Monday, September 30, 2013

Alternative Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer

Metastatic breast cancer is cancer that begins in the breast and spreads to other parts of the body. These places can include the lymph system, lungs, brain, spine and major organs.

Depending on the degree of metastasis, or spreading, you may think or have even been told that there is very little in the way of treatment options available to you. If this has occurred, or if you are just considering different treatment methods, then you may want to look into different types of alternative treatment for metastatic breast cancer.

Naturopathy

    Practitioners of naturopathy believe that the human body has an ingrained ability to heal itself. Therefore, naturopathy is designed to help your body use its natural healing ability to the fullest extent possible.

    The goal of naturopathy is to use methods that support and enhance the treatment process while striving to be as non-invasive as possible. These methods can include changes in your diet or implementation of a new diet, exercise programs designed specifically for you, and changes in your lifestyle.

    Some naturopathic treatments may also include botanical medicines, which are medicines derived or manufactured from plants or plant parts, and vitamin and mineral supplements.

Mind-Body Medicine

    Mind-body medicine is also sometimes referred to as holistic medicine. Its purpose is to involve the mind, the body and the spirit in the treatment process.

    Mind-body or holistic medicine advocates a team approach to the treatment process. The team includes any conventional doctors or health care professionals who are involved in your treatment, and you. In other words, you are treated as a person, not patient A or the person in the room down the hall with breast cancer.

    Many people believe that mind-body or holistic medicine means you cannot receive conventional medicine or treatments, such as chemotherapy or prescription medication. This is not true, as these are often used in conjunction with the holistic approach.

    Mind-body or holistic medicine does advocate and encourage your participation in support groups, and in beginning or continuing any religious practices or meditation techniques you may consider important.

    In addition, some holistic practitioners may go so far as to look into your personal life, such as how well you are or if you would be able to care for yourself, and family or caregiver support and availability. In this way, they can be assured that stress will not be a negative factor in your treatment protocol.

No Medicine or Treatment

    Deciding not to take any type of medicine or participate in any form of treatment is as much an option as anything else. And it is one that some people with metastatic breast cancer choose.

    However, only you can and should make that decision. A family member should not make it for you, unless for some reason you are unable to make the decision, and have left specific instructions for him or her to do so.

    It should not even be suggested by a health care practitioner until or unless you have brought up the suggestion, or after all other options have at least been attempted.

Nutritional Support

    It has not been proven that any specific food or herbal supplement will prevent or cure breast cancer; however, certain foods do help boost the immune system, add antioxidants to the body and help control nausea, flushing and other mild side effects of metastatic cancer treatments.

    Certain herbal supplements will negate the effects of chemotherapy or other conventional treatments, so you should alert the health care team of any supplements you might be taking. Also keep them posted on anything you change in your diet or nutrition habits.

Surgery Only

    Having surgery to remove the metastatic breast cancer or as much of it as possible from where it has spread, then opting not to undergo further treatment is a decision that some people make. Again, this must be a personal decision made by you, and no one else.


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  • Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ) - National Cancer Institute

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Proton Treatment for Breast Cancer

One of the most common forms of cancer among women is breast cancer. One promising course that has developed in the last few years is proton treatment. Understanding the science and protocols of this treatment will allow you to make important decisions regarding your illness.

Breast Cancer

    Breast cancer develops in the inner layer of the breast duct. Abnormal cells grow and fill hollow spaces, killing healthy cells. As these cells die, calcium deposits form. Detectable with a mammogram, these deposits may be the first sign of cancer growing in the breast. As the cancer becomes more advanced, it will destroy the outer layers of the ducts and spread into the connective tissue (the fibrous area that binds the breast together). A mass, created by the connective tissue, is felt as a lump during an examination. Once a lump forms, the cancer will move into the lymph nodes and onward, throughout the body.

Proton Therapy

    Conventional radiation therapy must pass through healthy tissue to reach the cancerous area. It can damage everything in its path, such as bone and skin. Proton radiation works with a more targeted and precise beam. The ability to strike closer or exactly on the tumor is significant. It also has the advantage of less harmful exit doses. The exit dose, called Brags Peak, is the burst of energy released as the radiation reaches its peak, presumably at the tumor site. With older-style radiation, this peak is larger and more damaging to the body. The precision of proton therapy allows for control of Brags Peak. The end result is a type of radiation treatment that damages healthy tissue less.

Procedure

    A patient preparing to under go proton radiation therapy will first be fitted with a device designed to keep the target area immobile and then will have an MRI to create a 3-D image of the tumor region. Done as an outpatient procedure, the treatment will generally last five to seven weeks.

    The patient is positioned for the treatment using laser sites, and then left alone in the treatment room as a computer controls the parameters of the radiation using filters and guides established from the study of the tumor. The delivery of the proton beam only lasts about a minute. Each treatment lasts approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Side Effects

    Side effects are similar to conventional radiation, but at a significantly reduced level. They include temporary hair loss and some skin reactions.

Long-Term Effects

    The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology reported at its annual meeting in 2008 that the use of proton treatment over more conventional radiation led to a significant (threefold) reduction in reoccurrences of malignancies (cancerous tumors). This refuted speculation that this therapy would increase secondary cancers.


  • Proton therapy used to treat breast cancer abc7.com

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  • Proton Therapy and Treatment Center, Loma Linda University

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Sunday, September 29, 2013

Prognosis & Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer

Prognosis and treatment of metastatic breast cancer is determined by the extent and location of metastases. Common locations for metastatic breast cancer to appear include the brain, liver, lung, bone or lymph nodes.

Staging

    In order to determine if the breast cancer has spread to other organs, a process called staging must occur. This is done by identifying the size of the tumor in the breast, lymph node involvement and the distance from the breast where other cancer is identified. For example, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, stage IV breast cancer shows the existence of cancer in lymph nodes near the collarbone or in organs such as the brain, lungs and liver.

Significance

    Early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer is critical to long-term survival. The chances for a five-year survival rate drops dramatically from a stage I breast cancer to a stage IV.

Diagnosis

    Tests such as a bone scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scan or positron emission tomography (PET) scan, along with a blood profile to look for various cancer markers, may be performed to determine the existence and extent of metastatic breast cancer.

Treatment

    According to imaginis.com, the most common region metastatic breast cancer is found is in the bones, followed by the lungs and liver. Regardless of the location, the focus is primarily on comfort. Treatment may include surgical removal of the tumor and/or some type of chemotherapy. Radiation therapy may be included as a palliative measure to reduce tumor size.

Prognosis

    The prognosis for metastatic breast cancer is much improved over past decades, where it was almost a certain death sentence. According to Breastcancer.org, advancements in early detection and new treatment regimens offer hope for living a productive and long life.

Warning

    Pay attention to warning signs of metastatic breast cancer. For anyone living with the diagnosis of breast cancer, it is imperative to be aware of changes that would suggest other areas of the body may be affected. These signs may include unexplained pain, swelling, fatigue, or mental and emotional changes.



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