“Trends to cancer incidence:
In recent years, breast cancer incidence rates have increased by 1% per year. The rise has been a little faster in women younger than 50 (1.4%). This is probably due to younger women being more likely to have certain factors that increase risk, such as having excess body weight, having fewer children, or having a first child after age 30.”
American Cancer Society (Key Statistics for Breast Cancer | American Cancer Society)
CDC says this:
“Different people have different symptoms of breast cancer. Some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all.
Some warning signs of breast cancer are—
Is there a link between birth control pills and breast cancer?
A number of older studies suggested that birth control pills slightly increased the risk of breast cancer, especially among younger women. In these studies, however, 10 years after discontinuing birth control pills women’s risk of breast cancer returned to the same level as that of women who never used oral contraceptives. Current evidence does not support an increase in breast cancer with birth control pills.
Be vigilant about breast cancer detection. If you notice any changes in your breasts, such as a new lump or skin changes, consult your doctor. Also, ask your doctor when to begin mammograms and other screenings.
Once you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, your doctor works to find out the specifics of your tumor. Using a tissue sample from your breast biopsy or using your tumor if you’ve already undergone surgery, your medical team determines your breast cancer type. This information helps your doctor decide which treatment options are most appropriate for you. The biopsy helps what’s used to determine your breast cancer type.
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.
The type of tissue where your breast cancer arises determines how the cancer behaves and what treatments are most effective. Parts of the breast where cancer begins include:
Bone metastasis occurs when cancer cells spread from their original site to a location in the bone. The most common types of cancer more likely to spread to bone include breast, prostate and lung cancers.
Bone metastasis can occur in any bone, but more commonly occurs in the pelvis and spine. Bone metastasis may be the first sign that you have cancer, or it may occur years after your cancer treatment is completed, ex. Hodgkins Disease.
Signs and symptoms of bone metastasis may include the following:
The most common problem with metastatic bone cancer is pain and fractures. Metastatic bone cancer usually can’t be cured, but instead the goal is to provide pain relief and control further spread. Treatment can make a big difference and may include the following:
If you’re living with metastatic bone cancer, you may find help and resources from a website called Bone Health in Focus. It was established with partners including BreastCancer.org, the National Lung Cancer Partnership and Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education & Support Network to offer resources that help patients and caregivers understand more about cancer that has spread to the bone (find the site at www.bonehealthinfocus.com).
Mayo Clinic information on cancer that has spread to the bone can be found at http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bone-metastasis/basics/definition/con-20035450.
Are you living with cancer that has spread to the bone? Feel free to share your experiences with each other on the this blog striveforgoodhealth.com or on TheMayoclinic.org.
Make the changes in your lifestyles including diet if you want to prevent cancer, live long and have a productive life.
REFERENCE: Mayoclinic.org
Article reviewed 10/18/2022
“Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the US besides skin cancers. It accounts for about 1 in 3 new cancers in women each year.
The American Cancer Society’s estimates for breast cancer in the US for 2026 are:
American Cancer Society (Key Statistics for Breast Cancer | American Cancer Society)
There are many types of breast cancer. The most common types are ductal carcinoma in situ, or invasive ductal carcinoma, and invasive lobular carcinoma.
When a biopsy is done to find out the specific type of breast cancer, the pathologist will also check if the cancer has spread into the surrounding tissues. The following terms are used to describe the extent of the cancer:
The type of breast cancer is determined by the specific cells in the breast that are affected. Most breast cancers are carcinomas. Carcinomas are tumors that start in the epithelial cells that line organs and tissues throughout the body. Sometimes, an even more specific term is used. For example, most breast cancers are a type of carcinoma called adenocarcinoma, which starts in cells that make up glands (glandular tissue). Breast adenocarcinomas start in the ducts (the milk ducts) or the lobules (milk-producing glands).
There are other, less common, types of breast cancers, too, such as sarcomas, phyllodes, Paget disease, and angiosarcomas which start in the cells of the muscle, fat, or connective tissue.
Sometimes a single breast tumor can be a combination of different types. And in some very rare types of breast cancer, the cancer cells may not form a lump or tumor at all.
The most common kinds of breast cancer are carcinomas and are named based on where they form and how far they have spread.
These general kinds of breast cancer below can be further described with the terms outlined above.
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS; also known as intraductal carcinoma) is a non-invasive or pre-invasive breast cancer.
Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) may also be called lobular neoplasia. This breast change is not a cancer, though the name can be confusing. In LCIS, cells that look like cancer cells are growing in the lobules of the milk-producing glands of the breast, but they don’t grow through the wall of the lobules.
Breast cancers that have spread into surrounding breast tissue are known as invasive breast cancer. There are many different kinds of invasive breast cancer, but the most common are called invasive ductal carcinoma and invasive lobular carcinoma.
This is an uncommon type of invasive breast cancer. It accounts for about 1% to 5% of all breast cancers.
This starts in the breast ducts and spreads to the skin of the nipple and then to the areola(the dark circle around the nipple). It is rare, accounting for only about 1-3% of all cases of breast cancer.
Phyllodes tumors are rare breast tumors. They develop in the connective tissue (stroma) of the breast, in contrast to carcinomas, which develop in the ducts or lobules. Most are benign, but there are others that are malignant (cancer).
Sarcomas of the breast are rare making up less than 1% of all breast cancers. Angiosarcoma starts in cells that line blood vessels or lymph vessels. It can involve the breast tissue or the skin of the breast. Some may be related to prior radiation therapy in that area.
“Viral gastroenteritis is an intestinal infection that includes signs and symptoms such as watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea or vomiting, and sometimes fever.
The most common way to develop viral gastroenteritis — often called stomach flu — is through contact with an infected person or by consuming contaminated food or water. If you’re otherwise healthy, you’ll likely recover without complications. But for infants, older adults and people with compromised immune systems, viral gastroenteritis can be deadly.
There’s no effective treatment for viral gastroenteritis, so prevention is key. Avoid food and water that may be contaminated and wash your hands thoroughly and often.”
MAYO CLINIC (Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu) – Symptoms & causes – Mayo Clinic
Norovirus is a very contagious virus that can infect anyone. You can get it from an infected person, contaminated food or water, or by touching contaminated surfaces. The virus causes your stomach or intestines or both to get inflamed. This leads you to have stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea and to throw up. These symptoms can be serious for some people, especially young children and older adults.
Anyone can be infected with norovirus and get sick. Also, you can have norovirus illness many times in your life. Norovirus illness can be serious, especially for young children and older adults.
Norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the United States. Each year, it causes 19-21 million illnesses and contributes to 56,000-71,000 hospitalizations and 570-800 deaths. Norovirus is also the most common cause of foodborne-disease outbreaks in the United States.
The best way to help prevent norovirus is to practice proper hand washing and general cleanliness.
Norovirus can be found in your stool (feces) even before you start feeling sick. The virus can stay in your stool for 2 weeks or more after you feel better.
You are most contagious
You can become infected with norovirus by accidentally getting stool or vomit from infected people in your mouth. This usually happens by
Norovirus is the leading cause of illness and outbreaks from contaminated food in the United States. Most of these outbreaks occur in the food service settings like restaurants. Infected food workers are frequently the source of the outbreaks, often by touching ready-to-eat foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables, with their bare hands before serving them. However, any food served raw or handled after being cooked can get contaminated with norovirus.
Norovirus outbreaks can also occur from foods, such as oysters, fruits, and vegetables, that are contaminated at their source.
Norovirus can spread quickly in closed places like daycare centers, nursing homes, schools, and cruise ships. Most norovirus outbreaks happen from November to April in the United States.
SIGNS/SYMPTOMS OF NOROVIRUS: Diarrhea/Vomiting/Nauses/Dehydration/Stomach Pain/Fever/Headache/Bodyaches.
If you have norovirus illness, you can feel extremely ill and throw up or have diarrhea many times a day. This can lead to dehydration, especially in young children, older adults, and people with other illnesses.
A person usually develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to norovirus. Most people with norovirus illness get better within 1 to 3 days.
You are most contagious when you have symptoms with the norovirus, during the first few days after you have recovered from norovirus.
You can become infected with norovirus by accidentally getting stool or vomit from infected people in your mouth. This usually happens by
What areas are with higher probability in having the disease? PUBLIC PLACES in particularly the following:
Norovirus can spread quickly in closed places like daycare centers, nursing homes, schools, and cruise ships. Most norovirus outbreaks happen from November to April in the United States. I personally was on a cruise that ended up having this and was from the previous trip the ship took but didn’t find out about it till I saw a note with my husband on our pillows in our ship room at that point we were given the opportunity to cancel and reschedule our trip. Cruise line tactic to now have you cancel the trip and not return your bags till the end of the ship cruise along with all that going through security like us we stayed on and took the chance. I ended up not with it or my husband and the cruise went to simple infection control techniques to strict when it affected the people which offended many but not us. Being an RN several years I understood they were doing better infection control tactics but should have started from day one and explained to all. That could be hard on a cruise of people not just from USA.
Regarding the treatment, unfortunately there is no specific medicine to treat people with norovirus illness. Norovirus infection cannot be treated with antibiotics because it is a viral (not a bacterial) infection. If you have norovirus illness, you should drink plenty of liquids to replace fluid lost from throwing up and diarrhea. Give children an oral rehydration solution (like pedialyte) to replace lost fluids and electrolytes. Avoid sugary drinks, which can make diarrhea worse, as well as alcohol and caffeinated beverages, which can dehydrate you further.
Good hygiene is the key to preventing an infection with norovirus, especially when you are in close surroundings with a lot of other people.
“Though sodium is necessary for health, consuming too much sodium through high-salt foods can significantly harm health and increase disease risk.
For example, high-salt diets are known to increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and kidney disease. Consuming high amounts of sodium leads to elevated sodium levels in the body, which causes the body to retain water. This increases blood pressure and puts extra stress on the kidneys. Excess sodium also harms bone health by increasing urinary calcium excretion, weakening the bones.”
Health (https://www.health.com/sodium-8637548)
Table salt is made up of the elements sodium and chloride – the technical name for salt is sodium chloride. Your body needs some sodium=Na+ to work properly. Na+ in our body plays important roles and works with potassium. It helps with the function of nerves and muscles. It also helps to keep the right balance of fluids in your body. When Na+ gets high concentrated (in blood=hypernatremia) our body reacts by allowing more water in that compartment (ex. Plasma) to balance out the electrolyte and fluids in that compartment to prevent complications.
Your kidneys control how much sodium is in your body. If you have too much and your kidneys can’t get rid of it, sodium builds up in your blood (hypernatremia). This can lead to health problems. In healthy individuals, the kidneys respond to excess sodium by flushing it out in the urine. Unfortunately, this also removes potassium. If potassium levels are low, the body tries to hoard it, which also means hanging onto sodium. Water follows sodium, leading to an increase in the amount of water in the body and the volume of blood in circulation.
Excess sodium blunts the ability of blood vessels to relax and contract with ease causing your vessels to vasoconstrict which increases pressure in your vessels=high blood pressure (B/P)and may also overstimulate the growth of heart tissue.
Blood pressure climbs, and the heart must work harder=stress to the heart. When we stress the heart out=overworked, lack of oxygen to the heart tissue happens=pain (we call it Angina that can be reversed) and if it continues can lead to a heart attack (scarring to the heart=damage done to the heart that’s not reversible). Also with constant high B/P with constriction of vessels in the brain this can cause the same stress=headache which if not resolved can lead to a stroke (scarring to the brain, again not reversible). All of these responses are made worse by low potassium intake.
In some people, especially those already diagnosed with high blood pressure, heart failure, or impaired kidney functioning, the kidneys hang onto sodium no matter what, further complicating the disease they have and worsening their health.
One way to flush sodium out of the body is by getting more potassium. An interesting report from the Trials of Hypertension Prevention suggests that changing the balance between these two minerals can help the heart and arteries.
High blood pressure can lead to other health problems, especially uncontrolled.
Most people in the U.S. get more sodium in their diets than they need. A key to healthy eating is choosing foods low in salt and sodium. Doctors recommend you eat less than 2.4 grams per day. That equals about 1 teaspoon of table salt a day. Reading food labels can help you immensely in seeing accurately how much sodium is in prepared foods of your meals you eat.
Most of the focus on sodium and potassium centers on their effects on the kidneys, blood vessels, and heart. But these minerals affect every part of the body, including the relentless breakdown and buildup of bone. A diet high in sodium increases the amount of calcium excreted in the urine. This loss is especially prominent when calcium intake is low, as it is for so many Americans. Loss of calcium can contribute to osteoporosis, the age-related weakening of bones=easier fractures and brakes in bones.
One way to combat the problem is by taking in more calcium from food or supplements. Getting more potassium, in the range of the recommended 4,700 mg a day, can also help.
To be sure, there is more to bone health than sodium and potassium. Heredity, lack of exercise, hormone levels (low testosterone in men, low estrogen in women), and a deficiency of both of vitamin D and vitamin K can also weaken bones=osteoporosis. So keep both in your diet!
One way to prevent or fight high blood pressure and keep the heart healthy is to boost the amount of potassium you get while at the same time reducing your sodium intake. (Note: Check with your doctor before boosting your intake of potassium. Although it’s a good strategy for many, it can be harmful to people with kidney disease or heart failure, or those who are taking certain kinds of diuretics, or “water pills.”) Recommended if with any disease get clearance from your m.d. before making changes in your diet, activity, and any health habits (especially if a cardiac, renal, diabetes diagnosis)
The best way to get more potassium and less sodium is by eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, fish, homemade foods, and low-salt versions of prepared foods. You can top the 4,700-milligram mark for potassium and stay under 800 mg of sodium by having regular oatmeal, orange juice, and coffee for breakfast; a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk for lunch; baked halibut, a baked potato with the skin, and a spinach salad with half an avocado for dinner; and some peanuts, raisins, a banana, and low-sodium V8 in between. The potassium-to-sodium ratio of this menu is 14 to 1. Best way to figure out the amount of sodium or potassium in your diet is count what the label of the food your eating states is in a serving and document it up in 24hrs and add it up. Add in some exercise and, though you aren’t living like people in the Stone Age, you might have arteries as healthy as they had.
To know what primary (prevention) or secondary management of diseases or illnesses caused by or effected by sodium blood levels in the body with learning how to control and take proper sodium intake as best as possible this can be accomplished by eating a healthy diet (low sodium), practice healthy habits, and even lose weight if necessary. Doing this will let you reach your optimal level of health. Having the knowledge in how to eat sodium healthy, how to lose weight by living healthy habits and eating healthy not just 3 mths or a year but for life with being able to treat yourself to treats and foods occasionally is the way to go but remember always consult your primary doctor especially those with high b/p or cardiac disease before making changes in activity or diet.
“The CDC states:
Your body needs a small amount of sodium to work properly, but too much sodium is bad for your health. Americans consume more than 3,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day, on average. This is well above the federal recommendation of less than 2,300 mg of sodium daily for teens and adults as part of a healthy eating pattern.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (About Sodium and Health | Salt | CDC)
First we’ll cover how water, electrolytes, proteins work in the body to understand how sodium (being a electrolyte) is so important with our health. Then we will cover how to use sodium therapeutically in our diet with knowing how it impacts how your future health and how it prevents with even help you in managing certain diseases or illnesses you already have.
Let us first understand the basics of the human body: a large percentage of body weight is composed of water that is containing dissolved particles of organic and inorganic substances vital to life. A young adult male is about 60% water whereas a female is 50%. Than the percentage of the body weight, that is WATER, declines with age. Since fat contains little water, the more obese a person gets the smaller the percentage of water weight is in that person. Salt is what we call sodium (NA) + chloride (Cl)=Sodium chloride =NaCl, which are both an electrolytes. Water is distributed throughout the body, but in compartments that are inside our cells, outside of our cells (being plasma), and in our tissues. In these compartments with the water are electrolytes but in varying amounts. The largest percentage of water in our body is inside the cells. The body fluid in us is constantly being lost and replaced for normal body processes to occur. If we eat daily food and fluids the body easily maintains the compartments in balancing the water and electrolytes in our body (remember the compartments are in the cells, outside of cells, and in the tissues). We know the body receives water to these different compartments through our diet in what we eat (foods & liquids) and through the metabolism (break down) of the those foods & liquids=nutrition that we eat and through the body tissues. There are ending products from the metabolism (break down) of tissues in our body and our foods and fluids through digestion causing our body to have an ending result of toxins in the body but are body gets rid of them if functioning within normal limits.
1.) removal of body heat by vaporization of water via the lungs and the skin(perspiration).
2.)excretion of urea and other metabolic wastes by the kidneys dumping them in our urinary bladder; the stool also in our GI tract plays a role in this removal of metabolic wastes in evacuation.
Solid foods such as meats and vegetables contain 60 to 90% water . Note the normal daily replacement of water roughly equals the normal daily loss with an entire body functioning properly. The volume of water used in these processes varies greatly with external influences such as temperature and humidity.
All body fluids contain chemical compounds. Chemical compounds in solution may be classified as electrolytes or nonelectrolytes based on their ability to conduct an electric current in the solution. Electrolytes are either positive, which is a charged particle called an cation (electric current=Na+); or negative which is not a charged particle called an anion (no electric current=Cl-). This is why you’ll see an electrolyte banner or board up in the front of chemistry class or just in your chemistry book (a positive or negative sign after every abbreviation of each element). It’s letting you know if it is + or -. Proteins are special types of charged molecules. They both have a charge that is dependent on the pH of the body fluids. A normal pH in our plasma is 7.35 to 7.45 and at this level your proteins exist with a net negative charge. In our bodies compartments, when imbalances happen regarding fluids, electrolytes or proteins problems occur; acidity and alkalinity distribution in the body becomes effected.
There are 3 main mechanisms for fluid and electrolyte movement in the body to help in maintenance of acid and base balances throughout the human body which are diffusion, osmosis, and filtration. Through these mechanisms transfer of water and electrolytes take place dispensing them in the body where they are needed.
Electrolytes account for most of the osmotic pressure of the body fluids (this pressure is the concentration of solids in a compartment—example inside your cells is a compartment). Electrolytes are VITALLY important in the maintenance of acid and base (alkaline) balancing in all cells to all the plasma (outside the cell) to every tissue region of the body. These 3 mechanisms of delivery that balance the fluids and electrolytes in our body you need to have working correctly; but when the body ends up getting imbalances of electrolytes or fluids over a long period of time certain illnesses or diseases can arise.
If a system fails in our body, this can put the electrolyte and fluid balance off causing health problems in our body; take for example. kidneys that play a major role in removing toxins from our bloodstream by pulling them out of the blood vessels that filter through the kidneys and allows the organ to dump the toxins into our urinary bladder where we excrete them. When we void, the more yellow the urine means the higher the amount or concentration of toxins is in the urine and that was dumped in the urinary bladder by proper kidney function.
So if disease like renal (kidneys )failure occurs than this messes up the entire process of balancing the acid and base fluids in the body by allowing the toxics to stay in our body which causes them to be dumped elsewhere, like in our tissues=the body is trying to compensate. This will cause yellowing to the sclera, skin, etc… which we call jaundice and if not repaired you will die sooner in life.
Stay tune for part II tomorrow!