The women who are having a family history of breast cancer should be particularly aware of the changes their bodies might be going through. These women should regularly take up breast cancer tests, in some cases the lump cannot be physically detectable and neither do you see the signs in the body or behavior so it is advised to take mammograms annually to check for the cancer. You could also be tested for genetic markers for the women who are having family history of breast cancer; other signs of breast cancer are tenderness of the breast, inverted nipples, dimpling of the breast skin, and pain in the breast. Your doctor can perform ultrasound to check for the lumps in the breast; it gives information whether the lump is made up of solid tissue or a fluid. Usually solid tissue of lump can be removed by surgeons and sent for biopsy to check if they are cancerous. Some women may find the lumps coming up at the same period with each cycle and later go away, these lumps are not cancerous. You should consult your doctor in the case that you have sharp stabbing pains; tenderness of the breast, if these pains appear not before your monthly periodic cycle or the pain is in one breast it is a cause for concern.

Positive Symptoms

If you see any of the above symptoms happening to you, you should immediately consult your doctor and talk about the signs of breast cancer you are having. Your doctor will then suggest you to take up breast cancer tests that will help to find out more. Before you start fearing about cancer, it is important to note that not all lumps are cancerous and that 90% of the breast lumps are not cancer lumps. Although it is a good idea to check with your doctor if you see a breast lump that is painful. Much of the lumps are fluid lumps and can be drained as they are painful and some lumps are just a cause of your monthly periods. In many young women, benign lump is present that is made up of fibrous connective tissue. These could be easily removed with local surgical procedure; they can be seen as benign under the microscope.

Notice any thickening of the skin on your breast or the lumps that change the shape of your breasts. It should also be a cause for concern if you notice dimples in the breast skin that changes the shape of your nipples. You should consult your doctor if there is any type of blood discharge happening from your nipples or a rash near areola or nipples. There could also be swelling in armpits in several cases of breast cancer, these are lymph nodes attached with cancerous tissues of your body and should consult the doctor immediately.

Health Profile of India has predicted that breast cancer would take over cervical cancer by 2020.

Head of Preventive Oncology, Dr. Rajni Mutneja, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, Delhi, says every one out of 20 women suffer from breast cancers in metro cities. She says there’s a notable doubling in the amount of cases in 10 years where half the patients present themselves at final stages where a definite cure is difficult.

An official from Health Ministry says breast cancer 10 years ago happened to be in 10/1-lakh women diagnosed annually. The official says cases had doubled now to 23/1-lakh women. They also mentioned that breast cancer cases in Chennai have troubling figures with a ratio of 1:33 women being affected.

Green tea:

A tea prepared from dried and mature leaves of the plant called Camellia sinensis is commonly referred to as green tea. The active ingredients present in green tea include polyphenols, out of which the catechin known as EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate are known to be extremely beneficial for breast cancer patients. Epigallocatechin gallate affects the breast cancer positively; this agent works by preventing spreading of the cancer and proliferation of breast cancer cells. It also inhibits protein synthesis in the breast cells affected by cancer. It has been found that breast cancer patients having green tea has much higher survival rates.

Black cohosh:

It is a herb native to the eastern territories of North America. The roots and rhizomes of black cohosh are widely used for medicinal purposes. Many clinical trials have revealed that black cohosh can help a woman to recover from the symptoms of breast cancer. The bioactive agents present in this herb, particularly a component called triterpene glycosides actein is known for its ability of inhibiting growth of the mutagenic cells of breast cancer.

American ginseng:

The antioxidant properties of American ginseng allow the herb to suppress proliferation and growth of breast cancers caused by estrogen buildup. As a result, consuming the prescribed dosages of this herb will prevent breast cancer metastasis and speed up recovery after breast cancer treatment.

What radioactive iodine therapy actually is? It is a therapeutic procedure using radioactive agents for killing the cancer cells. This procedure can be carried out in different ways. During treatment of thyroid cancer, the patient is asked to ingest a liquid or a pill made from radioactive materials. However, patients with breast cancer receive a different mode of radioactive iodine therapy. A capsule or seed containing radioactive agents is placed inside the body of the breast cancer patient using either though balloon brachytherapy or interstitial brachytherapy.

During interstitial brachytherapy, thin tubes get implanted in the affected regions of the breasts. Radioactive pellets are then administered into those tubes two times every day. During balloon brachytherapy, a device called MammoSite is used for inserting radioactive pellet agents into the balloon placed on the affected regions of the breasts. Similar to interstitial brachytherapy, in this procedure also the pellet materials get placed only in and around the cancerous tissues of the breasts; this makes sure that the healthy tissues are not damaged.

Iodine 131 and iodine 125 are the two radioactive isotopes of radioactive iodine; these isotopes are the primary ingredients of the pellets used for radioactive iodine therapy. The other energy sources included into the pellets are strontium 89, cesium, iridium, cobalt, phosphorus, phosphate and palladium.

Radioactive iodine therapy is now used widely all around the world for the treatment of breast cancer and offer great results in majority of the cases.

A number of medical studies carried out for finding the ill effects of hormone replacement therapy have revealed that there can be links between breast cancer and hormone therapy. The most prominent among these studies is a study called WHI or Women’s Health Initiative. The results obtained from this study were published in the month of July of 2002. The study was done on over 16,000 healthy females. It concluded that health risks imposed by hormone replacement therapy that includes use of both progestin and estrogen outweigh its benefits. Women undergoing such therapies become more susceptible towards conditions like blood clotting, strokes, heart diseases and breast cancer than women who do not receive any such therapy.

The worst thing is that HRT not only increases a woman’s chances of getting breast cancer, but also increases the possibilities that diagnosis of the cancer will occur only after the cancer reaches its advanced stage. The factor responsible for late diagnosis of breast cancer in women receiving HRT is that HRT reduces the efficacy of mammography.

As mentioned earlier, women who do not have their uterus can be treated with only estrogen for controlling menopausal symptoms. This form of HRT is unlikely to increase one’s risk of suffering from breast cancer. Another WHI study conducted in 2004 revealed that women taking only estrogen during hormone replacement therapy are at no higher risk of getting breast cancer and heart diseases. However, estrogen therapy does increase one’s risk of having stroke.

Chemotherapy

Of course, if the cancer has reached a peak, then surgery is the basic and the foremost treatment option that remains. Post surgery, to increase the survival rate, as well as the average number of years the patients can survive for, after the surgery. The most common treatment for stage 3 breast cancer is chemotherapy. This is because chemo is seen to obliterate most breast cancer cells that still persist after surgery. The medications used during chemo are capable of shrinking the tumor to a smaller size, which makes it easier for the tumor to remove. Chemotherapy is always an option after surgery, but it also is the main way out in cases where surgery may not be applicable.

Hormone therapies

This kind of a treatment helps patients of breast cancer to cure their hormone receptor positive cancers. The medications used in hormone therapies prevent tum0ors in the breast cancer women patients from availing the hormone that is essential for it to grow or triggers its growth. One of these drugs is tamoxifen, effective in case of premenopausal women. There are newer drugs like aromatase inhibitors, for example, Arimidex, Femara, or Aromasin. These drugs are efficient in cases of post menopausal females.

Radiation therapy

This is standard treatment for women with the breast cancer disease, be it stage 3 breast cancer or not. Post surgery, it seems essential for most female patients of the disease.

There are other techniques of treatment, clinical trials, biological therapy, and so on, which can be combined with surgery or other methods to cure stage 3 breast cancer.

Obesity is one of the most common risk factors of certain cancer types, which also includes breast cancer. Recently obtained medical data of the United States show that obesity or being overweight is linked with 49% endometrial cancer cases, 35% esophageal cancer cases, 28% pancreatic cancer cases, 24% kidney cancer cases, 9% colorectal cancer cases and 17% breast cancer cases.

Besides all these, it has also been established through a medical study conducted in the year 2010 that limiting the intake of fat in daily diet and consuming low fat food items can help in preventing cancer. Medical experts also suggest women to maintain a healthy body weight, exercise regularly and avoid consumption of alcohol to prevent occurrence of breast cancer.

How obesity or being overweight is linked to breast cancer? Medical experts have come up with a number of reasons. The most significant among them is the hormonal changes occurring in a woman’s body due to excess deposition of fat. Excess fat stored in our body might increase levels of the hormones like estrogen and may also disrupt proper functioning of insulin. These physical changes might end up increasing the woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. Studies have also shown that obese or overweight individuals often become victims of chronic inflammation in different body parts, which is another condition linked to cancer.

According to nutritionist and medical experts, a woman must consume 5 servings of fresh vegetables and fruits every day; doing so will ensure that they are taking enough nutrients that are low in calorie. This will help women in maintaining a healthy body weight, eventually lowering the risk of developing breast cancer.

The surgeon will tell you to start exercising after 3 to 7 days of undergoing the operation. The most commonly recommended exercise for patients during this phase is the hand lifting exercise; to perform this exercise you will need to follow the steps below:

• Lie down with your back on the bed with your hands on your side
• Lift the hand on side of the surgery at heart-height and bring it down after counting 5
• Initially, continue doing this for 15 minutes; as time will pass your muscle will get flexible you will be able to do it for 45 minutes or even more.
• Repeat the exercise 2 to 3 times every day.

Performing the above exercise regularly will help in decreasing the swelling in the surgery site. Breast cancer surgery patients often develop a condition called lymphedema. Exercising regularly helps women to prevent occurrence of lymphedema.

After 30 to 45 days of the surgery, the patient can start performing light strength training using 2 to 5 pounds of weights. They can also get involved in exercises forms like swimming and other flexibility work outs.

Although exercising is extremely beneficial for patients undergoing breast cancer surgery, they should never start exercising without consulting a physician. The doctor might ask you to exercise under the supervision of an occupational therapist or physical trainer for eliminating the possibilities of performing wrong movements. The physician will also guide you about the duration and intensity of workouts suitable for you.

Acupuncture:

This procedure includes insertion of tiny needles into particular points of the patient’s body for restoring the energy flow. This treatment procedure is usually absolutely painless. The healing abilities of an individual’s body increases after undergoing acupuncture therapy. Acupuncture is primarily used for managing the side effects of breast cancer treatments like pain, fatigue, vomiting and nausea. This therapeutic procedure can also reduce the stress levels of breast cancer patients.

Aromatherapy:

This treatment procedure involves use of essential oils extracted from flowers, leaves and roots of medicinal plants. Breast cancer patients often experience side effects like pain, fatigue, nausea, headache and fever after undergoing treatments like chemotherapy or radiation; essential oils help in reducing these discomforting effects of breast cancer treatments by inducing relaxation of mind and alleviating stress levels of the patients. There are also essential oils that help in managing skin problems associated with breast cancer surgery.

Yoga:

Yoga is an exercise form that helps in calming down our mind and body. There are yoga exercises that help in managing side effects of breast cancer treatments like headaches, nausea and pains. When a breast cancer patient is undergoing radiation or chemotherapy, performing gentle and restorative yoga exercises may offer them significant relief from the discomforts associated with the treatment procedures. Once the treatment ends, the patient can start performing more challenging yoga exercises under the supervision of a yoga expert.

Dietary changes:

Like all other medical conditions, eating healthy is also necessary for recovering from breast cancer. A breast cancer patient must stop drinking alcohol based beverages including beer and avoid consumption of food items that contain high amounts of fats.

The breast cancer tumor has bumpy and non- uniform edges and speculated surfaces, which makes the lump easier to be discovered during surgery. But, lumpectomy can sometimes be very difficult due to the branching of the tumor to other parts of the breast. This way, the surgery is not confined to the region of its origin. Even if the minutest element of the tumorous part remains back after lumpectomy, there are great chances of lumpectomy. This is the only disadvantage of this treatment.

Recovery from lumpectomy is a major issue for some people after surgery. Some may be unmarried females or married but not yet mothers. So, it is obvious for these kinds of patients to feel sick with the post effects and the feelings that come after such a breast surgery. The op leaves scars on the skin of and near the breast. This makes the most sensual regions of female bodies look shabby and undesired, which adds to the shame and complex. Moreover, lumpectomy includes removal of tissue from the breast in and around the region of the tumor origin. Hence, the breast volume and shape can be at stake, which is traumatizing for a young female. Thus, lumpectomy not only affects the patient’s physical comfort but also the psychological well being of the patient. But, the advantages seem far more appealing than the shortcomings. Hence, lumpectomy is being practiced as a treatment of breast cancer at lower stages in a great manner.