Breast Cancer

Cancer of the breast or breast cancer is a very common form of cancer among women and is the second leading cause of death for women in United States. According to American Cancer Society about 175,000 people are diagnosed with Breast cancer every year, and about 43,300 deaths occur from this cancer.

The human breast is a gland that contains milk ducts, lobes, fatty tissues and network of lymphatic vessels. Cancerous tumors can arise in any part of the breast and mostly detected as lump. The vast majority of breast lumps are not cancerous but it is always advised to get professional examination done. ^[1]

As breast tissues are identical in both males and females, males can also develop breast cancer. However incidences of breast cancer in males are almost 100 times less common than in females, but the survival rate is same in both sexes. ^{[1, 2]}

Types of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is not a single entity, but there are actually different types of diseases. Some types of breast cancers are listed below:

• Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma
• Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS)
• Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma
• Inflammatory Carcinoma
• Intraductal Carcinoma in Situ
• Lobular Carcinoma
• Paget’s Disease of The Nipple ^[1]

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

Risk factors can be defined as anything that affects the chances of getting a disease like cancer. There are many types of risk factors for Breast cancer including:

• Age
• Reproductive history including age at menarche, age at first birth, parity, breastfeeding and age at menopause
• Gender
• Heredity/Personal or family history of breast cancer
• Race and ethnicity
• Exogenous hormones
• Endogenous hormones
• Obesity or Bodyweight
• Physical activity
• Alcohol consumption
• Dietary intake
• Height
• Ionizing radiation
• Socio-economic status
• Mammographic density
• Benign breast disease
• Non-proliferative lesions
• Proliferative lesions without atypia
• Proliferative lesions with atypia
• Exposure to chemicals
• Smoking
• Post-Menopausal Hormone Therapy (PHT) ^[3]

Although it is possible for a woman to get Breast cancer at any age, this caner is most common in women over forty years of age particularly in postmenopausal women. Obesity or excessive bodyweight is also another important risk factor for Breast cancer, especially for women over fifty years of age. Heredity or family history is another factor in Breast cancer. Researchers have estimated that about 5 to 10% of Breast cancers are genetic in nature. ^{[1, 3]}

Incidence and Prevalence of Breast Cancer

Today breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. About 180,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year and about 40,000 women die every year from breast cancer. This month of October is being celebrated as Breast Awareness Month. In the United State, approximately 182,460 new cases of breast cancer are expected to occur during this year, and an estimated 40,480 women will die from breast cancer. Therefore, it is very important for women to know what they can do to improve the quality of their lives and the survival rate. ^[4]

Early Detection of Breast Cancer

It is very important to detect breast cancer in its earliest and most curable stage. Screening process for early breast cancer detection helps doctors to find and treat cancer before it cause any symptom ^[5]. There are following screening test available for breast cancer:

• Screening mammogram
• Clinical breast examination
• Ultrasonography
• Biopsy
• Surgical biopsy
• Tissue evaluation
• Genetic testing
• Breast self-examination

Treatment Options for Breast Cancer

If cancer is diagnosed in its early stage, it can be treated well. Treatment options for breast cancer include:

• Breast-conserving surgery/lumpectomy
• Mastectomy
• Lymph node dissection
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation Therapy
• Hormonal Therapy
• Targeted Therapies
• Complementary & Holistic Medicine ^[6]

Herbal Recommendations

The medicinal benefits of herbs have been known for centuries. In the United States, herbal remedies were used widely until the early 1900s, and today’s renewed interest in herbs reflects increasing concern about the beneficial effects of herbs on body. There are some herbs listed below that have beneficial effects on breast cancer:

• Astragalus Root
• Echinacea
• Bilberry
• Burdock Root
• Ginger
• Green Tea
• Peppermint
• Red Clover
• Black Cohosh
• Chasteberry / Vitex
• Turmeric
• Dandelion Root
• Milk Thistle
• Ginseng
• Soy
• Curcumin
• Genistein
• Garlic
• Ginkgo Biloba
• Licorice Root
• Silymarin ^[1]

Dietary Suggestions

By taking healthy and a balanced diet and making healthy changes in lifestyle can increase your chances of avoiding/over-coming breast cancer. Some of them are listed below:

• Eat a high-fiber diet based on fresh fruit, vegetable, grains, legumes, raw nuts, seeds and soured products.
• Include soy foods in your diet.
• Eat apples, cherries, grapes, plums and all types of berries.
• Eat onion and garlic.
• Include adequate amount of essential fatty acids (EFAs) in your diet.
• Include fresh organic broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, kale, dark leafy greens in your diet in a form of juice.
• Reduce the intake of fatty, charred or grilled foods.
• Drink spring or steam-distilled water.
• Do not consume alcohol, caffeine, junk foods, processed refined foods, saturated fats, salt, sugar or white flour.
• Take extra fiber daily.
• Stop taking iron supplements. ^[1]

Reference:

1. Phyllis A. Balch, CNC & James F. Balch, M.D. (2000). Prescription for Nutritional Healing. (3rd edition) Page No. 221-229. Penguin Putnam INC. New York: Avery.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_cancer
3. http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/breast/riskfactors/
4. http://ezinearticles.com/?Whats-the-Best-Thing-You-Can-Do-If-You-Have-Breast-Cancer?&id=1553414
5. http://www.medicinenet.com/breast_cancer/page4.htm#tocf
6. http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/