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October Blog

OCTOBER HEALTH BLOG

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Breast cancer will affect 252,710 people in 2017. Although that amount is significant, there are many that do not truly understand what this cancer is. Apart from skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common cancer type in women.

What Is Breast Cancer?

When breast cells begin to grow out of control forming into a tumor, which is what is seen pn an x-rays. If the tumor is cancerous or malignant, the cancerous cells can invade or grow into surrounding tissues and spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. Breast cancer was assumed to primarily affect women, but men get breast cancer, too!

Where does breast cancer start?

Breast cancers can originate from different parts of the breast, but most begins in the ducts (ductal cancer) that carry milk to the nipple. Others begin in the glands that make breast milk (lobular cancers). A small number of cancers start in other tissues in the breast, sarcomas and lymphomas, but are not really thought of as breast cancers.

Not all breast cancers cause lumps which can be palpated or felt with the fingers. Many cancers are found during mammogram screenings. The advantage of mammogram screenings is the detection of the cancer at an earlier stage, often times before they can be felt or before symptoms develop.

It’s also important to know that most breast lumps are benign and not cancerous (malignant). Non-cancerous breast tumors are non-life threatening abnormal growths and generally do not spread outside of the breast. Some benign breast lumps can increase the risk of getting breast cancer. If you notice a change in a breast lump or it becomes painful to the touch, you should be checked by a health care professional.

How does breast cancer spread?

Breast cancer spreads most dramatically when it gets into the blood stream or into the lymph node system and carried to other parts of the body. What is the lymph system? Think of this system as blood vessels that carry a clear fluid or lymph. This system connects lymph nodes (small bean-shaped collections of immune system cells) and contains tissue by-products and waste material, as well as immune system cells. Most of the lymph vessels of the breast drain into:

under the arm - axillary nodes
around the collar bone – supraclavicular nodes
above the collar bone
below the collarbone - intraclavicular nodes
inside the chest near the breast bone - internal mammary nodes

If cancer cells have spread to your lymph nodes, there is a higher chance that the cells could have traveled through the lymph system and spread or metastasized to other parts of your body. Cancer found in one or more lymph nodes often can effect treatment, often requiring surgery to remove the effected nodes.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors You Cannot Change

Being a woman - the main risk factor for breast cancer. Men can get breast cancer, too, but this disease is about 100 times more common in women than in men.
Getting older- Most breast cancers are found in women age 55 and older.
Certain inherited genes - 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases are thought to be hereditary.

BRCA1 and BRCA2: The most common cause of hereditary breast cancer is an inherited mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. In normal cells, these genes help make proteins that repair damaged DNA. The mutated versions of these genes can lead to abnormal cell growth, which can lead to cancer. An inherited, mutated copy of either gene from a parent will heighten the chances of you having a higher risk of breast cancer.

Your race and ethnicity - Overall, white women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer than African-American women. But in women under age 45, breast cancer is more common in African-American women. African-American women are also more likely to die from breast cancer at any age. Asian, Hispanic and Native American women have a lower risk of developing and dying from breast cancer.

Other factors that might lower risk - Women who choose to breastfeed for at least several months may also get an added benefit of reducing their breast cancer risk.

Non-cancerous Breast Conditions

Benign breast conditions are very common and most women have them. Unlike breast cancers, benign breast conditions are not life-threatening. But some are linked with a higher risk of getting breast cancer later on.

Can Breast Cancer Be Prevented?

There is no sure way to prevent breast cancer. But you can do things that might lower your risk. This can be especially helpful for women with certain risk factors for breast cancer, such as having a strong family history or certain gene changes.

Get to and stay at a healthy weight
Be physically active - studies have shown that moderate to vigorous physical activity is linked with lower breast cancer risk. The American Cancer Society recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity each week.

Moderate activity is anything that makes you breathe as hard as you do during a brisk walk. It causes a slight increase in heart rate and breathing. You should be able to talk, but not sing during the activity.
Vigorous activities are performed at a higher intensity. They cause an increased heart rate, sweating, and a faster breathing rate.
Activities that improve strength and flexibility, such as weight lifting, stretching, or yoga, are also beneficial.

Limit or avoid alcohol - Alcohol also increases the risk of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that women have no more than 1 alcoholic drink a day. A drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits (hard liquor).

Is there a link between diet/vitamins and breast cancer risk?

A diet that is rich in vegetables, fruit, poultry, fish, and low-fat dairy products has been linked with a lower risk of breast cancer in some studies. A diet low in fat, low in processed and red meat, and high in fruits and vegetables can clearly have other health benefits, including lowering the risk of some other cancers.

Recommendations for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer that’s found early, when it’s small and has not spread, is easier to treat. Getting regular screening tests is the most reliable. The American Cancer Society has screening guidelines for women

What are screening tests?

The goal of screening tests for breast cancer is to find it before it causes symptoms, like a lump that can be felt. Early detection means finding and diagnosing a disease earlier. Breast cancers found during screening exams are more likely to be smaller and still confined to the breast. The size of a breast cancer and how far it has spread are important factors in predicting the prognosis or outlook of a woman with this disease.

American Cancer Society screenings recommendations for women at average breast cancer risk. A woman at average risk will not have a personal history of breast cancer, a strong family history of breast cancer or a genetic mutation that increases the risk of breast cancer.

Women between 40 and 44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year.
Women 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.
Women 55 and older have the option of mammograms every other year or choose to continue yearly mammograms.
Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live 10 more years or longer.

Mammograms

Regular mammograms can help find breast cancer at an early stage years before physical symptoms develop. Mammograms are not perfect. Some cancers are missed or additional testing may be required. There’s also a small possibility of being diagnosed with a cancer that never would have caused any problems had it not been found during screening.

Clinical breast exam and breast self-exam

Research has not shown a clear benefit of physical breast exams done by either a health professional or by you. But all women should be familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel and report any changes to a health care provider right away.

Preventative care holistically.

Although genetics play a role in who gets cancer and who escapes it, research has shown time and time again that a person can be proactive and significantly mitigate the risks through regular exercise and a healthy diet.

Here is a list of herbs that have shown anti-cancer benefits:

Cinnamon - has a compound known as cinnamaldehyde, which inhibits cancerous tumor cell growth. It protects DNA from damage and cell mutation. The compound also promotes cell apoptosis or self-destruction of cancerous cells. This method is especially evident in cases of colon cancer. Cinnamon may help people who have a high risk for cancer.
Cumin is helpful in treating colon and breast cancer. The seeds contain thymoquinone, dithymoquinone, thymohydroquinone and thymol which are anti-carcinogenic agents.
Flaxseed consumption has shown positive results in slowing or stopping the progression of breast cancer cells. A component in flaxseed, secoisolariciresinol (SDG), not only stopped the spread of cancer cells but also appears to reverse or repair the biomarkers that prompted the disease. A registered dietician from the Mayo Clinic recommends a dosage of 50 grams or 5 tablespoons per day. Ground flaxseed is more easily digested.
EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate, a polyphenol found in green tea, can prevent and inhibit breast tumorigenesis and is cytotoxic towards breast cancer cells.
Vitamin D – maintaining proper levels in the body helps to reduce the hazards of breast cancer by 21%. Vitamin D can be found in mushrooms, egg yolks, salmon, tuna, beef liver, and produced naturally in the body from sunshine.
Turkey Tail mushrooms have been used in Japan to boost the immune system of patients undergoing cancer treatments. The active ingredient, polysaccharide (PSK) is approved for use in people undergoing chemotherapy by improving health.
Oyster Mushrooms, which are rich in protein and Vitamin B, contain 2 mechanisms that inhibit the growth of colon and breast cancer.
Shiitake Mushrooms has anti-viral, anti-cancer and cholesterol lowering properties
Reishi Mushrooms have anti-inflammatory, tumor inhibiting and immune boosting properties.