit are all treated. Unfortunately there is very little medical evidence to show that these treatments are effective. Some of these alternative methods include acupuncture, meditation, relaxation techniques, and the use of flaxseed and black cohosh. Flaxseed supposedly reduces the growth and spread of breast cancer. Black cohosh is supposed to stop the hot flushes associated with those who have breast cancer. Again, there is nothing to support either of these claims.

Years ago breast cancer was pretty much a death sentence. Today with the effective and relatively safe treatments that have been developed a woman can not only survive breast cancer but also have a normal healthy life afterwards.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer

Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

The first step to getting a diagnosis is detection. Monitoring your own breast tissue contains 3 main components including a) Breast Self-examination b) Clinical Breast Exam and c) Mammography.

A woman may notice abnormalities while doing a self-exam. By examining your breasts every month, you will become familiar and be able to detect changes better. The following are the steps to perform breast self-examination.

a) Breast Self-Examination

1) Put your hands on hip while standing in front of a mirror to visually examine your breasts. Then stand with your hands behind your head with fingers interwoven and look for changes in size, lumps, shape, contour, color, dimples or inverted nipples.
2) Press each nipple to see if there is a discharge.
3) Lie down putting a pillow under your left shoulder. Place your left hand under your head while lying down. Using your right hand, fingers flattened together into a pad form and press on the top portion of the left breast in a circular motion to examine the outer, then the inner circle of the breast including nipple. Use light pressure for area under skin’s surface. Then add a little more pressure to feel halfway into the flesh. Finally, use deep pressure to feel down the ribs. Examine the breast and chest area under your armpit. With the same way, repeat on the right side using your left hand.

With the above self-examination method, you should be able to feel any unusual lump or thickening tissues or skin.

b) Clinical breast Exam

This is conducted during your annual gynecological examination. Your doctor will place pressure on your breasts in circular motion the pads of his or her fingers. You will have one hand tucked under your head while the other breast is being examined.

c) Mammography

Mammography is able to detect any cancerous growth before it can be felt by a manual

exam. It is an X-ray image of the breast. A screening mammogram is done when a clinical breast exam is normal. It consists of two views of each breast including:

a) An up and down view and

b) Side to side view.

A diagnostic mammogram is performed to evaluate any abnormality found during a breast exam. Mammograms may sometimes cause discomfort because the breasts must be compressed until the skin is taut. Mammograms can detect breast calcifications made of minute amounts of calcium that cannot be detected by self or clinical exams. Generally, a radiologist can make a prediction on the likelihood of a lesion is malignant based on a screening mammograms. For women who already have symptoms suggestion of breast cancer (e.g. a palpable lump), diagnostic mammographics is necessary as they include additional views to give a more accurate prediction as to the likelihood of cancer.

Jennifer Comm is a registered nurse and acclaimed author with over 20 years of health care experience.

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