Breast Cancer – Cancer In Plain English – Cancer Information

Breast Cancer: Where are we today?

RemwesMedical — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:56:42 +0000

Breast Cancer remains a very serious and important medical problem in the world. Every year, over 170,000 women and over 2,000 men will be found with breast cancer.
In the 1980s, we started to use mammograms in order to screen women for the possibility of having breast cancer. This has been a revolutionary step and a life saver for thousands of women. As we would expect, with the use of mammograms, we now find many cancers very early in their course, which in the past would have never been found until it was too late and the cancer might have already spread.
The question one would ask is: Since women now use mammograms as a way to find breast cancer early before it spreads, does this mean that we no longer find breast cancer that is advanced by the time we find it? Unfortunately, the answer is no. This is truly unfortunate.
It seems that there is a group of women who have a tendency (which is probably genetic in origin) to developing very aggressive breast cancers and that when they are found with breast cancer, their cancers are already spread. Thankfully, this is a small percentage of the women who develop breast cancer. This group of women, the ones who develop a very aggressive breast cancer from the “get go” is made up of only about 5% – 10% of all women who develop breast cancer. Research is currently ongoing to see if we can find other ways to know who are these women who develop aggressive breast cancers from the start and how to find them earlier than what is possible with a mammogram. To this end, the use of things such as the BRCA cancer genes and blood tests are being explored as a possible means of finding these women who have the tendency to develop aggressive breast cancers and to try to catch them as early as possible.
The good news is that we are making progress. The findings of new and promising ways to try to find out who are the women at risk for this aggressive form of breast cancer continue to come frequently. As we learn of them, we here at Cancer In Plain English will post them here for you in easy to understand language. Our desire is to make complicated cancer information very easy to understand so that everyone can know as much as possible. All of these concepts are as well available on the breast cancer audio CD which is available on the www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com internet web site.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

RemwesMedical — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:12:16 +0000

Inflammatory breast cancer is a very aggressive form of breast cancer that is very different from the other forms of breast cancer and one which is very important to know.
This form of breast cancer is an infrequent form of breast cancer. It accounts for only 1% – 5% of newly diagnosed and newly found breast cancers. As such, thankfully since it is such an aggressive cancer, it is very infrequent.
A key fact to remember with inflammatory breast cancer is that there is usually NO LUMP! A woman with inflammatory breast cancer will not feel a mass or a lump. In inflammatory breast cancer, the whole breast is usually red and warm and the skin of the breast looks thick and dimpled. In fact, the skin of the breast looks so much the way the skin of an orange looks that textbooks describe the way the skin of the breast appears in inflammatory breast cancer as a “Peau d’orange” look – which literally means the “skin of an orange” look.
What this means is that breast cancer has been able to slowly infiltrate the skin of the breast and is spread all through the breast under the skin. This is such, that many times one can make a diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer by just taking a punch biopsy of the skin of the breast.
It is very important to know that inflammatory breast cancer is a particularly aggressive and fast moving form of breast cancer. If left alone, this form of breast cancer can be rapidly fatal for the woman – sometimes in as little as three months!
As such, if a woman feels that her entire breast is red, tender, warm to the touch and the skin is thickened, she needs to see a physician right away. It is important to know that a mild infection of the skin of the breast, which is sometimes called a “mastitis” can look just like inflammatory breast cancer. Thus, if your doctor tells you that the skin of your breast is red, tender, warm to the touch and thickened because you have an infection in your breast, please make sure to ask him or her if it is possible that what is happening in your breast is not an infection of the breast but possibly an inflammatory breast cancer. All of these concepts are explained in very easy to understand language in the Breast Cancer audio CD available on the web site www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com.

Breast Cancer Stage

RemwesMedical — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:54:01 +0000

There are four key and most important things to remember and to have in mind when it comes to breast cancer.
The first is to know if the woman with the breast cancer is still having menstrual periods or not. Breast cancer behaves differently in women who are as yet having regular periods compared with the way it behaves in women who are no longer having regular periods.
The second is the size of the tumor when it is found. This is important because this will tell us about the possibility of the tumor to spread. The larger the tumor size when it is found, the greater the chance for it to have spread by the time we have found it.
The third is the finding or not of lymph nodes in the axilla (or, as is more commonly known, the “armpit”) which show that the cancer had spread to them. This is key as it tells us if the cancer has had the opportunity to spread to this site by the time we find it. If it has, this is a very key finding that dictates how aggressive we need to be in order to try to keep the cancer from ever returning.
The fourth and final key point to know when breast cancer is found, is if the breast cancer had what are known as receptors present in it. These receptors are called Erstrogen receptors, Progesterone receptors and HER-2 receptors. If the cancer does have receptors present, this will help us know how to treat it. If it does not have receptors present, this will then let us know how else to treat the breast cancer.
All of the above concepts and more are available in very easy to understand language in the Breast Cancer audio CD available on www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com.

BSI-201 Experimental Breast Cancer Drug

RemwesMedical — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 22:36:07 +0000

Exciting news! There is a new drug for the treatment of Breast Cancer that is now being tested and is showing wonderfully promising results. In fact, the US Food and Drug administration has felt that the early results with the testing of this new medicine were so promising that it has granted this drug what is known as “FAST TRACK” approval. This means that it will move things along as quickly as possible towards fully approving this new and promising drug as a new treatment for Breast Cancer.
BSI-201 (as the drug is currently known, until the medication eventually receives a generic and a brand name for use in pharmacies across the country, is especially designed to be used in women who have what is known as “Triple Negative” breast cancers. These are breast cancers that are negative for the receptors known as the Estrogen receptors, the Progesterone receptors and the Her-2 receptors. Breast cancers that do not have any of these three receptors are felt to be more aggressive than ones with these receptors. The way that this new BSI-201 drug works against the breast cancer is by blocking an enzyme that the cancer cell uses to repair itself known as the PARP enzyme. Thus, when BSI-201 blocks that repair enzyme, then the cancer cannot readily repair itself and thus more readily dies.
An advantage that comes with having one or more of the receptors mentioned above is that it is possible to treat women with breast cancers who have positive receptors with anti-hormone therapies such as Tamoxien or a medication known as Herceptin which is for women who have breast cancers that are Her-2 positive tumors. These women with “Triple Negative” breast cancers, however, cannot benefit from treatment with either anti-hormonal therapy such as Tamoxifen or from anti Her-2 therapy known as Herceptin.
That is why it is so very exciting to have a new medication which can now treat these women with “Triple Negative” and thus otherwise rather difficult to treat forms of breast cancer.
An early study, carried out by the Drug company known as Sanofi-Aventis (which is the company that is making this new medication) has shown that women with advanced “Triple Negative” breast cancer treated with this new medication lived, on average, at least a year (12 months) from the time when this new medicine was started in their treatment compared with an average survival of only about 7 months for women who only received the usual standard chemotherapy medications. That means that women who received treatment with this new medicine lived at least 5 months longer than women who did not receive this new medication.
Of course, these are early results with this new medication and more study is needed; however thus far these early results are very encouraging.
These and other concepts are covered in this very easy to understand language in the Breast Cancer audio CD that is available on the web site called www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com

Breast Cancer Walk

RemwesMedical — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:06:52 +0000

On October 16th – 17th of 2010, the “In it to end it” run to raise funds for the effort to fight against breast cancer will be held in New York City, New York.
Pretty much since 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon from Washington state, ran around a track for a 24 hours in order to raise funds for the American Cancer Society, the tradition of runs and relays as a means to raise public awareness and funds for our worthy cancer causes has continued and has grown.
That run by Dr. Gordy in 1985 was the start of a run that has now spread far and wide for the American Cancer Society which is known as the yearly Relay For Life run.
As mentioned earlier, therefore, on October 16th – 17, of 2010 in New York City, New York, the “In it to end it” run will be held. This run is also known as the Avon walk New York. This run will provide an opportunity for those who feel, as most of us do, that Breast Cancer is something that we can conquer in our lifetimes.
The “Avon Walk” as the New York run in October of 2010 is also known, will be a 26.2 mile walk on Saturday and a 13.1 mile walk on Sunday and will raise much needed funds for breast cancer research.
Anyone wishing to register for the walk and to be present in New York City in October of 2010 for this wonderful occasion, can register via the www.walk.avonfoundation.org web site.
If you or a loved one will be in the New York area during in October of 2010, this is a wonderful thing for you to consider as a family activity. This is a wonderful opportunity to bond with others who feel, as we all do, that this difficult malignancy can be conquered.

Breast Cancer Symptoms

RemwesMedical — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:01:35 +0000

In its early stages, unfortunately, breast cancer is usually painless. This characteristic makes regular screening tests such as mammograms and breast self-examinations even more important. On some occasions, however, women may develop signs and/or symptoms which may give us clues or indications to look for breast cancer. We will review these as follows:
1. LUMP. The finding of a lump in one’s breast or in the underargm during a breast and underarm self-exam is an important clue that should not be overlooked. Besides breast cancer. there are other reasons why we may find a lump in one’s breast, such as a benign fibrocystic disease of the breast or the natural lumpiness of the breasts that occur in some women – especially during the menstrual cycle, however, the finding of a hard lump in one’s breast is an important finding that should be reported to our physicians. It is important to note that almost half – 50% of all masses found in the breast – are found in the upper outer aspect of the breast.
2. HARDNESS OF THE SKIN OF THE BREAST. There is a very special and important form of breast cancer known as an Inflammatory Breast Cancer. This is a very rapidly growing and aggressive form of breast cancer which needs to be addressed as soon as possible. This form of breast cancer usually presents as an induration and hardness of the skin of the breast with an increased redness as well. If a woman develops increased redness and hardness in one or both breasts, it is important to report this finding to her physician as soon as possible. There are other reasons for the finding of a redness and hardness of the skin of the breast, however an Inflammatory Breast Cancer is such an important and urgent finding that it needs to be considered and ruled out as soon as the thought that this may be the case enters our minds.
3. NIPPLE DISCHARGE. A nipple discharge, on some occasions, may be a sign of an underlying breast cancer. As noted earlier, not all breast discharges are an indication of an underlying breast cancer; however if a woman discovers a repeated nipple discharge – especially if it is a bloody nipple discharge – it is very important for her to report this to her physician.
4. CHANGE IN THE SIZE OR SHAPE OF THE BREAST. If a woman notices that there has been a change in the size and/or shape of her breast, this may be an important clue to the development of breast cancer. As we noted earlier, breast cancer in its early stages is painless. As such, the only clue we may have of the presence of a breast cancer may be the finding of a change in the appearance of the breasts themselves.
5. PAIN OR TENDERNESS OF THE BREASTS. The development of pain or tenderness in one or both breasts may indicate an underlying breast cancer.
6. RETRACTION OR INDENTATION OF THE NIPPLE OF THE BREAST. If the nipple of one or both breasts becomes indurated or retracted, this may be a sign of an underlying breast cancer.
All of the above concepts and many more are covered in very easy to understand language in the Breast Cancer audio CD available on www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com.

Breast Cancer Awareness

RemwesMedical — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:21:27 +0000

The first National Breast Cancer Awareness Month was an event which lasted a week during the month of October of 1985. This initial event was sanctioned by a partnership of both public and private organizations including The American Academy of Family Physicians, CancerCare Inc. and the AstraZeneca Healthcare Foundation.
Today the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month continues to enjoy the strong support of private and public organizations and celebrates 25 years of educating not only women everywhere, but the public at large about the need for increased research, increased knowledge and its mission to help women everywhere to take increased control of their breast health.
The month of October is recognized as the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month; however, it is hoped that an awareness of the need for education and self-empowerment of women for their breast health care and overall health care, is an ongoing, year-round endeavor.
There are various activities throughout the year that seek to keep the efforts of Breast Cancer Awareness uppermost in our minds. For example, On February 21st, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida the National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer will be held. This is the only U.S. marathon that is dedicated entirely to raising funds to help in the effort to end breast cancer. The great majority of all the funds raised during this event will go towards breast cancer research at the Mayo Clinic.
The Breast Cancer audio CD available at www.CancerInPlainEnglish.com is an excellent means for women to become educated about available treatment options and considerations regarding Breast Cancer. These audio CDs are a convenient means for women to access this information and can be listened to during the commute to work or during drive time.