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There is important research being done on breast cancer and almost everyday new findings are being revealed. An important piece of information that will directly affect one out of every four women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer is that Herceptin is highly effective in the treatment of breast cancer.

Herceptin is used to boost the benefits of Chemotherapy and surgery, and now experts say that it must be used to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and overall health.

Herceptin is a drug that is highly effective in the treatment of breast cancer in its early stages. It is specifically targeted against certain receptors in the body that aggravate the cancer. Approximately 25% of patients have tumors that are diagnosed as HER2+, this is a receptor in the body called Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2. HER2+ tumors tend to grow and metastasize more rapidly than others. Herceptin is especially effective in the treatment of HER+ tumors. Herceptin usage is seen to reduce the risk of distant recurrence of the disease by almost 50%, which is a phenomenal rate of decrease for cancer risk.

HER2+ breast cancer is very aggressive and therefore it becomes important to find out the HER2 status of your breast cancer. This helps the doctor the treatments that may be right for you.

Each breast cell that is normal actually contains a copy of the HER2 gene, this is something that allows normal cells to grow. The gene is found in the DNA, and it contains the information for producing the HER2 protein.

Also called the HER2 protein, the HER2 receptor, is found also found on the surface of some normal cells. The HER2 proteins send out signals from the outside to the inside of the cell to grow and divide.

In Breast Cancer that is HER2+, the cancer cells have an abnormally high number of HER2 genes in every cell. This extra HER2 protein appears on the surface of cancer cells as well adding to the rapid growth and multiplication of cancer cells. This is the reason why HER2+ breast cancer is usually extremely aggressive.

Women who have been treated with Herceptin during or after chemotherapy and surgery show remarkable improvement. The drug also decreases the chance of developing breast cancer in the other breast. Over a prolonged period of time, the treatment via Herceptin has shown tremendous reductions in the recurrence of breast cancer.

Experts are now of the opinion that Herceptin must be included as standard care for breast cancer treatment unless there is some specific reason not to. Even for those with early stage cancer of the breast, Herceptin is now considered an important treatment.

The breasts holds significant meaning to female sex.

Those woman who got breast cancer easily get emotional and physical trauma because the chance of losing this vital part of the body is very high severerly erodes a woman’s self image. Worldwide statistics shows that breast cancer affects approximately one out of 12 women. Although rare, this most dangerous disease also affects men as well but the percent is low as 1% of all breast cancer cases.

There are many factors that related to the cause of breast cancer such as wearing under-wires bras but the actual causes of breast cancer is still unkown. The common factors that causes breast cancer are listed below.

• The Family History.

Those with family of breast cancer are at high risk to get breast cancer. The risk in increase fourfold is two first degree relatives are affected.

• Use of Oral Contraceptives & Hormone Replacement Therapies.

The prolonged use of birth control pills and hormone replacement therapies (HRT) is linked to heightened risk of breast cancer by 1.2 and 1.3 times respectively. This is because the hormone estrogen is believed to stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells.

• Diet and Obesity

Excessive consumption of saturated fat can increase the risk of getting breast cancer. Obesity has been found to be a breast cancer risk in studies, especially for women after menopause. Although the ovaries produce most of estrogen, fat tissue produces a small amount of estrogen. Having more fat tissue can increase your estrogen levels and increase your likelihood of developing breast cancer.

Other risk factors are nulliparity or not having children, abortion of the first pregnancy, early onset of menstruation (before age 12) and late menopause (after age 55).

Breast cancer is very traumatic for women as it affects them mentally, physically and emotionally. Family support is very vital to see them through the various treatments and later return to normal daily life.

Inflammatory breast cancer, or IBC, is an accelerated type of breast cancer, which usually cannot be detected by ultrasound or mammogram. It is a relatively rare form of cancer, which accounts for about 1 to 3 percent of all cancers of the breast. One of the signs of this type of breast cancer is that the affected breast becomes inflamed and swollen. This occurs because the lymphatic cells that exist under the breast’s skin get blocked by the cancer cells. This results in the lymph flow blockage, which leads to the inflamed redness, also known as mastitis, which characterizes IBC.

The Symptoms of Inflammatory Breast Cancer are:

• Breast pain. Since IBC is often mistaken for an infection of the breast, it is treated with antibiotics. Hence, if the inflammation does not subside after a week, you need to either get a referral to a breast cancer specialist or ask for a breast biopsy.

• Breast becoming red. Inflammatory breast cancer’s most distinctive characteristic is the redness, which can involve either the whole or part of the breast. Sometimes the redness may come and go.

• Warmth of the breast. The redness may also be accompanied by the area becoming warm.

• Changes of skin in the breast area. The redness on the breast, often is also accompanied by the skin getting the thickness and texture of an orange peel, also referred to as peau d’orange.

• A bruise forming on the breast that does not go away.

• Retraction of the nipple or discharge from it.

• Itching sensation of the breast.

• The breast suddenly swelling up.

• The lymph nodes in the neck or under the arm swelling up.

• Around 50 percent of women afflicted with IBC also have a mass or a lump in their breast, but it usually cannot be detected during breast examination because the breast often becomes harder and larger than normal.

These symptoms usually occur very quickly, within a period of mere weeks.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer Diagnosis

As has been explained, the nature of the symptoms of IBC makes it very hard to diagnose accurately. Because of the rarity of the disease, many medical practitioners generally do not come across it. Besides, compared to other forms of breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer has not been studied quite as much. Usually, when the breast gets swollen or red, an infection is commonly the cause; hence doctors diagnose it as such at first. However, infections usually have a cause, for example breast-feeding, and they subside with adequate antibiotic treatment, however, IBC, is not responsive to antibiotics.

Inflammatory breast cancer is diagnosed primarily by conducting a physical examination, although ultrasound, breast MRI, or mammogram may also be used sometimes. A biopsy is usually used to confirm the diagnosis. However, there are cases when a biopsy of IBC comes back clear, although the swelling and the redness worsen. Hence, as is evident, it can be very tricky to get a confirmed and accurate diagnosis.

Possibly no word strikes greater fear in people’s hearts than cancer. So it is important to employ every possible strategy that may prevent you from ever hearing it in connection with your health.

If you are still smoking, you need to stop.

Although it is true that some non-smokers have gotten lung cancer, the majority of people with lung cancer are smokers.

Cure your home if it is sick. Radon is a natural gas that can also cause lung cancer. It enters your home from soil and rock in the surrounding area. The danger is you cannot see or smell it. But you can order test kits to check the levels in your home. If you discover they are high, it is not expensive to clear them out.

Go for the green – tea that is. While all tea has cancer-preventing properties, green tea is the highest in polyphenols that kill several types of cancer cells including breast, liver, colon, lung, pancreas, and skin cancer. And a couple of cups of coffee each day will ward off cancer of the liver.

According to Swedish scientists, coffee is high in the antioxidants that prevent the formation of carcinogens.

Once you’ve had your cup of Java for the day, get moving. Scientific research has proven that exercise protects your immune system. And your immune system is your body’s defense against cancer. In fact, a healthy immune system can destroy a cancer cell without your awareness. Then when you’re thirsty after the exercise, try a glass of grape juice instead of a soda. Purple grape juice has also been proven to improve your immune system’s function.

And when it’s time for dinner, try substituting fish for beef. Frequent consumption of red meat increases your risk of colon cancer, lung cancer and breast cancer due to the high saturated fat content. Fish, on the other hand, is high in omega-3 fats that are beneficial to your health and since they are difficult to find, it is common for people to be deficient in omega-3 fats. Be sure to make your meal colorful. Your diet should include a variety of fruits and vegetables of all colors. Each fruit or vegetable has different anti-oxidants and together they all offer you protection from cancer.

Take the right supplements. Calcium and Vitamin D offer protections from the risk of developing breast cancer and also are important in preventing other diseases. Most people do not get the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D, especially those who live in winter climates, so a supplement is important. Of course, individuals should always check with their health care provider before adding any supplement to their diet.

Choose the right spices. Add a little garlic to your diet. Garlic contains sulfur compounds that have been found to prevent rapid cell division, a process that cancer cells need in order to spread. Add the garlic to tomato sauce and become a tomato lover. Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that has been proved to reduce the risk of colon, lung and breast cancer. Lycopene destroys free radicals before they can effect the cellular changes that lead to cancer. And processed products are as effective as the fresh vegetable.

You can get the same benefit from ketchup, tomato sauce, tomato paste and cooked tomatoes.

Treating the root cause or causes of breast cancer is far more important than treating the obvious immediate symptoms. Treating only symptoms, which is the cancer growth will simply cover up the real underlying problem and will cause the problem to return or to spread to another area. A genuine cure will look for the reasons why the cancer first appeared and address those reasons and that will allow the body to permanently heal.

The words breast cancer scares people and someone newly diagnosed with the disease will blindly follow authority without stopping and applying a bit of common sense. What they need is information on the subject so they can make informed decisions on their best treatment options based on knowledge. There are many facts that are known about breast cancer but you are seldom told.

Breast cancer doesn’t just happen; it is the result of something you did, so it makes sense that it can be corrected also. To successfully overcome a diagnosis of breast cancer it is much more important to look for the reasons why it occurred in the first place and address those reasons. When you remove the factors that caused the problem the body through the immune system has a natural tendency to heal itself and will remove the cancer without it spreading or returning.

Our bodies are continuing trying to heal themselves and that is with the aid of our built in repair system which is the immune system. Right through life our immune system keeps us healthy as it repairs cuts and bruises, broken bones, infections, diseases and also cancer. But it needs a little help and only you can do that and that is by eating the food that’s been designed for human consumption and removing the everyday food items that have contributed to the problem.

Breast cancer is simply a disease of a weak immune system, that’s been weakened by the way we now live, especially with our wrong food choices. These are foods that use refined flour and sugar, also the consumption of too much animal fat, salt, caffeine, and alcohol. Lifestyle factors may include constant worry, anger, fear, frustration. Also the chemicals that affect us and they are chlorine, fluoride, pesticides, smoking, and all drugs. All these factors contribute to breast cancer.

There are only natural ways to strengthen the immune system and that is to eat freshly grown fruit and vegetables everyday, most of which have cancer fighting properties, make sure you get adequate rest and sleep, fresh air, sunshine, exercise and lastly a positive attitude towards life which is very important.

Breast cancer is an entirely curable disease but a person must take central responsibility for his or her own health and have an active involvement in the healing process. A change in the way you live is essential, especially with the food you eat because all those factors are the causes of breast cancer today.

Alan Wighton is an independent health researcher, having spent many years specialising in cancer. For further information on more effective ways to overcome breast cancer using the powerful natural healing ability of the human body; please visit Alternative Cancer Treatment