Cancer

Today’s woman is more knowledgeable and conscientious than ever about the risks of breast cancer.  This is especially true for women over 40 years of age, who have crossed the threshold of increased risk of breast cancer.

Age is so important to the development of breast cancer that about 76% of women who develop it have no other risk factors other than age.  However, all women, regardless of age or race, need to acknowledge the risk of developing it.  All women are at risk.

<b>Risk Factors</b>

Women who have never smoked a day in their entire lives can develop breast cancer.  Women who have been always been health conscious can also develop it.  In fact, nearly one woman out of eleven will experience breast cancer.  A staggering statistic by anybody’s standards!

An estimated 211,000 new cases of breast cancer was diagnosed this past year.  Even with the increased awareness programs, early detection through annual mammography screening and instruction for self-examination, breast cancer remains a leading cause of death for women.

Breast cancer, like other forms of cancer, is a disease of the cells.  In all, there are about fifteen different types of breast cancer.  Some are more serious than others, but the one common factor each shares is that neither the cause nor the cure has been found.

<b>There are four recognized developmental stages of breast cancer:</b>

(1.) State 0: Cancer cells are present in either the lining of the milk glands (lobules), or in the tubes (ducts) that link the milk glands to the nipple.  No cancer cells have spread to the nearby fatty tissue.
(2.) Stage 1: Cancer has spread to nearby fatty tissue in the breast.  Tumor size is about 1” or under; no cancer cells are present in surrounding lymph nodes.
(3.) Stage 2: Size of tumor is 1” to 2” in diameter; cancer cells may have also spread to nearby lymph nodes.
(4.) Stage 3: Cancer is locally advanced.  Tumors are approximately 2” or larger in diameter, or tumors of any size have spread to lymph nodes under the arm or in the chest (above or below the collarbone).
(5.) Stage 4: Metastatic, advanced breast cancer.  The cancer has spread from the breast and lymph nodes to other parts of the body.

Early detection of breast cancer remains a woman’s best chance of survival, and women of all ages should take advantage of all the resources available.

<b>Every woman should:</b>

1.) Become educated about the risk factors associated with breast cancer.
2.) Become knowledgeable about the types, stages, and symptoms of breast cancer.
3.) Learn the correct procedure for self-examination tests, and perform them routinely.

Long-term use of oral contraceptives, early menstruation, late first full-term pregnancy, exposure to high doses of radiation – puberty through childbearing years, and inherited genetic mutation can all increase a woman’s risk of acquiring breast cancer.

<b>Women 40 years of age and older should also:</b>

1.) Have an annual mammography screening.
2.) Become educated about increased age-related risks associated with breast cancer.

Recent studies confirm that risk of breast cancer in midlife increases with regular consumption of alcohol, hormone replacement therapy, weight, and body mass distribution.

During self-examination, look for a lump or thickening in the breast, a discharge from the nipple, scaliness on the skin or around the nipple, a change in shape, color, or texture, and dimpling or puckering.

If you detect a lump, don’t panic.  About 85-percent of all lumps turn out to be nonmalignant.  Make an appointment with your doctor for a more thorough examination, and tests.

Treatment for breast cancer today is often less radical than in years past, and chances for survival much better when the tumor is discovered early.

Chemotherapy is a word that strikes fear into most of our hearts.  We've seen the movies and heard such horrible stories about undergoing this difficult treatment for a disease that could very well kill us.  I underwent chemo for breast cancer and know that, in some cases, the cancer isn't hard … it isn't painful … it doesn't make us sick.  That's the case for most of us who have breast cancer, but don't have distant metastases.  But then, they say we need to do chemo and we know we'll feel that.

Although chemo drugs haven't changed that much, and they're still terribly hard on our bodies, the management drugs have changed a lot.  Chemotherapy, for many of us, isn't the show-stopper we thought it would be.  Of course, each of us is different and the chemo drugs affect each of us in different ways, but, for the most part, chemo is definitely doable.  

My breast cancer was Stage IIIa, with a 5.8 cm tumor, 8 of 10 lymph nodes positive, and I was only 39 years old.  That bought me a ticket for the chemo ride.  And I was scared out of my wits.  But, I found an online breast cancer support group, at WebMD, and those women told me everything to expect and more.  I went through four rounds of adriamycin and cytoxan.  Both of them are some pretty stout breast cancer chemo drugs.  After that, I did a controversial treatment that involved extremely high doses of cytoxan, taxol, and cisplatin, so I learned quite a bit about surviving chemotherapy.

First of all, I would highly recommend getting a port.  This is a line that goes into a vein in your chest, the entrance to which sits just under your skin, right below your collarbone.  It requires a quick surgery to put it in but, if you're having a mastectomy for your breast cancer, you can get the chemo port put in at the same time.  If you choose not to do that, you'll have to get your chemo treatments through your veins and chemo is really hard on your veins.  This means that you will, most likely, have to endure multiple attempts for them to find a vein, as time goes by.  With the port, it's already in a vein, so all they have to do is stick the needle into the port to access it.  If you find this uncomfortable, there is a cream they can give you called Emla cream.  One of the first things I learned was to tell them the moment I was uncomfortable.  It's all fixable.  You'll put the Emla cream on a bit before you have to have your port accessed and it'll numb your skin.

Most breast cancer chemotherapy drugs will cause your hair to fall out.  This is because chemo kills the rapidly dividing cells in your body.  Your mucous areas and hair follicles are affected for this reason.  That's why you may have nausea or develop mouth or throat sores.  Again, all this sounds scary, but is totally manageable.  Since you will probably be losing your hair, which can be quite traumatic, I would advise going wig or hat shopping before you even get your first chemo.  Take a girlfriend with you and be adventurous.  Try on different styles, and even colors.  If you've always wanted to be a blonde, now's your chance!  Make a day of it and have fun with it.  Goodness knows, you have to look for that silver lining every chance you get.  Also, make sure to have your nausea med prescription filled before you go so you'll have it waiting for you if you need it at home.  You may be pretty tired, afterward, so don't wait till then to get those meds.

On your first chemo day, they will probably give you some steroids, intravenously or through your port, to help with the nausea.  This may make you hungry; it sure did for me!  But, I would recommend you don't eat your favorite food on chemo day.  Chemo is manageable, but after you're all done, you may find that you have associations.  For example, I used to love the cucumber melon fragrance when I was going through chemo.  I had cucumber melon everything!  But, to this day, the smell of cucumber melon makes my stomach do a little somersault because it reminds me of such an unpleasant time in my life.  The same can happen with food.  I still can't look a chicken burrito in the eye!  But, I'm sure glad I didn't eat a taco because I would've hated for that to be ruined for me!

Many breast cancer chemo drugs are hard on your bladder, so be sure to drink, drink, drink.  If you don't feel like drinking water, then broth, jello, or even popsicles will help.  Since you've gotten your nausea meds all filled in advance, be sure to take them as prescribed, whether you think you need them or not.  Chemo nausea isn't just any kind of nausea and it's much easier to stay ahead of it than to try to fix it once it occurs.  If you do happen to get nauseated, and I can't stress this enough, call your doctor!!!  There are many, many nausea meds and you do not have to feel sick just because you're doing chemo.  Once they find the right drug for you, it will be so much easier.  So, do not suffer this in silence!  The same applies for if you get sores in your mouth or throat.

You will be tired from this treatment.  Most of us get more tired as the treatments progress because they make our white blood cell counts drop really low.  Because of this, it's a good idea to keep some Purell, or something similar, with you all the time for use when you've had to touch, for example, public restroom door handles.  Your risk of infection will be much higher during this time.

If you lose your hair, it will typically happen in 10-14 days after your first chemo treatment.  If you have long hair, you might want to cut it short in preparation.  I know I felt so out of control of everything, during that time.  When your hair comes out, it lets go quickly and in large clumps, getting all over your pillow and clogging your drain.  For many women, that is more traumatic than even losing a breast.  So, I figured that was the one thing I could control about this whole breast cancer thing … when my hair came out.  I cut it really short, beforehand and, when it started to let go, I had my husband get the clippers and shave my head.  My daughter helped and we did a little Mohawk and stripe action first!

That was my way of shaking my fist at this cancer … it might take my breasts, and it might take my hair for a while, but I beat it to the punch!  It was my way of saying, "You cannot take my spirit!"  You can do the same thing.  Your breast cancer does not define you.  It is but a speed bump in the course of your life.  Strap on your gloves and step into the ring.  This chemo is your biggest punch.  Your spirit is your own and that breast cancer can't touch it!

There was a time when Breast Cancer was termed to be as a dreaded disease. But things have changed now. If detected earlier, this could be easily treated. Removal of your breast during the treatment of breast cancer can be one of the painful things you would have to go through. It may not be the same case for all patients. With the increasing knowledge about the cures and treatment breast cancer can be treated very easily.

Breast cancer occurs when cell in our breasts known as tumor grow out of control causing damage to the nearby tissues and spreads throughout. These tumors which are cancerous are known as malignant tumors and cause lot of damage to your body. As it takes lot of time for a tumor to grow, it may not be easy to detect the tumor during self exam. But these can be detected with mammograms.

Breast cancers best treatment - early detection. Once, cancer is detected it becomes easier for the doctors and yourself to fight it out. By the age of 20 all women should start doing Breast Self Examination (BSE) it is one of most easiest and earliest ways of detecting cancer. These check ups should be done few days after your periods. You should do this check up at least once a month. A clinical breast exam should be done at least once a year.

Some of the signs to look for, while doing BSE

-A lump found in and around the nipple or underarm
-Change in size or shape
-Nipple discharge or nipple turning inward
-Redness of skin or warmth
-Formation of dimple or change in skin texture

Some of the causes of having breast cancer

Gender: Being a woman is one of the common reasons for suffering from breast cancer. Event though men suffer from this disease too, just being a woman puts you in lot of danger.

Age: As you grow older your chances of having breast cancer increases.

Family history: If somebody in the family has suffered from breast cancer your chances of having breast cancer increases.

Being overweight or obese: If you are an overweight women your chances of breast cancer increases after menopause.

Lack of exercise: Being lethargic and lack of any physical activity leads you towards increasing weight and chances of breast cancer

Alcohol: Drinking alcohol becomes very risky as it increases your chances of breast cancer

Methods to Prevent Breast Cancer

-Turn into a vegetarian
-Have plenty of organic food and vegetables
-Avoid red meat and any processed foods
-Avoid alcohol and colas
-You can have something sweet by having Stevia, an herb which is a substitute to any other toxic artificial sweetener
-Having whole grains is very good such as Oatmeal, Kamut and Psyllium, which are a good source of fiber and enters directly into your bloodstream
-Your diet must include wheat, bran and Cabbage as they are very nutritious food which helps to prevent breast cancer
-Garlic, Ginger, carrots, celery, cilantro, parsley and parsnip has some of the highest cancer fighting nutrients. Include them in your daily diet.

Most underarm antiperspirants contain as the active ingredient, Aluminium Chlorohydrate, as you will probably remember there has been controversy about Aluminium, since the 1950's when it was a popular metal used for making cooking pots, Saucepans and Fry Pans and that it could be one of the contributing factors to Alzheimer's, now we have another problem that could also be related to Aluminium, Breast Cancer.

Research shows that one of the leading causes of Breast Cancer could be the use of antiperspirants. The human body has a number of areas, that it uses to purge Toxins from the body, these are, behind the knees, behind the ears, the groin area, and the armpits. The toxins are purged from the body in the form of perspiration and antiperspirant as the name clearly suggests prevents you from perspiring, thereby inhibiting the body from purging Toxins from the armpit area.

These Toxin do not just disappear, Instead, the body deposits them in the Lymph Nodes below the arms, since it is unable to sweat them out. A concentration of Toxins then builds up in the areas such as the armpits, which can then lead to cell mutations, which is cancer.

It cannot be ignored, that nearly all Breast Cancer Tumors occur in the upper outer quadrant of the breast area, this is where the Lymph Nodes are located. Men are less likely (but not totally exempt) to develop breast cancer prompted by the use of antiperspirants, because the antiperspirant is more likely to be caught in the armpit hair, rather than directly applied to the skin, but ladies, who shave their armpits, increase the risk by causing imperceptable nicks in the skin, which allow the chemicals to enter easily into the body through the armpits.

This article is aimed mainly at ladies, but please be aware that there are a few antiperspirants on the market that are made from natural products, but basically they would still trap the Toxins in the same areas. The best solution is to use deodorants, rather than antiperspirants, also please remember that the Eight Essential Sugars in Glyconutrients can also help to fight off Toxins.

There is a lot of controversy about this article, the medical profession scoff at the idea, and so do big business, but then again there are huge numbers of people that scoff at the problems associated with Fluoride in drinking water. You can make up your own mind on whether there is someting in this article or not, I know that if I was a lady, I would keep clear of Antiperspirants. I realise that Doctors everywhere, do a marvelous job, and they are appreciated, but they are reluctant to look at the bigger picture, also please remember that the fourth largest killer of people in the western world is prescription drugs.

According to health-disease.com the five-year relative survival rate for patients whose cancer is detected whereas still in the general and regional stages is 100%.

Prostate cancer is among the foremost causes of cancer deaths in the male population in the US. The most important dilemma is that the cancer cells in prostate cancer, scarcely answer to radiotherapy or to chemotherapy.
It's newly discovered that virus can help the cancer prostate treatment.

The studies establish that just about 40% out of 20 cancerous prostates detached from patients with certain genetic mutation had the virus. But it possibly will take up till five years to settle on if the virus really causes the cancer.

The virus is strongly associated to one until that time only found in mice. Researchers are not confident how the virus infects people, but mistrust turns to the fact that it may have been conceded on hereditarily for thousand of years.

Also a new study establish that the curry spice Turmeric or curcumin as it is called, when shared with other substances as watercress, winter cress, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, kohlrabi and turnips radically retards the development of cancer tumor in mice.

The most excellent prostate cancer treatment today includes:
" Radiation
" Chemotherapy
" Observant waiting (Observation)
" Hormonal therapy
" Surgical procedure

These options are not listed in any exacting order. The option selected for your best prostate cancer treatment will depend on relatively a lot of factors, together with your age, the segment of your illness and the commendation of your medical doctor.

Cancer of the prostate is typically a slow progressing cancer and symptoms often do not arise for many years. If the cancer is caught at an early stage, there might be no noticeable symptoms.  Some men, however, will experience symptoms that could indicate the presence of prostate cancer. These might include:

• A need for frequent urination, particularly at night
• Difficulty starting urination
• Weak or interrupted urine flow
• Pain or a burning sensation during urination
• Difficulty in obtaining an erection
• Pain during ejaculation
• Blood in the urine or in semen
• Recurring pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs

Sometimes the first symptoms will be lower back, hip or pelvic pain caused by cancer which has already spread.

It is important to be aware that the symptoms of both benign enlargement of the prostate gland (i.e. non-cancerous) and malignant tumours (cancer) are similar and might include any of the following symptoms:

• Difficulty starting urination
• Frequent urination, particularly at night
• Pain during urination
• Blood in the urine

Also, men over 50 years of age often have an enlarged prostate gland due to the non-cancerous condition of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or hypertrophy.

Therefore if you notice any of the above symptoms it is important that you see your doctor and have them investigated. But note that most enlargements of the prostate are not due to cancer and can regularly be dealt with quite effectively.

EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF PROSTATE CANCER

Prostate cancer can often be discovered at an early stage by testing the amount of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. Prostate cancer can also be detected early by your doctor performing a digital rectal examination (DRE). Since the prostate gland is situated close to the rectum, a doctor can physically detect if there are any cancerous signs in your prostate.

Unfortunately the PSA and DRE tests are not totally accurate and conclusive. This can lead to anxiety and confusion, or even to a false sense of security. So important things to consider are your age, your general health and your lifestyle. If you are young and develop prostate cancer, if not caught early enough, it could shorten your life. If however you are older or in poor health, then prostate cancer might never become a serious problem due to its slow-growing nature.

The American Cancer Society recommends that men commence having the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal examination (DRE) annually from the age of 50. Those at higher risk, such as African Americans and those with close relatives who developed prostate cancer at an early age are recommended to commence testing at 45.

The prognosis for prostate cancer sufferers has improved dramatically in recent years. In the past twenty years the overall survival rate for all stages of prostate cancer has increased from 67% to 97%. Thus more men are living significantly longer after diagnosis. In all likelihood this is due to early detection programs, increased public awareness, particularly of prostate cancer symptoms, and the adoption of healthier lifestyles.

Your team of doctors will make treatment recommendations based on the stage of your cancer. Your standard treatment options may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy. If you have been diagnosed with DCIS or LCIS, your stage is the lowest and the road you will travel will be easier. For DCIS, your options may include breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy with or without radiation and hormone therapy.

LCIS treatments options are a bit different. They include observation to determine changes, hormone therapy to prevent cancer from developing, or bilateral prophylactic (preventive) mastectomies.

Things get more complicated when your cancer spreads beyond the ducts or lobes/lobules. Once your cancer has been staged, you can visit www.cancer.gov to determine your treatment options. They will typically include: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and/or hormone therapy. For IBC, treatment options are similar to the other types of breast cancer, but they will always include chemotherapy because of its aggressiveness.

• Surgery: Breast surgery can be either a lumpectomy, where the tumor is removed, or a partial or modified radical mastectomy. With a lumpectomy, it is typically followed by radiation. This way, you get to keep your breast and studies have shown no difference in survival rates between lumpectomy/radiation and mastectomy.

Note: Not too long ago, they used to perform radical mastectomies where the breast, all the lymph nodes, and the underlying muscle were cut away. Thankfully, medicine has discovered that's not necessary. Now, a partial or modified radical mastectomy is performed, where either part of the breast tissue, or the entire breast, and possibly a portion of the lymph nodes, are removed. On the whole, a mastectomy isn't too bad a surgery, although everyone is different. I found both of mine to be quite easy, but you will wake up with drain tubes, which you’ll typically have for at least a week.

• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is defined by Wikipedia as “the use of chemical substances to treat disease. In its modern-day use, it refers primarily to cytotoxic drugs used to treat cancer.” This can be a frightening prospect for anyone. We've all heard horror stories about how very debilitating chemotherapy can be. However, much progress has been made in the management of chemo's side effects, to the point that, once you have the right management tools, you can continue to enjoy the activities you typically do. Chemo is a means of treating your cancer systemically and is typically recommended for those whose tumor is larger than a certain size and/or the cancer has spread to your lymph nodes. The thinking is that if your cancer has had the opportunity to access the rest of your body, your treatment should be systemic as well.

• Radiation: Radiation therapy is typically a localized treatment option, where rapidly dividing cells are damaged. Cancer cells are very rapid dividers, so radiation is an effective option. Typically, radiation therapy is given for about six weeks, five days a week. It's very much like lying still for an x-ray, only instead of lasting a second or two, it lasts a couple of minutes. It can cause fatigue, toward the end and slightly after, and can cause a sunburn effect on your skin.


• Hormone Therapy: Many breast cancers are hormone-dependent. In these cancers, there are receptors on the tumor that can be filled with estrogen. The thinking is that when estrogen fills these receptors, it causes the tumor to grow. This is called estrogen-receptor positive (ER). These cancers respond well to hormone therapy and the hormone therapy drug that will be recommended for you will depend on your menopausal status. These drugs are in pill form and you take them once a day. The most popular of these drugs, for pre-menopausal women, is Tamoxifen and, for post-menopausal women Femara or Arimidex.  There is new evidence that suggests that taking Femara, after taking Tamoxifen for five years, increases survival rates.

• Immunotherapy: There is a fourth modality of treatment on the horizon and it's called Immunotherapy. This involves getting your immune system to fight your cancer and there is, and will be, a lot of research being done in this area.

As women, especially American women, much of our femininity is centered on our breasts.  No matter where you look, there are pictures, billboards, commercials, television shows, and movies with women with these beautiful breasts and ample cleavage.  The thought of losing one or both breasts, to breast cancer, can be devastating for many of us.  Sure, there's reconstruction, but will it ever really look the same again?  Even if you have reconstruction, you'll never have sensation there again and, for many of us, that definitely affects our sexuality.

I went through two separate mastectomies, for my breast cancer, despite the fact that I wanted them both done at the same time.  Two different surgeons told me that wasn't necessary.  They found out, later, that it was, as I had the same breast cancer in both breasts.  Through these surgeries, I learned a few things about what to expect, and how to get up and running again, after a mastectomy for breast cancer.

The first thing to realize is that, apart from the emotional aspect of such an operation, this is a simple surgery.  The breast is composed, mostly, of fatty tissue and, of course, milk ducts and lobes.  The removal of this breast tissue is way easier than operating on an organ, but carries much more emotional impact for most of us.  Most surgeons will get as much of the breast tissue out as they can to help alleviate the chance of a recurrence of your breast cancer.  You will typically wind up with a horizontal scar about four inches long.  The scar may be red for quite a while but, ultimately, should fade to where you can hardly see it anymore.

You want to be sure to take loose-fitting, button-down shirts (raiding your hubby's closet is helpful) with you, to the hospital, as you won't be able to raise your arms over your head for a while.  You will also need a sports bra and I would highly recommend one that fastens in the front.  They will put that on you after your surgery.  Typically, you should be able to stay in the hospital for one night.  If you're going to have lymph nodes removed, a small pillow, to slip under that arm, will help make you more comfortable.  Check with your local American Cancer Society as they may have small pillows for you.  An extra pillow to hold to your chest, if you need to cough, sneeze, or laugh, can help keep your incision from hurting.

When you wake up, you will have a couple of drain tubes for each side you have done.  These tubes are important as they allow the excess fluid, which your body will produce, to drain out.  If you didn't have them, the fluid would have to be aspirated with a needle.  The drains, even though they're no fun, are better than that.  These drains will have to be emptied a couple of times a day and you will have to write down how much fluid you drain so the doctor will know when you've slowed down enough to remove them.  You may not know where to put these drains under your clothing.  I pinned mine up to the sports bra and that way, they didn't pull when I moved.

When you get home, plan on having someone there to help you for the first few days.  You won't be allowed to reach into your cabinets and definitely won't be able to clean house or pick up your children, if you have little ones.  You'll be sent home with pain meds and definitely take them if you need them.  Studies show that you will heal faster if you keep yourself out of pain, so don't be afraid to take them as prescribed.

If you have a recliner, you might consider moving it into the bedroom as you won't be able to lie flat for a while.  You'll need to sleep in a partial sitting position.  If you don't have one, or don't have space for it in your bedroom, lots of pillows will work, too.  That's what I used.  Just be sure you have enough pillows to keep yourself comfortable propped up.

If you would like someone who's been there before you to visit with, be sure to call your local American Cancer Society and ask for a Reach 2 Recovery volunteer.  This is an American Cancer Society program where they try to match you with one of their volunteers who have as similar experience as you're facing.  This woman will come visit you and will bring you all sorts of brochures and information on conventional treatment.  She will also bring you a list of exercises you can start to do to regain your mobility and range of motion.

This is VERY important.  It hurts to stretch your arm up, after surgery, but if you haven't had reconstruction, and you don't start soon, you will lose that range of motion.  I would recommend starting to gently, slowly reach your arm up … let your body be your guide … the day after your surgery.  This is ONLY if you have not had reconstruction.  If you have, let your plastic surgeon tell you when to start stretching.  Push to where it hurts just a little, but do not push too far past that.  Little by little, you'll find yourself able to stretch a little farther every couple of days.

Most of all, allow yourself to heal emotionally, as well as physically.  Some of us just can't look at that incision right away.  That's OK.  Take as much time as you need.  I know I felt like some kind of freak with no breasts and, even six years later, I still do sometimes.  But remind yourself that these scars are your battle scars.  They do not make you less of a woman.  They make you a warrior.

If young women take certain simple steps when they are adolescents, they may reduce risk of breast cancer later in life. A research suggests that puberty could be a crucial time for development of breast cancer.

Regular exercise is believed to delay the beginning of a girl's first menstrual period. That is when the body creates hormones that stimulate the majority of breast cancers. According to a study, just 4 hours of weekly exercise can postpone hormone surges for up to 12 months.

Four hours a week is not a large amount of activity for a girl. She can play dodge ball, play on the playground or ride her bike. Because exercise can lower hormone activity, it can reduce risk of breast cancer, even after a girl starts having periods.

One more way is cutting back on fat. Girl who cut her fat intake by only 6 percent lowered her estrogen and progesterone levels by at least 30 percent, according to a study. These theories are not really well tested and need more research.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, other than skin cancer. In the United States approximately 183,000 new cases are diagnosed and about 41,000 women die each year from cancer originating in the breast.

In the battle against breast cancer, patients are increasingly prescribed oral medications, such as hormonal therapy, to limit the risk of disease recurrence. Research has indicated that patients should stay on these drugs for five years to gain maximum benefits.

But recently, the healthcare community has started to ask a question once limited to managing common colds, not cancer: Do breast cancer patients take their medications as prescribed?

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 200,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year in the U.S. Of those, approximately 100,000 have cancer types that are likely to respond to hormonal therapy. Taking the therapy as prescribed for the full five years can reduce their risk of recurrence.

Easier Said than Done

Based on findings from a recent symposium on medication adherence among breast cancer patients, candidates for hormonal therapy-some 500,000 women in the U.S.-may not be reaping the full benefits of their drug regimens. According to some research studies, non-compliance rates have reached as high as 40 percent.

The Symposium, called the Compliance Strategic Initiative (CSI), addressed issues that lead to medication non-compliance among breast cancer patients, and it identified possible solutions to these issues. Representatives from leading patient advocacy organizations and professional healthcare associations, as well as oncology experts and survivors from across the nation, gathered to share their perspectives. The CSI was led by a Steering Committee which included representatives from the American Cancer Society, CancerCare, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP), and Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization.

"Through research, we know that five years of adjuvant hormonal therapy in women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer prolongs survival and reduces recurrence," said D. Lawrence Wickerham, MD, associate chairman of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project. "And yet, studies also show that not all patients stay on hormonal therapy as prescribed. It is important that healthcare providers understand why women make that decision, so we can address the issue with the information, resources and support needed to help them through this part of their treatment."

Based on results of the meeting, participants gained a better understanding of the factors that contributed to non-compliance. Among those factors: patients often do not feel empowered to talk with their doctors about tough issues, such as side effects; doctors and other healthcare professionals aren't equipped with resources to assist patients in coping with or eliminating side effects; and after their acute phase of treatment, women may often feel they are left to manage therapy on their own. Physicians are under increasing pressures of time and performance and may not always have the skill set to listen well to their patients, or, simply not realize their patients may not be taking their medication. These factors combine to create communication gaps through which compliance issues can fall.

In conclusion, breast oncology advocates and experts who attended the symposium agreed that patient support mechanisms can and must be improved. Healthcare providers and patients each play pivotal roles. Through education and communication, they can begin to take the steps that will help some breast cancer patients reduce their risk of recurrence.

Two in five breast cancer patients don't take their medication properly.