The Breast Health and Healing Foundation

Friday, May 30, 2014

The Health Benefits of the Thirst-Quenching Watermelon

By Vera Viner

When you have that first bite of a watermelon, the sweet taste bursts in your mouth while the juices start dripping down your chin. You would never have thought that something as sweet as the watermelon could have some significant health benefits and be part of a fresh plant-based diet.

According to Medical News Today, watermelons have plenty of vitamin C, which retains the strength of your immune system, stops cell damage, and keeps teeth healthy. Robust immunity goes a long way to preventing disease such as the common cold or even cancer. This red and green fruit is a good source of vitamin A as well, which boosts eye health. Another interesting vitamin that the watermelon possesses is vitamin B6, which promotes healthy brain function.

The red and juicy parts of the watermelon are full of phytochemicals including lycopene. The substance lycopene can actually protect your body from cellular damage that causes cancer. Additionally, one study found that this fruit can actually prevent some cardiovascular problems such as prehypertension and lower aortic blood pressure.

Watermelon also has an excess of L-citrulline, which has lowered the aches linked to muscle soreness. One study had participants eat watermelon after a difficult exercise session to lower muscle soreness. If you’re looking to add potassium to your diet, you can’t go wrong with a slice of watermelon. Potassium will lower high rates of blood pressure and improve muscle and nerve function.

One of the best ways to incorporate watermelon in your weekly diet is to make a fruit salad for dessert. Along with watermelon, some great fruits to add to your salad include pineapple chunks, blueberries, cantaloupe, raspberries, honeydew melon, and strawberries. If you incorporate a plant-based diet into your lifestyle and exercise regularly as well, you will be going a long way toward preventing breast cancer and other diseases.

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The Chances of Breast Cancer Metastasizing

By Dr. Kathleen Ruddy

Often times, women with breast cancer are curious about statistics regarding metastasis. There are many statistics out there, and they can be frightening. There are many reasons not to even look at them, including the fact that they can be swayed depending on a woman’s lifestyle choices. When breast cancer metastasizes, it means that it moves to other areas of a woman’s body. With the appropriate resources, a woman can fight her way through breast cancer. Learning more about options can be a great tool to help with this.

The Good News

Almost 98 percent of survivors that find breast cancer before it metastasizes, do not have a problem with it metastasizing after 5 years, due to treatment. These are great odds, and can really show how good it is to find breast cancer early, before it spreads anywhere else. There are ways to lower your chances of your breast cancer metastasizing, if you find it early enough. This includes eating healthy, exercising, thinking positive, taking all treatment options available, and perhaps undergoing surgery to remove cancerous cells if your doctor recommends it. Risk factors such as family history can play a part in the chances of breast cancer metastasizing. Doctors use resources to trace the metastasized breast cancer back to other areas of your body. This can be highly beneficial because it means that the cancer is not going undetected. If you have breast cancer that metastasizes, doctors will trace it back to the part of your body where it originated – the breast. From there, both cancers can be treated at the same time.

The Bad News

According to statistics, metastatic breast cancer is going up about 2 percent every single year. Sadly, about 30 percent of women with breast cancer, will find out they have metastatic breast cancer. About 13 percent of these women will not even know that they have breast cancer until it spreads and metastasizes elsewhere. About 2,000 men per year are affected by metastatic breast cancer as well. The breast cancer is found in their breast tissue, and though they are not commonly found to have breast cancer, it is entirely possible. When breast cancer metastasizes, it is about 62 percent less likely to respond successfully to treatment, according to recent statistics. This can vary depending on where it metastasizes. Lymph nodes can be removed, so it makes it a bit easier to treat. The lungs or brain are not easy to treat, and will often be fatal.

EDITOR’S TIP:

If you are unsure about how to contact resources to help with breast cancer, and possibilities of metastasis, you can talk to your doctor. They will often have information to link you with a support group. From there, you can reach out to other resources that you might find helpful.

Breast cancer is often looked upon as a death sentence, but it’s not. If caught early enough, breast cancer may not metastasize, and it will also be more easily treatable. Through routine mammograms and self-breast exams, early detection of breast cancer is better than ever, which brings a better prognosis to patients. Resources that a woman needs include a great support system, a doctor that is willing to fight as hard as she is, and the willpower to keep going. Because breast cancer is becoming more prevalent, knowledge is key.

Surgically Removing Papillary Neoplasms From the Breast

By Dr. Kathleen Ruddy

Papillary neoplasms in the breast are abnormalities in the breast tissue that concern doctors because of their unpredictability. They may be detected with mammography or because they cause unpleasant nipple discharge. Even if the neoplasms appear harmless when they are discovered, they can develop into cancer with time. Surgical removal is commonly recommended by oncologists. Knowing about the neoplasm can help patients understand their doctor’s suggestions and cooperate with them to choose the best treatment.

A Neoplasm

A neoplasm is an abnormal mass of tissue that results from abnormal cell growth. The cell growth is not proportional to the surrounding cells and continues even after the stimuli that caused it ceases. Some neoplasms form a lump, but not all of them. The ones who form a lump are also called tumors.

Potentially malignant neoplasms do not yet act as cancer, but will transform into cancer if they are given enough time. Malignant neoplasms are commonly known as cancer; they destroy the surrounding tissue, can form metastases and can be lethal.

Benign Papillary Tumor

The name “papillary” comes from the finger-like projections, or papules, seen when the tumor is examined under the microscope. Most papillary tumors are benign and these are called papillomas. When a papillary tumor is discovered, a doctor will usually perform a biopsy to see whether the tumor is benign or malignant. The problem with this is that such biopsy, where only a little part of the tumor is taken out, is often not reliable. It could happen that only the benign part of the tumor was taken out, and the malignant part was missed.

Even if the biopsy showed that the tumor is benign, doctors will often recommend surgical excision to make sure the tumor doesn’t further develop.

Malignant Papillary Tumor

Malignant papillary tumors are a form of breast cancer. They are a subtype of the invasive ductal cancer, meaning that they are likely to invade other tissues around them. Like other types of ductal cancers, papillary breast cancer or papillary carcinoma begins in the milk ducts of the breast. Often this type of cancer starts with the ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) where the cancer cells are confined to the ducts. After the DCIS has developed, it often transforms into the invasive papillary cancer which spreads to other tissues.

The Symptoms of Papillary Carcinoma

A routine mammography might detect an abnormality in the breast, which is later identified as the papillary carcinoma. Besides the mammogram, other clues can help recognize this particular breast cancer. One symptom is a mass or a lump that forms in the breast and can be felt with the hand during breast examination. The mass is small in size, usually measuring 2 to 3 cm. Another symptom is bloody nipple discharge if the tumor is positioned beneath the nipple, which is the case in 50 percent of papillary carcinomas.

Surgical Removal of Papillary Tumors

To determine if the surgery is necessary doctors will do a needle biopsy to examine a part of the tumor to see if it is malignant or potentially cancerous. Even if the biopsy showed that the tumor is benign, doctors will often recommend surgical excision to make sure the tumor doesn’t further develop. In some cases, breast conservation surgery or lumpectomy will be done to remove only the part of the breast which contained the tumor. Mastectomy is most commonly administered treatment with papillary carcinoma. It results in full removal of the breast, but it makes the recurrence of the cancer much less likely.

Accompanying Treatments

Sometimes other treatments besides the surgery are necessary. Doctors will adjust the treatment to the features of the tumor and the stage of the cancer. If the papillary tumor is invasive, it is often treated the same as the invasive ductal carcinoma. Radiation therapy after the surgery makes sure that no cancer cells are left in the breast and in the lymph nodes. Chemotherapy is also often recommended, as well as the therapy that targets the HER2 protein. The hormonal therapy is sometimes performed. Different therapies might be combined to achieve the best result.

Although often benign, papillary neoplasms can often be an indicator of cancer and turn into one if left alone long enough. Doctors will perform a biopsy to determine whether the tumor is malignant. Women should pay attention to any nipple discharge, especially bloody because it is a symptom of papillary carcinoma. In case of papillary carcinoma, surgery is required to remove the cancerous tissue. Even when the tumor is not cancerous, some doctors prefer to surgically remove the abnormal breast tissue to make sure the cancer doesn’t form. With prompt action, dangerous neoplasms can be efficiently removed, and the breasts conserved.

Breast Cancer: Interpreting a Tumor Size Chart

By Dr. Kathleen Ruddy

As a woman, you have a 12.5 percent chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer in your lifetime. According to the American Cancer Society, almost 300,000 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in 2012. Modern medicine, combined with increased awareness of early warning signs, makes breast cancer a highly curable disease when caught early. How curable depends, in part, on the size of the tumor at the time of diagnosis. Your doctor uses a standardized tumor size chart to determine your prognosis.

What is a tumor size chart?

A tumor size chart provides your doctor with a reference of how different sizes, stages and types of tumors affect prognosis and treatment. Tumor size is measured in centimeters. Tumor stages are described with Roman numerals. Tumor types are described as in situ, which is also called noninvasive, or as invasive, also known as infiltrating. Tumor types are further broken down based on where in the breast they are located.

How is the size of a tumor measured?

Tumor size is measured in centimeters. One centimeter is a little less than half an inch, or the approximate width of the nail on your pinky finger. On a tumor size chart, tumors are usually represented as circles or spheres, and are captioned with the appropriate centimeter measurement.

EDITOR’S TIP:

If you are looking for some natural remedies for breast cancer tumors, there are a medley of options to consider. Though your cancer is not cured, your immune system is bolstered to help fight the cancerous tissues to a degree. Some of these home treatments include a balanced diet, vitamin D, calcium and the consumption of fruits and vegetables, like broccoli and grapes.

How does a doctor determine the stage of a tumor?

Using the tumor size chart, your doctor determines the tumor size, whether nearby lymph nodes are affected and whether there is metastasis of the tumor. This group of factors determines the stage of the tumor. This type of staging is called TNM staging, for Tumor Size, Nearby Nodes and Metastasis. The stage is then further defined by grouping it into an overall stage, using Roman numerals from 0 to IV, from least serious to most serious.

How do size and stage affect prognosis?

As a very general rule, the smaller a tumor, and the lower the stage, the better the prognosis for five year survival rate. A tumor smaller than 1 centimeter, and in stage 0, I or II offers a 93 percent chance of five year survival. As size and stage increase, five year survival rates decrease.

A tumor size chart is a helpful tool in determining the proper course of treatment as well as prognosis for a breast cancer patient. However, you should keep in mind that cancer treatments and individual responses are highly dependent on a number of factors, such as overall health of the patient and family history. Talk to your doctor about your concerns. Together, you can craft the best outcome for your circumstances.

Microcalcifications and Breast Cancer: What You Need to Know

By Dr. Kathleen Ruddy

Microcalcifications are tiny calcium deposits about the size of a grain of salt that occasionally form in the breast. Because of their diminutive size, they never cause visible lumps. They never ache or cause pain of any kind, and they cannot be felt from the outside during a very thorough and careful self-exam or even during a physical examination performed by an experienced physician. The fact that microcalcifications are so common, yet so impossible to detect by sight or touch, is one of the best reasons never to skip an annual mammogram. Read on to learn about the causes, risks, and treatment of malignant microcalcifications.

Causes of Microcalcifications

The majority of microcalcifications are benign. Benign microcalcifications occur as a result of any number of things from cell secretions to mastitis, which is an infection in the milk ducts. These calcifications are no cause for concern, and don’t require any further testing or treatment.

Malignant Microcalcifications

A small percentage of microcalcifications, however, do require a more thorough examination. These microcalcifications appear on a mammogram in very tight clusters, and they are polymorphic, that is, they are markedly different in size and shape when compared to other deposits that exist in the breast. If clustered polymorphic microcalcifications appear on your mammogram, you will be sent for another mammogram, this time with magnification. An ultrasound may be ordered as well. If the more detailed mammogram and ultrasound images do not allay your doctor’s suspicions, then he will talk to you about doing a biopsy of the microcalcifications in your breast.

EDITOR’S TIP:

Even though ductal carcinoma in situ is stage 0, that does not lessen the anxiety of having to go through treatment for it. To help deal with the stress of undergoing radiation treatment, you can employ some alternative therapies such as massage, music therapy, yoga, and meditation.

Diagnosis of Malignant Microcalcifications

If your doctor advises you to have a biopsy, and that biopsy reveals one or more areas of malignancy in your microcalcifications, then your diagnosis is ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). In the case of DCIS, the diseased cells are limited to the milk ducts, and have not invaded any of the surrounding tissue. This type of cancer is classified as stage 0 because it is non-invasive, which means that it is not life threatening. However, treatment is required in order to keep the diseased cells from eventually invading the tissue surrounding the milk ducts. If this cancer goes untreated, and is allowed to spread even by a tiny margin beyond the milk ducts, it becomes an invasive cancer, and invasive cancer is life threatening.

DCIS Treatment Options

The treatment of DCIS is surgical. Immediately following diagnosis, you will be presented with two options. The first surgery that you could elect to have is a lumpectomy. During a lumpectomy, the diseased microcalcification is removed from your breast. The surgeon will remove it with a small margin of healthy tissue surrounding it, but it will not be so much tissue that an additional cosmetic or reconstructive procedure will be necessary. In order to achieve a cure as well as to protect against the remote possibility of recurrence, a lumpectomy should be followed by a course of radiation treatments. The second surgical option is a mastectomy, but because a simple lumpectomy followed by a course of radiation is such an effective cure for DCIS, removing the entire breast is unnecessary, except under certain very specific circumstances. You should consider a mastectomy if you have a very large cluster of diseased cells that is more than half the size or your entire breast, if you are not a candidate for radiation due to pregnancy or a chronic health condition, or if diseased cells were found near the margins of the tissue sample that was used for your biopsy.

Coping with a DCIS Diagnosis

Reach out and ask your doctor for more information, take advantage of the resources that he provides you with to learn everything that you can about DCIS, so you can go into your surgery feeling confident. When the time for your radiation treatments draws near, visit the hospital where you’ll be treated and inquire about a cancer patient education center, or something similar to The Patient Education Office at MD Anderson Cancer Center. More and more of the major hospitals and cancer centers have offices dedicated to educating patients, and there you’ll find a schedule of free classes and seminars on what to expect as you start radiation and how to manage the side effects. The classes and seminars are taught and given by nurses who are currently working on the oncology floors of these hospitals. The information and advice they have to offer is based on their first-hand experience, which makes it infinitely more valuable than anything you could read in a pamphlet.

Mammograms are normally employed only when you are old enough for regular annual screenings or after a lump of some sort has been felt during a breast examination. However, in the case of malignant microcalcifications, they cannot be felt under skin until after they become invasive, and at that point, it is much more serious. As such, they are rarely identified until after you begin regular mammograms at the age of 40, but if you have a family history or known increased risk factors for breast cancer, your doctor may wish to start regular screening at an earlier age. To increase your chance of catching malignant microcalcifications before they have become invasive, talk to your doctor about your family history and health to determine the best time to start regular mammograms.

Can Breast Cancer Spread to Other Locations?

By Dr. Kathleen Ruddy

Many breast cancer patients worry about the possibility of their condition spreading to other parts of the body. Such concerns are valid because when breast cancer does spread to other parts, it exerts a heavy toll on its victims physically, psychologically, and emotionally. Mostly, cancerous cells travel from breasts to other body tissues or organs through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to die, stay inactive, or multiply to cause secondary (metastatic) cancer. Since a diagnosis with secondary breast cancer can be very devastating, an insightful assessment of the good and bad news around it can help a victim cope well with the condition.

The Good News

When breast cancer does spread to other parts of the body, it remains medically manageable and patients need not panic about it. For instance, discomforts such as pain can be addressed using painkillers. Techniques such as radiotherapy and drugs like bisphosphonates can help ease pain in bones affected with metastatic breast cancer. Overall, a patient can successfully manage breast cancer that spreads to other parts of the body if he or she pursues appropriate medication. Secondly, psychological approaches can help maintain a good mental or emotional health after diagnosis with secondary breast cancer. Patients can secure help for how to accept their situation and deal with emotions such as anger, anxiety, or fear. Thus, it is necessary for a patient who has secondary breast cancer to talk to friends, family members, and most importantly, a mental health specialist about their condition.

The aim for a patient is to cultivate a positive attitude about his or her unfortunate condition, as he or she pursues other effective remedies to secondary breast cancer. Thirdly, a good level of physical health can help one cope well with secondary breast cancer. Eating healthy is critical in the management of cancer at all stages. Additionally, regular exercise helps keep a good physical health for the body to respond well to other therapeutic interventions being administered to manage secondary breast cancer. In the same vein, a patient experiencing symptoms of metastatic cancer should get enough rest (including sleep) to keep good physical health.

The Bad News

Although not common, breast cancer can spread to the brain. This is especially true for most patients suffering from HER2-positive breast cancer, though other types of breast cancer may also cause brain metastases. When breast cancer spreads to the brain, the victim experiences symptoms that include severe headaches, dizziness, or seizures. At this stage, radiation, surgery, or steroids can be used to deal with the tumor. Secondly, the symptoms of secondary breast cancer can be very overwhelming. If the cancer spreads to bones, the patient experiences a lot of pain. Breathing becomes difficult if the lungs are affected. The emotional impact is even worse. The worst news about secondary breast cancer strikes at terminal stages. Patients terminally ill with metastatic cancer experience a difficult time with a highly compromised quality of life. When cancer reaches a very advanced stage, the role of family members in providing emotional support to the patient cannot be overemphasized. At this stage, it becomes necessary for both the patient and his or her family to accept the unacceptable and follow expert advice to the end.

DID YOU KNOW?

Not all cancerous cells traveling from the infected breasts to other body tissues and organs survive to cause secondary cancer. Doctors do not know why this is so to date.

When breast cancer does spread to other parts of the body, it can wreak havoc on its victim. Many patients have a difficult time coping with the symptoms of secondary breast cancer for lack of access to helpful information. This may lead to avoidable early deaths. However, accurate knowledge of both the positive and negative facts around secondary breast cancer can help a patient manage the condition and enhance the quality of his or her life.

Cookies and Cancer

By Vera Viner

Have you heard of KFC’s “Buckets for the Cure” campaign partnering with the Susan G. Komen Foundation? That’s right; Komen decided to raise money for breast cancer research by feeding women cancer-causing fried chicken. These type of stunts make me sick. There are countless of other examples that Komen has pulled such as its“Promise Me” perfume filled with cancer-causing ingredients and its Pink handguns fiasco after threatening to pull funding from Planned Parenthood. However, today we will not be discussing Komen but another organization that seems to be just as misguided.

Sunday morning, I got up and decided to make crepes for breakfast. I was going to use whole wheat flour, milk, eggs, and throw in some fruits once it was all done. As I started cooking, lo and behold, I saw an advertisement on my bag of flour. The ad asked you to be a “bakesale hero” and join the nonprofit “Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.” I almost had a heart attack! Selling cookies and baked goods to fund pediatric cancer research???

This is clearly another misguided organization that does not understand how cancer works.Science Daily reported that excessive amounts of sugar can cause cancer development. Sugar and obesity are also related, as the high amount of calories in sugary drinks and junk food can lead to excess weight. Obesity and an improper diet can lead to Diabetes and cancer. In fact, the diabetic population has twice as much risk of suffering from pancreatic or colon cancer.

Dr. Custodia Garcia-Jimenez and his team from the University Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid found that high amounts of sugar stimulates the activity of a gene that causes cancer progression. This research was published in the Molecular Cell journal.

“We were surprised to realize that changes in our metabolism caused by dietary sugar impact on our cancer risk,” Dr. Garcia-Jimenez told the source. “We are now investigating what other dietary components may influence our cancer risk. Changing diet is one of easiest prevention strategies that can potentially save a lot of suffering and money.”

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported that too much sugar can lead to weight gain, and being overweight puts a person at risk for cancer and other diseases. It is advised for women to have no more than six teaspoons of sugar per day, which includes natural sugars from fruit, milk, honey, and grains.

“Your body’s cells use sugar to keep your vital organs functioning,” said Clare McKindley, clinical dietitian at MD Anderson’s Cancer Enjoy -- baby cocacola child girl coke kid drink soda pop princessg person can

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Prevention Center. “But too much daily sugar can cause weight gain. And, unhealthy weight gain and a lack of exercise can increase your cancer risks.”

When it comes to children and preventing cancer, it is so important to reduce the amount of sugar kids get. For instance, soda and sugary beverages cause so many health problems for both children and adults. It’s imperative to follow a plant-based diet filled with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats like poultry. If you want to help the cancer cause, start by advocating the importance of a healthy diet.