What Happens During A Mammogram?

If you or someone you know is suspected of having breast cancer, they will have to undergo a mammogram. To learn more about mammograms, continue reading this article. Throughout the article we will discuss what a mammogram is, as well as the purpose of a mammogram. We will also discuss what to expect during a mammogram examination, what to expect once the examination is completed, and what doctors will look for in your results.

Let us begin our discussion by defining what a mammogram is and discovering the purpose of a mammogram. A mammogram is a type of x-ray that is conducted on the breast. This x-ray is used to diagnose breast cancer in women who have shown signs or symptoms of the disease. For those who have fear of radiation, mammograms are completely safe and use extremely low doses of radiation that cannot lead to any harm.

What should you expect if you are having a mammogram conducted?

Upon entering the room, you will be asked to undress above the waist and you will be given a hospital top to wear. Once you are dressed and ready to begin, your technologist will position your breasts. During the mammogram, your breasts will be placed between 2 plates. These plates are designed to help spread the tissue of your breasts so that they can be more easily examined. Once your breasts are placed between the plates, they will be gently flattened. While this can be slightly uncomfortable, the compression only lasts for a few seconds.

The entire procedure is very quick, and should take no more than 20 minutes. Once the procedure is completed, a black and white x-ray will be produced for your health care professional to examine in further detail.

What will your health care professional look for in your mammogram results?

When examining your results, doctors will look for two types of changes, calcifications and masses. A calcification is a tiny mineral deposit that will appear as small white spots on your x-ray film.

If these are present, they may or may not be cancerous. A mass can be a variety of different things including a cyst, a non-cancerous tumor, or cancer. If a mass is found within your results, further tests will be conducted to determine whether or not it is cancerous.

If you have been instructed by your doctor to have a mammogram completed, do not panic - very few mammogram results lead to a diagnosis of breast cancer.

Regardless of age, every woman should be engaging in yearly breast examinations (conducted by a health care professional). Engaging in regular breast check ups will ensure that, if you ever were to develop breast cancer, it would be caught during its earliest stages. If you have not done it already, book an appointment with your doctor now.

When it comes to breast cancer, it is better to be safe than sorry!

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Raw Food Diet For Cancer Patients

I was reading the other day again from Dr. Robert Morse's book the chapter about raw food diet for cancer patients. And I was once again amazed by the breakthrough information presented in a very condensed form, but still very easy and interesting to read.

What I want to stress in this short article is an idea which I think is important in the light of so much information about raw food and cancer patients that is now available on the internet.

And that idea is that the raw food diet for cancer patients is different from the raw food diet for other health conditions.

Now, I don't want to say that there aren't certain raw foods which are stronger in their effect on cancer than others.

But, the point I am trying to clarify is that a raw diet will help heal any type of illness, including cancer.

So, if you make the transition to the raw lifestyle you will also be on your way of regaining your health if you have been diagnosed with cancer.

A real story comes to my mind right now.

A man was diagnosed with cancer. And after following the traditional procedures and treatment the doctor prescribed him, he was told that the cancer progressed and he had only a few short months to live.

So, it was better for him to go home, because there was nothing else medicine could do to him.

As he walked out of the hospital, sad and discouraged, he went through a market.

And there he saw some red grapes. He bought a few pounds and started eating them.

He continued to do this, transforming it in a habit, since he couldn't eat much else of cooked food.

Waiting to die and death not coming, he went back to the hospitals for analyses. After the results came, he was surprised to find out that his cancer was on remission.

You can imagine his joy at this amazing news.

We can rightly say that this man stumbled on the raw food diet for cancer patients.

And that is my point. Don't wait to find a raw diet which is specifically designed for cancer patients.

Start with the best raw food program available to you. Or, start eating raw right away. The benefits will not delay to show in your life.

And then you can get the extra edge with a few more veggies and fruits which you can include in your diet.

Also, juicing is a must for a cancer patient.

Expand on this idea, presented in this article, about the raw food diet for cancer patients. Find out more about Dr. Robert Morse's book and see a video testimony of a patient who had stage 4 breast cancer and now is cured. Visit http://cancerwinner.org/ to find a good raw food program.

Original article

Breast Cancer Reconstruction With Implants

Breast cancer reconstruction is an option for many women who have had to have a mastectomy. This procedure allows the surgeon to restore the shape of the breasts. This type of surgery is not necessary but many women feel it is a beneficial thing because it gives them confidence. Having the procedure performed can be safe and it can be life changing. Making the decision to go ahead with it is a big one, though.

The Use of Implants

There are many types of procedures for reconstruction. However, breast cancer reconstruction with implants is one of the most common. In this procedure, your surgeon will add devices filled with a silicone or saline solution into the wall of the chest where your breasts were located. These products are filled with a gel-like material, which gives you a natural feel and helps to create a comfortable shape for your body. The procedure is quite similar to having implants for enlarging these tissues.

Risks

As with all surgical procedures, breast cancer reconstruction procedures do have some risks. The worst of these risks involve poor healing of the wound, a rupture of the implant, deflation of the implant or protrusion of the implant through the actual tissue. However, these remain very rare. Other risks include infection, excessive bleeding, changes in the sensations in the breasts and an increased risk of needing additional surgical procedures in the future.

What Are the Results?

Having breast cancer reconstruction can help to provide a patient with a more natural body shape. However, there are risks involved in terms of the outcome of the procedure. Many times, your surgeon will work with you ahead of the procedure to create a plan of action. He or she will discuss size, shape and other implications that could affect the outcome. Generally, though, this procedure can do numerous things to enhance your body.

- It can help to give your body more contour in this area.

- It helps you to avoid the need for any external prosthesis to make a masectomy unnoticeable.

- It can help to improve the symmetry in your breasts so they look more natural under your clothing.

- It can boost your own body image and give you the confidence you deserve.

- It can also help to reduce the physical reminders of your fight against this deadly disease.

Breast cancer reconstruction is something to talk to a cosmetic surgeon about before you disregard it. For many women, it can give them back the same feel and sensations they used to have. They can feel better about themselves and about the way clothing fits on their bodies. For many, this is a very empowering experience.

A breast cancer reconstruction surgery can help you maintain your natural look. Talk to a specialist about the options you have: http://www.breastcenter.com/.

Original article

Picky, Picky Protocel

I love Protocel! Protocel is a non-toxic alternative cancer treatment that I've been using to treat my breast cancer for the last 3&1/2 years. More and more people are like me, choosing to forego conventional treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, and are instead turning to alternative treatments like Protocel to treat their cancer.

My success with Protocel however has kind of been 2 steps forward and 1 step back. The reason that I've had mixed success with Protocel is Protocel is very picky. There several things that interfere with the effectiveness of Protocel so I will attempt to explain some of them here.

One of the most common things that interferes with Protocel is Vitamin C. I found that out first hand. I didn't know that Vitamin C interfered with Protocel and I was ingesting 7-9 fruits and vegetables a day, and also drinking about 2 glasses of cranberry juice a day. I thought that I was doing a good thing. Still, Protocel fought valiantly against my cancer and kept it at bay. However, an MRI revealed that there was a suspicious looking spot at 6:00 on my breast. Ingesting too much Vitamin C was my first mistake.

My Dr. and I decided that I needed to have an MRI guided needle biopsy. Sure enough the biopsy revealed that I was having a recurrence. But now my real trouble started. After my biopsy I stayed red, swollen, and sore. I was not healing. In fact, I was getting worse and worse. Within 4 weeks I had a mass the size of a grapefruit in my breast. The biopsy busted the cancer loose and made me worse. Since then, I have heard many similar stories of surgery causing the cancer to spread. Even a needle biopsy is a pretty invasive procedure. Having a needle biopsy was my second mistake.

So now I have a mass the size of a grapefruit in my breast. I think to myself, I don't want to make any more mistakes. I really want to make sure that I don't do anything that would interfere with Protocel again. I found out that I can only eat 2 fruit's a day, and then only the fruit's that are low in Vitamin C. No citrus, no strawberries, no broccoli, no juice. No more than 100 mgs. Vitamin C a day.

So now we're good! I'm following my Protocel protocol correctly, not too much Vitamin C. I'm good! I am once again making progress and reversing my cancer. All my tests and scans show improvement. Now I love Protocel, but the one thing that I will say about it, is that it is kind of slow. My grapefruit mass has softened up and is now about the size of an orange. So, I start researching to see if I can add something to my protocol to speed things up. I became interested in something called Taheebo tea. My research shows that it is compatible with Protocel and there are fantastic testimonies that it works pretty fast. I decide to go for it and I order the tea. After about 2 month's into drinking the tea, I start to feel some soreness in my breast. Then I feel a new lesion on my areola, (I know, too much information!) An MRI confirms that I've had some progression in the disease.

I called up Dr. Cassidy at the Vitamin Depot, (where I order my Protocel from.) We had 2 heart to heart talks. She informed me that she thinks that because Taheebo tea works by a chelation type process, it probably also chelates the Protocel and causes it to become ineffective. Oh Oh! Mistake # 3.

The following is a comprehensive list of things that interfere with the effectiveness of Protocel:

Any chemotherapy drugs except for 5FU and Xeloda.

Vitamin C, Vitamin E, CoQ10, Selenium, Essiac Tea, Hoxsey Therapy, Poly-MVA, Acetyl-Cysteine, LifeOne, Alpha lipoic acid, Ginsengs of all types, High-dose Magnesium, L-Lipoic acid, L-Carnitine, Iodine, Creatine, MSM, Rhodiola Rosea, Glutamine, Taurine, D-Ribose, Fish Oil, Resveratrol, L-Cysteine, Homeopathics, Flax Oil, Burdock Root, Ozone, Cesium, Zeolite, Rife Treatments, 714X, Antineoplastons Cat's Claw, Flaxseed Oil with Cottage Cheese.

I would also like to add Taheebo tea to this list, (also known as Lapacho or Pau D'Arco,) based on my experience.

This may not be a complete list so it is best to avoid taking anything that you don't absolutely have to take just to be sure. Most prescriptions are ok but it is probably best to take them at least an hour or two away from your Protocel dose just to be sure.

Much more complete information on the best way to use Protocel can be found in a book called, "Outsmart Your Cancer," by Tanya Harter Pierce, and is a must read for anyone considering using Protocel to treat their cancer. Her book is packed with information about many different alternative cancer treatments and I consider it my cancer, "Bible."

As for me, I am once again making progress on reversing my disease. My last MRI showed improvement and I am confident, that barring any more stupid mistakes, I'm going to beat this disease once and for all!

For more information about Protocel, how it works, it's effectiveness, the research behind it, check out author Laurie Bassart's article called, "Protocel, an Alternative Non-Toxic Way to Defeat Cancer." and much more on her website: http://alternatives4cancer.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laurie_Bassart

Original article

Komen Tag-Teamed by Planned Parenthood, Politics and Women

Could anyone have expected the boxing match that occurred last week when Susan G Komen for the Cure announced they were severing funding for Planned Parenthood while the latter is under federal investigation for alleged improper use of funds? And, the punches have not even begun to end as the outcry from political organizations and women saying they cannot forgive Komen, even though that decision was reversed, continue to tag-team Komen.

As a seventeen year breast cancer survivor, I am greatly dismayed and disheartened as I watch the punches being thrown by those using the decision as a platform to promote their agenda. I have stayed involved in the cancer community as a coach, advisor and prayer companion for others on their personal cancer journey and, as such, have some very strong opinions regarding the spiritual, political and personal aspects of what has transpired since last Wednesday. However, it is my opinion that we need to step out of the boxing ring and start using some common sense.

Komen is a non-profit organization as is Planned Parenthood. They have strict guidelines that they must adhere to or they risk losing their 501(c)(3) status. Although giving funds to other non-profit organizations during a federal investigation is not one of the criteria for losing a 501(c)(3) status, think about the potential ramifications of any such organization giving funds to another such organization if the latter WAS found guilty of the allegations. This could very easily become a "guilty by association" and lead to federal investigating of the funding organization. Apply this common sense concept to these two organizations and the potential ramifications for Komen being pulled into a federal investigation are greatly increased since the very subject of the federal investigation into Planned Parenthood is improper use of funds.

Why would Komen naively subject their organization to such scrutiny for what appears to be around 10% or their total annual funding? (In 2011 the amount given to Planned Parenthood in grants was $680,000.) It was a brilliant business move, for the Komen board, to change their criteria to disallow funding organizations under federal investigation. This move would have allowed for future funding to Planned Parenthood if the investigation proved there was no wrong-doing on the latter's part.

In my opinion, it is very unfortunate that Komen buckled under the punches they received from organizations and individuals alike. They have been left in a heap in the middle of the boxing ring yet many are still taking punches under the guise of "saving lives". Planned Parenthood, has disclosed that the vast majority of their family planning/abortion clinics across the nation, do not offer mammograms. They outsource mammograms to medical clinics whose services include cancer screening. In other words, the funds granted by Komen to Planned Parenthood are used by Planned Parenthood to pay for the services underprivileged women receive from other healthcare providers. Why not give funds to these organizations directly if they qualify for funding?

Komen needs to catch their breath, stand up proudly and defend their original decision to cut-off funding to Planned Parenthood. Lives will continue to be saved whether or not Komen ever gives Planned Parenthood another penny.

You can personally help save lives by going to: http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2

Simply click in the box and you will give the gift of a mammogram to someone who needs it.

Please choose to click instead of punch.

Carin Hansen was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40. After a long battle she emerged victorious and began a one-on-one wardrobe and beauty consulting business for other women journeying through cancer. She has been a model, actress, talent agency owner, benefit founder, certified acting/modeling instructor, writer, speaker and passionate cancer advocate. Please visit Carin's website at http://www.bridges2beauty.net/ for information and encouragement that is helpful and hopeFULL. You can purchase a hard copy of her book "A Woman's Cancer Journey Primer" or upload a free PDF on the website also. It is important to remember that Carin is not a physician and does not subscribe to or recommend any particular medical procedure or alternative treatment. She strongly urges you to consult with your Primary Physician, Oncologist and/or Surgeon before implementing any of her suggestions found in her articles, newsletter, blogs and books.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carin_Hansen

Original article

Control and Prevention of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the women both in the developed and developing countries. The incidence of this is increasing rapidly due to certain reasons such as increased urbanization, adoption of western or modern life style and increase life expectancy, however the risk can be reduced with the help of prevention but elimination of these factors can't reduce the risk of breast cancer in the population with low and middle income countries where women are diagnosed with breast cancer at a late stage. Early diagnosis for improving breast cancer outcome and survival remains the foundation stone of breast cancer control. In the middle and low income countries the strategy for early detection is the awareness of warning signs and symptoms of the breast cancer so that women can notice them as they take place. Women are also advised to go for clinical examination so that the anomalies can be noticed by the health experts in time and treatment can be started as well.

Significance of Early Detection

As mentioned above early detection is of utmost importance to cure the cancer completely so every possible mean should be utilized to make early detection probable. Breast screening is expensive so it is not easy to afford so for this reason it is advised to the women in developed countries with good health infrastructure where it is easy for them to continue a long term program of screening. Screening is one of the most effective methods to catch cancer at initial stage when it is easily manageable and can be treated easily by using a number of treatment options.

Self breast exam is recommended to the women of all ages for being in touch with breasts on regular basis as women breasts are likely to develop the changes over the time due to certain reasons like breasts change due to higher level of estrogen before the periods is natural, but it is also possible for breasts to develop some unusual changes as well that may lead to the development.

What Does Comprehensive Cancer Control Involve?

Comprehensive cancer control involves the knowledge of early detection, prevention strategies, detection and treatment, rehabilitation etc. If a woman is aware of all these things she can take better care of her breasts and she can reduce the risk of death with this most dreadful disease of the women world as woman herself can do it in a well manner.

Breast Cancer Prevention

If a woman takes control of the modifiable risk factors she can reduce the risk of being attacked by the disease to a great extent. Modifiable risk factors include healthy diet, physical activity, alcohol intake; maintenance of the body weight could have a strong impact on the reduction of breast cancer risk. Most of the women are unaware of the fact that these life style factors can have a strong impact on the risk of being attacked by this most common disease of the women world.

James is a blogger and writer. He usually writes about breast cancer, self breast exam and breast screening. You can contact him directly at james@breastlight.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J._Blunt

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