breast cancer

Len Lichtenfeld answers the question: "Cultural Foods And Breast Cancer Risk?"October 16, 2007 2:52:06 PM PDT1 commentFONT SIZE EMAILPRINTSHARE RSSQuestion from Lorie Williams, One-Year Breast Cancer Survivor: Hi, my name is Lorie Williams and I'm a one-year breast cancer survivor. And my question is: do food choices among cultures affect breast cancer risk? Response from Len Lichtenfeld, M

And this number is staffed by health educators who have the latest information regarding breast cancer research. Also, if you'd like, you can go into the Internet -- to the National Cancer Institute web page to get further information

Joseph Sparano answers the question: What If Breast Cancer Recurs?Answer: Well, the prognosis for someone who has recurrent breast cancer is certainly very dependent upon the time interval between their initial presentation with the disease -- with operable disease -- and the time that they have a relapse of their disease. It also depends upon where it comes back.

What can you do as an individual, in supporting other individuals who end up coming behind you, being diagnosed with breast cancer? And, even more importantly, what can you do to help eradicate this disease, so that your daughters, granddaughters and other people that you love and care about don't end up also being diagnosed with breast cancer. There's a variety of organizations that you can get involved with.

Eric Winer answers the question: Can I Breastfeed After Cancer Treatment?Answer: If you've had treatment for breast cancer, you often can breastfeed after that treatment if you choose to have a baby. There's one big exception to that and that exception is if you've had radiation to a breast, you usually can't breastfeed from that breast.

Administrative Director, Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center; Breast Cancer SurvivorOctober 3, 2007 6:32:48 PM Question: How can I express love, both physically and emotionally, to my partner during and after my breast cancer treatments?Lillie Shockney answers the question: How To Show Love To My Partner?Answer: You may be frustrated that you're not as active sexually as you were prior to your treatment beginning, and you may be worrying about how this is impacting your partner, your husband.There are a variety of ways in which you can express love and emotion without it having to be just during sex.

Anderson Cancer CenterOctober 3, 2007 6:20:56 PM Question: After I have completed my treatments for breast cancer, should I follow any special diet to reduce the risk of recurrence?Sally Scroggs answers the question: Can Diet Reduce Recurrence Risk?Answer: There's not a lot of research with the role of nutrition after a diagnosis and after treatment for breast cancer. There is some research going on right now -- the Women's Healthy Eating and Living Study -- that's looking at the role of nutrition and reducing the risk of recurrence.

Eric Winer answers the question: Why Am I Gaining Weight With Treatment?Answer: Weight gain with breast cancer treatment is quite common. Studies have shown that with adjuvant chemotherapy, chemotherapy to prevent a recurrence of cancer, that weight gain is seen is as many as 50 percent or more women who receive treatment.

Mary Jane Massie answers the question: How Can I Explain Changes to Kids?Answer: Women who are diagnosed as having breast cancer may have children of very different ages. A woman who has children who are toddlers, infants or toddlers, likely will go through her breast cancer treatment without her children having any recollection that she had an illness or was away from home for some time for her treatment.

Question: What are my children's initial fears when learning of my breast cancer diagnosis?Dr. Michael Zevon answers the question: What Are My Children's Initial Fears?Answer: I think the first thing to realize is that fearfulness and anxiousness on the part of your children is to be expected.

Michael Zevon answers the question: How Can I Help My Family Cope?Answer: (The) family's response to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer can be quite dramatic. Most clearly, the family is threatened by the loss of a very important member.

Chairman, Department of Psychosocial Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer InstituteOctober 3, 2007 6:12:33 PM Question: Is it my imagination, or are some people avoiding me since they learned of my breast cancer diagnosis?Dr. Michael Zevon answers the question: Are People Avoiding Me After Diagnosis?Answer: Unfortunately, it's probably not your imagination.

Director, Barbara White Fishman Center for Psychological Counseling; Attending Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer CenterOctober 3, 2007 6:12:10 PM Question: How can I help a friend or loved one with breast cancer?Dr. Mary Jane Massie answers the question: How To Help Pals With Breast Cancer?Answer: I think increasingly what we're understanding is the best offer of help is not asking somebody what I can do, but saying: "Tuesday night I'm bringing over dinner.

It is our immune system that has failed us that allow breast cancer cells to grow. Laughter also produces endorphins in our body, which is one of the most effective ways to reduce pain.

Joseph Sparano answers the question: Will I Survive Breast Cancer?Answer: Well, most women who present with early-stage breast cancer, operable breast cancer, are cured of their disease. However, some patients who have early-stage disease will have a relapse of their disease at some point in the future.

Michael Zevon answers the question: Why Am I Embarrassed of Breast Cancer? Answer: I think any time you're diagnosed with a serious and potentially life-threatening illness, there's a period of adjustment when you realize that your life has changed in dramatic ways that you would not have chosen, obviously. Especially with cancer, I think there's a mythology that surrounds the diagnosis and treatment of cancer that can be quite powerful

And we like to tell women right up front this is likely what you're going to be experiencing because women often feel that there's something strange about the several weeks after a diagnosis of breast cancer.Most women tell me that initially they felt absolutely numb or blank.

But for centuries, extracts of mistletoe have been used to treat illness. It is said that way back in the time of the Druids, extracts of mistletoe were used to treat all kinds of ailments and illnesses.

R), Advanced Practice Nurse, Albany New York; President, Oncology Nursing SocietyOctober 1, 2007 9:38:36 AM Question: Is it safe to have a massage if you have or have had breast cancer?Georgia Decker answers the question: Is It Safe To Have A Massage?Answer: Massage therapy during cancer treatment or with a cancer diagnosis has recently been looked at. The massage therapy journal devoted an entire issue -- which would be the fall of 2000 -- and this journal was made available through some large bookstores and book chains because of the importance of it.

It's estimated that about 10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary (run in the family). In many of these cases, a person has inherited a gene from his or her parents that has mutated (changed from its normal form).