The main types of breast cancer are Lobular carcinoma and Ductal carcinoma. Lobular carcinoma is fairly similar in behavior to ductal carcinoma but it begins in the milk secreting glands present in the breast. Ductal carcinoma, which accounts for more than about 75 percent of breast cancers starts in the lining of the ducts that bring the milk to the nipple. The other varieties may arise from the connective tissues, fat, skin and any other cells present in the breast.

Some risk factors of breast cancer are:

Early menses and late menopause - when women start their menstrual cycle before the age of 12 and start their menopause after the age of 55 years are at high risk.

Age - Age is a very significant factor. About 77 percent of new cases and 84 percent of death owing to breast cancer take place in women 50 years and older. About 80 percent occur in women over the age of 50 years.

Gender - Being female increases the chances of being at high risk from breast cancer. Breast cancer occurrence in men is less than 1 percent. This difference is because breast cancer risk is directly related to hormonal influences, but how it affects is still not clearly understood.

Radiation - Individuals who have been exposed to radiation at childhood are at increased risk.

Taking the birth control pills - Depending on the length of use, the age and other factors oral contraceptives only slightly increases the risk of breast cancer.

High-saturated fats diet - Mono-unsaturated fats have no apparent risk on the development of breast cancer as against polyunsaturated fats, which increase the risk.

Taking Diethylstilbestrol - Diethylstilbestrol taken to prevent miscarriages has an increased risk of breast cancer in women after the age of 40 years.

Being obese - is also considered to be a risk factor.

Exposure to chemicals - chemicals like pesticides and other industrial products may have an increased risk of breast cancer when exposed to.

Having a late pregnancy or no pregnancy at all - Women who never get pregnant are at high risk and so are women who get pregnant after the age of 30 years. Having a baby before the age of 26 is somewhat protective.

If an individual has a family history of breast cancer - Individuals who have a family history of breast cancer are at an increased risk of developing the disease. However, studies show that almost 85 percent of women who have developed breast cancer have no family history whatsoever of the disease.

A family history of breast cancer, which includes relatives such as mother, sisters, grandmothers and daughters, is often linked to either an abnormal BRCA 1 or BRCA2 gene.

Consuming alcohol - consuming more than 2 drinks of alcohol a day is considered to be an increased risk factor for breast cancer.

A history of prior breast cancer - if an individual has had breast cancer before the chances of developing it again in the unaffected breast are high.

Hormone Replacement therapy - Hormone replacement therapy, the hormone being Estrogen, in menopausal women indicates a slight risk in developing breast cancer. However hormone replacement therapy has greater significance in the treatment of heart disease, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, colon cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to

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In chemotherapy treatment the entire body is affected in one way or another. Unfortunately a side effect of this treatment is hair loss. Chemotherapy is carried out by administering drugs that are designed to kill cancerous cells. These drugs are injected right into the vein or muscle tissue. The drugs flow through the blood stream. Because of this systematic treatment the drugs cannot be taken orally.

Since there are several types of chemotherapy drugs, side effects can vary. These drugs generally affect rapidly dividing cells. Mostly affected are blood cells. It’s important to note that these cells primarily job is to fight infection, carry oxygen to other areas of the body and help clot blood. Cancer patients will be more exposed to infections, bleed easily and become more fatigued.

One side effect for some chemotherapy drugs is thinning hair. It’s also possible that that you could lose your hair all together, depending on the drugs used. Some people take this kind of hair loss very seriously, which is understandable because it’s so noticeable and not easy to hide. It’s a good idea to understand the implications of chemotherapy induced hair loss before it happens. This will make the transition easier down the road.

Depression is often a byproduct of chemotherapy and hair loss in cancer patients. It’s sometimes difficult to deal with the helplessness and embarrassment of the situation. It’s never easy for friends and family either. Cancer, no matter what type, is always serous and often times hereditary. Women usually have a much a more difficult time dealing with this type of hair loss then men do, since a woman’s hair is usually a part of her personally and pride.

Through this difficult time it’s important to never lose hope. Sometimes the best way to deal with the situation is positive thinking. Positive thinking can sometimes lead us through the darkest times, even when things seem hopeless.

For more hair loss prevention tips, please visit: my-hair-loss-solutions.com Hair Loss Solutions a website that specializes in combating hair loss and my-hair-loss-solutions.com/HairLossfromChemotherapy.html hair loss from chemotherapy

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A cancer diagnosis is always a shock, and studies show that people with a positive, aggressive, “co-doctor” attitude towards their cancer have higher survival rates. It also is true that doctors practicing conventional medicine are trapped in a system that only lets them follow and prescribe the “standard of treatment,” even if they themselves would not do it. For example, a survey of oncologists at McGill University in Toronto showed that 95% would not undergo chemotherapy themselves or for their families if they were diagnosed with cancer, yet chemotherapy is the most common treatment oncologists prescribe.

The cancer survivor must find information about non-conventional treatments on their own, and then discuss them with their health care professional. Many non-conventional treatments complement conventional medicine, reducing the side effects of treatment and boosting the immune system to clean up any cancerous cells that are missed. Chemotherapy and radiation both depress the immune system, yet a supercharged immune system is the best defense against cancer recurring, and often can cure cancers on its own, without additional treatment. Even the American Cancer Society says: “A person with a healthy immune system will not get cancer.”

Sorting through the ebooks available on alternative cancer treatment can be time-consuming and confusing, but it is a necessary first step on the road back to health. Use a search engine with a broad term like “cancer book” to get a list of what is available. Check cancer book review websites for book ratings. There are good general books with hundreds of alternative cancer treatments, and others with specific step-by-step programs to beat your cancer. You will probably find some hidden gems to help you understand the latest information and clinical trial results for discussion with your doctor. Many books’ websites have good information about treating cancer, such as the flax oil and cottage cheese diet created by Dr. Johanna Budwig, who was nominated for the Nobel Prize seven times and lived to 103.

If you think of yourself not as a patient or a victim, but as a survivor, you can find information, advice and a step-by-step plan to help you beat your cancer. Even your doctor may be pleasantly surprised

Michael Murphy is the Executive Director of the Cures Research Institute, focused on cancer and heart disease. He edits the Cancer Book Reviews website at CancerBookReviews.com CancerBookReviews.com

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If you have prostate cancer, or are concerned about getting it, or if you’re looking out for the health of someone you love, this article can help. In most men, it grows very slowly: most men will never know they have the condition. The most common cancer in American men, except for skin cancer, is prostate cancer.

Detected in its early stages, prostate cancer can be effectively treated and cured. The prostate gland is located directly beneath the bladder and in front of the rectum. The main job of the prostate gland is to make seminal fluid, the milky substance that transports sperm.

One of the most common symptoms is the inability to urinate at all. There are several symptoms to be aware of. Because prostate cancer symptoms can mimic other diseases or disorders, men who experience any of these symptoms should undergo a thorough work-up to determine the underlying cause.

There are other symptoms not mentioned here. If cancer is caught at its earliest stages, most men will not experience any symptoms. Having one or more cancer symptoms does not necessarily mean that you have prostate cancer.

A PSA test with a high level can also be from a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. A prostate biopsy usually confirms the diagnosis. Your doctor may use either one or two of the most common tests for prostate cancer detection.

There is a newer test called AMACR that is more sensitive than the PSA test for determining the presence of prostate cancer. A urinalysis may indicate if there is blood in the urine. A chest x-ray may be done to see if there’s a spread of cancer.

Recent improvements in surgical procedures have made complications occur less often. Hormone manipulation is mainly used as a treatment to relieve symptoms in men whose cancer has spread. What you can do now is begin to understand what exactly your treatment options are and where you’re going to begin.

Surgery, called a radical prostatectomy, removes the entire prostate gland and some of the surrounding tissues. Besides hormonal drugs, hormone manipulation may also be done by surgically removing the testes. Surgery is usually only recommended after thorough evaluation and discussion of all available treatment options.

Impotence is a potential complication after the prostatectomy or after radiation therapy. Chemotherapy medications are often used to treat prostate cancers that are resistant to hormonal treatments. Radiation therapy is used primarily to treat prostate cancers classified as stages A, B, or C.

Medicines can be used to adjust the levels of testosterone; called hormonal manipulation. Prostate cancer that has spread (metastasized) may be treated conventionally with drugs to reduce testosterone levels, surgery to remove the testes, chemotherapy or nothing at all. Treatment options can vary based on the stage of the tumor.

In patients whose health makes the risk of surgery unacceptably high, radiation therapy is often the chosen conventional alternative. Some drugs with numerous side effects are being used to treat advanced prostate cancer, blocking the production of testosterone, called chemical castration; it has the same result as surgical removal of the testes.

The outcome of prostate cancer varies greatly; mostly because the disease is found in older men who may have a variety of other complicating diseases or conditions, such as cardiac or respiratory disease, or disabilities that immobilize or greatly decrease their activities. Once diagnosed you may want to join a support group where members share their experiences and problems. Because its a very slow-growing disease, many men with this disease will die from other causes before they die from prostate cancer.

For more information on BestProstateHealthTips.com prostate cancer treatments and prostate cancer symptoms go to BestProstateHealthTips.com BestProstateHealthTips.com Helen Hecker R.N.’s website specializing in prostate and prostate cancer tips, advice and resources, including information on prostate tests and

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