The Cancer Symptoms you must not ignore

March 2, 2015

The Cancer Symptoms you must not ignore: Be mindful of changes in your Body

The Cancer Symptoms you must not ignore are many and common. Any changes must be taken seriously however small they may appear

In growth and development we are often faced with various changes in our bodies. Most of these changes are always positive and encouraging. However there are some changes which we must never ignore. In the advent of so many diseases moving around, it is advisable that we take keen interest in the changes taking place in our bodies however small they maybe. You may never know the cancer symptoms you must not ignore could be among those little changes. Health professionals recommend that nothing should be left to chance. Like for example, women’s bodies are always changing rapidly from time to time. It may not be clear, but occasionally those changes that appear normal and harmless could actually be the signs of cancer in the making. Therefore, the best remedy is to pay attention to your body consistently so that in the event you can notice something’s different, then speedy action can be taken. The experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center recommends that, every time a new symptoms appears, then that is an indication that something has changed in your body and you must by all standards get to know what that means. If you have not been keen in making observations to your body, then it is not too late to begin today. We will be here for you to help you establish what it really is. We must pool together to lock out all forms of cancer out of our lives and as professionals at this facility under the able leadership f doctor Dalal Akoury, that is what we want to help you achieve. Now the following are some of the changes you should watch out for:

The Cancer Symptoms you must not ignore: Breast changes

It is true that most breast lumps are not really an indication of cancer, but it is important that your doctor should always check them. Let your doctor also to know about these changes as well:

Skin dimpling or puckering
Nipples that turn inward
Nipple discharge
Redness or scaling of your nipple or breast skin

While at your doctor’s office, they may do certain physical exam and ask you a few questions about your medical history. You may also have tests like a mammogram or a biopsy this is when doctors remove a tiny piece of tissue for testing.

Bloating

Women are natural bloaters. It’s OK to wait a week or two to see if it goes away. If your symptoms don’t get better with time, or if they happen with weight loss or bleeding, see a doctor. Constant bloating can sometimes mean ovarian cancer. In this case you’ll have a pelvic exam as well as blood tests, and sometimes an ultrasound, to look for the cause of the problem.

Between Period Bleeding

Bleeding during your normal monthly cycle is okay, however bleeding which is not a part of your usual monthly cycle can have many causes. Your doctor will want to rule out endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of your uterus). Bleeding after menopause is never normal and should be checked right away without any hesitation.

Skin Changes

A change in the size, shape, or color of a mole or other spot is a common sign of skin cancer. See your doctor for a thorough examination and perhaps a biopsy. This is one time you don’t want to wait.

The Cancer Symptoms you must not ignore: Blood in Your Pee or Stool

Talk to your doctor if you’re bleeding from a part of your body that normally doesn’t, especially if the bleeding lasts more than a day or two. Bloody stool is often from hemorrhoids, but it can also be a symptom of colon cancer. Bloody urine is usually the first sign of cancer of the bladder or kidneys.

Changes in Lymph Nodes

Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped glands around the body. Most changes in them come from common infections. But some cancers, including leukemia and lymphoma, can also cause lymph nodes to swell. It’s a good idea to see your doctor if you have a lump or swelling anywhere in your body that lasts a month or more.

Trouble Swallowing

Occasional trouble swallowing is nothing to worry about. But when it happens often, especially with vomiting or weight loss, your doctor may want to investigate the possibilities of throat or stomach cancer. The health care professional will consider your symptoms with a throat exam and a barium X-ray. During a barium test, you drink a special liquid that makes your throat stand out on the X-ray.

Weight Loss without Trying

Most women wish extra pounds would magically melt away. But losing 10 pounds or more without a change in your diet or exercise habits could signal a problem. Most unintended weight loss is not cancer. It’s often caused by stress or your thyroid, but it can be a sign of pancreatic cancer. Stomach and lung cancers are also possible.

The Cancer Symptoms you must not ignore: Heartburn

Too much food, alcohol, or stress (or all three) can cause serious heartburn. Experts will suggest that you change your diet for a week or two to see if your symptoms get better. In the event that it persists seek medical treatment from your doctor. And remember that heartburn that doesn’t go away or gets worse could mean cancer of the stomach, throat, or ovaries.

Mouth Changes

Smocking may give you a very good indicator about the cancer symptoms you must not ignore. Ensure that if you’re a smoker, watch for white or bright-red patches inside your mouth or on your lips. Both can signal oral cancer.

Fever

A fever that doesn’t go away and can’t be explained could mean leukemia or another blood cancer. Your doctor should get the details of your medical history and give you a physical exam to check for the cause.

Fatigue

A lot of women are tired because they lead hectic lives. But extreme tiredness that won’t go away isn’t normal. Talk to your doctor if your fatigue never gets better or if you have other symptoms, like blood in your stool. Your doctor will ask for your complete medical history and give you blood tests.

Cough

Most coughs go away on their own in 3 to 4 weeks. Don’t ignore one that lasts longer than that, especially if you smoke or are short of breath. If you cough up blood, go to the doctor. A cough is the most common symptom of lung cancer.

Pain

Cancer doesn’t cause most aches. But ongoing pain can signal bone, brain, or other cancers. Ask your doctor about any unexplained aches that last a month or longer.

Belly Pain and Depression

It’s rare, but belly pain plus depression can be a sign of pancreatic cancer. Should you worry? Not unless pancreatic cancer runs in your family. Then you need a prompt [exam]. Finally were only highlighting some of the cancer symptoms you must not ignore and if you are very keen in this article, you must have noticed that a lot is pegged on doctor patient consultation. This is very important and we want to invite you schedule for an appointment with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center for direction so that no mistakes is done.

The Cancer Symptoms you must not ignore: Be mindful of changes in your Body

Applying Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer Treatment

March 2, 2015

Applying Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer Treatment: Not everyone is Eligible for Endocrine Therapy

Applying Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer Treatment is one of the best treatment methods available today.

The treatment of cancer is one that makes so many people to panic in fear. Owing to the dangers associated with this disease people are often very worried of the outcomes of the treatment even as they hope for the best. We enquired from the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and doctor Dalal Akoury shared with us very useful information about endocrine therapy as a treatment option. Doctor Akoury who is also the CEO of this facility says that in applying endocrine therapy for breast cancer treatment careful attention should be taken not to confuse the hormones. There are certain hormones that can attach to breast cancer cells and affect their ability to multiply. The purpose of endocrine therapy, formerly called hormone therapy, is to add, block, or remove hormones. Doctor Akoury continues that with breast cancer, the female hormones estrogen and progesterone can promote the growth of some breast cancer cells. Therefore in some patients, endocrine therapy is given to block the body’s naturally occurring estrogen to slow or stop the cancer’s growth. There are two types of hormone therapy for breast cancer.

Drugs that prevent estrogen and progesterone from promoting breast cancer cell growth.
Drugs or surgery to turn off the production of hormones from the ovaries.

Take note, not to be confused between the hormone therapies applicable in treating women with breast cancer to that hormone replacement therapy that is typically used by postmenopausal women.

Hormone therapy for cancer treatment also known as endocrine therapy stops hormones from getting to breast cancer cells.
Hormone therapy for postmenopausal women without cancer called which is known as hormone replacement therapy adds more hormones to your body to counter the effects of menopause.

Applying Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer Treatment: Who can Get Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer

As part of the diagnosis process, tests are done to determine if the breast cancer cells have estrogen or progesterone receptors. If so, that means that growth of the cancer can be stimulated with these hormones. If a cancer is found to have these receptors, endocrine therapy is recommended as part of the treatment plan.

Applying Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer Treatment: Hormone Therapy Drugs Used for Breast Cancer

We have several common hormone therapy drugs used for breast cancer and they may include the following:

Tamoxifen
Arimidex
Aromasin
Femara
Zoladex/Lupron
Megace

Applying Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer Treatment: Breast Cancer and Tamoxifen

This pill has been used for over three decades now in treating breast cancer. Originally it was first used in metastatic breast cancer (cancer that spread) because it decelerate the development of cancer cells in the body. Tamoxifen also decreases the chance that some early-stage breast cancers will recur in premenopausal or post-menopausal women and it can reduce the risk of cancer developing in the unaffected breast. Besides that, it may offer an alternative to watchful waiting or prophylactic (preventative) mastectomy for women at high risk for developing breast cancer.

Tamoxifen is a type of drug called a selective estrogen-receptor modulator (SERM). At the breast, it functions as an anti-estrogen. Estrogen promotes the growth of breast cancer cells. Tamoxifen blocks estrogen from attaching to estrogen receptors on these cells. By doing this, it is believed that the growth of the breast cancer cells will be halted. Tamoxifen can also be considered as an option for the following cases:

Treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) along with breast-sparing surgery or mastectomy.
Adjuvant treatment of lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) to reduce the risk of developing more advanced breast cancer.
Adjuvant treatment of breast cancer in men and women whose cancers are estrogen-receptor positive.
Treatment of recurrent and metastatic breast cancer.
To prevent breast cancer in women at high risk for developing the disease.

Even though Tamoxifen is useful in cancer treatment, it is not applicable to everyone. The following people should not use tamoxifen:

Pregnant women
Women planning to become pregnant
Men or women with a history of blood clots or stroke

If the three points describe you then before considering this treatment mode, you will need to talk to your doctor to see if tamoxifen is right for you. Nevertheless as for women, the side effects of tamoxifen are similar to some of the symptoms of menopause. Two of the most common side effects are hot flashes and vaginal discharge. Other tamoxifen side effects in women may include:

Vaginal dryness or itching
Irregular menstrual periods
Headache
Nausea or vomiting
Skin rash
Fatigue
Fluid retention or weight gain

While some of its side effects are similar to menopausal symptoms, tamoxifen does not trigger or cause menopause in women. It’s (Tamoxifen) side effects in men may include:

Headache
Nausea or vomiting
Skin rash
Sexual side effects including impotence or decrease in sexual interest

While applying endocrine therapy for breast cancer treatment the question that many would be asking would be, “are there some risks involve for those people taking tamoxifen for treatment?” this is a valid concern, doctor Dalal Akoury agrees. In her response she gives a resounding YES. Therefore the following are some of the known risks involved when taking tamoxifen:

Fertility – Tamoxifen may affect fertility, so it is important to use some form of barrier birth control while you are taking it. However, do not use oral contraceptives like the pill since they may change the effects of tamoxifen and affect the breast cancer. Tell your doctor right away if you think you may have become pregnant while taking this medication.
Increased blood clots – Women taking tamoxifen may have a slightly increased risk of developing blood clots in the lungs or large veins. This risk is increased in smokers.
Increased risk of stroke
Uterine cancer/sarcoma – Tamoxifen may increase a woman’s risk of developing uterine cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus) or uterine sarcoma. However, this risk is very small and needs to be balanced against the significant benefits of taking tamoxifen for breast cancer.
Cataracts – Taking tamoxifen appears to put some women at increased risk for developing cataracts, a clouding of the lens inside the eye. People have also reported eye problems such as corneal scarring or retinal changes.
Medications – Tamoxifen may affect the metabolism of other drugs.

Applying Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer Treatment: Tamoxifen and Breast Cancer Prevention

Over the years efforts has been made by different researchers with an objective of establishing whether tamoxifen would reduce the occurrence of breast cancer in healthy women known to be at high risk. The outcome of the trials indicated a 50% reduction in both invasive and non-invasive breast cancer in the women treated with tamoxifen. Besides that, tamoxifen has also been shown to significantly reduce the risk of developing invasive breast cancer in women who have had ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). We may not be able to exhaust everything in this article and I want to introduce you to the expert for further consultation. You can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury for all the concerns you may have about applying endocrine therapy for breast cancer treatment.

Applying Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer Treatment: Not everyone is Eligible for Endocrine Therapy

Sex And Intimacy After Breast Cancer

September 30, 2014

Sex And Intimacy After Breast Cancer- Getting the Facts Right

Although breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among women, advances in research have led to the development of therapies that have proven to be quite effective in treating the disease. Use of chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy, among other alternative forms of cancer treatments, have been widely used to treat women suffering from breast cancer. However, after successfully undergoing cancer treatment, many women experience drastic changes in their sexual lives in general and intimacy in particular. In this article, the different ways in which breast cancer affects the sexual lives of women, after it has been successfully treated, are examined.

breast cancer

Feelings of being unattractive

Usually, many women feel completely unattractive after they have undergone treatment procedures for breast cancer. There are several things that contribute to this feeling among them. First, many of the procedures that are used to treat breast cancer successfully are invasive. For instance, all forms of mastectomy are invasive in that the breast is invaded and tissues removed. Although there are reconstructions procedures that are meant to restore the breast to its natural shape and size, the impact of the procedure affects the sense of being attractive in many women. Secondly, the scars that remain after the procedures make many women to feel completely unattractive.

Furthermore, the majority of women who have undergone treatment for breast cancer tend to feel that they have lost their sense of femininity. Related to feelings of no longer being attractive, a sense of one having lost her femininity is equally devastating and arises from the reality that part or the entire breast has been removed. Also, feelings of unattractiveness in women who have been treated of breast cancer may be influenced by their partners. In cases of women who have lacked support from their partners, the feelings of unattractiveness and loss of femininity are strengthened. On the other hand, availability of support from the partner works to reduce such feelings in the women.

Impact on intimacy

For the majority, diagnosis of breast cancer always results into changes to their sex lives. This happens for several reasons and in several ways. For instance, many women tend to experience a decline in their libido after being diagnosed with breast cancer. There are several factors that are responsible for this. The most important one of them is the direct impact of the diagnosis which sets a train of emotional and psychological responses in a patient leading that lead to a decline of sexual desire in them.

With the reduction in the desire for sex, many women feel that they are failing in their duties to their partners. Feelings of guilt, apparent failure and loss usually exacerbate the condition for such women instead of making things better. In all these, the reaction of the partner matters a lot. If the partner behaves in such a manner to suggest that he is not satisfied sexually by the woman, this definitely makes the situation worse because it validates the original feelings of guilt and failure within the woman. This definitely affects the intimacy patterns of the pair.

Painful sex

In some cases, women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and have successfully undergone treatment tend to experience general sexual dysfunction. This is manifested in different ways. For example, some women, as a result of hormonal changes and other psychological factors, tend to experience a decline in the desire for sex. This may be detrimental considering that the feelings of the other partner are most likely to be hurt. Secondly, many women who have suffered from breast cancer may experience painful sex as a result of dryness of the vagina. This makes it practically difficult for them to engage in pleasurable sexual intercourse with their partners, thus putting a strain on their relationships.

Apart from this, breast cancer has been known to result into failure of women to reach orgasm during sex. What usually happens is that such women are worried about their bodies to such an extent that they fail to concentrate on the intercourse. Besides, some women have reported that their breasts become completely insensitive after treatment for breast cancer. The presence of this condition often means that women are not able to fully enjoy themselves during sexual intercourse since the breast is a highly erogenous part of the body of a woman.

breast cancer

Breast cancer has a number of unpleasant consequences on the sexual and intimate lives of women. From poor self image to overall lack of desire for sex, affected women tend to experience a myriad of problems that arise from the direct effects of the disease (or treatment) as well as their own perceptions about themselves. In all these cases, the perception and behavior of the partners play a major role in shaping how women respond to the challenges that they experience. The way a partner behaves may either strengthen the unpleasant effect of breast cancer on the sexual lives of women or diminish them.

Dr. Dalal Akoury has been working with women who have breast cancer for a long time. It is the desire to provide solutions to such women and other patients in general that led her to establish AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Centre in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Since its establishment, the facility has been a leading center for cancer patients across the world. Our approach to treating cancer seeks to combine conventional treatment methods with different alternative therapies. The result of this approach is your full recovery within the shortest time possible.

Sex And Intimacy After Breast Cancer

Tag Archives: National Breast Cancer Awareness Month