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Breast Cancer Bracelets Promote Cancer Awareness

lginger — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 21:04:40 +0000

Breast cancer affects more than 200,000 women every year in United States alone. Taking away someone’s mom, sister, neighbor, teacher, good friend, or wife everyday. Like AIDS, the strongest weapons anyone can have to fight this illness are correct information and awareness.

Cancer bracelets caught the eye of the public when a famous cancer survivor wore one as a symbol. This is non other than seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. He is an American cyclist who became instant celebrity after winning the famous bicycle race. He suffered testicular cancer that affects 8,000 – 9,000 men every year. He went through chemotherapy and surgery to treat the disease. He founded Lance Armstrong Foundation to help patients and their families survive any type of cancer.

The purpose of these bracelets is to attract attention to the growing problem of cancer, make people think about it and take it more seriously and help fund the efforts being made to combat the dreadful disease.

The most popular breast cancer bracelets are the simple, colored pink and usually made from rubber that has inspirational words like “Faith, hope & strength” etched on each bracelet. They appeal to both teens and mature individuals sharing the same thoughts about the disease. These bracelets are commonly made from silicone, gold, sterling silver, crystals, rubber, optic and silver beads.

At this time, more and more companies are coming up with breast cancer awareness items aside from Bracelets. These are lanyards, ribbons, caps, necklace, etc. Although these awareness charms come in different shapes, sizes and color, they share the same goal. Honoring cancer victims and survivors alike and promoting awareness to prevent or lessen breast cancer worldwide.

Anyone can buy or order these bracelets anywhere including the internet. Prize range depends on designs and the material used. Parts of the proceeds are being donated directly to the preferred anti-breast cancer organization.

The cheapest symbols that are up for grabs are ribbons and wristbands that are made from rubber. They are being sold for $1.99 - $2.99. The most expensive however, are mostly made from swarovski crystals, gold, and sterling silver. Prize range from $19.99 - $199.

Pink is the official color representing breast cancer, other type of cancer bracelets has corresponding color that serves the same purpose. Some examples are: Gray for brain cancer, Amber for childhood cancer, Royal Blue for Colon Cancer, etc.

Breast cancer can happen to everyone even celebrities like Anastacia, Kate Jackson, Olivia Newton John, Suzanne Somers, etc. They have fought and won the battle through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. If proper information will be disseminated and efforts to discover new ways to treat this disease will be funded, all women suffering from breast cancer will all be relieved. And all that can happen by simply wearing breast cancer awareness bracelet.

Breast cancer has affected so many lives and caused suffering to millions of women and their families around the globe. Most die from it because of lack of awareness and ignorance to proper medication and importance of early detection. For some, they simply do not have the means to go to the doctor to have it cured. That is why breast cancer bracelets have helped not only cancer patients but also ordinary people and organization fight the disease.

Common Breast Cancer Treatments

lginger — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 18:44:11 +0000

A commonly used treatment for breast cancer is chemotherapy. A patient who undergoes surgery does not guarantee that it will not happen in the future. This is because cancer cells are quite small and there is a strong possibility that it could have spread to other parts of the body which could recur again.

To reduce the risk, the patient is given anti-cancer drugs which could take weeks or even months. The two which are usually given are AC (doxorubicin and cycolphosphamide) for 3 months or CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil) for 6 months. Both of these medications have advantages and disadvantages and this will depend on the choice of the individual which to use with the guidance of the doctor.

Radiation therapy is another treatment also used to fight off cancer in the breast. This painless procedure can be done in a few minutes but will take weeks to complete. This can be done after surgery to make sure all cancer cells have been eliminated.

Hormonal therapy can be administered to the patient after surgery has been performed. The doctor will need to find out if the tumor shows estrogen or progesterone receptors. If it is estrogen, then Tamoxifen will be recommended to make sure the cancer does not recur.

Biologic therapy may also work for the patient. This only happens when the tumor shows signs of HER-2/neu over expression. This means that there is a strong possibility for the cancer to recur even after surgery has been done. The doctor will recommend Herceptin or Trastuzumab to stop this from happening.

The different treatments available have shown the advances in medical science in treating people diagnosed with breast cancer. Though these are not perfect and each has a side effect on the individual, it is up to the person with the help of the doctor to decide which one to use.

Learn more about natural cancer treatments here.

Breast Cancer Stages

lginger — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 23:47:47 +0000

The first reaction for most women who just find out of being diagnosed with breast cancer is shock. Some of these individuals are very healthy which makes it very hard to believe. To be sure, most patients get a second opinion which just confirms the former diagnosis.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer does mean the end of the world. Recent advances in medical technology have been able to make people live longer. This could mean a woman could continue to live with both breasts intact or losing one.

Most women undergo surgery. This is done to remove the cancer cells from the woman’s breast. The type of surgery that the patient will undergo will depend on the stage where the cancer was detected.

If it has been detected in its early stages, the patient can be qualified for breast conservation therapy or BCT. Women who are eligible for BCT do not need any reconstruction once the treatment has been completed.

This begins with a lumpectomy to remove the tumor without removing the breast. Should a larger part of the breast needs to be removed; a partial or segmental mastectomy needs to be done. In both cases, radiation therapy needs to be conducted to ensure that all the cancer cells have been removed.

If the breast cancer has been detected in an advanced stage, the patient has to undergo a radical mastectomy. This means the woman will lose the breast and the lymph nodes under the arm.

The Types of Breast Cancer

lginger — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 22:09:19 +0000

There are different types of breast cancer: ductal carcinoma in-situ (most common type of breast cancer), infiltrating ductal, medullary carcinoma, infiltrating lobular, tubular carcinoma, mucinous carcinoma and inflammatory breast cancer which is characterized by drastic breast skin changes (redness, thickening and dominance of the hair follicles).

Like any other cancer, the breast cancer undergoes changes. Stage 0 is when there are abnormal cells in the lobule’s lining. The presence does not really equate with cancer but it increases the risk. Taking a drug called tamoxifen may reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Stage 1 and 2 refer to the stages wherein cancer has already spread beyond the ducts or lobes. Stage 1 indicates that the tumor is just of insignificant size and cancer cells have not gone beyond the breast, whereas stage 2 means the cancer has spread to under the arms, particularly to the lymph nodes and the tumor is now bigger than 2 inches. Radiation therapy can be conducted or mastectomy, which means the breast will be removed and reconstructed.

Stage 3 is advanced cancer wherein the tumor in the breast has grown immensely and the cancer has spread to tissues and lymph nodes near the breast. Chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, surgery and radiation therapy may be administered.

Stage 4 is called metastatic cancer. Radiation and surgery may be used as treatments.

Breast cancer can be fought and those who have it can win against it. Hollywood celebs even gather together for the Pink Ribbon, a movement to fight breast cancer. So women of the world, let’s go and fight!

The Battle Against Breast Cancer

lginger — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 20:45:15 +0000

First things first. Let’s eradicate all the myths that surround breast cancer. To be thoroughly informed, we must know what are the correct facts, what are the wrong ones.

One common myth is a lump in the breast automatically means it’s cancer. This is not true. It is reported that eight out of ten lumps are not malignant. As long as the lump is detected early, recovery is not a problem at all. Some of the non-cancerous stuff found in the breasts are the following: fibroadenomas, cysts or a fibrocystic disease.

Another myth is men do not acquire breast cancer. Well, they do. That’s why men also have to be attentive to any change in their breasts.

Mammogram can trigger the widespread of breast cancer. This is not true. The pressure from this x-ray does not do a thing except detect if there is a suspicious growth within the breasts.

It has also been said that a history of breast cancer in the family means the woman will get it too. Not necessarily true, although those with history have greater risk. But every woman must still have a mammogram, just to check and rule out cancer. It is not a communicable disease, as what other people believe.

For stories from patients battling breast cancer and those who’ve survived it, Mamm magazine is the recommended subscription.

Now that those myths are out of the way, it is important to know about the risk factors of breast cancer:

1. Having menstruated at an early age and going into late menopause

2. Eating food which has ample amount of saturated fat

3. Having a family which has a history of acquiring the disease

4. Getting pregnant at a late age or not getting pregnant at all

5. Having undergone estrogen replacement therapy

6. Being obese

7. Having had therapeutic irradiation for treatment of Hodgkins Disease