Underwire Bras Do Not Cause Breast Cancer

One misconception is that using a bra that includes and under wire will increase your chances of getting a breast cancer diagnosis. Another misconception is that wearing a pushup bra will also increase your chances of developing breast cancer due to the fact of the positioning of the breasts and toxins are more likely to develop. The people that make the claims that push up bras and bras that contain an under wire are compressing the lymphatic system of the breasts, creating toxins and helping them to build up and put you more at risk for the development of breast cancer are completely false. In fact, these claims have been showed in numerous studies to be with out any founding at all. The experts in cancer research have shown that no matter which types of bras you decide to wear it will not have any effect whatsoever on the development of breast cancer. Many women have heard these claims online and have decided to switch to a bra that they are not comfortable in wearing. The advice is buy the bras that you want as it will not increase your risk of getting breast cancer.

Lumps in Breast Are Not The Only Signs Of Breast Cancer

After years of talking with women that have breast cancer we have found that many women have the belief that breast cancer will always come in the form of a lump. Breast cancer always comes in the form of a lump. They feel that is they do not feel a lump they do not have to go for a mammogram. This can be a dangerous assumption. The truth is that even though a lump might actually prove to be breast cancer (or hundreds of other causes that are not cancer related), it is not the only factor. Women need to not only look for a lump but also be aware of any other changes that might also be signs of cancer. Other things that you need to look for are skin irriation, any abnomal swelling around the breasts, nipple and breast pain, retraction of the nipples, scaling of the skin, redness, thickening of the skin in your breasts, or discharge other than milk. This is why it is imperative to not only look for a lump. All women should go for routine mammograms to see if their are any abnormalities that are not easily noticed. This is truly the only way to know if you have breast cancer. Remember the earlier that it is caught the better your chances of survival. In fact, the survival rate for breast cancer caught early is over 90%.

Does Breast Size Make a Difference on Getting Breast Cancer?

One of the concerns that the medical field has is that women with small breast sometimes think they cannot develop breast cancer or are at less risk than women with larger breasts. It is important to know the facts on this as it is not as it seems. The truth of the matter is that their is no correlation between the size of a woman’s breast and risk of developing breast cancer. The reason this misconception occurs is that in large breasted woman it is sometimes harder to detect the breast cancer which is why a mammogram is needed. Self exams work as a great first step for both women with large breasts to women with very small breasts. It is just easier to notice changes when you have smaller breasts. All women, regardless of breast size, are equally prone to getting breast cancer which is why we stress again to make sure you get your mammograms. Cancer does not discriminate based on the size of your breasts.

Fatty Acids Found In Fish Linked To Lower Risk Of Breast Cancer

Findings have important public health implications for dietary and lifestyle interventions The results show that each 0.1 g per day or 0.1% energy per day increment of intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) derived from fish was associated with a 5% reduction in risk. To achieve this risk reduction, intake of oily fish such as salmon, tuna or sardines should be 1-2 portions per person per week. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers, accounting for 23% of total cancer cases and 14% of cancer deaths in 2008. Studies suggest that a healthy diet and lifestyle is crucial for the prevention of breast cancer, and dietary fat is one of the most intensively studied dietary factors closely related with risk. The n-3 PUFAs include ALA, EPA, DPA and DHA. They are involved in chemical messaging in the brain, helping to regulate blood vessel activity and areas of the immune system. The main dietary sources of EPA, DPA and DHA come from oily fish, while ALA is found mainly in nuts, seeds, and leafy green vegetables. Although n-3 PUFAs are the most promising types of fat to reduce cancer risk, results from human studies are inconsistent. So a team of researchers based in China set out to investigate the association between fish and n-3 PUFA intake and the risk of breast cancer. Levels were measured from both dietary sources and blood tests. They reviewed and analysed the results of 26 studies from the United States, Europe and Asia involving over 800,000 participants and over 20,000 cases of breast cancer. Marine n-3 PUFA was associated with a 14% reduction of breast cancer between the highest and lowest category of marine n-3 PUFA intake. The risk was lowest in Asian populations, probably because fish intake is much higher in Asia than in western countries, say the authors. Further analysis indicated a dose response: each 0.1 g per day or 0.1% energy per day increment of intake was associated with a 5% reduction in risk. However, no significant protective association was found for ALA – the plant based n-3 PUFA. The authors say their analysis, together with previous publications, “supports a protective role of marine n-3 PUFA on the incidence of breast cancer.” They conclude: “Our present study provides solid and robust evidence that marine n-3 PUFA are inversely associated with risk of breast cancer. The protective effect of fish or individual n-3 PUFA warrants further investigation of prospective studies.”

Basic Things You Can Do To Help Lower Your Risk of Breast Cancer

Basic Breast cancer prevention begins with learning to have healthy habits — Small measures that you may take like lowering the amount of the alcoholic beverages you consume and increasing the amount of physical activity that you have can have an impact on lowering your risk. If you, like many other women and men are concerned that you may one day develop breast cancer, are trying to figure out if there is anything that you can do to lower your risk of getting this disease you have to realize that the lifestyle choices you make may affect your risk of developing breast cancer. There are things that you can do to keep yourself healthy and lower your risk. So what exactly can I do to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer? Breast cancer prevention starts with multiple factors Reduce your alcohol consumption. One thing that we have learned is that the more alcoholic beverages that you consume, the greater the risk of the development of breast cancer. If you do choose to drink and alcoholic beverages, such as wine, beer or hard liquors, try to limit yourself to an average of no more than one a day. Try to take lose weight. Another thing that studies have shown is that being obese seems to increases the risk of developing breast cancer. This seems to have the most effect later in life, especially after menopause. Make sure to get as much physical activity as you can. Recent studies have shown that people becoming physically active almost always maintain a healthier weight, which can help you prevent breast cancer. The D.H.H.S. recommends that healthy adults get at a minimum of 150 minutes per week of basic aerobic activity. They also suggest on some strength training like lifting light weights. If you are just beginning your exercise routines start off slow, then gradually increase as you feel comfortable. Many people make the mistake of trying to go too hard too fast which in turn makes them quit the exercise routine all together. If you are a mom you want to breast feed. Studies are still being done on this but early signs are showing that breast-feeding may play a great role in breast cancer prevention. The studies are starting to show that the longer that a mother breast-feeds, the greater that the protective effect may be. If you are using hormone therapy you might want to stop. We have now learned that most of the long term combination hormone therapies do increase the risk of you developing breast cancer. Many women now take hormone therapy for the symptoms that are from menopause. We suggest that you speak with your doctor in order to switch to an alternative. There are ways to manage the symptoms of menopause without the use of hormonal therapy. It is up to you and your doctor to decide if the benefits of short term hormonal therapy are right for you. But we want you to think about using the absolute lowest dose for your menopausal symptoms. We also suggest that you talk with your doctor about only using it for a short time. These few tips can help you with breast cancer prevention although there is no guarantee. If you want to reduce your risks of developing breast cancer than you should take these prevention measures into consideration not just for you but for your loved ones.

Researchers Discover New Way To Cleanse The Blood Of Cholesterol

Researchers from the University of Michigan (UMich) have found a new genetic target which they believe could be used instead of — or along with — statins to help lower a person´s cholesterol. Scientists working in the lab of David Ginsburg at the Ann Arbor-based university´s Life Sciences Institute managed to inhibit the action of a gene responsible for transporting a protein known to interfere with the liver´s ability to remove cholesterol from the blood of mice. Doing so essentially trapped the protein, making it impossible for it to hamper the receptors responsible for removing cholesterol. Essentially, it protected the capacity of the liver cells´ ability to remove plasma cholesterol from the blood, and it did so without causing other adverse health effects in the mice, the researchers said. Their findings were published in Monday´s edition of the online journal eLife. According to a university news statement, the researchers “found that mice with an inactive SEC24A gene could develop normally. However, their plasma cholesterol levels were reduced by 45 percent because vesicles from liver cells were not able to recruit and transport a critical regulator of blood cholesterol levels called proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9. PCSK9 is a secretory protein that destroys the liver cells’ receptors of low-density lipoprotein— LDL, the so-called ℠bad cholesterol´ — and prevents the cells from removing the LDL.” Inhibiting either SEC24A or PCSK9 could be an alternative treatment to statins, or could work together with the medications to enhance the cholesterol-removing effects of the drugs, first author Xiao-Wei Chen explained. Furthermore, this treatment method could be effective on patients who are intolerant of or resistant to statins, he added. Early studies of anti-PCSK9 therapies in humans have shown that they regulate and “dramatically” lower cholesterol, especially when paired with statins. Chen and colleagues believe that future treatment options could block the transport mechanism that allows PCSK9 from reaching the LDL receptors rather than attempting to inhibit the secretory protein itself. “Without SEC24A, much of the PCSK9 couldn’t make its way out of the cells to destroy the LDLR, which then clears cholesterol from the blood,” he explained. By blocking the SEC24A gene, the researchers were able to keep PCSK9 trapped inside cells. This kept LDL receptors intact and allowed the liver to continue clearing cholesterol out of the body, thus preventing it to accumulate in arteries and lead to potential cardiovascular issues. “We have no reason at this point to expect that this strategy will be any better than anti-PCSK9 therapy for treating high cholesterol, but it would be another alternative approach, and it’s hard to predict which drugs will work the best and be the safest until we actually try them out in people,” said Ginsburg. The research was funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Heart Association (AHA). Experts from the HHMI, the Cleveland Clinic, UC-Berkeley, UCLA and Wayne State University also contributed to the study.

Breast Cancer Treatment: Coping With A Mastectomy

As women, especially American women, much of our femininity is centered on our breasts. No matter where you look, there are pictures, billboards, commercials, television shows, and movies with women with these beautiful breasts and ample cleavage. The thought of losing one or both breasts, to breast cancer, can be devastating for many of us. Sure, there's reconstruction, but will it ever really look the same again? Even if you have reconstruction, you'll never have sensation there again and, for many of us, that definitely affects our sexuality. I went through two separate mastectomies, for my breast cancer, despite the fact that I wanted them both done at the same time. Two different surgeons told me that wasn't necessary. They found out, later, that it was, as I had the same breast cancer in both breasts. Through these surgeries, I learned a few things about what to expect, and how to get up and running again, after a mastectomy for breast cancer. The first thing to realize is that, apart from the emotional aspect of such an operation, this is a simple surgery. The breast is composed, mostly, of fatty tissue and, of course, milk ducts and lobes. The removal of this breast tissue is way easier than operating on an organ, but carries much more emotional impact for most of us. Most surgeons will get as much of the breast tissue out as they can to help alleviate the chance of a recurrence of your breast cancer. You will typically wind up with a horizontal scar about four inches long. The scar may be red for quite a while but, ultimately, should fade to where you can hardly see it anymore. You want to be sure to take loose-fitting, button-down shirts (raiding your hubby's closet is helpful) with you, to the hospital, as you won't be able to raise your arms over your head for a while. You will also need a sports bra and I would highly recommend one that fastens in the front. They will put that on you after your surgery. Typically, you should be able to stay in the hospital for one night. If you're going to have lymph nodes removed, a small pillow, to slip under that arm, will help make you more comfortable. Check with your local American Cancer Society as they may have small pillows for you. An extra pillow to hold to your chest, if you need to cough, sneeze, or laugh, can help keep your incision from hurting. When you wake up, you will have a couple of drain tubes for each side you have done. These tubes are important as they allow the excess fluid, which your body will produce, to drain out. If you didn't have them, the fluid would have to be aspirated with a needle. The drains, even though they're no fun, are better than that. These drains will have to be emptied a couple of times a day and you will have to write down how much fluid you drain so the doctor will know when you've slowed down enough to remove them. You may not know where to put these drains under your clothing. I pinned mine up to the sports bra and that way, they didn't pull when I moved. When you get home, plan on having someone there to help you for the first few days. You won't be allowed to reach into your cabinets and definitely won't be able to clean house or pick up your children, if you have little ones. You'll be sent home with pain meds and definitely take them if you need them. Studies show that you will heal faster if you keep yourself out of pain, so don't be afraid to take them as prescribed. If you have a recliner, you might consider moving it into the bedroom as you won't be able to lie flat for a while. You'll need to sleep in a partial sitting position. If you don't have one, or don't have space for it in your bedroom, lots of pillows will work, too. That's what I used. Just be sure you have enough pillows to keep yourself comfortable propped up. If you would like someone who's been there before you to visit with, be sure to call your local American Cancer Society and ask for a Reach 2 Recovery volunteer. This is an American Cancer Society program where they try to match you with one of their volunteers who have as similar experience as you're facing. This woman will come visit you and will bring you all sorts of brochures and information on conventional treatment. She will also bring you a list of exercises you can start to do to regain your mobility and range of motion. This is VERY important. It hurts to stretch your arm up, after surgery, but if you haven't had reconstruction, and you don't start soon, you will lose that range of motion. I would recommend starting to gently, slowly reach your arm up … let your body be your guide … the day after your surgery. This is ONLY if you have not had reconstruction. If you have, let your plastic surgeon tell you when to start stretching. Push to where it hurts just a little, but do not push too far past that. Little by little, you'll find yourself able to stretch a little farther every couple of days. Most of all, allow yourself to heal emotionally, as well as physically. Some of us just can't look at that incision right away. That's OK. Take as much time as you need. I know I felt like some kind of freak with no breasts and, even six years later, I still do sometimes. But remind yourself that these scars are your battle scars. They do not make you less of a woman. They make you a warrior.