In a new article published in the British Journal of Cancer, the experts reveal that they conducted studies of breast cells and found that there were several strains of HPV present which are known to have a high risk of initiating cancer of the cervix.

A team from UNSW School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, led by visiting professor James Lawson, declared that there was a presence of high-risk HPV in the nuclei of breast cancer epithelial cells in 21 per cent of 14 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) breast cancer specimens.

IDCs are invasive cancers responsible for up to 80 per cent of all breast cancers and professor Lawson told cancer insurance customers that the results may lead to further large-scale studies being conducted.

UNSW researcher Dr Noel Whitaker, a co-author of the new report, commented: “The finding that high-risk HPV is present in a significant number of breast cancers indicates they may have a causal role in many breast cancers.

“Confirming a cancer-causing role for HPV in some breast cancers establishes the possibility of preventing some breast cancers by vaccination against HPV.”

The new link may also help to clear up confusion about the role which HPV plays in the development of breast cancer.

In order to establish a more accurate result, the healthcare specialists used a technique that avoids cross-contamination which may have affected outcomes and announced that they are working on a new simpler method which will provide faster results.

Find out more on health cover [http://www.aigdirect.co.uk/health/] form AIG Medical Health Insurance [http://www.aigdirect.co.uk/health/].

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Over the next few weeks, people around the world will join together in honor of those who have survived and those who have not. Survivors, partners, friends and families will walk, run, ride, swim, bowl, fast and feed for fundraising events and procure revenues in the millions. We will decorate our universe, as well as ourselves, in various shades of pink and give thanks to daily breaths. Due to the success of these campaigns we have the ability to diagnose and treat breast cancer with less pain and more hope.

The cause of breast cancer can be genetic or environmental. Genetics contribute to approximately ten percent of breast cancer patients. This means a person who is born with a particular gene line, BRCA1 mutation, is high risk for breast, ovarian, skin, prostate and pancreas cancer. Although the exact risk of breast and ovarian cancer granted by a specific gene mutation has not been determined, studies in high-risk families indicate that deleterious mutations in this gene may confer as much as an eighty seven percent risk of breast cancer and a forty four percent risk of ovarian cancer by the age of seventy, in women. This mutation has also been reported to have a twenty percent chance of a second breast cancer within five years, as well as a ten-fold increase in the risk of subsequent ovarian cancer. The mutation may also present an increased risk of male breast cancer, along with several other cancers; skin, prostate and pancreas. Each first degree relative of this individual has a fifty percent chance of carrying the mutation. Family members can be tested with a simple blood test. Those who test positive can take measures into their own hands and beat the cancer before it beats them by undergoing surgery. Most insurance companies will cover preventive measures, as it can significantly reduce the risk of future treatment. In a sense, the individual, who is diagnosed with genetic breast cancer, has the power to save their family from ever being diagnosed with cancer, at all.

On May 21, 2008, President Bush signed into law the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) providing vital protection for citizens of America against the misuse of genetic information by health insurers and employers. GINA prevents health insurers from denying coverage, adjusting premiums on the basis of genetic information and/or requesting that an individual undergo a genetic test. Likewise, employers are prohibited from using genetic information to make hiring, firing or promotion decisions. The law harshly limits an employers right to request, require or purchase an employees’ genetic information. GINA will benefit genetic research as well as individuals. Linking gene variants to health outcomes requires studies involving large numbers of people. Until now, subjects have been limited to a small number due to the fear of their information being used against them. Now, scientist can work for a genetic cure.

Elements in the environment are the cause of approximately ninety percent of breast cancers. There are several categories of agents in the environment that we know cause cancer; diet, tobacco, alcohol, infectious agents, medical drugs, occupational exposures and ionizing radiation. Diet is the leading cause (ten to seventy percent) with tobacco running closely behind (twenty five to forty percent). Occupation, air, water pollution, medicines and medical procedures are individually less than five percent and infection, parasites, bacteria and viruses can be up to a ten percent cause.

An estimated one hundred thousand or more chemicals commonly used by America such as cleaners, solvents, pesticides, food additives, lawn care, and other products are contributing factors to the environmental cancer hazard. Each year, another one thousand or more are introduced. Our National Toxicology Program only tests between five to twenty suspected carcinogens every year, leaving the rest untested to this date.

We cannot live in a bubble, nor should we, and the realty of being faced with or affected by the mighty beast of breast cancer is inevitable for most of us. What we can do is educate ourselves and those around us and make the best of what research and technology has to offer.

The month of October is a wake up call to all who walk the earth. Hug your mother, father, sister, brother, family and your friends…, hug everyone who looks like they will let you. Remind all you know (and even those you do not) to do their monthly self exams and yearly mammograms. Honor your faith, love your neighbor and treasure your moments. Stay abreast of the breast and enjoy the rest.

References
1. nbcam.org/about_faq.cfm Official National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) FAQ
2. Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Susan G. Komen for the Cure website
3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Breast_Cancer_Awareness_Month
4. Informative information from personal experience and battle with breast cancer

By: Suzi Sundquist

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The trend is alarming as more and more women are removing healthy breasts because they are panicked, are in fear of breast cancer returning or migrating to the other breast.

I’ll discuss a recent study showing why mastectomy is not saving lives in a moment. However, what is alarming to me is that there is still breast tissue left in the chest wall and by removing healthy breasts there is still tissue that could already contain cancer cells or be available to them.

There is very little evidence that proves that women live longer or survival rates increase by removing their breasts after a diagnosis of breast cancer. A recent study of statistics published in a national medical journal read by doctors found that 5000 women in one state, between 1995 and 2005, who had cancer in one of their breasts, chose to have the other breast removed. These women already had breast cancer. They were not women who tested positive for the BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 gene mutation type of breast cancer, where prophylactic removal is more common.

This trend is disheartening. Especially because there is absolutely no data, or no evidence that mastectomy or removing one or both breasts in a breast cancer patient, improved survival rates or helped them live longer. It appears that many women are doing this in panic mode. A cancer diagnosis creates panic and fear.

The statistics show that there is only a 10 percent to 15 percent chance of developing cancer in the other breast in the upcoming 20 years following the diagnosis. In addition, because one has already been diagnosed with it, breast cancer would likely be caught very early. So why remove a healthy breast?

I chose not to have any chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. They wanted to remove some of my lymph nodes and give me aggressive chemo and radiation. In addition, this was to be followed by five years of the drug Tamoxifen.

I turned it all down! Of course I immediately changed my lifestyle and radically changed my diet. And I felt healthier in the month and months and years to follow and ever since then – more than ten years ago. If you’ve had a breast cancer diagnosis and are considering mastectomy either single or double, please do plenty of research before you commit. Based on the studies, research and data today there doesn’t seem to be a good reason to do it.

For more of my info on breast cancer and alternative breast cancer treatment and curing myself naturally see http://www.RawFoodDietCure.com and http://www.MyNaturalBreastCancerCure.com

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a time when women and young girls are alerted to the importance of early detection. This does not mean that women are not made aware of what is involved with breast cancer treatments, self breast examination and recovery issues all year round; it is just strongly more focused upon in October through Breast Awareness Campaigns. These types of campaigns have great pulling power where we see more and more women coming forward to get themselves checked out, and their questions answered.

As it is with most organizations and support groups they need financial help to keep up the good work. Breast cancer groups will include people who care, and are compassionate towards your feelings. It is also most likely that them who run the groups are, or, have been patients themselves. Cancer care workers will help you the best they can to come to terms with having breast cancer, be there for you when undergoing treatment for breast cancer…right through the recovery period and after care.

If you would like to help these people who work tirelessly tending to the sick, then you can. Some people will run a marathon to raise funds for breast cancer while others may put on a show and sell tickets to make money for their breast cancer charity. Why not take advantage of Halloween night and get a few friends together and dress up, and instead of holding a lighted pumpkin, hold up a placard with a message saying all monetary donations will be donated to the breast cancer campaign.

It is likely that a great deal of women reading this will know how to do a self breast examination regular, but for those oblivious more details on this below.

Let us direct our attention to women who are recovering and survived the disease and want their life back to normal. In most cases of breast cancer it is not only the patient affected and included with all the heartache, your partner, close relatives and friends, and more heart rendering if there is children. The numbers are high for women suffering from breast cancer who get to see their kids grow up, all because they detected a lump early in their breast before it could further reach a dangerous stage (life threatening.)

Some helpful advice

No matter how much some tells you not to be scared and everything is going to be fine, you will always debate this in thought due the fear of knowing you have the Big C. Getting over the initial shock of having your your GP tell you – you have breast cancer, you may benefit and feel more content reading up on the disease. This will help you understand more clearly about breast cancer, of which in the past you might never had given much thought too, until receiving the news you had it. As long as the advice is got from a reputable source like “breastcancer.org” then take heed because the information they provide is right and safe.

Having chemotherapy treatment can drain you of much energy so get someone in to help you with household chores. Do not try and overdo things around the home, remember you are recovering and your body needs time to heal.

Join a support group for mental strength. You might find talking about your cancer, your family, your fears, your hopes and much more to other patients who are willing to reciprocate in this manner will help greatly, and you can also learn a lot from others ailing, and how they overcame them.

Talking about your breast cancer or any other type of cancer is known to help, but only when you want to. Some days you may feel that talking is what you need, while at other times you do not. There is always going to be them awkward moments when friends and family will try to avoid having to talk to you, or sadly come face to face with you if your out and about. This usually happens because they do not know what to say. If your up to it then break the barrier that is making it difficult for them to communicate. Let them know you are not upset if they bring up the subject, and for them not to tread on eggshells when around you. This is when normality comes back into your life. The longer you keep quiet so will the others.

If you can speak openly about your condition you get to evade those dreaded silent moments. Only talk about your condition when you are good and ready, and do not be bullied into it.

You have to be positive about your condition if you can, and avoid being around folks with a somber look. They may well be saddened for you, but explain to them that their feeling down is not helping.

No matter how strong of a person you are, and positive about the whole thing, there will be bad days and weakness, that is fine and perfectly natural. There will be crying days of which is expected, so bawl your eyes out if it makes you feel any better. Undergoing chemotherapy and radiation is hard, and crying promotes healing.

Comforting Quotes

Live in the present the best you can – the past cannot be undone and the future is unknown; many of our fears might not happen.

Live your life as fully as possible and carry out the activities that give you the most joy and meaning.”

Recognise that you have control over how you react to situations, even if you cannot control what happens to you.”

Learn to accept your negative feelings such as anger, sadness and hatred – this may help them to pass.”

Concentrate on relaxing with a relaxation tape.”

Keep a diary about what you go through to help you understand and express your feelings.”

Take part in breast cancer networks – this may help you feel that, through your experiences, you are helping other women in a similar situation.”

Try to keep your sense of humour – even though it can be difficult at times!”

The positive thing to do starting now is to do regular self breast examinations to help prevent having to go through any of the above mentioned ups and downs, pains and treatments for Breast Cancer.

How to Perform a Self Breast Examination

The ideal time to examine the breasts is right after menstruation because they are not as sensitive tender or swollen.

Lie down and put a cushion under your right shoulder.

Place your right arm behind your head.

Using the tip pads of your 3 middle fingers on your left hand press gently and feel for lumps or thickening in your right breast.

Get a feel of how your breast feels first. If your uncertain of how much pressure to use ask your GP.

Learn what your breast feels like most of the time. A firm ridge in the lower curve of each breast is normal.

Move around the breast in a circular motion or the up and down movement. Do it the same way regular at an allotted like (1 month or sooner.)

Now examine your left breast doing exactly the same.

Repeat the examination of both breasts while standing, with one arm behind your head. The upright position makes it easier to check the upper and outer parts of the breasts.

Other signs and symptoms of abnormality are dimpling of the skin, changes in the nipple, redness, or swelling and nipple discharge being another.

Come on girls get cracking on making those Halloween costumes and go make money for Breast Cancer. You will be saving lives by doing this, and who knows may be your own, or someone close to you.

Halloween Costume Tip: Go dressed up as nurses and doctors with fully painted up zombie style faces. Without early detection of breast cancer then in the future there may be no need for face paint, it is your call.

All about Breast Cancer Treatments and more

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Perhaps the problem is that most of us maintain only short periods of good diet and it does not become effective until it’s a full time life habit. The speed and pressure of modern lifestyle can make it difficult to avoid the convenience of processed food but if we are worried about long term health the issue is clear – diet is crucial.

We all need to get a little more serious about it.

This diet is being referred to as the prudent diet. It’s made up of whole grains, vegetables of course and fish. The usual suspects are kept to a minimum such as red meats and white bread or any other form of starchy carbohydrates.

Among women who took part in the study, 20 percent of those on prudent daily diets were one third less likely to develop breast cancer in comparison to those on a more ‘western diet’ of fatty and processed foods. As always however these trials are rarely black and white…

One subject which did complicate the study was that of age and weight which are both important points. The exact reasons are still unclear but the studies suggest that the benefits afforded by a prudent diet are mostly for thinner women. Overweight women will still be at high risk despite maintaining a prudent diet.

The overall lesson is once again that diet does so many things for so many diseases and gives each of us a universal insurance policy against a great variety of possible diseases.

The author has been submitting great articles for more than 3 years now. Click here to see his latest expert review on fishing rods cases. His site also has loads of great info on how to build a fishing rod case.

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* Further distinctions Within these stages, doctors make even finer distinctions of “A” and “B” — so a tumor that is stage IIA is less advanced than one that is stage IIB. The distinction between cancer stages is often a very fine one, but it can be critical to making treatment decisions and knowing what to expect.

* Reading the tests To determine a cancer’s stage, doctors employ a series of tests. But once the test results are in, it becomes a matter of interpretation. This means doctors may disagree about the exact stage of this particular breast cancer and may even revise their opinions later as new evidence comes in. It’s not uncommon for patients to be told their cancer is stage IV and fully metastasized, then have later tests reveal it to be stage IIIB with the metastases limited to one area of the body, meaning that it’s more treatable.

* Another kind of staging system For many types of breast cancer in which a tumor is present, the doctor may use an even more detailed staging system called the TNM (Tumor, Nodes, and Metastases) system, created more recently by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). In this system, each of the three categories is assigned an individual staging number, so a T1N1M0 breast cancer means the tumor that is stage I, with lymph node involvement that is also stage I, and stage zero, or no, metastases.

* Grading the cancer What can also be confusing is that, for some types of cancer, doctors use a grading system instead of or in addition to staging. Prostate cancer biopsy reports, for example, usually use what’s called a Gleason scale to grade the malignancy of the tumor cells, with grade 1 being the least malignant and grade 5 the most malignant. Often they grade two different areas between 1 and 5 each, then add the two numbers together for a Gleason score that ranges from 2 to 10.

At any point in diagnosis and treatment, when the doctor is giving you this type of grading or staging information, don’t hesitate to ask her to clarify what she’s telling you. If the doctor says the cancer is stage III, for example, it’s perfectly okay to ask exactly what that means for this particular type of breast cancer. You might also ask how the doctor arrived at her conclusions (which tests were run and what did the results show?), how this particular type of tumor tends to develop from one stage or grade to another, and what the cure rate is for this particular breast cancer at each stage. Another way to zero in on what the cancer prognosis information means is to ask the doctor if there are cancer cells in just one location — such as a single tumor — or if cancer cells have been detected elsewhere, and if so, where.

The type of cancer you’re dealing with, as well as certain other factors (such as whether breast cancer tests positive for the HER2 protein, which tends to lead to more aggressive growth), can also be important in understanding the prognosis and treatment. Certain cancers, even rare ones, may have a specific type of treatment available that offers a more optimistic prognosis. It was big news a few years back, for example, when the tumor-suppressing drug Gleevac was found to work very well against certain rare gastrointestinal tumors and the even rarer chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) by blocking specific enzymes that fuel cancer growth.The other thing to keep in mind is that cancer prognosis information and treatment options are inextricably intertwined. It might seem like extremely bad news when the doctor tells you that your mother’s breast cancer is HER2-positive, which studies have shown carries a worse prognosis than HER2-negative cancers. On the other hand, newly available drugs such as trastuzumab and lapatinib can be very successful against HER2-positive cancers and have no effect on HER2-negative cancers — so finding out that the cancer is HER2-positive opens the door to additional treatment options.

The other wild card is that you can’t know in advance how well you or the person you’re caring for will respond to a particular treatment. One of the things that makes cancer so mysterious and frustrating is that doctors can’t predict how effective a particular treatment will be because patient response is so individual. For each diagnosis and treatment option, the patient population responds along a bell curve, with the larger group of patients in the middle of the curve responding “typically” and a small group on either end who respond either much more positively or less well. Many breast cancer patients like to set a goal for themselves of “beating the bell curve,” because no matter what the general prognosis for the majority of patients with a particular diagnosis, some are going to fall on the side that beats the odds.

You or the person you’re caring for may well turn out to be one of the patients who is quite responsive to breast cancer treatment, but unfortunately the only way to find out is to give it time. If a treatment doesn’t work, it’s still not reason to despair — it’s likely the doctor will have another approach to suggest.Some doctors tell patients to think of their cancer treatment like a bag of tricks. For most types of breast cancer, doctors have a number of different treatment options they can try. If one doesn’t work, they’ll switch to another, and that just might be the one that does it. It can be hard to have patience and wait for positive results, but fully understanding the cancer prognosis will help you know how much room there is for hope.

http://www.caring.com/articles/breast-cancer-prognosis

http://www.caring.com/articles/stages-of-breast-cancer-prognosis

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When a pregnant woman grows breast cancer, it is frequently detected at a later stage than it is in women who are not pregnant. This is since as long as pregnancy, hormone alterations lead to a woman’s breasts to broaden and become more tender and lumpy. This could make it harder for you or your doctor to discover a lump in your breasts. Mammograms are harder as well for doctors to read as long as pregnancy since the breasts becomes denser. The early alterations caused by cancer can be mistaken for or hidden by the normal alterations that occur with pregnancy as well.

Even as long as pregnancy, early detection is a significant element of breast health. Converse with your doctor or nurse concerning breast exams and the best time for your next mammogram — particularly if you are age 40 or older, or if you or your doctor observes an alteration in how your breasts appear or feel. As always, if you discover any lump or alteration in your breasts, tell your doctor or nurse immediately.

Pregnancy-Related Factors that Increase Breast Cancer Risk. A number of factors connected with pregnancy are recognized to add to a woman’s possibilities of developing breast cancer:

- After a woman gives birth, her risk of the disease is momentarily increased. This momentary upsurge lasts simply for a few years.

- A woman who in pregnancy took DES (diethylstilbesterol), a synthetic form of estrogen that was utilized between the early 1940s and 1971, has a faintly higher risk of developing breast cancer.

A number of treatments for breast cancer, like certain chemo drugs, might have an effect on a woman’s fertility. Still, lots of women are able to become pregnant after treatment. Women concerned in relation to their fertility ought to converse to their doctors regarding this prior to beginning treatment.

All women who have suffered breast cancer and are considering having children ought to converse with their doctors concerning their risk of cancer coming back. In numerous cases, counseling could assist women sort through the options that be associated with surviving breast cancer and planning a pregnancy.

If you want to get some excellent resources on Breast Cancer, please visit my site on All about Breast Cancer or Breast Cancer and Pregnancy.

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Recent studies reveal a chilling fact that more than 30 percent of breast cancer patients do not receive comprehensive treatment. African American women were also found to be 10 percent less likely than white women to receive the right treatment. A team of doctors at the Columbia University Medical Center are looking into why the discrepancy occurs.

Studies that have already been published show that African American women have more aggressive tumors and they are also less responsive to treatment. Socio-economic factors also play a key role in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. An African American woman who is poor or is uninsured may not be able to get the diagnosis early enough for the treatment to be effective. For cancer, early detection offers the best chance for cure. Initiating treatment at an advanced stage may not be fruitful. Since socio-economic factors impede regular screening, diagnosis and prompt treatment of the cancer, African American women do poorly when cancer survival rates are computed.

The lack of referrals to medical oncologists, miscommunication and cultural differences between patients and physicians are also being looked at as part of the study. There are also variations in the metabolism of chemotherapy and the physical tolerance of therapy. Since African American women have the highest rate of Breast Cancer than any other group of women under the age of fifty, physicians are of the opinion that instead of waiting till forty years of age to initiate the routine mammograms, African American women should start earlier.

A mammogram will detect any abnormality and routine screening will identify any signs that should be of concern early enough to start immediate treatment and complete cure of the disease. The healthcare system also needs to focus on developing and perfecting other means of cancer detection that are more dependable than mammograms.

Awareness about breast cancer is also important in combating this disease. Women have to proactively understand their family history of cancer and can opt for genetic testing and counseling if they are at high risk.

Better awareness, regular screening and early detection of breast cancer can ensure that this disease does not become fatal.

Ray whites is a free lance writer and a health & fitness expert who has been associated with several health care providers across various specialties. Through his articles, Ray whites wishes to inform and educate public about Breast Cancer which will benefit those who are looking for resourceful information regarding health. For more log on to http://www.empowereddoctor.com.

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• 1. Research on risk factors – The Claus risk assessment model was used to discover the subpopulation of people who had an autosomal dominant genetic allele that increased their risk from 10% to 92%. This led to the discovery of the BRCA genes associated with breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer.
• 2. Clinical trial eligibility – The Gail risk assessment model was developed to help researchers determine who to enroll in the NSAPB Breast Cancer Prevention Trials

where chemoprevention was shown to reduce breast cancer risk.

• 3. Guidelines for doing BRCA testing – BRCA testing is very expensive and practically worthless if done on everyone (because it is so rare to be homozygous for BRCA1 or BRCA2). Mathematical models such as the BRCAPRO, BOADICEA, and Tyrer-Cuzick models can help determine what patients should undergo BRCA testing. The decision for testing is usually made when one of these models predicts a 10% or greater chance that there is a mutation of the BRCA1, BRCA2, or both genes.
• 4. Guidelines for doing MRI screening for breast cancer - MRI screening for breast cancer is not a cost effective screening test for the general population, but in specific groups, there are clear cut reasons to do so. In general, screening MRI is recommended for women with 20-25% or greater lifetime risk of breast cancer. The BRCAPRO and Tyrer-Cuzick models have been used to help make clinical decisions about ordering MRIs for breast cancer screening.
• 5. Guidelines for breast cancer therapy - The Gail model is used clinically to help

determine who should be put on tamoxifen or raloxifene for chemoprevention. Other models have been used to help make decisions about breast cancer risk reduction with prophylactic mastectomy.

For these reasons, it is important to understand these models. These models are collectively refered to as “risk assessment tools”. The following paragraphs summarize the most popular and most widely used risk assessment tools. Keep in mind that none of these risk assessment tools apply to breast cancer survivors. No mathematical model has been widely accepted to determine cancer risk in cancer survivors.

General Risk Assessment Tools

Gail Model: The Gail model is a validated risk-assessment model that focuses primarily on nonhereditary risk factors, with limited information on family history. It was developed by scientists at the National Cancer Institute and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) to assist health care providers in discussing breast cancer risk to determine their eligibility for the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial. The tool allows one to project a woman’s individual estimate of breast cancer risk over a five-year period of time and over her lifetime. It also compares the woman’s risk calculation with the average risk for a woman of the same age. The Gail Model is an on-line quiz that has 13 questions and is interactive. This calculator is based on published risk statistics and methods gathered from peer-reviewed journals, and has been extensively tested for its validity.

The major limitation of the Gail model is the inclusion of only first-degree relatives, which results in underestimating risk in the 50% of families with cancer in the paternal lineage and also takes no account of the age of onset of breast cancer. It may underestimate risk in certain groups, such as obese patients.

National Cancer Institute Model: The NCI risk assessment tool is essentially a simplified Gail Model that also factors in race. Race is a factor in determining breast cancer risk but is excluded when determining eligibility for clinical trials. This tool is probably the most popular risk assessment tool available to the public as an on-line, interactive risk calculator. The on-line quiz is a shorter, nine-point questionnaire that includes multiple factors, giving a woman her future five-year risk of breast cancer and her lifetime risk of breast cancer.

The NCI tool does not account for a lot of risk factors that can be modified. For this reason, it is difficult to use this test as a motivation tool to show people how lifestyle can alter their risk of breast cancer. It also cannot be used in breast cancer survivors, in patients with DCIS, LCIS, or people who carry one of the BRCA genes.

BRCAPRO model: This is a statistical model available as a computer program that uses two different algorithms to evaluate family history and helps a doctor determine the likelihood of finding either a BRCA1 mutation or a BRCA2 mutation in a family. The results of this can be used to determine if BRCA testing is indicated. This is very useful in light of the high cost of BRCA testing ($3,000). None of the nonhereditary risk factors can yet be incorporated into the model, however. In a comparison of four different methods for estimating breast cancer risk in patients with a family history of breast cancer, the BRCAPRO model was the least accurate. It predicted only 49% of the breast cancers that actually occurred in the screened group of patients with a family history of breast cancer.

Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention Risk Assessment Tool: This is another breast cancer risk assessment tool that includes more lifestyle factors than the NCI or Gail Model tools. It has not been studied as extensively as the Gail Model or the simplified NCI model, but it is promising in that it includes many lifestyle factors that people can do to modify their risk of developing cancer. It is also an on-line questionnaire that can be used by both women and men to estimate their breast cancer risk.

Making all this practical

Now after a thorough and confusing discussion of all these statistical models, it’s time to make all this information practical. What is the best way to help a patient accurately assess her risk of breast cancer and if possible, show her what positive factors are reducing her risk and what negative factors can be changed to reduce her risk? If possible, it would also be great to show the patient the value and indications for testing, imaging, chemoprevention, and in some cases surgery. A discussion of the practical aspect of each of these is addressed in a Q & A format below:

Q: What (free) online programs can be used to help a patient assess their risk of breast cancer?

A: Several of the risk assessment tools mentioned above can be accessed for free by the public. Here are the tests and their websites:

• 1. Your Disease Risk – English version: http://www.diseaseriskindex.harvard.edu

This is a great interactive questionnaire that calculates five-year and lifetime risk of breast cancer developed by the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention and made public online in 2000. In 2005, they launched the Spanish version of the site, “Cuidar de su Salud”. The risk calculator includes lifestyle factors such as weight, dietary vegetables, alcohol intake, as well as Jewish ethnicity. It does not include other ethnicities, however, and is not accurate for BRCA mutation carriers or breast cancer survivors. Despite these issues, this is by far the best free online risk calculator since it is very interactive and gives you a personalized description of your risk in the form of a colored bar graph, which they can electronically manipulate to experience “virtual” risk reduction. The bar graph is a seven-level scale that compares users to a typical man or woman your age. Users learn where to focus their prevention efforts and how to make lifestyle changes by “clicking on” personalized strategies. With each click, the bar graph shrinks, and the user watches his/her predicted risk drop. This is a great concept to motivate people to participate and comply with lifestyle modification measures.

• 2. The NCI Risk Assessment Tool -regular web: http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool

This is the easy to use, on-line questionnaire based on a modified Gail model that also includes ethnicity. It does not factor in a personal history of breast cancer, DCIS, or LCIS. It does not account for other factors such as BRCA status, hormonal replacement therapy, lifestyle factors, breast feeding, menopause, or mammographic density. Despite these issues, it is a very useful tool that gives a woman her five-year and lifetime risk of breast cancer. It is the only risk assessment tool that can be used via mobile handheld devices (any type). A version of this can be downloaded for PDAs with Windows Pocket PC operating system as well.

Q: What programs can be used to help a doctor make decisions about ordering a breast MRI?

A: The American Cancer Society has developed some very good guidelines for breast cancer screening with MRI. It should be emphasized that MRI is an adjunct to mammography, not a replacement.

• 1. A Cancer Journal for Clinicians – http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/content/full/57/2/75

• 2. BRCPRO - ver.4.3 available @ http://www4.utsouthwestern.edu/breasthealth/cagene/default.asp

Dr. Mai Brooks is a surgical oncologist/general surgeon, with expertise in early detection and prevention of cancer. More at www.drbrooksmd.com, thecancerexperience.wordpress.com and progressreportoncancer.wordpress.com.

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Research into dietary factors affecting cancer has shown that a higher consumption of fish over meat can reduce the possibility of developing these cancers. This result was attributed to the Omega 3 fatty acids present in fish.

Fish and fish oil supplements contain rich quantities of the Omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. These fatty acids appear to reduce the risk of developing cancer.

The Omega 3 fats EPA and DHA are called essential fatty acids. This means that they are necessary for the good health of the human body. However the human body cannot manufacture these fatty acids, they must be provided in the diet.

Fish are an excellent source of these Omega 3 fatty acids. In contrast meat contains more of the Omega 6 fats which counteract the effect of the Omega 3 fats.

Research into the balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fats has shown that the ratio of these fats in the diet should be as close to one to one as possible. However in most Western countries where more meat than fish is consumed the ratio can be as high as thirty to one. This unhealthy ratio is a possible contributor to the higher risk of cancer among Western countries. Countries in which the diet contains more fish there is a lower risk of cancers.

Cold water oily fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna are excellent sources of Omega 3 fats. Vegetarian sources include flax seeds and nuts such as walnuts. Eating two portions of fish per week has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of cancer.

Where fish are not readily available or there is a resistance to eating more fish the taking of Omega 3 fish oil capsules can provide the necessary Omega 3 fats to reduce the occurrence of cancer.

These capsules are manufactured from raw fish oil using a process called molecular distillation which eliminates the pollutants such as mercury and heavy metals which are also health risks. The end product is highly concentrated and rich in the healthy Omega 3 fats.

Taking of Omega 3 fish oil capsules is not a short term quick fix but a long term investment in good health. There are numerous other benefits to taking Omega 3 fish oil supplements. Start today to invest in your own good health.

Reference for this article is http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10443950

Henry “Pops” Hugo recommends natural supplements for better health. For important information about Omega 3 Fish Oil Supplements for improved health visit http://www.omega3life.info/ to learn about concentrated Omega 3 Fish Oil Supplements for your optimal health.

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