Someone I know is battling breast cancer and if it were up to me, I would not let anyone go through the same ordeal. She is a client, and a dear friend.

Every two minutes, a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer. The incidence has climbed from one in 20 in 1960 to one in seven women today. It's a terrifying disease that turns everything upside down. In the United Kingdom, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer and affects more than 300,000 women each year. In fact, England and Wales together have one of the highest mortality rates from breast cancer in the world. Until recently, the role of diet in breast cancer was not fully understood. Today, it's much clearer than ever that certain foods play a role in cancer formation or make a preexisting cancer worse. In fact, some scientists believe that one third of all cancers occur as a result of diet.

There is a direct link between obesity (especially if the fat is round the waist) and the risk of developing breast cancer. Some authorities suggest that being overweight only increases the risk of cancer for women who have been through menopause. Also, the amount of fat in the diet influences levels of the hormone oestrogen - a trigger for breast cancer. Red and fried meat may contribute to a rise in the incidence of breast cancer. Cut down your intake of pork, lamb, beef, sausages, hamburgers, meat pies, bacon, ham and processed canned meats. There is also consistent evidence that alcohol - even one drink a day - does lead to a small increase in risk although it's not known why.

If you would like to protect against breast cancer, consider soya, cereals, legumes and vegetables. These contain phytoestrogens, metabolically active compounds found in plants. These have a 'balancing' effect on oestrogens produced naturally in the body.

Fruit and vegetables, especially those with deep colours such as red grapes and dark green leafs, are a major source of antioxidants, which help fight all cancers.

Additonal ways to fight cancer include maintaining a healthy body weight, eating more fibre (e.g. wholegrain cereals, pulses and wholegrain breakfast cereals such as muesli and bran flakes), restricting alchol to less than 2-3 units a day (one unit is equivalent to one glass of wine, ½ pint of beer or one pub measure of spirits.)

In this article we will look at the different types of breast surgery that you may be offered if you have breast cancer.

However before any operation takes place the surgeon will talk to you and discuss with you the most appropriate type of surgery for your particular case of breast cancer.

It should also be remembered that no surgery will take place prior to you consenting to it.

Where breast surgery is concerned the type of surgery that will be performed depends on the size of the cancer in your breast, whether it has spread to any other parts of your body and also personal preference.

However, if your cancer has already been diagnosed then your surgeon will talk to you about the type of surgery that you will need. Although there may be times when the surgeon can not make a decision on what type of surgery he carries out as they do not have a definite diagnosis on the type of cancer that you have. Therefore they may need to carry out a small operation to remove some of the lump in order to examine under a microscope before taking the rest out.

The types of breast surgery that you may have are as follows:

1. Mastectomy - Removal of the whole breast.
2. Lumpectomy or Wide Local Excision - Where only the lump is removed from the breast.*
3. Segmentectomy - This where just part of the breast is removed.*

*These second two options are also known as conservative surgery.

In some cases a patient who has had breast surgery for cancer may need to under go radiotherapy afterwards and this is particular true for those who have either a lumpectomy or Segmentectomy surgery. This lowers the risk of that patient having their cancer returning as it will hopefully kill off the rest of cancer cells if any left after the surgery has taken place. Whilst in other cases patients who have had a mastectomy may find that they are having radiotherapy to the lymph nodes above the collar bone to make sure that all cancerous cells have been removed. Normally the surgeon will discuss what kind of treatment you will have with the radiotherapist once the results from the surgery are back. Unfortunately not radiotherapy treatment can be planned until after the operation has been carried out.

There are many reasons as to why a surgeon will recommend a particular kind of breast surgery, but they will try their utmost to follow a patient’s wishes. In some cases some women would like to keep their breast at all costs, whilst others may prefer to have a mastectomy (because they feel that once the breast is gone the cancer will be gone also) or it is because the do not wish to have radiotherapy. In fact a great deal of research has been carried out and has proved that there is no difference in the outcome whether a patient has a mastectomy or conservative surgery with radiotherapy instead. In fact it has been found that both forms of treatment work equally well in treating breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women; the first is lung cancer. There are many risks for breast cancer that can be reduced by making some changes in your diet and lifestyle.

*STOP SMOKING. Not only is smoking a risk factor for breast cancer (especially if smoking began at an early age), it is a primary cause for lung cancer. The nicotine and other poisonous chemicals in tobacco also greatly increase the risk of developing heart disease. Every time you light up, you hurt your lungs and heart. The longer you smoke, the worse the damage becomes.

*DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL. If you must drink, try to limit your intake to one glass a day. Alcoholic beverages contain calories but few nutrients and are harmful when consumed in excess. Women who have more than one drink per day develop cancer at a significantly higher rate than those who do not drink alcohol.

*EAT A HIGH-FIBER, LOW-FAT DIET. Eat at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every day. Eat a diet rich in complex carbohydrates (fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes). Whole grains and legumes are high in fiber and include whole grain breads, pasta, rice, and cereals. Whole grains are an excellent source of fiber. Fiber moves food through the digestive track quickly taking pre-cancerous toxins with it.

A diet low in fat reduces the risk of breast cancer and decreases the risk of obesity. Obesity plays a big part in breast cancer development. Fat tissue contains small amounts of estrogen and estrogen plays a major role in the development of breast cancer.

*EXERCISE. A regular physical fitness regimen, especially aerobic exercise (brisk walking), can reduce your risk for developing breast cancer. It is also a wonderful way to fight obesity and be healthier overall.

*AVOID HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY. Studies have proven there is a link between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and breast cancer. The estrogen and progesterone contained in HRT increase the risk factor. HRT’s can also cause mammograms to be less effective. If you are considering taking HRT, please consult with your physician to discuss the risks.

*BE AWARE OF YOUR FAMILY HISTORY. If you have a female member of your immediate family who has had or currently has breast cancer, it can increase your risk. Breast cancer can be genetic. However, just because someone in your family has breast cancer, does not mean you will have it. Make sure your physician knows your family history.

*DO A SELF-EXAM EVERY MONTH. Checking your breasts carefully every month does not help prevent breast cancer but it can help detect breast cancer early. The earlier it is found, the better the prognosis.

*HAVE A MAMMOGRAM REGULARLY. Like a self-exam, a mammogram will not prevent the development of breast cancer, but it can detect it early.

Following the guidelines listed above can help you reduce your risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. It can also help reduce your risk of other diseases and conditions and increase your chances of living a healthier life.

Breast Cancer in women is second only to lung cancer deaths and a woman in the United States has a 1 in 8 chance of having breast cancer in her lifetime. That's a startling 13 percent chance that any woman in the U.S. will get breast cancer during her life.

Breast Examination is vital to a woman's health and personal care. There are a number of things you should be aware of when doing a self-examination; obviously any lump or change in the shape of your breast is reason to have further testing performed. If the breast develops dimpling or the nipple area begins to invert itself, or lumps in the underarm area are also symptoms to have checked by your physician.

Most importantly, it is imperative you know that there really are no definite signs of breast cancer, so get tested regularly!

Having a mammogram is not the most comfortable test to have performed, but the opportunity to live a long and healthy life by getting early detection is worth the short-term discomfort. Recently, there have been new breast examination techniques made available whereby the mammogram procedure may be avoided. The age of medicine is always improving and progressing in our abilities to learn more with less personal invasion. This is even more of a reason not to make excuses not to be checked regularly.

As a woman ages her chances of contracting breast cancer increases dramatically. At age 30 the chances are 1 in 2212, and by age 40, the odds greatly increase to 1 in 235. By age 60, the odds are 1 in 23, so if nothing else prompts you to perform constant monthly self-examinations and yearly office exams with your doctor.

Breast cancer respects no one, and there is no assurance that if your family genealogy does not have a history of breast cancer, you won't contract breast cancer. Don't find reasons not to find out about your current health stats. The procedures are covered under wellness provisions in most insurance policies, so again, get tested regularly.

In our age of breast enlargement and plastic surgery, breast cancer examinations at home may be more difficult to detect changes in the breast, so if you have breast implants, please have yourself check with your doctor on a regimented schedule. It's better to protect your investment for the long term if for no other reason. Hopefully you are not the assuming type, whereby you don't feel pain or observe any changes therefore all is well. Breast cancer does not necessarily show any symptoms, but the office tests rarely miss any stages of breast cancer. Should your doctor find any cancer, the earlier the better and with minimal physical changes in your appearance. Just be safe and not sorry for assuming all is okay.

Cancer, breast cancer and breast cancer symptom can be prevented and may be cured with out any magic bullet according to two time Nobel Prize winner DR. OTTO WARBURG.

In 1931, DR. OTTO WARBURG who won his first Nobel Prize for his work on the cause of Cancer, claims that cancer begins to thrive in your body due to a lack of oxygen respiration in cells. DR. WARBURG'S research proves that cancer is no longer mystical, but infact occurs when any cell is denied 60% of it's oxygen requirement needed to produce energy.

According to DR. WARBURG, cancer unlike other diseases, may have many other secondary causes, but there is just the one prime cause, which relates to the oxygen requirement for cellular respiration.

He continues to explain that all normal body cells meet their energy needs by aerobic cellular respiration, whereas cancerous cells can only meet their energy needs in great parts through the process of fermentation, or anaerobically.

Cellular respiration, being a normal every day process of your healthy working body is required by every cell in order to produce energy for your body to function effectively, or you may experience breast cancer or breast cancer symptom.

As the blood picks up oxygen from the lungs, this oxygen must be efficiently circulated throughout the body to distribute nutrients and to produce energy in the cells. Any obstruction due to the clumping of plaque, from free radicals oxidation of LDL cholesterol, toxins and carcinogens, or from unhealthy blood platelets activities, inhibits the needed oxygen requirement of 60% for optimum cellular respiration according to DR. WARBURG, thus creating the formation of malignant cells.

The rate of people affected by breast cancer in the United States fell 7 percent in 2003, a year after millions of women halted hormone replacement therapy, a study has revealed.

The decline was even more noticeable in older women who are more sensitive to estrogen, according to the analysis of National Cancer Institute data presented yesterday at a symposium in San Antonio. The decline in women between 50 and 69 years of age fell a remarkable 12 percent.

The research, conducted at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, discovered that 14,000 fewer women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 than in 2002, when an estimated 203,500 cases were reported. Researchers link the decline in cases to the mass halt on hormone replacement therapy after a study proved that the added estrogen increased the risk of developing breast cancer.

“Something went right in 2003, and it seems that it was the decrease in the use of hormone therapy,” said Peter Ravdin, a professor at M.D. Anderson and the study’s co-author. He went on to caution that researchers are not able to prove a direct cause- and-effect relationship at this time.

In 2002, the Women’s Health Initiative study involving 16,608 women using hormone replacement therapy was ended abruptly after higher rates of breast cancer were noted. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among American women.

In September, a study was published claiming the drop in breast cancer in 2003 was linked directly to the decline in the use of Premarin, an estrogen replacement product made by Wyeth and once the most prescribed U.S. pharmaceutical product.

“Breast cancer is a complex disease and the causes are not known,” said Candace Steele on behalf of Wyeth, in an e- mailed statement. “It is simply inappropriate to make any speculative statements based on the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center analysis. Even the researchers state they cannot give the definitive cause. Clearly more studies are warranted.”

The rate of breast cancer diagnoses increased steadily at 1.7 percent annually from 1990 to 98, before decreasing slightly, 1 percent a year from 1998 to 2002, the study determined. By the end of 2003, the rate had dropped 7 percent when age adjustments were made.

“We’re seeing this turnaround in breast cancer diagnoses; the question is why,” commented Brenda Edwards, associate director of the surveillance research program at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. “There are many factors that could be out there, including screening rates.”

Edwards also noted that Mammography rates are leveling off, which may be suppressing the rates of diagnosis without reducing the actual rate of the disease. For now though, researchers can point to what seems to be a link between the decline of cases and the abandonment of hormone replacement therapy, she added.

“We can’t show cause,” she said. “We’re just saying these two things seem to be occurring at a similar time.”

She continued that it will take years of additional research to determine the real cause, but added that researchers are currently working on 2004 statistics to see if the decline will continue or stabilize. The study was funded solely by the National Cancer Institute and M.D. Anderson.

The diagnosis of breast cancer is overwhelming. After the initial phase of diagnosis comes the discussion of your breast cancer treatment type. This decision should involve more than just your physician.

Choosing the most appropriate breast cancer treatment type is a decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and healthcare team.

Ultimately, you and your physician must decide which breast cancer treatment type is right for you. While you need the input from friends and family the decision should be yours.

You should feel confident about the decision you make. Becoming educated to what is available will help your decision-making process.

Making a confident decision about your breast cancer treatment type involves more than one aspect. The good news is that when detected early, breast cancer treatment is often successful.

You should become familiar with the types of treatment available, the success rates, potential side effects, and why the treatment being recommended is best for your situation.

Breast Cancer Treatment Types

Take the time you need to sort out your treatment options. Your physician may suggest a variety of treatment options and may also suggest that you consider taking part in a breast cancer treatment trial.

While learning and evaluating all of this information can take some time, its better to take the time necessary. Sometimes you may even want to get a second opinion from another medical professional.

There are various treatment options available for different types and stages of breast cancer. These treatment types are based on four main techniques: surgery, quimiotherapy, radiotherapy and hormonal treatment. The primary breast cancer treatment is determined by tumor factors and by patient preference.

Obviously the goal of treatment is to completely remove the cancer and prevent it from coming back. This may involve more than one type of treatment. The mainstay of breast cancer treatment is surgery, with possible chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

The aesthetic outcome of breast cancer treatment is an important factor in breast cancer. The visualization work for your breast cancer treatment should be tailored to you needs and the way you perceive the outcome.

Dealing with the physical aspects of breast cancer treatment is only one part of the healing processbut it is an important process that you should consider just as intently as the other portions of your treatment.

Every woman diagnosed with breast cancer wants complete recovery and the ability to return to a normal life. The path to total recovery may be filled with time consuming treatments and recovery processes.

There is no easy solution, but there are millions of breast cancer survivors who have returned to happy normal lives.