Preventing breast Cancer

Normal

Abnormal

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, and the second most common cause of cancer death in women (lung cancer is most common cause of cancer death). During a woman's lifetime, the risk of breast cancer is approximately 1 in 9. The United States has a very high rate of breast cancer relative to many other countries. Though many factors may play a role, a clear cause, such as diet, has not been found. Breast lump Nipple discharge Retracted nipple Red/inflamed nipple Breast enlargement Breast shrinkage Breast becomes hard Bone pain Back pain Examination Breast Lump Nipple discharge Skin changes on breast Hardened breast Enlarged lymph glands: Above clavicles (collar bone) In armpits Sides of center bone in chest (mediastinal lymph nodes might be enlarged inside the chest, to the right and left of the midline) Imaging: Mammograms Ultrasound CT Scan/MRI to check for spread to the brain Tests: Needle aspiration Mammatome test -- special type of needle biopsy with special X-Ray techniques to localize deep lumps Open surgical biopsy -- when a lump is removed and sent to the lab for analysis Lymph node dissection -- multiple lymph nodes are removed to check for the spread of cancer Sentinel lymph node dissection -- a new technique in which only a few lymph nodes need to be biopsied Family history of breast cancer in mother, sister, daughter, or if two or more close relatives have the disease Risk increases as women get older Previous endometrial (uterine) cancer Previous breast cancer, atypical changes, and previous breast disease Carrier of BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes (especially prominent in Ashkenazi Jews); however, only 5-10% of all breast cancers may be due to genetic defects or changes. Menstrual periods started before the age of 12 Menopause ended after age 50 No children Estrogen hormone replacement therapy Alcohol, high fat in diet, increased fiber diet, smoking, obesity, and having previous ovarian or Colon Cancer African-Americans and Hispanics may have a worse prognosis than whites. Breast cancer treatment depends on three major factors: If the woman has reached menopause The extent to which the breast cancer has spread The cell type of the breast cancer The extent of the spread of the cancer is defined accordingly: Where it is localized in the breast The rate of the cancer's spread to the lymph nodes The spread of the cancer to deep muscles in the breast The spread of the cancer to the other breast The spread of the cancer to the other organs, i.e., bone or brain In terms of cell types, there are more aggressive and less aggressive cell types. In addition, there are receptors on the cells themselves (for example, estrogen receptors) that make breast cancer more responsive to treatment. Lumpectomy -- removal of the lump and local tissue around it. This may include the removal of some of the lymph nodes via radiation treatment. Segmental (partial) mastectomy with or without radiation treatment -- involves the removal of the cancer, as well as some of the tissue surrounding it. The lining covering the muscles underneath the cancer, as well as the lymph nodes under the arm, is also removed. Total mastectomy is done by removing the entire breast and axillary (under the arms) lymph nodes. Modified radical mastectomy -- removal of breast, the muscles below it, and lymph glands in axillary armpit area Ovarian ablation -- making ovaries inactive so they do not produce hormones that enhance breast cancer growth. This is not commonly done, but new medical literature suggests that it may be helpful in some cases. Medications Hormonal therapy -- Tamoxifen CMF (Cytoxan, Methotrexate, 5-FU) and other agents of chemotherapy Bone marrow transplant Stem cell transplant Biological therapies Breast cancer is curable when caught early, and can lead to death if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. If you feel an abnormal breast lump or have any other symptoms that might be suggestive of breast cancer, see your physician as soon as possible. Fibroadenoma Fibrocystic Breast Disease Breast Abscess Breast Cancer Prevention Monthly self-breast examination Yearly breast exams by your physician Mammograms -- baseline at 35 years old, and every 1-2 years between the ages of 40 and 49, depending on the risk factors. After 50, a mammogram should be done every year. Mammograms may be recommended in certain high-risk younger women. Vitamin D -- there is some evidence that Vitamin D may be protective against breast cancer. A dose of 400 I.U. per day is an appropriate preventative measure. In some studies, Tamoxifen has been shown to prevent breast cancer in high-risk women. Tamoxifen does have side effects, including rare serious eye problems and an increased risk of endometrial cancer. Evista -- this medication is currently approved for treatment of Osteoporosis (and not breast cancer prevention). Many studies suggest it reduces the risk of breast cancer by 50% or more. It also seems to have much fewer side effects than Tamoxifen. Although there is no FDA approval, many physicians prescribe Evista for breast cancer prevention based on current medical studies.

Pregnancy: signs and symptoms

Swollen, tender, or sore breasts and/ or nipples – Often this is the first physical sign of pregnancy.n fact, some women know when they are pregnant based on this sign alone. The reason breasts and/ or nipples are often sore, swollen, or tender during early pregnancy is because the breasts are undergoing changes to prepare for breastfeeding. The reason for this is the increased production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone that occurs and the breasts and/ or nipples are often particularly painful during a first pregnancy.


My Period is Late, Am I Pregnant? – The most common reason for missing your period is pregnancy and this is often the first sign that makes you suspect pregnancy. Only a pregnancy test followed by a pelvic exam, can tell you positively whether you are pregnant. Once your health care provider rules out pregnancy as the cause of your late or missed periods, the next step is usually to rule in or out several other possible explanations for absence of menstruation or amenorrhea.


Light bleeding and/or cramping – The most common reason for light bleeding during early pregnancy is implantation. Implantation bleeding occurs when the fertilized egg implants itself in the uterine lining and usually occurs about 10 to 14 days after conception. Bleeding caused by implantation is very light, often the only sign you might notice that indicates implantation has occurred is a small (can be as small as a pinhead followed by no further bleeding) spot of blood left on your panties.

Cramping that is similar to menstrual cramps occurs very early during pregnancy and happens when the uterus begins to expand to make room for the embryo to develop into a fetus that continues to develop for a total of 40 weeks gestation when your baby is born.

Running to the bathroom – During the first trimester of pregnancy, it’s easy to believe you might have to “move” into your bathroom since it seems you are constantly running to make to the bathroom. The growing uterus causes frequent urination during pregnancy. The first and third trimesters of pregnancy are typically when the most intense frequent urination happens.

Headaches – Headaches that occur during pregnancy are often intense and caused by increased hormone levels.

Mood swings – Don’t think you’re crazy if you suddenly develop atypical mood swings or if you are unusually emotional during pregnancy, these are very normal reactions during pregnancy. Many times, pregnant women burst into tears for reasons that are unclear to anyone, including the pregnant woman. Another symptom caused by increased hormone levels.

Increased basal body temperature or BBT – Your basal body temperature is your temperature immediately upon rising in the morning. BBT normally increases during ovulation and decreases when menstruation occurs. However, when pregnancy takes place increased basal body temperature continues after menstruation is late. BBT is a good indicator of pregnancy for women who have used it, either to prevent pregnancy or when trying to get pregnant.

Feeling weak, faint, or dizzy – Caused by the circulatory system as dilation of the blood vessels occur. Low blood sugar, early in pregnancy, also triggers these symptoms.

Smoking: The Women's Health Perspective

Pregnancy and Smoking

Chemicals in tobacco are passed from pregnant mothers through the blood stream to the fetus. These toxic chemicals present serious risks to the unborn child, as well as the mother. According to "Our Bodies, Ourselves for the New Century," by the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, "Smoking during pregnancy is associated with preterm delivery, low birthweight, premature rupture of membranes, placenta previa, miscarriage, and neonatal death. New borns whose mothers smoked during pregnancy have the same nicotine levels in their bloodstream's as adults who smoke, and they go through withdrawal during their first days of life."

Children born to mothers who smoke experience more colds, ear aches, respiratory problems, and illnesses requiring visits to the pediatrician than children born to nonsmokers.

Infertility and Smoking

Is a baby part of your future plans? Many women today delay childbirth until they are in their thirties or even forties, which can cause fertility problems even for nonsmoking women. But women who smoke and delay childbirth are putting themselves at a substantially greater risk of future infertility than nonsmokers.

The fact is women smokers have around 72 percent of the fertility of nonsmokers. When all other factors are equal, it is 3.4 times more likely that smokers will require over one year to conceive.

Increasingly, studies are showing that decreased ovulatory response, as well as the fertilization and implantation of the zygote may be impaired in women who smoke. Thought is also given that chemicals in tobacco may alter the cervical fluid, making it toxic to sperm causing pregnancy to be difficult to achieve.

We can't leave the men out on this one, though. Men smokers are 50 percent more likely to become impotent. Some of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes may result in gene mutations that can cause miscarriage, birth defects, cancer, and other health problems in their children.

Premature Menopause, Menstruation, and Smoking

Beginning to smoke as a teenager increases a woman's risk of early menopause three times. Smokers often notice symptoms of menopause two to three years earlier than nonsmokers.

Menstrual problems such as abnormal bleeding, amenorrhea (absence of periods), and vaginal discharges/infections are common complaints among women who smoke.

Menstrual abnormalities and early menopause may be caused by a toxic effect on the ovaries or by the significantly lower levels of estrogens noted in many studies of women smokers.

Breast Cancer and Smoking

The American Cancer Society published the results of a study in 1994 which indicated that breast cancer patients who smoke may increase their risk of dying at least 25 percent--a risk that increases with the number of cigarettes smokes per day. The possible risk of fatal breast cancer rises up to 75 percent for women who smoke two packs or more per day.

The good news is that if you quit now your potential risk of dying as a result of future breast cancer remains the same as for a nonsmoker.

Tips for Quitting Smoking

• Plan ahead to quit smoking on a certain day. When your quit smoking day arrives, make sure you have thrown out all the ashtrays and cigarettes you have in your home, so you won't be tempted.
  
  
• Have plenty of raw vegetables such as carrot sticks, celery, ect. available for the times you feel like eating as a result of your desire to have something in your hand/mouth.
  
  
• Many women fear gaining weight as a result of quitting smoking. Participating in a vigorous exercise program three times per week may help you quit and exercise helps reduce any subsequent weight gain, as well as providing overall health benefits.
  
  
• Joining a support group and actively participating often helps women when difficult times or emotional conflicts occur. About.com's Christine Rowley Smoking Cessation Guide shows you "How to Quit Smoking," and offers support through forums, chats, and email. Her site features a daily tips for quiting smoking section, and many other useful tools and articles designed to help make you an exsmoker.
  
  
• Over-the-counter methods that supply nicotine in forms such as gums like Nicorette and patches, such as the Nicoderm C Q patch, help many people decrease the physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Never smoke simultaneously with one of these methods--nicotine overdose may occur.
  
  
• See your physician if you need further assistance achieving your quit smoking goal. He can offer additional methods which are available by prescription.

what to do if ur partner refuses to wear condom??

If your partner has told you that he won't wear a condom, you are not the first. Even though people know that condoms can protect against STDs and pregnancy, many still refuse to use them. In a recent telephone interview of heterosexuals, 54 percent of participants thought the condom might fail during intercourse, 41 percent complained that sex doesn't feel as good with a condom, 35 percent felt uncomfortable buying condoms, and 21 percent felt uncomfortable putting them on. It is likely that your partner has one of those reasons.

If your partner refuses to wear a condom, insist that you talk about it. Explain what you know about safe sexual behavior and condom use. If your partner feels uncomfortable buying the condoms, then you can offer to buy them. In the end, if he refuses to wear a condom, you should be concerned, and reconsider the relationship.

It can be difficult to talk about using condoms, but you shouldn't let embarrassment become a health risk. The person you are thinking about having sex with may not agree at first when you say that you want to try and use a condom when you have sex. These are some excuses that might be made and some answers that you could try:

EXCUSE	ANSWER
Don't you trust me?	Trust isn't the point, people can have infections without realising it
I can't feel a thing when I wear a condom	Maybe that way you'll last even longer and that will make up for it
I don't stay hard when I put on a condom	I'll help you put it on, that will help you keep it
I don't have a condom with me	I do
I'm on the pill, you don't need a condom	I'd like to use it anyway. It will help to protect us from infections we may not realise we have.
But I love you	Then you'll help us to protect ourselves.
Just this once	Once is all it takes

what is menstruation???

Definition:
Menstruation has many names -- period, monthly cycle, even Aunt Flo. Regardless of what you call it, menstruation is vaginal bleeding that occurs approximately every 28 days in adolescent girls and premenopausal women.

During the monthly menstrual cycle, female sex hormones prepare the uterus to support a pregnancy. If pregnancy takes place, menstruation usually does not return until after childbirth. If pregnancy does not occur, the endometrial lining (the lining of the uterus) sheds during menstruation. Menstrual blood and tissues leave the body through the vagina and it usually lasts from three to seven days.

Also Known As: period, menstrual cycle, monthly cycle, menstrual bleeding, monthly bleeding, Aunt Flo

treatment for upnormal bleeding

Treatment

Treatment for abnormal menstrual will depend on many factors, including the cause, your age, the severity of the bleeding, and whether you want to have children. Treatments include use of birth control pills or hormones, hysteroscopic removal of polyps or fibroids, endometrial ablation, and hysterectomy.

Hormones

Your doctor may prescribe birth control pills to help your periods to be more regular. They also may improve other symptoms. Progesterone can help prevent and treat endometrial hyperplasia (abnormal thickening of the lining of the uterus).

Other Medications

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen and naproxen, may help control heavy bleeding.

Surgery

Some women with abnormal menstrual bleeding may need to have surgery to remove growths (such as polyps or fibroids) that are causing the bleeding.

Endometrial ablation also is used to treat abnormal menstrual bleeding. Resection of the lining of the uterus, ablating it with cautery, or heating the inside of the uterus to close the blood vessels shut are excellent minimally invasive procedures to control abnormal uterine bleeding.

Hysterectomy, or the removal of the uterus, is another procedure that may be used to treat abnormal vaginal bleeding. This can be accomplished laparoscopically with very small incisions on your abdomen. This can also be done in the traditional "open" manner with a large abdominal incision. For those with pre-cancerous or cancerous change, a hysterectomy is standard. A hysterectomy is a major surgery.

Finally ...

If you notice that your menstrual cycles have become irregular, see your doctor. Abnormal bleeding has a number of causes. There is no way of telling why your bleeding is abnormal until your doctor examines you. Once the cause is found, abnormal bleeding often can be treated with great success using minimally invasive procedures in an outpatient or office setting.

Mennorhagia :top ten reasons for upnormal bleeding

How do you know when bleeding during your period is abnormally heavy? The easiest way to know if you are experiencing menorrhagia is to take note of how often you need to change your pad or tampon. If your period is heavy enough to require changing more often than every one or two hours, or if you have a period that lasts more than a full week, you may be experiencing menorrhagia.

Let’s take a look at the most common causes of menorrhagia or heavy menstrual bleeding:

1.A hormonal imbalance during adolescence or menopause is the most common cause of heavy menstrual bleeding.

2.Uterine fibroid tumors are another very common cause of excessive menstruation. It’s important to understand that fibroid tumors are usually benign (non-cancerous) tumors that often occur in the uterus of women during their thirties or forties. While the cause of uterine fibroid tumors is unclear, it is clear that they are estrogen-dependent. Several surgical treatments are available for treating fibroid tumors of the uterus including myomectomy, endometrial ablation, uterine artery embalization, and uterine balloon therapy, as well as hysterectomy. Non-surgical pharmacological treatments for fibroid tumors include GnRH agonists, oral contraceptives, androgens, RU486 (the abortion pill), and gestrinone. Some women find natural progesterone to be an effective treatment for uterine fibroid tumors. Often, when symptoms are not severe or troublesome, a “wait and see” approach is taken. Once menopause occurs, uterine fibroid tumors typically shrink and disappear without treatment.

3.Cervical polyps are small, fragile growths that begin in either the mucosal surface of the cervix, or the endocervical canal and protrude through the opening of the cervix. The cause of cervical polyps is not clear; however, they are often the result of an infection and many times associated with an abnormal response to increased estrogen levels or congestion of the blood vessels located in the cervix. Women most commonly affected by cervical polyps are those over the age of twenty who have had children. A simple out patient office procedure that removes the growth, along with antibiotics, is the usual treatment for cervical polyps.

4.Endometrial polyps are typically non-cancerous, growths that protrude from the lining of the uterus. The cause of endometrial polyps is unclear, although they are often associated with an excess of estrogen following hormone treatment or some types of ovarian tumors. Treatments for endometrial polyps include hysteroscopy and D&C. A pathology lab will evaluate endometrial polyps for cancer following removal.

5.Lupus is a chronic inflammatory, and autoimmune disease that affects several parts of the body, particularly the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys. The cause of lupus is unclear; however, it’s believed that patients have a genetic predisposition to Lupus and scientists know that environmental factors such as infections, certain types of antibiotics -- particularly sulpha and penicillin drugs, UV light, severe stress, hormones and certain other drugs play a key role in triggering disease symptoms. The symptoms of Lupus vary widely among patients, as do the treatments which range from avoiding stress to drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications or NSAIDS, acetaminophen, steroids, antimalarials, cytoxic or immunosuppressive drugs, and anticoagulants.

6.Endometrial cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the uterus or the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) multiply out of control and damage to the uterus and other organs. While the cause of endometrial cancer is unknown, it is known that women diagnosed with this type of cancer tend are usually over fifty, often have endometrial hyperplasia, or many times use hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The first treatment for endometrial cancer is usually a hysterectomy, possibly followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments.

7.IUDs or intrauterine devices used for contraception are a potential cause of heavy menstrual bleeding or menorrhagia. Women who experience prolonged or heavy periods while using the IUD should have the device removed and choose an alternate method of birth control.

8.Bleeding disorders occur when it is hard for a person to stop bleeding. While there are several types of bleeding disorders, the most common type in women is von Willebrand Disease or VWD. Treatments for von Willebrand Disease involve the release of stored clotting factors in the blood, or in extreme cases the replacement of the clotting factor with IV treatment or with prescribed nasal spray.


9.Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs when cells in the cervix become abnormal, multiply out of control, and damage healthy parts of the body. The human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the cause of over ninety percent of all cervical cancers. Treatments for cervical cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

10.Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of one or more organs that affects the uterus, fallopian tubes, and cervix.PID is, most often, a sexually transmitted disease; however, it sometimes occurs following childbirth, abortion, or other gynecological procedures. The recommended treatment for pelvic inflammatory disease is antibiotic therapy.

I-pill- unhealthy says doctors

I-pill talking about the negtive

Ipill, an emergency contraceptive pill, is gaining popularity among teenagers, despite of repeated warning from doctors aginst its use.Ipill as suggested by doctors is only proved for women aged from 25-45.

“Because it’s an over the counter product, one doesn’t need a prescription,” says Rahul Arora of Inder Medicos, Safdarjung. The trend, says Atul Shah of Atul Medicos, Karol Bagh, is more prevalent among the affluent class. “But it’s bound to spread,” says RS Gupta of Paras Chemist, Saket. An industry official says, “The iPill is meant for women aged 25 to 45. Chemists should not sell it to youngsters.”

"It can be potentially harmfull",cautions gynaecologist Dr Rita Baksh," since it is a hormonal pill".Frequent use can cause ovarian damage and menstrual problems, especially among younger girls, she adds.

Certain side effects as mentioned by ISARC reserchers include, reduced sex interest, skin allergies and lose of vigour.Long time effects of a hormonal pill cant be predicted.Continues use may reduce the chances of future pregnency too.

I-Pill: let's talk about family planning

You can't miss the hi voltage campaign Cipla has unleashed for its product. What's interesting is how safe the advertiser has kept his communication. Husbands and wives, birth control and family planning. You know - we Indians have sex only when married and more so use contraception because producing another child into this world would mean additional burden to the nation.

OK, seriously, words like 'family planning' disappeared from our vocabulary approximately two decades ago, along with slogans like 'hum do, hamara do'. The inverted red triangle which was everywhere you turned when I was a kid has been banished.

Heck, we're no longer ashamed of our billion plus population but flaunt is as a dhinchakly large consumer market.

But getting back to the i-pill you can see why the advertiser is treading soo..o cautiously. He wouldn't want to be accused of corrupting our Indian youth and so on and so forth.

Indian Express reports:

As the revelries of Navratri draw closer, condom once again has become the bad word. While the NGOs working for AIDS control are steering clear from condom promotion programmes that they usually launch during the festival, the Bajrang Dal has said it will not tolerate any condom promotion or HIV/AIDS awareness programmes around Garba venues this time.

Talking to Newsline, an NGO worker, on the condition of anonymity, said they used to put up stalls at various Garba venues to create public awareness about HIV/ AIDS. This time, however, they will not do so, he added.

“Last time, some activists claiming to represent the Hindus, had beaten up NGO workers in Baroda during Navratri while they were distributing condoms,” the NGO worker said, adding that they have decided against carrying out overt intervention programmes this season. “We will carry out one-on-one intervention programmes instead, and supply condoms to hotels and guesthouses” he said.

Wonder whether the dals will stake out these venues as well!

According to a pharmacist quoted in the report, "sale of condoms rise by about 70 per cent during Navratri". And this year I am sure the I-pill will rock as

well.

"After iPod, I-pill gains popularity with youth", says Midday:

Alka Kumar, a consulting gynecologist at Gurunanak hospital in Bandra, says, “This product is a boon for married women not planning to conceive. But it may be misused by the youth especially during Navratri when unmarried pregnancies go up.”

The reason for all the action around Navratri is related more to opportunity than anything else. A lot of young people, esp girls, are allowed to stay out late. Dressed in sensuous chaniya cholis and whirring to the dandiya beat , hormones are bound to get into a tizzy. Pehle hota tha, ab bhi hoga. Instead of a botched abortion, many a young woman will opt for an i-pill.

But the two messages "prevention of pregnancy" and "prevention of HIV/ sexually transmitted diseases" have become independent of each other. The i-Pill can help with the first bit but do nothing for the second.

It would be terrible if young people decide to adopt the convenient route: Condom nahi hai? Koi baat nahin - you can always use the i-Pill. So let's go ahead anyways.

That's not what the advertiser has intended, but I bet a lot of folks will interpret it that way. If we accept that the i-Pill will be used by unmarried guys and girls, we can address this issue.But hello, yeh hai India. We will have to continue the charade and keep promoting 'family planning'.

Why not bring back the red triangle as well? Dunno - it just makes me nostalgic :)

iPill unhealthy say doctors in the News

• Teenage takers for iPill; â��unhealthyâ�� say doctors (Hindustan Times)

  It's a product targeted at her 38-year-old mother. But it’s 16-year-old Pihu Vohra (name changed) who is using the widely advertised emergency contraceptive Intelligent Pill, or iPill, that can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of having ‘unsafe’ sex. 2 weeks ago