Breast Cancer + Original Articles

Drinking and Your Risk of Breast Cancer

A look at how alcohol triggers breast cancer growth. You may have heard that drinking alcohol is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. Unfortunately, it's true: While the occasional glass of wine is fine, women who have an alcoholic drink every day are seven percent more likely to develop breast cancer than non-drinkers, and women who consume 2-3 drinks a day are 20 percent more likely to develop the disease.

Can Fasting Help Prevent Breast Cancer Recurrence?

Breast cancer patients who were diagnosed when cancer was at an early stage may want to consider extending the length of time between dinner and breakfast the next morning. Survivors of early stage breast cancer who fasted during sleep for more than 13 hours were less likely to experience a recurrence, according to research from the University of California-San Diego. Study authors examined the data on more than 2,000 women from 1995 to 2007.

Weight Gain Among Breast Cancer Survivors

Patients who have been diagnosed within the past five years and patients on statins seem to be at the greatest risk. Survivors who have had a particular type of breast cancer are more at risk for weight gain than individuals without cancer, according to a recent study. The study looked at patients with a family history of estrogen receptor (ER) negative invasive breast cancer.

A New Online Tool to Determine Breast Cancer Risk

If you're a woman in your 40s, you should know about this. There’s no doubt that a diagnosis of breast cancer can be terrifying: Approximately 232,000 women will be diagnosed with the disease, and 40,000 will die of it in 2015, according to the National Cancer Institute. However, the decision about when to be screened for the disease can be downright confusing.

The Link Between Shift Work and Cancer Risk

Shift work (working during the time when most people are asleep) may increase your risk of cancer learn what you can do about it. Sleep is critical to our overall health and well-being. Prolonged sleep disruptions, such as those that come with working non-daytime hours, prevent the brain from performing important restorative tasks. A number of studies also suggest long-term shift work is associated with a higher risk of certain types of cancer, especially breast cancer.

Should You Exercise When Treating Cancer?

For cancer patients and survivors, exercise can help improve physical functioning, fatigue, and quality of life and may improve chances of survival. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 1 in 25 Americans are now cancer survivors. This number shows how prevalent the disease is, and has also prompted experts to look at the ways patients can improve their health, quality of life, and chances of survival.

Does Alcohol Increase Your Risk of Cancer?

Alcohol consumption is a significant risk factor for cancer, but the headlines may be a bit misleading. Recent news reports have raised concerns that drinking alcohol increases the risk for melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. Alcohol is a significant risk factor for cancer, but the headlines are a bit misleading. What the research really says about alcohol and cancer risk The study in question reports that people who drink alcohol regularly had a 20 percent higher risk of developing malignant (spreading) melanoma than people who drink occasionally or not at all.

The Perfect Fit: Choosing the Right Mastectomy Bra

You might expect bra shopping after a mastectomy to be a different experience, but it's still all about comfort and fit. After undergoing a mastectomy, not every woman opts to have reconstructive surgery, and for those who choose not to, a mastectomy bra can be a comfortable and attractive alternative. "Some women just don't want reconstructive surgery and they feel totally comfortable wearing a prosthesis instead," explains Stephanie Bernik, MD, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"Cold Caps" May Prevent Hair Loss From Chemo

One of the most psychologically and socially devastating side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss. Although not yet FDA-approved, cold caps have helped many women hold onto their locks. Widely used in Europe and Canada, "cold cap therapy," is a treatment that involves cooling the scalp during chemotherapy so that many potent anti-cancer drugs are prevented from getting to the hair follicles and damaging them. Chemotherapy is a major stressor on the body, and hair loss is one of its more visible effects.

Can Honeybees Detect Cancer?

Research shows bees can be trained to sniff out early-stage cancer. The highly honed sense of smell that honeybees possess could one day help detect early stage cancer. That's according to new research from Portuguese scientist Susana Soares. Her project, BEE's, New Organs of Perception, explores how bees use their sensitive olfactory systems to detect illness in humans.
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