Myth: Only Women With A Family History Of Breast Cancer Are At Risk
Reality: Roughly 70% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no identifiable risk factors for the disease. But the family-history risks are these: If a first-degree relative has had or has breast cancer, your risk of developing the disease approximately doubles. Having two first-degree relatives with the disease increases your risk even more.
Using Chemical Hair Dye
I know so many people who dye their hair every few months using the cheap boxed dyes you can buy at the store. Sure, it can be fun but its like playing Russian Roulette because the dyes you use most likely contain carcinogens. The National Cancer Institute even warns against the practice of just picking out a hair dye willy-nilly. So the next time you do it, go to a health foods market and find the most naturally-based hair dye you can.
Breasts Move In A Figure 8 During Exercise
For large-breasted women, exercise can pose a problem. Nethero says research out of the United Kingdom shows that unsupported breasts move up and down 4 to 15 inches in a figure-eight pattern when a woman is exercising. Its possible for ligaments to get damaged because of this, she says. Rather than wearing a traditional sports bra that pushes the breasts against the chest wall, a well-fitting sports bra that’s sized according to your cup size is much more effective.
Wheeler acknowledges that its logical for your breasts to move during exercise, but has never seen trauma in a womans breast due to exercise. Remember, if you are large breasted, you’re likely to be overweight, and the fat in your breast is usually directly proportionate to the rest of the fat in your body, she says.
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We Want Bigger Perkier Boobs
For the past decade, breast augmentation has been the most sought-after form of plastic surgery, with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reporting that 286,000 were performed in 2014. But people are trending toward the perky rather than large side of things. Breast lifts increased by 75 percent from 2000 to 2014, according to the ASPS.
Can A Breast Injury Cause Cancer
It is a common misconception that a breast injury could cause cancer. No available research exists that indicates a link between breast injury and cancer.
Some people may believe that a breast injury could lead to cancer because breast injuries can cause a lump to develop after an injury. But a lump could be due to what is called fat necrosis.
Fat necrosis is scarring of dead or injured fatty tissue in the breast that can cause a lump. According to the American Cancer Society, fat necrosis does ânot increase a womanâs risk of breast cancer.â
A lump in the breast after an injury can also be due to a deep bruise that is known as a hematoma.
There are several potential complications of a traumatic breast injury:
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Facts You Should Know About Breast Lumps In Women
- Breast lumps can be caused by infections, injuries, non-cancerous growths, and cancer.
- Breast cancer usually causes no pain in the breast. The symptoms of breast cancer include painless breast lumps, nipple discharge, and inflammation of the skin of the breast.
- The chances that a particular breast lump could be cancerous depends on many factors, including past medical history, physical examination, as well as genetic and other risk factors.
- The only way to be certain that a lump is not cancerous is to have a tissue sampling . There are several ways to do the biopsy. The treatment of a breast lump depends on its cause.
Can Ivf Cause Breast Cancer
Theres no evidence that having IVF treatment affects your risk of breast cancer.
Current evidence suggests women who have received IVF treatment are no more likely to develop breast cancer than women who have not had IVF. However, IVF is a relatively new procedure and more research is needed to be sure of all the long-term health effects.;
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Buying The Wrong Food
I figured that pesticides were trouble from the get-go, and I was right. They get into your foods and, in some cases, seem to foster an environment where cancerous cells feel compelled to grow within the organs and tissues, including the breasts. Its one more reason to buy from local farmers, as long as they dont use pesticides. Youll have to ask them, by the way; most local food market stands dont have signs up about the whole pesticides topic.
While everyone still makes fun of me for being a hypochondriac, I know in my heart that Im actually just protecting myself, and maybe educating some people on the health dangers that lurk in everyday items. My wellbeing is worth being the butt of a few jokes. Yours is, too.
If you make your own coffee in the morning, chances are youre only making the same boring kind everyday. Now its time to put an end to the cynical habit and turn you into an instant coffee connoisseur.
For those who dont know, there are officially 38 different ways to make coffee. All, except decaffeinated versions will give you the same buzz that can either make you extremely productive or give you anxiety.
The only difference here is taste. And when it comes to coffee, taste matters. A lot.
Most of the methods and ingredients from the chart above dates back hundreds of years and have been traditionally passed down from generation to generation. Hence, its actually possible to tell where a person came from based on the type of coffee he or she drinks!
Your Left Breast Is Bigger Than Your Right
No two breasts are alike, even on the same person, says Wheeler. While a womans nipples and areolas tend to be consistent on both breasts, the left breast itself is usually larger than the right. Other differences may include one being higher or rounder than the other.
With regard to overall size, the specialty bra store Intimacy reported that its customers bra sizes grew from an average of a 34B to a 34DD or 34E at their stores over the past 20 years or so. The retailer gathered information by interviewing more than 60,000 customers across the United States in 2013, and then compared the results to a study it conducted in 1992.
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Why Are My Nipples Itchy After Nursing
Itching or pain often occurs in the first weeks of nursing as your body gets used to the babys sucking and the milk leakage. If these symptoms return later, it may be a sign of thrush, a yeast infection that occurs on your nipples. Your baby may also show signs of thrush, which can appear as white patches inside the mouth. You and your baby would need to be treated to ensure the infection doesnt recur.
Theres More To Breasts Than You Might Think
Breasts consist of skin, glandular tissue, connective tissue, ductal lobule units, ligaments, and fat. While breasts are always changing, theyre not considered completely mature until pregnancy or lactation occurs. The ductal lobule units dont get mature until they get the signal of lactation, or sometimes they just give up and fully mature about two years after we start our menstrual period, says Amanda Wheeler, MD, breast surgeon at Stanford Health Care and clinical assistant professor of surgery at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California.
Once women enter the perimenopausal years usually in their forties changes that lead to sagging occur. The ductal lobule units are no longer supported by hormones, because were not getting our menstrual period anymore. When that happens, they shrivel up and shrink. Then you get fatty replacement of the breast, Dr. Wheeler explains. Plus, as we age, connective tissue, which suspends the breasts up and acts as our natural underwire of the breast, gets stretched. The breast skin begins to lose elasticity, too, and both contribute to sagging.
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When To See A Doctor
You can treat pimples on the breasts with at-home remedies and over-the-counter skin care products. If its a recurring issue, consider seeing a dermatologist for treatment.
If you dont already have a dermatologist, our Healthline FindCare tool can help you connect to physicians in your area.
Many bug bites resolve on their own. Others, such as scabies, require treatment.
No matter what the cause, see your doctor if you notice signs of infection, or if the red spot or pimple-like bump persists.
Dont ignore concerning symptoms if you:
- have a personal or family history of breast cancer
- are at increased risk for breast cancer
- suspect you have breast cancer
Talk to your doctor right away. Early diagnosis and treatment makes cancer easier to treat and usually results in a better outcome.
Make an appointment to see your doctor if youre at all concerned about a red spot on your breast.
Your doctor will probably begin with a physical examination of your breasts. In the case of pimples, bug bites, or allergic reactions, this may be enough to reach a diagnosis.
If your doctor suspects breast cancer, they may use the following tests to help make a diagnosis:
Inflammatory Breast Cancer Pictures: Itchy Rash Bruised Breasts
Check Inflammatory Breast Cancer Pictures images to examine itchy, rash, bruises, red spots, discoloration or pain in breasts with early signs & symptoms.
Inflammatory breast cancer is an infrequent, aggressive type of breast cancer that spreads rapidly. Cancer initiates when normal cells in the breast alter and grow uncontrollably, forming a sheet of cells called a tumor. Breast cancer spreads when the cancer grows into other parts of the body through the blood vessels and lymph vessels.
Inflammatory breast cancer or IBC is one of the forms of breast cancer causes the solid lump tumors. This type of breast cancer usually forms as sheets or webs of tumor that are difficult to detect. It is characteristically aggressive disease and is called inflammatory because the cancer cells block the lymphatic vessels, resulting in changes in the breast.
In inflammatory breast cancer, the cancer cells block the lymph vessels within the breast, which causes fluid backup and swelling of the breast and overlying skin. Inflammatory Breast Cancer is not found as a typical lump but in sheets form which is rarely seen in routine mammograms. Habitually Inflammatory breast cancers are hormone receptor negative, meaning that their cells do not have receptors for;estrogen;or;progesterone;on the surface. Thus therapies that target estrogen-driven tumor growth are unlikely to be effective.
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How Worried Should Women Be
Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare disease, so the chances of your getting it;are;quite small. Awareness of what symptoms to look for and of how to go about having those symptoms evaluated is the most important defense against this and any disease.
Additional information about IBC can be found at:
Myth: Wearing Antiperspirant Increases Your Risk Of Getting Breast Cancer
Reality:
The American Cancer Society pooh-poohs this rumor, but admits that more research is needed. One small study did stumble on traces of parabens in a tiny sample of breast cancer tumors. Parabens, used as preservatives in some antiperspirants, have weak estrogen-like properties, but the study in question made no cause-and-effect connection between parabens and breast cancer, nor did it conclusively identify the source of the parabens found in tumors.
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Common Types Of Breast Rashes
So what could that redness be? Im not a doctor, so Im sure there are plenty of possible causes Ive never heard of, but between me and my friends, Ive become something of a connoisseur of rashes.
Fungal infection: A few months after my diagnosis with IBC, a friend called me asking about my rash. She had just developed a red rash, and my description of my symptoms sounded all too familiar to her. Her rash sounded different than mine, but I urged her to see a doctor, just in case.
It turned out she had a fungal infection, and the right kind of cream cleared it right up. The underside of the breast is a warm, dark, damp place where these fungi like to grow. Think athletes foot, jock itch, vaginal yeast infections similar organisms, different place on the body.
Heat rash: Based on my friends experience, I thought a rash on the underside of my breast a few years ago must be a fungal infection, but the antifungal cream I used didnt help at all. When I went to the doctor, I found out it wasnt fungal. Nope, the doc said I had heat rash and needed diaper rash cream! Lesson learned: Dont try to self-diagnose a rash that lasts longer than a few days. Check with the doctor.
Eczema: That scaly rash on your nipple may be eczema. You can get eczema almost anywhere on your body where there is skin. A scaly rash also may signal Pagets disease of the breast, a type of cancer, but this is much more rare.
Lyme Disease’s Role In Cancer Development
Lyme disease is a complicated bacterial infection that is often seen accompanied by many other co-infections, this heightened number of infections could be making patients more susceptible to cancer. Infections have been shown to have three major modes of either causing or assisting in tumor growth, they cause inflammation, depress the immune system, and they can alter DNA causing mutations in the cell. Fortunately, Envita has developed patient specific and targeted treatment plans for Lyme disease and many of its coinfections, reducing the risk of developing cancer from infections for their patients.
Lyme disease patients may be very susceptible to cancer as Lyme can directly or indirectly cause all three of the mechanics that lead to tumor growth. Lyme disease and it coinfections directly cause inflammation of muscle and nerve tissue through endotoxins, biotoxins, and neurotoxins released by the bacterial infection. Lyme and its co-infections can severely depress the immune system making the body more susceptible to viral infections which can alter cellular DNA leading to cancer in a process known as oncogenesis. It is important to understand that Lyme disease is rarely seen alone and is almost always accompanied by other infections which must be addressed for proper treatment and cancer prevention.
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What Causes Breast Lumps And Pain
Many possible causes exist for pain or tenderness in one of your breasts or in both breasts. Most often the pain can be attributed to harmless causes such as puberty or pregnancy. It can also be a recurrent problem for women with cyclical pain associated with the menstrual cycle. Although cancer is a major concern for most women, it is rarely the cause of isolated breast pain.
Some causes of breast pain are:
- Fibrocystic breast disease
- Breast cancer
If you have a lump in your breast, your doctor will check for the following:
What Determines One’s Breast Cancer Risk
The chances that a particular breast lump could be cancerous depends on many factors, including a woman’s past medical history, her physical examination, and results of radiological tests . Some of the most important risk factors are outlined below.
History
Age is the biggest risk factor for breast cancer. In other words, most cases of breast cancer occur due to the fact that the risk of breast cancer increases with age. Most women with breast cancer do not have a history of breast cancer. A woman who has had a prior breast cancer or who has a family history of breast cancer is certainly at risk herself, especially if multiple family members are involved, the cases occurred at a young age, or if the cancer involved both breasts of a single family member.
Women who have received radiation therapy to the chest area as treatment for another cancer have a significantly increased risk for breast cancer.
Genetic factors
About 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases have been shown to be related to inherited gene changes . The most common mutations are those of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, although other genetic mutations may also lead to breast cancers.
Abnormal findings on previous breast biopsies
The finding of certain conditions on previous breast biopsies can also increase the risk for developing breast cancer. Pre-cancerous growths and growths noted on a breast biopsy that represent an increased risk for the development of breast cancer include the following:
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Other Symptoms Of Inflammatory Breast Cancer
Unlike most other types of breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer does not usually cause breast lumps. Instead, the cancer affects the skin and lymph vessels of the breast.; In addition to red spots on the breast skin, common symptoms include:
- Breast skin that looks and feels thick and pitted, similar to an orange peel
- Rapid changes in the appearance or texture of the breast skin
- Breast pain, swelling, redness, itchiness and warmth
- A thickening of the breast skin
- Breast enlargement or heaviness
Rare Breast Cancer Can Look Like Bug Bite
- Monday, September 11, 2006 9:00pm
- Life
It all started with what looked like a bug bite.
After working in the garden, Nancy Key of Camano Island noticed a spider bite on her side and an itchy spot on her right breast.
Key, who was 47 at the time, didnt think much about it until a few weeks later when the breast skin began thickening and forming ridges like an orange peel and the whole area started to swell.
She called her doctor right away and thats probably what saved her life.
A biopsy revealed inflammatory breast cancer, a rare and deadly type that commonly strikes younger women. Yet most women arent even aware of it.
I was pretty mad I was going to die from something Id never heard of, Key said.
Key had done all the right things. Shed seen her doctor annually and examined herself every month. There were no lumps or signs of breast cancer as pictured on her self-exam reminder card. A screening mammogram a few months earlier had showed nothing unusual. But there it was: She had breast cancer the worst possible kind that rarely gets talked about.
While undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, Key searched for information about IBC. She learned, for example, that the cancer makes up less than 6 percent of the more than 200,000 new cases of breast cancer that occur in the U.S. each year.
Instead, the cancer grows as sheets that spread throughout the breast.
* Redness, warmth, swelling or enlargement of a breast, often occurring suddenly;
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