Osteoporosis Symptoms, Treatment, Information, Risk Factors

The warning signs of osteoporosis

Unfortunately, there aren’t any.

The fact is, if you’re 60 or older, there’s a nearly 1 in: 2 chance you have osteoporosis. But early on, osteoporosis is a silent disease, so you may not see any signs. However, eventually it can lead to broken bones or the disfiguring dowager’s hump. The good news is, if osteoporosis is detected early enough, its effects may be prevented.

A simple, painless exam called a Bone Density Test can measure the health of your bones. Ask your healthcare professional if this test should be part of your health evaluation, like your mammogram and Pap smear. Because if your bones are thinning, there are treatment options that can help strengthen them, and let you continue to lead an active, independent life.

Osteoporosis makes your bones weak and more likely to break. Anyone can develop osteoporosis, but it is common in older women. As many as half of all women and a quarter of men older than 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.

What are risk factors for developing and causes of osteoporosis?

Getting older Being small and thin Having a family history of osteoporosis Taking certain medicines Being a white or Asian woman Having osteopenia, which is low bone mass

Osteoporosis is a silent disease. You might not know you have it until you break a bone. A bone mineral density test is the best way to check your bone health. To keep bones strong, eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, exercise and do not smoke. If needed, osteoporosis treatment medicines can also help.

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Breast Cancer 101: Risk Factors and Alternative Cure

Breast cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases among women. It plays second fiddle only to lung cancer as the top killer of women in the United States and the rest of the world. And since the 1970s, recorded cases of the disease have continuously increased at an alarming rate. Breast cancer can also happen to men, albeit rarely; around 12,000 American men contract this disease every year.

Despite the nasty reputation of breast cancer, doctors have yet to find out the real causes of the disease. Right now, experts believe that cancer cells in the breasts develop as a result of a combination of risk factors. Nonetheless, doctors are sure that bumping or accidentally hurting your breasts can not trigger cancer.

Many studies confirm that certain elements may put a woman in an increased susceptibility to breast cancer. Women with one or all of these risk elements may be more imperiled than other women who are free from such factors. Here are the determinants of breast cancer to watch out for.

Age

Your likelihood of having this type of disease increases as you become older. Statistically speaking, most breast cancer patients are women who are at least in their 60s. In fact before the menopausal stage, this disease may be considered extraordinary even for women.

Personal And Family History

If one of your breasts has cancer or if you had breast cancer before, your risk of having cancer on your other breast is greatly increased. In fact, the likelihood of having breast cancer under these circumstances may have quadrupled.

In the same manner, if someone in your family has been afflicted with this disease, you may be more prone to getting breast cancer. If your mother, your sister or even your child has been stricken down with this disease, you have to be careful because your risk can be higher than other women. Heredity plays a significant role in the development of this type of cancer.

Habits And Lifestyle

If you do not have close relatives who suffered from breast cancer, it does not mean that you are guaranteed to be free from getting the disease. Your habits and lifestyle can also contribute to the occurrence of cancer cells in your breasts. Women who smoke and are addicted to alcohol, for instance, have increased chances of suffering the disease. Obesity and use of contraceptive pills and hormone replacement therapy can also support the growth of cancerous tissues in the breasts.

Ways To Deal With Cancer

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How To Calculate Your Risk For Breast Cancer

Using known risk factors for breast cancer, mathematical models can be developed to help answer important questions.  These mathematical models are useful tools for researchers and for patients as follows:

1. Research on risk factors – The Claus risk assessment model was used to discover the subpopulation of people who had an autosomal dominant genetic allele that increased their risk from 10% to 92%. This led to the discovery of the BRCA genes associated with breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer. 2. Clinical trial eligibility – The Gail risk assessment model was developed to help researchers determine who to enroll in the NSAPB Breast Cancer Prevention Trials

where chemoprevention was shown to reduce breast cancer risk.

3. Guidelines for doing BRCA testing – BRCA testing is very expensive and practically worthless if done on everyone (because it is so rare to be homozygous for BRCA1 or BRCA2). Mathematical models such as the BRCAPRO, BOADICEA, and Tyrer-Cuzick models can help determine what patients should undergo BRCA testing. The decision for testing is usually made when one of these models predicts a 10% or greater chance that there is a mutation of the BRCA1, BRCA2, or both genes. 4. Guidelines for doing MRI screening for breast cancer - MRI screening for breast cancer is not a cost effective screening test for the general population, but in specific groups, there are clear cut reasons to do so. In general, screening MRI is recommended for women with 20-25% or greater lifetime risk of breast cancer. The BRCAPRO and Tyrer-Cuzick models have been used to help make clinical decisions about ordering MRIs for breast cancer screening. 5. Guidelines for breast cancer therapy - The Gail model is used clinically to help

determine who should be put on tamoxifen or raloxifene for chemoprevention.  Other models have been used to help make decisions about breast cancer risk reduction with prophylactic mastectomy.

For these reasons, it is important to understand these models.  These models are collectively refered to as “risk assessment tools”.  The following paragraphs summarize the most popular and most widely used risk assessment tools.  Keep in mind that none of these risk assessment tools apply to breast cancer survivors.  No mathematical model has been widely accepted to determine cancer risk in cancer survivors. 

General Risk Assessment Tools

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Genetic Risk Factors In Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women in the United States.  In 2008, approximately 184,450 patients were estimated to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and an estimated 40,930 were estimated to die of this disease.   Furthermore, over 50,000 female carcinoma in situ breast cases would have been diagnosed.  The etiology of breast cancer is poorly understood with multiple genetic and environmental factors involved in the initiation and progression of cancer. 

Scandinavian Twin Study:  For years, there has been a hot debate as to whether the cause of breast cancer is genetic or environmental.  Then in 2000, Lichtenstein and his colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden published their study of 44,788 pairs of twins from the Swedish, Danish, and Finnish twin registries.  In this study, they looked at cancer risk with 28 different types of cancers and did statistical modeling of genetic and hereditary contributions in eleven different cancer types.  For breast cancer, they clearly showed that only 27% of breast cancers were due to genetic factors.  This was an even lower hereditary component than other common cancers such as prostate and colorectal.  This study and others have confirmed the fact that over 70% of breast cancers are influenced by environmental factors.

BRCA genes:  Although much attention has been made about hereditary breast cancer, only two genes are commonly tested for breast cancer risk assessment.  These two genes are tumor suppressor genes named “BRCA1″ and “BRCA2″ that are involved with DNA repair.  These two genes only account for about 5% of all breast cancers.  Because of the Scandinavian twin study, most experts believed that there are other yet to be discovered genes involved with breast cancer.  Because the chance of having a BRCA mutation in the general population is so low, genetic testing is not indicated in most patients.  However, if a patient has a family history of breast cancer, then a mathematical model can be used to determine if BRCA testing is indicated.  The likelihood of being a BRCA carrier increases with the number of relatives who had cancer and if the cancers occurred earlier in life.  For example, in families with four or more cases of breast or ovarian cancer under the age of 60, over 80% are found to have a damaged version of BRCA1 or BRCA2.  If a patient is a carrier of one or both of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, her risk of breast cancer dramatically increases.  According to estimates of lifetime risk, about 13.2% (132 out of 1,000 individuals) of women in the general population will develop breast cancer, compared with estimates of 36-85% (360-850 out of 1,000) of women with an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.  In other words, women with an altered BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 gene are up to eight times more likely to develop breast cancer than women without alterations in those genes.  The BRCA1 mutation confers a higher risk than a BRCA2 mutation.  Women who inherit a damaged BRCA1 gene have a 60-85% chance of developing breast cancer at some stage in their lives and a 20-40% chance of developing ovarian cancer.  For BRCA2, the risks are 40-60% and 10-20%, respectively.  

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Are you in High Risk of Getting Breast Cancer?

No one knows the exact causes of breast cancer. Doctors can seldom explain why one woman gets breast cancer and another does not.

Doctors do know that bumping, bruising, or touching the breast does not cause breast cancer. And breast cancer is not contagious. No one can “catch” this disease from another person.

However, research has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop breast cancer. A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease. Studies have found the following risk factors for breast cancer:

1. The chance of getting breast cancer goes up as a woman gets older.

2. A woman who has had breast cancer in one breast has an increased risk of getting this disease in her other breast.

3. A woman’s risk of breast cancer is higher if her mother, sister, or daughter had breast cancer, especially at a young age (before age 40).

4. The older a woman is when she has her first child, the greater her chance of breast cancer. Women who began menstruation (had their first menstrual period) at an early age (before age 12), went through menopause late (after age 55), or never had children also are at an increased risk.

5. Breast cancer occurs more often in white women than Latina, Asian, or African American women.

6. Women who had radiation therapy to the chest (including breasts) before age 30 are at an increased risk of breast cancer. This includes women treated with radiation for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Studies show that the younger a woman was when she received radiation treatment, the higher her risk of breast cancer later in life.

7. Older women who have mostly dense not fatty) tissue on a mammogram(x-ray of the breast) are at increased risk of breast cancer.

8. After menopause, women who are obese have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Being obese means that the woman has an abnormally high proportion of body fat. Because the body makes some of its estrogen (a hormone) in fatty tissue, obese women are more likely than thin women to have higher levels of estrogen in their bodies. High levels of estrogen may be the reason that obese women have an increased risk of breast cancer. Also, some studies show that gaining weight after menopause increases the risk of breast cancer.

9. Women who are physically inactive throughout life appear to have an increased risk of breast cancer. Being physically active may help to reduce risk by preventing weight gain and obesity.

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Reducing the Risk of Breast Cancer

A fatty diet and obesity are associated with increased risks of breast cancer, as well as other types of cancer. What’s a good diet? Lots of fruit and vegetables, of course- you’ve heard of those antioxidants and their importance in preventing the cellular change that results in cancer. Foods like soy and broccoli may actually have a direct protective effect against breast cancer. Proper diet and exercise also go a long way in preventing lots of other deadly diseases. Did you know that heart disease is a bigger killer of women than even breast cancer? A healthy lifestyle can save you from both!

You can’t do much about family history of breast cancer, but it is important to be aware of it and take extra precautions if such a history exists. One particularly aggressive breast cancer is known to be inherited. Women develop breast cancer at a young age (before menopause), and ovarian cancers are prevalent in the family history as well. If you have a very strong family history of such cancers, you will want to follow up closely with your doctor and maybe even consider getting tested for the defective genes associated with the cancer.

Fortunately this type of cancer is uncommon. You are at somewhat increased risk for other types of breast cancer (that are not usually so aggressive) if you have a mother or sister who had breast cancer. This is a warning to heed and take proper precautions! Maintain a healthy diet. Check your breasts regularly once a month to be sure no lumps are present. Get annual mammograms starting no later than age 50. It’s a good idea to have a baseline mammogram between the ages of 35 and 40. Even if you have no family history, it’s important to take these actions. Breast cancer affects one in eight women, even those who are considered “low risk.”

Another factor to be aware of is that hormone treatment for menopausal symptoms for an extended period of time may increase your risk for breast cancer. If you are taking hormones, be sure you discuss the potential risks and benefits with your doctor, take them only if needed, and at the lowest dose and shortest period of time that you can. It is critical for you to have annual mammograms and do monthly self breast exams. The best cure for breast cancer is preventing it in the first place. The next best course is catching it when it is small and easily treatable.

Please visit www.getbreastcancerhelp.info   

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Breast Cancer and You; Risk Factors and Safety Precautions

Today’s woman is more knowledgeable and conscientious than ever about the risks of breast cancer. This is especially true for women over 40 years of age, who have crossed the threshold of increased risk of breast cancer.

Age is so important to the development of breast cancer that about 76% of women who develop it have no other risk factors other than age. However, all women, regardless of age or race, need to acknowledge the risk of developing it. All women are at risk.

Women who have never smoked a day in their entire lives can develop breast cancer. Women who have been always been health conscious can also develop it. In fact, nearly one woman out of eleven will experience breast cancer. A staggering statistic by anybody’s standards!

An estimated 211,000 new cases of breast cancer was diagnosed this past year. Even with the increased awareness programs, early detection through annual mammography screening and instruction for self-examination, breast cancer remains a leading cause of death for women.

Breast cancer, like other forms of cancer, is a disease of the cells. In all, there are about fifteen different types of breast cancer. Some are more serious than others, but the one common factor each shares is that neither the cause nor the cure has been found.

There are four recognized developmental stages of breast cancer

State 0: Cancer cells are present in either the lining of the milk glands (lobules), or in the tubes (ducts) that link the milk glands to the nipple. No cancer cells have spread to the nearby fatty tissue.

Stage 1: Cancer has spread to nearby fatty tissue in the breast. Tumor size is about 1″ or under; no cancer cells are present in surrounding lymph nodes.

Stage 2: Size of tumor is 1″ to 2″ in diameter; cancer cells may have also spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Stage 3: Cancer is locally advanced. Tumors are approximately 2″ or larger in diameter, or tumors of any size have spread to lymph nodes under the arm or in the chest (above or below the collarbone).

Stage 4: Metastatic, advanced breast cancer. The cancer has spread from the breast and lymph nodes to other parts of the body.

Early detection of breast cancer remains a woman’s best chance of survival, and women of all ages should take advantage of all the resources available, including having a mammography.

Every woman should:

1. Become educated about the risk factors associated with breast cancer.

2. Become knowledgeable about the types, stages, and symptoms of breast cancer.

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What are the Risk Factors for Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is a largely unknown disease until today, despite the fact that it affects almost ten percent of the women above the age of forty years all over the world. The causes of this killer cancer are not known even after decades of research into it. Similarly it is unknown why some women have higher chances of getting breast cancers than others.

Though the causative factors are not known, some risk factors have been identified. There is no medical proof why these factors make the disease more probable, but this is a study of observation. In a vast cross-section of women with the observed risk factors, it has been found that the chances of getting breast cancers are very high.

The various risk factors for breast cancer are as follows:-

(1) Family History of Breast Cancer

If a near relative like a mother or a sister has had breast cancer, then there is a very high chance that the cancer will occur sometime in life. This propensity is observed even if far relatives such as cousins and aunts have had breast cancer, though the chances are lesser as the relatives are more removed. Even if a male relative has had breast cancer or prostate cancer, then there is a chance of getting breast cancer. This clearly indicates that breast cancer runs through family lines through inheritance. Certainly the chances are very high if more than one family member has had breast cancer.

(2) Personal History of Breast Cancer

If a woman has had breast cancer in the past, then there is a great chance that the breast cancer may recur. This is true even if the cancer had been removed in its benign stage itself. Sometimes the cancer cells spread into the nearby lymph. This makes a possibility that the cancer will occur in the opposite breast. In fact, women who have had cancer in one breast have 50 to 75% more chances of developing the cancer in the other breast.

(3) Diseases of the Breast

Several breast diseases can increase the chances of having breast cancer. Changes in the cells of the breasts can lead to atypical hyperplasia. This condition can cause a three to fourfold increase in the possibility of getting breast cancer in the later years. This risk also exists if the atypical hyperplasia has occurred in other women of the family. Another such condition is the benign breast tumor condition known as fibro adenoma. However, women with fibrocystic breasts generally do not have any added vulnerability to breast cancer. Yet, such conditions could make the breasts lumpy and hide the real tumors (if any) during mammography.

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Symptoms of Breast Cancer – Who is at the Risk?

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer death in women in the U.S. While the majority of new breast cancers are diagnosed as a result of an abnormality seen on a mammogram, a lump or change in consistency of the breast tissue can also be a warning sign of the disease.

There are two main types of breast cancer:

•Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are of this type.

Lobular carcinoma starts in parts of the breast, called lobules, that produce milk.

Breast Cancer Symptoms

So what are the symptoms of breast cancer? At first, you may notice no symptoms of breast cancer at all. Once the cancer begins to grow, it can be detected in several ways. Check for lumps or thickening near the breast and underarms. A change in the size or shape of your breast may be symptom of breast cancer. If you notice a discharge from you nipple, please consult your physician. This too can by a symptom of breast cancer. Anything else abnormal such as a change in color or feel should be mentioned to your physician. It may not be breast cancer, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Breast cancers in their early stages are usually painless. Often the first symptom is the discovery of a hard lump. Fifty percent of such masses are found in the upper outer quarter of the breast. The lump may make the affected breast appear elevated or asymmetric. The nipple may be retracted or scaly. Sometimes the skin of the breast is dimpled like the skin of an orange. In some cases there is a bloody or clear discharge from the nipple. Many cancers, however, produce no symptoms and cannot be felt on examination. They can be detected only with a mammogram.

An early diagnosis of breast cancer is associated with a higher survival rate. Therefore, it is vital to be able to recognize the signs of breast cancer. Symptoms of breast cancer can include:

Clear or bloody liquid discharge from nipple

Nipple retraction or indentation

Change in size and shape of breasts

A flattening or indentation on the skin of the breast indicating a change in the underlying tissue.

A change in the look or feel of the skin of the breast, areola or nipple such as warmth, swelling, redness or scaliness

Redness or scaling of the breast’s skin.

Unusual dimpling in the breast.

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