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Recurrent breast cancer

January 19, 2018

Recurrent breast cancer: The remnants of cancer cells

Recurrent breast cancer and as the name suggest, is that type of breast cancer that reappears after the initial treatment

Recurrent breast cancer, and as the name suggest, is that type of breast cancer that reappears after the initial treatment. It is true that, the initial treatment is aimed at eliminating all cancer cells, nonetheless, a few may evade treatment and survived. These undetected cancer cells then multiplies which eventually becomes recurrent breast cancer. They may occur months or years after your initial treatment. The cancer may come back in the same place as the original cancer (local recurrence), or it may spread to other areas of your body (distant recurrence). It is not an easy experience to go through this especially after the treacherous dealings with the initial diagnosis. Speaking to doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed health and wellness resource center, when this happens, all is not lost. With good treatment, all the local, regional or distant recurrent breast cancer can be eliminated. But if complete treatment is not possible, the disease can be put in check for a longer period of time.

Signs and symptoms of recurrent breast cancer vary depending on where the cancer comes back. Like for instance:

Recurrent breast cancer: Local recurrence

Under this, the reappearance of cancer takes place in the same area where the original cancer was. For those who undergone lumpectomy, the cancer could recur in the remaining breast tissue. Yet for those who undergone mastectomy, the cancer could recur in the tissue that lines the chest wall or in the skin. Signs and symptoms of local recurrence within the same breast include:

A new lump in your breast or irregular area of firmness
Changes in the skin of the breast
Skin inflammation or area of redness
Nipple discharge

Signs and symptoms of local recurrence on the chest wall after a mastectomy include:

One or more painless nodules on or under the skin of your chest wall
A new area of thickening along or near the mastectomy scar

Recurrent breast cancer: Regional recurrence

This happens when the cancer reappears in the nearby lymph nodes. You could look for the following as signs and symptoms; a lump or swelling in the lymph nodes located:

Under the arm
Next to the collarbone
In the neck
In the groove above your collarbone

Recurrent breast cancer: Distant recurrence

This recurrence happens when the cancer has traveled or spread to distant parts of the body, most commonly the bones, liver and lungs. The possible signs and symptoms include:

Weight loss
Severe headaches
Seizures
Persistent cough
Persistent and worsening pain, such as chest or bone pain
Loss of appetite
Difficulty breathing

Finally, with all these frustrations, when is the right time to see a doctor? Immediately after completing breast cancer treatment, there will be sessions of scheduled follow-up exams. It is during this time that your doctor checks for any signs of cancer recurrence. And on your part, you must be very observant and report any strange feelings however negligible.

Recurrent breast cancer: The remnants of cancer cells

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Pagets disease treatment

January 19, 2018

Pagets disease treatment: The genesis treating breast cancer

Pagets disease treatment is necessary beacause, the mere mention of the disease cancer is enough to send shock waves

If you have Paget’s disease of the breast, surgery is the most likely treatment approach you will need. And in addressing Pagets disease treatment, the type of surgery will depends on the condition of the skin around your nipple and how advanced the underlying cancer is. Such surgical options include:

Simple mastectomy. This is a procedure which involves the removing of the entire breast excluding the lymph nodes in the armpit (axillary lymph nodes). This procedure is essential in cases where there is an underlying breast cancer which has not spread to the lymph nodes.

Lumpectomy. Breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) involves removing only the affected portion of the breast. Under this procedure, the surgeon removes the nipple and areola along with a wedge- or cone-shaped section of the breast. The surgeon focuses on removing as little breast tissue as possible, while ensuring that the tissue removed includes an outer margin free of cancer cells so that only healthy cells remain.

Lumpectomy to treat Paget’s disease of the breast requires follow-up radiation therapy. Lumpectomy wouldn’t be recommended if you can’t have radiation therapy for some reason. Most women have nipple reconstruction after their treatment.

Pagets disease treatment: Adjuvant therapy

Upon the completion of the operation, the surgeon may recommend an additional treatment (adjuvant therapy) with anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapy), radiation therapy or hormone therapy to prevent a recurrence of breast cancer. The patient’s specific treatment will depend on the stage of the cancer and whether the tumor tests positive for certain characteristics, such as having estrogen or progesterone receptors.

Pagets disease treatment: Coping and support

The mere mention of the disease cancer is enough to send shock waves. But one is eventually diagnosed with breast cancer, the pressure may be unbearable bot to the direct and indirect victims. Adjusting to this piece of news is not easy. At this point, you will need to have some tailored ways of coping with the diagnosis. You may try several things until you find what works well for you. The following can be helpful:

Get to know all the information about your new condition. Schedule an appointment with your doctor and ask all the questions you have. Ask even if you think a given question may not be relevant. Questions about your breast cancer, the type, stage and hormone receptor status. This kind of knowledge will make you feel confident to face the treatment well.

Talk with other breast cancer survivors. People who had been in this before can be very helpful in encouragement and support.

Find someone to talk with. Do not feel pity for yourself, instead find a friend or family member who is a good listener or talk to or a clergy member or counselor.

Keep your friends and family close. Your friends and family can provide a crucial support network for you during your cancer treatment.

Take care of yourself. Love life and keep doing the things you like. Sleep well, feed on healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables, make time for gentle exercise on days you feel up to it, and find time for things you enjoy, such as reading or listening to music. And finally, keep consulting with the experts. You can call AWAREmed health and wellness resource center for more professional help.

Pagets disease treatment: The genesis treating breast cancer

Pagets disease risks factors

January 19, 2018

Pagets disease risks factors: What makes you susceptible to breast cancer

Pagets disease risks factors. The best thing one can do to be safe from any disease is to prevent it from happening

Pagets disease risks factors are closely associated with other factors that increase the development of any other type of breast cancer. Therefore, the following are some of the factors likely to cause an individual to develop Paget’s disease of the breast cancer:

Radiation exposure. If you received radiation treatments to your chest as a child or young adult to treat another cancer, you’re more likely to develop breast cancer later in life.
Race. White women are more likely to develop breast cancer than black or Hispanic women, but black women are more likely to die of the disease.
Past history of breast abnormalities. If you’ve had lobular carcinoma in situ or atypical hyperplasia, your risk of developing breast cancer is higher.
Overweight. Excess weight is unhealthy and increases your risk of breast cancer especially after menopause.
Hormone replacement. Taking estrogen after menopause increases the risk of breast cancer for some women.
Having a history of breast cancer. Those who had suffered breast cancer in one breast before, have an increased risk of developing cancer on the other breast.
Gene. If you have close family members like a mother, sister or daughter etc., with breast or ovarian cancer or both, you have a greater chance of developing breast cancer.
Dense breast tissue. Women with dense breast tissue, as seen on a mammogram, face a higher risk of breast cancer.
An inherited gene mutation that increases the risk of breast cancer. Defects in one of several genes, especially BRCA1 or BRCA2, put you at greater risk of developing breast cancer as well as ovarian and other cancers.
Alcohol. Drinking large amounts of alcohol increases your risk of developing breast cancer.
Age. As one advances in age, the chances of developing breast cancer increase.

Nevertheless, having any of these risk factors doesn’t necessarily make you develop breast cancer. There are so many women struggling with breast cancer, but have never experience any of the stated risks factors.

Pagets disease risks factors: Prevention

The best thing one can do to be safe from any disease is to prevent it from happening. According to the experts at AWAREmed health and wellness resource center under the leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD, it is more rewarding to prevent than to treat. Breast cancer may be prevented in many ways including:

Stop or use alcohol in moderation. If possible stop drinking but if you have to do it moderately like less than a bottle in a day.
Maintain a healthy weight and diet. If your weight is healthy, work to maintain that weight and reduce it if overweight. Women who eat a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and mixed nuts may have a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Limit postmenopausal hormone therapy. Combination hormone therapy may increase the risk of breast cancer.

Exercise. Take time to exercise on most days of the week. Consult with your physician if you haven’t been active lately for guidance.

Breast self-exam and awareness. Women need to periodically inspect their breasts during a breast self-exam for breast awareness. If any changes like lumps or other unusual signs in your breasts is noticed, talk to your doctor on time. This is important in the prevention of breast cancer.
Asking questions about breast cancer screening. Ask specialist the right time to start breast cancer screening exams and tests like clinical breast exams and mammograms. Get to know the benefits and settle on which breast cancer screening strategies to use.

Pagets disease risks factors: What makes you susceptible to breast cancer

Male breast cancer treatment

January 19, 2018

Male breast cancer treatment: Early diagnosis

Male breast cancer treatment and for a detailed determination of male breast cancer treatment options, timely consultation with the doctor is necessary

For a detailed determination of male breast cancer treatment options, as a patient you need to visit your doctor timely. And while at the doctor’s office, he/she will consider certain factors like the stage of your cancer, the patient’s overall health and preferences. With such information, treatment can be done either through the application of surgery among many other treatment options like radiation therapy, chemotherapy hormone therapy. As we progress into the discussion, doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed health and wellness resource center will help us to understand each of these treatment options as follows:

Male breast cancer treatment: Surgery

The primary objective of using surgery in cancer treatment is to remove the tumor and surrounding breast tissue. The procedure of doing so will involves:

The removal of breast tissue and surrounding lymph nodes (modified radical mastectomy). This means that, the operating surgeon operate to remove all the breast tissues including the nipple and areola, and some underarm lymph nodes.
Removal of one lymph node for testing also known as sentinel lymph node biopsy. The doctor identifies the lymph node most likely to be the first place your cancer cells would spread. From the analysis of lymph node if cancer cells are not found, there is a good chance that the patient’s breast cancer has not spread beyond the breast tissue making treatment much easier.

Male breast cancer treatment: Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells. In male breast cancer, radiation therapy may be used after surgery to eliminate any remaining cancer cells in the breast, chest muscles or armpit. Patients are advised to be informed of how radiation work. And for the avoidance of doubt, during radiation therapy process, radiation comes from a large machine that moves around the patient’s body, directing the energy beams to precise points and locations on chest affected.

Male breast cancer treatment: Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses medications to kill cancer cells. Such medications may be administered through a vein in the arm (intravenously) or in a pill form or in some cases both methods can be applied. Upon the determination of the cancer disease, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that might have spread outside the breast. Chemotherapy may also be an option for men with advanced breast cancer.

Male breast cancer treatment: Hormone therapy

Finally, most men with male breast cancer have tumors which relies on hormones to grow (hormone-sensitive). Therefore, in the event that your cancer is hormone-sensitive, it is possible that your doctor may recommend hormone therapy for your treatment. Take note that hormone therapy for male breast cancer often involves the medication tamoxifen, which is also used for women. Other hormone therapy medications used in women with breast cancer haven’t been shown to be effective for men and that is why you need to be in close consultation with your doctor all the way. And for any further concerns, you can call AWAREmed health center today for real time professional result.

Male breast cancer treatment: Early diagnosis

Invasive lobular carcinoma cure

January 18, 2018

Invasive lobular carcinoma cure: Treatment options

Invasive lobular carcinoma cancer treatment will be dependent on the aggressiveness of the cancer, its stage the overall health and preferences of the patient.

Invasive lobular carcinoma cure or treatment will be dependent on the aggressiveness of the cancer, its stage the overall health and preferences of the patient. Generally treatment will in most cases comprise of surgery and additional therapy which may include chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy. To understand these better, we spoke to the experts at AWAREmed health and wellness resource center under the leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD who explains them as follows:

Diagnosing invasive lobular carcinoma cure: Surgery

Surgery for invasive lobular carcinoma may be done in four ways including:

Removing the cancer and small portion of healthy tissue. This is a lumpectomy (wide local excision) procedure which allows the patient to keep most of the breast tissue. Under this, the surgeon removes the tumor itself, as well as a margin of normal tissue surrounding the tumor to ensure all the cancer that can be removed is taken out.

Removing all of the breast tissue. This is done through mastectomy is an operation done to remove all the breast tissue. This (Mastectomy) can be simple where the surgeon removes all of the breast tissue the lobules, ducts, fatty tissue and skin, including the nipple and areola. Alternatively, it can be done through a modified radical mastectomy, which involves removing all of the breast tissue, as well as the nipple and areola and lymph nodes in the nearby armpit.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy. To determine whether cancer has spread to the lymph nodes near your breast the surgeon identifies the first lymph nodes that receive the lymph drainage from cancer. These lymph nodes are removed and tested for breast cancer cells (sentinel node biopsy). Where no cancer is found, the chance of finding cancer in any of the remaining nodes is minimal and no other nodes need to be removed.

Axillary lymph node dissection. If cancer is found in the sentinel node, the surgeon may remove additional lymph nodes in your armpit (axillary lymph node dissection).

Diagnosing invasive lobular carcinoma cure: Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. Treatment often involves receiving two or more drugs in different combinations. Chemotherapy can be given through a vein, in pill form or both ways. And for invasive lobular carcinoma, chemotherapy is commonly used after surgery to kill any cells that may remain.

Diagnosing invasive lobular carcinoma cure: Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy beams like X-rays, to kill cancer cells. During radiation therapy, the patient lie on a table as the radiation machine directs energy beams to the precise points on the breast. Radiation therapy is recommended effectively after a lumpectomy. It may also be recommended after a mastectomy if the cancer was large or involved the lymph nodes.

Diagnosing invasive lobular cure: Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy may be an option if your cancer cells are sensitive to hormones. Most invasive lobular carcinomas are hormone receptor positive, meaning they are sensitive to hormones. In such a case, a sample of the tumor cells is tested to determine whether cancer is hormone receptor positive. If it is, hormone therapies can block from producing hormones or block the cancer cells’ ability to use the hormones.

Diagnosing invasive lobular carcinoma cure: Treatment options

Category Archives: Chemotherapy treatment procedure