Various anticancer drugs are used nowadays to treat breast cancer.

Antimetabolites are drugs that act as "dummy" building blocks and are incorporated into the cells' DNA. When cells get ready to divide, a defect occurs in the process and causes them to die. Examples of this class of drugs used for breast cancer treatment are 5 fluorouracfil (5-FU) and methotrexate. 5-FU is a "false" building block for nucleic acids that are part of the genetic structure in the nucleus of the cell. 5-FU is a fluoropyrimidine carbamate class of drug. A new fluoropyrimidine drug has recently been developed known as capecitabine (brand name: Xeloda). This drug can be administered orally and requires an intracellular enzyme to convert it to its active form. Breast cancer cells contain an abundant amount of this enzyme than normal cells, giving capecitabine a selective advantage in destroying cancer cells over normal cells. Capecitabine is presently going through testing process and is not used in the adjuvant setting at present but may be available in the future. The other drug, methotrexate acts by inhibiting an enzyme that is important in providing a building block for DNA. The vitamin folic acid can antagonize this drug action, so this vitamin should while a cancer patient is on methotrexate.

Alkylating agents affect cancer cells in the same manner as radiation. Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) is the most commonly used drug of this class. It is usually administered intravenously but can also be given orally on a daily basis. The intravenous form of the drug does not usually cause hair loss (alopecia), but the oral form may. This drug is very effective and is part of most regimens used for cancer adjuvant chemotherapy.

Antineoplastic antibiotics are different from antibiotics used to treat infection in the sense that they are potent inhibitors of DNA replication. The most commonly used drug of this class in breast cancer therapy is doxorubicin (Adriamycin). Adriamycin is extremely active with breast cancer. A related drug, known as metoxantrone (Novantrone) is less frequently. Mitomycin, another drug in this class, is active with breast cancer but is not usually used in adjuvant regimens.

Cisplatin is a heavy metal also used to kill cancer cells. Its efficacy as an anticancer agent was discovered in the late 1970s when scientists were trying to pass electrical currents though Petri dishes of bacterial colonies to determine if the electronic activity inhibited bacterial growth. Interestingly, the bacteria around the platinum electrode died instantly. From this discovery, it was found that platinum leaked into the tissue media and was responsible for killing the bacteria. This observation made way to further investigations that demonstrated that platinum as a potent inhibitor of cell division and an excellent anticancer agent. Most recently, it has been used in ovary and breast cancer treatment with similar results. It has good anticancer activity and can be used in high doses with moderate adverse events.

During cell division, the chromosome line up and migrate to opposite poles on the nucleus of the cell. The apparatus for this process is called the mitotic spindle. Certain drugs block this process in cell division and cause the inability of cells to migrate. Vincistine is an example of this drug, as is a new drug called vinorelbine.

Antimicrotubule agents are unique agents that originated from the Pacific yaw tree. Examples of this class are paclitaxel and docetaxel. They are very potent in killing cancer cells. In a span of a few years, these drugs went from discovery to rapid testing in several cancer types, including breast cancer. Because of their impressive ability to kill cancer cells and a relatively acceptable degree of toxicity to normal cells, they are now part of many regimens for women who have a significant risk of metastatic breast cancer.

One of the present issues being addresses in clinical trials is whether anticancer drugs should be used together (cancer combination chemotherapy) or if they should be used as a single agent (sequential chemotherapy). If drugs are combined and share common toxicity such as bone marrow suppression, often the dosage must be reduced, perhaps also reducing its efficacy. Some drugs in combination may be synergistic, wherein the combination of two or more drugs enhances the anticancer effect as compared to when drugs are given alone in sequence.

Based on successful clinical trial results in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease, breast cancer chemotherapy was traditionally given in combination. Early results did demonstrate a combination of drugs were better than a single agent. As new evidence emerges regarding the presence of potentiation of these drugs and toxicities from interactions, cancer chemotherapy regimens may contain combined drugs, as well as drugs given singularly.

The other major issue for cancer specialists treating breast cancer with chemotherapy is drug dose regimen. The higher the dosage given in a fixed time period, the greater the potential toxicity and risk of adverse effects on the patient. Oftentimes, this is bone marrow toxicity, which involves a suppression of bone marrow stem cells leading to decreased white blood cell production (leucopenia), placing the patient at heightened risk for infection. Research shows that a certain dose intensity must be given to achieve the maximum antineoplastic activity, but going beyond this threshold only increases risk without further benefit.

A majority of anticancer drugs affect all dividing cells in the body. This includes both normal cancer cells. If a woman has microscopic spread of the cancer cells, these cancer cells will be replicating and be more sensitive to chemotherapy than most normal cells. Some of the body's normal cells that also replicate on a regular basis are the bone marrow cells and the lining cells of the gastrointestinal tract. It is for this reason that these normal cells are also sensitive to the anticancer drugs. Presently, there are several drugs that kill breast cancer cells and there are new agents under investigation. Much progress has been made in how to optimally administer these agents and there are supportive therapies to prevent the adverse events of chemotherapy. Several drug combinations have evolved and have been commonly used to treat women for possible metastatic disease. The standard has been one of two combinations: adriamycin and cyclophosphamide with or without 5 fluorouracil; and cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5 fluorouracil.

A new agent, trastuzumab (brand name Herceptin), an antibody directed against Her-2 protein that is abundant on the cancer cell surface. This cancer protein is over expressed in cancer cells and poses as a very good target for anticancer agents. This drug is presently undergoing testing for the use in women with localized breast cancer that demonstrate an abundance of this cancer protein.

A great deal of research has been devoted to the treatment of cancer in the last 60 years. High tech treatments are now being developed which can increase survival rates and reduce the terrible side effects of the highly toxic drugs and radiation which are the foundations of most medical cancer treatments. New surgical techniques including arthroscopic have greatly aided doctors in removing tumors. Indeed, medical science has every reason to be both proud and optimistic about the prospects of cancer treatment in the 21st Century.

But very little research has been done on the psychological causes of cancer. Why, for example, are certain cancers like breast, colon, and prostate cancer such epidemics in our society? This kind of research could not only help us to change the structures of our culture to greatly reduce the incidence of such diseases, it could give us a wealth of information on how to cure these afflictions. As a hypnotherapist who has specialized in accessing these underlying causes for 25 years of work with cancer patients I have discovered some important answers to this question.

Take breast cancer. According to recent research one out of every eight women will suffer breast cancer in her lifetime. 20 years ago that figure was one in ten. To describe this as a growing epidemic is a serious understatement. But it seems to me that not enough doctors and scientists are asking “why breast cancer?”

Let me illustrate this with a medical mystery from the past. In 19th century England, during the peak of the first industrial revolution, it is estimated that over 75% of deaths were attributed to a single disease: consumption. We now know that this epidemic was directly created by the acid-filled coal smoke that poured out of the chimneys of England’s factories and homes, combined with a virulent strain of tuberculosis which thrived in the cold damp climate, overcrowded tenements, and polluted air of England.

The prevalence of wool and coal dust in the filthy factories which employed children as young as six also contributed to this pandemic. Also contributing was an air of fatalism which dominated the collective consciousness of the time. Because everyone in this society saw the same thing all day long, the culture entered a kind of group hypnotic trance in which this kind of pandemic was seen as fate. It was simply assumed that most people died before forty of lung disease.

While doctors worked hard, and mostly in vain, to stem the tide of the epidemic with a number of treatments, very few had the foresight or the courage to challenge the social institutions which perpetuated this veritable holocaust. Nowadays it’s easy to point the finger at these ignorant doctors. We know that lungs are used for breathing, so we look at the stuff people were breathing in. A similarly pragmatic approach helped researchers determine the connection between lung cancer and smoking in the 1960’s. So what can we learn from these discoveries about the breast cancer epidemic of the late 20th and 21st Century?

To discover the meaning of this epidemic we need no advanced degree in biochemistry or oncology. We need simply to explore what breasts are used for, and study the way women’s breasts are being used in our culture. Obviously, the primary purpose of breasts is to feed babies. However a number of social changes over the last half century have led to a precipitous drop in breast feeding. These changes include women entering the work force in large numbers, replacement of breast feeding with infant formula, and the postponement or cancellation of child bearing by women who are career oriented. Like the industrial revolution of the 19th century, these changes have greatly improved many aspects of life, including giving women freedom to pursue many exciting goals outside of the home. I am no Taliban terrorist who would choose to roll back all the gains women have made in the last 60 years. But we have made these advances at the cost of an epidemic of breast cancer. And until now no one has been willing to see what we have created.

The research bears out this theory. Among the risk factors that predict higher rates of breast cancer we find some interesting statistics. If a woman waits till her thirties to have children, if she does not breast feed them, if she doesn’t have any children, all of these factors increase a woman’s statistical probability of getting breast cancer. Ask yourself this question: If you were a breast, and no one ever paid any attention to you, no one ever let you fulfill your purpose, what would you do?

Of course I don’t reveal these secrets unless I have an answer for them within the world of hypnotherapy. And there’s a simple answer here. While it is generally impossible to get my breast cancer clients into active breast feeding, I have found that it’s only necessary for the client to actively imagine themselves breastfeeding in order to stimulate breast tissue to repair itself. Some clients imagine the joy of breastfeeding their now grown children as infants through regression therapy. Some clients simply imagine breast feeding an inner child. Some clients are taught to hold a doll or stuffed animal and nurse it like a baby, sometimes using gentle massage on their breasts comparable to the squeezing associated with nursing. This produces pleasant tingling sensations within the breast which rapidly lead to a flow of healing hormones and blissful feelings throughout the body.

I am highly skeptical of overly simplistic theories about any disease process. So it’s important to keep in mind that only your breast knows what issues have led to its disease. Sometimes it is necessary to process feelings of loss, grief, or guilt that are associated with the client’s breasts. One client found her cancerous right breast was tired of “nursing” her emotionally immature husband, who always slept on her right side in bed. Another felt guilty about not nursing her children and needed to beg their forgiveness. One simple way to access the breast’s emotional baggage is to journey into the breast in a hypnotic state, or talk to the breast in hypnosis as if it were a person to find out what issues are haunting it. Notice that in both of these examples, the nurturing function of the breast was being twisted or neglected in some way.

The results? Stimulation of healthy circulation and activation of immune system activity within the breast as a result of all these processes have led to tumor reduction or elimination in a number of cases I have examined. Of course double blind studies in a hospital setting are still years away for this simple but effective treatment option, because there are no millions of dollars in profit to be made. So I recommend you do not wait for the medical industry to catch up with the obvious.

Remember all the doctors trying in vain to treat the consumptive patients of the 19th Century? Start creating the medicine of the future now…and let your doctor know what you are doing! Wherever possible, I encourage my clients to work closely with their oncologist. It seems to me that combining the methods described in this article with the latest in new medical treatments is the best formula for easy and complete recovery.

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you'll find that the subject of IBC is certainly no exception.

Ladies have been told and frequently reminded by advertisements, Doctors, Women's Magazines and so on, that they should regularly check their breasts for a lump or lumps. If anything is found they should immediately seek medical advice. This is still true, see your doctor as soon as possible.

There is another kind of breast cancer, it is called Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC), it is an accelerated type of breast cancer, and it usually does not show on a mammogram or ultrasound. It is a rare form of breast cancer, but it accounts for approximately 1% to 3% of all breast cancers.

It is a breast cancer that many ladies have never heard of, but it can be so serious that everyone should learn about it and what signs or symptoms to look for in its early stage of development.

Inflammatory breast cancer causes the breast to appear swollen and inflamed. This inflammation occurs, not because of an infection, but because the cancer cells block the lymphatic vessels in the skin of the breast, this blocks the lymph flow, which usually causes a red inflamed condition of the breast.

Truthfully, the only difference between you and IBC experts is time. If you'll invest a little more time in reading, you'll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to IBC.

Some ladies have IBC even when they are seeing their doctor regularly, and they may remain undiagnosed for quite some time, which can be very unfortunate. The symptoms are very often similar to mastitis, a breast infection and doctors frequently fail to recognise that it is IBC, and will often prescribe antibiotics, if it has not cleared or showing signs of clearing within a week of taking the antibiotics, it is time to take further action, by seeing a specialist.

It appears that IBC can happen at a reasonably young age, in fact some ladies had the first symptoms during pregnancy or lactation. It is important to be aware of this disease, as younger ladies are thought to be at a lower risk for breast cancer, remember that IBC is the most aggressive form of breast cancer, and ignorance can result in metastases.

Typical Symptoms Of IBC

Swelling, quite sudden, as large as a cup in a few days. Itching. Pink, Red, or dark colored area sometimes with a texture similar to orange skin. Ridges and thickened area of the skin. Looks like bruising, but does not go away. Nipple retraction, or inverted. Discharge from the nipple. Breast is warmer than usual when touched. Pain in the breast. Color or a change in texture of the areola. One breast larger than the other. Rash. Swollen lymph nodes under the armpit. Swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

Because IBC progresses rapidly, it is so important that ladies seek medical advice as soon as possible, don't ignore things in the hope that it will go away. Time is of the essence with this disease.

More information is available through the search engines, and I will add a link in the box below, where you can see a short video, or you can email me through my websites, and I will send you the video by email, so you can see the seriousness of this disease yourself. Tell all the ladies you know, because in this case knowledge is king.

Now you can understand why there ought to be more interest in IBC. When people start looking for more information about IBC, you'll be in a position to meet their needs.

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation story is both inspiring and sad at the same time. The foundation has been making a difference in the lives of women with breast cancer for over 20 years. Research and clinical trials are supported by the foundation along with local outreach for many communities. Its network started in the United States, but now is worldwide. The mission of the foundation is to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease for women. It supports education, screening, research and treatment throughout the world.

Susan G. Komen and her sister Nancy grew up in Peoria Illinois. After Susan went to college, she came back to Peoria to marry her high school sweetheart. She had a great life until she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Twenty years ago, breast cancer was not well understood and family doctors were not well trained to treat it. If Susan G. Komen had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, her chances of recovering would have been much higher than they were 20 years ago.

Susan G. Komen not only resolved to beat breast cancer, but also set out in the process to make it easier for all women who were fighting it. One of the things Susan wanted to do was to make hospital waiting rooms more cheery for women fighting breast cancer. Susan G. Komen went through an agonizing experience with breast cancer, and as a result, her sister Nancy promised to do everything she could to help other women with breast cancer. In 1982, Nancy Brinkman founded the Susan G. Komen Foundation in memory of her sister Susan who had died from breast cancer.

A major fundraiser for the Susan B. Komen Foundation is the Race for the Cure. Anyone wanting to walk or run in the event can take pledges to raise funds for the foundation. Many enter the race in honor of a loved one that has died from cancer, while many are supporting loved ones battling cancer. You can walk or run in the Race for the Cure and make a difference for someone with breast cancer. Visit www.komen.org to find the nearest affiliate to you. Free breast screening is made available through the funds the event raises. It could save someone’s life.

Nancy Brinkman thought that one person could make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. The Susan G. Komen Foundation was birthed out of that and now helps breast cancer patients around the world.

Apart from the physical scars, most of the discomfort and physical changes from the treatment are only temporary. Once the cancer patient has worked hand in hand with her physician to come up with an effective treatment plan, the physician can provide assessments of the potential side effects and recovery time that the she will likely experience in relation to specific social responsibilities and future career.

The standard surgery for local control of breast cancer involves the removal of cancerous breast tissue. The underlying thorax muscles (pectoralis major and pectoralis minor), are left unresected. This advancement in breast cancer surgery has significantly reduced postoperative pain and recovery time, but, more importantly, patients are spared the long term disability of having muscles resected. If you underwent a lumpectomy (surgical removal of a small tumor or lump, which may or may not be benign or malignant) without lymph node dissection (a surgical procedure in which the lymph nodes are removed and examined to see whether they contain cancer), you will most likely have surgery and be discharged on the same day. Recovery from surgery will take much longer if the axillary lymph nodes are also removed. With the removal of the axillary lymph nodes, lymph flow of the breast is partially interrupted and a soft rubber tube is placed in the wound, which will serve as a temporary lymph fluid drainage. The length of hospital stay for lumpectomy and lymph node dissection or breast resection with lymph node removal is usually one to two days.

The temporary drain from the lymph node empties into an expandable container about the size of a softball. The container is usually emptied daily and the amount of fluid disposed is recorded. Several days postoperatively, the amount of fluid rapidly decreases, at which time the surgeon removes the drain. In the presence of dissected lymph nodes, most surgeons would advise immobilization of the affected arm, as much as possible, for a couple of days after the surgery to allow for quick wound healing and to keep lymphatic flow as minimal as possible. Once the drain is out with the surgical wound visibly healing, it is beneficial to begin gentle and progressive exercises of the arm to prevent limitation of joint motion from scarring and contracture. Some surgeons advise their patients to do active exercises, while others refer them for physical therapy, especially those patients who have undergone lymphadenectomy (surgical removal of the lymph nodes). It is usual for the cancer patient to discuss with her surgeon what the best option would be for her.

After the lymph node resection, most patients will experience numbness in the armpit area due to the cutting of the nerves around the armpit region. Sensory function will often return after several months postoperatively when the nerves have grown back and regenerated. On the other hand, some patients will have permanent numbness and sensory impairment here. For those who experience this disappearance of sensation, one must be extra careful particularly in shaving underarm hair. It would be wise to use an electric razor when doing this.

With lymphadenectomy, a small percentage of patients develop an obstructed vein along the inner side of the affected upper arm that feels like a thin cord and will likely restrict arm movement. If this happens, thermotherapy, specifically heat therapy and stretching exercises should be done to achieve the full range of arm movement again.