Exercise And Breast Cancer

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers seek

breast-cancer survivors for a study that looks at

whether a six-month aerobic exercise program

reactivates genes that can help suppress breast

cancer. This study aims to understand the connection

between genes that suppress breast cancer, estrogen,

exercise and the disease. Participants must be between

25 and 65, have breast cancer in remission and have

finished treatment for breast cancer for at least one

year, including anti-estrogen therapy. Participation is free.

For information call 214-648-6449.
Helen Bond

Early Detection SAVES Lives!

Sharon Mayers

Cancer Gene Found In Minorities

Breast Cancer Risk Jumps With Mutation
By Judy Peres Tribune staff reporter
December 27, 2007

A genetic mutation known to increase the odds of breast cancer in some Jewish women has been found in significant numbers of Hispanic and African-American breast cancer patients as well, underscoring the need for genetic testing across ethnic lines to determine who is at risk.

A large multiracial study released Wednesday estimated that 3.5 percent of Hispanic women with breast cancer have a mutation in the BRCA1 gene. That compares with 8.3 percent of female Ashkenazi Jews (those of Eastern European ancestry), 2.2 percent of other non-Hispanic whites and 0.5 percent of Asian-Americans.

The prevalence of the gene in black women with breast cancer was estimated at 1.3 percent, but among those who are diagnosed before they are 35, a startling 16.7 percent have the mutation.

The researchers, from the Northern California Cancer Center and Stanford University, said they hope their data prompts genetic counselors to develop materials for discussing breast cancer risk in a culturally sensitive way and in languages other than English.

"Traditionally, studies have focused on white women," said Esther John, a research scientist at the cancer center and lead author of the study. "There is a great need to study racial minorities in the United States."

Although testing for the BRCA1 mutation has been available for a decade, it has not been applied much to minority populations, said Dr. Olufunmilayo Olopade, professor of medicine and human genetics at the University of Chicago.

"A lot of young women die of breast cancer because they're not even aware that lump in their breast could be cancer," said Olopade, who wrote an editorial accompanying the paper in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association. "If you know you're at high risk, you'll get that evaluated."

Women who carry a BRCA mutation can have their ovaries removed, which greatly reduces the risk of both ovarian and breast cancer. They also can have mastectomies as a preventive step. Even if they choose not to take such drastic measures to prevent cancer, Olopade said, they can be more vigilant about detecting it earlier.

One potential barrier to getting more minority women screened, she said, is that Medicaid does not cover genetic testing. "This is an issue of equity and justice," she said. "You're born with your genes. It's not something you choose."

The policy is also short-sighted, Olopade argues. "The cost of treating cancer is much higher than the cost of preventing it," she said. "So dollars should be spent on identifying high-risk individuals and preventing them from getting cancer."

Everyone carries the BRCA1 gene, which makes a protein that helps cells repair DNA, but people who inherit a mutation in the gene are less able to fix DNA damage and tend to accumulate mutations that lead to cancer. Women with a BRCA1 mutation have about a 65 percent chance of getting breast cancer in their lifetime (compared with 12 percent for the general population), and their risk of ovarian cancer is about 39 percent.

Doctors are generally aware that Ashkenazi Jewish women are more likely to carry a genetic mutation predisposing them to breast cancer, so they frequently refer these women for genetic counseling. There is little or no awareness, however, that women and men of other racial backgrounds might also benefit from counseling and testing.

Men who carry a genetic mutation are more likely to develop cancer and can pass the mutation to their children.

The new study looked at 3,181 women diagnosed with breast cancer in the San Francisco Bay area between 1996 and 2003.

Within each ethnic group, women who reported a family history of breast or ovarian cancer were more likely to have a mutation, as were those who got breast cancer at younger ages. For patients diagnosed before age 35, the prevalence of BRCA1 mutations was 66.7 percent in Ashkenazi Jews, 16.7 percent in African-Americans, 8.9 percent in Hispanics, 7.2 percent in non-Hispanic whites without Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry and 2.4 percent in Asian-Americans.

The Hispanic women tended to carry the same mutation as the Ashkenazi Jews. Other ethnic groups carried a wide range of mutations.

The researchers hypothesized that Hispanic women may have that mutation because of their Spanish ancestry. Spain was home to Sephardic Jews, who could have shared the mutation with Jews of Eastern European origin. As a result of persecution before and after the Spanish Inquisition, many Sephardic Jews officially converted to Catholicism but secretly continued to practice Judaism. Some of these "conversos" migrated to the New World.

Early Detection SAVES Lives!

Sharon Mayers

Put Your Oxygen Mask On First!

I travel around the country quite frequently(one of the perks of my husband working for a major airline) and I am always struck by the flight attendants instructions that in case of a need to use the oxygen masks, we must put our own on first and then help our children put theirs on.

Why do you think this is the case? I have always taken it to mean
that if we don't help ourselves first we can't help anyone else.
I have been using this example in my Breast Cancer Awareness
workshops for some time now.

We as women are so busy with taking care of our families,
having the perfect career, being the best friend, and the most
wonderful wife in the world; that we tend to forget a monthly
ten minute ritual that could ultimately save our lives!

That ten minute monthly ritual is your monthly Breast Self Exam.
Take the time to perform it religiously so that you can be around
to enjoy your families, friends and career. Put your oxygen mask
on FIRST.

Sharon Mayers

Touching Breasts Saves Lives!

Breast Self Exam (BSE)
Women discover most breast masses by themselves during the breast self-examination. This exam allows a woman to become more familiar with her breast, making the detection of subtle changes or abnormalities easier. It is important to remember that most masses discovered are not cancerous, but they should be brought to the attention of your health care provider.

How Often And When Should BSE Be Done?
Experts recommend monthly self-examination of the breasts. The BSE should be done 7-10 days from the beginning of your menstrual cycle. If your periods are not regular, perform the BSE on the same day each month.

How is the BSE done?
1. Start by standing in front of a mirror. Inspect each breast separately.
Note any asymmetry of size, contour, color, or shape.
2. Raise your hands over your head. Note any changes, particularly in the skin, such as wrinkling, dimpling, or retraction in a specific area.
3. Lie down with a pillow under your right shoulder and place your right arm behind your head.
4. Place the finger pads of the three middle fingers of the left hand on the outer part of your bare right breast.
5. Using small dime-sized circular motions without lifting your fingers, press first with light pressure then with medium pressure, and finally with firm pressure. You should be able to feel different layers of breast tissue using these different pressures. Make note of any masses or abnormalities that you feel.
6. In this same fashion, examine all areas of the breast and chest area from the collarbone to below the breast and including the armpit. You can do this by going in lines, circles around the nipple, or wedges from the nipple. Whichever method you choose, do it the same each time.
7. Once you are finished examining the breast, gently squeeze the nipple and look for any discharge. (Note: Overstimulation of the nipple may cause a normal discharge).
8. Switch positions and examine the left side in the same way.

When you do a breast self exam you could use use the Breast Chek Aid, which acts like a magnifying glass for your fingertips. The Breast Check Kit is a patented FDA cleared medical device that is recommended by over 99% of medical doctors surveyed. It's inexpensive, durable, washable, and reusable for both home and clinical use. The Breast Chek is just two very thin layers of polyurethane filled with non-toxic, environmentally safe gel. The fingers now glide over the skin, eliminating friction, and enabling you or your doctor to do a better breast exam. Our goal is to get one into the hands of every woman around the globe to help lower the death rates of Breast Cancer.

Click Here to View Breast Self Exam Video(Compliments Imaginis.com)