Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Rare But Dangerous

Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare and very aggressive type of breast cancer that can be difficult to treat. The name, inflammatory breast cancer, may cause some confusion. It is called "inflammatory" because with this type of cancer, the breast appears inflamed or swollen, red and tender. However, an infection of the breast will cause these same symptoms. Inflammation occurs when there is injury to a cell. The body responds by sending additional red and white blood cells and chemical substances to the area to help it heal. This is not, however, what happens with inflammatory breast cancer. In inflammatory breast cancer, the cancer cells grow and spread rapidly, penetrating and eventually blocking the lymph vessels just below the skin of the breast. When these vessels are blocked, lymph fluid backs up and redness and swelling occur. If there is a true infection of the breast, antibiotics will help the swelling and inflammation. If cancer cells are causing the inflammation, antibiotics won't help.

Inflammatory breast cancer can be difficult to diagnose. It is less likely that a lump will be felt because of the way in which it grows and spreads. In addition, this type of cancer is not usually detected by mammograms and ultrasounds. Symptoms can include any of the following, but not necessarily all of them.

· Sudden breast swelling
· Breast may feel warm to the touch
· Itching
· Pain
· Inverted nipple or discharge
· Pinkish or bruised and thickened areas of the skin, sometimes looking like the skin of an orange

Symptoms often come about quickly, even within a matter of days or weeks. Unfortunately, by the time symptoms arise and the cancer is diagnosed, it has already reached stage IIIB (spread to lymph nodes) or stage IV (spread to other areas). Inflammatory breast cancer is typically diagnosed with a biopsy of the breast skin and tissue. As these can be symptoms of other medical conditions, a biopsy is usually performed after antibiotic treatment has failed. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, additional tests will help determine how far the cancer has spread.

Treatment for inflammatory breast cancer starts with chemotherapy, followed by surgery and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is given first to reduce swelling and inflammation, as well as the size of the cancerous area. This makes surgery easier and helps improve the outcome of the operation. The recommended surgery for this type of cancer is a mastectomy. Chemotherapy may also be given after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells.

The course of treatment after surgery is radiation therapy. This helps lessen the chance of recurrence. If the cancer is considered inoperable, radiation may be used as the main treatment to help slow the progression of the disease.

Even with chemotherapy, surgery and radiation, this type of cancer has a very high rate of recurrence. With this in mind, doctors may recommend further treatments with chemotherapy or other drugs. Clinical trials for new procedures or drugs may also be available.
While inflammatory breast cancer affects a very small percentage of women, it's important to be aware of its symptoms. If changes in the skin of the breast occur, see a doctor right away and ask about this type of breast cancer. Research and new treatment options continue to improve the prognosis for inflammatory breast cancer offering hope for a future.

I have been interested in cancer since my brother Jerry was diagnosed with colon cancer five years ago. After two surgeries he is doing well and is still cancer free. The first surgery was to remove a large tumor from his colon and the second was to remove his colon. Needless to say he has been through a lot and the road to recovery was a long one. About two years ago my brother Fred was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Man, you talk about devastating! Well after about a month or two the shock started to ware off and treatments started to begin. My brother Fred was in denial for, what seemed to be a long time. I wanted to write about both of my brothers cancers but, decided against it thinking it would hurt them some how so I decided to write about cancers that no one in the family has as of yet. If you'd like to send a massage of support to my brothers Jerry and Fred, leave a comment here and I'll see that they get it. If you'd like more information on breast cancer treatment, please click this link. http://www.understanding-breast-cancer-treatment.com

P.S. My brother Fred is doing well. The chemo the doctors used on him shrunk the tumor until it was off the radar. We're not sure its gone but we know that its not growing, at least for now.

Unsurpassed Natural Remedies For Breast Cancer

Women concerned with the possibility of getting breast cancer do have some natural alternative treatments that they can easily implement in an effort to fend off the onset of breast cancer. Meanwhile, women that have already developed breast cancer can use certain natural remedies to minimize the effects of traditional medical treatments for breast cancer as well. A number of herbal remedies and natural remedies can help to alleviate the dangerous side effects one might experience. While an attempt at prevention is highly recommended, if you are a woman that has already been diagnosed with breast cancer it is never too late to turn to alternative remedies in an effort to make a complete recovery from breast cancer onset.

For women looking to fend off breast cancer, boosting the immune system is in order. Of course, a good immune system boosting supplement is excellent for women that have already developed breast cancer as well. One recommended supplement can be identified in the Maitake mushroom, which can be consumed in a tea. The Maitake mushroom enhances immune system functioning, because the Maitake mushroom has beta-glucans. Maitake mushrooms are also available in dried form, in capsule form, in powdered form, and as a liquid so the mushroom is relatively easy to consume.

The well-appreciated herb known as Ginseng is another recommended supplement for those seeking to fend off breast cancer onset. Ginseng is an herb that is available in liquid or capsule form and it is known for its immunological boosting properties. Ginseng is also appreciated for its anti-tumor properties too. Studies reveal that women who actually consumed Ginseng before being officially diagnosed with the disease had a higher breast cancer survival rate than those women who did not consume Ginseng before being diagnosed. Ginseng also delivers additional benefits too; the herb is fantastic for treating issues with depression and hormonal imbalances as well.

A superlative all natural remedy for fighting the onset of breast cancer can be identified in acupuncture. Acupuncture is believed to restore the body's natural energy flow in one's body so that optimal health can be restored as well. Some women opt for acupuncture treatments while enduring chemotherapy treatments too since acupuncture helps to minimize the harmful side effects associated with chemotherapy treatments. If considering acupuncture, you might also benefit from other all natural remedies like Chromotherapy, which is a restoration of the body's natural energies via exposure to specific colored lighting.

If seeking a truly invigorating form of improving one's health and one might consider either investing in a sauna or using a sauna at the local gym or spa. Sauna treatments aid in detoxifying the body, cleansing away impurities, boosting the immune system, and giving the user of the sauna a general, overall sense of well being. Of course, the sauna user also gets the additional perk of treating bodily aches, pains, and muscle tensions too, and the act of de-stressing and completely unwinding in a sauna helps to improves one's health in myriad ways.

Robin's Wellness Resource Center is an education-focused wellness resource center offering reliable information on a variety of health-related issues. To discover more natural healing secrets, visit http://www.wellness-bee.com

Robin has been studying natural health for the past 10 years. She is certified as a Nutrition and Wellness Consultant and holds a Master of Science degree in Natural Health. Her passion is lifelong learning and educating others about natural health.

Breast Cancer Symptoms Guide

Breast cancer is probably the most common cancer affecting women. One must recognise this fact, even if the risk to men is minimal. This is very true when it concerns women. In this article, you will be introduced to this type of cancer, as well as the symptoms that are involved when it comes to breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Explained

Breast cancer is essentially a case of unusual growth that happens principally in the breasts of a person. Changes in breast size is perfectly normal and common for women on a monthly basis due to their natural menstrual cycle. When examining your breasts, you may feel a ball or clump in them. It's likely that many of these are not harmful at all, however, there still exists the possibility that some may carry cancer. The danger is that if one of these lumps is actually cancerous, then it could potentially mestastisize to other regions of the body. This means that it can spread. The lymphatic system and the bloodstream are the 2 mediums through which cells from the breasts travel to other regions of the body. There have been cases where the spread has been quite slow, and there have been others where this spread has been pretty fast.

The Symptoms of Cancer in the Breasts

You may have heard medical experts say on various occasions that in the early phases of breast cancer, you may not detect any symptoms at all. You may also be aware that the symptoms become more obvious as the cancer advances. You should be able to detect at least one of the following symptoms if you have cancer:

1. One may begin to feel some pain in the breast as well as some soreness.

2. Discharge from your breasts may be one of the symptoms and this may be clear, slightly yellow or even look like blood.

3. A change in breast size may indicate cancer, but there may also be other changes relating to the texture. Another indication is if a breast is very warm to touch.

4. There could be swelling in the breast, or even in the lymph node that is found under the arm. If you discover this type of situation, it is important to understand that this could be a sign that cancer is developing.

5. Many individuals may begin to experience itching, burning, and even physical ulcerations on the skin of the breasts.

Conclusion

There is not just one type of breast cancer, there are various. Furthermore, there are various physical signs that show that cancer has begun developing. It's very important that you examine your breast correctly and on a regular basis. Once to twice a month is typically appropriate. Keeping an eye out for the symptoms listed in this article could possibly save your life. Hence, you should not hesitate in calling a doctor if any of the above symptoms present themselves.

Jenni Snook is the chief writer of http://www.Stage4CancerSite.com a website dedicated to giving individuals important yet practical information on the several strains of stage 4 cancer.

Studies Link Obesity and Breast Cancer

In case you needed more of a reason to keep an eye on your weight, recent research has found that, in general, obesity is linked to cancer. For obese women, especially those who have gone through menopause, this means an increased risk of breast cancer. Though experts can't yet explain to us why the link is there, they are working hard to figure it all out.

What we do know is that the higher your Body Mass Index (BMI) the measurement of your weight against your height squared, the more chance you have of developing cancer. This was confirmed by an extensive data review of 140 studies by scientists at the University of Manchester in England earlier this year. Other work had found the same links between cancers and more body fat, and in 2007 a report issued by the American Institute of Cancer Research and the U.K.-based World Cancer Research Fund concluded that body fat is associated with an increased risk for several different types of cancer.

If that wasn't enough a recent study at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, found more than two-thirds of women with stage III locally advanced breast cancer were overweight (32%) or obese (34%). The research also found that a greater number of obese patients were likely to be diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer - a rare and more deadly form of this type of cancer.

The extra weight increases your risks, and brings other problems too. It's harder to spot tumors (or recurrences) early, and women who are overweight or obese are known to avoid checkups altogether. Once a cancer has been spotted, the added weight can cause problems figuring the best chemotherapy dose - plus the more weight the more medicine that must be used, and the more intense any side effects will be.

"We know that women who are overweight at the time of breast cancer diagnosis have a higher risk of recurrence than lean women, but the reasons for this are not clear," says Dr. Jennifer A. Ligibel of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. "Recent evidence suggests that high insulin levels, which are common in overweight women, may be involved in the increased risk of breast cancer recurrence."

Debbie Saslow, director of breast and gynecologic cancer at the American Cancer Society, points out that it's not completely clear what role obesity plays in breast cancer risk. According to ACS numbers, about 182,500 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during 2008. Right now there are almost 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

In all this doom and gloom, there is some rather encouraging news. Studies have shown that exercise - 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-to-high intensity activity each day - cuts breast cancer risk according to Colleen Doyle, director of nutrition and physical activity at the American Cancer Society. You don't have to go from no workout to a full hour of high intensity activity in one leap - in fact, if you're really out of shape and very sedentary, talk with your doctor first, before you start getting more active.

Once you get the okay, adding activities like walking is a great way to get started. Build your routine, both in time and intensity slowly, over weeks or months, until you are able to do the 30 minutes recommended. Not only will you notice that you're feeling better... stronger and more confident, but you'll be doing one of the best things you can to lower your risk of breast cancer and give yourself many healthy, happy years.

Next just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more health tips including information on obesity disease links and breast cancer. Plus get 5 free revealing health reports.

Cancer Prevention Diet

If you smoke, or ever have, and you eat lots of broccoli (or other cruciferous veggies such as cabbage, cauliflower, kale, turnip greens, mustard greens or collard greens), you might be doing yourself a great favor in terms of lung cancer. This according to research just presented at the American Association of Cancer Research meeting held last week in Washington D.C. by a team from Roswell Park Cancer Institute of Buffalo, NY when they concluded cruciferous vegetables can helpful as part of a cancer prevention diet.

Li Tang, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and colleagues conducted a hospital-based, case-controlled study of lung cancer cases matched with smoking status controls.

The study wasn't focused on broccoli alone, but allowed for eating all the commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables - in either their raw or cooked forms. The study found that among smokers - and especially former smokers - higher intake of cruciferous vegetables was associated with a lower risk of lung cancer. Smokers who ate raw veggies saw the most benefit.

Researchers divided their findings into four subtypes of lung cancer. The strongest risk reduction was seen among subjects with squamous or small-cell carcinoma, the two types most strongly associated with heavy smoking.

"Broccoli is not a therapeutic drug, but for smokers who believe they cannot quit nor do anything about their risk, this is something positive," Tang said. "People who quit smoking will definitely benefit more from intake of cruciferous vegetables."

The percentage of Americans who smoke has fallen below 20% for the first time since the mid 1960s. If you smoke and you're concerned about lung cancer risk, first and foremost, you need to stop. Get help quitting from support groups, nicotine replacement therapy, hypnosis or the variety of medications now available. If you have the will (or even if you're not sure you do) getting cigarettes out of your life for good can save you not only money, but help you take solid, real-world steps to improve your health, today and over the long haul as well.

When you do quit, your lung capacity goes up and your bronchial tubes relax which makes breathing easier. Not only this, the poisonous carbon monoxide in your blood goes down so that your blood can carry more oxygen. Of course your sense of smell, the discoloration of your teeth, fingers and clothing will also improve noticeably. Best of all, the second hand smoke you're sending into the environment will be eliminated - a healthy gift to everyone around you.

If you're trying to quit, or can't quite get there yet... eat as many of the cruciferous veggies as you enjoy from the list above, especially in their raw state as heating damages an important enzyme thought to activate the cancer fighting properties.

Earlier work released in February 2008 backed up these findings with results showing that compounds called isothiocyanates from these veggies could have cancer fighting properties. The research was on bladder cancer and supported animal studies that suggest broccoli and the other cruciferous vegetables have some cancer protecting abilities. Another study, out in July 2008, suggested a link between men who ate broccoli four times a week and a protective effect against prostate cancer.

So the real story here is that we should all try to increase our consumption of cruciferous vegetables whether we smoke or not as part of a cancer prevention diet.

Next just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more health tips including information on following a cancer prevention diet and get 5 free revealing health reports.

Surprising Links Between Sleep, Exercise and Breast Cancer

Being active, carrying out exercise and breast cancer are known to be linked, with those who are more active having a reduced risk of cancer. But when you're lying in bed warm and comfortable and the alarm goes off for your early morning workout it can be hard to find the motivation to 'get up and go'.

Now a new study examines how a lack of sleep might blunt the effectiveness of all that exercise in reducing your cancer risk.

According to a ten year study of nearly 6,000 women led by James McClain, Ph.D., a cancer prevention fellow at the National Cancer Institute, people at the top half of the physical activity levels had a 25% reduction in their cancer risk.

But, if you were a woman from 18 to 65 years old who got about an hour a day of moderate activity yet slept fewer than 7 hours a night, much of the exercise benefit was lost.

Of course this group still had a reduced risk compared to those women who exercised the least.

The take away message is: be active, but get enough sleep or it won't do you as much good.

The novel research was presented last month during an international meeting in Washington D.C. on cancer prevention hosted by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

The next step for researchers is to investigate the mechanisms underlying sleep and exercise to try and understand the role of each in preventing cancer.

"The important thing to remember here is that nobody was protected unless they were active," McClain says. "So I certainly don't think the take-home message is to sacrifice activity to get more sleep. But I think it needs to be more of a conscious thought that both physical activity and sleep are important factors for young to middle-aged women."

There are any number of health problems that come as the result of a lack of sleep...

Glucose intolerance, imbalances of ghrelin and leptin (appetite regulators), increases in C-reactive proteins in the blood as well as other problems.

And of course during sleep our healing processes are engaged allowing our bodies to recover better from exercise. A good nights sleep also reduces the levels of stress hormones in the body, meaning that psychologically you are more able to face the day and any exercise regime you may have planned.

Getting the right amount of sleep for you gives you the energy you need to be more active and function at peak performance throughout the day.

If you find you're struggling to sleep, which many people do as they age be sure to practice good sleep habits to ensure you get the rest you need.

The study didn't make specific recommendations on how much exercise would be enough, but McClain suggest using the government's physical activity guidelines as a starting point. They suggest getting at least 5 hours of modest exercise, or 2½ hours of intense exercise per week.

The good thing is that normal household chores slot under the modest exercise banner, so you can count that towards your total for the week.

Many women understand the link between exercise and breast cancer, and are starting to increase their levels of activity, but the link between sleep and cancer shines a new light on the need to also ensure sufficient rest is taken each day as well.

Next just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more health tips including information on exercise and breast cancer and get 5 free revealing health reports.

Breast cancer signs

We have been hearing about many cancer cases and one of the most prominent cancers that we hear of today is the breast cancer. With the increasing rate of the breast cancer cases it is important that we understand and know the signs and symptoms. The following are few symptoms which can help you make out the symptoms of breast cancer:

a. Lump
Lump can be one of the symptoms of breast cancer but not necessary that this is always the cancerous lump. Though, lump is the most common sign of breast cancer in both men and women. Thickening in the breast is also another indication and at times the lump may be painless but it may be sore from time to time.

b. Discharge from the nipple
Bloody discharge from the nipple is also one of the signs of breast cancer but this again does not mean that the person is suffering from breast cancer, though this cannot be taken lightly.

c. Change in size of your breast
Another symptom is the change in the breast size; this can be from one of the clear signs of breast cancer.

d. Indentation of nipple
Retraction or indentation is not the common thing that you would notice, this is also one of the signs where you should not wait for anything, you need to rush to your doctor and get your physical test done.

e. Indentation of skin over the breast
you should also check whether the skin over the breast is indented. Indentation or flattening of the skin over breast is also the symptom of breast cancer.

f. Redness of skin over the breast
Redness or pitting of skin over the breast is again the sign of breast cancer. The shape and texture looks similar to the skin of an orange.

More Information Visit Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Treatment