These are women over age 50, women whose mother or sisters have had breast cancer, and women who have already had breast cancer. Other factors which may increase the risk are long term cystic disease of the breast, onset of menstruation before age 11, having no children or having a first pregnancy after age 30, high fat diet, upper socioeconomic class, and being a white person.

The specific cause of breast cancer is unknown. However, the earlier the cancer is detected and treated, the better the chance is for its cure. It is reassuring to know that eight out of ten breast lumps are not cancer. However, any lump, thickening, skin dimpling or puckering, or nipple discharge should be examined and evaluated by your health care practitioner as soon as possible.

Fear of breast cancer prevents some women from doing so. This is unfortunate, causing unnecessary anxiety for the large majority who do not have cancer and delaying effective treatment for those who do. Since 90 percent of breast lumps are discovered by women themselves, early detection begins with breast self examination (BSE). All women should examine their breasts once a month. Women past menopause should pick a date they will remember, such as the first of the month or the monthly anniversary of their birth dates to remind themselves to do a BSE.

The examination is performed monthly so that women become familiar with the appearance and texture of their own breasts, enabling them to recognize a change.  In addition to a monthly BSE, all women should have their breasts examined yearly by their health care practitioners. This can be done during the yearly gynecological examination or routine physical examination.

The third method of detection is mammography. This consists of special x-rays of the breasts which can reveal tumors which are too small to be found by breast examination. The American Cancer Society recommends a yearly mammogram for women over 50. Other experts recommend mammography at regular intervals but not necessarily once a year.

Mammography has been controversial because of the possibility that radiation from the x-rays themselves may cause cancer. However, with current x-ray equipment the dose of radiation is quite small, and for women over 50 it is thought that the value of the examination outweighs the risk.

Two other detection methods, which are still under investigation, are thermography, in which special film records heat patterns of the breast, and ultrasound, which bounces sound waves off the breast tissue. Neither of these techniques use x-rays, so there is no chance of radiation exposure.

If a breast lump is found, a biopsy is usually performed to establish a diagnosis. If cancer is present,  there are now several options to the once standard radical mastectomy (surgical removal of the breast, surrounding lymph nodes, and muscle). Studies are under way to evaluate less disfiguring surgery such as removal of the tumor only (lumpectomy), or breast only, along with follow up treatment with radiation to kill any remaining cancer cells.

If the breast is removed, breast reconstructive surgery is now available. Since there are so many choices, it is important to discuss all available alternatives with your health care practitioner and surgeon. In the past few years women have demanded and obtained many changes in the treatment of breast cancer. It is up to you to take advantage of them.

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Natural medicine uses methods that stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal, and corrects imbalances and lifestyle factors that led to the disease.

Alternative medicine can be used alone, as part of a treatment plan that includes conventional therapy, or to prevent recurrence.

Diet Pointers: Eliminate chemical and pesticide exposure (concentrated in the fat of meat and dairy). Aim at low animal fat, high fibre diet. Eat organic when possible. Increase fruits and vegetables. Soy foods have protective effect. Cheat ten percent.

Minimal Daily Supplements

500 to 1,000mg of Ester-C.
4001U. of Vitamin E.
30,000IU’s of betacarotene.
400mg selenium.
A high quality multi-vitamin and mineral, in capsule form daily.
Spirulina or other supergreen drink, high in trace minerals, antioxidants and easy to digest protein.

Other: Adrenal glandulars, pantothenic acid, thymus glandulars, herbs to
strengthen the liver, and herbs to promote lymphatic drainage.

Specific Remedies

There is no one right remedy. The treatment programme must be individualized, under the supervision of a practitioner.
714-X: An immune booster, developed by a Canadian scientist, can be ordered by your doctor or practitioner.
Essiac: Native herbal remedy developed by a Canadian nurse Rene Caisse, quality
varies greatly, so buyer beware.

Iscadora: Fermented preparation of European mistletoe, approved for medical
usee in Germany and Switzerland. Enhances immune function.

Ozone: A highly active form of oxygen that is usually injected directly into the
veins by a medical practitioner. It has been used extensively in Europe for over 50 years.

Maitake Mushroom (Dancing Mushroom): Has been studied extensively in Japan. It has been very effective in stopping the growth of animal tumours. Maitake mushroom is a powerful immune stimulant.

Imagery: Imagery is a powerful tool. It is best to create your own images to see your cells fighting the cancer, to see yourself healed and to marshal inner resources
Self-Nurturing: Sometimes breast cancer patients are too nice. Learn to say no other’s demands and do relaxing and soothing things for yourself.

Emotional Support: A fighting attitude is the best for survival. The worst is a helpless or hopeless attitude. But don’t despair, if you fall into this later category, you can change your attitude with some work. Just expressing your feelings in a supportive atmosphere can increase survival.

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Abdominal fat is a veritable estrogen factory, so losing abdominal fat decreases estrogen production. Girls with low body fat have later menarche. Women with low body fat slow the resumption of ovulation after breastfeeding and decrease the storage area for chemical estrogen’s.

After menopause, a lower body fat decreases bad estrogen production and increases estrogen caccier production. For younger women, a lower body fat makes tumors far easier to find. Tumors are notoriously hard to find in young women than with more than 15 to 20 percent excess body fat.

How to decrease body fat
These days billions of people around the world perfectly control their weight simply by eating foods that keep them lean. Low-glucose, high-fiber foods are the heart of any such program. Fiber is the foundation upon which any successful long-term weight-loss program is built.

Soy, also adds to any weight loss strategy because of its high fiber content, low glucose load, and tyrosine substance. Tyrosine plays a terrific role in maintaining your mental energy without the need for excess calories.

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Cancer of the breast is more common in spinsters than in married women ,ore common in those who have never lactated than in those who have, and least common af all in those who have breast fed a number of children. It can occur at almost any age, with a peak incidence around the menopause.

The diagnosis is made by the discovery of a painless lump in the breast, with latter dimpling of the overlying skin and reactivation of the nipple. The disease spreads to the axillary lymph nodes and sometimes to the intrathoracic lymph nodes, and the n eventually by blood borne dissemination predominantly to the skeleton and to the lung.

All rates of growth tumor, and recurrences as long as 30 years after primary treatment are by no means unknown. Thus the conventional characteristic time defining a cancer “cure” a patient alive and well with no evidence of active disease five years after primary breast cancer treatment has to be extended in considering cancer of the breast.

The achievements and the problems associated with treating patients with more advanced disease will be discussed in some latter chapters, as well as the observations about acerbate therapy.

Approximately one in every one hundred breast cancers occurs in men. The symptoms, the signs, and the methods of treatment are essentially the same, but the outlook is somewhat poorer because of the increased likelihood of early intrathoracic lymph node spread.

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Cut Caffeine
Cutting out beverages, foods and drugs that contain caffeine helps ease the breast pain. Not all researches agree that caffeine can cause breast swelling. But some research suggests that eliminating methylxanthines caffeine and other compounds found mostly in coffee, tea and chocolate can reduce breast swelling for some women. The studies indicate that total abstention might be necessary to obtain noticeable benefits.

Try eliminating caffeine for two or three months as a trial run suggests a doctor. If there is no improvement, obviously it is not going to help so you mas as well go back to your coffee.

Vitamin E
Studies haven’t proven that vitamin E makes cysts go away but in one study, nearly half the women who tool 600IU of vitamin E daily for eight weeks said they felt less pain. Most of the women in the same survey who took vitamin E also did other things for their breast pain, and doctors say that multifaceted approach may be the best. Many of women who cut back on caffeine also take vitamin E. And perhaps not so incidentally, they also frequently take other vitamins and minerals, including calcium,magnesium, vitamin B6 and others.

Low Salt Solution
Highly slated foods make you retain water, not just in your breast but all over. They make it harder for your body to counteract the hormone induced fluid retention that occurs during the two weeks leading up to your period. Try to keep your sodium intake to under 1,500 milligrams a day. For most people, that means cutting way back on the use of table salt. Also, read the labels of processed foods and avoid the ones that have more than 300 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Slimmin Down Reduces The Pain
Some women mention that their breast pain seems to ease up if they are able to lose some weight. Experts say it’s not just the extra weight on the breast themselves that can be contributing to pain. In women , fat acts like an extra gland, producing and storing estrogen, a female hormone that stimulates breast tissue. If you have got too much body fat, you may have more estrogen circulating in your system than is good for you.

Low Fat, High Fiber
Several studies suggest that cutting back on at and increasing your intake of fiber, especially wheat bran, can reduce your blood levels of breast stimulating estrogen. That’s why these dietary changes are also recommended as a possible breast cancer preventive.

The Right Bra
Use a bra that holds you firmly and comfortably, without biting and binding.

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Plant-Based Organic Diet
This is the safest and best way to reduce exposure to chemical estrogen. If red meat has a high fat content, excess estrogen or chemical estrogens may be present in the fat. By eliminating meats, you cut a large source of animal fats that can store pesticides and other chemical estrogens.

By eating organic foods from farms that have never used pesticides, you minimize the the risk of ingesting chemical estrogens. The plants also provide protection against breast cancer with antioxidants and and weak estrogens that block the estrogen receptor.

Lean Meats
There are meats that contain lesser amounts of injected or chemical estrogens. Look for organically produced beef and poultry. Than trim poultry of skin and fat. By trimming these sources of fat before cooking, you ensure that you are not consuming potential carcinogens trapped in the fat. Also look forsafer meats such as venison, turkey, rabbit, quail, and pheasant, all of which have far fewer chemical estrogens.

Low-Risk Seafood
As great as omega-3 fatty acids are for breast protection, there is the added risk of chemical estrogens in the fat. Cold, deep, saltwater fish, harvested as far away as possible from contaminated mainland estuaries, are safest. Those include tuna, sea bass, red snapper, arctic char, halibut, and orange roughly. Some innovative producers are also, making chemical-free fish. For instance  a norwegian fish farm has a deep, pollution free fjord where it now produces salmon.

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