Tag Archives: Inflammatory breast cancer

Integrative Addiction Medicine

Recurrent breast cancers

January 19, 2018

Recurrent breast cancers causes: The remnants of cancer cells

Recurrent breast cancers

Recurrent breast cancers causes will becomes evident when cells that were part of the patient’s original breast cancer break away from the original tumor

Recurrent breast cancers causes will becomes evident when cells that were part of the patient’s original breast cancer break away from the original tumor and hide nearby in the breast or in another part of the body. By and by, these cells multiplies again. All the treatment procedures like chemotherapy, radiation or hormone therapy you underwent during the first breast cancer diagnosis was intended to kill all cancer cells that may have remained after surgery. However, sometimes these treatments aren’t able to kill all of the cancer cells leaving some remnants. This is because there are certain cancer cells which can remain dormant over the years without causing harm. These dormant cells can be triggered gets activated causing them to grow rapidly spreading to other parts of the body. Why this happens, is yet to be established scientifically.

Recurrent breast cancer causes: Risk factors

For breast cancer survivors, factors that increase the risk of a recurrence include:

Lymph node involvement. Finding cancer in nearby lymph nodes at the time of your original diagnosis increases your risk of the cancer coming back. Women with many affected lymph nodes have a higher risk.

Larger tumor size. Women with larger tumors have a greater risk of recurrent breast cancer.

Positive or close tumor margins. During breast cancer surgery, the surgeon removes the cancer along with a small portion of the normal tissue surrounding it. A pathologist then examines the edges of the tissue looking for cancer cells. When the borders are free of cancer from the examination result, then we have a negative margin. However, if there are some cancer cells, it is a positive margin. In this case the risk of breast cancer recurrence is increased.

Lack of radiation treatment following lumpectomy. Most female patients who choose lumpectomy for breast cancer undergo breast radiation therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence. Those who don’t undergo the radiation therapy have an increased risk of local breast cancer recurrence.

Younger age. Women below age 35 at the time of their original breast cancer diagnosis, face a higher risk of recurrent breast cancer.

Inflammatory breast cancer. Women with inflammatory breast cancer have a higher risk of local recurrence.

Cancer cells with certain characteristics. If the breast cancer wasn’t responsive to hormone therapy or treatments directed at the HER2 gene (triple negative breast cancer), you may have an increased risk of breast cancer recurrence.

Recurrent breast cancer causes: Prevention

Treatments that have been linked to a reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence include:

  • Targeted therapy. For women whose cancer makes extra HER2 protein, the drug trastuzumab (Herceptin) can decrease the chance of the cancer recurring.
  • Radiation therapy. Women who’ve had a breast-sparing operation to treat their breast cancer and those who had a large tumor or inflammatory breast cancer have a lower chance of the cancer recurring if they’re treated with radiation therapy.
  • Maintaining a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight may help decrease the risk of recurrent breast cancer.
  • Hormone therapy. Women with hormone receptor positive breast cancer may reduce their risk of recurrent breast cancer by taking hormone therapy after their initial treatment.
  • Regular exercise may reduce your risk of breast cancer recurrence.
  • For women with breast cancer who have an increased risk of cancer recurrence, chemotherapy has been shown to decrease the chance that cancer will recur, and those who receive chemotherapy live longer.

Recurrent breast cancers causes: The remnants of cancer cells

 

 

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Their Health is Your wealth

Inflammatory breast cancer

January 18, 2018

Inflammatory breast cancer cure: Major treatment approach

Inflammatory breast cancer cure

Inflammatory breast cancer cure using various treatment approaches

The best inflammatory breast cancer cure arises from the major treatment approaches beginning with chemotherapy, followed by surgery and radiation therapy. Doctor Dalal Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed health and wellness resource center is going to help us understand the significance of these treatment approach as follows.

Chemotherapy – this uses chemicals to kill cancer cells. The patient is given chemotherapy drugs through a vein (intravenously), in pill form or both. Chemotherapy normally precedes surgery for inflammatory breast cancer through a process known as neoadjuvant therapy. Its aims to shrink the cancer before the surgery. Chemotherapy can also be used after surgery.

Surgery – after a successful chemotherapy, the patient goes through an operation to remove the affected breast (mastectomy). A modified radical mastectomy is used in removing the breast completely and other nearby lymph nodes. The lymph nodes are tested for signs of cancer.

Radiation therapy – this uses high-powered energy beams like X-rays and protons to kill cancer cells. The patient is laid on a table while the radiating machine moves around the patient directing the energy beams to cancer cells. This approach can be applies either before or after both chemotherapy and surgery to kill any remnants of cancer cells in the breast and under the arm. Besides the three, there are other treatments that may be used if tests reveals that they may be beneficial. Like for instance

Inflammatory breast cancer cure: Other treatments approaches

Targeted therapy ­-The therapy kills cancer by focusing on the cancer cells’ vulnerabilities. However, where inflammatory breast cancer has a genetic mutation, medications like trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta) may be administered. These medications target a protein called HER2 that helps some inflammatory breast cancer cells grow and rapidly. When the HER2 are produced in large numbers, these medications will block HER2 killing the cancer cells. These medications can be combined with chemotherapy.

Hormone therapy ­– where the inflammatory breast cancer is penetrating the hormones, hormonal therapy may be recommended. The following are some of the hormone therapy treatments:

  • A medication that blocks hormones from attaching to cancer cells. Tamoxifen is a type of drug called a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). SERMs act by blocking any estrogen present in the body from attaching to the estrogen receptor on the cancer cells, slowing the growth of tumors and killing tumor cells.
  • Medications that stop the body from making estrogen after menopause. Aromatase inhibitors are drugs blocking the action of an enzyme that converts androgens in the body into estrogen. They are effective only in postmenopausal women.

Inflammatory breast cancer cure: Palliative care

Palliative care is specialized medical care that focuses on providing relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness. Palliative care specialists work with the patient and their loved ones alongside their specialist to provide an extra layer of support to complements the ongoing care. Palliative care can be used while undergoing other aggressive treatments like surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. According to the expert opinion of doctor Akoury, palliative care is essential and when implemented together with all the relevant treatments, cancer patients will feel a shy of relief and live longer. As professionals, we want to be part of your healing process. You can call us for more care and professional input.

Inflammatory breast cancer cure: Major treatment approach

 

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Toxic mold your silent killer

Inflammatory breast tumor

January 17, 2018

Inflammatory breast tumor: Blocking the lymphatic vessels

Inflammatory breast tumor

Inflammatory breast tumor symptoms are liken to the orange skin

Inflammatory breast tumor or cancer develops rapidly causing the affected breast to turn red, swollen and tender. It is a rare type of breast cancer in most patients. It will be experienced when cancer cells block the lymphatic vessel on the breast skin thereby causing the said characteristics. This type of cancer is known to be a locally advanced cancer because of its ability of spreading from its original location to the nearby tissues and even to the lymph nodes. According to the experts at AWAREmed health and wellness resource center, this disease (cancer) can easily be mistaken for a breast infection. Breast infections are commonly known for causing the redness and welling of the breast. This is a serious problem, and the moment you notice these signs, it is important that you seek immediate medical attention. Besides these, there are several other signs and symptoms as discussed below.

Inflammatory breast tumor: Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer include:

  • Unfamiliar warmth the affected breast
  • Thickness, heaviness or visible enlargement of one breast
  • Tenderness, pain or aching
  • Rapid and consistent changes in the appearance of one breast, over the course of several weeks
  • The nipple turning inward and flattening
  • Enlarged lymph nodes under the arm, above the collarbone or below the collarbone
  • Discoloration, giving the breast a red, purple, pink or bruised appearance
  • Dimpling or ridges on the skin of the affected breast, similar to an orange skin

In most cases the inflammatory breast cancer unlike other types of cancer, doesn’t form a lump.

Inflammatory breast tumor: When is it appropriate to see a doctor?

Whereas people should go for regular screening, it is important that as soon as you notice these signs and symptoms, you will need to seek an appointment with your doctor right away. Besides these facts, it is worth noting that the other more common conditions have signs and symptoms resembling those of inflammatory breast cancer. A breast injury or breast infection (mastitis) may cause redness, swelling and pain.

And like we had mention before, inflammatory breast cancer can easily be mistaken with a breast infections which are very common. At this stage, treatment may be administered using antibiotics for a week or so, and if the symptoms respond to antibiotics, then additional testing won’t be necessary. However, where the redness does not improve, a more serious cause like inflammatory breast cancer may be investigated by your doctor. Finally doctor Akoury reiterates that, for those who may have been treated for breast infection before, if their symptoms doesn’t improve a mammogram or other test to evaluate such signs and symptoms is highly recommended. But in doing all these, we must appreciate that the best way of determine if such symptoms are caused by inflammatory breast cancer is to do a biopsy to remove a sample of tissue for testing. We appreciate that this disease come with great shock and many suffer more form the shock than even the cancer cells. We would want to help you go through the whole exercise if only you can let us know your struggles.

Inflammatory breast tumor: Blocking the lymphatic vessels

 

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autologous stem cell

Inflammatory breast cancer

January 17, 2018

Inflammatory breast cancer: Blocking the lymphatic vessels

Inflammatory breast cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer causes may not be known, but the risk factors are evident

Like it is with many other cancer, it’s not clear what causes inflammatory breast cancer. Experts across the globe are aware that the genesis of inflammatory breast cancer comes with the formation of an abnormal cell in one of the breast’s ducts. Mutations within the abnormal cell’s DNA facilitates its rapid growth and multiplying into several cells uncontrollably. Scientifically, doctor Akoury MD, President and founder of AWAREmed health and wellness resource center adds that, the numerous abnormal cells penetrate and obstruct the lymphatic vessels in the skin of the breast. The obstruction or blockage in the lymphatic vessels causes red, swollen and dimpled skin which is a classic sign of inflammatory breast cancer.  So what are the risks factors?

Inflammatory breast cancer: Risk factors

Factors that increase the risk of inflammatory breast cancer include:

Being a woman – Women are more vulnerable and are likely to be diagnosed with this type of cancer than men nevertheless, this doesn’t exempt men from develop inflammatory breast cancer.

Black skin – Black women have a higher risk of this disease than do white women.

Being obese – Weight management is important as it reduces the risks. Obese and overweight people have higher risk of contracting this disease compared with those of normal weight.

Inflammatory breast cancer: Diagnosis

Tests and procedures used to diagnose inflammatory breast cancer include:

  • Physical exam – during your regular checkups, your doctor examines the breast to ascertain signs like decolonization of the breast to redness.
  • Imaging tests – the doctor may recommend a breast X-ray (mammogram) or a breast ultrasound primarily to look for signs of cancer in your breast like thickened skin. Additional imaging tests like MRI, may be recommended in certain situations.
  • Removing a sample of tissue for testing – a small sample of the affected area of the breast is removed for testing through a procedure known as biopsy. The tissue is analyzed in a laboratory to look for signs of cancer. A skin biopsy may also be helpful, and this can be done at the same time as a breast biopsy.

Inflammatory breast cancer: Determining the extent of the cancer

To ascertain this, more tests becomes necessary. Knowing the extent of the cancer spreading to the lymph nodes or to other areas of your body is essential for treatment. Such tests may include a CT scan, positron emission tomography (PET) scan and bone scan. Nonetheless, some tests may not be necessary and therefore, your doctor will identify the most relevant for each patient. Finally, it is out of these tests results that your doctor will determine the stage of cancer and with such information, he/she will be able to put you in the right treatment. And whichever treatment your doctor settles on, you will need all the support from your loved ones and friends. A good health facility to make the treatment friendly. In your quest of looking for the right facility, you can talk to us at AWAREmed health and wellness resource center for real time solutions.

Inflammatory breast cancer: Blocking the lymphatic vessels

 

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