A Few Facts About Time To Treatment:
- The average time from the date of cancer diagnosis to the day of lumpectomy surgery is about 32 days. The average time to mastectomy surgery is about 40 days.
- It can take anywhere from 3 to 12 months from cancer diagnosis to complete your final treatments, and up to ten years if you need hormonal therapy. It is a marathon. Conserve your emotional and physical efforts for the challenges ahead.
Is Radiation Therapy Necessary If The Margins Of The Removed Tissue Are Clear
Many studies have reviewed this approach for patients with invasive cancers. Nearly all show that the risk of relapse in the breast is much higher when radiation is not used than when it is . When breast cancer re-occurs locally after breast conservation surgery, patients may then need to have a mastectomy to be cured. Because having breast cancer reappear in this way is a very traumatic psychological event, and because not everyone who has a recurrence in the breast can be cured, radiation therapy after lumpectomy has become a standard part of breast-conserving therapy.
There are several recent studies in which older patients with small, favorable invasive cancers have had a low risk of local relapse when treated with lumpectomy and hormonal therapy without radiation therapy. There is still uncertainty about the long-term results with this approach or about which individuals will do best without radiation therapy. This issue should be discussed in detail with your doctor.
Prognosis Following The Use Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine In Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer
This analysis, by Saquib et al, was a secondary analysis of the Womens Healthy Eating and Living study. It looked at 2562 breast cancer survivors and surveyed for rejection of systemic treatment and use of CAM following surgical resection. All women had to be aged 18-70 and had operable Stage I-IIIa breast cancer. In this group, 177 women were identified who declined systemic treatment. 80% of this group used CAM. Compared to women that took chemotherapy, women that declined systemic treatment had a 90% greater risk of an additional breast cancer event, and the risk of death increased by 70%. CAM use had no effect on this finding. In addition, the lack of effect was consistent between high supplement users and low supplement users. The authors concluded that women that decline systemic treatment are at greater risk for subsequent recurrence and death due to breast cancer. The use of CAM had no measurable effect on the recurrence of breast cancer or on the risk of subsequent death.
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Medically Reviewed by: Dr. BautistaUpdated on: September 1, 2021
Whether youre researching breast cancer treatment plans for yourself, a family member, or a friend you might initially feel like conventional therapy options are the only way to go when fighting ones diagnosis of cancer.;
These traditional treatments for breast cancer include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery, but alternative medicine offers the chance to do something different. There are strict regulations that the U.S. has against doctors providing less invasive and non-invasive holistic treatments, which is why leaders in alternative therapies and complementary treatments can predominantly be found in Tijuana, Mexico.
When putting up a fight against breast cancer, alternative medicine is the best medical treatment, as it focuses on building your system up rather than tearing it down. At ITC, we dont just want to kill cancerous cells we want to keep you healthy in body and spirit while we do it.
Read on to learn about alternative treatment for breast cancer.;
Nutritions Key Role In Beating Cancer
Your body, right now, is executing hundreds of functions, and most if not all of them are dependent upon nutrient stores and nutrient input. Everything we breathe and eat is metabolized broken down and turned into energy that each cell can access and process. With cancer cells metabolizing energy poorly, natural cancer protocols often center around flooding the body with nutrients. Another aspect of an effective cancer diet is to exclude foods that further weaken cells and disrupt the microbe balance in the body.
Cancer diets come in all shapes and sizes, with a number of protocols for various needs. Finding an adequate cancer diet is an ongoing study with constant revelations and revisions to improve efficacy against each kind of cancer and stage. There are some unifying principles that all of them follow, though, because we know there are certain things that feed cancer cells and certain things that help the body overcome it.
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Outcome Analysis Of Breast Cancer Patients Who Declined Evidence
Here is the recent paper I referred to above, which studied women with breast cancer in Northern Alberta who refused standard treatments.; It was also a chart review with a matched pair analysis that compared survival with those that; received conventional cancer care. Between 1980 and 2006 they identified 185 women that refused cancer care following diagnosis by biopsy. Women older than 75 were excluded from the analysis because this population is generally not included in clinical trials and active treatment regimens. In addition, women that accepted surgery, but rejected chemotherapy/radiation were excluded from the analysis. To qualify, women had to have rejected all conventional care. The final population studied was 87 women, most of whom presented with early disease. Most were married, over the age of 50, and urban residents. In this group, the primary treatment was CAM in 58%, and was unknown in the remainder. Some women in this group eventually accepted cancer care, and the average delay was 20-30 weeks due to CAM use.
The results were grim. The 5 year overall survival was 43% for women that declined cancer care, and 86% for women that received conventional cancer care. For cancer-specific survival survival was 46% vs. 85% in those that took cancer care. The survival curves are ugly:
All causes of deaths and deaths due to breast cancer only
The authors compared the CAM group to those where treatment plan was not known:
Supplementing The Diet In A Cancer Protocol
Supplements also play a key role in natural cancer remedies, boosting the bodys supply of certain nutrients beyond what the diet can provide. Check your protocol and consult with your wellness professionals before adding supplements, of course, because natural substances are powerful and should be treated with respect. Here are a few supplements likely to be included in your natural protocol.
Probiotics & Enzymes. Digestive support plays many roles in wellness. For cancer therapy, it helps to maximize the effects of the nutritional efforts were making as well as providing microbial support for the immune system and cellular health.
One approach is through proteolytic enzymes, which has been studied as an element of cancer therapy since the early 1900s when John Beard first discussed the potential that pancreatic proteolytic enzymes had to defend the body against cancer. In the early 1980s, it gained traction as an alternative, and we have only learned more since then.
In 2008, researchers published their findings on proteolytic enzymeA protein that speeds up chemical reactions in the body. therapy in the journal Integrative Cancer Therapies. They detailed impressive findings: These studies demonstrated that systemic enzyme therapy significantly decreased tumor-induced and therapy-induced side effects and complaints such as nausea, gastrointestinal complaints, fatigue, weight loss, and restlessness and obviously stabilized the quality of life.
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How Is Breast Cancer Treated
Breast cancer is treated in several ways. It depends on the kind of breast cancer and how far it has spread.
Breast cancer is treated in several ways. It depends on the kind of breast cancer and how far it has spread. People with breast cancer often get more than one kind of treatment.
- Surgery. An operation where doctors cut out cancer tissue.
- Chemotherapy. Using special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer cells. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins, or sometimes both.
- Hormonal therapy. Blocks cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow.
- Biological therapy. Works with your bodys immune system to help it fight cancer cells or to control side effects from other cancer treatments.
- Radiation therapy. Using high-energy rays to kill the cancer cells.
Doctors from different specialties often work together to treat breast cancer. Surgeons are doctors who perform operations. Medical oncologists are doctors who treat cancer with medicine. Radiation oncologists are doctors who treat cancer with radiation.
For more information, visit the National Cancer Institutes Breast Cancer Treatment Option Overview.external icon;This site can also help you find health care services.external icon
What Are The Potential Side Effects Of Chemotherapy Drugs
The specific side effects you may experience will depend on the type and amount of medications you are given and how long you are taking them. The most common temporary side effects include:
- Higher risk of infection
- Bruising or bleeding
- Premature menopause and infertility are potential permanent complications of chemotherapy.
- Heart damage can be a permanent complication of some chemotherapy.
Please contact your health care provider about specific side effects you can expect to experience from your specific chemotherapy medications. Also discuss troubling or unmanageable side effects with your provider.
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How Do I Know Which Breast Cancer Treatment To Choose
Your doctor will think about a few things before they recommend a treatment for you:
- The type of breast cancer you have
- The size of your tumor and how far the cancer has spread in your body, called the stage of your disease
- Whether your tumor has things called receptors for HER2 protein, estrogen, and progesterone, or other specific features.
Your age, whether youâve gone through menopause, other health conditions you have, and your personal preferences also play a role in this decision-making process.
Tips To Help You Choose
Although there are some typical breast cancer treatment regimens, women do have choices.
- Talk with your doctor about all the risks and benefits of each treatment option and how they will affect your lifestyle.
- Think about joining a support group. Other people with breast cancer know what youâre going through and can give you advice and understanding. They might help you decide on a treatment, too.
- Ask your doctor whether you should join a clinical trial, a research study that tests new treatments before theyâre available to everyone.
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Lifestyle Changes After Breast Cancer
Lifestyle Changes after Breast Cancer Treatment: Conversations on Survival. A group of breast cancer survivors openly discuss what lifestyle changes were continued or changed after treatment. The importance of living in the moment, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and knowing what is really important in life are all discussed.
To help yourself better cope with the side effects of breast cancer treatment and to reduce your chances of breast cancer recurrence, try incorporating these healthy tips:
1) Take care of yourself emotionally
- Put your needs first sometimes
- Attend a support group or find a breast cancer survivor you can talk with
- Stay informed about new breast cancer research
- Consider psychotherapy and/or antidepressants if warranted; if youre taking tamoxifen, check with your oncologist to ensure the prescribed antidepressant does not interfere with your endocrine treatment
- Communicate with your doctor about fears or concerns
- Volunteer or become a breast cancer advocate
2) Take care of yourself physically
- Exercise regularly
- Report any physical changes to either your oncologist or primary care provider
- Seek treatment for lymphedema if you experience signs
3) Eat healthy
Research has shown that a diet high in fat and calories increases circulating estrogen in the blood. Consuming a low fat and low calorie diet after breast cancer can improve your overall health and wellness. Here are some dietary suggestions:
4) Reduce stress
5) Limit alcohol
6) Exercise regularly
Who Uses Cam Instead Of Medicine
So how would a decision to accept no treatment, or to only use alternative medicine, compare to conventional cancer care ? And what about delaying conventional cancer care to allow a trial of alternative medicine does it have a measurable effect? Answering this question isnt straightforward.; In cancer research, new drugs are typically added to, or follow, established therapies, so all patients receive standard treatment options as part of their care. So we cant ethically randomize patients to nothing, when established treatments exist. But we can answer this question in a different way: Patients that voluntarily opt out of cancer treatment can be followed, and compared to patients that do take cancer treatment. While it isnt a prospective randomization, which would be the gold standard, its the best we can get. But even this approach is difficult. Most patients who decide to opt-out of cancer treatment, also opt-out of any follow-up evaluation. So tracking down patients, and their outcomes, is essential.
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Ten Lifestyle Changes That May Help
All breast cancer survivors live with the concern about a recurrence or a new cancer. This fear is usually the biggest worry of all. Many women feel that their body has betrayed them and therefore it takes time to trust it again.
Learning how to cope with fears of recurrence is important. Though your body has gone through many changes as a result of a cancer diagnosis and treatment, most women become healthy, strong and optimistic once again.
How To Fight Cancer With Nutrition: 7 Foods To Never Ignore
According to the;National Cancer Institute, there were approximately 15 million individuals living with cancer in the United states in 2015. Clearly, the numbers are rising and an increasing percentage of our loved ones are being diagnosed with this disease.
Thus, the question remains, are we treating cancer effectively? Is there more we could be doing to combat this epidemic and fight cancer with nutrition?
Interestingly enough,;studies seem to suggest that up to 40% of cancers are preventable. Other studies estimate that number to be even higher.
But could simple lifestyle changes have such a huge impact on preventing cancer? Could it also have a huge effect on fighting cancer?
When these abnormal cells uncontrollably divide, they invade neighboring tissues, spreading to the body and seeping into the blood and lymphatic systems. This un-tempered cell growth leads to tumors, and these tumors can sometimes lead to death.
Thankfully, nutrition can play a role in both preventing the formation of and in reducing the size of these tumors. You just simply have to avoid cancer-causing foods in favor of cancer-fighting foods.
These nutrient-rich, whole-foods will provide you with invaluable antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. So, buy organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed, and additive-free products instead of those processed and packaged.
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How Will I Know If The Chemotherapy Treatments Are Working
Some people may think that their chemotherapy treatment is not working if they do not experience side effects. However, this is a myth.
If you are receiving adjuvant chemotherapy , it is not possible for your doctor to directly determine whether the treatment is working because there are no tumor cells left to assess. However, adjuvant chemotherapy treatments have been proven helpful in studies in which some women were given chemotherapy, while others were not. If you are receiving chemotherapy for metastatic disease, the effects will be monitored, routinely, by blood tests, scans, and/or other imaging studies. These may include CT scans, bone scans, and/or X-rays).
After completing adjuvant chemotherapy, your doctor will evaluate your progress through periodic physical examinations, routine mammography, and appropriate testing if a new problem develops.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 09/05/2013.
References
Are Conventional Treatments For You
While Im no cancer expert, I want to urge women whove been diagnosed to PLEASE stop and take some time before choosing your path of treatment/healing. Dont be scared or rushed into surgery, chemo, or radiation before weighing your options. You may decide conventional treatments are the way you want to go, but please dont be scared into that choice. DO YOUR RESEARCH. Your LIFE depends on it.
Ill explain more in my upcoming posts about ways women are healing themselves from cancer without cutting off their breasts and without being cut on at all. There are ways to heal without chemicals that have killed thousands of people. They require a COMPLETE change of lifestyle, so they arent for the faint-hearted. I opted for a mastectomy because I didnt yet know about their healing journeys, but the purpose of this blog is to let YOU know about them, so you are armed with that info, should you ever face a breast cancer diagnosis.
Click here to read about my diagnosis and the ONLY symptom I was having at the time.
I knew. I knew as soon as I saw it the flattening/dent at the bottom of my right breast. It was tiny, almost unnoticeable, but it wasnt my normal. I flashed back to seeing a post that was shared on Facebook about how dents in the breasts are generally abnormal and can be indicative of breast cancer.
Please share my story with the women in your life. <3
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Herbs Essential Oils And Cancer
Other supplemental efforts come from plant life amazing gifts of healing that nature has for us to utilize! Whole herbs and plant-based therapy, as well as essential oils, are often employed to beat cancer naturally. While, again, none of this is administered on its own, herbalA product made from a plant that is thought to be useful in treating a disease or staying healthy. Herbal supplements are taken by mouth. and essential oil treatments make excellent and effective components of a cancer battle plan.