Breast cancer is said to be one of the biggest killers of women around the world today. Statistics from the University of Maryland Medical Center explain that every year in the United States, about 185,000 women are diagnosed with some form of breast cancer. Along with these statistics, about 40,000 women die per year because of breast cancer related complications.  In 99% of all cases of breast cancer, women are involved. Only a few men are diagnosed with this condition.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer, and what are the possible causes of the disease? Doctors often recommend their patients to performs routine breast self examinations (BSE) to be able to detect lumps or other abnormalities in their breasts. If a woman detects a change in the shape and firmness in her breast, or if there are skin problems in the breast area, she should see a doctor right away. Some of the causes of breast cancer are genetic, while some sources explain that hormonal levels in the body can cause the growth of the tumor. Sometimes, exposure to carcinogenic substances may be the cause. In other instances, women who have breast implants develop a form of breast cancer.

Currently, the treatments for breast cancer include chemotherapy with radiation therapy. There are several drugs that have been tested and recommended for chemotherapeutic use, and it has been observed that the administration of regular radiation sessions allow chemotherapy drugs to work better against breast cancer tumors. In some cases of breast cancer, a mastectomy or surgical removal of one or two breasts may be needed.

What is the nutrition for breast cancer that should be followed? Sources from the University of Maryland Medical Center suggest that antioxidant-rich foods should be added to the diet. These foods include blueberries, cherries, squash, and tomatoes, among many others. Vegetables like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage should be eaten more often. It is best to avoid foods with trans-fat, preservatives, and foods that contain substances that can cause allergies. For protein sources, it is best to avoid red meats, and opt for leaner protein sources including tofu, soy, and some types of fish like tuna, herring, salmon, and others.

Nutrition for breast cancer also involves supplementing the diet with B vitamins, calcium, vitamin C, pro-biotics, and others. Omega-3 fatty acids are also highly recommended, and these forms of fatty acids are found in many types of nuts as well as fish. The fish types that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids are herring, salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, and sardines. It is advised that at the least, 2 fish serving per week should be consumed.

As mentioned in a 2003 paper Indoor and Built Environment, DHA and EPA have already proven effective against tumor growth, and when added to the diet, makes a patient more receptive to the benefits of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This is the reason why fish oils are becoming popular supplements as nutrition for breast cancer. Fish oil supplements come from the above mentioned species of fishFree Articles, and are rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as docosahexenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentenoic acid (EPA).

If your pregnancy symptoms are earlier and more pronounced than you’d normally expect, you may be carrying a twin pregnancy. However, only a health professional can tell for sure.

1. You just feel that you are carrying more than one baby. Some mothers of twins (or higher order multiples) say that they knew right from the start that they were carrying more than one baby.

2. You experience more nausea and/or morning sickness. If you are having more than one baby, you may have an elevated hCG level (hCG is a pregnancy related hormone). This hormone is the one associated with morning sickness.
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Most people’s primary motivation for weight management is to improve their appearance. Equally important, however, are the many other benefits of proper nutrition and regular exercise.

Weight management through reduction of excess body fat plays a vital role in maintaining good health and fighting disease. In fact, medical evidence shows that obesity poses a major threat to health and longevity. (The most common definition of obesity is more than 25 percent body fat for men and more than 32 percent for women.) An estimated one in three Americans has some excess body fat; an estimated 20 percent are obese.
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A routine breast examination is advised for all women to identify any suspicious lumps so that breast cancer detection is made as early as possible. Mammography is the most common first line screening tool for breast cancer. But in some cases, mammography may miss some abnormalities, especially if the woman’s breast tissue is dense. Sometimes dense breast tissue and cancers may appear similar in mammography.

So, a lump that may be felt manually may appear as normal breast tissue when screened through mammography which may then lead to a biopsy to confirm cancer. But now, even the cancerous tissue that mammography misses can be identified by a new diagnostic technique called breast specific gamma imaging. Read the rest of this entry »

Many women all over the world fear breast cancer. It is a killer! It is one of the leading causes of death for women and even men are not immune.

Not that long ago a diagnosis of breast cancer would have been like receiving a death sentence! That’s because it was often fatal. However, things are different today because of the amazing advances in medical science in the area of breast cancer research. Read the rest of this entry »