Even Moderate Drinking Can Lead To Breast Cancer
While most people avoid alcohol due to its intoxicating effects, which usually causes a lot of accidents and untoward incidents, and the high risk of a number of diseases, including liver cirrhosis, infection of the pancreas, among others, its positive effects and health benefits are also gaining popularity especially when it is taken in moderation.
Moderate drinking means one to two glasses of wine daily. From improving heart health to lowering cholesterol, moderate consumption of red wine can help you stay healthy. The antioxidants in red wines have been shown to provide certain protection against heart disease as they act like warriors, preventing the oxidation process whereby reactive particles known as “free radicals” cause damage to healthy cells. Alcohol has been shown to help your heart in several ways: by raising your HDL (high-density lipoproteins) or “good” cholesterol, lowering blood pressure and preventing the formation of blood clots.
However, there’s a new twist of fate to alcohol drinkers, especially among party girls, as recent studies show some link between alcohol and breast cancer in women. Having one to two drinks a day, once considered as moderate drinking, is now being linked to the higher risks of breast cancer in women. The said increase in risk of breast cancer among women who regularly consume alcohol has risen by 10 percent. Make that three or more drinks a day, and the risk triples to 30 percent.
According to Dr. Yan Li, lead researcher at Kaiser Permanente, they were able to compile and analyze data on the drinking habits of 70,033 women of various races and backgrounds. Their study was focused on determining whether the type of alcohol or just the amount a woman drinks impacts her breast cancer risk. “It makes no difference if a woman drinks wine, beer or liquor. It’s the alcohol itself and the quantity consumed that is critical,” Dr. Li said. In fact, drinking three or more drinks a day may translate into an extra 5 percent of all women developing breast cancer as a result of heavy drinking.
In 2000, a Danish study had found that red wine drinkers had half the risk of dying from heart disease as non-alcohol drinkers. However, some researchers are not convinced and recommends further studies regarding health benefits of red wine. The American Heart Association requires for more research until they do consider drinking wine or any other alcohol for its benefits.
Though the cause of increased risk for breast cancer by heavy use of alcohol remains a mystery, Dr. Li and her colleagues believe that further study may support the evidence that alcohol could alter the pathway of female hormones and produce more hormone sensitive breast cancer.
According to Heather Spencer Feigelson, spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society, “the risk of drinking one glass of red wine a day is very low. It’s an individual choice.” With further studies still needed to prove whether the heart-health benefits outweigh the newly shown risk of breast cancer, the decision is up to the women if they still want their glass of red wine as long as they analyze their own risk of heart disease and breast cancer. “Each woman has to analyze her own risk factors to determine what alcohol will do to them,” said Dr. Li
Lively Dragon Hamilton Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat Race 2009
This was a race showcasing teams made up of breast cancer survivors. Immediately after the race they had a special ceremony for them at the docks. Way to go ladies!
Categories: Breast Cancer Survivors Tags: 'Race, 2009, boat, breast, cancer, Dragon, Hamilton, Lively, Survivor
Novartis, Myriad Get Boost After Court Patent Ruling
Novartis, Myriad Get Boost After Court Patent Ruling
Myriad Genetics Inc., Genomic Health Inc. and the rest of the burgeoning industry for personalized medicine stand to gain from yesterday’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision on patenting business methods.
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New Light Ahead for Breast Cancer Patients
Among all other diseases, the most common disease that makes a number of women to suffer these days is the breast cancer. Not only that it makes women suffer but it is also increasing the number of womens death rate yearly. Because of this increasing rate, people who are experts when it comes to medicine have developed a lot of ways to examine if they have early stages of cancer to prevent it.
Aside from breast cancer examination, experts in the medical field tries to develop new treatment methods in order to help lower down womens death rate because of breast cancer. For more than several years, lumpectomies and mastectomies have been the undisputable way of treating cancer. However, they can have their own benefits and also disadvantages for women. As an example, lumpectomy will still need to require several days or weeks of post-operative treatments or procedures through radiation or therapy. Mastectomy on the other hand, has several complications during the operation.
But new treatments for breast cancer are already available in the market these days because of the advancement of medical sciences. Medicines have been developed in order to keep women safe from potential hazard from breast cancer.
The first drug is Abraxane. This is being used for chemotherapy and is considered to be more effective than the others. The medicines used for chemotherapies in the past are having some problems being diluted in water. Because of this, they should be given to the patients in the form of solvent which increases the side effects such as rashes and others. With this, the patient will be able to continue with the medication and get treated with cancer.
The next medicine is going to take care of the genes itself called Herceptin. One of the main reasons why breast cancer is growing is because of genes that are making breast cancer cells grow uncontrollably. This medicine can be incorporated with chemotherapy or not have proven that they have been a good help for women who have cancer because they have controlled the gene and thus stopping the multiplication of cancer cells.
Radiation therapy is also available for women who are suffering from breast cancer. They are offering precise treatments for patients by targeting down the cancer cell and prevent them from growing. However, even though it is a very precise process of eliminating the cancer cells, it is undeniable that even normal cells can also be affected and damaged. There are also other medicines that can be optional inclusion for chemotherapies. In this way, you will definitely increase the chances of the cancer cells to be treated totally.
Because of these treatment options, the patients need not despair about getting treatment. They can just go ahead with it in order to stop the growth of the cancer cells and thus increase the survival rates of the patients. And with all the new technology, it will be possible that new treatments will then again be developed for the benefits of the patients surviving this disease.
Calendar of local clubs and events
Calendar of local clubs and events
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Categories: Breast Cancer Screening Tags: calendar, Clubs, Events, Local