Tuesday, August 23, 2011
When am I Eligible for Breast Conservation Therapy?
Breast Conservation Therapy (BTC) is a breast cancer surgery in Dallas option that seeks to eradicate the cancer without affecting the breast. BTC is highly sought by both patient and doctor as the first option because it is effective, having been used successful for over 40 years. Unfortunately, not everyone qualifies. There are certain considerations that have to be answered since over and above this treatment is concern for life.
Patient Eligibility
Back in 1990, a panel formed by the National Cancer Institute recommended using breast conservation therapy for women having stage 1 or stage 2 breast cancers, yet it is still not a widely utilized procedure. Nationally, only one-third of patients are choosing breast conservation therapy as an option, and the numbers are much lower regionally. Some of the important aspects to be discussed prior to the procedure are the expected cosmetic results, the side effects from radiation (both short and long-term), and the impending need for follow-up examinations and testing. Breast conservation therapy patient selection takes the pathological characteristics of the tumor and the ability to achieve clear margins into account.
What You Can Expect Your Breast To Look Like After BCT
Breast cancer surgeons in Dallas have a grading system for patients who have undergone breast conservation therapy. If the patient's breasts hardly looks like it had gone under the knife and there are very subtle changes, then the patient is classified under the first grade. On the other hand, a patient under the classification of grades 2 to 4 might show graduated changes, depending on the grade, Some thickening of the skin, scarring, and even open sores can be expected. The good news however is that breast conservation patients often end up with just a grade 1 or grade 2 category.
Small studies have been done that indicate the success of breast conversation therapy on large breasted women. Although the tumor to breast size is favorable, they do see a higher occurrence of size discrepancy and fibrosis. A review panel of over 300 women shows the side effects to be worse for large breasted women with 20% seeing a superficial skin breakout. Despite these results, breast conservation therapy is still highly recommended as the preferred treatment for patients with larger breasts.
As for implants after surgery to augment the breast, doctors will not recommend this if BCT has been done. The most serious problem that could arise is movement of the implant over time which can cause intense pain and chronic fixation. The chances of this happening in BCT patients is as high as 40%.
Summary
Breast conservation therapy has been around for a while but a lot of women are still not familiar with it. What is needed is an effective information awareness campaign to enlighten breast cancer patients about an alternative to a mastectomy. Women need not lose their breasts unnecessarily. With breast conservation therapy, there is now an effective alternative.
Patient Eligibility
Back in 1990, a panel formed by the National Cancer Institute recommended using breast conservation therapy for women having stage 1 or stage 2 breast cancers, yet it is still not a widely utilized procedure. Nationally, only one-third of patients are choosing breast conservation therapy as an option, and the numbers are much lower regionally. Some of the important aspects to be discussed prior to the procedure are the expected cosmetic results, the side effects from radiation (both short and long-term), and the impending need for follow-up examinations and testing. Breast conservation therapy patient selection takes the pathological characteristics of the tumor and the ability to achieve clear margins into account.
What You Can Expect Your Breast To Look Like After BCT
Breast cancer surgeons in Dallas have a grading system for patients who have undergone breast conservation therapy. If the patient's breasts hardly looks like it had gone under the knife and there are very subtle changes, then the patient is classified under the first grade. On the other hand, a patient under the classification of grades 2 to 4 might show graduated changes, depending on the grade, Some thickening of the skin, scarring, and even open sores can be expected. The good news however is that breast conservation patients often end up with just a grade 1 or grade 2 category.
Small studies have been done that indicate the success of breast conversation therapy on large breasted women. Although the tumor to breast size is favorable, they do see a higher occurrence of size discrepancy and fibrosis. A review panel of over 300 women shows the side effects to be worse for large breasted women with 20% seeing a superficial skin breakout. Despite these results, breast conservation therapy is still highly recommended as the preferred treatment for patients with larger breasts.
As for implants after surgery to augment the breast, doctors will not recommend this if BCT has been done. The most serious problem that could arise is movement of the implant over time which can cause intense pain and chronic fixation. The chances of this happening in BCT patients is as high as 40%.
Summary
Breast conservation therapy has been around for a while but a lot of women are still not familiar with it. What is needed is an effective information awareness campaign to enlighten breast cancer patients about an alternative to a mastectomy. Women need not lose their breasts unnecessarily. With breast conservation therapy, there is now an effective alternative.
Friday, August 19, 2011
What You Can Expect To Happen With Multiple Breast Tumors
A tumor in the breast is a sign of a medical problem. The seriousness has to be determined through diagnostic tests. Not all tumors are life-threatening. Also the tests will determine if there is just one tumor or multiple breast tumors. Even with multiple breast tumors, the prognosis can still be positive if the growths are non-cancerous.
Breast tumors can come in many shapes and sizes and be a soft or hard bulge, swelling, bump or nodule. A lump in the breast may be referred to as a contour or shape breast abnormality, and can occur in any age group, population or sex, yet is of course more prevalent in women.
Sometimes, a lump develops from a wound that has become infected. It could be from a milk duct that has been blocked. Other causes for breast lumps are cysts, a harmless benign tumor, or breast cancer. It can happen to both men and women, although more often with women.
Usually, there are other symptoms like swelling, discharge, fever, pain, redness, or an inverted nipple. However, even without symptoms, breast lumps cannot be ruled out as something unimportant. It would be better to have it checked.
Diagnosing multiple breast tumors and the cause of them involves many differing factors, including examining an entire family and personal medical history, including any history of cancer, and undergoing a complete physical examination, as well as a breast exam.
Ultrasounds and mammograms are just some procedures that you will have to undergo at a doctor's clinic. The ultrasound will help determine if there is any fluid in the cyst. Then, it is up to the doctor to recommend whether or not there is a need to drain this fluid. If the ultrasound shows a solid mass in the breast, more tests will be needed to determine if the mass is cancerous.
A biopsy could also be done, which would involve your breast cancer surgeon in Dallas collecting a small sample of the tumors to examine them under magnification, testing for any cancer cells.
If the lump or lumps are discovered as being cancerous, more testing will be performed. Other tests may include an MRI or PET, which would help show whether the cancer is spreading to other body locations, like the lymph nodes. If metastasis of the lymphatic system has occurred, or is suspected, a biopsy on the lymph node will normally be performed.
Multiple breast tumor treatments will depend on the result of all these diagnostics. The more invasive and widespread the cancer is, the more radical the treatment will have to be. However, it is also possible for the treatment to be non-invasive with little or no tissue being affected. A cyst will only need an aspiration to drain the fluid. Multiple breast tumors found to be cancerous will need radiation, stronger drugs, chemotherapy, and breast cancer surgery in Dallas.
Breast tumors can come in many shapes and sizes and be a soft or hard bulge, swelling, bump or nodule. A lump in the breast may be referred to as a contour or shape breast abnormality, and can occur in any age group, population or sex, yet is of course more prevalent in women.
Sometimes, a lump develops from a wound that has become infected. It could be from a milk duct that has been blocked. Other causes for breast lumps are cysts, a harmless benign tumor, or breast cancer. It can happen to both men and women, although more often with women.
Usually, there are other symptoms like swelling, discharge, fever, pain, redness, or an inverted nipple. However, even without symptoms, breast lumps cannot be ruled out as something unimportant. It would be better to have it checked.
Diagnosing multiple breast tumors and the cause of them involves many differing factors, including examining an entire family and personal medical history, including any history of cancer, and undergoing a complete physical examination, as well as a breast exam.
Ultrasounds and mammograms are just some procedures that you will have to undergo at a doctor's clinic. The ultrasound will help determine if there is any fluid in the cyst. Then, it is up to the doctor to recommend whether or not there is a need to drain this fluid. If the ultrasound shows a solid mass in the breast, more tests will be needed to determine if the mass is cancerous.
A biopsy could also be done, which would involve your breast cancer surgeon in Dallas collecting a small sample of the tumors to examine them under magnification, testing for any cancer cells.
If the lump or lumps are discovered as being cancerous, more testing will be performed. Other tests may include an MRI or PET, which would help show whether the cancer is spreading to other body locations, like the lymph nodes. If metastasis of the lymphatic system has occurred, or is suspected, a biopsy on the lymph node will normally be performed.
Multiple breast tumor treatments will depend on the result of all these diagnostics. The more invasive and widespread the cancer is, the more radical the treatment will have to be. However, it is also possible for the treatment to be non-invasive with little or no tissue being affected. A cyst will only need an aspiration to drain the fluid. Multiple breast tumors found to be cancerous will need radiation, stronger drugs, chemotherapy, and breast cancer surgery in Dallas.
Friday, August 5, 2011
What Can Be Done About The Breasts Following Breast Cancer Surgery
You've got breast cancer, and you're going strong. You know what's going on and what may happen, and now you have to figure out what you're going to do following the Dallas breast cancer surgery. You have various options to take consider following your surgery, and it's important that you know what those are. Will you do nothing and go throughout life without a breast? Most women don't care much for this option because it's asymmetrical and unattractive. Most women will choose breast reconstruction instead.
If you choose to have a breast reconstruction in Dallas, you have a few different options to choose from. The first option is to have a saline or silicone implant inserted immediately after a mastectomy. The implant can be filled to match the size of the natural remaining breast. This will leave you looking balanced and natural when wearing a bra. You will, however, be able to notice the difference when you are nude. The disadvantage of having an implant is that there is always the chance that the implant might burst. This will result in having subsequent surgeries. Getting breast implants is also not cheap, so not everyone has this as an option.
If you don't think breast implants are right for you, a second option for having breast reconstruction in Dallas is to have a tissue flap procedure done. Here tissues from other parts of the body are surgically removed, usually from the stomach, buttocks, or thighs, and placed where the removed tissue used to be.
With breast reconstruction in Dallas, you can feel more confident about your body and regain your self esteem. However, there are also rational points against it. Some women may not want additional surgery than is unnecessary. Others also worry because like all surgical operations, their breast reconstruction surgery might end in failure. The cells of the new breast tissue might deteriorate and die. If this is the scenario, then you'd have to undergo subsequent surgeries to try to fix it, and because of this, your breasts might become misshapen. Also, you may worry that the healing and recovery process won't go smoothly even with breast reconstruction in Dallas, although this only happens due to factors like drinking, smoking, exposure to radiation and preexisting conditions among other things.
The swelling or bruising that comes with every reconstructive procedure should disappear in about two months. There might be less sensitivity in the breast as compared to before you've had your mastectomy, but it's possible to regain feeling in due time. Remember to ask your Dallas breast cancer surgeon when it would be safe to resume your regular physical routine and exercise.
If you are concerned about your reconstructive breasts having an effect on any returning cancer, you can put your mind at ease knowing that breast reconstruction will not hide any new cancerous tissues, and that implants should not interfere with any future chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
If you choose to have a breast reconstruction in Dallas, you have a few different options to choose from. The first option is to have a saline or silicone implant inserted immediately after a mastectomy. The implant can be filled to match the size of the natural remaining breast. This will leave you looking balanced and natural when wearing a bra. You will, however, be able to notice the difference when you are nude. The disadvantage of having an implant is that there is always the chance that the implant might burst. This will result in having subsequent surgeries. Getting breast implants is also not cheap, so not everyone has this as an option.
If you don't think breast implants are right for you, a second option for having breast reconstruction in Dallas is to have a tissue flap procedure done. Here tissues from other parts of the body are surgically removed, usually from the stomach, buttocks, or thighs, and placed where the removed tissue used to be.
With breast reconstruction in Dallas, you can feel more confident about your body and regain your self esteem. However, there are also rational points against it. Some women may not want additional surgery than is unnecessary. Others also worry because like all surgical operations, their breast reconstruction surgery might end in failure. The cells of the new breast tissue might deteriorate and die. If this is the scenario, then you'd have to undergo subsequent surgeries to try to fix it, and because of this, your breasts might become misshapen. Also, you may worry that the healing and recovery process won't go smoothly even with breast reconstruction in Dallas, although this only happens due to factors like drinking, smoking, exposure to radiation and preexisting conditions among other things.
The swelling or bruising that comes with every reconstructive procedure should disappear in about two months. There might be less sensitivity in the breast as compared to before you've had your mastectomy, but it's possible to regain feeling in due time. Remember to ask your Dallas breast cancer surgeon when it would be safe to resume your regular physical routine and exercise.
If you are concerned about your reconstructive breasts having an effect on any returning cancer, you can put your mind at ease knowing that breast reconstruction will not hide any new cancerous tissues, and that implants should not interfere with any future chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
About the Author:
Dallas Breast Cancer Surgery can be a little scary. If you would like more information on breast cancer surgery, or some fresh ideas on working with your Dallas breast cancer surgeon, then come back and visit our site.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Different Breast Reconstruction Types
There are more than 200,000 cases of breast cancer each year in the United States alone. Most of these women have never thought they would have to remove either a portion or the entirety of the breast. This may seem overwhelming, but you should know that you do have options when you have a mastectomy. The breast can be reconstructed and the surgery won't be noticeable after the procedure is complete.
One type of breast reconstruction that you might consider is having breast implants put in immediately after a mastectomy. If you go with this option, the breast implant is lodged behind the chest's pectoral muscle. Your surgeon will probably use a permanent implant, which would depend on the breast skin quality following the mastectomy and how large the implant is going to be. Once you're on your way to full recovery, which might be after a month or two after the surgery, your doctor may suggest a secondary procedure to adjust the contour of your breast shape. This additional procedure is simply done to adjust breast symmetry and can be performed on an outpatient basis.
You can also choose to have your reconstruction done using the staged approach. This can start as soon as the mastectomy is completed, or they can delay the procedure if you need a chance to consider your options. With this approach, they will install a device to expand the tissue between the chest wall and pectoral muscle. This will act as a space saver/maker where a permanent implant can eventually be placed. After some time has passed, the process will begin where a doctor will inject saline into the expansion device to expand the area. This is done using a needle and a fill-port in the device. This procedure can take several months, and the patient will have the expansion exchanged with a permanent implant at the end.
The TRAM flap procedure is the last type of breast reconstruction. In this procedure, tissue is excised from the stomach and transferred to the chest to be used as breast tissue. If you choose this method instead of implants, your breasts will feel more natural to you because it's made out of your own tissue and will have more symmetry. However, this form of breast reconstruction in Dallas does have its disadvantages. It leaves a scar that runs along your stomach from your left hip to your right. This procedure might also leave you feeling weak around the abdomen and you may experience some bulging or a hernia.
No matter what breast reconstruction you choose in the end, you have to make sure you get a clear comparison among all three methods by speaking with a qualified breast cancer surgeon in Dallas so that you will be comfortable with your final decision on how to go about your breast cancer surgery.
One type of breast reconstruction that you might consider is having breast implants put in immediately after a mastectomy. If you go with this option, the breast implant is lodged behind the chest's pectoral muscle. Your surgeon will probably use a permanent implant, which would depend on the breast skin quality following the mastectomy and how large the implant is going to be. Once you're on your way to full recovery, which might be after a month or two after the surgery, your doctor may suggest a secondary procedure to adjust the contour of your breast shape. This additional procedure is simply done to adjust breast symmetry and can be performed on an outpatient basis.
You can also choose to have your reconstruction done using the staged approach. This can start as soon as the mastectomy is completed, or they can delay the procedure if you need a chance to consider your options. With this approach, they will install a device to expand the tissue between the chest wall and pectoral muscle. This will act as a space saver/maker where a permanent implant can eventually be placed. After some time has passed, the process will begin where a doctor will inject saline into the expansion device to expand the area. This is done using a needle and a fill-port in the device. This procedure can take several months, and the patient will have the expansion exchanged with a permanent implant at the end.
The TRAM flap procedure is the last type of breast reconstruction. In this procedure, tissue is excised from the stomach and transferred to the chest to be used as breast tissue. If you choose this method instead of implants, your breasts will feel more natural to you because it's made out of your own tissue and will have more symmetry. However, this form of breast reconstruction in Dallas does have its disadvantages. It leaves a scar that runs along your stomach from your left hip to your right. This procedure might also leave you feeling weak around the abdomen and you may experience some bulging or a hernia.
No matter what breast reconstruction you choose in the end, you have to make sure you get a clear comparison among all three methods by speaking with a qualified breast cancer surgeon in Dallas so that you will be comfortable with your final decision on how to go about your breast cancer surgery.
About the Author:
If you're searching for new ideas or more information for your breast enlargement surgery, make it a point to come back to our blog.
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