What Are Breast Cancer Wristbands

It has become usual for people to tell the world about the causes that are close to their hearts through jewelry and various forms of accessories. What was once a colored ribbon pin has altered into other decorative yet issue-conscious touches like breast cancer wristbands. A cancer wristband raises awareness and money for the fight against breast cancer. It is one of the best new fundraisers for the said kind of cancer. It's most likely the one you'll see everywhere. It is typically colored pink simply because it is the most appropriate color for a wristband, symbolizing feminine strength.

More than a means to raise money and awareness, a breast cancer wristband is also an emblem of caring. Apart from being a splendid adornment, it is also economical that even kids can afford to purchase them. It only costs a few dollars. No doubt, you'll surely be doing something of brilliant value if you get all of your friends to buy one of these wristbands.

Historically, this style of bracelet began with Lance Armstrong's yellow "Live Strong" design that raised funds for general cancer research, and other styles quickly followed. They became popular for they are cheap, yet stylish and many give one hundred percent of the proceeds to their respective causes. For your convenience, they can now be purchased online or from any trusted retailer. More often than not, they display messages, like "Love - Hope - Faith", "Support Breast Cancer Research and Education" and the like, embossed on them. In addition to pink, they may also come in different colors, depending on the association or charitable trust that promote them.

Just like anyone suffering from any sort of illness, women who suffer from this particular cancer, likewise need all the support they can get. The more people who wear cancer wristbands would mean that more people are aware of the disease and are willing to remember and support all those who have died due to this disease. They pay tribute to all the survivors of this disease; people who have lived through the disease and survived it should never be forgotten. Sometimes they are bought by families in order to support a member of the family who suffers from such disease. With every member supporting a breast cancer patient in a family, a great difference is made in terms of morale on the patient's side as well as the family members'.

In general, breast cancer wristbands are beneficial in two ways, namely:

a. Wearing a breast cancer wristband is a good way to make a statement and help a worthy cause

b. Organizations raise millions of dollars every year to aid win the fight against cancer by selling these wristbands

Indeed, YOU can make a difference; YOU can help! Purchasing and wearing these wristbands imply that there are steps taken and a quest for information on the disease is there, which may favor research. Not to mention, it adds pressure on the government to provide more funds for breast cancer.

Dreaming - the Breast Cancer Vaccine

I have a dream. Well, I have many dreams, but this one is about an easy, almost painless means of ensuring that no woman ever has to face, fight or survive breast cancer again. A vaccine. Am I just dreaming? Maybe. Maybe not.

Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) is a proven cause of breast cancer in field and experimental mice. MMTV was discovered way back in 1936. MMTV-like viral genetic material has been identified in human breast tumors, but it's not known whether it actually causes tumor development. Research has uncovered a human mammary tumor virus, HMTV, which is 95-98% similar to the mouse virus (MMTV), so they are believed to be the same virus.

HMTV has been found in approximately 40 percent of all human breast cancer (bc) specimens examined, in 60 percent of pregnancy-associated bc's, and in 71 percent of inflammatory bc's. Women whose tumors show evidence of the virus have antibodies to it 95 percent of the time, whereas normal, healthy women have antibodies to the virus less than 5 percent of the time.

A research team, led by Vincent Tuohy, PhD, at Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute, have developed a vaccine that prevents breast cancer tumors from forming in mice, while inhibiting the growth of existing tumors. The vaccine contains the antigen a-lactalbumin. In the latest study, genetically cancer-prone mice were vaccinated - half with a vaccine containing the antigen and half with a vaccine that didn't contain the antigen. None of the mice vaccinated with the antigen developed breast cancer, while all of the other mice did.

Unlike the FDA approved cervical cancer vaccine and liver cancer vaccines, both of which target viruses (human papillomavirus and Hepatitis B viruses), this mouse vaccine targets cancer formation itself. Tuohy explains that the key in developing a human breast cancer vaccine is therefore to find a target within the tumor that isn't typically found in a healthy person. In the case of breast cancer, they are targeting a-lactalbumin, a protein found in the majority of breast cancers but not in healthy women, except during lactation. The vaccine is expected to stimulate a woman's immune system to target a-lactalbumin, stopping tumor formation without damaging healthy breast tissue.

The hoped for strategy would be to vaccinate women over 40, when breast cancer risk begins to increase and pregnancy becomes less likely. The vaccine would also be an alternative option for younger women with a heightened risk of breast cancer, instead of prophylactic mastectomies.

While there is still controversy over just how many breast cancers contain a-lactalbumin, Tuohy is hopeful that his findings might lead to vaccines for other types of cancer, and so am I. His vaccine is ready to be tested for safety in humans, but guess what. Komen has turned him down for funding 3 times and Avon has refused to even consider it. Hmmmm.... Maybe Mr. Tuohy scared the queens of pinkwashing when he said, ""If it works in humans the way it works in mice, this will be monumental. We could eliminate breast cancer."

Hypnosis Speeds Up Recovery From Cancer Operations

An article published in The Daily Mail on June 14th, 2011 caught my eye. It was entitled "Hypnotism 'speeds up cancer op recovery'." This article went on to discuss the positive results of some recent research conducted by a group of Belgium anesthetists with patients who were undergoing breast cancer surgery.

This is not the first example of such research being carried out, and neither is it the first that has produced positive and powerful results. Hypnosis has been found to aid recovery from many a serious physical ailment or surgical intervention, and many cancer operations thankfully fall into this paradigm.

How can hypnosis help one to recover more quickly from a serious surgical intervention? There are in fact many areas in which hypnosis can assist. The first is that a relaxed patient is inevitably a better patient. The second is that a patient with a positive expectation is also a better patient.

The powerful effect of hypnosis spreads further however then these two basic although hugely important predictive factors. Research has shown time and again that the use of hypnosis can lead to the patient feeling more comfortable throughout the operation, spending less time in the recovery stages, healing and getting back on their feet more quickly.

When you begin to think about it, these effects are potentially quite huge and a patient has absolutely nothing to lose in making the decision to use hypnosis to assist in their surgery. The use of hypnosis is not an either/or choice whereby you give up the chance of an alternative option; rather, it is a complementary treatment that can only enhance other more mainstream forms of assistance. There are no negative side effects, and so it's got to be worth a try.

The more positive you are in using hypnosis, the better the outcome will usually be. As stated before, a willing patient is a better patient and this is equally true of the application of hypnosis as it is of any other type of medical treatment, intervention or therapy.

If hypnosis is a strange or new idea to you in relation to surgery then I suggest keeping an open mind and reading up on the subject. It is also true that a well-informed patient is a better patient!

Riding the Mammogram Guidelines Roller Coaster

Have you made your personal peace with the 2009 U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommendations that annual breast screening should begin at age 50, rather than the previously recommended age of 40? Well, not so fast. Here comes another set of recommendations, this time brought to you by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). The ACOG is recommending that doctors should offer all women in their 40s the chance to get annual mammograms.

The crux of the difference between the two groups recommendations is the age at which annual mammograms should begin - age 40 or age 50? Unlike the ACOG, the USPSTF's recommendations are based upon a broad comprehensive look at the numbers, numbers which clearly fire up emotions when we inevitably associate them with our loved one's. Dr. Michael LeFevre, from the USPSTF, breaks it down like this:

It's about balancing the benefits and the harms of a test. LeFevre explains that of every 1,000 40-year-old women, 30 would be expected to ultimately die of breast cancer if they never had a mammogram. If those 1,000 women are screened every other year between age 50 and 75, (as recommended by USPSTF), that number drops to 23 deaths. Starting screening in the same group at 40 instead would save one additional life, meaning 22 would die of breast cancer, on average.

What if that one additional life is our's!?

Part of the numbers analysis is all those women getting annual mammograms from age 40-50 who are not saved from breast cancer in the process but who potentially suffer through numerous false-positives and painful biopsies, and who potentially increase their risk of developing breast cancer due to the cumulative radiation exposure that comes with an additional 10 years of annual mammograms. Dr. Nancy Snyderman, NBC's chief medical editor, further point outs that because most women's estrogen levels are still fairly high at age 40, their breast tissue is still generally quite dense, making it hard to distinguish irregularities on a mammogram. So are mammograms the best method of monitoring women's breast health before age 5o?

One woman writes into the Today Show's mammogram Q&A section with the following:

"Does anyone else ever look down at their breasts like they are ticking time-bombs?"

That was definitely me prior to my prophylactic double mastectomy. Now I wasn't your "average" woman with an average risk of developing breast cancer, not as a BRCA2 carrier whose grandmother, mother, aunt and sisters had all battled breast cancer. It was upon learning that I was BRCA positive that I finally felt like I had the specifics I needed to make the decision that was best for me. For most women, those at "average" risk of developing breast cancer, there are little or no specifics, just fear. Disagreements between those we look to for guidance just adds to our anxiety.

Natural Therapy For Breast Cancer

Is there a natural therapy for breast cancer that works? Yes there are many, and the reason you may not know about them is that they are suppressed by big Pharma because there is no big money in natural therapy for breast cancer.

I recently interviewed a lady who had stage 4 breast cancer and made a full recovery using natural therapies. So even at these advanced stages a natural therapy for breast cancer can still work and a full recovery can still be made.

It is important to understand and as simple and obvious as it may sound, we must look to nature for a natural therapy for breast cancer. Also remembering that our bodies are self-healing.

For our body's to heal, we must remove the stress, oxygenate the cells, promote blood flow, open the channels of elimination and flood the body with high-grade nutrition. This may seem complex, but it is actually very simple, so let's look at this natural therapy for breast cancer now.

Step 1: Look at your life and see what is stressing you. It may be a toxic relationship, your job, your living environment.... Stress creates acid in the body, which leads to a weak immune system and causes the cells to become cancerous. What ever is causing your stress in life, get rid of it, because this is your life and nothing is more important.

Step 2: With the understanding that cancer cells are anaerobic (meaning without oxygen), we must learn a correct breathing practice that will oxygenate all our cells keeping them healthy and vibrant. This step is not just important it is vital!

Step 3 is all about blood flow, so as well as oxygen we also want the blood to flow to all the cells, as circulation is a key element to activate our self-healing mechanism. Light aerobic exercise such as walking, swimming, cycling, or simply bouncing on a rebounder / mini trampet is a phenomenal low impact exercise.

Step 4 is open the 5 channels of elimination so toxins can exit your body.

    * Spend at least 15 minutes a day with your feet in the sand or on the grass to allow electromagnetic chaos to leave and intake of the earths good energy.
    * Stop using antiperspirants and deodorants and get a good sweat on each day.
    * Keep hydrated so you are urinating at least 10 times a day.
    * Make sure your bowels are functioning well and you are going 2 to 3 times per day.
    * 70% of the body's toxins are expelled through the lungs, so that is another reason why correct breathing is vitally important.

Step 5 is to eat a raw vegan diet made up of green juices, fruit smoothies, salads and some nuts and seeds.

Protocel, an Alternative Non-Toxic Way to Defeat Cancer

When you receive a cancer diagnosis you're scared! You're so scared! You don't know what to do. You have really smart Dr's who know everything, telling you that you have to do chemo- therapy; surgery, radiation, and you have to do it in a hurry! What do you do? You follow everything they tell you to do like a sheep.

When you get that cancer diagnosis, it is important that you act quickly, but what if you took one week to read a book? What if you took one week to do research on the Internet? I'm going to tell you about the research I did on an alternative treatment called Protocel. Protocel is a brown liquid bin-chemical compound. It is self-administered. You measure ¼ teaspoon in distilled water and drink it every 4-6 hours. It's that simple. It's non-toxic so there are no side effects. It also works on all types of cancer.

To understand how Protocel works, you first need to understand that healthy cells and cancer cells are quite different. Healthy cells are aerobic, which means they use oxygen for their fuel. Cancer cells are anaerobic, which means they use a fermentation type process called glycolysis for their fuel. The fact that cancer cells use fermented glucose for their fuel is cancer cells strength, and it is the reason that cancer cells can become virulent and spread throughout the body.

However, cancer cells do have a weakness. Their weakness is in their ATP or their lack of it. ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate. ATP is where both healthy cells and cancer cells get their electrical energy. Healthy cells have approximately 38 molecules of ATP per cell. Cancer cells only have about 2 molecules of ATP per cell. Protocel works by interfering with the production of ATP in both aerobic healthy cells and anaerobic cancer cells by reducing ATP by about 10-15%. Healthy aerobic cells don't care because they have plenty of ATP to spare, but if you reduce ATP in a cancer cell by 10-15% they begin to fall apart and die.

There are two formulas for Protocel. Protocel 23 and Protocel 50. The type of cancer you have determines which formula works best for your type of cancer.The current cost of Protocel 23 is $160.00 for a 2-month supply, and is taken every 4 hours around the clock. The current cost of Protocel 50 is $179.00 for a 3-month supply, and is taken every 6 hours around the clock.

If you or someone you love has been given a cancer diagnosis, it is important to act quickly, but you do have a small window of time to do some research. Take just one week to read and get informed! Take one week to research Protocel on the Internet, as well as other alternative treatments. Use that week to pray, get informed, and thoughtfully consider using an effective alternative approach. It could save your life!

Nipple Sparing Mastectomy - Breast Cancer Options

A nipple sparing mastectomy is one method of performing this surgical procedure. The surgical term "mastectomy" is used for several variations of the procedure. It may involve removing one or both breasts, portions, or incising regions in the armpits in order to take out the lymph nodes. These operations are done to get rid of breast cancer in the early or later stages. This disease often begins in the milk ducts and is then called ductal carcinoma. Although certain risk factors point to an increased chance of developing this disease, doctors aren't really sure why some women get it and others don't. Here are some different types of mastectomies:

- Nipple sparing: This operation entails removing tissue but leaving the skin, nipple and areola. The chest wall muscles are often left, as well. Biopsies of the lymph systems may be performed simultaneously and the bosom is reconstructed right away.

- Skin sparing: In this version, which is appropriate for small tumors, the nipple and areola are removed as well as tissue but the outer skin is left intact. With this technique, reconstruction would be done at the same time.

- Total: A total or simple version is when the entire breast is removed. Biopsy would be done at the same time in order to examine the sentinel lymph region.

- Modified radical: This is one of the more complete variations of this operation. A surgeon would remove all skin, tissue, nipple, areola, chest muscles and even part of the wall. Lymph systems in the armpits would also be targeted.

Each of these operations would be done in patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. This disease is now considered the most common of cancers in U.S. women besides skin cancer. Other treatments that are often performed simultaneously include chemotherapy and radiation. While a plastic surgeon would perform a nipple sparing mastectomy and reconstructive operations, different doctors would oversee the chemotherapy and radiation. An oncologist is the chemo prescriber and the radiologist would oversee the radiation. Some reconstruction possibilities include:

- Implants: A plastic surgeon can reconstruct the region with medical devices called implants. These are filled with either silicone or saline solution. They may be placed immediately or in a later surgery after an expander has been used to stretch the skin.

- Flap surgeries: There are various flap methods that surgeons use to move skin and tissue from one region to the chest to create mounds that resemble breasts. There are DIEP, TRAM and Latissimus flap procedures. The regions where tissue is brought from may be the abdomen or the back.

- Nipple reconstruction: If the nipple wasn't spared, there are ways to recreate a nipple and areola after the original operation has healed. A doctor may take a tuck with a suture or cut a star-like incision in the area. A tattoo in a deeper skin tone would be applied to create the areola.

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What Are the Breast Cancer Stages?

Breast cancer stages form the basis for a proper and systematic pattern of breast cancer diagnosis and give a rough idea about the intensity of tumors formed in breast areas. Stages of cancer also help to know the approximate chances of elimination of tumors so that an apt breast cancer cure can be recommended accordingly.

Breast Cancer Stages in Detail

Stages of cancer explain the pattern of growth or tumors in a systematic manner depending upon analysis of various breast cancer causes and the kind of cancer symptoms displayed by the victim. They also help to understand the location of tumors and the damage they may cause to the victim's body in future.

Cancer stages are closely related to chances of survival of the victim. Life expectancy of a person depends mainly upon the stage of the disorder she is suffering from, and each stage has different rates of survival. Also, the form of treatment to be undergone by the victim depends upon the stage of malignant infection. Usually the treatment is light in initial stages while its intensity increases as the victim progresses from lower to higher phase of cancer. A person may undergo high mental and physical sufferings in the final stages as the treatment pattern gets considerably aggressive. Also, the chances of survival are lowest in final stages and a person may also suffer from cancer recurrence.

Cancer stages can be identified on the basis of output obtained in the diagnosis process undergone by victim. The disease can be safely eliminated if a person initiate cure as soon as the tumors get detected. Any delay in the process may allow tumors to metastasize rapidly and make their elimination difficult. Stages also determine the pattern of post-treatment care to be undergone by a victim and the kind of support one needs in future to tackle the disease.

In most of the cases, stages of cancer progress due to faulty treatment pattern or ignorance of victim in following necessary lifestyle and dietary pattern. Strong immune system is the biggest defense to cancerous development and plays a vital role in limiting tumors to a certain stage.

Main Stages of Breast Cancer

Stage 0 is the most basic stage and is a general indication of cell abnormality. It is difficult to judge presence of cancerous growth at this stage.

Stage 1 is a condition in which the infected cells start to invade tissues. Tumor-size is less than 2cm and no damage is caused to lymph nodes.

Stage 2 is a phase wherein the tumors spread to axillary lymph nodes and their size is between 2cm and 5 cm. They also try to invade tissues further.

Stage 3 is a phase of breast cancer in which the cancer moves further from axillary lymph nodes. It spreads to chest walls or breast skin and may also invade lymph nodes near breast bone or collarbone.

Stage 4 displays the spread of tumors in wide areas of the body and metastasis takes place at the maximum possible pace. Tumors may spread to lungs, lymph nodes present at distant locations, liver, abdomen, skin or even the brain.

Breast cancer stages are the main indicators of seriousness of cancerous growth and should be examined carefully. Proper cure pattern should be followed in accordance with the mental and physical condition of the victim.

How Is Breast Cancer Diagnosed?

Are you looking for more information on how breast cancer is diagnosed?

If so, this information should help. Breast cancer is an extremely common type of cancer, especially among females. It is therefore extremely important that, as women, we take the time to get ourselves regular breast exams. If you are interested in learning more about checkups and breast cancer diagnosis, continue reading this article. Throughout the article we will discuss what breast cancer is and how it is diagnosed.

Let's begin by learning what this disease is. Breast cancer is, next to skin cancer, the leading cancer among women. While it is most commonly diagnosed among females, it can also effect the lives of men. Breast cancer is a group of cancerous cells, known as a malignant tumor, that begins in the cells of the breast and can potentially spread into other areas of the body.

While there are some signs that point to breast cancer (swelling of breast, skin irritation, pain, redness, nipple discharge, etc.), most women in the beginning stages of the cancer experience no symptoms at all. It is therefore extremely important that all women have a clinical breast exam performed at least once a year by a medical physician. If this exam is performed, and anything abnormal is found, other tests will be performed to determine if any of the irregularities could be from breast cancer.

What types of terts will be performed?

One of the most common tests used to diagnose this type of cancer is the mammogram. A mammogram is generally used for early detection of the cancer as they can detect anywhere from 85 to 90 percent of all breast cancers. Mammograms can help to detect breast cancer before a lump can even be felt or seen.

Another test commonly used to diagnose cancer of the breast is an ultrasound. Ultrasounds are usually used after a mammogram has already been conducted to help target a specific area of concern (as found by the mammogram). Ultrasounds also help to tell the difference between cysts and solid masses, as well as benign and cancerous tumors.

If a lump is found on your breast, a sample of tissue and fluid will be taken by your doctor and will be sent to be tested by a pathologist. Once you get the results back, your doctor will summarize your diagnosis. If you are diagnosed with cancer, you will be informed of which stage you are at. The stage you are at will determine which course of treatment you will need to seek.

Because this type of cancer is so common, it is very important that you have an annual breast exam completed by your health care professional. It is also suggested that you ask your doctor how to perform a regular breast exam on your own so that you can do regular checks on yourself.