A New Day in silicone, a preferred option in breast aesthetic surgery.

Silicones are a family of chemical compounds. They are made from silicon, a naturally occurring element found in sand, quartz and rock. Next to oxygen, silicon is the most common element in the earth’s crust and becomes silicone when it is combined with oxygen, carbon and hydrogen. Depending on the arrangement of the molecules, silicones can be manufactured in a variety of forms including oils, gels and solids.

Silicones have been part of the consumer industry for over 50 years. Because they can be manufactured in various ways, silicones appear in a wide variety of products that most of us use everyday. Hairsprays, suntan lotions and moisturizing creams are just some of the consumer products that contain one form of silicone called dimethicone.

Medical devices utilizing silicone include artificial joints, catheters, drainage systems, facial implants, tissue expanders and breast implants. Silicone products have been shown to be biocompatible, reliable, flexible and easy to sterilize, making them an ideal choice for both implantable and non-implantable medical devices.

What makes today’s silicone a safe option?

In 1992, the FDA called for a voluntary moratorium (delay) on the use of silicone gel-filled breast implants until new safety information could be thoroughly reviewed by the FDA’s advisory panel. That same year, the FDA lifted this moratorium and announced its decision to allow access to silicone breast implants for reconstruction patients under controlled clinical studies, called Adjunct Studies. In 1999, the FDA allowed the use of silicone gel-filled implants in Allergan’s Core Clinical Study to assess the safety and effectiveness of these devices.

While these studies are collecting information specific to INAMEDs Silicone-Filled Breast Implants, the National Institute of Health’s Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a landmark 400-page report entitled “Safety of Silicone Breast Implants.” This 1999 report on the safety ofsilicone concluded “There is insufficient evidence to support an association of silicone breast implants with defined connective tissue disease.” The IOM also stated “There is no convincing evidence for atypical connective tissue disease or rheumatic disease or a novel constellation of signs and symptoms in women with silicone breast implants.”??

The unique qualities of today’s silicone gel-filled breast implants help make it the filler of choice for patients in countries where both saline-filled and silicone gel-filled breast implants are widely available.

With the recent approval of silicone filled breast implants for breast augmentation and breast reconstruction, physicians and patients can be assured of the safety of silicone. This confirmation is based on extensive preclinical testing, four years of data on 715 women from Allergan’s Core Clinical Study and a European study that evaluated implant rupture prevalence rates beyond 10 years. In addition, countless published, peer-reviewed studies and research support the safety of silicone gel-filled breast implants.

A study by the US Government looks at silicone implants and confirms findings.

In 1997, the Department of Health and Human Services began one of the most extensive research studies in medical history by appointing the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science (IOM) to examine potential complications during or after surgery.

The IOM consisted of a 13-member volunteer committee, including six women. The committee was composed of members of the medical, scientific and educational communities with experience in radiology, women’s health, neurology, oncology, silicone chemistry, rheumatology, immunology, epidemiology, internal medicine and plastic surgery. No IOM members had on-going relationships or conflicts of interest related to any implant lawsuits.

The result: After reviewing years of evidence and research concerning these implants, the IOM found that “Evidence suggests diseases or conditions such as connective tissue diseases, cancer, neurological diseases or other systemic complaints or conditions are no more common in women with breast implants than in women without implants.”

Furthermore, a review of research and medical studies shows:

Extensive studies, including a report by the Institute of Medicine, conclude that breast cancer is no more common in women with implants than in those without implants

The American Academy of Pediatrics concluded in September 2001 “The Committee on Drugs does not feel that the evidence currently justifies classifying silicone implants as a contraindication to breastfeeding.”

Epidemiological investigations have not found any increased risk of adverse health outcomes in children born to women with breast implants

Silicone breast implants are arguably the most studied medical devices and decades of research have evaluated their safety and effectiveness.

The Allergan Core Clinical Study

Allergan’s Core Clinical Study is an ongoing 10-year study of 940 women who had breast augmentation, reconstruction or revision of a previous surgery between 1999 and 2000. Safety and effectiveness is evaluated through patient follow-up at zero to four weeks, six months, 12 months, 24 months, and annually through 10 years. Safety is assessed by complications, such as implant rupture, capsular contracture and re-operation. Benefit (effectiveness) is assessed by patient satisfaction and measures of body image/esteem and self-esteem.

The result: The FDA has evaluated Allergan’s Core Clinical Study data at four years and determined that INAMEDs Silicone-Filled Breast Implants are safe and effective for use in breast augmentation and breast reconstruction.

The Allergan Adjunct Clinical Study

The Allergan Adjunct Clinical Study enrollment was limited to reconstruction and revision surgery patients who met certain inclusion criteria. Between the years of 1998 and 2006, when enrollment in this study was terminated, over 80,000 silicone filled implants were implanted in more than 50,000 women. Safety data is collected at one, three and five years and is used as supplemental data to support the safety of INAMEDs Silicone-Filled Breast Implants.

Studies show silicone gel-filled breast implants are safe, but that doesn’t make them right for everybody. Silicone gel-filled breast implants are not lifetime devices.It is possible at some point in your lifetime that the implant(s) would need to be removed or replaced. To ensure that you achieve your optimal results safely, patients should be aware that you should not have breast implant surgery if you:

1. Have existing malignant or pre-malignant cancer of the breast and have not been successfully treated

2. Have an active infection anywhere in the body

3. Are currently pregnant or nursing

You should also know that silicone gel breast implants have not been clinically tested in women with:

1. Autoimmune diseases like lupus or scleroderma

2. Conditions that could interfere with wound healing and blood clotting

3. A weakened immune system (such as women receiving immunosuppressive therapy)

4. Reduced blood supply to the breast tissue

5. Radiation to the breast following implantation

6. Clinical diagnosis of depression or other mental health disorders, including body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders. Please discuss any history of mental health disorders prior to surgery

You may have heard some alarming health news recently, about how working the ‘graveyard shift’ may increase your odds for developing breast or prostate cancer. This story is based on recent research, over the last 20 years, that does, indeed, find an increased rate of breast cancer among women who work at night. But, please keep in mind that high cancer rates, that have been newly discovered in night workers, does not prove that nighttime work, alone, causes one to get cancer.

It is estimated that about 20 percent of the work force in technologically developed countries work the night shift. One of the first people to spot the night shift-cancer connection was Richard Stevens, a cancer epidemiologist and professor at the University of Connecticut Health Center. In 1987 he published a paper suggesting that there may be a a direct correlation to light at night and breast cancer.

Stevens says, “suspiciously, the incidence of breast cancer rates shot up, starting in the 1930′s, where industrialized cultures considered it advantageous to progressively increase one’s income”.

At the time of Steven’s first observations, most medical research scientists considered the link, between light at night to increased breast cancer rates, to be pretty weird and wacky. However, over the last 20 years, ongoing research on this disturbing news has continued. There is some compelling evidence that indicates that men working the night shift may also have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

It is also interesting to note, that in laboratory research studies with test animals, evidence of the light at night theory, supported Steven’s original idea. When light/dark schedules were purposely disrupted, the animals developed more cancerous tumors and died prematurely.

Since the 1980′s, the cancer connection to artificial light at night has received quite a bit of attention. There seems to be enough evidence to support the notion that there is a questionable pattern of increased cancer rates in night, and rotational, shift workers.

If you are a night worker do not panic, and determine that you simply must abandon your current job for personal health safety reasons. Also, consider that these ongoing studies are only one small piece of evidence to a very large puzzle. There are many other risk factors involved in developing cancer. In all fairness, other known cancer risks should also be evaluated into this equation as well, like:

1.Lifestyle choices such as exercise habits, substance abuse problems, or drug addictions

2.Daily dietary food and beverage intakes.

3.Sleep deprivation problems such as insomnia and depression.

4.Amount of exposure time that bare skin has a chance to connect with UV sunlight rays, and vitamin D levels.

5.Amount of emotional stress levels in relation to unresolved personal issues.

All of those key factor risks, and many others, as well as a wider variety of test subjects need to be extensively studied. Most of the current, light at night research studies, so far, have only been performed on the nursing profession and airline crews.

What researchers are suggesting, though, is that there seems to be a rather complicated system, of some sort, to lower levels of melatonin and serotonin in correlation to rotational, and night, shift workers. Melatonin is a endocrine system hormone produced by the pineal gland that helps induce sleep, and is gradually released after dark. The pineal gland is located deep in the center of the brain behind the center point in the forehead between the eyes, and is known to have a reaction to sunlight exposure. It is believed that sunlight exposure coming in through the eyes for approximately 20 minutes a day, without contacts, eyeglasses, or sunglasses appears to play an important role in the releasing of melatonin.

Clearly, when normal sleep/wake (also called circadian rhythm) cycles are interrupted with artificial lighting at night there may be a steep health price to pay, for the sake of earning a living. Long-term supplementation with melatonin is not advisable, either, as it may eventually interfere with your body’s ability to produce it on its own. Use, instead, one of melatonin’s safer precursors like L-tryptophan or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). Be advised , that L-tryptophan is only obtainable by presription, however, do not let that intimidate you as it is only a simple amino acid.

As an employer you may consider it financially necessary to use night shifts to voluntarily maximize your company’s profits. But, you may also want to consider employee medical health insurance liabilities, and productivity, too. There might just possibly be lower health insurance rate incentives offered for installing healthier, natural spectrum lighting systems in work station areas, This may help you save even more money, by lowering your energy costs as well.

If you are a rotational, or night, shift worker, sleeping in a darkened room is a must. Do whatever it takes to eliminate, or reduce, light from entering your sleeping environment. You can also improve the quality of your sleep by learning how to practice better sleep hygiene habits. Visit the mercola natural health website and type in the search box, ’33 secrets to a good nights sleep’.

Above all, listen to your body, if working after dark is causing you various health problems, pay close attention! Treat your symptoms with care, put in for a shift change, or find another job.

Breast fibroids, also known as fibrocystic breast disease, fibroid breasts, mammary dysplasia, benign breast disease and diffuse cystic mastopathy, are benign (non-cancerous), moveable, rubbery nodules that cause painful swelling near the breast surface.

GEL INJECTION APPARATUS AND TREATMENT OF BREAST, FIBROIDS AND ENDOMETRIAL ABLATION
An injection apparatus for treatment of diseases associated with female reproductive organs, comprising: a hollow core needle with a distal tip; an access probe configured to provide access to a uterus cavity by way of a vaginal canal; a lumen in the access probe for guiding said needle, the access probe adapted for directing the distal tip to a tissue area of interest selected from the group consisting of uterus, fibroid, myoma, fallopian tube, ovary, and cervix; and an injector for delivering a treatment substance comprising an active treatment substance and an inactive binding substance through the needle to the tissue area of interest.

Breast Cancer Drug Effective for Fibroids in Women

In premenopausal women with fibroids, the breast cancer drug anastrozole (Arimidex) reduces fibroid size and improves bothersome symptoms, according to results of a prospective study conducted at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece.
Fibroid tumors, or uterine leiomyomata, are benign growths in the uterus that can cause pain and bleeding and may eventually require surgical removal.

Based on other studies, the researchers think long-term treatment with anastrozole will be safe, but they emphasize that larger, placebo-controlled clinical trials will be required to establish the risk posed by prolonged anastrazole use in premenopausal women.

Anastrozole is typically prescribed for older (postmenopausal) women with breast cancer that is sensitive to estrogen. Anastrozole, and similar drugs, inhibit the enzyme aromatase, which is needed to produce estrogen. The current study suggests that anastrozole, given in such a low dose, acts primarily by blocking estrogens produced by the fibroids.

What are the Causes of Breast Fibroids?
The causes of breast fibroids are not completely understood. However, there are several factors that play a significant role in the development of the disease.

·    The monthly changes in the levels of oestrogen and progesterone are considered to be the most noteworthy factors contributing to this disease. These two hormones directly affect the breast tissues by causing cells to grow and multiply.
·    Prolactin, growth factor, thyroid hormone and insulin also influence the development of breast fibroids.
·    The breast produces hormonal products from its glandular and fat cells. These hormonal products send signals to the neighbouring breast cells. These signals are the key factors responsible for the development of breast fibroids.

Difference between benign breast lumps and cancerous ones

Uterine fibroids (singular Uterine Fibroma) (leiomyomata, singular leiomyoma) are benign tumors which grow from the muscle layers of the uterus.Fibroids are named according to where they are found. They are the most common benign neoplasm in females, and may affect about 25% of white and 50% of black women during the reproductive years. Uterine fibroids shrink dramatically in size after a woman passes through menopause. Cervical fibroids are found in the wall of the womb and can become very large.

After skin cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer, Colon cancer is the fourth most common cancer type occurring in women across the globe. There are many types of colon cancer: Carcinoid Tumors, Lymphoma, Melanoma and Sarcomas. However, the most common of all the colon cancers is Colon Carcinoma.

A colon in the human body is a long, coiled tube shaped organ, which helps in removing water from the digested food. It is also called the large intestine or the large bowel having four sections: Ascending Colon, Transverse Colon, Descending Colon and Sigmoid Colon. Colon cancer is a type of cancer, which forms in the colon tissues. It is often referred to as colorectal cancer. Colon cancers usually are adenocarcinomas, which mean that they begin in cells releasing mucus and other type of fluids.

Who Are At Risk Of Having Colon Cancer?

Colon cancer is responsible for most of the deaths elated to cancer, but doctors say that an early diagnosis can reduce the risk. Immediate action can also lead to full cure of a patient. The risk of having colon cancer increases, if you:

1-Have cancer elsewhere in your body

2-Have a personal history of breast cancer

3-Have a family history of colon cancer

4-Have colorectal polyps, crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis

Apart from the above stated reasons, the risk of having colon cancer also depends on your diet. Doctors say that chances of colon cancer may increase, if you are having red meat and a high fat with low fibre diet. Some genetic syndromes may be also responsible in developing colon cancer.

Symptoms of Colon Cancer

There are several symptoms indicating the presence of colon cancer in your body. Some of them include blood in your stool, narrow stools, tenderness & pain in the lower abdomen, unexplained anaemia, sudden weight loss, constipation, diarrhoea, intestinal obstruction and changes in bowel habits.

Take Immediate Action against the Menace

If you feel that you are having any of the symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. There are many physical exams, which needs to be done on your belly area. There are also imaging tests that are extremely helpful in diagnosing colon cancers. Again, tests similar to sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy confirm the presence of colon cancer.

One more test of detecting colon cancer is the fecal occult blood test (FEBT). After detection of colon cancer, additional tests known as staging is done to check the exact area in which the colon cancer has spread.

Treatment of Colon Cancer

The treatment of colon cancer is mainly dependent on the stage in which it has been detected. The most common treatments for colon cancer are chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy medicines kill the colon cancer cells, radiation therapy destroys the cancerous tissue present and surgery may be done to remove the cancer cells.

If treated at an early stage, nearly 90% of patients suffering from colon cancer may survive for minimum of five years after diagnosis. And in cases where the colon cancer does not recur within a period of five years, the patient is considered to be fully cured.