Abortion does not improve chances of mother to survive from breast cancer and secondly breast cancer does not harm the baby. It is essential to identify any suspicious lumps in women’s breasts. This will help to identify signs of breast cancer,breast cancer awareness and biological therapy. Breast cancer tumors in pregnant women are larger and advanced than the lumps in woman of same age but not pregnant. Pregnancy itself does not cause breast cancer. Hormonal changes during breast cancer can accelerate its growth.

Pregnancy and breast cancer are related in the sense that some women detect symptoms of breast cancer during pregnancy while some women cannot. Most nipple discharges and lumps are not cancerous. Breast cancer occurs in one in 3,000 to one in 10,000 of all women who are pregnant. Breast cancer increases with age.

Breast cancer during pregnancy occurs due to increased levels of hormones estrogen and progesterone. Nipples become sore and breasts become tender a few weeks after conception. There is a rapid breast enlargement during first eight years of pregnancy indicating signs of breast cancer. Breast ducts are stimulated by estrogens and progesterone cause glandular tissues to expand.If breast cancer is found in early stages, the doctor may remove the suspicious lumps or the affected breast, later one being the preferred treatment for breast cancer.

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According to new research, it can heal at least 8 different cancers: cancer of skin, colon, kidney, liver, mouth, lung, leukemia and breast. There are five basic properties of turmeric that makes it an excellent natural herb for cancer treatment.

• It inhibits the growth of carcinogens and break down toxins present in the liver.
• It is very powerful anti-inflammatory which is an important defense against cancerous inflammatory cells as inflammation plays a major role in the formation and development of cancer cells.
• Turmeric is also a very powerful antioxidant which is 300 times stronger than vitamin E.Antioxidants provides protection against cancer by destroying oxygen free radicals responsible for causing cancer.
• Turmeric stimulates our immune system. A healthy immune system is active in fighting off most of the diseases including cancer.
• Turmeric promotes weight loss by emulsifying fat as obesity increases the risk of developing breast cancer.

Turmeric increases the effectiveness of chemotherapy against tumor while protecting the organs from any damaging effects. It blocks breast cancer causing toxins. Too much estrogen has been declared to be the primary cause of breast cancer. Estrogen basically attaches itself to the estrogen receptors on the breast cells which cause them to divide. Turmeric reduces the effect of this estrogen and block them from attaching the estrogen receptors present on the breast. This means that when estrogen turns on the estrogen receptors on the breasts, these receptors do not activate with high rate in the presence of turmeric effect. Turmeric also blocks an enzyme COX-2 which plays a key role in the formation of breast cancer.

Turmeric is prepared by soaking and drying the root. Always use organically grown turmeric to avoid any harmful effects of pesticides and chemicals. Adding one-fourth teaspoon to soups or vegetables while cooking can give best results.

A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray picture of the breast. Mammograms can show the tumors before they become enlarge to feel. For women who are older than 20 are advised by their physician to have their mammograms every year.

How a mammography is done?

A woman stands in front of a mammography machine, and one of her breasts is placed on a clear plastic plate and gently, but firmly, pressed from another plate above her breast. The plates flatten the breast and keep it still, which helps produce a better mammogram image. The pressure lasts a few seconds and doesn’t harm the breast. The same steps are repeated with the other breast. The plates of the machine are then tilted to take a side view of each breast. When done, a woman will have had two different x-rays, or views of each breast, for a total of four x-rays.

Mammograms are viewed and examined by radiologists who have special training in diagnosing diseases using X-rays.

Mammograms are also recommended for women who have symptoms of breast cancer and are younger or who have a risk of its development. A mammogram can take only few seconds to make you aware about the real picture of your suffering.

Mammography does not hurt

Most women argue that getting a mammogram is uncomfortable, few say that it is painful although the pain is not a longlasting.One experience different comments depending upon the size of their breasts, the skill of a technologist, how much breasts need to be pressed n women’s monthly menstrual cycle. Major injuries and surgeries can affect mammograms.

Diagnostic mammograms and screening

Mammograms are generally used for two main reasons: Diagnosis and Screening.

Screening mammograms

Screening mammograms are used to check those women who have no signs and symptoms of breast cancer and involve two X-rays of each breast. Its goal is to find cancer early if it is there even if t is too small to be felt.

Diagnostic mammograms

Diagnostic mammograms are used when a woman has an abnormal mammogram or have  symptoms of breast cancer. Different pictures are taken carefully to study the breast. Sometimes a woman can receive a diagnostic mammogram just after having been screening mammogram and its purpose is to examine any abnormalities found on the first mammogram.

In these women, the breast tumors have a significant amount of protein called HER2 and by blocking this protein, the growth and development of cancer cells can be slowed down.Herceptin is given to the patients by vein either alone or along with chemotherapy.

When taken first time it has many side effects, such as chill and fever while others have the symptoms such as weakness, pain, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, rashes and difficulty in breathing but these symptoms become mild after a first treatment.Use of Herceptin may cause heart failure. It has a severe effect on lungs and breathing problems. Lungs and heart should be monitored constantly to avoid complications.

A glimpse at breast reconstruction

Women who decide for mastectomy also plan to have their breast reconstruction. Breast reconstruction can be done at the same time as mastectomy as should be talked to a plastic surgeon before treatment by mastectomy.

There has been many ways for breast reconstruction. Some women decided for breast implantation in which implants are made of silicone or saline.FDA (Food and Drug administration) has viewed the safety of breast implants for many years.

Another phenomenon of breast reconstruction is that a plastic surgeon moves tissues from other parts of a body like muscles, skin or fat are taken from lower abdomen, buttocks or back and plastic surgeon makes use of these tissues to form a breast shape. In short, choice of a type of breast reconstruction depends on the body type, age and the type of surgery patient demands. A plastic surgeon should explain the benefits and risks of each kind of breast reconstruction methods for the awareness of a patient.

Screening mammogram
It is recommended that women of 40s should have their mammograms every one to two years. Mammograms are ,in fact, breast x-rays. Women of early 40s should ask their doctor how frequent they should undergo mammograms. Mammograms generally a lump in breast before it is felt. They can also exhibit tiny speck like structures of calcium, which are called microcalcifications.These specks may be from precancerous cells, cancer or some other conditions.

If some abnormal cells are present, some more tests are required. A biopsy is the only test which can confirm the presence of cancer in a body. Sometimes mammograms do not give perfect results, for example false negative are those results in which cancer information is missing while false positive results are those in which mammograms often show those results that do not lead to cancer. Sometimes it happens that tumors grow large and spread to different parts of a body.Small dose of x rays as in dental x-rays may not cause harmful effects but repeated x-rays may cause harm.

Clinical breast exam

It generally takes 10 min for a thorough examination which includes rubbing, feeling and squeezing of breasts for any fluid, lumps or breast swelling. Breast skin is checked for any abnormal signs, rash or dimples.

Breast self-exam

One can perform her monthly breast examination to diagnose if there is any change in the breasts. These changes can occur pursuant to a menopause, aging, pregnancy, menstrual cycle or if some hormones or birth control pills have been taken, it is important to consider a complication if  breast looks  little uneven and lumpy also it is not uncommon that breast look tender and little swollen before and during the menstrual period. If there are some abnormal changes, one should consult doctor immediately.

Breast self exams generally do not replace the regular screening and clinical breast exams. Researches have not proven that breast self exams can reduce the risk of producing and developing breast cancer.

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) generally refers to the non-invasive tumors which are malignant and are actually confined to that tube that carries milk to nipple through the breasts. It is also known as Intraductal carcinoma. These cancers are generally found by a chance on the mammogram and are quite small even to feel. If they left untreated, the cancerous cells starts spreading beyond a duct and invade the surrounding tissues of breast.

Medullary Carcinoma cells generally resemble the medulla which is a gray matter of a brain. This type of cancer mostly occurs in women in late 40s and 50s ages and makes up 15% of the diagnosed cases.

Infiltrating Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) generally appears like a subtle thickening in that quadrant of a breast which is upper-outer and occurs in women over 50 years of age. It generally represents 5% of the diagnosed cases.

Tubular Carcinoma cells more closely resemble to the tubes under a microscope. It is 2% of all breast cancers which are diagnosed and is present in women of 50 ages or above.

Mucinous Carcinoma (colloid) has very poorly defined cells and involves in mucous production. It normally represents only 1 to 2 % of all breast cancers. The age of appearance is 60.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is extremely aggressive and rare. In the breast’s skin the lymph vessels become blocked. As the name Inflammatory shows the breast looks swollen or red and accounts for 1-5 % of all the diagnosed breast cancers in the US. It appears between the 45-55 ages.

Metastatic Breast Cancer actually refers to the cancer that spread to the other parts of the body.

Majority of breast cancers are actually diagnosed due to abnormality which is seen on mammogram. A change in the consistency of a breast tissue is an alarming sign of this disease. Breast cancer risk assessment and its heightened awareness has eventually led many women in US that are undergoing mammography for a proper screening which is leading to the detection of cancer in early stages and eventually their resultant improvement in surprisingly survival rates. Still, it is now a most common death cause in females especially between the ages of 45-55.Males do suffer from breast cancer but is only one percent of all death causes n males.

There has been an extensive research on the symptoms, causes and treatment of breast cancer. Now it is proved that there are many genetic and hormonal causes as primary breast cancer risk factors. Staging of breast cancer has now been developed that allow doctors to standardize and characterize the nature and extent to determine how a particular cancer can spread.

Treatment actually involves surgery, in some cases mastectomy can be done, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy.Death rate has been declined to about 20% with the advancements in the treatment, diagnosis and screening. Research has been increasing day by day for more advancement.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

Common symptoms include: A change in nipple feel, a lump in breast or in underarm area, change in shape and size of breast, a nipple actually turned inward towards the breast. The breast skin becomes red or swollen just like the skin of an orange it gets pity appearance. Breast also undergoes a spontaneous discharge at any time other than nursing. These symptoms should be evaluated by a physician.