Breast cancer awareness month

What Is Breast Cancer?


While it’s celebrated during the month of October, breast cancer awareness is really a year-round issue. Until there's a cure, a vital part of the breast cancer discussion should include the anatomy of the breast, as well as how cancer can happen in the first place.

Breast 101

The normal breast consists of milk-producing glands that are connected to the surface of the skin at the nipple by narrow ducts. The glands and ducts are supported by connective tissue made up of fat and fibrous material. Blood vessels, nerves, and channels to the lymph nodes make up most of the rest of the breast tissue. All the breast anatomy mentioned above sits under the skin, but on top of the chest muscles.

How Does Breast Cancer Happen?

As in all forms of cancer, the abnormal tissue that makes up breast cancer is the patient's own cells that have multiplied too rapidly. Those cells may also travel to locations in the body where they are not normally needed, which means the cancer is malignant.

• Breast cancer develops in the breast tissue, primarily in the milk ducts (ductal carcinoma) or glands (lobular carcinoma). The cancer is still called and treated as breast cancer even if it is first discovered after traveling to other areas of the body such as the lungs, liver, or bones. In those cases, the cancer is referred to as metastatic or advanced breast cancer.

• Breast cancer usually begins with the formation of a small, confined tumor (lump), or as calcium deposits (microcalcifications) and then spreads through channels to the lymph nodes or through the blood stream to other organs.

• The tumor may also grow and invade tissue around the breast, such as the skin or chest wall. Different types of breast cancer grow and spread at different rates - some take years to spread beyond the breast while other move quickly.

• Some lumps are benign (not cancerous), however these can be premalignant. The only safe way to distinguish between a benign lump and cancer is to have the tissue examined by a doctor.

• Men can get breast cancer, too, but they account for less than one-half of one percent of all cases.

What Causes Breast Cancer?

Although the exact causes of breast cancer are still unclear, doctors do understand the main risk factors. Among the most significant factors are advancing age and a family history of breast cancer. Risk increases slightly for a woman who has had a benign breast lump and increases significantly for a woman who has previously had breast cancer or a history of endometrial, ovarian, or colon cancer.

Other risk factors include:

• Family - A woman whose mother, sister, or daughter has had breast cancer is two to three times more likely to develop the disease, particularly if more than one first-degree relative has been affected. This is especially true if the cancer developed in the woman while she was premenopausal, or if the cancer developed in both breasts.

• Age/Race - Generally, women over 50 are more likely to get breast cancer than younger women, and black women are more likely than Caucasians to get breast cancer before menopause.

• Estrogen -A link between breast cancer and hormones is gradually becoming clearer. Researchers think that the greater a woman's exposure to the hormone estrogen, the more susceptible she is to breast cancer. Estrogen tells cells to divide; the more the cells divide, the more likely they are to be abnormal in some way, possibly becoming cancerous. Current information about the effect of birth control pills and breast cancer risk is mixed. Some studies have found that the hormones in birth control pills probably do not increase breast cancer risk. However other studies suggest that the risk of breast cancer is increased in women who have taken birth control pills recently, regardless of how long she has taken them.

• Diet- The link between diet and breast cancer is debated. Obesity is a noteworthy risk factor, predominately in postmenopausal women, because obesity alters a woman's estrogen levels. Drinking alcohol regularly - more than 2 to 3 drinks a day - may also promote the disease. Many studies have shown that women whose diets are high in fat, either from red meat or high-fat dairy products, are more likely to get the disease. Researchers suspect that if a woman lowers her daily calories from fat - to less than 20%-30% - her diet may help protect her from developing breast cancer.

Can You Survive Breast Cancer?

Among women, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths behind lung cancer. Black women tend to have the highest breast cancer death rates.

Two-thirds of women with breast cancer are over 50, and most of the rest are between 39 and 49.

Fortunately, breast cancer is very treatable if detected early. Localized tumors can usually be treated successfully before the cancer spreads; and in nine in 10 cases, the woman will live at least another five years. Experts usually consider a five-year survival to be a cure although recurrences after five years are common.

Once the cancer begins to spread, getting rid of it completely is more difficult, although treatment can often control the disease for years. Improved screening procedures and treatment options mean that at least seven out of 10 women with breast cancer will survive more than five years after initial diagnosis, and half will survive more than 10 years.

Top Breast Cancer Screening Tips:

• All women: Conduct consistent, monthly self-exams seven to ten days after the start of the menstrual cycle. For post-menopausal women, select one day of the month and consistently conduct a self-exam on that day.

• Women with no family history of breast cancer: Have a baseline mammogram screening at 35, then regular mammogram screenings every year after 40.

• Women with a family history of breast cancer: Baseline mammogram 10 years before youngest member diagnosed with breast cancer.

• black women under the age of 40 with a palpable breast mass: Insist on getting evaluated with a mammogram or ultrasound. Seek out a breast specialist if necessary.


Photo credit: www.dazzlejunction.com

Must-Have Vitamins Women Need

Poor nutrition increases a woman's risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Healthy eating is the most important thing a woman can do to meet the minimum daily vitamin requirements essential for good health.Some women go on diet so there are often gaping holes in their nutrition while some others work very long hours and might not be able to eat 3 square(balanced) meals a day. whatever the case, supplements can help you get the required daily nutrients. Here are a list of essential vitamins every woman in the menstruating age needs.

• Calcium: A woman typically needs 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams of calcium daily, depending on her age. You can reach this daily requirement by eating or drinking dairy and soy products (preferably fat-free) or pure orange juice that’s been fortified with calcium, or by taking calcium supplements. As women age, their bone mass decreases. At this point, women need to be at the upper end of the daily calcium requirement to lower their risk of osteoporosis.

• Vitamin D:Sunlight triggers the development of vitamin D in your body, but as women get older they lose some of their ability to convert sunlight into vitamin D; without vitamin D your body can't use calcium. Also, protecting yourself from skin cancer with sunscreen means shutting out the vitamin D you'd get from the sun. To compensate for this loss, women should consider taking a multivitamin containing both vitamin D and calcium.

• Iron:If you’re still menstruating, you need to be sure you're getting an adequate amount of iron in order to prevent anaemia. You’ll find iron in meat, poultry, beans, eggs, and tofu. It’s important to pair your iron-rich meals with foods that contain vitamin C, like orange juice or citrus fruits, because vitamin C helps increase iron absorption.

• Folic acid: Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant need to get more folic acid. it has been shown that low levels of this B vitamin can lead to birth defects in the baby affecting the brain and spinal cord. In addition to supplements, folic acid can be found in orange juice, beans, and green vegetables, and in foods such as breads and flour that have been fortified with it.

• Beta-carotene: antioxidants — cancer-fighting substances like beta-carotene and vitamin C — help defend your body against cell damage. Food sources best for beta-carotene include carrots, apricots, papaya, cantaloupe, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and mangoes.

• B6 and B12: Vitamin B6 helps with red-blood cell formation and vitamin B12 helps with nerve-cell and red-blood cell development. For example, you can get a day's supply of vitamin B12 by eating one chicken breast, one hard-boiled egg, a cup of plain low-fat yogurt or one cup of milk, plus one cup of raisin bran.

• Omega-3 fatty acids: These acids have been shown to act like natural anti-inflammatory substances in the body. They may also be important in helping to keep your heart healthy. As a woman gets older, her levels of estrogen decline, and that puts her at greater risk for heart disease. Fatty fish, like salmon and tuna, is a great source of omega-3 fats, and pure orange juice is often fortified with omega-3. alternatively you can take fish oil capsules.

In general experts believe taking multivitamins is a good idea. Clearly when it comes to calcium and vitamin D we all need additional supplementation. We can only eat so much dairy or fortified foods in a day. For the rest, a multivitamin may help to fill in the gaps when your diet cant.


Reference:blackhealth
photo credit: getty images

Vaginal gel cuts HIV-infections by half

A vaginal gel has significantly cut the rate of women contracting HIV from infected partners in an experiment in South Africa.The gel containing Aids drug tenofovir and reduces infection rates among 889 women by 50% after one year of use, and by 39% after two and a half years.

If the results are confirmed it would be the first time that a microbicidal gel has been shown to be effective.Such a gel could be a defence for women whose partners refuse to wear condoms.New ways of curbing the spread of HIV are badly needed, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where nearly 60% of those infected with the virus are women.Many women are often forced to take part in unsafe sex, and are biologically more vulnerable to HIV infection than men, making a gel they apply an attractive option.Welcoming the results, UN agencies said they would convene an expert consultation in South Africa next month to discuss the next steps with the product.

Hope for women

It's the first time a microbicide gives positive that is statistically significant. The researchers say women who used the gel also showed a significant reduction in genital herpes, a common sexually transmitted infection, which itself increases the risk of HIV infection. The UN's HIV/Aids agency noted that nearly 20 years of research had gone into microbicides that can be controlled by a woman, independent of her partner.

This gives hope to women and for the first time ever there are results for a woman-initiated and controlled HIV prevention option.this microbicide would be a powerful option for the prevention revolution and help would help break the trajectory of the Aids epidemic.

Clinical trials are going to be carried out to cofirm results and once they have been shown to be safe and effective, WHO will work with countries and partners to accelerate access to these products.


Reference: BBC health

Focus: Ghana - Afrox (Africa-Oxford) Cancer Foundation

Cancer already causes more deaths each year worldwide than HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria combined. By 2020 there are expected to be 16 million new cases of cancer every year, 70 per cent of which will be in developing countries, which are least prepared to address the growing cancer burden. African countries are the least able of all developing countries to cope, having few cancer care services. Lack of resources and basic infrastructure mean that most Africans have no access to cancer screening

AfrOx's mission is to partner with African countries and assist them with implementing comprehensive cancer prevention and control programmes. AfrOx believes that by forging alliances of individuals, NGOs and governments to share expertise, technology, training and a degree of philanthropic support, much could be done to help reduce global disparities in cancer care.

AfrOx is currently working in Ghana. The four most common cancers in Ghana are liver, prostate, breast and cervical. At present, Ghana has only two oncology centres, one in the capital Accra and one in Kumasi. There are only 4 oncologists for a population of 22 million and no specialist cancer nurses. With your support, we hope to continue our programmes in the following areas:

- Support for national cancer care planning.
- Provision of training and education for healthcare staff.
- Improvement in palliative care.
- The early diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
- Raising public awareness of the early signs of cancer and methods of cancer prevention.

To learn more about Afrox, to donate, or to read Hajiya Turai's speech commending their effort then visit www.afrox.org

Polycystic ovarian syndrome

PCOS or Polycystic ovarian syndrome is the rising cause of infertility amongst women. Fortunately, PCO is also a condition which can be treated easily. A lot of women face problem while trying to get pregnant if they have polycystic ovarian syndrome. It is very important that you know all possible options of PCO treatments so that your passage to parenthood can be as even and smooth as possible.

If you are trying to get pregnant while suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome, you must change your lifestyle. Majority of women suffering from Polycystic ovarian syndrome have realized that their fertility incredibly increases after making changes in diet regimen and exercise

Only if you realize around 5% body weight loss, a huge difference would be accounted to your overall fertility and there will be a decrease in risk to gestational diabetes once you get pregnant. You must switch to eating low carbohydrate and fat diets so that you are able to regulate your insulin levels and manage your weight.

It is important to take the right medications that are designed to take care of internal resistance which is the stepping stone for getting pregnant if you are suffering from Polycystic ovarian syndrome. A physician or gynecologists will advise you on drugs that you will need to take for 3 to 6 months before you can start with any other treatment options. You must not get frustrated as it takes to get rid of the syndrome.

For ovulation, you must seek help. Women suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome have difficulties ovulating so take drugs in order to stimulate ovulation. The gynecologists may prescribe injections in order to further stimulate the ovaries.

If you’re planning to get pregnant, it is important that you time it correctly. Making a chart of your basal body temperature will help you determine the right time for conception. You may also seek advice for determining the right time when you and your partner should have intercourse. The time of intercourse should be typically the four days that surrounds ovulation. Once you start to ovulate correctly, the doctor may advise you with intrauterine inseminations (IUI’s) which will make it easier for sperm to reach your eggs. This will increase the chances of conception incredibly.

Reference : on request

Whats new : A contraceptive and STD protectant in one?

A researcher at the University of Newcastle in Australia is exploring ways to use quinones — a common organic compound — to react with enzymes in human semen. The technique could not only immobilize sperm but also disrupt the disease-causing mechanism of microbes that cause sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia.

Source: newscientist.com, time.com