breast cancer

Finding breast cancer early makes treatment much easier and more effective. More than 90 out of 100 women whose breast cancer is found early will be cured.

The findings showed that women had three times higher risks of breast cancer if their mother had wide hips and seven times higher risks if they happened to be a second or third child.Also it was discovered that the wider was the distance between the wing-like structures of their hips the more chances were that daughters would develop breast cancer

So this is the armamentarium that doctors and patients have to work with for the systemic therapy of breast cancer. When we think about how we would use these drugs, we usually use them to do three things: one -- most importantly, is to decrease the possibility that microscopic breast cancer cells will cause problems in the future; or, in the instance of a woman who already has metastatic (or spread) breast cancer, to try to reduce the burden of the breast cancer cells.

Over the years, we've repeated that study, trying to find a more and more favorable group of women who can be treated with radiation alone. And, in every single study done, the administration of radiation lowers the recurrence rate even further.

Question: Is pain expected after surgery for breast cancer?R.N.

Lee Breast Center, USC/Norris Cancer Hospital; Professor of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaOctober 3, 2007 9:42:44 PM Question: Do I need an axillary lymph node dissection if I have in situ or early-stage invasive breast cancer?Dr. Melvin Silverstein answers: When Do I Need Axillary Lymph Node Dissection?Answer: If you have in situ cancer, you do not need an axillary lymph node sampling, dissection or even a sentinal lymph node biopsy.

Stephen Edge answers the question: How to Detect Spread to Lymph Nodes?Answer: To test whether cancer has spread to lymph nodes in breast cancer, it is necessary to remove some of the lymph nodes under the armpit. Non-invasive tests such as ultrasounds, MRIs, or PET scans have not proven sufficiently accurate to give women the information they need to plan their subsequent chemotherapy or hormonal therapy

Barbara Smith answers the question: Breast Cancer Surgeon or Normal Surgeon?Answer: Like any surgical technique, experience does help the procedure go more smoothly and is associated with better outcomes. The breast surgeon may be more able to achieve a very nice cosmetic result, a better scar, and may be able to incorporate some plastic surgery techniques into the surgery

Scott Schell answers the question: Will a mastectomy prevent recurrence?Answer: That's an excellent question; in fact, many patients diagnosed with breast cancer have that exact concern. Back in the 80s, an international, multi-institutional clinical trial was conducted, comparing the effectiveness and the long-term survival rates in patients who underwent mastectomy compared to those who underwent breast conservation.

William Farrar answers the question: What is a prophylactic mastectomy?Answer: 'Prophylactic mastectomy' just implies that you're having all the breast tissue removed -- and, in general, if it's done on both sides, if you haven't had breast cancer. Or in many cases, it's done on the opposite side, where the breast cancer recurs.

Lee Breast Center, USC/Norris Cancer Hospital; Professor of Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaOctober 3, 2007 5:42:06 PM Question: Will I need a drainage tube after breast cancer surgery?Dr. Melvin Silverstein answers: When To Get a Second Opinion on Breast Cancer?Answer: Breast surgery comes in all sizes and shapes, and sometimes you need a drainage tube and sometimes you do not.

Anderson Cancer CenterOctober 3, 2007 5:40:01 PM Question: What research is being done in regard to the surgical management of breast cancer?Dr. Eva Singletary answers: What Is the New Research on Breast Cancer Surgery?Answer: I think one of the most exciting advances is in the area of surgical management of the breast.

Clinical Nurse Specialist and Patient Education CoordinatorOctober 3, 2007 5:39:11 PM Question: Will I be able to take care of myself after breast cancer surgery?R.N.

Director, Breast Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center October 3, 2007 5:37:19 PM Question: Should I take any vitamins or herbs before breast cancer surgery?Dr. Barbara Smith answers the question: Vitamins, Herbs Before Surgery?Answer: With any surgical procedure we want to be very careful that none of the medications or other supplements that people are taking are going to add to their risk of bleeding or infection.

Allen Lichter answers the question: How To Treat Inflammatory Breast Cancer?Answer: Inflammatory breast cancer is a special type of breast cancer. The cancer cells are not only in the substance of the breast, but they are in the skin of the breast itself.

Susan Love's Breast BookOctober 3, 2007 4:48:26 PM Question: Are we winning the battle against breast cancer?Dr. Susan Love answers the question: Are We Winning the Breast Cancer Battle?Answer: It's very difficult to say whether we're winning the battle against breast cancer.

Anthony Elias answers: How Does My Doc Know if the Cancer Has Spread?Answer: Breast cancer, like most other cancers can spread to many parts of the body. A tumor that has actually spread and set up shop in a different part of the body is called a metastasis.

Benjamin Anderson answers: Does Breast Cancer Spread Faster in Young Women?Answer: Breast cancer is very uncommon in young women, but it does occur in the 20s and 30s. When breast cancer occurs in these very young women, we debate whether that actually has a worse outcome in comparison to older women

Barbara Smith answers the question: How Do Grade and Stage Differ?Answer: The 'grade' of a breast cancer is determined by looking at the breast cancer cells under a microscope and describing their size and shape and properties. This tells us a little bit about the potential behavior of the tumor cells, and whether they are likely to be aggressive in how they grow or not.

Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research InstituteOctober 4, 2007 7:34:54 AM Question: Does abortion increase my risk for breast cancer?Thomas Sellers answers the question: Abortion Increase My Risk for Cancer?Answer: There's now been a number of studies that have examined this question -- and based on the studies that have been done to-date, it doesn't appear that abortion increases risk of breast cancer. Of course, you have to realize that in this country, it's not always very easy to get good answers from women regarding their abortion history.