Women need to empower themselves about the benefits and risks of mammography and examine the additional screening tools available today. One current philosophy suggests breast health screening should begin at age 25. Where does this recommendation come from and why is this valid?For MOST women, the recommendation for annual breast cancer screening begins at the age of 40. Unfortunately, the American Cancer Society stated that the number one cause of death in women between the ages of 40-44 is breast... Read More
In November 2003, the American Cancer Society stated that breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 44. In the United States, there are approximately 200,000 new cases of breast cancer and more than 40,000 deaths; making the U.S. one of the countries with the highest death rate due to breast cancer. Perhaps the most alarming statistic is 1: 8 women will eventually develop breast cancer over their lifetime.One of the most... Read More
I had been a bit nervous all day wondering what my thermogram procedure would entail. Would I need to undress completely? Would I be given one of those paper gowns that opens in the front and barely covers me? Would there be any heat coming out of the camera? I had been avoiding a mammogram after reading the latest information about the risks associated with X-ray; knowing that I was potentially putting myself at greater risk by not taking charge... Read More
It is generally accepted that by the time a cancer is found by mammography or palpated during a clinical breast exam, the cancer has been growing for 8-10 years. What if we could have been alerted to the problem as it was developing, rather than wait till it is large enough to be seen by the naked eye? Would that be of interest to you?There exists a technology that can detect an issue YEARS before a tumor can be seen... Read More
Digital technology now makes Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging available to all. There now is a completely safe test that can aid in diagnosis, treatment and monitoring with absolutely no risk or radiation exposure.DITI, or digital infrared thermal imaging, is a noninvasive diagnostic test that allows a health practitioner to see and measure changes in skin surface temperature. An infrared scanning camera translates infrared radiation emitted from the skin surface and records them on a color monitor. This visual image graphically... Read More
In the United States, American women are told to begin annual mammographic screening for breast cancer at the age of 40. Long before we've reached this age, we are advised to perform a monthly breast exam and see our doctors for a clinical breast exam (CBE) annually as well. However, the detection rate of breast cancer for CBE is only 47% when the tumors are less than 1 centimeter while mammography has given us a 70% detection rate. By the... Read More
Who would have thought that a technology for detecting breast cancer used today actually had its' roots dating back to 480 B.C.? Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI) is a fairly new technology that represents a practice that was once used by Hippocrates. This technology is based on a technique that Hippocrates would use as he spread mud over his patients and then watched to see which areas dried first. It was in those places on the body that could show... Read More
Most women are familiar with mammography as our "gold standard" for breast cancer screening. However, there are additional tools available that women can add to their arsenal.One of the most effective tools in breast cancer screening is breast self-exam (BSE). However, BSE works best when women are appropriately trained in the procedure, and then followed-up with annual clinical breast exams (CBE) from their physicians. In a 2000 University of Toronto study, approximately 20,000 women were screened for breast cancer with... Read More
Who isn't familiar with the expression, "early detection is the best prevention?" We hear this term throughout the year and most everyone is familiar with this "catch phrase" as it relates to breast cancer. Obviously, a woman's chance for survival improves when a cancer is found early. We hear that simple rhyming statement but are women really offered early detection?Our "gold standard" for breast cancer screening is mammography, clinical breast exam and self-breast exam. Other techniques are used but ALL... Read More
How much chemotherapy does an obese woman need? Typically an obese woman with breast cancer would receive reduced doses of chemotherapy as they battle breast cancer.Back in June of 2005, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine concluded that obese women should receive chemotherapy based on their actual weight, and not in reduced as amounts as it the standard practice.And now again a study presented in the August 2005 edition of Lancet claims that doctors should not reduce... Read More
In December of 2001, breast cancer was the furthest thing from my mind. I was busy. I had a loving husband, a nice home, three beautiful stepchildren, a good job. Then my perfect little world was suddenly turned inside out and upside down.A routine, suspicious mammogram. A phone call. Mammogram #2. A stereotactic core biopsy.My diagnosis: breast cancer, stage 2, infiltrating, ductal, HER2.All of the above happened within the fearful, anxious, unbelievable time span of 7 days. And my life... Read More
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Men and women can take preventative steps for avoiding breast cancer and staying healthy. Essentials within your control, include:? aerobic exercise 3-4 times a week ? maintaining a positive mental attitude ? breathwork and deepening body-awareness (yoga is great) ? expressing your feelings to keep your energy flowing ? eating healthy foods and taking the "right" supplements ? avoiding toxicity.Some things to avoid:? Any medication containing acetaminophen. Products... Read More
In the daily fight for survival our vision is blurred because our health is compromised. This is when the enemy attacks- we lose focus and become vulnerable. We doubt our inner strength and become discouraged and depressed.Sometimes it seems like the fates are against us. However, life's obstacles should not deter us from our personal triumphs. We must forge upward and onward to meet our goals; not necessarily our destiny.Be vigilant; protect the spirit. Remember the enemy is sneaky and... Read More
There are so many jokes about mammograms! Have you heard the one about the fridge door ?or the bookends ?or the garage floor? Thanks to all the jokes, "Mammogram" has become a household word, and it's not that I don't have a sense of humor, but as a mammography technologist, I've heard the jokes many times. I think the jokes are embarrassing for women and demeaning with regard to their physical bodies. Many women say, "If men had to do... Read More
Cancer screening The term screening is commonly used for a test that is used for evaluation of a person for possible disease without the person ever having any symptoms or signs of the disease. Screening tests are usually undertaken in a target population, which has significantly high risk of developing the disease. Mammogram is a screening technique used for breast cancer, and the target population for mammogram is women who are aged 40 and above. PSA testing is a... Read More
We hear it all the time?lose weight for your health. Few people however, realize the extent to which this is critical to their physical well-being and ultimately their life expectancy.In January 2003, the Journal of the American Medical Association featured a study finding that obesity appears to lessen life expectancy, especially among young adults. The researchers compared Body-Mass Index (BMI) to longevity and found a correlation between premature death and higher BMIs. For example, a 20-year-old white male, 5'10" weighing... Read More
Being diagnosed with breast cancer is a life-changing event. A torrent of feelings wash over the survivor. Suddenly, the world feels like an unsafe place. Little things seem unimportant to the survivor. And the big things, like life, seem tenuous. Knowing the emotional responses she is experiencing will help friends, family and fellow survivors support and nurture her, and each other. She needs to be encouraged to fully feel and express each of her feelings.The most helpful thing you can... Read More
There were so many emotions that I experienced in 2003 when the doctor confirmed I had Breast Cancer; I was overwhelmed. That was a point in my life that seemed to play out in slow motion. I was in a perpetual state of emotional turmoil. I had so many different emotions surfacing then, some of them I couldn't even identify.There were many days when I was bombarded by questions for which I didn't have the answers; and in some instances,... Read More
The cancer is a term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide uncontrollably invading near by tissue and spreading to other parts of the body via blood stream or lymphatic system.Similarly, in breast cancer, a single cell begins to divide and grow abnormally. This is the most common kind of cancer in women. Besides being women, age is the other important factor for developing breast cancer. The breast is made up of lobes and ducts. Each breast has 15 to... Read More
Breast cancer today is one of the most threatening conditions that a woman might have. A woman's breast undergoes a lot of changes during her lifetime. Right from puberty breast tissues are continuously developing. Women find changes in their breast at every menstrual cycle where they feel different just before and during the periods days. Pregnancy and Lactation causes a lot of changes in the breasts. As age progresses the breast tissue becomes less dense. Because of these continuous changes... Read More
