Archive | October 2020

QUOTE FOR FRIDAY:

“Studies have shown that your risk for breast cancer is due to a combination of factors. The main factors that influence your risk include being a woman and getting older. Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older.”

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

QUOTE FOR THURSDAY:

“Whether your cancer is invasive or noninvasive helps your doctor determine whether your cancer may have spread beyond your breast, which treatments are more appropriate for you, and your risk of developing cancer in the same breast or your other breast.”

MAYO CLINIC

QUOTE FOR WEDNESDAY:

“Breast cancers can start from different parts of the breast.

Most breast cancers begin in the ducts that carry milk to the nipple (ductal cancers). Some start in the glands that make breast milk (lobular cancers). There are also other types of breast cancer that are less common like phyllodes tumor and angio-sarcoma. A small number of cancers start in other tissues in the breast. These cancers are called sarcomas and lymphomas and are not really thought of as breast cancers.  Breast cancer can spread when the cancer cells get into the blood or lymph system and are carried to other parts of the body.”

American Cancer Society

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is cancer that forms in the cells of the breasts.

After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States. Breast cancer can occur in both men and women, but it’s far more common in women.

Public support for breast cancer awareness and research funding has helped improve the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer survival rates have increased, and the number of deaths has been declining, thanks to a number of factors such as earlier detection, new treatments and a better understanding of the disease.

Breast Cancer affects everyone.  Every year, over 200,000 women are diagnosed with new cases of Breast Cancer in the United States, and over 39,000 women will lose their fight with this terrible disease.  Having experienced the effects that cancer has on both the victim and their loved ones support is so important by family and significant ones in our lives.

The Breast Cancer Awareness Month, marked in countries across the world every October, helps to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of this disease.

There are about 1.38 million new cases and 458 000 deaths from breast cancer each year (IARC Globocan, 2008). Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide, both in the developed and developing countries. In low- and middle-income countries the incidence has been rising up steadily in the last years due to increase in life expectancy, increase urbanization and adoption of western lifestyles.

Currently there is not sufficient knowledge on the causes of breast cancer, therefore, early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. When breast cancer is detected early, and if adequate diagnosis and treatment are available, there is a good chance that breast cancer can be cured. If detected late, however, curative treatment is often no longer an option. In such cases, palliative care to relief the suffering of patients and their families is needed.

The majority of deaths (269 000) occur in low- and middle-income countries, where most women with breast cancer are diagnosed in late stages due mainly to lack of awareness on early detection and barriers to health services.

Here is another thing to help breast cancer patients National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a chance to raise awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Make a difference! Spread the word about mammograms and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved.

In the first phases, the breast cancer has no evident signs and symptoms and it differ in folks from lumps to swelling and alterations in the pores and skin.

A lump also modest which is felt does not cause any strange changes and it is unnoticed.

Nevertheless, in a lot of circumstances visual appeal of new lump or a mass is the 1st indicator discovered. The lump may possibly be difficult to contact with uneven edges and they are painless.

But there are cases the lump is really tender, spherical edged and soft. More lumps are painless.

Breast Most cancers Signs and symptoms are:
Swelling of element of the breast or all areas
Pores and skin irritation in the breast.
Nipple pain,
Nipple begins to switch inward (inverted) slowly and gradually
Breast pain.

Breast cancer prevention starts with healthy habits — such as limiting alcohol and staying physically active. Understand what you can do to reduce your breast cancer risk.

If you’re concerned about breast cancer, you may be wondering if there are steps you can take toward breast cancer prevention. Some risk factors, such as family history, can’t be changed. However, there are lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk.

What can I do to reduce my risk of breast cancer?

Lifestyle changes have been shown in studies to decrease breast cancer risk even in high-risk women.  The following are steps you can take to lower your risk:

  • Limit alcohol. The more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk of developing breast cancer. If you choose to drink alcohol — including beer, wine or liquor — limit yourself to no more than one drink a day.
  • Don’t smoke. Accumulating evidence suggests a link between smoking and breast cancer risk, particularly in premenopausal women. In addition, not smoking is one of the best things you can do for your overall health.
  • Control your weight. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of breast cancer. This is especially true if obesity occurs later in life, particularly after menopause.
  • Be physically active. Physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight, which, in turn, helps prevent breast cancer. For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity weekly, plus strength training at least twice a week.
  • Breast-feed. Breast-feeding may play a role in breast cancer prevention. The longer you breast-feed, the greater the protective effect.
  • Limit dose and duration of hormone therapy. Combination hormone therapy for more than three to five years increases the risk of breast cancer. If you’re taking hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms, ask your doctor about other options. You may be able to manage your symptoms with nonhormonal therapies, such as physical activity. If you decide that the benefits of short-term hormone therapy outweigh the risks, use the lowest dose that works for you.
  • Avoid exposure to radiation and environmental pollution. Medical-imaging methods, such as computerized tomography, use high doses of radiation, which have been linked with breast cancer risk. Reduce your exposure by having such tests only when absolutely necessary. While more studies are needed, some research suggests a link between breast cancer and exposure to the chemicals found in some workplaces, gasoline fumes and vehicle exhaust.

Can a healthy diet prevent breast cancer?

Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables hasn’t been consistently shown to offer protection from breast cancer. In addition, a low-fat diet appears to offer only a slight reduction in the risk of breast cancer.

However, eating a healthy diet may decrease your risk of other types of cancer, as well as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. A healthy diet can also help you maintain a healthy weight — a key factor in breast cancer prevention.

 

 

QUOTE FOR TUESDAY:

“Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

With all the media putting concern to Covid let’s still not forget about getting prepped for Influenza.

Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness. Serious outcomes of flu infection can result in hospitalization or death. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk of serious flu complications.  There are two main types of influenza (flu) virus: Types A and B. The influenza A and B viruses that routinely spread in people (human influenza viruses) are responsible for seasonal flu epidemics each year.

Influenza virus infection is so common that the number of people infected each season can only be estimated. These statistical estimations are based on CDC-measured flu hospitalization rates that are adjusted to produce an estimate of the total number of influenza infections in the United States for a given flu season.

The estimates for the number of infections are then divided by the census population to estimate the seasonal incidence (or attack rate) of influenza.

Does seasonal incidence of influenza change based on the severity of flu season?

Yes. The proportion of people who get sick from flu varies.

Period of Contagiousness

You may be able to spread flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.  It spreads in the following time:

  • People with flu are most contagious in the first 3-4 days after their illness begins.
  • Some otherwise healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick.
  • Some people, especially young children and people with weakened immune systems, might be able to infect others for an even longer time.

Signs and Symptoms:

Flu is different from a cold. Flu usually comes on suddenly. People who have flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

  • fever* or feeling feverish/chills
  • cough
  • sore throat
  • runny or stuffy nose
  • muscle or body aches
  • headaches
  • fatigue (tiredness)
  • some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

*It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

How the flu is treated:

One is through PREVENTION=Get Vaccinated, you can’t get it after you have it.

Usually, you’ll need nothing more than bed rest and plenty of fluids to treat the flu. But if you have severe infection or are at higher risk for complications, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication, such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu), zanamivir (Relenza), peramivir (Rapivab) or baloxavir (Xofluza). These drugs may shorten your illness by a day or so and help prevent serious complications.

Oseltamivir is an oral medication. Zanamivir is inhaled through a device similar to an asthma inhaler and shouldn’t be used by anyone with certain chronic respiratory problems, such as asthma and lung disease.

Antiviral medication side effects may include nausea and vomiting. These side effects may be lessened if the drug is taken with food.

Most circulating strains of influenza have become resistant to amantadine and rimantadine (Flumadine), which are older antiviral drugs that are no longer recommended.

QUOTE FOR MONDAY:

Cyclopia is a rare birth defect that occurs when the front part of the brain doesn’t cleave into right and left hemispheres. The most obvious symptom of cyclopia is a single eye or a partially divided eye. In humans, cyclopia affects an average of one in every 100,000 births, the study authors reported. It means the forebrain of the embryo doesn’t form two equal hemispheres. The forebrain is supposed to contain both cerebral hemispheres, the thalamus (its chief function is processing information going to and from the spinal cord and cerebrum. It also regulates sleep cycles, consciousness, and alertness. It sends information and processes the information from the brain to areas of the body including bodily functions.) and the hypothalamus (plays a crucial role in many important functions, including: releasing hormones, regulating body temperature, maintaining daily physiological cycles, controlling appetite, managing of sexual behavior and regulating emotional responses).In all species, those born with these severe defects typically don’t survive for long — the researchers of the 2015 study described the condition as “incompatible with life.  Survival is death in embryo or one day after born for most cases.”

Life Science (lifescience.com)

Cyclopia

Cyclopia (alobar holoprosencephaly) is a rare and lethal complex human malformation, resulting from incomplete cleavage of prosencephalon into right and left hemispheres occurring between the 18th and the 28th day of gestation. Holoprosencephaly occurs in 1/16,000 live births, and 1/250 during embryogenesis. Approximately 1.05 in 100,000 births are identified as infants with cyclopia, including stillbirths. Cyclopia typically presents with a median single eye or a partially divided eye in a single orbit, absent nose, and a proboscis above the eye. Extracranial malformations described in stillbirths with cyclopia include polydactyl, renal dysplasia, and an omphalocele. The etiology of this rare syndrome, which is incompatible with life, is still largely unknown. Most cases are sporadic. Heterogeneous risk factors have been implicated as possible causes.

Although cyclopia is rare, several cyclopic human babies are preserved in medical museums (e.g. The Vrolik Museum, Amsterdam).

Cells in the mesoderm layer at the midline of the embryo secrete signals that establish midline identity in the overlying neural plate. Among these signals are members of the hedgehog (Hh) family of proteins, which can induce a variety of cells, including the neural midline. This region gives rise to the ventral brain of the embryo, and the floorplate and motor neurons in the spinal cord. Mouse embryos with mutations in the gene that encodes Sonic hedgehog (Shh) do not develop midline structures of the neural plate, leading, at worst, to profound cyclopia. A single, medial eye is located above a nose containing a single nostril. But although Shh is necessary for specification of the neural plate, other results indicate that it may not be enough. Cloning of the genes responsible for two cyclopic zebrafish mutant phenotypes now suggests that members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family may also be involved in these processes.

Some extreme cases of cyclopia have been documented in farm animals (horses, sheep, pigs, and sometimes chickens). In such cases, the nose and mouth fail to form, or the nose grows from the roof of the mouth obstructing airflow, resulting in suffocation shortly after birth.

Genetic problems or toxins can cause problems in the embryonic forebrain-dividing process. One highly teratogenic alkaloid toxin that can cause cyclopia is cyclopamine or 2-deoxyjervine, found in the plant Veratrum californicum (also known as corn lily or false hellebore). The mistake of ingesting Veratrum californicum while pregnant is often because hellebore, a plant with which it is easily confused, is recommended as a natural treatment for vomiting, cramps, and poor circulation, three conditions that are quite common in pregnant women. Cyclopia can occur in the womb when certain proteins are inappropriately expressed and causes the brain to stay whole instead of forming into two distinct hemispheres, which also means one optic lobe and one olfactory lobe resulting in one eye.

SHH (Sonic Hedgehog Gene Regulator, named after the effects a mutation in the gene had on the forming embryo of fruit flies studied by scientists; a spiky appearance under a microscope, similar to that of its video game character namesake) is involved in the separation of the single eye field into two bilateral fields. Although not proven, it is thought that SHH emitted from the prechordal plate suppresses Pax6 which causes the eye field to divide into two. If the shh gene is mutated, the result is cyclopia, a single eye in the center of the face (Gilbert, 2000).

QUOTE FOR THE WEEKEND:

” ‘Encephalopathy’ means damage or disease that affects the brain. It happens when there’s been a change in the way your brain works or a change in your body that affects your brain. Those changes lead to an altered mental state, leaving you confused and not acting like you usually do. Encephalopathy is not a single disease but a group of disorders with several causes. It’s a serious health problem that, without treatment, it can cause temporary or permanent brain damage.”

Web M.D.

QUOTE FOR FRIDAY:

“Malnutrition is the condition that develops when the body is deprived of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs to maintain healthy tissues and organ function.

Malnutrition occurs in people who are either undernourished or overnourished. In the United States, more children suffer from malnutrition due to dietary imbalances than due to nutritional deficiencies.

Undernutrition occurs when not enough essential nutrients are consumed or when they are excreted more rapidly than they can be replaced. Overnutrition occurs in people who eat too much, eat the wrong things, don’t exercise enough or take too many vitamins or other dietary replacements. Risk of overnutrition is increased by being more than 20 percent overweight or consuming a diet high in fat and salt.”

John Hopkins Medicine