About Cancer

By now you should be familiar with the yellow 'LiveStrong' rubber cancer awareness bracelets. They were popularized by seven-time Tour de France cycling champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. The money from their proceeds goes for cancer research.

If he has planning to pitchfork cancer awareness into society's consciousness, Lance Armstrong has done a really good job. His rubber bracelets are ubiquitous today, an ever present awareness tool for cancer, and a fund-raising tool for cancer research.

Among cancer awareness bracelets, next to Armstrong's rubber wristbands come the breast cancer awareness bracelets. However, unlike the 'LiveStrong' rubber band bracelets, these breast cancer awareness bracelets come in different colors. The most popular color for breast cancer awareness bracelets is pink.

But why pink? There is a story behind it: Charlotte Haley, a 68-year-old woman, began making and distributing peach ribbons in the 1990s with cards that read: "The National Cancer Institute annual budget is $1.8 billion, only 5 percent goes for cancer prevention. Help us wake up our legislators and America by wearing this ribbon." Haley's daughter, sister and grandmother had breast cancer. Self magazine wanted to use Haley's ribbon but she refused saying they were too commercial. The magazine came up with another color then -- pink. Focus groups say pink is 'soothing, comforting and healing.' Soon the pink ribbon became the worldwide symbol for breast cancer, and Charlotte Haley's peach ribbon was history.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. says that more than 211,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in America in 2005. Of these 43,300 will die. One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year.

However, the breast cancer awareness bracelets can come in all colors, a rainbow of them, depending on the organization or charity selling them. These bracelets usually have some message, such as 'Support Breast Cancer Research And Education' stamped on them.

Well, the breast cancer awareness bracelets needn't be made of rubber or silicone either. The bracelets can be made of pearl, or cats eye, or metal, or any other suitable material. There are even stainless steel breast cancer awareness bracelets! The difference between them is, of course, the price. The rubber ones would sell for around $1 a piece. The metal ones would sell higher. Some pearl breast cancer awareness bracelets sell for around $30 a piece. Such bracelets serve two purposes -- they are jewelry and also spread the message of charity and breast cancer research.

The advantage with rubber breast cancer awareness bracelets, apart from the price, is that they are infinitely customizable. Yes, you can order them in any color and with any message stamped on them. You needn't take them off while washing or playing -- they are all-weather bracelets. And you don't have to worry about losing them, unlike the pearl or cats eye ones.

The rubber breast cancer awareness bracelets can be ordered in bulk or bought in packets of a dozen or so from many Web sites.

There are various types of breast cancer treatments which range from conventional, alternative, holistic, and natural ways. It is best to educate yourself prior to your decision. Knowledge brings wisdom and understanding. Gather as much information as possible, ask questions, and join support groups for breast cancer.

According to the National Cancer Institute, the conventional method involves surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, hormone, or targeted therapy. Most breast cancer patients have surgery to remove the cancer from the breast. There are several types of surgery.

The total mastectomy involves removing the whole breast that has cancer. Some lymph nodes under the arm can be removed by a separate incision. Modified radical mastectomy removes the whole breast with cancer, lymph nodes under the arm, lining of the chest muscles, and or part of the chest wall muscles. Radical mastectomy remove the breast, chest wall muscles under the breast, and all the lymph nodes under the arm.

After the surgery, some patients may be given radiation, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells left behind. Radiation therapy involves using high energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wire which are directly placed into or near the cancer. Depending on the type and stage of cancer, the therapy may be slightly different.

Chemotherapy uses drugs to stop the cancer cells from growing. It can be administered by mouth or injected into the vein. The drugs travels through the bloodstream to reach cancer cells. Again, depending on the cancer stage and type, chemotherapy may be treated differently for each person.

Hormone therapy removes hormones or block their action and stops cancer cells. Tamoxifen is often given at early stages of breast cancer and those with metastatic breast cancer. Hormone therapy with tamoxifen or estrogen can act on cells all over the body and may increase the chance of developing endometrial cancer. Depending on whether the patient is post menopausal and hormone-dependent breast cancer, therapy can change accordingly.

Targeted therapy uses drugs or other source to kill cancer cells without harming the normal cells. Monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors are two types of therapies being studied to treat breast cancer.

Alternative, holistic, and natural treatments involve using only natural resources to heal the body. Breast cancer patients who have tried the conventional treatments and have been unsuccessful turn to alternative treatments. There are many successful stories of breast cancer survivors who have passed their remission stage and lead a normal healthy live.

Treating the body, mind, and soul are known to heal the body, naturally. We know that stress causes chemical imbalance in our bodies, sometimes lowering our immune system. Cancer patience, including breast cancer have lower immune system than healthy people. That's why doctors warn patients under going chemotherapy to avoid crowds to prevent getting pneumonia.

Eating whole organic vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, herbs, and tea are part of the treatment to getting better. There are also retreats that help breast cancer patients to relieve anxiety syndromes, stress, anger, and pain. Looking at the whole rather than parts of the body in terms of treating the disease holistically cures patients.

The Budwig diet, which involves eating a healthy vegetarian diet with low-fat cottage cheese and organic flax seed oil healed many breast cancer patients and others. The raw food diet also has testimonials of cancer patients leading a healthy lifestyle following the complete diet. Breast cancer is most common among women, however there are over 100 different types of cancer that strikes people every year. Why not educate yourself and find resources that best helps heal your disease.

It would not be surprising, therefore, that any ailment or condition that endangers the look, health and functionality of this vital body part would be a real source of worry to every lady.

Breast cancer, despite all medical and technological advances, as been on the rise in the last 50 years or so. The figures that stare us in the face when we check the records are quite alarming. But, there is no running away from these figures, they are real.

It's alarming but it is true that there's more breast cancer now than ever before. It is true that between 1979 and 1986 the incidence of invasive breast cancer in the United States alone has increased 29 percent among white women and 41 percent among black women, and incidences of all breast cancers doubled. It's true that despite yearly mammograms and advanced medical and diagnostic technology the percentage of women dying from breast cancer has remained virtually unchanged over the past 50 years, and that every 12 minutes throughout the last half of the 20th Century another woman died of breast cancer.

It is also fact that more than two hundred thousand cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year in the United States. In Canada about twenty thousand new cases, thirteen thousand in Australia and over forty one thousand in the UK. And it's true that breast cancer is the disease that women fear more than any other, that breast cancer is the biggest killer of all women aged 35 to 54, and that of the 2.5 million women currently diagnosed with breast cancer, half will be dead within ten years.

It really does not matter if you are 20 years old or 50 years old. You stand some risk of catching the monster. It is estimated that one in every nine women will get breast cancer at some period in her life

These are not pleasant tales. My purpose in painting these gory pictures, is not to scare anyone, but to make you see the importance of giving more attention to your breast. The more you know about breast cancer, the better.

Almost every woman is at risk of breast cancer, but records show that 80% of cases are found in woman over 50 years of age. There are several factors that can predispose one to breast cancer. Some are within your control and others are not. It therefore makes much sense to avoid the humanly controllable factors as much as possible. Most of these are the daily lifestyle choices we make. The problem is that these habits do not show the extent of damage they can cause to our body until we begin to get older, and by then the damage is done already.

Factors associated with breast cancer include:

- Taking an oral contraceptive pill

- Hormone replacement therapy

- Obesity and/or high fat diets

- Family history of breast cancer

It is worth stating here, however, that most breast cancers are hormonally related Other factors may also affecting the risk, include stress, carcinogens, excessive use of stimulants like alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes and exposure to pesticides and radiation.

Early detection of breast cancer is still the best guarantee of getting cured. Presently, six out of every seven patients diagnosed with breast cancer are cured at an early stage. However, if they are diagnosed when the cancer has become advanced, the cure rate falls to about one in seven. It is extremely important to catch breast cancer at an early stage if it is to be satisfactorily cured. This therefore makes knowing the symptoms very crucial.

Breast cancer, in its early stages hardly shows any sign at all. It does not cause any pain in most instances. Some of the symptoms associated with breast cancer include:

- Itching in the armpit or around the breast region

- Pink, red, or dark colored area (called erythematic) with texture similar to the skin of an orange

- Ridges and thickened areas of the skin of nipple or breast

- Appearance of a bruise that does not go away

- Nipple getting inverted

- Breast warm to the touch

- Pain in the breast which could vary from a constant ache to stabbing pains

- Change in texture as well as color of the skin around the nipple

- Change in the shape or size of a breast

- Dimpling of the breast skin

- Swelling or a lump in the armpit

- Discharge from the nipple

None of these symptoms is clear evidence of breast cancer, as most of the signs may also arise due to other conditions affecting the breast. Only a doctor can made a definite statement about the presence or otherwise of breast cancer after an exhaustive examination.

Know your breast, and how to self examine your breast and always report the slightest changes to a doctor. It's not worth taking chances with breast cancer. It's real and it's spreading like wild fire in the ever-polluted society we live in today. Do the little you can to keep your name off the breast cancer list, the sacrifice is worth it.

Cancer is caused by cell growth which is out of control and there are many different types of cancer which is classified by the type of cell that is affected initially. The cells which are damaged uncontrollably divide to form into lumps of tissue which are known as tumors. These tumors can alter the body functioning and grow bigger. The tumors which stay in one place and have limited amount of growth are benign whereas the malignant tumors are more dangerous. Malignant tumors are formed when a cancerous cell travels through the body in the blood or when the cell divides and grows.

Some of the different types of cancer in women are as below:

1. Breast Cancer: Breast Cancer is the most common type of cancer found in women. It begins in the breast and the cancerous cells spread to the other parts of the body. If this cancer is detected early, it can be cured or treated but if it has spread to the other parts of the body, it can be life threatening. The stage of the cancer has to be detected to decide the best treatment to undergo. Often, there are no symptoms of breast cancer in the early stages but as the cancer grows it may show the following symptoms of a change in the shape or size of the breast, a lump in the breast, nipple inversion or nipple discharge. The types of breast cancer are Invasive and non invasive.

2. Cervical Cancer: This type of cancer in women begins in the cervix which is the part of the uterus that opens to the vagina. Cervical Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. Human Papillomavirus is what causes the cervical cancer mostly. This virus is transmitted sexually and sometimes the immune system of the woman's body destroys the virus leading to normal state of the cervix. But sometimes the virus infection remains and leads to cancer. The Pap test and the HPV test should be done when recommended and should not be ignored. Treatments of cervical cancer can be systemic or local. The local treatments destroy or control the cancer cells in one area using radiation or surgery. Systemic treatments destroy or control the cells throughout the body using chemotherapy.

3. Ovarian Cancer: Ovarian Cancer in women causes bloating, abdominal pain, pelvic pain, difficulty in eating or urinary symptoms. It can also cause constipation, fatigue and pain in the body. A pelvic examination and pelvic ultrasound needs to be done to get tested for ovarian cancer. Surgery or chemotherapy is used for treatment of this cancer.

4. Vaginal Cancer: Vaginal Cancer in women starts in the vagina usually in the lining of the vagina and takes many years to develop. Pap tests help to detect vaginal cancers. The symptoms of vaginal cancer may be vaginal bleeding after lovemaking, pain while passing urine, pain during sexual lovemaking, constipation or abnormal discharge.

5. Vulvar Cancer: Vulvar cancer in women starts in the vulva which is the outer part of the reproductive system in females. This is not a very common type of cancer and can be cured if detected early.

6. Uterine Sacoma: This is the cancer that develops in the tissues of the uterus. The main types of uterine sarcoma are uterine leiomyosarcoma, uterine carcinosacoma, uterine adenosarcoma and endometrial sarcoma.

These are some of the conditions of cancer in women. It is required for women to undergo some tests like the Pap test and mammogram regularly to detect cancer early and to avoid cancer.