Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Types Of Breast Cancer

Types of breast cancer are categorized by which organ in charge for the production of breast milk it starts in, the ducts or the lobules. If you can understand the types, you will work with your physician more easily in order to find the best treatments. Read this article to know more about breast cancer types.




 


Most doctors still employ the traditional classifications when discussing in relation to types of breast cancer. But they use the latest research concerning characteristics of the disease to settle on the best option of treatment.


 


Breast cancer is not only one disease, but rather is a wide-ranging term applied to explain numerous various types of cancers that happen in the breast.

Most of them could be categorized into one of the classifications: infiltrating ductal carcinoma, infiltrating lobular carcinoma, ductal carcinoma in situ, lobular carcinoma in situ, inflammatory carcinoma, paget's disease, and cystosarcoma phyllodes.

 


The two most widespread breast cancer types are named after the parts of the breast in which they initiate.


 


- Ductal Carcinoma: begins in the cells which line the breast's ducts, under the nipple and areola. The ducts provide milk to the nipple. Between 85% and 90% of all breast cancers are ductal. If the cancer is DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), it is well enclosed, not invasive, and could be especially effectively treated. Typically detached at some point in a lumpectomy, if the tumor margins are obvious of cancer, follow-up treatment might contain radiation.

If ductal cancer has broken into close breast tissue (invasive cancer) after that a mastectomy might be required, and your doctor might suggest chemotherapy as well.

 


- Lobular Carcinoma: starts in the lobes, or glands which create milk in the breast. The lobes are placed deeper within the breast, beneath the ducts. Roughly 8% of breast cancers are lobular. If the cancer is LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ) that denotes the cancer is restricted inside the lobe and has not extended. It might be detached for the period of a lumpectomy, if the tumor margins are obvious of cancer, follow-up treatment might contain radiation. If lobular cancer has extend into close breast tissue (invasive cancer) after that a mastectomy might be required, and your doctor might advocate chemotherapy as well.


 

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Breast Cancer's Medical Oncologist

Oncology, a medicine's branch, deals with cancer studies and treatments. A doctor who specializes in the study and treatment of cancer is called a medical oncologist. Nevertheless, a breast cancer's medical oncologist first talks to a pathologist about the precise biological character of the treated tumor.




An oncologist deals with the diagnosis, therapy such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery, constant follow-up with the patient, and the screening of the relatives of the patient. Having diagnosed with breast cancer, a patient is informed with the 3 specialty areas in the treatment of the disease, which are as follows: medical oncology, surgical oncology and radiation oncology.

 


There are different methods in the diagnosis.

The medical oncologist for breast cancer may do a biopsy on the patient (may be incisional or excisional), x-rays or several blood tests. If a patient is diagnosed to have one, the treatment for the tumor that the medical oncologist would apply varies depending on the stage of the disease.

 


Chemotherapy may be done before or after surgery. Chemotherapy involves several kinds of drugs and these drugs are given to patients with primary breast cancer; breast cancer believed to have not yet spread outside the breast or to the lymph nodes. Chemotherapy can also be used to treat tumor that has already metastasized or have already spread to other organs in the body.


 


Another specialty therapy of a medical oncologist is hormone therapy. This hormone therapy interferes with the hormones in the body that stimulates the growth of the ailment. Hormone therapy can be done to patients with primary breast cancer or also to patients with tumor that has already spread to other organs in the body.


 


The treatment that the medical oncologist for breast cancer applies to patients, like chemotherapy, has certain side effects like loss of hair. These doctors are expert in their field and so they also are dealing with the treatment of the side effects and problems encountered by the patient with breast cancer.


 

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Explore the Benefits of Breast Reduction Surgery

It is a dream of many women to have large breasts, but for some their oversized breasts become a nightmare. Women with excessively large bosoms, that look odd in proportion to their body structure, not only face numerous embarrassments, but also suffer from a large number of health problems. If you are suffering from such problems, breast reduction surgery is the safest way to reduce the size of your bosoms and stay healthy.


 


Here are some of the major benefits of these kinds of surgeries:


 


1. Reduce shoulder, neck, and back pains: Oversized breasts can do a lot of harm to a woman's body. They cause severe shoulder, neck, and back pain. Excess weight of large breasts may lead to deformities in the skeletal structure, affecting your body posture. Breast reduction surgery reduces the size of your bosoms and helps you avoid all these discomforts.


 


2.

Improves your appearance: It becomes extremely embarrassing for women when their oversized bosoms draw unwanted attentions. With the help of breast reduction surgery, you can live freely and feel more comfortable about attending social gatherings. Moreover, these surgeries give your bosoms proper shape, making you look more attractive.

 


3. Improves your ability to work: Women with oversized breasts find it hard to perform certain activities like jogging, exercising, playing tennis, and so on. Since your body is carrying excess weight, you get tired easily and this affects your capability to work. If you opt for breast reduction surgery, you will be able to participate in your favorite activities and work energetically.


 


4. Wear whatever you want: It becomes difficult for women with oversized bosoms to find dresses in proportion to their body size.

Breast reduction surgery reduces your breasts' size and you can wear whatever you want… bikinis, lingerie, low cut dresses, or a gorgeous gown. Moreover, it also helps to alleviate psychological disorders like low self-esteem and depression.

 


According to medical researchers, breast reduction surgery is the best way for women with oversized breasts to improve their quality of life, including physical and psychological health. The benefits of these surgeries will last forever without any side effects. However, before you undergo such treatment procedures, you must do a little homework and find a qualified plastic surgeon with proven track record. This is very important and would ensure that you get value for the money you spend on such surgeries!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Breast Cancer - Signs & Symptoms

The best way to deal with breast cancer, both before being diagnosed and after, is to be completely knowledgeable about it. Educating yourself about its symptoms, signs and causes can help you detect it early and also avoid it. With every one woman in eight being at the risk of getting this cancer, it is the best thing we can do for ourselves.


To understand this type of cancer, it is important that you understand its signs and symptoms so you can detect it at an early stage and prevent any further harm.


Signs & Symptoms


The first subjective sign or first symptom of breast cancer is a lump that feels different from the rest of the breast tissue. As per the Merck Manual, more than almost 80 percent of cancer cases are detected by a women when she feels a lump through a breast self examination. The American Cancer Society states that the first medical sign of breast cancer is detected by the physician when he discovers it through a mammogram.

Another indication of this cancer is the detection of lumps in the lymph nodes located in the armpits, as the first area it starts spreading to is the lymph nodes there.

There are other signs or symptoms as well, like:


• Change in the size of the breast,
• Change of the shape,
• The skin of the breast starts dimpling,
• There is nipple inversion,
• Spontaneous single nipple discharge,
• Pain in the breast (mastodynia) is not a reliable symptom, but can also be indicative of other breast problems.


When the cancer cells spread to the dermal lymphatics, that is, the small lymph vessels present in the skin of the breast, it can resemble skin inflammation and thus is known as Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC).

The symptoms of this kind include pain, warmth, swelling, redness throughout the breast and an orange peel texture to the skin, which is referred to as peau d'orange.

Paget's disease of the Breast


Another complex symptom of this cancer is the Paget's disease of the breast. In this syndrome the skin presents changes as eczematoid skin changes. It shows redness and mild flaking of the skin of the nipple. It is said that as Paget's advances, the symptoms may change to redness, itching, tingling, burning, increased sensitivity and pain. Around half of the women diagnosed with Paget's syndrome have also had a lump in the breast.


Metastatic Breast Cancer


Sometimes the cancer presents itself as metastatic disease, which means the cancer that has spread from its original organ, the breast. The symptoms of this type depend upon the location of the metastasis. Common sites where metastasis occurs is the bone, lung, liver and the brain. Unexplained weight loss can be a sign of an occurrence of cancer, as can fever and chills. Pain in the joints can be manifestations of this cancer. Jaundice and neurological symptoms, too, could point towards this. These symptoms are non-specific; that means they could be the symptoms of any other illness.


Many times the symptoms of a breast disorder do not turn out to represent breast cancer. There are benign breast diseases, like mastitis and fibrodenoma, which can be the causes of the symptoms, though any symptom should be considered seriously at all times by both patients and doctors.


Being diagnosed with breast cancer can be an unsettling experience. Useful resources to deal with this time are books. You could consider Secrets of Cancer Survivors by Elizabeth Gould. For more information, please click here: http://www.secretsofcancersurvivors.com