Breast Cancer RX

Breast cancer affects millions of women and thousands of men each year. Research is being done to figure out how to beat this disease and save lives and avoid the high costs and pain associated with breast cancer. Here are seven ways you can help support this research.

1. Donate
The Susan G. Komen Foundation is the United States’ largest organization dedicated to supporting breast cancer research. You can donate money to this organization or to any other organization or hospital that has a fund created for this purpose.

2. Purchase products that contribute.
Many companies sell products that are designed to help raise money for this important cause and a portion of the profits and proceeds are donated. You can help by supporting these companies and purchasing their products.

3. Run in the Race for the Cure.
Each year the Susan G. Komen foundation sponsors a race for the cure in all major U.S. cities. Participate in the race and help spread the word as well as contribute financially.

4. Volunteer
You can support organizations that help support breast cancer research by volunteering your time. Many of these organizations rely on volunteers in order to be able to function. You can also volunteer to help support groups as well, who could also use a lending hand.

5. Help spread awareness
Wear t-shirts, talk with your friends, family and acquaintances and do other activities to help make people aware of the need to support breast cancer research. Many people may not be aware of how important it is and of the need to support it. You can do your part to help make them aware.

6. Create products and donate some of your profits.
If you have your own business or are crafty then you can make your own products and donate some of your profits to either the Susan G. Komen foundation or other similar charity.

7. Participate in research studies and surveys
If you have had breast cancer and survived or if it runs in your family history, there are research groups that are looking for people to participate in studies to help them better understand the disease. Volunteer yourself as a participant.

AnnaLaura Brown is a successful home business owner who markets herself and her business on the internet. Learn all about how she is doing her part to help support breast cancer research and how you can help too by going to http://www.scentedcandlesclub.com and clicking on the image of the pink ribbon.

Author: AnnaLaura Brown
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Life can resume after breast cancer. As a two-time survivor I can attest personally to that fact. Phil 4:13 states “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And I can. Below I share a portion of my strength-filled journey to breast cancer recovery.

Ever hear a kid whine, “I can’t”-really meaning it-when asked to do something scary? Even slightly scary?

After diagnosis I didn’t want to crash my own pity party and spoil it, but it was time to get real! Get real mad at God or get real charged up and off my duff. It was my choice entirely.

While I was recovering from my lumpectomy, my husband Jim came to my hospital room with a wrapped present. When I unraveled the glittery paper, a pair of in-line skates stared at me from the box with hopeful eyelets.

I couldn’t believe it. “What am I supposed to do with these?” I wailed. “I have drains drooping from my side like suction bulbs hanging from a half-inflated air mattress. This is crazy!”

His retort? “Get with the program.”

Yeah, right! He obviously was a big fan of breast cancer recovery.

After undergoing chemo and radiation, I developed a swelling condition called lymphedema in my left arm due to the surgery and radiation of lymph nodes under my arm. After I received treatment for this condition, I decided that my life-threatening illness and swollen arm were not going to bring me down. I generally exercised caution when hiking, gardening and jogging as a result of my lymphedema; however, as time slipped by, I decided to become more adventurous.

After my second encounter with cancer, our family took a whitewater rafting trip down a river in Costa Rica. Unlike another raft accompanying us, piloted by an investment banker from New York City, our family’s raft of five hardy souls did not tip over. Our three sons rowed for all they were worth, being solicitous of their mother. A nighttime canopy tour in Costa Rica capped that memorable trip. Like one of the local howler monkeys I zipped along the cable line from tree to tree in utter darkness.

A year later I found myself river rafting again, this time in a motorized rig down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. The trip was sponsored by a creation ministry to show the devastation caused by the worldwide flood in Noah’s day. For me, the biggest highlight of this adventure was rope-climbing up a slippery rocky slope to view-and take a shower in-a beautiful waterfall hidden in a cave. Such a feat was a perfect example of breast cancer recovery at its best!

I continue to engage in lymphedema exercises, stretching, and weightlifting within limits. But I don’t put my affected arm in the hot tub and I wear gloves when gardening. No sense asking for trouble. I do pay the piper after extreme exercise, but the exercise is worth the psychological boost to me. I have found in every case after heavy exercise that the swelling in my arm recedes like seawater in low tide if I self-manage it.

A few years after my recovery from the lumpectomy, I put into a yard sale those in-line skates that I had gotten from Jim in the hospital. But having a change of heart, and at the last “a-ha” moment, I rescued them from the merchandise pile. Trying them out in my driveway and a local park was fun-and I am still skating. I also downhill ski, climb some hills (such as Mt. Sinai on my trip to the Holy Land), do light gardening to my heart’s content, hot-tub it, do housework, and on and on. I attend a fitness center three days a week to work out. Now when a doctor says I can’t do something, I view that as a challenge, to try to prove the physician wrong.

The train to breast cancer recovery is leaving the station- and, God willing, I don’t intend to miss it.

A former attorney, Jan Hasak authored Mourning Has Broken: Reflections on Surviving Cancer (Xulon Press 2008). In this memoir she shares her long journey through two bouts with breast cancer.

Listed on the National Cancer Survivor Day Speaker’s Bureau roster, Ms. Hasak addresses myriad audiences, tackling topics from cancer and lymphedema to the benefits of exercise and writing. She especially seeks to share her experiences with fellow cancer survivors.

Ms. Hasak is currently penning a work called The Pebble Path, an inspirational allegory of her cancer ordeal, interlaced with poetry.

To learn more, please visit her website at http://www.janhasak.com/ She can be reached by e-mail at jan@janhasak.com.

Author: Jan Hasak
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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In my previous articles, I discussed how I discovered the cancer, my initial treatments, and the chemo. Now, I will discuss how it all came to an end. It was a yearlong battle, and now I can look back and say what really happened.

Follow Up Visits Galore

You would think that after all the surgeries and chemo, I would be done. However, this was not the case. My reconstruction doctor alone wanted to see me every few days then every few weeks. I had to do exercises to make sure the reconstruction went right. It was time consuming and very demanding.

After Chemo Drugs

There are two main drugs given to women after breast cancer, Tamoxifen and Arimidex. I started off on Arimidex because years earlier I had a hysterectomy. However, I needed to get a bone scan because Arimidex could cause bone loss leading to osteoporosis. Turns out, I have severe osteoporosis and I was only 33! (I had a birthday since my original breast cancer diagnosis at 32.)

The oncologist switched me to Tamoxifen but couldn’t take that either. It turns out it made my heart race. This meant no after chemo drugs for me.

I Quit

Against all the medical advice, I got tired of seeing doctors. I could not handle seeing another doctor one more time. So a little over a year since my original diagnosis, I quit seeing doctors. That was about 8 months ago.

Some question how I will know if the cancer comes back. Others ask me if I am concerned. Frankly, at this point, I do not care. If my cancer were to come back, it would automatically be stage 4. It would mean that it had metastasized and spread somewhere else.

I am now 34 years old and I know that I cannot do that again. If I get cancer again, so be it. I am not going to spend my life wondering if it will come back. I am not going to waste time going to doctors. It is my choice. It is not a popular choice and it is not a recommended choice. It is, however, my choice.

Final Thoughts

To anyone going through breast cancer, you will get through the treatment and your life will return.

To all those that know someone going through treatment, be patient. Remember, that after it was all over I felt bad about what I had said and done. My aunt, who was diagnosed two days before me, felt the same way. She got mad at my mom and did not speak to her through the whole treatment. After it was all over and she was back to normal, she called my mom.

When we go through this, it affects our heart, our mind, and our emotions. Please ride out the storm and wait for us on the other side.

Sherri has been writing articles for nearly 2 years. She is always up to something new. Come visit her latest site at http://womensworkoutclothes.org/ where she shares her knowledge of Womens Workout Clothes.

Author: Sherri Haggard
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The discovery of breast cancer profoundly affected all my relationships: husband, sons, close and casual friends, co-workers, and bare acquaintances. Unless those folks had experienced it themselves, they could not possibly comprehend the emotions and perceptions with which I grappled. Finding a breast cancer support group was essential to my psyche, to my well-being.

My quest to find understanding soul mates ended when I joined a breast cancer support group for younger women after my first chemotherapy infusion. We met at the local hospital with a trained facilitator. At the time I was 43 and thought myself too old, but my Christian friend, diagnosed a few months earlier, convinced me to go because I had young children ranging in age from 3 to 11.

The sessions were therapeutic for a newly diagnosed woman. We shared our ups and downs and the inappropriate words people said to us during our ordeals. Tips on caring for ourselves during treatment were invaluable. Insurance hassles were discussed. The group was mostly secular, but two of us Christians found opportunities to talk about our faith.

As we were completing our treatments we sensed that we had outgrown the need for a clinical setting. We decided to assemble at a member’s home once every few months instead of meeting at the hospital every two weeks. What a pleasant change from the sterile environment of a conference room! I did feel some remorse at leaving the “official” group led by the facilitator, as I was no longer in a position to help others who were newly diagnosed. But we all have to decide how we will spend our valuable time, and I still had a husband and three young sons at home to consider.

At some point I realized that too much time away from my sons represented more than just my getting self-help for cancer-related needs. The extra time was turning into a period of self-absorption. Was I setting up my own City of Pity? As a result, I made sure to spend special time with them, including playing board and card games, watching movies with them, and just listening to how they spent their days and what was important to them.

After we moved to a rural community, God led our family to a loving church. I continued to attend the support group for a while, but soon after my move it dispersed. A few years later I experienced a recurrence of my breast cancer. Since no conveniently located support group existed in this area, I joined an online group through the Association of Cancer Online Resources. This forum (known as ACOR) provided invaluable information and tips beyond what I could glean from the Internet or various books about recurrences. I found that treatments for breast cancer had changed substantially since my earlier encounter with chemotherapy. In particular, it seemed important to update myself on the latest targeted biological drugs.

I was diagnosed with my recurrence and being treated with chemotherapy before one such drug, Herceptin, was approved for treating early-stage breast cancer.

After its approval, about 14 women got together in Bakersfield, California to begin their one-year Herceptin infusions as a group. Calling themselves HER2 Sisterhood, the women typically sat in a corner of the infusion area. Not only did they tell stories and jokes about their “chemo brain” and weight challenges, but they also gossiped and vented their frustrations over the daily grinds of shaving legs and paying taxes.

I have found that support groups are generally useful, but the commonality that brings the members together in the first place doesn’t last. The groups tend to disband or splinter into smaller units. I myself have found I fell away unless I shared other interests of group members, or was led to help new members.

In addition to support groups, chat rooms, discussion groups, social networks, and blogs, I benefited from professional and lay counseling. People outside my breast cancer support group who helped me during my struggles included nurses, unexpectedly helpful acquaintances, long-lost relatives, and complete strangers. Such people can become friends for life, perhaps as close as those we already have.

Social isolation need not follow from a cancer diagnosis. Find a breast cancer support group through local hospitals, clinics, and the Internet. Help is only a phone call or click away. Let your fingers do the clicking through the Google pages, and see how God will meet your needs.

He certainly met mine!

A former attorney, Jan Hasak authored Mourning Has Broken: Reflections on Surviving Cancer (Xulon Press 2008). In this memoir she shares her long journey through two bouts with breast cancer.

Listed on the National Cancer Survivor Day Speaker’s Bureau roster, Ms. Hasak addresses myriad audiences, tackling topics from cancer and lymphedema to the benefits of exercise and writing. She especially seeks to share her experiences with fellow cancer survivors.

Ms. Hasak is currently penning a work called The Pebble Path, an inspirational allegory of her cancer ordeal, interlaced with poetry.

To learn more, please visit her website at http://www.janhasak.com/ She can be reached by e-mail at jan@janhasak.com.

Author: Jan Hasak
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Breast cancer is considered as a killer disease and it is known to be the top cause of cancer death among women. According to American cancer society, about 1.3 million new breast cancer cases are diagnosed on an annual basis which includes 465,000 deaths. In order to successfully tackle this devastating disease, we must encourage innovative scientists to study cancer at its most basic level. In other words, breast cancer research work should be conducted at its molecular level. Also, besides the governments, private organizations should provide flexible funding to scientists who will be conducting breast cancer research work. Proper funding of breast cancer research projects; can not only lead to better prevention strategies but it can also help towards earlier diagnostic techniques and new anticancer drugs and treatments.

A world renowned cancer researcher, named Lothar Hirneise has come to an understanding that cancer exist with stress. He is of the opinion that when the mind is under constant stress, the body then produces high levels of stress hormone called Cortisol. The immune system gets suppressed with high levels of Cortisol in the body. Also, a stressed mind will release out Adrenaline to an extent of depletion. People suffering from cancer are found to be having almost no adrenaline in their cells. In fact, cells of cancer patients are often overloaded with insulin and plenty of sugar. Another leading German cancer researcher by the name of ‘Ryke-Geerd Hamer has gone through twenty thousand cancer patients and found a direct relationship between psycho-emotional conflict and cancer patients. This occurs between 1 to 3 years, prior to cancer diagnosis and cancer forming within the body. Cancer patients, who have experienced a psycho – emotional conflict shock, in the form of loss of a loved one etc, few years prior to their cancer urine, has experienced emotional pain and stress within themselves. Such a state of mind can have an adverse effect on the immune system of the person’s body.

Recently, researchers who are working towards breast cancer research project, have developed and successfully tested a breast cancer vaccine which is likely to treat women with treatment – resistant HER2 – positive breast cancer and thus be able to prevent cancer re – occurrence. Breast cancer researchers look forward to use HER2 DNA vaccines for cancer – free women, in order to prevent initial development of such tumours. At present, therapies such as trastuzumab and lapatimib are used towards treating breast cancer patients. However, it was lately noticed that a huge group of patients develop a resistance towards trastuzumab and lapatimib. HER2 receptors are known to promote a particularly aggressive type of tumour that affects about thirty percent of breast cancer patients.

The new breast cancer vaccine is produced by the body’s own cells. It delivers a cancer fighting gene into cells, which then produce immune system proteins and also tumor – destroying cells. According to the lead researcher Wei – Zen Wei, a professor of immunology and microbiology at the Karmanos Cancer Institute, the vaccine is made by using so – called naked DNA from genes that produces the HER2 receptor. This DNA is put along with an immune stimulant. The process involved in the making of the vaccine, is called as electroporation. In this process, pulses of electricity were used in order to inject the vaccine into the leg muscles in mice. The genes moved towards the cells, which then produced HER2 receptors that led to activation of antibodies and immune cells called Killer T cells. This vaccine is unique and much more research will be further required so that it can one day be applicable towards humans for treating breast cancer.

For more information on breast cancer research and treatment go to http://www.understanding-breast-cancer-treatment.com

Author: Gary Leonard
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger

(The information contained in this article does not constitute medical advice; please consult a physician if you have questions about breast health issues raised in this article.)
 
My first time through breast cancer the highways of treatment over which I traveled were the typical “cut, poison, and burn” routine. First the surgeon extracted the tumor and surrounding tissue in a lumpectomy. Then I endured a chemotherapy called CMF, a toxic, colorless cocktail of three chemicals: cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil.  Finally, my breast was radiated for six weeks to seal the fate of any remaining cancerous cells lurking within.  This article focuses on my experience with chemo.
 
The most common short-term side effects of chemotherapy include fatigue, hair loss, nausea, mucositis (irritation of the lining of the mouth and intestines), increased risk of infection (due to low white-blood-cell counts), and anemia (due to low red-blood-cell counts). 
 
I didn’t experience all of these side effects. My hair thinned, but did not disappear. My blood-cell counts decreased, but not so much that I couldn’t take a cross-country two-week vacation. I didn’t suffer any infections during the entire three months of chemo treatment.
 
Between chemotherapy infusions the technicians religiously took blood samples from me like overeager vampire bats. The blood draws were performed to determine if my red- and white-blood-cell counts were too low for me to be treated.  Because my blood was being checked so frequently, my good arm (the one without the lymph nodes removed from the armpit) was feeling the effects of these extra pokes in addition to the I.V. pricks. Fortunately, my veins did not collapse.
 
The nurses frequently solved the I.V. problem by sticking my arm in a bucket of hot water to make the veins more accessible. While this technique was not fool-proof, by God’s grace it usually worked and the veins in my arm were able to tough out the entire treatment. 
 
While I did not lose all my hair, the CMF concoction stopped my periods cold about one month after the first infusion. My research to uncover information on breast cancer revealed that CMF was more likely to trigger menopause than regimens containing Adriamycin (chemical name: doxorubicin) or Taxol/Taxotere (chemical names: paclitaxel/docetaxel).   But Adriamycin is a particularly harsh chemo drug, more so than CMF, causing certain hair loss, markedly reduced white- and red-blood cell counts, and usually severe nausea. And Taxol/Taxotere can cause peripheral neuropathy, a numbness in fingers and toes.
 
As a normal ten-year period of menopause was condensed into a few months due to chemo, my body found itself adjusting to a sudden reduction in estrogen, leading to night sweats, hot flashes, and mood swings. Not to mention bone loss, insomnia, and risk to the heart. It was difficult to determine whether menopause or chemo treatment was causing any particular symptom. I used a Chillow foam pillow for night sweats, melatonin for inducing sleep, and calcium and Vitamin D to prevent bone loss.
 
Exhaustion was another challenge. To prevent fatigue often accompanying chemotherapy, patients should initiate mild-to-moderate exercise such as walking 10-20 minutes every day.  Physical activity after treatment not only can improve fatigue, but offers psychological benefits.  Breast cancer patients who exercise feel more resilient and less depressed than those who are sedentary.
 
When I was tired from lack of sleep and did not eat or exercise properly, I noticed I couldn’t concentrate well. This mental fog, commonly known as “chemo brain,” causes temporary confusion and inability to do calculations, as well as mild forgetfulness. I addressed my concentration and memory problems by making lists, leaving messages on electronic calendars or voice mail to remind myself of things, and using a daily planner to jot down notes regarding urgent tasks. 
 
As to dietary alternatives during chemo, a physician can recommend their use only if they have been proven effective for their intended purpose.  My own anecdotal evidence is that supplements (such as melatonin and iron) can help. To me, their sole benefit was to alleviate certain side effects of Western medicine. With diminished side-effects, I was a happier patient, willing to brave continued treatment with clinically proven drugs.
 
When I conducted cyberspace research to locate information on breast cancer, I consulted only reliable websites. Those displaying the HONcode logo are considered to be more reputable than websites without it. This logo represents a certification that the website complies with the Health on the Net principles, designed to increase the accuracy, objectivity, and trustworthiness of Internet health information. 
 
As you can see, this tale of three chemos, C, M, and F, is not one of woe. Nor is it usually a tale of total hair loss. Once chemo is through, the breast cancer patient is nearing the final stretch on the road to wellness.

A former attorney, Jan Hasak authored Mourning Has Broken: Reflections on Surviving Cancer (Xulon Press 2008). In this memoir she shares her long journey through two bouts with breast cancer.

Listed on the National Cancer Survivor Day Speaker’s Bureau roster, Ms. Hasak addresses myriad audiences, tackling topics from cancer and lymphedema to the benefits of exercise and writing. She especially seeks to share her experiences with fellow cancer survivors.

Ms. Hasak is currently penning a work called The Pebble Path, an inspirational allegory of her cancer ordeal, interlaced with poetry.

To learn more, please visit her website at http://www.janhasak.com/ She can be reached by e-mail at jan@janhasak.com.

Author: Jan Hasak
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

When you are diagnosed with breast cancer, you will most likely at first feel overwhelmed and not sure where to turn for support. Of course, there are family and friends who will help you through and be there to listen, but what if you need detailed information about possible treatments?

Your first stop is your doctor. Doctors as a general rule are extremely busy and you may not want to make what you see as demands on their time. However, they are just like you in that they would want the same considerations. You would expect the doctor to detail breast cancer treatment options as well as explain any tests you may need to go through.

At first, this may seem like information overload, however one thing you can do is to tape record these initial conversations. AS well as ensuring you won’t miss anything important, this will also help you both to remember what was said and enable you to do your own research with 1st hand information from your tapes or digital recordings. Another option is to request copies of any information the doctor has on file regarding specific options discussed. In some cases, your doctor may not want to be taped. You may want to consider switching doctors to ensure openness of communication.

You may also consider looking outside the field of medicine to alternative treatments. Things you might consider trying are massage, herbs, vitamins or other so called holistic methods. Your doctor should be if not supportive then curious, as anything that can help you improve your well-being should be investigated.

Essentially, you want to ensure that your team of health care professionals is committed to your well-being and breast cancer treatment using any and all available methods. This will ensure clean easy communication and the chance to learn from each other.

Laura Guthrie is a former cancer patient who successfully recovered. She now shares her best of the best information to give back.

She’s put together a website simply to give back to people just like you with tons of free information, you can get free instant access at [http://www.savemefromcancer.com]

We hope you got lots of value from this article, good luck in your journey.

Author: Laura Guthrie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

The day a person comes home from receiving their last treatment of chemotherapy, everything has changed forever even though they may not want to think it. It is very difficult to sometimes manage because we don’t know how to move forward and that is what support groups are for. Family and friends are wonderful to have as support but sometimes it does help to have professionals to speak with as they do understand. After all, it is their job to understand and in many cases support groups are also places where patients will experience others who have been through the same thing. Due to this type of treatment, it makes life very difficult for some but even worse for others as they are very sensitive because of how delicate their systems are.

This section is just something to help those who have experienced or are experiencing chemo. Family and friends are your support system so remember they are there during your recovery. There also are support groups available with people to speak to who do understand exactly what you’re going through. The best way to find them is to ask your medical professional and he or she will lead you in the right direction.

Your doctor will do whatever it takes to ensure your healthy because your health is important and you are #1 , remember that!

-SOH

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/157374.php

One in three breast cancer patients identified in certain nations’ public screening programs might have undergone unnecessary treatment, according to a study published Friday in BMJ, the AP/Google.com reports. For the study, Karsten Jorgensen and Peter Gotzsche of Copenhagen’s Nordic Cochrane Centre examined breast cancer trends at least seven years before and after the launch of government-run screening programs in parts of Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Norway and Sweden. The programs usually test women ages 50 to 69.

According to the AP/Google.com, effective screening programs should detect more cases and result in a decline in advanced cancer cases detected in older women, whose cancers would have been caught in earlier screenings. However, the study found that the national screening systems simply detected thousands more cases than previously identified.

Experts say that overtreatment of cancer occurs wherever there are widespread screening programs, including in the U.S. Some cancers develop too slowly to ever cause symptoms or death, the AP/Google.com reports. However, it is impossible to determine which cancers will be deadly, so all detected cases are treated. Jorgensen said that there is “significant harm in making women cancer patients without good reason” and that the “information needs to get to women so they can make an informed choice.”

Gilbert Welch of the VA Outcomes Group and the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Research wrote in an accompanying editorial that although mammography “undoubtedly helps some women,” it “hurts others.” Welch wrote that it is “one of medicine’s ‘close calls,’ … where different people in the same situation might reasonably make different choices.”

Britain’s National Health Service recently stopped distributing breast cancer screening pamphlets in response to criticism that they included too little information on cancer overtreatment. Laura Bell of Cancer Research UK said that although the organization still urges women to be screened, it is important that they be made aware of potential benefits and harms (Cheng, AP/Google.com, 7/9).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women’s Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

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