National Mammography Day

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By Nurse Diane

October is Breast Cancer awareness month; it is also Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  We discussed both earlier this month.  Today is the day to do something about it.  Today is Mammography day.  If you are 40 or over, and have not had a mammogram this year, take a few minutes today and schedule one before the year is over.  Check with your doctor or local hospital, you may even get a free or discounted mammogram.

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The third Friday in October each year is National Mammography Day, first proclaimed by President Clinton in 1993. On this day, or throughout the month, women are encouraged to make a mammography appointment.

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Below is a quiz to take to test your knowledge about Breast Cancer and Mammograms.  There are only 8 True and False Questions...so take a few minutes to make the grade.

https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=4647

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Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day

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Nurse Diane

Earlier this month we told you that October is breast cancer awareness month.  We stressed the importance of self-breast exams and getting a mammogram, and to spread the word to all the women you know.  Well today we want you to be aware of Metastatic breast cancer.  What this means is when people already have breast cancer, but then it moves to other parts of the body.

My husband's mother had breast cancer, and had a mastectomy; however, the cancer metastasized to her liver and other organs, and eventually claimed her life.  Symptoms of Metastatic breast cancer include:

The symptoms produced by metastatic breast cancer vary by the location of the metastases. For instance:

• Metastatic disease to the bone causes severe, progressive pain, and, less commonly, pathological fracture, erythema over the affected bone, and swelling;
• Metastatic breast cancer to the brain causes the following symptoms: persistent, progressively worsening headache, visual changes, seizures, nausea or vomiting, vertigo, behavioral and personality changes, and increased intracranial pressure.
• Metastatic disease to the liver causes jaundice elevated liver enzymes, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting
• Metastatic breast cancer to the lung or pleura causes chronic cough, dyspnea, abnormal chest X-ray, and chest pain; and
• Other nonspecific systemic symptoms of metastatic breast cancer include fatigue, malaise, weight loss, and poor appetite

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Treatment can include several things such as chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and even alternative treatments such as homeopathic therapy.

According to copingmag.com, here are some unknown facts about Metastatic Breast Cancer:

• No one dies from breast cancer that remains in the breast. The lump itself is not what kills. The metastasis of cancerous cells to a vital organ is what kills.
• Metastasis refers to the spread of cancer to different parts of the body, typically the bones, liver, lungs and brain.
• An estimated 155,000 Americans are currently living with metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer accounts for approximately 40,000 deaths annually in the U.S.
• Treatment for metastatic breast cancer is lifelong and focuses on control and quality of life vs. curative intent. (“Treatable but unbeatable.”)
• About 6% to 10% of people are Stage IV from their initial diagnosis.
• Early detection is not a cure. Metastatic breast cancer can occur ANY time after a person’s original diagnosis, EVEN if the patient was initially Stage 0, I, II or III and DESPITE getting annual checkups and annual mammograms.
• Between 20% to 30% of people initially diagnosed with regional stage disease WILL develop metastatic breast cancer.
• Young people DO get metastatic breast cancer.
• There are many different kinds of metastatic breast cancer.
• Treatment choices for MBC are guided by hormone (ER/PR) and HER2 receptor status, location and extent of metastasis (visceral vs. non-visceral), previous treatment and other factors.
• Metastatic breast cancer isn’t an automatic death sentence. Although most people will ultimately die of their disease, some can live long and productive lives.
• There are no hard and fast prognostic statistics for metastatic breast cancer. Everyone’s situation is unique, but according to the American Cancer Society, the 5 year survival rate for stage IV is around 20%.
• October 13 is National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. We appreciate your support on October 13 and throughout the year.

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Brain Tumor Action Week

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By Diane Forrest, RN

Years ago if you heard of someone having a brain tumor it was like receiving a death sentence.  Medical research has grown so much since then.  Cures and treatments have progress so that it is no longer considered a fatal diagnosis for some.  There is still so much to do though. Each year over 190,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a brain tumor. Brain tumors are a leading cause of tumor cancer deaths in children. Brain tumors are also the third main cause of cancer death in adults within the 20-39 age brackets.

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Brain tumors are either primary or metastatic tumors. Primary brain tumors are those which originate in the brain. Metastatic brain tumors are those which originate from cancerous cells that have migrated from other areas of the body.  Metastatic brain tumors are also known as secondary brain tumors. Not all brain tumors are cancerous – benign brain tumors are non-cancerous tissue and are harmful only when they grow to a size which affects adjacent areas of the brain. Benign brain tumors tend to grow more slowly than malignant (cancerous) brain tumors.

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Early warning signs include:

• seizures;
• headaches;
• fatigue, tiredness and drowsiness;
• impaired speech;
• difficulties when swallowing;
• in infants, an increase in head size;
• impaired vision;
• vomiting;
• poor body coordination;
• behavioral and mood changes;
• weakness in a limb or on one side of the body;
• difficulties with balance; and or
• tingling sensations and/or weakness in the arms or legs.

With over 120 different forms of brain tumor, effectively treating them can become very complicated.  Proton treatment for a brain tumor is a precise method of using proton therapy to deliver powerful doses of radiation to the tumor. The precision this delivery of treatment brings means there is minimal effect of the surrounding healthy brain tissue.

Dosage of radiation can be tailored to each tumor. Other treatments include surgical removal, chemotherapy, radio therapy or a combination of these methods.

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This week is Brain Tumor Action Week.  To see what things you can do, click here:  http://www.braintumor.org/get-involved/advocacy-public-policy/action-week.html

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Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day

By Diane Forrest, RN

Metastisis is the spreading of a disease from one organ to another non adjacent organ.  When tumor cells metastasize, the new tumor is called a secondary or metastatic tumor, and its cells are like those in the original tumor. This means, for example, that, if breast cancer metastasizes to the lungs, the secondary tumor is made up of abnormal breast cells, not of abnormal lung cells. The tumor in the lung is then called metastatic breast cancer, not lung cancer.  Today is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day.

Metastisis is the cause of about 90% of deaths due to breast cancer and roughly 70% of all patients dying of breast cancer have evidence of metastatic bone disease.

13 Facts Everyone Should Know about Metastatic Breast Cancer

1. No one dies from breast cancer that remains in the breast. The lump itself is not what kills. The metastasis of cancerous cells to a vital organ is what kills.
2. Metastasis refers to the spread of cancer to different parts of the body, typically the bones, liver, lungs and brain.
3. An estimated 155,000 Americans are currently living with metastatic breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer accounts for approximately 40,000 deaths annually in the U.S.
4. Treatment for metastatic breast cancer is lifelong and focuses on control and quality of life vs. curative intent. (“Treatable but unbeatable.”)
5. About 6% to 10% of people are Stage IV from their initial diagnosis.
6. Early detection is not a cure. Metastatic breast cancer can occur ANY time after a person’s original diagnosis, EVEN if the patient was initially Stage 0, I, II or III and DESPITE getting annual checkups and annual mammograms.
7. Between 20% to 30% of people initially diagnosed with regional stage disease WILL develop metastatic breast cancer.
8. Young people DO get metastatic breast cancer.
9. There are many different kinds of metastatic breast cancer.
10. Treatment choices for MBC are guided by hormone (ER/PR) and HER2 receptor status, location and extent of metastasis (visceral vs. nonvisceral), previous treatment and other factors.
11. Metastatic breast cancer isn’t an automatic death sentence. Although most people will ultimately die of their disease, some can live long and productive lives.
12. There are no hard and fast prognostic statistics for metastatic breast cancer. Everyone’s situation is unique, but according to the American Cancer Society, the 5 year survival rate for stage IV is around 20%.
13. October 13 is National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day.

For more information on how you can help click on this site:  http://mbcn.org/