The Good News About Breast Cancer Treatment

Have you ever wondered if there is any good news about breast cancer treatment? Through modern medical breakthroughs, this disease is growing more curable every day.

EARLIER DISCOVERY
With state-of-the-art equipment and techniques, malicious cell structures are being discovered much earlier than ever before. This means they're smaller when found, and they haven't had a chance to metastasize or to spread destructively. They're getting less and less of a chance to affect lymph nodes, organs, and other parts of the body.

INCREASED EMPHASIS
Trends today are on the increase for more and more screenings and regular yearly mammograms. This fact has greatly increased the effectiveness of breast cancer treatment as well as the survival rate.

The most crucial things a woman can do are to get an annual mammogram, a complete examination by a trained health professional, and perform monthly self-exams. The earlier a diagnosis can be made, the better chance there is for a cure.

DRUGS
Scientific medication research has improved tremendously. Those who are at increased risk clearly have many more effective options. There are even several drugs that can "stave off" the disease in those who are at higher risk.

CURRENT CHANGES
Breast cancer treatment has altered considerably over the last decade. No longer is a complete mastectomy considered to be the only way to control the disease. Thankfully, today's emphasis is on preservation and a simple technique called a lumpectomy may be all that's needed followed by a degree of radiation. State-of-the-art machines and radiation devices have improved so much over the years many organs and other parts of the body can be spared from damage while targeting only one part.

CHEMOTHERAPY
Throughout the last years, chemotherapy has been much improved. There are better drugs and the combination usage of these drugs is more effective.

Specialists are able today to personalize breast cancer treatment on an individual basis by looking closely at certain genes in each person. The scrutiny of these genes will help the specialist to determine if the person would be best helped by the use of hormone therapy, chemotherapy, or no therapy. This is quite an advancement from years ago when every patient was treated alike.

THE FUTURE
The future looks bright as increased advances are discovered. New technology will most likely be able to detect cells "as small as 1 to 2 mm" versus traditional technology, which can only detect in the 5 to 10 mm range.

There are new and improved genetic tests in the medical field. They'll be able to inform people who have a high risk of this disease in their genes whether they'll be at risk themselves.

The good news is that breast cancer treatment is better understood today than it has ever been before. With rapid discoveries through scientific research, more targeted therapy can be incorporated every day. The future is bright as advances are made to diagnose and treat.

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My Journey With Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer: The Lump

In December of 2006, I was doing a self-breast exam and found a lump in my left breast. My heart stopped and I held my breath. It was one of those times when you already know what you are going to hear. I knew before the process even started that I had Breast Cancer, so I began to mentally prepare myself for the journey that lay ahead.

Breast Cancer: The Process

I didn't have a primary care physician at the time so I talked to some friends of mine and they recommended a doctor, I called an made an appointment. In the mean time we were concerned about what this was going to do to us financially because we didn't have insurance. My husband and I went to the appointment and he agreed that I needed to have a mammogram, so his office called and set the appointment up for the following week. I arrived for my appointment and I have to say I was a little nervous, they took me back for the mammogram, then a more extensive mammogram and with the findings they decided that I needed to have an ultrasound. From the findings of the ultrasound they scheduled a needle core biopsy for the following week. When I was there for the mammogram they told me about a program for women with breast cancer, so I did all the paper work and test that they required (very quickly, I might add) and thank God, we qualified. So, the financial burden was lifted. They did the biopsy and I went home to await the results. They called a few days later and said that the biopsy came back negative but that they still had some concerns, so an appointment was set with a surgeon. After the review board met they decided that I needed to have the lump removed.

Breast Cancer: The Surgeries

My husband and I met with the surgeon and schedule the lumpectomy for the 18th. That Friday we had another appointment with the surgeon where he gave us the results. I had breast cancer, the early stage, DCIS--Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. If your going to have breast cancer this is the best one to have because it means that the cancer hasn't become invasive. The surgeons office then made me an appointment with an oncologist, where he recommended 5-6 weeks of radiation and either Tamoxifen or Evista for 5 years. I had already done research on the course of treatments and had decided against the radiation (to many side effects years down the road) and I opted to take the Evista. This was a wrong choice for me. Hot flashes started almost immediately and they were extremely intense. Then the mood swings started and at times I felt like I was losing my mind. I called the oncologist and they put me on an anti-depressant. Within a few days I felt like myself again, but with after a few more months on the Evista and the side effects that I was experiencing we made the choice to stop taking it, but what we found in its wake I wasn't really prepared for. It left me with chemical depression and I have suffered from depression every since. Even after all of this I met with the surgeon once again and he said that the tumor still had some concerns and that I needed to have a breast MRI, they scheduled that for 17th and another lumpectomy on the 18th, depending on the results I could end up with a mastectomy. The breast MRI was an experience, I was fine until the contrast material hit my system and I had a reaction to it, it caused me to not be able to control my thought process. Once I recovered from that I went home to wait for the results. The surgeon called Thursday and scheduled an appointment to see him the following day. The surgeon came into the room and said, "No problems with the right breast, but there is another worrisome spot in the left, he scheduled me to have another surgery on Wednesday the 24th. We arrived at the hospital, had the surgery, they were able to just do the lumpectomy and find clear margins, so no mastectomy. I will say this, had I known all that I was going to go through I would have opted for a double mastectomy from the beginning.

Breast Cancer: The Support System

My support system begins with my relationship with God, had I not had the faith that I did this whole process would have been much harder for me. I had a great church family that prayed with and for me. I drew strength from those who were praying. I knew that God was with me throughout the entire process. My husband was with me every step of the way. He went to all my appointments and held me when I cried. He loved me through it all. My children were there for me, my parents and my mother-in-law. We had friends who made meals for us, we received encouraging phone calls, visits and cards. I had family and friends reaching out from New York and Washington state. My family and I were very blessed with all the support that we had. I had one really good friend that walked with me through the entire emotional process, she was my voice of reason and I will be eternally grateful to here for how she helped me walk through the process.

Breast Cancer: The Emotional Roller-Coaster

I know that there are women out there who walked through this process a little stronger than me, women who's cancer was further advanced than mine and I have great respect for them, but this is my journey. I had days where I was extremely strong and new that I was going to come out of this just fine. But when your doctor comes in to tell you that you have that dreaded "C" word, "CANCER", you have breast cancer your heart stops beating for just a moment, you don't feel like you can breathe. I had a wave of emotions go through me in a matter of seconds and of course then came the tears and all of the what ifs. My surgeon reassured me that the we had caught the breast cancer in the early stages and that I should be just fine. Doesn't matter what they say you still go through the wringer. When I would have a really bad day I would put my iPod on and listen to the CD by Jason Upton, "Open Up the Earth" and peace would flood my soul, I also began meditating. My support system helped me through the tough emotional times.

Breast Cancer: The Reconstruction

Even though I had opted for the lumpectomy, after having two of them, my breast no longer matched. My right breast was a size and a half larger than my left. I finally decided after nine months to have reconstruction. I made an appointment with a plastic surgeon and scheduled my surgery for February 2008. I ended up having a maxoplasty and a mammoplasty so that my breast were the same size and lifted. I was extremely pleased with the outcome of the surgery and bounced back pretty quickly. This was the right choice for me. Once again I had my support system there to help me through the recovery process.

Breast Cancer: The Aftermath

When you are first diagnosed your thought process is consumed with thoughts of breast cancer, all the what ifs, the choices you need to make and the big one, what if it reoccurs. As time goes by, decisions are made and your mammograms begin to come back clear your life takes on a new normalcy. You begin to live life again, you start making plans for your future and now that I am seven years down the road I don't think about it every day. I know that it could reoccur, I know the risks that are involved if it does, but I have already made my choices: I would have a double mastectomy, reconstruction, chemo and more changes in my diet. Life is good! Since being diagnosed I chose to go back to school and I graduated last May. My relationships have deepened, my family has drawn closer and I am loving living life. The only downside to all that I have been through is the chemical depression that was left in its wake, but I am dealing with it each and every day, I am not allowing it to stop me. I choose to live life.

Breast Cancer: Parting Thoughts

I advise every women to self-breast exams, have a yearly mammogram and have a plan of action in case breast cancer ever visits your life. Make plans for your life, I did. I have chosen to work from home online where I have flexibility and can share my stories with others.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_L_Arkin

Breast Cancer

Among all cancers in women, he takes the first place. In most cases, breast cancer develops in the presence of precancerous changes. This is primarily a benign mammary dysplasia and papilloma ducts.

Breast cancer is represented macroscopically nodular and diffuse forms, as well as cancer of the nipple and the nipple of the field (Paget's disease of the breast). For the nodular cancers are characterized by the node having a diameter of up to several centimeters. In some cases, a tight knot, is permeated with whitish layers tissue penetrating into the surrounding fatty tissue, in others - a soft, juicy on the cut, splits easily. Diffuse prostate cancer is covered for a considerable distance, the contours of the tumor are marked bad. Sometimes the cancer invades the skin and forms on the surface of decaying mushroom formation - a cancerous ulcer. In some cases, the tumor spreads along the surface of the breast and all the iron is covered with a dense shell.

In histological structure are the following types of breast cancer:

• noninvasive: intralobular and intraduct;

• infiltrative.

Noninvasive breast cancer can be intralobular (lobular carcinoma in situ), and intraduct (ductal carcinoma in situ).

Infiltrating (invasive) cancer is characterized by varying degrees of tissue and cell irregularities, which allowed to distinguish different degree of malignancy. This type of cancer include, in particular, infiltrating ductal and lobular carcinoma, which usually has the structure of scirrhus, as well as Paget's disease.

Causes of Breast Cancer.

The causes of breast cancer often are hormonal changes in the body: the entry into menopause, when there is an active restructuring of the hormonal regulation of the woman, the ovaries lose their activity, decreased production of progesterone and estrogen, the body is going through, "hormonal crisis." The mammary gland and endometrium (lining of the uterus) are most responsive to these changes, the breast tissue begins to dissolve and be replaced by fat.

Scientifically established that the female hormones estrogen-, plays a key role in the development of breast cancer. The excess hormones in the body creates a favorable background for developing the disease. The least active hormones estrogen behave during pregnancy and after birth - during breastfeeding. It is proved that the birth and prolonged breastfeeding (more than 1 year) to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. On the other hand, abortion lead to hormonal "explosion" in a woman's body that can trigger the development of tumors. So far there is no consensus about the impact on the development of tumors of hormonal contraceptive drugs, but it is believed that these drugs reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, but increase the risk of developing cancer of the female genital organs, and osteoporosis. In addition predisposition to breast cancer can cause harmful environmental factors: the environment, as well as inflammatory diseases previously deferred breast - mastitis.

In addition, patients with a family of first-degree relatives with breast cancer (mothers and sisters) risk of developing a tumor increasing by more than half - familial forms of cancer.

Benign breast diseases such as fibrocystic breast disease, or fibroadenoz intraduct papillomatosis alone do not lead to cancer, but at the same time, create an unfavorable background for its development.

The cause of breast cancer may be the effects of radiation, such as irradiation of the chest for other diseases (lung tumors, the lymphatic system), prolonged and frequent chest X-ray studies on inflammatory diseases or pulmonary tuberculosis.

Constitutional obesity can lead to cancer of the breast and female reproductive system, with an excess fatty tissue in the body, it becomes a separate endocrine organ and begins to actively produce hormones-estrogens, whose action and provokes the development of tumors.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

There are several forms of the growth of breast cancer:

- Nodular form, the most common, is characterized by a dense knot of 0.5 to 5 cm or more, it is characterized by all of the following symptoms;

- Diffuse. All of them are very aggressive, grow quickly, almost lightning speed, the tumor with no clear boundaries, "spreading" of the breast and skin. For the first two forms are characteristic signs of inflammation: pain of the breast, a bright red color of the skin it raises body temperature to 39 degrees C. In view of these symptoms often occur, and errors in diagnosis of patients treated for inflammatory diseases, which are named and are referred to these forms breast cancer. When tubular carcinoma breast cancer cover as a "skin" of its contracting and decreasing in size.

In some cases, breast cancer manifests in the form of metastases in the lymph nodes on the affected side, often fails to detect the tumor itself - show hidden breast cancer.

For small tumors of the breast, any symptoms arise. The most observant women and their husbands are able to detect tumor site in the gland by chance, but in a large breast to detect small size hard knot. Revealed a knot can be painful when pressed, round, smooth and agile, this speaks in favor of a benign tumor. Signs of malignancy other: a tight knot to touch the stone, its surface is uneven, it is stationary or slightly shifted, can be firmly fixed to the surrounding tissue or skin, usually painless, can reach a significant size (more than 3 - 5 cm and sometimes 10-15 cm).

Need to assess the surface of the skin over the tumor: the malignant process will be observed retraction of the skin, picking up in the folds, wrinkles, a symptom of "lemon peel" - a local swelling of the skin over the tumor, may be a direct tumor invasion to the skin surface, then it becomes a bright red color and sprawl as "cauliflower."

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