OCTOBER BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Why is october breast cancer awareness month? Komen held their first Race for the Cure in October 1983 which garnered a lot of attention that other countries followed suit. National Breast Cancer Month (NBCM) organization has designated October to be the official awareness month, even though the organization is working on educating and raising awareness all year long. The first program took place in October 1985 when they held a week long event.

October is also known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is an international health campaign designed to bring awareness to a disease that affects 1 out of every 8 women. In rare, yet still documented cases, it also affects one out of every one thousand men.

The pink ribbon, the symbol for breast cancer awareness was invented in 1991 by Evelyn H. Lauder, founder & president of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Alexandra Penney. During the month of October people wear the pink ribbon everywhere. To show their support people wear anything pink, be it ribbons, scarves, clothes, you name it.

Breast Cancer Awareness:

1) Studies have shown that estradiol alone does not cause breast cancer.

2) Our bodies have the highest levels of estrogen in them when our breast cancer risk is almost zero. It is not until we hit menopause (when our levels are at their lowest) that the risk goes up.

3) Study that showed a small increase in breast cancer was majorly flawed. Also, the the women in the arm of the study that showed this small increase in breast cancer were also on Medroxyprogesterone Acetate ( a very bad progesterone loaded with negative side effects for the body). It is this hormones which can cause breast cancer; not bio-identical progesterone or estrogens.

4) Testosterone ( a major hormone for health and well being) will LOWER breast cancer risk.

5) NOT ALL HORMONES ARE CREATED EQUAL! Our bodies were designed to be perfect. Estrogen was placed in our bodies for a major reason. It is when molecules which are not exactly the same as our original hormones are introduced issues may arise.

6) Breast cancer is the most common cancer that affects women.

7) It is also the second leading cause of cancer death in women between ages 20 and 59 (the first being lung cancer).

8) Although it can be rare, it accounts for 1% of male cancer patients.

9) Young women are also at risk, accounting for 5% of breast cancer patients.

10) Risk factors for breast cancer include age, ethnicity, family history, diet, hormonal factors, clinical factors, alcohol use and radiation.

11) People can be carrying the disease for years without them knowing.

12) You can minimize your risk through early detection.

Remember it all starts with the education, so remember to get your girls checked and remind other women close to you to do the same.

Risk of Breast Cancer - Lymphedema Caused By Flying

Some have claim that flying after breast cancer operation had caused painful swelling in their arms. It is often warned that flying after operation to remove lymph nodes due to breast cancer can lead to lymphedema, a painful swelling in the arms.

The thoughts that fluid could easily be accumulated in a person's arm due to the changes in cabin pressure may influence the fluid movement in the lympathtic system that resulted the risk.

However in recent study, researchers found that lymphedema effects risk is small on breast cancer survivors in flight travel. The research examined 72 women before and after their air travelling. Majority have no signs of lymphedema effect, but only one shown signs of chronic swelling after six weeks. This findings were interesting but not definitive.

Normally, patients who have one or two lymph nodes removed will have no or less risk in flying compare to those that had completely removed the lymph nodes. The risks also depends on patients body fat and size of the arm.

Nevertheless, the risk of lymphedema appears to be small from flying.