How Is Breast Cancer Treated
As in women, treatment for breast cancer in men depends on how big the tumor is and how far it has spread. Treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy. For more information, see the National Cancer Institutes Male Breast Cancer Treatment.external icon
Early Warning Signs Of Breast Cancer
Common symptoms of breast cancer include:
- A lump in your breast or underarm that doesnât go away. This is often the first symptom of breast cancer. Your doctor can usually see a lump on a mammogram long before you can see or feel it.
- Swelling in your armpit or near your collarbone. This could mean breast cancer has spread to lymph nodes in that area. Swelling may start before you feel a lump, so let your doctor know if you notice it.
- Pain and tenderness, although lumps donât usually hurt. Some may cause a prickly feeling.
- A flat or indented area on your breast. This could happen because of a tumor that you canât see or feel.
- Breast changes such as a difference in the size, contour, texture, or temperature of your breast.
- Changes in your nipple, like one that:
- Pulls inward
- Develops sores
Can Exercise Help Reduce My Risk Of Developing Breast Cancer
Exercise is a big part of a healthy lifestyle. It can also be a useful way to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer in your postmenopausal years. Women often gain weight and body fat during menopause. People with higher amounts of body fat can be at a higher risk of breast cancer. However, by reducing your body fat through exercise, you may be able to lower your risk of developing breast cancer.
The general recommendation for regular exercise is about 150 minutes each week. This would mean that you work out for about 30 minutes, five days each week. However, doubling the amount of weekly exercise to 300 minutes can greatly benefit postmenopausal women. The longer duration of exercise allows for you to burn more fat and improve your heart and lung function.
The type of exercise you do can vary the main goal is get your heart rate up as you exercise. Its recommended that your heart rate is raised about 65 to 75% of your maximum heart rate during exercise. You can figure out your maximum heart rate by subtracting your current age from 220. If you are 65, for example, your maximum heart rate is 155.
Aerobic exercise is a great way to improve your heart and lung function, as well as burn fat. Some aerobic exercises you can try include:
- Walking.
- Dancing.
- Hiking.
Remember, there are many benefits to working more exercise into your weekly routine. Some benefits of aerobic exercise can include:
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Getting A Breast Biopsy
In a breast biopsy, the doctor takes out small pieces of breast tissue to check them for cancer cells. A biopsy is the only way to tell for sure if you have breast cancer.
There are many types of biopsies. Ask your doctor what kind you will need. Each type has risks and benefits. The choice of which type to use depends on your own case.
Sometimes, surgery is needed to take out all or part of the lump to find out if its cancer. This is often done in a hospital using local anesthesia . You might also be given medicine to make you sleepy.
What Are The Common Signs And Symptoms Of Breast Cancer
The following early signs and symptoms of breast cancer can happen with other conditions that are not cancer related.
- New lump in the breast or underarm
- Thickening or swelling of part of the breast
- Irritation or dimpling of breast skin
- Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area of the breast
- Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area
- Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood
- Any change in the size or the shape of the breast
- Pain in any area of the breast
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A Reason To Celebrate
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that his wife, Casey DeSantis, is cancer-free after being diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
- Casey began chemotherapy treatment shortly after her diagnosis, and in January, the governor and first lady announced that she had finished treatment.
- Its important for patients to have a strong support system when going through what is most likely one of the hardest times of their lives, and just being there can do wonders. This is something Casey can attest to when it comes to her husbands support Gov. DeSantis has been there for his wife every step of the way.
Great news Floridians: First Lady Casey DeSantis is officially cancer-free!
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced in October that his wife, 41, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. He and Casey both spoke about her diagnosis during the following months, and both remained hopeful she would one day be deemed cancer-free.
Early Signs Of Breast Cancer
Pinpointing breast cancer in its earliest stages isnt easy because breast cancer signs and symptoms are different for everyone. Sometimes there is a palpable lump or tenderness. Very often, there is neither. Generally, breast cancer shows no symptoms in the early stage.
However, there are certain changes in the breast that may indicate breast cancer in both men and women.
Whether you are a man or a woman, its important to become familiar with your breasts so you can recognize when changes occur and seek timely treatment. Know the facts and understand your risk factors for the disease, such as genetics and family history, by reviewing these frequently asked questions.
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What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer
CHAPTER 1THE HISTORY AND POLITICS OFTHE BREAST CANCER INDUSTRY
Why We Can’t Seem to Prevent or Cure BreastCancer
Why is modern medicine going nowhere in itsattempts to treat breast cancer? Our research has found that the answer to this question liesprimarily with the politics of medicine, the cancer industry, and the industries that create thepollutants that contribute to breast cancer. We believe that the only way to truly prevent andtreat breast cancer is to go outside the current way of doing things in medicine and stop thewholesale pollution of our planet with petrochemicals, but the forces that would keep things thesame are very powerful and entrenched. That’s why, just as they did with hormone replacementtherapy , women need to educate themselves about pollutants, about breast cancer, and aboutalternative treatments. They need to rebel against ineffective and harmful treatments, and do whatthey can to teach their doctors.
The mortality from breast cancer isalso staggering. If you combine mortality rates from the United States and Canada , in North America a woman dies of breast cancer everytwelve minutes.
Do Radiation, Tamoxifen, Mammograms, andChemotherapy Help or Hurt?
- Mammograms don’t really save lives : 904-913.
- Radiation doesn’t really save lives .
- Tamoxifen doesn’t really save lives .
- Chemotherapy doesn’t save lives .
Radiation
Tamoxifen
Mammography
Chemotherapy
The Breast Cancer Numbers
Statistical Shell Games
A Word about Prevention
The Bottom Line
Treatment Of Breast Cancer In Cats
The number one option for treating breast cancer in cats is surgery.
It is a sad fact that the aggressive nature of this condition means the wait and see approach is not a great idea. Instead, surgical removal of the lump is often best. Your vet may even suggest what may seem like unnecessarily big surgery at the time, a mastectomy.
There is evidence that removing all the breast tissue along the side with the lump, improves the long term outcome. This is because cancer cells can seed-off early on in this disease, and there may already be microscopic spread even if a solitary lump is present at the time.
Indeed, the gold standard is to go further than this. Taking chest x-rays and harvesting a small sample of cells from the draining lymph node, help the vet stage the cancer. This simply means they are able to work out if the entire lump has now gone, or whether the cancer has already spread further.
In the unfortunate event that the cancer has spread, then chemotherapy may be considered. However, the response to the drugs can be disappointing, so all in all, radical surgery straight out of the blocks is still the cats best option.
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What To Do If You Find A Lump
Dont panic if you think you feel a lump in your breast. Most women have some lumps or lumpy areas in their breasts all the time, and most breast lumps turn out to be benign . There are a number of possible causes of non-cancerous breast lumps, including normal hormonal changes, a benign breast condition, or an injury.
Dont hesitate to call your doctor if youve noticed a lump or other breast change that is new and worrisome. This is especially true for changes that last more than one full menstrual cycle or seem to get bigger or more prominent in some way. If you menstruate, you may want to wait until after your period to see if the lump or other breast change disappears on its own before calling your doctor. The best healthcare provider to call would be one who knows you and has done a breast exam on you before for example, your gynecologist, primary care doctor, or a nurse practitioner who works with your gynecologist or primary care doctor.
Make sure you get answers. Its important that your doctor gives you an explanation of the cause of the lump or other breast change and, if necessary, a plan for monitoring it or treating it. If youre not comfortable with the advice of the first doctor you see, dont hesitate to get a second opinion.
I Had Fevers And Difficulty Breastfeeding
I was misdiagnosed with mastitis twice because I had high fevers and trouble breastfeeding. It turned out to be cancer. Tumors were blocking the milk ducts. I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer at age 32, five weeks after I had my first child. It didnt look like mastitis at all. So many people told me 100% chance it is nothing. No one thought of any alternative, however, until multiple courses of treatment failed.
Melissa Thompson, healthcare policy advocate, Stamford, Connecticut
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Tests To Determine Specific Types Of Treatment
You’ll also need tests that show whether the cancer will respond to specific types of treatment. The results of these tests can give your doctors a more complete picture of the type of cancer you have and how best to treat it. The types of test you could be offered are discussed below.
In some cases, breast cancer cells can be stimulated to grow by hormones that occur naturally in your body, such as oestrogen and progesterone.
If this is the case, the cancer may be treated by stopping the effects of the hormones, or by lowering the level of these hormones in your body. This is known as “hormone therapy”.
During a hormone receptor test, a sample of cancer cells will be taken from your breast and tested to see if they respond to either oestrogen or progesterone. If the hormone is able to attach to the cancer cells , they’re known as “hormone receptor positive”.
While hormones can encourage the growth of some types of breast cancer, other types are stimulated by a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 .
These types of cancer can be diagnosed using a HER2 test, and treated with medication to block the effects of HER2. This is known as “biological” or “targeted” therapy.
Breast Cancer Signs And Symptoms
Knowing how your breasts normally look and feel is an important part of breast health. Although having regular screening tests for breast cancer is important, mammograms do not find every breast cancer. This means it’s also important for you to be aware of changes in your breasts and to know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.
The most common symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or mass. A painless, hard mass that has irregular edges is more likely to be cancer, but breast cancers can be tender, soft, or round. They can even be painful. For this reason, it’s important to have any new breast mass, lump, or breast change checked by an experienced health care professional.
Other possible symptoms of breast cancer include:
- Swelling of all or part of a breast
- Skin dimpling
- Breast or nipple pain
- Nipple or breast skin that is red, dry, flaking or thickened
- Nipple discharge
- Swollen lymph nodes
Although any of these symptoms can be caused by things other than breast cancer, if you have them, they should be reported to a health care professional so the cause can be found.
Remember that knowing what to look for does not take the place of having regular mammograms and other screening tests. Screening tests can help find breast cancer early, before any symptoms appear. Finding breast cancer early gives you a better chance of successful treatment.
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Swelling In Or Around Your Breast Collarbone Or Armpit
Swelling in these areas can occur for many reasons but may indicate cancer. Breast swelling can be caused by certain types of breast cancer. Swelling or lumps around your collarbone or armpits can be caused by breast cancer that has spread to lymph nodes in those areas. The swelling can occur even before you can feel a lump in your breast. If you have swelling, be sure to let your health care team know as soon as possible.
Other Types Of Breast Cancer
Other less common types of breast cancer include invasive lobular breast cancer, which develops in the cells that line the milk-producing lobules, inflammatory breast cancer and Paget’s disease of the breast.
It’s possible for breast cancer to spread to other parts of the body, usually through the lymph nodes or the bloodstream. If this happens, it’s known as “secondary” or “metastatic” breast cancer.
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When The One You Love Is Sick
It is incredibly important for patients to have a strong support system when going through what is most likely one of the hardest times of their lives, and just being there can do wonders. This is something Casey DeSantis can surely attest to when it comes to her husbands support.
Gov. DeSantis has been there for his wife every step of the way. In fact, in January, he fired back at critics who accused him of missing public appearances, disclosing that he accompanied his wife as she received chemotherapy treatment.
When people try to say that thats a vacation I think anyone thats gone through those treatments would not agree that chemotherapy is a vacation, the governor said on Hannity.
Illness, including cancer, is also an experience that can surely take an emotional toll on both the patient and the spouse, as well as their relationship.
This is something actress and melanoma survivor Jill Kargman can also attest to as cancer was a true test of her relationships strength. In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Kargman said the disease is a great way to find out if youre with the love of your life or a shithead.
Youll Be Asked To Remove Your Clothing From The Waist Up
Youll stand in front of the mammogram machine.
Your breasts will be placed one at a time on the x-ray machine. The breast will be pressed down firmly on the surface by a clear plate.
At least two pictures of each breast will be taken, one from top to bottom and then a second from side to side to include the part of your breast that extends into your armpit. Youll need to stay in position while the pictures are taken.
Taking the pictures only takes a few seconds.
COVID-19 booster vaccinations
Some people report swelling in the armpit or to the lymph nodes under the arm after a COVID-19 booster vaccination, so you may want to mention to staff at the screening unit if you have recently had a COVID-19 vaccination. Swelling seems to be more common with the Moderna booster vaccination. If you notice any swelling following your booster vaccination, it should disappear within about 10 days, if not, or you have any concerns, contact your GP.
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Cancer Signs And Symptoms During The Coronavirus Pandemic
This page covers some of the key signs and symptoms of cancer, including those which can be early signs. Not every person with cancer has symptoms. But spotting cancer early saves lives, so tell your doctor if you notice anything that isnt normal for you.
Keep reading below for more detailed information on the key cancer signs and symptoms. We have separate information on specific cancer types and their possible symptoms.
Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations
The United States Preventive Services Task Forceexternal icon is an organization made up of doctors and disease experts who look at research on the best way to prevent diseases and make recommendations on how doctors can help patients avoid diseases or find them early.
The USPSTFexternal icon recommends that women who are 50 to 74 years old and are at average risk for breast cancer get a mammogram every two years. Women who are 40 to 49 years old should talk to their doctor or other health care professional about when to start and how often to get a mammogram. Women should weigh the benefits and risks of screening tests when deciding whether to begin getting mammograms before age 50.
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