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Cancer
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Detecting Breast Cancer
One of the most effective tools in breast cancer screening is breast self-exam (BSE). However, BSE works best when women are appropriately trained in the procedure, and then followed-up with annual clinical breast exams (CBE) from their physicians. In a 2000 University of Toronto study, approximately 20,000 women were screened for breast cancer with BSE and annual CBE, and 20,000 were screened with BSE and mammograms. After more than 10 years, the BSE and annual CBE reported 610 cases of invasive breast cancer, and 105 deaths. In the BSE and mammogram group, there were 622 cases of invasive breast cancer and 107 deaths. Without question, the first line of defense against breast cancer begins with diligent BSE.
Other tools that are available to women include the AMAS (anti-malignan antibody screen) test and the NMP Nuclear matrix protein) test. Both these are blood tests that measure a certain protein in the blood that may indicate cancer. The AMAS test has been around for several years while the NMP test has not been available until only recently. Clinical trials continue in this area.
Do fruits and vegetables have much impact against breast cancer risk?
A: No. There are two things going on here. One is the likelihood that the relationship is true and another is the strength of the relationship. Although we think the relationship between vegetables and breast cancer is real, the impact isn't huge.
There isn't a lot about diet, weight, etc., that has a big impact on breast cancer. I'm sure we're missing something, but we haven't yet worked out what is going on. There's no question that gaining weight after menopause raises the risk. And we know that hormones and reproduction are really important because women who start puberty early or go through menopause late have a higher risk, and women who bear children at a young age have a lower risk. Rapid growth in childhood and adolescence also raise the risk.
Related topics to be discussed on the next chapter are:
breast cancer
lung cancer
prostate cancer
skin cancer
colon cancer
ovarian cancer
cancer symptoms
cancer research
cervical cancer
testicular cancer
pancreatic cancer
cancer treatment
liver cancer
bladder cancer
bone cancer
thyroid cancer
brain cancer
stomach cancer |
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