For some people, when they hear the word cancer, it is conceivable that a severe illness and lead to death. This opinion can be said is true, if the cancer has spread to parts of the body so it is very difficult to overcome, but cancer is not something impossible to be cured. This can not be separated from the consciousness of the individual in his health due to their early detection of cancer to determine the success of therapy. The earlier detected, the greater the possibility for healing and vice versa.
Breast cancer is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the area (tissue) breast. Breast cancer is divided into several stages of breast cancer in situ, and breast cancer stage I - IV. This classification is based on the level of the spread of cancer cells. The higher the severity stage (spread) of cancer is also higher and more difficult to cure.
Breast cancer is characterized by a lump in the breast, one size bigger breasts, swelling and redness of the skin around the breast area and the rare is the disappearance of the nipple. Symptoms are usually felt a stabbing pain, bone pain and difficulty breathing. By knowing the signs and symptoms are expected by society to be more vigilant so the breasts cancer can be detect early.
Therapy commonly done to overcome breast cancer among others, is through surgery, radiation, cemoterapi and hormone therapy. Operations performed for early stage breast cancer, where there are two types of mastectomy surgery and lumpectomy. The difference, on the appointment of mastectomy performed while the breast lumpectomy only raised the cancer cells only. Radiation done to clean up the remnants of the remaining cancer cells after surgery, while chemotherapy and hormone therapy primarily to end-stage breast cancer where the spread of cancer cells is very broad and difficult to be appointed with the way operations. Chemotherapy and hormone therapy is done by giving single or combination of drugs to patients.
In this paper will discuss more about breast cancer treatment using hormone therapy, especially in end-stage breast cancer (IV) in which cancer cells have spread to other organs in the body especially the bones, stomach, liver or brain, so the removal of cancer cells through road operations difficult or even impossible. The goal of therapy in early-stage breast cancer is to cure breast cancer, but if a patient has reached the final stage (IV) then it's breast cancer is not curable so that the goal of therapy to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life and lengthen life patients. It sounds very pessimistic, but the reality on the ground showed that patients who had reached the final stage is very difficult even incurable. By not reducing the life expectancy of patients, continued therapy is likely to recover although virtually gone.
Estrogen is one of the causes of breast cancer. Sex hormone estrogen is a functioning secondary to form and mature female sex organs (one breast) during puberty. Estrogen triggers cell growth and maturation in the female genital organs called duct cells, duct cells, where it then will divide normally. Maturation times of these duct cells are most vulnerable when the duct cells are exposed to mutation. If there is one cell that has a mutation due to hereditary factors, radiation, free radicals, etc. then these cells can divide so excessive that develop into cancer. From this it can be concluded that estrogen is one factor responsible for the risk of breast cancer, because that was the target of therapy is to prevent the estrogen hormone is the affect / exacerbate existing cancer cells.
In hormone therapy there are several classes of drugs used, among others, are the ones that one of the antiestrogen drug tamoxifen which is also a first-choice drug in breast cancer therapy. Tamoxifen is a prodrug and metabolites, 4-hydroxytaminofen and des-N-methyl-4-hydroxytaminofen (endoxifen) which compete with estrogen for binding to the estrogen receptor. In breast tissue, 4-hydroxytaminofen thus acts as an antagonist of estrogen response gene transcription is inhibited, thus any effects of estrogen can be inhibited. Hormone therapy is generally given solely for the use of the drug combination showed no increase but rather enhance the effects of toxicity.
Tamoxifen has a generic name tamoxifen Citrate and is produced in Indonesia by PT Kalbe Farma Tamofen trade name. Tamofen diindikaskan for palliative treatment of advanced breast cancer in women who have menopause, as well as additional medication after surgery or radiotherapy for early breast cancer that can be operated on women who have menopause, but this Tamofen contraindicated in pregnant women. Tamofen contained in the dosage form film-coated tablet 20 mg x 3 x 10 seeds and film-coated tablet 10 mg x 3 x 10 seeds with the manufacturer's 2 tablets 1-2 times a day and for end-stage breast cancer are used every day. As usual drugs, Tamofen also have side effects include: feeling hot and facial flushing, gastrointestinal disorders, mild leukopenia & thrombocytopenia, vaginal bleeding, itching in the vulva / vagina (female external genitalia), skin rash, hypercalcaemia, suppress menstruation, swelling due to ovarian cysts that are reversible, irregular menstruation cycle, peripheral edema, the food does not taste, depression, dizziness, headache, and ocular changes. Although Tamofen indicated for women who have menopause, Tamofen can also be given to women who had menopause only if due diligence has excluded the possibility of pregnancy.
By taking tamoxifen (Tamofen) regularly every day it is expected that can lengthen a patient's life and reduce symptoms that arise so that the patient did not suffer for the rest of his life by not closing the possibility of the patient can recover from the disease.
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HORMONE THERAPY IN FINAL BREAST CANCER STADIUM
Breastfeeding Healthy for Heart
Breast or breast milk proved to be very beneficial for babies. But in fact for the mother, breastfeeding is also useful lho! For example to nourish the heart.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Universita Pittsburgh, United States. Quoted detikhot from Fox News, Wednesday (29/4/2009), as many as 140 thousand mothers who breastfeed their babies become its object.
In the study proved that breastfeeding can reduce the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular or heart disease after menopause.
Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz of the University of Pittsburgh said that the benefits of breastfeeding on cardiovascular risk is dependent 'dose' of breastfeeding. The longer the duration of breastfeeding, the better the benefits
Women with a history of nursing alive more than 12 months, tend to be more rarely affected by high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease compared with mothers who never breast-feeding.
Schwarz speculated that breastfeeding reduces body fat. Hence, the risk of cardiovascular heart disease or even smaller.
Study: Breast anticancer drug may provoke symptoms of weight
A study from research centers in Seattle recently showed that drugs known to treat many breast cancers may even cause more severe symptoms, according to media reports Wednesday.
"Tamoxifen", which was introduced in 1978, is used to prevent a recurrence of cancer in women who had surgery for their tumor.
However, one recent study showed the drug increased the risk of more aggressive cancer in the healthy breast by more than four times.
"All medications have risks and benefits," said Dr. Christopher Li, a member of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. "If you consider the full balance, make the most of the women, the benefits will far outweigh the risks."
The new study, which assess the possible development of new cancer in the second breast, found that women who use the "tamoxifen" for five years for a possible 60 per cent to the tumor affected not only sensitive to estrogen compared with no use on the second breast, and 40 percent more attacked by a small new tumors in the breast of any kind second.
Some breast cancer experts say they worry that breast cancer patients who heard about the new study may stop using the "tamoxifen", although the main reason for using the drug to prevent cancer is that they have suffered a relapse and spread, which can result in death.
Many other experts agree that the new study is no excuse for breast cancer patients to stop using "tamoxifen". "What we have to remember is` tamoxifen `save lives," says Dr. Victor Vogel, Vice President of National Research on "American Cancer Society".
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6 Step beautify breasts
Many people are willing to pay and not a little risky to get a more beautiful breasts. With silicon for example. And there is way easier and cheaper to get it, without the need for surgery and can be done where and at any time. Want to know how? Follow the following six movements.
Movement 1
1. Both hands holding each other in front of the chest. Left hand holding the arm just below the right elbow. While the right hand is holding the arm just below the left elbow, forming a square.
2. Push the right wrist to the left, and left wrist to right pushed together until the breast muscle was moving.
3. Do 3 × 8 count.
Movement 2
1. Extend both hands forward, bend your elbow with the palm of the hand clenched.
2. Move your hand up and down, inwards, alternately between the left and right, without touching each other, until the breasts felt up and down.
3. Do 3 × 8 count.
Movement 3
1. Extend both hands forward, bend your elbow with the palm of the hand clenched.
2. Raise both hands up to the breast muscle was interested.
3. Do 3 × 8 count.
Movement 4
1. To the top right hand and left hand on her waist.
2. Pull right hand back until the breast was interested.
3. Do 3 × 8 count.
4. Do it on the other hand.
Movement 5
1. Raise your hands up with palms facing up, turn toward the front and back lift both hands up in arms over the breast. So lift the breasts from below.
2. Do 3 × 8 count.
Movement 6
1. Both hands on the side.
2. Pull hands back as far as possible until the breast was lifted.
3. Do 3 × 8 count.
Tips
1. These movements can be performed on standing or sitting position.
2. Every practice, the position of the body in upright and pulled into the stomach.
3. Selingi with rest about 10 minutes.
4. Avoid habits that make breasts look down, like a bow.
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4 Ways to Recognize Breast Cancer
1. Abnormality in a Mammogram
Don't delay or neglect your mammogram! The earliest sign of breast cancer can show up on a mammogram before you see or feel any change in your breast. You can't rely only on your doctor's breast exam or even your own self-exam. You need a mammogram to detect changes that sometimes even your doctor can't see or feel. Sometimes the tumor is so small it can't be felt but it can be found through a mammogram. As the tumor begins to grow, some symptoms will become more noticeable. But the key is to be familiar with your breasts. Do your self-exams regularly and pay attention to the texture, size, feel and appearance of your breasts.
2. Change in Breast Texture
While you might feel uncomfortable getting familiar with your breasts, it's the best way to discover changes in your body. Most doctors' offices have instruction sheets to teach you how to perform a self-check, or you can visit www.y-me.org for more information. It's also important to notice how your body changes around your menstrual cycle. Sometimes your breasts may feel tender or you might notice more lumpiness. These changes are usually cyclical and will come and go with your period.(Pain or tenderness of the breasts associated with your period is generally not a sign of breast cancer. Unusual pain should be reported to your doctor.) Get familiar with how your body changes with your cycle so that you will have a standard for what is normal. A lump, thickening or dimpling of the breast could be a sign of breast cancer and you should see a doctor immediately. A good rule of thumb is that any lump in your breast should not be ignored.
3. Breast Skin Changes
Skin irritation or scaliness on your breasts can be a sign of breast cancer. You may notice unusual itching or swelling around your underarm where you lymph nodes are located. Inverted or distorted nipples also may be a sign of breast cancer. If you notice any of these changes, see a doctor.
4. Nipple Discharge
If you find nipple discharge of any kind call your doctor, especially if the discharge is persistent. For some women, a milky discharge in both breasts is normal and can result from hormone changes or menstruation. The color of this discharge can vary for different women but it usually occurs in both breasts. An unusual discharge usually found in only one breast can be a sign of breast cancer if it presents itself out of the blue without any pressure or squeezing of the nipple. A bloody discharge should be checked out immediately by your doctor.
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Why Do Girls' Breasts Get Bigger?
There are two main factors that influence the growth of breasts: nutrition and genetics. Breast growth happens during puberty. The pubertal hormones produced by the pituitary gland (located in the brain and responsible for producing a variety of hormones), play a critical role. One of the earliest signs that puberty has begun is enlargement of the breasts as a result of increased production of ovarian estrogen stimulated by these pituitary hormones. Boys also often experience breast enlargement during the early stages of their pubertal growth spurt, but their breasts usually shrink in size after one or two years. As long as estrogen continues to be secreted in females, breasts will grow and/or maintain their size. Breasts may also enlarge slightly in women taking birth control pills or, after menopause, estrogen-replacement pills. Naturally, breasts enlarge during pregnancy as a result of marked increase in estrogen secretion. Girls with poor diets and weight loss may notice that their breasts get smaller.
When Should A Girl’s Breasts Start Growing?
Girls often worry when they notice that their friends' breasts are enlarging and theirs are not. It is important to understand that there is a lot of variation in the normal timing of breast growth. For example, it is normal for breasts to start growing as early as nine years of age and it is also normal if they do not begin to grow until 14 years of age. In general, a girl will experience breast growth within one year of the time her mother first noticed her own breasts growing. Timing is even closer among sisters, so it may be very interesting and helpful to discuss this with them. However, since nutrition, exercise and health affect hormone levels, timing breast growth according to family history provides only a rough guess.
Another thing that girls should know about breast growth is that both breasts may develop at different times. This should not be cause for worry because breasts are usually even by the time they're fully grown, which can take a few years.
How Big Should Breasts Be?
We all come in different sizes. Some of us are tall and some short. Similarly, some girls have large, medium or small breasts. Nonetheless, many girls are unhappy because they think their breasts are too small or large. Attitudes about breast size are often influenced by fashions. For example, when it became fashionable to look thin in the 1960s, smaller breasts were desirable. With the arrival of the Wonder Bra, it became fashionable to have larger breasts.
From a health perspective, there is no ideal breast size. Breast size bears no relationship to breast cancer or ability to nurse an infant. There are surgical procedures available to increase or decrease the size of breasts, although these are major operations that should not be entered into without considerable thought and extensive information. Consider padded bras, which are safer alternatives for those who want their breasts to appear larger. Also remember as your breasts continue to grow, especially during puberty and pregnancy, improved nutrition may contribute to increased breast volume.
Can Teenage Girls Get Breast Cancer?
Yes, although it is rare during adolescence. On the other hand, breast lumps are common at this time of life. This apparent contradiction is explained by the fact that teenagers often get cysts or tumors in their breasts that are not cancerous which result from sensitivity to estrogen. Most of the time, these lumps will disappear on their own, but it is always a good idea to have them checked by a doctor.
When a lump is found, doctors will usually wait up to three menstrual cycles before taking any action, as they most likely will disappear. Mammograms, which are x-rays of the breasts, are not generally helpful in teenagers. Teenagers often learn breast self-examination techniques when they visit the gynecologist so this will become a health habit by the time they reach their fifties when their chance of breast cancer increases. Use of birth control pills does not increase the risk of breast cancer during adolescence and, in fact, has been shown to lower the risk of developing noncancerous breast tumors.
Is It Normal For There To Be Discharge Coming Out Of My Breasts?
The nipple is the exit point of numerous tiny ducts that lead from the interior of the breast where glands produce milk. Therefore, the most common discharge occurs when these glands are stimulated, as is true at the time of delivery of a baby. As long as sucking continues, milk will be produced and discharged through the nipple. Interestingly, vigorous rubbing of the nipple can also cause a discharge of milk. If the discharge is bloody or pus-like, it may indicate a rare but serious condition like infection or a tumor. Similarly, absence of menses associated with a nipple discharge may indicate a tumor of the pituitary gland or may result from certain medications. Obviously, a physician should be consulted whenever there is a nipple discharge in order to figure out its cause.
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Breast Anatomy
The breast is a mound of glandular, fatty and fibrous tissue located over the pectoralis muscles of the chest wall and attached to these muscles by fibrous strands (Cooper's ligaments). The breast itself has no muscle tissue, which is why exercises will not build up the breasts. A layer of fat surrounds the breast glands and extends throughout the breast.
This fatty tissue gives the breast a soft consistency and gentle, flowing contour. The actual breast is composed of fat, glands with the capacity for milk production when stimulated by special hormones, blood vessels, milk ducts to transfer the milk from the glands to the nipples and sensory nerves that give feeling to the breast. These nerves extend upward from the muscle layer through the breast and are highly sensitive, especially in the regions of the nipple and areola, which accounts for the sexual responsiveness of some women's breasts.
Because the breast is made up of tissues with different textures, it may not have a smooth surface and often feels lumpy. This irregularity is especially noticeable when a woman is thin and has little breast fat to soften the contours; it becomes less obvious after menopause, when the cyclic changes and endocrine stimulation of the breast have ceased and the glandular tissue softens.
Estrogen supplements after menopause can cause continued lumpiness. The breast glands drain into a collecting system of ducts that go to the base of the nipple. The ducts then extend through the nipple and open on its outer surface. In addition to serving as a channel for milk, these ducts are often the source of breast problems
The ducts end in the nipple, (which projects from the surface of the breast), and are a conduit for the milk secreted by the glands and suckled by a baby during breast-feeding. There is considerable variation in women's nipples.
In some, the nipple is constantly erect; in others, it only becomes erect when stimulated by cold, physical contact or sexual activity. Still other women have inverted nipples.
Surrounding the nipple is a slightly raised circle of pigmented skin called the areola. The nipple and areola contain specialized muscle fibers that make the nipple erect and give the areola its firm texture. The areola also contains Montgomery's glands, which may appear as small, raised lumps on the surface of the areola. These glands lubricate the areola and are not symptoms of an abnormal condition.
Beneath the breast is a large muscle, the pectoralis major, which assists in arm movement; the breast rests on this muscle. Originating on the chest wall, the pectoralis major extends from deep under the breast to attach to the upper arm. It also helps form the axillary fold, created where the arm and chest wall meet. The axilla (armpit) is the depression behind this fold.
Each woman's breasts are shaped differently. Individual breast appearance is influenced by the volume of a woman's breast tissue and fat, her age, a history of previous pregnancies and lactation, her heredity, the quality and elasticity of her breast skin and the influence of hormones.
source:www.ayurvediccure.com
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Breast Health Guide for Teens
Women's breasts come in all shapes and sizes. There is no perfect shape or size for breasts. Normal breasts can be large or small, smooth or lumpy, and light or dark.
Most young women have a lot of questions about their breasts. This guide was created to answer some of the most common questions girls have about breast health.
How do breasts develop?
The inside of your breasts is made up of fatty tissue and many milk-producing glands, called mammary glands. The dark area of your breast around your nipple is called the areola. As your body starts to develop, a small bump grows under the areola and nipple. This bump is called the breast bud. As the buds get larger and rounder, the breasts grow.
As your breasts develop, the areolae get bigger and darker. Areolae and nipples can range in color from light pink to purplish to light gray depending on your skin color.
When will I get breasts?
Your breasts start growing when you begin puberty. Puberty is the name for the time when your body goes through changes and you begin to go from being a child to an adult. During puberty the hormone levels in your body change and this causes your breasts to develop and your menstrual periods to start. Heredity (the way certain characteristics are passed down from generation to generation) and nutrition determine when you are going to begin puberty and develop breasts. Most girls' breasts begin growing when they are about 10 or 11 years old, but some girls may start developing breasts earlier or later than this age.
How long will it take to get breasts?
It takes three to five years from the time your breasts start growing until they reach their full size. The age when you start to develop does not have an effect on the final size of your breasts. For example, if you develop earlier than most girls, this doesn't mean that you will have bigger breasts than most girls.
Is there anything I can do to increase the size of my breasts?
Heredity is the most important factor in determining breast shape and size. No creams, exercises, or clothing will change your breast size. Your breasts may change with weight loss or gain or after a pregnancy, but for the most part the size of your breasts stays the same once you have finished puberty. Also, breast size has no effect on whether a woman will be able to breastfeed her baby.
When and how will my breasts make milk?
Inside a woman's breasts are tiny pockets called alveoli. After a woman gives birth, her body's hormones tell her alveoli to produce milk. When her baby sucks on her nipple, the sucking draws milk from the alveoli through the milk ducts and out small holes in the nipple. When the mother stops breast-feeding her baby, her alveoli slowly stop making milk.
youngwomenshealth.org
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How to Perform a Breast Self-Exam
Beginning in their 20s, women should be told about the benefits and limitations of breast self-exam (BSE). Women should know how their breasts normally look and feel and report any new breast changes to a health professional as soon as they are found. Finding a breast change does not necessarily mean there is a cancer.
A woman can notice changes by being aware of how her breasts normally look and feel and by feeling her breasts for changes (breast awareness), or by choosing to use a step-by-step approach (see below) and using a specific schedule to examine her breasts.
If you choose to do BSE, the information below is a step-by-step approach for the exam. The best time for a woman to examine her breasts is when the breasts are not tender or swollen. Women who examine their breasts should have their technique reviewed during their periodic health exams by their health care professional.
Women with breast implants can do BSE. It may be helpful to have the surgeon help identify the edges of the implant so that you know what you are feeling. There is some thought that the implants push out the breast tissue and may actually make it easier to examine. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding can also choose to examine their breasts regularly.
It is acceptable for women to choose not to do BSE or to do BSE once in a while. Women who choose not to do BSE should still be aware of the normal look and feel of their breasts and report any changes to their doctor right away.
How to examine your breasts
* Lie down and place your right arm behind your head. The exam is done while lying down, not standing up. This is because when lying down the breast tissue spreads evenly over the chest wall and is as thin as possible, making it much easier to feel all the breast tissue.
* Use the finger pads of the 3 middle fingers on your left hand to feel for lumps in the right breast. Use overlapping dime-sized circular motions of the finger pads to feel the breast tissue.
hand self exam
* Use 3 different levels of pressure to feel all the breast tissue. Light pressure is needed to feel the tissue closest to the skin; medium pressure to feel a little deeper; and firm pressure to feel the tissue closest to the chest and ribs. A firm ridge in the lower curve of each breast is normal. If you're not sure how hard to press, talk with your doctor or nurse. Use each pressure level to feel the breast tissue before moving on to the next spot.
* Move around the breast in an up and down pattern starting at an imaginary line drawn straight down your side from the underarm and moving across the breast to the middle of the chest bone (sternum or breastbone). Be sure to check the entire breast area going down until you feel only ribs and up to the neck or collar bone (clavicle).
breast self exam instructions
* There is some evidence to suggest that the up-and-down pattern (sometimes called the vertical pattern) is the most effective pattern for covering the entire breast, without missing any breast tissue.
* Repeat the exam on your left breast, using the finger pads of the right hand.
* While standing in front of a mirror with your hands pressing firmly down on your hips, look at your breasts for any changes of size, shape, contour, or dimpling, or redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin. (The pressing down on the hips position contracts the chest wall muscles and enhances any breast changes.)
* Examine each underarm while sitting up or standing and with your arm only slightly raised so you can easily feel in this area. Raising your arm straight up tightens the tissue in this area and makes it harder to examine.
This procedure for doing breast self exam is different than in previous recommendations. These changes represent an extensive review of the medical literature and input from an expert advisory group. There is evidence that this position (lying down), area felt, pattern of coverage of the breast, and use of different amounts of pressure increase a woman's ability to find abnormal areas.
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Three decades of the world's most spectacular natural curves
The Golden Hills before the Silicone Valley: Three decades of the world's most spectacular natural curves
Some call it the American obsession, but men everywhere recognize the hypnotic allure of a large and shapely breast. In The Big Book of Breasts, Dian Hanson explores the origins of mammary madness through three decades of natural big-breasted nudes. Starting with the World War II Bosom-Mania that spawned Russ Meyer, Howard Hughes's The Outlaw and Frederick's of Hollywood, Dian guides you over, around, and in between the dangerous curves of infamous models including Michelle Angelo, Candy Barr, Virginia Bell, Joan Brinkman, Lorraine Burnett, Lisa De Leeuw, Uschi Digard, Candye Kane, Jennie Lee, Sylvia McFarland, Margaret Middleton, Paula Page, June Palmer, Roberta Pedon, Rosina Revelle, Candy Samples, Tempest Storm, Linda West, June Wilkinson, Julie Wills, and dozens more, including Guinness World Record holder Norma Stitz, possessor of the World`s Largest Natural Breasts.
The 396 pages of this book contain the most beautiful and provocative photos ever created of these iconic women, plus nine original interviews, including the first with Tempest Storm and Uschi Digard in over a decade, and the last with Candy Barr before her untimely death in 2005. In a world where silicone is now the norm, these spectacular real women stand as testament that nature knows best.
About the editor:
Dian Hanson was born in Seattle in 1951. She has been TASCHEN's sexy book editor since 2001. Prior to that she worked for 25 years producing various men's magazines. Her many books for TASCHEN include The Complete Kake Comics, The Big Book of Breasts, and The Big Penis Book. She lives in Los Angeles.
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Breast Cancer Scares Me
Despite the fact that I surely know better far, far better, actually I have to admit that the thought of breast cancer scares me to death.
It turns out I'm not the only woman out there dreading the diagnosis of breast cancer. On the iVillage Breast Cancer Support board, women report that they're "worried to the point of tears," "nervous" about finding a lump, scared about their scheduled lumpectomy. Still other iVillagers have triumphed over breast cancer as you can see in our survivors' photo gallery.
The American Cancer Society reports that the number of women getting routine mammograms has fallen 2%, which means that fewer women are being diagnosed. A recent iVillage Index poll reveals that 63% of respondents answer "yes" to having ever skipped a yearly mammogram. Why are women not getting screened?
When asked in a national poll about the influence of lifestyle choices on preventing heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, breast cancer and depression, the majority of women feels that breast cancer is more the result of "luck of the draw" vs. lifestyle choices that they make.
- Have a clinical breast exam every three years (if you are under the age of 40)
- Get a mammogram every one to two years after age 40 (or possibly sooner or more often if you're at higher risk for developing breast cancer)
I'm no longer the traumatized young teen in the hallway outside my grandmother's hospital room. I'm now a wife, mother, executive, aunt, philanthropist. I've had my own share of health scares.
My kids are the ones who motivate me to get screened. My younger guy asks me periodically if a newscast triggers the thought, "hey mom, did you get the boob-o-gram?"
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Breast taboo
In North America and in many other westernized countries a woman's breasts are a taboo: they are supposed to be hidden. Exposing woman's breasts in public is considered shameful and inappropriate ("indecent exposure") even on beaches or while breastfeeding. In other words, breasts - or at least the nipple - are supposed to be covered at all times.
Parents tend to teach their children the same way, and many times children don't see a single naturally nude breast (apart from their own) while growing up. It is totally possible that a child grows up in North America and never sees a baby breastfeeding!
However, while exposing breasts in public is a 'no-no', children and young people often see breasts (although practically never the nipples) displayed in a sexually provocative fashion on television, on the Internet, and in magazines. Breasts are actually emphasized in the advertisements, which signals to our young people that breasts are a sexual object, and only beautiful when big and protruding.
However, we know that the larger breasts in the media is often just a fallacy, since the models and actors use push-up bras and breast enlargement to artificially enhance the way their breasts look like. Just think: if young girls continually see this propaganda without a balancing view of natural naked breasts, it is no wonder they also start seriously worrying about the size and shape of their own breasts even to the point of suicide!
And women do greatly worry about their breast size as proven by the huge amount of augmentation surgeries: according to American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, in 2006 383,336 women had a breast augmentation.
Most of my knowledge about breasts comes from movies and magazines. But actresses use body doubles to give the illusion of a more "perfect" body, and photographs of models have been airbrushed to remove any "unsightly" bumps or discoloration. ...
Three 14-year-old girls have told me separately that they need breast enlargement surgery, with nothing to base their body hatred on but a stolen copy of Playboy. ...
Allison Roberts at TERA articles page
"I would say most women are not happy [with their breasts]. I took a bunch of slides of women's breasts, as part of a slide show I put together, and every single woman who took off her shirt for me, had something to say, "Like, my breasts used to be great, but now they're saggy." Or, "I bet I've got the smallest breasts you've ever seen."
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Types and differences of breast cancer in men
There are several different types of breast cancer, but nearly all are considered adenocarcinomas because most develop in either the ducts or lobules, both of which are glandular tissue. Some cancers are followed by the words in situ, meaning the cancer is contained to a single area. If the cancer breaks through to the surrounding lobules or ducts, it is called infiltrating or invasive carcinoma. From there, the cancer can spread to blood vessels, lymph nodes and other parts of the breast. If not detected early, it can spread to other parts of the body resulting in a poorer prognosis.The staging of cancer is identical for men and women with breast cancer.
The most common types of breast cancer include:
Ductal carcinomas. Affecting the milk passages (ducts) of the breast. These are the most common breast cancers in both men and women. The two main types are:
Infiltrating (or invasive) ductal carcinoma (IDC). This is by far the most common in men, accounting for 80 to 90 percent of all male breast cancers, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). As the mass grows, it can lead to a dimpling of the breast or the nipple retracting inward.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Also known as intraductal carcinoma or noninvasive ductal carcinoma, DCIS is an uncommon type of breast adenocarcinoma in men. It accounts for about 10 percent of male breast cancers, according the ACS.
Lobular carcinomas. Affecting the milk-producing glands (lobules). These are rarely seen in men since men’s breast tissue has ducts, but few lobules.
Inflammatory breast cancer. This form of the disease that has been diagnosed in men is highly malignant. Inflammatory breast cancer spreads rapidly, producing symptoms of swelling, redness and skin that is warm to the touch in the area of tumor involvement.
Paget's disease. This disease is slow-growing cancer of the areola and nipple. Paget’s disease eventually grows onto the nipple itself. It is sometimes mistaken for eczema as it can create itchiness or a crusty appearance around the nipple. According to the ACS, it accounts for about 1 percent of female breast cancers, but a higher percentage of male breast cancers. Because of the smaller size of the male breast, tumors are more likely to start relatively close to the nipple and/or spread to the nipple.
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