Breast Cancer - Lobular Carcinoma in Situ (LCIS)

The majority of all breast cancers start in the ducts of the breast. However, the ductal system is not the only area of the breast where cancer can grow. At the inside end of the duct is a lobe. This is referred to as the lobular system, where the milk is produced. 10% to 15% of breast cancers get their start in the lobes of the breast. Before lobular carcinoma develops, it begins as lobular carcinoma in situ or LCIS.

By "in situ" we are referring to cancer cells that are present in a system, but have not yet spread outside of it. The term LCIS refers to an increase of abnormal cells in the lobes of the breast that produce milk.

Although the abnormal cells classified as LCIS could develop into cancer and are called Stage 0 cancer, it is not considered to be an actual cancer. Having it present in the breast means that cancer could develop over time. Because of this new way of thinking about LCIS, doctors have started to rename it "lobular neoplasia" which is in reference to the abnormal growth of the cells.

Since women with LCIS have a much higher risk of ending up with breast cancer they must be followed up closely. A lot of times a woman will find out she has LCIS because of a biopsy that was done for something unrelated to the LCIS. While LCIS has been reclassified as a "non-cancer" that is treated differently than Ductal Carcinoma in situ, it is still a worrisome condition. Women who have been diagnosed with this should talk over all their options with their breast specialist to make a well informed decision on what, if any treatment options to follow.

Women with LCIS will be followed up closely. The standard followup will be a regular mammogram and screening. It will also consist of monthly self exams and regular visits to a breast specialist. Most women receive no other treatment for LCIS. If they do notice changes in their breasts or any thing that appears to be abnormal, they should contact their doctor immediately.

Some women may choose to take tamoxifen and may possibly participate in the STAR clinical trial. The STAR trial compares the effects and preventative effectiveness of tamoxifen and raloxifene. Both drugs reduce the amounts of hormones in the breast tissue. These drugs are usually taken for a period of five years. Tamoxifen has shown in studies to reduce the occurrence of more advanced breast cancer by up to 49% in women that have had LCIS or that have additional risk factors for developing breast cancer. Those addition risks are having atypical hyperplasia, or a family member with the disease. Recent studies have shown raloxifene to be very effective in preventing breast cancer in post menopausal women.

Some women who have a high risk of developing breast cancer may choose to have a preventive mastectomy of both sides with reconstruction to prevent breast cancer from occurring. Women who have this procedure will have a much lower risk of developing the disease.

Michael Russell

Breast Cancer - Recurrence

One of the issues that every breast cancer survivor must deal with is the possibility of the cancer coming back. We call this a recurrence and even though rates of breast cancer recurrence are lower and survival rates much higher, there is still that chance that the breast cancer will come back after the initial occurrence and treatment. There are three ways in which breast cancer can recur.

The first type of recurrence is called a local recurrence. when cancer recurs locally, it will come back in the original breast area. This is because of a failure of the original treatment. Even when there is a mastectomy, a local recurrence can happen because it is impossible remove all the breast tissue, skin and fat from the area. If even one cancer cell remains after the initial treatment, a local recurrence can happen.

The second type of recurrence is regional in nature. By regional we mean that the cancer has come back outside of the original breast and lymph node area. This is considered to be more serious than a local recurrence, but not as serious as a distant recurrence. The areas in which regional spread of the disease occur include the chest muscles (pectoral), the lymph nodes surrounding the neck area, the internal breast lymph nodes in the breast bone and rib areas and in the lymph nodes above the collarbone. This type of recurrence is rare.

The third and most serious type of recurrence is called a distant recurrence. This is also referred to as a metastasis. The areas where distant spread can occur are most likely to occur are bone (25%), liver, brain, bone marrow, lungs or other organs. Sometimes this is referred to as metastatic disease or Stage IV breast cancer. The survival rate becomes much lower once metastasis occurs, with a life expectancy of 18 months on the average after discovering it.

Symptoms of metastatic breast cancer may include bone pain, shortness of breath, lack of appetite, weight loss (possible indication of liver metastases, neurological pain or weakness and headaches.

If you are a breast cancer survivor, you should be aware of the symptoms of metastatic spread. These symptoms can include bone pain (bone), weight loss (liver), loss of appetite (liver), headaches (brain), neurological pain or weakness (brain/spine) and shortness of breath (lungs). However, keep in mind that having one or more of these symptoms does not mean you should panic. A good rule of thumb is the "three week rule". If you have a pain or other symptom that lasts more than three week, see your doctor. If you have an unrelenting pain or constant pain, see a doctor. Cancer pain does not go away compared other types of pain which will come and go. Like back pain caused by muscle spasms and/or non-cancer related disc problem.

If you suspect you have a recurrence of breast cancer, see your doctor. They will schedule some diagnostic tests like a CAT scan, bone scan, or MRI to try to find the root of your symptoms. Usually surgery is not a treatment option, but there are many other treatments, like radiation and/or chemotherapy that could possibly put a recurring cancer back into remission. There are amazing advances in treatment being made all the time.

Michael Russell

Bras and Breast Cancer - Are You Dressed to Kill?

Breast cancer is a cultural phenomenon. The incidence of breast cancer is dramatically increased only in cultures that wear bras. How could this be?

The author’s of the book, Dressed to Kill : The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras © 1995 by Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer examined the habits of 4700 American women, nearly half of whom had breast cancer, before writing their book.

They found that wearing a bra more than 12 hours a day dramatically increased the incidence of breast cancer, cystic breasts (also known as tight-bra syndrome), breast pain, breast tenderness and other breast issues. Women who wear bras 18-24 hours/day have over 100 times greater incidence of breast cancer than those who go bra-less. So, basically you are 3-4 times more likely to get breast cancer from wearing a bra, than by smoking cigarettes!

Bras create constant pressure which compresses and constricts the lymphatic movement to the chest area. If you are a woman who wears a bra and you see red marks and lines after taking your bra off, you are at a greater risk for breast cancer.

The role of lymph is to flush out toxins and debris from tissues. If this flow is impaired, like when wearing a bra, tissues get toxic. We also impair toxin release by using underarm deodorants--they plug up and block our pores.

One interesting study done in the UK in the year 2000, followed 100 women with fibrocystic breast disease. These women went bra-free for three months. The results of this study were astounding, showing how effective this one treatment of going bra-less was in overcoming this particular health challenge.

Singer and Grismaijer validated their own study by going to Fiji and studying the incidence of breast cancer in that country. After working with the country’s epidemiologists, they found only a small percentage of the population with breast cancer. When interviewing these women, they found that every one of them had taken jobs in the corporate world and had started wearing bras within a few short years previous.

Eight Things You CAN Do if You MUST Wear a Bra:

1) Make sure the bra has a loose fit. Remove it when it is not necessary to wear it.

2) Choose a bra with no underwires. These wires block the energy meridians from moving freely through their natural cycles.

3) Use a larger size bra around your menstrual time as increased estrogen causes tissues to retain fluids making the breasts larger and the bra tighter.

4) Discontinue use of deodorizer/antiperspirants. Wash your armpits often with soap and water instead.

5) Bathe daily. The body releases 30% of all the toxins it produces through the skin.

6) Use a shower filter that filters out chlorine. Chlorine also causes several forms of cancer. As you shower, your skin and lungs are absorbing huge amounts of chlorine.

7) Occasionally incorporate Poke Root tincture into your diet to help the lymph flow easier (especially if you have little white dots around the outside of your irises. This is known as a Lymphatic Rosary and is a sign of a slow or sludging lymphatic system.)

8) Sleep naked or in a stretchy T-shirt. Women who wear cotton or nylon non-stretchable materials while they sleep who roll over often can cut circulation off as these materials resist stretching.

Are you dressed to kill? If so, take note and DO something for your health and your life.

© 2005 by Dr. Denice M. Moffat

Dr. Denice Moffat is a practicing naturopath, medical intuitive, and veterinarian working on the family unit (which includes humans and animals) through her phone consultation practice established in 1993. She has a content-rich website at http://www.NaturalHealthTechniques.com and free monthly newsletter. To read Dr. Moffat's full article on Cancer which includes many natural healing treatments and tips, go to: http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/SpecificDiseases/cancer1.htm

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