Wikispaces

Estrogen Plays A Role in Breast Cancer

Citation: "Breast Cancer Prevention Symptoms, Causes, Treatment - What Is the Link between Estrogen and Breast Cancer on MedicineNet." MedicineNet, Inc. Web. 25 Feb. 2011.

Credibility: Credibility: Melissa Conrad Stöppler (MD) is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with various training in the fields of Pathology. Dr. Stöppler has a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina.

Summary: Is there a link between estrogen and breast cancer? This article states that the ovaries produce female hormones called estrogen. Women are exposed to a high number of estrogen levels during the reproductive years. When menopause hits, the estrogen decreases. Estrogen helps prevent osteoporosis but associates with hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness as known as menopause.
The researchers of this topic said that if having estrogen over a long period of time can increase breast and uterine cancer. What estrogen does is it stimulates the cells of the breast. If breast cells are actively dividing are believed to have a bigger risk of DNA damage which can relate to risk of cancer forming.
Women who have early menstrual periods and late menopause are most likely to develop breast cancer compared to women with late periods and early menopause.

Risk Factors of Breast Cancer

Credibility: UpToDate was established to help clinicians have information about their patients and the well being of people around the world. It is one of the largest database information used around the web. Expert clinicians serve as authors, editors and more.

Summary: Not all women have the same risks of developing cancer in their life but 200, 000 women have been diagnosed with it each year. Some of the risks are inheriting the gene. Based upon each woman’s circumstances, they should pick as their own choice to be screened since all women are screened differently and at their own time. Also, breast cancer can occur without even having risk factors. Strong risk factors can include the age, family gene, and personal history of cancer that has been developed. Moderate risk factors are screenings of mammogram’s density, biopsy abnormalities, and exposure to radiation. Some risk factors can also include breast feeding, pregnancy, age of reproduction occurring, weight, alcohol, and also miscellaneous factors like the amount of exposure to light.

Credibility: Suzanne W. Fletcher (MD) is editor in chief of Adult Primary Care, editor of General Medicine, Professor of Population Medicine, and was in Harvard Medical School. The section editor is Daniel F. Hayes (MD) who is the editor of Breast Cancer, Professor of Medicine, and studied at the University Of Michigan School Of Medicine. The Deputy Editor is Rachel Lerner (MD, MS) which is the editor for Oncology.

Birth Weight Might be a Cause of Breast Cancer?

Summary: Studies have shown that breast cancer in adulthood is caused by the birth size and possibly birth length. Among the three hundred thirty cancer patients, the birth size was related to survival. Breast cancer with length of more than fifty two centimeters had twice the amount of dying patients. However, the birth weight showed no association with breast cancer survival. More experimentation is needed but a proof of birth lengths has reflected factors of mestasizal growth.

Citation: Maehle, Bjørn O., Lars J. Vatten, and Steinar Tretli. "Birth Length and Weight as Predictors of Breast Cancer Prognosis." BioMed Central. BMC Cancer, 26 Mar. 2010. Web. 10 Mar. 2011.

Credibility: Bjorn O. Maehle leads a section of pathology, the Gade Institute, and is in the University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. Also practices his work at the Haukland University Hospital of Bergen, Norway. Lars J. Vatten is in the Department of Public Health, Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway. Steinar Tretli is the last author who is in The Cancer Registry of Norway in Oslo, Norway.

Fruits and Vegetables Helps the Relapsation
Summary: This article is stating that eating more vegetables and fruits will help reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence by almost one third. However, it applies to only a few women, not all. Some researchers have said that women need to boost fiber intake and lower fat consumption. Women need to also take in twice the amount of vegetables and fruits as compared to 5 servings a day. There could be many ways to have a relapse on breast cancer, but there are preventions in relapsing to occur.
Credibility: Reuben Chow writes mostly about health and personal growth development topics. He expresses the uses of herbs and natural ingredients to better the body than fatty foods. He is writing for the naturalnews.com and for other more articles on the web.
Citation: Chow, Rueben. "High Intake of Fruits and Vegetables May Lower Risk of Breast Cancer Relapse." Natural News. Natural News Network, 13 Feb. 2009. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

Exercise Helps Cancer!

Summary: The research has shown that physical exercise reduces risks of breast cancer in women. Like many research projects, there will always be a flawed question; how much exercise should it take to prevent cancer? Out of the 3, 464 breast cancer patients and 6, 675 healthy women that the German Cancer Research Center and the University Hospitals of Hamburg-Eppendorf studied, risks of cancer was lowered down by one third. It also states that working out hard in the gym is not necessary but being physically involved is more promising to lower the risk of cancer especially physical activity during postmenopausal period.

Credibility: Pdazzler is a source provided by a doctor in hoping that the treatments are practiced today. He wants someone to provide hope in yourself and someone you love. He was diagnosed with cancer also but still fights it.

Citation: "Breast Cancer and Exercise."
Pdazzler. WordPress, 20 Jan. 2009. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

Background of Breast Cancer
Summary: This article is explaining what breast cancer is. It first starts in the cell of the breast to form a tumor as known as a malignant tumor. How does it start in the breast some may ask? Well some may start in the lining of the ducts or lobules which is where breast milk is either made or tubes carrying breast milk.

If breast cancer is not early detected, then it could spread to the lymph nodes, small groups of immune fighting cells. If spreaded under the arm, then most likely, Stage II of cancer has progressed in the body. This means that cancer can spread to the organs which can be very fatal.

As of the year 2010, about 40, 000 deaths are caused because of breast cancer in women.

There are many types of breast cancer listed, but most commonly, people use “stages”. For example, Stage I is a low risk of cancer spreading. Stage II is on the boundaries of cancer spreading to lymph nodes then spreading to the organs.

Citation: "What Is Breast Cancer?"
Everyday Health. American Cancer Society, Inc., 12 Nov. 2010. Web. 4 Feb. 2011.

Credibility:  The American Cancer Society is a health organization to help with cancer because cancer is a huge process to eliminate. They try to save lives and help those who are in need because of cancer. This Cancer Society was founded in 1913 by 15 physicians under their first name known as American Society for the Control of Cancer (ASCC).

Vitamin D Defiency
URL: http://www.naturalnews.com/030859_vitamin_D_breast_cancer.html

Citation: Gutierrez, David. "Vitamin D Levels Found to Be Extremely Low in Women with Breast Cancer."
Natural News. Natural News Network, 29 Dec. 2010. Web. 14 Jan. 2011.

Credibility: David Gutirrez writes about health issues that involves with American's today. He is a staff writer at naturalnews.com

Summary: There might be a link by having a low level of Vitamin D in the body therefore causing Breast Cancer. Researchers found out that the lower the level of vitamin D, then the significant triple-negative cancer will show. What does this all mean? It means that this type of cancer is the most aggressive to treat and drugs will not help at all. The statistics that are provided by these researchers states that the rates are higher in Hispanic or Black women because of their dark pigmentation. Why does this occur? Researcher, Susan Steck stated, “"We know that darker skin pigmentation acts somewhat as a block to producing vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, which is the primary source of vitamin D in most people.” If comparing white women with percent levels of vitamin D deficiency, it is only 15 percent versus black or Hispanic women which had a high 60 percent deficiency.

Breast Cancer Info
URL: http://www.tirgan.com/brstcan.htm

Citation: "Breast Cancer."
Tirgan. Web. 9 Feb. 2011.

Credibility: Since this author is online based, then the creator created this website based on the fact that they wanted everyone to know about cancer care. They just wanted to give an easier access for knowledge in cancer.

Summary: About 200,000 women are diagnosed with cancer every year, and one fourth of them will die. Therefore, mammograms are high encouraged because it can detect cancer at an early stage. For instance, if swelling in the breast occurs, even the slightest, a recommendation of a doctor’s visit is highly encouraged. The question is what natural things happen to make breast cancer develop? A few listings are radiation exposure, menstruation at an early age, or even genetically linked. Now, if cancer has spreaded, it can spread too many different places including the lymph glands or liver. This will only happen if the cancer is left untreated which is in the hands of the person with cancer.


Are mammograms the cause of breast cancer?
URL: http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/news/News/mammograms-reduce-breast-cancer-deaths-studies-show

Citation:
Berger, Eleni. "Mammograms Reduce Breast Cancer Deaths." American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society, LLC, 30 Sept. 2010. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.

Credibility: Eleni Berger is a managing editor at the American Cancer Society. She does many articles on cancer for people to read about. Not only does she edit for the American Cancer Society, she edits for CNN.com also.

Summary: The American Cancer Society said that regular check-ups and mammograms in women reduce breast cancer deaths. It will detect any lumps or future lumps in the breast by screenings. However, how many screenings are needed? This topic has been argued for months because the screenings involve radiation which is still bad for the body, but the screenings always are helpful. This is why the American Cancer Society and doctors around the world has recommended mammogram screenings once a year. Mammograms are done once a year, but a self examination can be done at any time to check any lumps. If anything different, then a doctor should be involved.


Stages of Breast Cancer
URL: http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/guide/stages-breast-cancer

Citation: "What Are the Stages of Breast Cancer?"
WebMD. WebMD, LLC, 20 June 2009. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

Credibility: WebMD is a website on health information for the public to use. There is no specific author listed in the article.


Summary: Descriptions of Breast Cancer stages are listed as early stage, stage 1, stage 2A, stage 2B, stage 3A, stage 3B, stage 3C, and then to stage 4. Early stage is when basically the cancer spreads with little evidence. Not even a mammogram can detect this stage. Stage 1 is when it grows a little from a centimeter or two in diameter. Stage 2A is when the cancer spreads across the lymph nodes and could be a little larger than five centimeters. The cancer is maybe benign or malignant, depending if the cancer is treated or not. After stage 2A, stage 2B tests positive for cancer by the lymph nodes in the underarm. Locally advanced breast cancer or as known as Stage 3A grows larger than five centimeters which also spreads to the lymph nodes making it a malignant tumor. Stage 3B breast cancer spreads into the skin, beneath the breast. At this rate, chemotherapy might not even help. Stage 3C cancer spreads more heavily than the other stages listed above. Lastly, Stage 4 spreads to the organs, which can cause death to many people.

DNA uncoded maybe the cause of breast cancer
 URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101216161734.htm

Credibility: Science Daily is used a lot for its popular science on news. Science daily was started in 1995, and has been loyal to a lot of researchers, healthcare professionals, and students that can view this website around the world.

Citation: "Key Information About Breast Cancer Risk and Development Is Found in 'junk' DNA."
Science Daily. Science Daily LLC, 16 Dec. 2010. Web. 27 Mar. 2011.

Summary: Researchers from the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have found a new genetic biomarker that releases information for risk of getting breast cancer in an individual’s non-coded DNA. The team of researchers said that if the longer the DNA sequences then the more possible for breast cancer to be found in breast cancer patients than fit volunteers. Meaning, the majority of the non-coding DNA is more susceptible in having a cancer than coded DNA sequences.
"We've become increasingly aware that non-coded DNA has an important function related to human disease," said Michael Skinner, M.D., professor of pediatric surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and collaborator on the project. He wants to go in depth with this research because this is not the first time that this case has been brought up. The non coded DNA could have a possible link in many types of cancer and diseases. What this research will do is create some type of medicine to interact with these types of “gene” to go back to a normal range instead of it being not normal.
Mullet, another known researcher on this case wants to lessen patient’s time by screening less about breast cancer, and just stick to the mammogram. However, a mammogram will not always detect cancer like it is invented to do so.
This research project is one of the first cases that will need extra time on to find additional information.


MRI's helping breast cancer

Credibility: Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) is the largest institution that has dedication in the cure of cancer. It was created in 2001 by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine, and Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center.

Citation: "New Information About Using MRI Scans To Screen For Breast Cancer."
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, 26 Mar. 2007. Web. 18 Feb. 2011.

Summary: Dr. Constance Lehman of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance has a new study by using MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) where it scans women with breast cancer that were missed by clinical examinations or mammography. She states that having an MRI scan on the other breast will effectively double numbers found in women of cancer.

Basically, instead of waiting for cancer to develop again on the other breast, an MRI can detect cancer on the other breast and doctors can treat it right away. This research will hopefully avoid unnecessary mastectomies and more assurance of breast cancer free.

However, the American Cancer Society announced that if having an MRI with mammograms yearly, then the risk of breast cancer will show up. So therefore, screen test only once a year to prevent the risk from increasing but make sure to have one yearly for the detection.


Genetics of Breast Cancer

Summary: Breast Cancer is mainly caused by genetic changes of somatic cells. Inheritance of the disease is occasionally. Chromosome 17q21 is the local gene for inherited susceptibility to cancer in families with the disease also. Genetic analysis was made for the region so that they could prove that the gene make up was of Chromosome 17q21 as the gene cell for gene inheritance for breast cancer.

Citation: Hall, JM, LA Anderson, B. Huey, MC King, JE Morrow, B. Newman, and MK Lee. "Linkage of Early-Onset Familial Breast Cancer to Chromosome 17q21."
Science 21 Dec. 1990: 1684-689. American Association for the Advancement of Science. Web. 4 Mar. 2011.
Credibility: JM Hall, MK Lee, B Newman, JE Morrow, LA Anderson, B Huey and MC King are strong writers and their article was published in Science Magazine. They went to the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley.


Pychological Standings after Chemo
SUMMARY: Studies from the National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference on Adjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer said that long term cancer survivors have a very low standard of quality of life when they received chemotherapy. As the research progressed, they found that women, who did chemotherapy for the breast cancer, suffered worse pains after chemotherapy medicine such as musculoskeletal pain and vaginal problems. They of course improved with the cancer much better, but other things developed because of the chemotherapy.
 
CITATION:
Ganz, Patricia Ganz A., Annette L. Stanton, Julienne E. Bower, Thomas R. Belin, and Lorna Kwan. "Physical and Psychosocial Recovery in the Year After Primary Treatment of Breast Cancer." Journal of Clinical Oncology. American Society of Clinical Oncology, 7 Feb. 2011. Web. 4 Mar. 2011.
CREDIBILITY: Patricia A. Ganz, Lorna Kwan, Annette L. Stanton, Julienne E. Bower and Thomas R. Belin all wrote this article for the Journal of Clinical Oncology. They are from the School of Public Health, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine and Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology.


Smoking causing Breast Cancer?
Citation: Boffetta, Paolo. "Is Breast Cancer Associated with Tobacco Smoking?" Comp. Philippe Autier. BMJ. BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, 1 Mar. 2011. Web. 10 Mar. 2011.
Credibility: Tisch Cancer Institute and Institute for Transitional Epidemiology is in New York, NY that has written many articles on medicine. They write for health for the sake of people around the world.
Summary: Different countries have made a careful eye to women because they have chosen to smoke tobacco like men do. They either smoke it or they have secondhand smoke which can cause breast cancer. These smoking habits have changed for many years now to women smoking more than men do. Researcher Luo have found out that smoking will dramatically increase the risk of breast cancer more in postmenopausal women.
Tobacco will always be a risk in being diagnosed with cancer. The experiments show that many dosage of tobacco has increased the risk and further experimentation should be needed.
If a woman has smoked any tobacco products, then the mammography can pick up the screening of cancer. However, the secondhand smoking exposure is very puzzling since it is not a high intake of tobacco. Also, alcohol has seen more in single women because of having no one around. Alcohol plays an important role as second hand smoking because there are still experiments taken place to prove why cancer is caused by this.