Kayla Wharton
Saturday, December 31, 2011
What Kind Of Impact Does Stress Have On Breast Cancer?
Although some studies have shown that factors such as traumatic events and losses can alter immune system functions, these studies have not provided any evidence of a direct cause-and-effect relationship between stress and breast cancer. An area currently being studied is whether or not stress reduction can improve immune response and slow progression in women diagnosed with breast cancer.
Kayla Wharton
Kayla Wharton
Friday, December 30, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Former Miss Venezuela dies of breast cancer aged 28
I wanted to share this story. This is why I have choose my platform "Perfecly Pink".
I want to educate as many people of ways to lower their risk of breast cancer.
If you ever feel something that is different in your breast go to the doctor and get it checked dont let it go.
Former Venezuelan beauty queen Eva Ekvall has died from breast cancer aged just 28.
The mother-of-one died on Saturday in a Houston, Texas hospital after a two year struggle with Breast Cancer. She was married to radio producer John Fabio Bermudez and had a two-year-old daughter, Miranda.
Famous in her teenage years for her beauty, Ms. Ekvall went on to become a news anchor, author and one of her home country's greatest cancer charity advocates.
Born to an American father and Jamaican mother, she was working in a clothes store in Caracas when she was spotted by a modeling agency scout.
'To me that was ridiculous,' she told the Guardian earlier this year. 'I thought I was overweight. I just couldn't be a model.
'But one day I got fired so I took a cab and went to the modeling agency. Once they saw me … they said they had the next Miss Venezuela right there.'
Aged 17, she was crowned Miss Venezuela in 2000.
She was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer in February 2010, and underwent eight months of treatment including chemotherapy, radiation and a mastectomy.
She had noticed a lump in her breast months earlier but thought her body was changing due to her pregnancy.
'I was very angry because I should have known,' she said at the time. 'My aunt had breast cancer twice and my grandmother died from breast cancer. And I just let time go.'
'In the beginning I wasn't sure if I looked good or not. Then I realised that wasn't the point. I wasn't supposed to look good, I had cancer.'
In her book, Ms Ekvall described her joy at having a daughter, writing 'that happiness, although [Miranda] may not know it or understand it, keeps me alive today'.
'Sadly, cancer had the last word,' writer Leonardo Padron told Globovision.
Legacy: Ekvall and her book are credited with a rise in Venezuelan women having breast examinations
It is widely credited with raising awareness of the disease in Venezuela.
She knew her book would shock a nation where beauty queens are major celebrities and cosmetic surgery is commonplace.
'It's absurd that there should be a taboo about breast cancer in a country of breast implants, where women have few reservations about showing off their surgically-enhanced breasts,' she told BBC Mundo in March.
She is also credited with a reported increase in the number of women going for breast examinations.
But many Venevision viewers were unaware of her illness as she wore a wig and makeup.
'It's painful to look at yourself in the mirror,' she told the Guardian in February this year.
'Your face gets swollen. You lose every single hair in your body – your eyebrows, your eyelashes.
'You become some weird animal or something, you don't recognize yourself.
'That was scary. Especially because my job has to do with my looks. I had to look decent and not appear sick.'
She had demonstrated 'extraordinary calm and courage in her fight against cancer. SenosAyuda, a Caracas-based breast cancer awareness group, said in a tribute on its website that the former beauty queen's legacy will help thousands of Venezuelan women in the future.
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk
All information is from: www.dailymail.co.uk
Kayla Wharton
I want to educate as many people of ways to lower their risk of breast cancer.
If you ever feel something that is different in your breast go to the doctor and get it checked dont let it go.
Former Venezuelan beauty queen Eva Ekvall has died from breast cancer aged just 28.
The mother-of-one died on Saturday in a Houston, Texas hospital after a two year struggle with Breast Cancer. She was married to radio producer John Fabio Bermudez and had a two-year-old daughter, Miranda.
Famous in her teenage years for her beauty, Ms. Ekvall went on to become a news anchor, author and one of her home country's greatest cancer charity advocates.
Born to an American father and Jamaican mother, she was working in a clothes store in Caracas when she was spotted by a modeling agency scout.
'To me that was ridiculous,' she told the Guardian earlier this year. 'I thought I was overweight. I just couldn't be a model.
'But one day I got fired so I took a cab and went to the modeling agency. Once they saw me … they said they had the next Miss Venezuela right there.'
Aged 17, she was crowned Miss Venezuela in 2000.
She was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer in February 2010, and underwent eight months of treatment including chemotherapy, radiation and a mastectomy.
She had noticed a lump in her breast months earlier but thought her body was changing due to her pregnancy.
'I was very angry because I should have known,' she said at the time. 'My aunt had breast cancer twice and my grandmother died from breast cancer. And I just let time go.'
'In the beginning I wasn't sure if I looked good or not. Then I realised that wasn't the point. I wasn't supposed to look good, I had cancer.'
In her book, Ms Ekvall described her joy at having a daughter, writing 'that happiness, although [Miranda] may not know it or understand it, keeps me alive today'.
'Sadly, cancer had the last word,' writer Leonardo Padron told Globovision.
Legacy: Ekvall and her book are credited with a rise in Venezuelan women having breast examinations
It is widely credited with raising awareness of the disease in Venezuela.
She knew her book would shock a nation where beauty queens are major celebrities and cosmetic surgery is commonplace.
'It's absurd that there should be a taboo about breast cancer in a country of breast implants, where women have few reservations about showing off their surgically-enhanced breasts,' she told BBC Mundo in March.
She is also credited with a reported increase in the number of women going for breast examinations.
But many Venevision viewers were unaware of her illness as she wore a wig and makeup.
'It's painful to look at yourself in the mirror,' she told the Guardian in February this year.
'Your face gets swollen. You lose every single hair in your body – your eyebrows, your eyelashes.
'You become some weird animal or something, you don't recognize yourself.
'That was scary. Especially because my job has to do with my looks. I had to look decent and not appear sick.'
She had demonstrated 'extraordinary calm and courage in her fight against cancer. SenosAyuda, a Caracas-based breast cancer awareness group, said in a tribute on its website that the former beauty queen's legacy will help thousands of Venezuelan women in the future.
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk
All information is from: www.dailymail.co.uk
Saturday, December 10, 2011
MRI
Unlike a mammogram, which uses x-rays to create images of the breast, breast MRI uses magnets and radio waves to produce detailed 3-dimensional images of the breast tissue. Before the test, you may need to have a contrast solution (dye) injected into your arm through an intravenous line. Because the dye can affect the kidneys, your doctor may perform kidney function tests before giving you the contrast solution. The solution will help any potentially cancerous breast tissue show up more clearly.
Cancers need to increase their blood supply in order to grow. On a breast MRI, the contrast tends to become more concentrated in areas of cancer growth, showing up as white areas on an otherwise dark background. This helps the radiologist determine which areas could possibly be cancerous. More tests may be needed after breast MRI to confirm whether or not any suspicious areas are actually cancer.
For the breast MRI, you will need to pull down your hospital gown to your waist or open it in front to expose your breasts. Then you lie on your stomach on a padded platform with cushioned openings for your breasts. Each opening is surrounded by a breast coil, which is a signal receiver that works with the MRI unit to create the images. The platform then slides into the center of the tube-shaped MRI machine. You won’t feel the magnetic field and radio waves around you, but you will hear a loud thumping sound. You will need to be very still during the test, which takes around 30 to 45 minutes.
Who should have breast MRI for screening?
Yearly mammograms plus breast MRI screening are typically recommended for women who are at higher-than-average risk of developing breast cancer — in other words, at greater than the average 13% risk most women have over the course of an entire lifetime.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that all high-risk women — those with a greater than 20% lifetime risk of breast cancer — have a breast MRI and a mammogram every year. For most women, these combined screenings should start at age 30 and continue as long as the woman is in good health. According to ACS guidelines, high-risk women include those who:
• have a known BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation
• have a first-degree relative (mother, father, brother, sister, or child) with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation and have not had genetic testing themselves
• find out they have a lifetime risk of breast cancer of 20-25% or greater, according to risk assessment tools that are based mainly on family history
• had radiation therapy to the chest for another type of cancer, such as Hodgkin’s disease, when they were between the ages of 10 and 30 years
• have a genetic disease such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome, or Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, or have one of these syndromes in first-degree relatives
The American Cancer Society also recommends that women at moderately increased risk of breast cancer — those with a 15-20% lifetime risk — talk with their doctors about the possibility of adding breast MRI screening to their yearly mammogram. According to ACS guidelines, this includes women who:
• find out they have a lifetime risk of breast cancer of 15-20%, according to risk assessment tools based mainly on family history
• have a personal history of breast cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), or abnormal breast cell changes such as atypical ductal hyperplasia or atypical lobular hyperplasia
• have extremely dense breasts or unevenly dense breasts when viewed by mammograms
Why breast MRI is not recommended for screening all women
Breast MRI is not recommended as a screening tool for women who are at average risk of developing breast cancer. Yes, breast MRI has been found to be more sensitive in detecting cancers than mammograms, which does seem like an advantage. However, a major disadvantage is that breast MRI screening results in more false positives — in other words, the test finds something that initially looks suspicious but turns out not to be cancer.
If breast MRI were adopted as a screening tool for everyone, many women would end up having unnecessary biopsies and other tests, not to mention the anxiety and distress. That is why current recommendations reserve breast MRI screening for high-risk women only.
All information is from breastcancer.org
Cancers need to increase their blood supply in order to grow. On a breast MRI, the contrast tends to become more concentrated in areas of cancer growth, showing up as white areas on an otherwise dark background. This helps the radiologist determine which areas could possibly be cancerous. More tests may be needed after breast MRI to confirm whether or not any suspicious areas are actually cancer.
For the breast MRI, you will need to pull down your hospital gown to your waist or open it in front to expose your breasts. Then you lie on your stomach on a padded platform with cushioned openings for your breasts. Each opening is surrounded by a breast coil, which is a signal receiver that works with the MRI unit to create the images. The platform then slides into the center of the tube-shaped MRI machine. You won’t feel the magnetic field and radio waves around you, but you will hear a loud thumping sound. You will need to be very still during the test, which takes around 30 to 45 minutes.
Who should have breast MRI for screening?
Yearly mammograms plus breast MRI screening are typically recommended for women who are at higher-than-average risk of developing breast cancer — in other words, at greater than the average 13% risk most women have over the course of an entire lifetime.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that all high-risk women — those with a greater than 20% lifetime risk of breast cancer — have a breast MRI and a mammogram every year. For most women, these combined screenings should start at age 30 and continue as long as the woman is in good health. According to ACS guidelines, high-risk women include those who:
• have a known BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation
• have a first-degree relative (mother, father, brother, sister, or child) with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation and have not had genetic testing themselves
• find out they have a lifetime risk of breast cancer of 20-25% or greater, according to risk assessment tools that are based mainly on family history
• had radiation therapy to the chest for another type of cancer, such as Hodgkin’s disease, when they were between the ages of 10 and 30 years
• have a genetic disease such as Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome, or Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, or have one of these syndromes in first-degree relatives
The American Cancer Society also recommends that women at moderately increased risk of breast cancer — those with a 15-20% lifetime risk — talk with their doctors about the possibility of adding breast MRI screening to their yearly mammogram. According to ACS guidelines, this includes women who:
• find out they have a lifetime risk of breast cancer of 15-20%, according to risk assessment tools based mainly on family history
• have a personal history of breast cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), or abnormal breast cell changes such as atypical ductal hyperplasia or atypical lobular hyperplasia
• have extremely dense breasts or unevenly dense breasts when viewed by mammograms
Why breast MRI is not recommended for screening all women
Breast MRI is not recommended as a screening tool for women who are at average risk of developing breast cancer. Yes, breast MRI has been found to be more sensitive in detecting cancers than mammograms, which does seem like an advantage. However, a major disadvantage is that breast MRI screening results in more false positives — in other words, the test finds something that initially looks suspicious but turns out not to be cancer.
If breast MRI were adopted as a screening tool for everyone, many women would end up having unnecessary biopsies and other tests, not to mention the anxiety and distress. That is why current recommendations reserve breast MRI screening for high-risk women only.
All information is from breastcancer.org
Monday, December 5, 2011
Mammograms
Mammograms don’t prevent breast cancer, but they can save lives by finding breast cancer as early as possible. For example, mammograms have been shown to lower the risk of dying from breast cancer by 35% in women over the age of 50.
Finding breast cancer early with mammography has also meant that many more women being treated for breast cancer are able to keep their breasts. When caught early, localized cancers can be removed without resorting to breast removal (mastectomy).
The main risk of mammograms is that they aren’t perfect. Normal breast tissue can hide a breast cancer so that it doesn't show up on the mammogram. This is called a false negative. And mammography can identify an abnormality that looks like a cancer, but turns out to be normal. This "false alarm" is called a false positive. Besides worrying about being diagnosed with breast cancer, a false positive means more tests and follow-up visits, which can be stressful.
Women also need to practice breast self-examination, get regular breast examinations, and, also get another form of breast imaging, such as breast MRI or ultrasound.
Some women wonder about the risks of radiation exposure due to mammography. Modern-day mammography only involves a tiny amount of radiation — even less than a standard chest x-ray.
5 Important Things to Know About Mammograms
1. They can save your life. Finding breast cancer early reduces your risk of dying from the disease by 25-30% or more. Women should begin having mammograms yearly at age 40, or earlier if they're at high risk.
2. Don't be afraid. Mammography is a fast procedure (about 20 minutes), and discomfort is minimal for most women. The procedure is safe: there's only a very tiny amount of radiation exposure from a mammogram. To relieve the anxiety of waiting for results, go to a center that will give you results before you leave.
3. Get the best quality you can. If you have dense breasts or are under age 50, try to get a digital mammogram. A digital mammogram is recorded onto a computer so that doctors can enlarge certain sections to look at them more closely.
Other tips:
o On the day of the exam, wear a skirt or pants, rather than a dress, since you’ll need to remove your top for the test. Don’t wear deodorant or antiperspirant, since these can show up on the film and interfere with the test results.
o Avoid scheduling your mammogram at a time when your breasts are swollen or tender, such as right before your period.
o Discuss your family history of breast and other cancers — from both your mother's AND father’s side.
o If you don’t receive any results within 30 days, call your doctor to ask for the results.
4. Mammography is our most powerful breast cancer detection tool. However, mammograms can still miss 20% of breast cancers that are simply not visible using this technique. Other important tools — such as breast self-exam, clinical breast examination, and possibly ultrasound or MRI — can and should be used as complementary tools, but there are no substitutes or replacements for a mammogram.
5. An unusual result requiring further testing does not always mean you have breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, about 10% of women (1 in 10) who have a mammogram will require more tests. Only 8-10% of these women will need a biopsy, and about 80% of these biopsies will turn out not to be cancer. It’s normal to worry if you get called back for more testing, but try not to assume the worst until you have more information.
All information from Breastcancer.org
"Perfectly Pink"
Finding breast cancer early with mammography has also meant that many more women being treated for breast cancer are able to keep their breasts. When caught early, localized cancers can be removed without resorting to breast removal (mastectomy).
The main risk of mammograms is that they aren’t perfect. Normal breast tissue can hide a breast cancer so that it doesn't show up on the mammogram. This is called a false negative. And mammography can identify an abnormality that looks like a cancer, but turns out to be normal. This "false alarm" is called a false positive. Besides worrying about being diagnosed with breast cancer, a false positive means more tests and follow-up visits, which can be stressful.
Women also need to practice breast self-examination, get regular breast examinations, and, also get another form of breast imaging, such as breast MRI or ultrasound.
Some women wonder about the risks of radiation exposure due to mammography. Modern-day mammography only involves a tiny amount of radiation — even less than a standard chest x-ray.
5 Important Things to Know About Mammograms
1. They can save your life. Finding breast cancer early reduces your risk of dying from the disease by 25-30% or more. Women should begin having mammograms yearly at age 40, or earlier if they're at high risk.
2. Don't be afraid. Mammography is a fast procedure (about 20 minutes), and discomfort is minimal for most women. The procedure is safe: there's only a very tiny amount of radiation exposure from a mammogram. To relieve the anxiety of waiting for results, go to a center that will give you results before you leave.
3. Get the best quality you can. If you have dense breasts or are under age 50, try to get a digital mammogram. A digital mammogram is recorded onto a computer so that doctors can enlarge certain sections to look at them more closely.
Other tips:
o On the day of the exam, wear a skirt or pants, rather than a dress, since you’ll need to remove your top for the test. Don’t wear deodorant or antiperspirant, since these can show up on the film and interfere with the test results.
o Avoid scheduling your mammogram at a time when your breasts are swollen or tender, such as right before your period.
o Discuss your family history of breast and other cancers — from both your mother's AND father’s side.
o If you don’t receive any results within 30 days, call your doctor to ask for the results.
4. Mammography is our most powerful breast cancer detection tool. However, mammograms can still miss 20% of breast cancers that are simply not visible using this technique. Other important tools — such as breast self-exam, clinical breast examination, and possibly ultrasound or MRI — can and should be used as complementary tools, but there are no substitutes or replacements for a mammogram.
5. An unusual result requiring further testing does not always mean you have breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, about 10% of women (1 in 10) who have a mammogram will require more tests. Only 8-10% of these women will need a biopsy, and about 80% of these biopsies will turn out not to be cancer. It’s normal to worry if you get called back for more testing, but try not to assume the worst until you have more information.
All information from Breastcancer.org
"Perfectly Pink"
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Mrs. Dallas-Fort Worth America
On November 12 I was crowned Mrs. Dallas-Fort Worth America. I will be competing for the title of Mrs. Texas America on January 21, 2012 Palace Theater in Corsicana, Texas. I am available to assist you with upcoming fund raising events, activities, and public service campaigns. The Mrs. Texas Competition the official state preliminary for Mrs. America. I will compete in interview, fitness and evening gown at the Mrs. Texas Competition.
I am available to assist you with upcoming fund raising events, activities, and public service campaigns. I would like help to be an emcee at your event or as an “Official Hostess” for an upcoming event. You may wish to have me as a spokesperson for your next fund-raising campaign. I can ride in parades,sign autographs, shake hands, and attract a crowd like you’ve never seen before! I am available to offer my assistance.
My platform is "Perfectly Pink" reducing your chances of breast cancer.
I am available to assist you with upcoming fund raising events, activities, and public service campaigns. I would like help to be an emcee at your event or as an “Official Hostess” for an upcoming event. You may wish to have me as a spokesperson for your next fund-raising campaign. I can ride in parades,sign autographs, shake hands, and attract a crowd like you’ve never seen before! I am available to offer my assistance.
My platform is "Perfectly Pink" reducing your chances of breast cancer.
Five Steps for Self- Exams
Step 1: Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.
Here's what you should look for:
• Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color
• Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling
If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor's attention:
• Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin
• A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)
• Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling
Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes.
Step 3: While you're at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).
Step 4: Next, feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter.
Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.
Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women. Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you've reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your ribcage.
Step 5: Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in Step 4.
For more help on doing self breast exams please go to the website www.breastcancer.org
all information from Breastcancer.org
What is your shade of Pink?
"Percfectly Pink"
Here's what you should look for:
• Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color
• Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling
If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor's attention:
• Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin
• A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)
• Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling
Step 2: Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes.
Step 3: While you're at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).
Step 4: Next, feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter.
Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.
Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women. Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you've reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your ribcage.
Step 5: Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower. Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in Step 4.
For more help on doing self breast exams please go to the website www.breastcancer.org
all information from Breastcancer.org
What is your shade of Pink?
"Percfectly Pink"
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Mammography Technique
When you have a mammogram, a skilled technologist positions and compresses your breast between two clear plates. The plates are attached to a highly specialized camera, which takes two pictures of the breast from two directions. Then the technologist repeats the technique on the opposite breast. For some women, more than two pictures may be needed to include as much tissue as possible.
Mammography can be painful for some women, but for most it is mildly uncomfortable, and the sensation lasts for just a few seconds. Compressing the breast is necessary to flatten and reduce the thickness of the breast. The x-ray beam should penetrate as few layers of overlapping tissues as possible. From start to finish, the entire procedure takes about 20 minutes. A diagnostic mammogram generally takes more time than a screening mammogram because it takes more pictures from more angles.
Mammography involves minimal radiation exposure. In fact, the amount of radiation exposure from modern-day mammography machines is much lower than it was in past decades. The American Cancer Society notes that the dose of radiation received during a screening mammogram is about the same amount of radiation a person gets from their natural surroundings (background radiation) in an average 3-month period.
If you’ve had breast surgery for another reason, such as a benign biopsy or surgery to reduce the size of your breasts, the radiologist will want to know where those scars are in case the scar tissue has to be distinguished from another kind of breast abnormality. If you've had breast cancer surgery, small metal balls will be taped on your skin to mark your scar. Your scar defines the site with the highest risk of recurrence.
At least one radiologist reads the mammogram. A radiologist is a doctor who specializes in analyzing imaging studies of the body to diagnose disease or other problems. Having two radiologists read your mammogram reduces the chance of missing a problem by about 10-15%. Some centers routinely have your mammogram read twice, but this is expensive, and most insurance companies won’t pay for it. You can also get a “second opinion” on your mammogram by having the images analyzed by a computer. This is called computer-aided detection (“CAD”). Special computer software reviews the images and marks any areas of suspicion. The radiologist then examines each area and decides if it needs further evaluation.
All information from Breastcancer.org
"Perfectly Pink"
Mammography can be painful for some women, but for most it is mildly uncomfortable, and the sensation lasts for just a few seconds. Compressing the breast is necessary to flatten and reduce the thickness of the breast. The x-ray beam should penetrate as few layers of overlapping tissues as possible. From start to finish, the entire procedure takes about 20 minutes. A diagnostic mammogram generally takes more time than a screening mammogram because it takes more pictures from more angles.
Mammography involves minimal radiation exposure. In fact, the amount of radiation exposure from modern-day mammography machines is much lower than it was in past decades. The American Cancer Society notes that the dose of radiation received during a screening mammogram is about the same amount of radiation a person gets from their natural surroundings (background radiation) in an average 3-month period.
If you’ve had breast surgery for another reason, such as a benign biopsy or surgery to reduce the size of your breasts, the radiologist will want to know where those scars are in case the scar tissue has to be distinguished from another kind of breast abnormality. If you've had breast cancer surgery, small metal balls will be taped on your skin to mark your scar. Your scar defines the site with the highest risk of recurrence.
At least one radiologist reads the mammogram. A radiologist is a doctor who specializes in analyzing imaging studies of the body to diagnose disease or other problems. Having two radiologists read your mammogram reduces the chance of missing a problem by about 10-15%. Some centers routinely have your mammogram read twice, but this is expensive, and most insurance companies won’t pay for it. You can also get a “second opinion” on your mammogram by having the images analyzed by a computer. This is called computer-aided detection (“CAD”). Special computer software reviews the images and marks any areas of suspicion. The radiologist then examines each area and decides if it needs further evaluation.
All information from Breastcancer.org
"Perfectly Pink"
Sunday, November 13, 2011
"Perfectly Pink"
Every 15 minutes a woman dies of breast cancer.
Even more shocking is that this number is the same it was 20 years ago.
Doctors and scientists are working hard to produce breakthrough findings that will make strides toward this lofty goal of ending breast cancer.
We can come together and declare an end to breast cancer.
If we vow our own commitment to staying healthy, being informed, and educate others, we stand a chance at accomplishing this goal.
"Perfectly Pink"
Even more shocking is that this number is the same it was 20 years ago.
Doctors and scientists are working hard to produce breakthrough findings that will make strides toward this lofty goal of ending breast cancer.
We can come together and declare an end to breast cancer.
If we vow our own commitment to staying healthy, being informed, and educate others, we stand a chance at accomplishing this goal.
"Perfectly Pink"
Friday, September 30, 2011
2011 Komen Dallas County Race for the Cure
2011 Komen Dallas County Race for the Cure
Saturday, October 15, 2011
NorthPark Center
Please come join me at the race. I am walk because my mom is a two time Breast cancer Survivor.
General Race Information
The Komen Dallas Race for the Cure® is an annual 1K and 5K fundraising walk/run event held at NorthPark Center. It is a co-ed race and great fun for the entire family. The Race is in its 29th year and is part of a national 5K series sponsored by Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The goal of the event is to raise funds, heighten awareness and educate people about breast health as well as to recognize and celebrate breast cancer survivorship. The Race is the largest fundraising event for local breast cancer screening, treatment, education and research in Dallas County. Last year our affiliate granted $1,912,000 into the immediate Dallas community for these vital services. $679,829 was directed to cutting edge research at the national level.
For more information go to: www.komen-dallas.org
Saturday, October 15, 2011
NorthPark Center
Please come join me at the race. I am walk because my mom is a two time Breast cancer Survivor.
General Race Information
The Komen Dallas Race for the Cure® is an annual 1K and 5K fundraising walk/run event held at NorthPark Center. It is a co-ed race and great fun for the entire family. The Race is in its 29th year and is part of a national 5K series sponsored by Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The goal of the event is to raise funds, heighten awareness and educate people about breast health as well as to recognize and celebrate breast cancer survivorship. The Race is the largest fundraising event for local breast cancer screening, treatment, education and research in Dallas County. Last year our affiliate granted $1,912,000 into the immediate Dallas community for these vital services. $679,829 was directed to cutting edge research at the national level.
For more information go to: www.komen-dallas.org
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Questions About Breast Cancer Risks
How Often Should I Go To My Doctor For A Checkup?
You should have a physical every year. If any unusual symptoms or changes in your breasts occur before your scheduled visit, do not hesitate to see the doctor immediately.
How does menstrual and reproductive history affect breast cancer risks?
Women who began their menstrual cycles before age 12, have no children, or had their first child at 30 or older, or began menopause after 55 are at a higher risk.
Are Mammograms Painful?
Mammography does compress the breasts and can sometimes cause slight discomfort for a very brief period of time. Patients who are sensitive should schedule their mammograms a week after their menstrual cycle so that the breasts are less tender.
Kayla Wharton
You should have a physical every year. If any unusual symptoms or changes in your breasts occur before your scheduled visit, do not hesitate to see the doctor immediately.
How does menstrual and reproductive history affect breast cancer risks?
Women who began their menstrual cycles before age 12, have no children, or had their first child at 30 or older, or began menopause after 55 are at a higher risk.
Are Mammograms Painful?
Mammography does compress the breasts and can sometimes cause slight discomfort for a very brief period of time. Patients who are sensitive should schedule their mammograms a week after their menstrual cycle so that the breasts are less tender.
Kayla Wharton
Monday, April 25, 2011
Family History
Does a family history of breast cancer put someone at a higher risk?
If you have a grandmother, mother, sister, or daughter who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, this does put you in a higher risk group. Have a baseline mammogram at least five years before the age of breast cancer onset in any close relatives, or starting at age 35. See your physician at any sign of unusual symptoms.
Kayla Wharton
If you have a grandmother, mother, sister, or daughter who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, this does put you in a higher risk group. Have a baseline mammogram at least five years before the age of breast cancer onset in any close relatives, or starting at age 35. See your physician at any sign of unusual symptoms.
Kayla Wharton
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Questions About Breast Cancer
Is there a link between oral contraceptives and breast cancer?
There is an increased risk of breast cancer for women under 35 who have been using birth control pills for more than ten years.
Can drinking alcohol increase the risk of breast cancer?
One or two drinks a day has been shown to slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. The greater the levels consumed, the higher the risk.
Does smoking cause breast cancer?
At this point in time there is no conclusive link between smoking and breast cancer. However, due to the number of health risks associated with smoking, quitting can significantly increase survival rates.
Kayla Wharton
There is an increased risk of breast cancer for women under 35 who have been using birth control pills for more than ten years.
Can drinking alcohol increase the risk of breast cancer?
One or two drinks a day has been shown to slightly increase the risk of breast cancer. The greater the levels consumed, the higher the risk.
Does smoking cause breast cancer?
At this point in time there is no conclusive link between smoking and breast cancer. However, due to the number of health risks associated with smoking, quitting can significantly increase survival rates.
Kayla Wharton
Monday, April 18, 2011
How Often Should I Do A Breast Self-exam?
Give yourself a breast self-exam at least once a month. Look for any changes in breast tissue, such as changes in size, a lump, dimpling or puckering of the breast, or a discharge from the nipple. If you discover a persistent lump in your breast or any changes in breast tissue, it is very important that you see a physician immediately. However, 8 out of 10 lumps are benign, or not cancerous.
Kayla Wharton
Kayla Wharton
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Can A Healthy Diet Help Prevent Breast Cancer?
A nutritious, low-fat diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. A high-fat diet increases the risk because fat triggers estrogen production that can fuel tumor growth.
Kayla Wharton
Kayla Wharton
Monday, April 4, 2011
Can Physical Activity Reduce The Risk Of Breast Cancer?
Exercise pumps up the immune system and lowers estrogen levels. With as little as four hours of exercise per week, a woman can begin to lower her risk of breast cancer.
All women know exercise is helpful and beneficial to their health, but did you know exercise may also help women combat breast cancer?
Recent research suggests women who exercise regularly, even if that means simply walking for a few hours each week, may be as much as half as likely to die or suffer recurring breast cancer. Why?
Exercise and Breast Cancer
Researchers have known for a long time that exercise is important for our health and wellness. Exercise promotes longevity. It increases our heart or cardiovascular health. It improves pregnancy and labor outcomes.
Exercise is also helpful in combating diseases, including breast cancer. While many patients may not feel like exercising during treatment, exercise may be the key to their long-term survival.
A recent study conducted by the Brigham and Woman's Hospital suggests women that exercise regularly after a diagnosis of breast cancer may live longer than women who do not. This is true whether women exercised regularly or not before their diagnosis.
According to the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, even small amounts of exercise are useful to any and all women with breast cancer. That means a woman that walks 30 minutes two times a week is going to have a higher chance of survival than a woman that does not walk at all.
This study should prove encouraging especially to women that feel they do not have enough energy to engage in vigorous activity during breast cancer treatment. While one hour a week of exercise does provide benefits however, these are markedly higher for women that can exercise between three to five hours each week.
Women, who do this, according to the BWH study, may reduce the risk of death from breast cancer by half.
Does this mean women should exercise even more? Not so according to researchers. Apparently, after reaching five hours of walking each week, no further benefits were noted in patients participating in this study, which involved 3,000 women studied for more than a decade.
www.breastcancerinformationhelp.com
Kayla Wharton
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Significant Increase In Cancer Survival
Cancer survivors in the U.S. numbered 11.7 million in 2007, an increase of 19 percent since 2001, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The new report demonstrates an increase in the number of cancer survivors - defined as anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer and is still alive - from only 3 million, 40 years ago.
Preventing cancer and detecting it early remain critically important as some cancers can be prevented or detected early enough to be effectively treated.
Breast cancer survivors - at 22 percent - compose the largest percentage of cancer survivors. Developments such as early detection and improved treatment have contributed to longer survival rates.
At the moment, about 200,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year. Yearly mammograms are recommended for women over the age of 40.
All information from www.breastcancersite.com
Kayla Wharton
The new report demonstrates an increase in the number of cancer survivors - defined as anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer and is still alive - from only 3 million, 40 years ago.
Preventing cancer and detecting it early remain critically important as some cancers can be prevented or detected early enough to be effectively treated.
Breast cancer survivors - at 22 percent - compose the largest percentage of cancer survivors. Developments such as early detection and improved treatment have contributed to longer survival rates.
At the moment, about 200,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year. Yearly mammograms are recommended for women over the age of 40.
All information from www.breastcancersite.com
Kayla Wharton
Friday, April 1, 2011
Breast Cancer While Pregnant
About one in every one thousand women with breast cancer is also pregnant. This increasing trend - which doubled between 1963 and 2002 - is partly due to women delaying childbirth until they are older.
There are now about 3,500 annual cases of pregnant women diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S., representing 7 to 15 percent of breast cancers in women before menopause.
About 80 percent of doctors recommend that pregnancies continue even if the mother is found to have breast cancer.
Hope for Two is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources for pregnant women diagnosed with breast cancer. Those interested in helping with the organization can visit the Breast Cancer Site store for Hope for Two.
All information is from www.breastcancersite.com
Kayla Wharton
There are now about 3,500 annual cases of pregnant women diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S., representing 7 to 15 percent of breast cancers in women before menopause.
About 80 percent of doctors recommend that pregnancies continue even if the mother is found to have breast cancer.
Hope for Two is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources for pregnant women diagnosed with breast cancer. Those interested in helping with the organization can visit the Breast Cancer Site store for Hope for Two.
All information is from www.breastcancersite.com
Kayla Wharton
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tamoxifen Breast Cancer Drug
A breast cancer drug called Tamoxifen could be used to prevent breast cancer in certain older women who have high chances of developing the disease.
Due to the serious side effects associated with Tamoxifen, such as increased chances of uterine cancer, stroke as well as heart attack, one may wonder why anyone would take this drug as a preemptive measure against breast cancer.
The answer is because for a select demographic group of women - those over 50 and under 55, with a 66 percent or higher risk for cancer within the next five years - the risks of Tamoxifen may be outweighed by the potential benefits.
Tamoxifen was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1998 for women with high risks of breast cancer. The FDA decision was highly criticized by some researchers.
All information from www.breastcancersite.com
Kayla Wharton
Due to the serious side effects associated with Tamoxifen, such as increased chances of uterine cancer, stroke as well as heart attack, one may wonder why anyone would take this drug as a preemptive measure against breast cancer.
The answer is because for a select demographic group of women - those over 50 and under 55, with a 66 percent or higher risk for cancer within the next five years - the risks of Tamoxifen may be outweighed by the potential benefits.
Tamoxifen was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1998 for women with high risks of breast cancer. The FDA decision was highly criticized by some researchers.
All information from www.breastcancersite.com
Kayla Wharton
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Competing At Mrs. Texas International
I had a wonderful time competing for the title of Mrs. Texas International on March 11-13 in San Antonio, Texas. I loved meeting so many amazing ladies. I placed 4th runner-up and tied for Fitness wear I am very happy with my placement. I feel that I did my very best. Thank you to all my family and friends for all their support. Best of luck to the Winners they will do a wonderful job representing Texas.
Kayla Wharton
My Mothers First Zometa Treatment
I wrote a few weeks ago about my mother having a bone fracture in her back. And she has decided to start treatment to strengthen her bones. My mother had her first treatment of Zometa yesterday. Everything went well. This morning when we talked she said she had a hard time sleeping last night and she was tired this morning. Otherwise she said she is feeling good! I will keep everyone updated on her journey with Zometa and making her bones stronger. I am posting information again about the treatment my mother has started.
Please keep her in your prayers.
ZOMETA has treated over 3.8 million patients with bone metastases and bone complications from multiple myeloma worldwide in more than 9 years of real-world experience.
ZOMETA is a treatment for hypercalcemia of malignancy (HCM; a condition resulting in high calcium blood levels due to cancer). ZOMETA is also used to reduce and delay bone complications due to multiple myeloma and bone metastases from solid tumors; used with anti-cancer medicines. ZOMETA is not an anti-cancer therapy. If you have prostate cancer, you should have failed treatment with at least one hormonal therapy prior to taking ZOMETA.
Severe and occasionally incapacitating bone, joint, and/or muscle pain has been reported in patients taking bisphosphonates, including ZOMETA. HCM patients may experience flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, flushing, bone pain and/or joint or muscle pain).
ZOMETA is a prescription drug developed by Novartis Oncology. ZOMETA is given intravenously every 3 to 4 weeks in a doctor's office, a clinic or in a hospital on an "outpatient" basis. Once the infusion is prepared, the infusion process takes at least 15 minutes. Before ZOMETA was available, IV bisphosphonate therapy required at least 2 hours for administration.
ZOMETA reduces the risk of bone complications such as bone fracture, hypercalcemia of malignancy, and spinal cord compression. ZOMETA helps restore the normal process of bone remodeling, thus reducing the chance of bone complications. Even patients who have already had complications, such as bone fracture, radiation, or bone surgery, can be helped by treatment with ZOMETA. In these cases, ZOMETA may reduce the risk of additional complications.
ZOMETA was tested in three large studies involving over 3,000 cancer patients. These patients all had bone metastases from solid tumors (breast, prostate, lung, kidney cancer, genitourinary cancer, bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, other gastrointestinal cancers, liver cancer, head and neck cancer, malignant melanoma, sarcoma, and others) or multiple myeloma. They were all receiving chemotherapy or hormonal therapy. In these studies, patients who were given ZOMETA had fewer bone complications, a longer time until bone complications occurred, and a lower risk of developing bone complications, than patients who did not take ZOMETA.
www.zometa.com
Kayla Wharton
Please keep her in your prayers.
ZOMETA has treated over 3.8 million patients with bone metastases and bone complications from multiple myeloma worldwide in more than 9 years of real-world experience.
ZOMETA is a treatment for hypercalcemia of malignancy (HCM; a condition resulting in high calcium blood levels due to cancer). ZOMETA is also used to reduce and delay bone complications due to multiple myeloma and bone metastases from solid tumors; used with anti-cancer medicines. ZOMETA is not an anti-cancer therapy. If you have prostate cancer, you should have failed treatment with at least one hormonal therapy prior to taking ZOMETA.
Severe and occasionally incapacitating bone, joint, and/or muscle pain has been reported in patients taking bisphosphonates, including ZOMETA. HCM patients may experience flu-like symptoms (fever, chills, flushing, bone pain and/or joint or muscle pain).
ZOMETA is a prescription drug developed by Novartis Oncology. ZOMETA is given intravenously every 3 to 4 weeks in a doctor's office, a clinic or in a hospital on an "outpatient" basis. Once the infusion is prepared, the infusion process takes at least 15 minutes. Before ZOMETA was available, IV bisphosphonate therapy required at least 2 hours for administration.
ZOMETA reduces the risk of bone complications such as bone fracture, hypercalcemia of malignancy, and spinal cord compression. ZOMETA helps restore the normal process of bone remodeling, thus reducing the chance of bone complications. Even patients who have already had complications, such as bone fracture, radiation, or bone surgery, can be helped by treatment with ZOMETA. In these cases, ZOMETA may reduce the risk of additional complications.
ZOMETA was tested in three large studies involving over 3,000 cancer patients. These patients all had bone metastases from solid tumors (breast, prostate, lung, kidney cancer, genitourinary cancer, bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, other gastrointestinal cancers, liver cancer, head and neck cancer, malignant melanoma, sarcoma, and others) or multiple myeloma. They were all receiving chemotherapy or hormonal therapy. In these studies, patients who were given ZOMETA had fewer bone complications, a longer time until bone complications occurred, and a lower risk of developing bone complications, than patients who did not take ZOMETA.
www.zometa.com
Kayla Wharton
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The most common risk factors For Breast Cancer
The most common risk factors For Breast Cancer:
• Sex. The highest risk factor for breast cancer is being female; the disease is about 100 times more common among women.
• Age. The risk of breast cancer increases as a woman grows older. The risk is especially high for women age 60 and older. Breast cancer is uncommon in women younger than age 35, although it does occur. There is some evidence to suggest young African American women are at greater risk for breast cancer than young Caucasian women.
• Personal History. Women who have had breast cancer and women with a history of breast disease (not cancer, but a condition that may predispose them to cancer) may develop it again.
• Family History. The risk of developing breast cancer increases for a woman whose mother, sister, daughter, or two or more close relatives have had the disease. It is important to know how old they were at the time they were diagnosed.
• The Breast Cancer Genes. Some individuals, both women and men, may be born with an "alteration" (or change) in one of two genes that are important for regulating breast cell growth. Individuals who inherit an alteration in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene are at an "inherited" higher risk for breast cancer.. Women with a family history of breast cancer are encouraged to speak to a genetics counselor to determine the pros and cons of genetic testing.
Estrogen appears to play a key role in breast cancer. Although estrogen doesn't actually cause breast cancer, it may stimulate the growth of cancer cells.
Lower your risks for breast cancer:
• Decrease your daily fat intake - especially saturated or hydrogenated fats.
• Increase fiber in your diet.
• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Limit alcohol.
• Stay active.
• Don't smoke.
For additional information on risk factors, refer to the American Cancer Society's Breast Cancer Facts and Figures
Kayla Wharton - Mrs. North Texas International
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Smoking And Second-Hand Smoke Linked To Breast Cancer
A new study of post-menopausal women finds that smoking, as well as second-hand smoke, is linked to higher risks of breast cancer, according to HealthDay.
"The findings are important because smoking was not previously thought to increase the risk of breast cancer, but this study adds to the increasing evidence that it does," Dr. Karen Margolis, lead scientist of the study from HealthPartners Research Foundation in Minneapolis, told the news source.
Researchers say that long-term smoking is correlated to higher breast cancer risks. However, smokers who stop smoking can lower their risks back to the average level, about 20 years after quitting.
The study looked at almost 80,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79, and found that smokers on average had a 16 percent higher risk of breast cancer compared to non-smokers.
Breast cancer affects about one in eight women in the United States, at some point in her life, according to the American Cancer Society. Regular exercise has been linked to lowering breast cancer risks, reported other recent studies.
www.breastcancersite.com
Kayla Wharton - Mrs. North Texas International
"The findings are important because smoking was not previously thought to increase the risk of breast cancer, but this study adds to the increasing evidence that it does," Dr. Karen Margolis, lead scientist of the study from HealthPartners Research Foundation in Minneapolis, told the news source.
Researchers say that long-term smoking is correlated to higher breast cancer risks. However, smokers who stop smoking can lower their risks back to the average level, about 20 years after quitting.
The study looked at almost 80,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79, and found that smokers on average had a 16 percent higher risk of breast cancer compared to non-smokers.
Breast cancer affects about one in eight women in the United States, at some point in her life, according to the American Cancer Society. Regular exercise has been linked to lowering breast cancer risks, reported other recent studies.
www.breastcancersite.com
Kayla Wharton - Mrs. North Texas International
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Mrs. Texas International This Weekend!!!!
I compete for Mrs. Texas international this weekend, March 11-13. I am so Excited!!!! I am currently Mrs. North Texas International.
These are three areas of competition I will be competing in.
Interview (50% of score)
Interviews will be conducted between 5 judges and contestant. I will have 5 minutes with each judge. No political or religious questions allowed. I have a platform for which she will speak on during the year, if selected Mrs. Texas International.
Evening Gown (25% of score)
i will wear my own personal choice of evening gown. I am judged on grace, poise and elegance in Evening Wear. Andy will escort me in this segment of competition.
Fitness Wear (25% of score)
I will wear the state selected fitness wear, designed specifically for the International Pageant System. I will be judged on being physically fit, energetic, and healthy.
Thank you to all my sponsors for their support. Thank you to my friends and family for all the love and support you have given me.
You only have a few more day to vote for ME for People’s Choice Award! For those of you who have already voted thank you!
www.mrstexasinternational.com/contestantdetails.php?id=147
Kayla Wharton - Mrs. North Texas International
These are three areas of competition I will be competing in.
Interview (50% of score)
Interviews will be conducted between 5 judges and contestant. I will have 5 minutes with each judge. No political or religious questions allowed. I have a platform for which she will speak on during the year, if selected Mrs. Texas International.
Evening Gown (25% of score)
i will wear my own personal choice of evening gown. I am judged on grace, poise and elegance in Evening Wear. Andy will escort me in this segment of competition.
Fitness Wear (25% of score)
I will wear the state selected fitness wear, designed specifically for the International Pageant System. I will be judged on being physically fit, energetic, and healthy.
Thank you to all my sponsors for their support. Thank you to my friends and family for all the love and support you have given me.
You only have a few more day to vote for ME for People’s Choice Award! For those of you who have already voted thank you!
www.mrstexasinternational.com/contestantdetails.php?id=147
Kayla Wharton - Mrs. North Texas International
Did you Know This About Breast Cancer?
How many new cases of breast cancer were estimated in the United States in 2009?
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), an estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States last year. Approximately 1,910 new cases are expected in men. The ACS also reports that an estimated 40,610 breast cancer deaths are expected in 2009 (40,170 women, 440 men).
How common is breast cancer in the United States?
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, aside from skin cancer.
Kayla Wharton - Mrs. North Texas International
Monday, March 7, 2011
What Is Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the breast, usually the ducts (tubes that carry milk to the nipple) and lobules (glands that make milk). It occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer is rare.
Kayla Wharton - Mrs. North Texas International
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Zometa Failure Preventing Breast Cancer Recurrences
While looking on the internet about the next step my mother will be taking. I have come across new information. Not only was Zometa to help with bones but researchers were trying to use Zometa to prevent cancer. Well they haven’t succeeded. Please support Susan G. Komen in the fight for the cure so we can continue to find a cure.
www.usatoday.com reported:
One of the most promising new approaches for fighting breast cancer took a stunning setback Thursday when a major study showed that a bone-building drug did not stop cancer from returning or extend life for most women fighting the disease.
Hopes that these drugs could also prevent cancer soared after a study two years ago found Zometa cut the risk of cancer recurrence by 30% in younger women forced into early menopause by hormone treatments they received.
The excitement grew last year, when a large study found that women who were not cancer patients and were taking daily bisphosphonate pills to prevent bone problems were about one-third less likely to develop breast cancer.
The new study was meant to be definitive. It tested Zometa in 3,360 women of all ages in seven countries who had breast cancer that had spread to lymph nodes. All received standard cancer treatments, and half also got periodic infusions of Zometa for five years.
After five years of follow up, about 400 women in each group had died or suffered a recurrence.
Side effects are a concern: 26 women on Zometa — 1 to 2% of the group — developed confirmed or suspected cases of jawbone decay, a serious problem long linked to bisphosphonates. Blood clots in the lung also were more common among those on Zometa, although not significantly so, Coleman said.
Zometa's role in cancer prevention remains uncertain, said Dr. Peter Ravdin of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the organizers of the cancer conference.
"There are some indications that in some patients it may still have value," but the side effect profile "certainly means that this drug shouldn't be given without confidence that it will cause benefit," he said.
Studies testing other bisphosphonate drugs for breast cancer will have results in a year or two.
Breast cancer is the most common major cancer in women. About 207,000 new cases and nearly 40,000 deaths from it are expected in the United States this year.
www.bloomberg.com reported:
Novartis AG’s effort to add $1 billion in sales to its bone-repair drug Zometa with an extra approval in breast cancer stalled yesterday when the treatment failed to stop tumors from returning in a study.
Zometa combined with standard treatments didn’t slow the disease or prolong life, according to a 3,360-patient study presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in Texas. An earlier, smaller study showed Zometa users were 32 percent less likely to have their cancer recur after five years.
Based on the new findings, Novartis, of Basel, Switzerland, will withdraw U.S. and European applications for Zometa approval to prevent breast cancer relapse. The company is reviewing whether a new trial is needed to refile for clearance. Positive results could have boosted Zometa sales as much as $1 billion in 2015, said Fabian Wenner, an analyst at UBS AG in Zurich.
“The data is a disappointment,” Andrew Weiss, an analyst at Bank Vontobel in Zurich said in an interview today. “Zometa was set to lose patent protection, so it’s not a bitter loss.”
Zometa has patent protection until 2013; a new application for use in breast cancer could have added three additional years in that indication, Wenner said.
“The trial casts real doubts on whether there is a role for Zometa in preventing recurrence of breast cancer,” said Eric Winer, chief of the division of women’s cancer at the Dana- Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, in an interview. Doctors prescribing Zometa to block the return of tumors “should stop or at least question that practice.”
Zometa, given as an infusion, also is sold at a lower dose under the name Reclast or Aclasta to treat osteoporosis. It belongs to a group of drugs called bisphosphonates that help maintain bone strength and may also fight cancer by stimulating immune cells, choking off the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors, and causing malignant cells to self-destruct.
“Bisphosphonates are commonly used to treat osteoporosis caused by breast cancer,” said Sharon Giordano, an oncologist at the University of Texas’ MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, in a telephone interview. “The million-dollar question is whether or not these drugs will also be effective in preventing breast cancer recurrences.”
About a half million women in the U.S. and Europe are diagnosed annually with breast cancer, and after treatment about 11 percent have their cancer return within five years.
Azure Study
A five-year study, dubbed Azure, compared Zometa added to chemotherapy to the other drugs alone. The main goal was to prolong the time women survived without tumors recurring. Novartis provided grant money to researchers at the University of Sheffield in England, who conducted the study.
In the study, 404 of the women getting Zometa and 403 of those on a placebo in addition to standard care developed invasive disease. A total of 243 Zometa patients and 276 on a placebo died, the researchers found. There were 17 confirmed cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw, a devastating side effect that causes the jawbones to die, and nine possible cases.
Zometa did show a benefit for the oldest women, those at least five years beyond menopause, increasing overall survival rates by 29 percent compared to those getting only chemotherapy. More work is needed to determine if that finding should change breast cancer care, researchers said.
Older Women
“This isn’t a treatment for everybody,” said Robert Coleman, an oncologist at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield, England, and the study’s lead researcher, in a telephone interview. “But there is this group of older women that are behaving so differently we don’t think it’s a chance finding.”
Novartis will withdraw its applications for approval of Zometa to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer in the U.S. and Europe, and plans to refile after discussing the Azure trial results with regulators, said Herve Hoppenot, head of oncology at Novartis. The company originally sought clearance based on the results of the earlier trial out of Austria.
“The future of the application itself is really unknown at this point,” Hoppenot said in a telephone interview. “We don’t know what the regulators will ask us to do. We need to define the group where it is beneficial. What the data tell us is that it will be a subgroup.”
Kayla Wharton - Mrs. North Texas International
www.usatoday.com reported:
One of the most promising new approaches for fighting breast cancer took a stunning setback Thursday when a major study showed that a bone-building drug did not stop cancer from returning or extend life for most women fighting the disease.
Hopes that these drugs could also prevent cancer soared after a study two years ago found Zometa cut the risk of cancer recurrence by 30% in younger women forced into early menopause by hormone treatments they received.
The excitement grew last year, when a large study found that women who were not cancer patients and were taking daily bisphosphonate pills to prevent bone problems were about one-third less likely to develop breast cancer.
The new study was meant to be definitive. It tested Zometa in 3,360 women of all ages in seven countries who had breast cancer that had spread to lymph nodes. All received standard cancer treatments, and half also got periodic infusions of Zometa for five years.
After five years of follow up, about 400 women in each group had died or suffered a recurrence.
Side effects are a concern: 26 women on Zometa — 1 to 2% of the group — developed confirmed or suspected cases of jawbone decay, a serious problem long linked to bisphosphonates. Blood clots in the lung also were more common among those on Zometa, although not significantly so, Coleman said.
Zometa's role in cancer prevention remains uncertain, said Dr. Peter Ravdin of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the organizers of the cancer conference.
"There are some indications that in some patients it may still have value," but the side effect profile "certainly means that this drug shouldn't be given without confidence that it will cause benefit," he said.
Studies testing other bisphosphonate drugs for breast cancer will have results in a year or two.
Breast cancer is the most common major cancer in women. About 207,000 new cases and nearly 40,000 deaths from it are expected in the United States this year.
www.bloomberg.com reported:
Novartis AG’s effort to add $1 billion in sales to its bone-repair drug Zometa with an extra approval in breast cancer stalled yesterday when the treatment failed to stop tumors from returning in a study.
Zometa combined with standard treatments didn’t slow the disease or prolong life, according to a 3,360-patient study presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in Texas. An earlier, smaller study showed Zometa users were 32 percent less likely to have their cancer recur after five years.
Based on the new findings, Novartis, of Basel, Switzerland, will withdraw U.S. and European applications for Zometa approval to prevent breast cancer relapse. The company is reviewing whether a new trial is needed to refile for clearance. Positive results could have boosted Zometa sales as much as $1 billion in 2015, said Fabian Wenner, an analyst at UBS AG in Zurich.
“The data is a disappointment,” Andrew Weiss, an analyst at Bank Vontobel in Zurich said in an interview today. “Zometa was set to lose patent protection, so it’s not a bitter loss.”
Zometa has patent protection until 2013; a new application for use in breast cancer could have added three additional years in that indication, Wenner said.
“The trial casts real doubts on whether there is a role for Zometa in preventing recurrence of breast cancer,” said Eric Winer, chief of the division of women’s cancer at the Dana- Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, in an interview. Doctors prescribing Zometa to block the return of tumors “should stop or at least question that practice.”
Zometa, given as an infusion, also is sold at a lower dose under the name Reclast or Aclasta to treat osteoporosis. It belongs to a group of drugs called bisphosphonates that help maintain bone strength and may also fight cancer by stimulating immune cells, choking off the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors, and causing malignant cells to self-destruct.
“Bisphosphonates are commonly used to treat osteoporosis caused by breast cancer,” said Sharon Giordano, an oncologist at the University of Texas’ MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, in a telephone interview. “The million-dollar question is whether or not these drugs will also be effective in preventing breast cancer recurrences.”
About a half million women in the U.S. and Europe are diagnosed annually with breast cancer, and after treatment about 11 percent have their cancer return within five years.
Azure Study
A five-year study, dubbed Azure, compared Zometa added to chemotherapy to the other drugs alone. The main goal was to prolong the time women survived without tumors recurring. Novartis provided grant money to researchers at the University of Sheffield in England, who conducted the study.
In the study, 404 of the women getting Zometa and 403 of those on a placebo in addition to standard care developed invasive disease. A total of 243 Zometa patients and 276 on a placebo died, the researchers found. There were 17 confirmed cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw, a devastating side effect that causes the jawbones to die, and nine possible cases.
Zometa did show a benefit for the oldest women, those at least five years beyond menopause, increasing overall survival rates by 29 percent compared to those getting only chemotherapy. More work is needed to determine if that finding should change breast cancer care, researchers said.
Older Women
“This isn’t a treatment for everybody,” said Robert Coleman, an oncologist at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield, England, and the study’s lead researcher, in a telephone interview. “But there is this group of older women that are behaving so differently we don’t think it’s a chance finding.”
Novartis will withdraw its applications for approval of Zometa to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer in the U.S. and Europe, and plans to refile after discussing the Azure trial results with regulators, said Herve Hoppenot, head of oncology at Novartis. The company originally sought clearance based on the results of the earlier trial out of Austria.
“The future of the application itself is really unknown at this point,” Hoppenot said in a telephone interview. “We don’t know what the regulators will ask us to do. We need to define the group where it is beneficial. What the data tell us is that it will be a subgroup.”
Kayla Wharton - Mrs. North Texas International
Thursday, March 3, 2011
As many of you know that I am competing in the Mrs. Texas International Pageant on March 13, 2011.
I am so excited!
Please take a minute to vote for me! Proceeds go towards the Miss Teen Texas International scholarship fund and to The American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Campaign.
Mrs. North Texas International - Kayla Wharton
www.mrstexasinternational.com
Thank you for all your support!
I am so excited!
Please take a minute to vote for me! Proceeds go towards the Miss Teen Texas International scholarship fund and to The American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Campaign.
Mrs. North Texas International - Kayla Wharton
www.mrstexasinternational.com
Thank you for all your support!
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