No foods will prevent breast cancer, but some, like walnuts and cabbage, may lower the risk

You can’t do anything about the genes you were born with, but committing to a sound diet can help protect against breast cancer. “Researchers estimate that in the U.S., we can prevent about 38 percent of breast cancers with some basic healthy steps,” says registered dietitian Karen Collins, a nutrition advisor for the American Institute for Cancer Research. “We can make a difference without doing anything extreme.”

While no food or dietary approach can flat-out prevent breast cancer, the risk of developing the disease could be reduced. Here’s a roundup of findings.

A plant-based diet. A recent study suggests that women who eat lots of fruit, veggies, and legumes and little red meat, salt, and processed carbohydrates may lower their odds of developing estrogen-receptor negative breast cancer, which accounts for about a quarter of all breast cancers. A study published in September in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that the likelihood of the cancer was 20 percent less when women followed such a diet.

[Weight Gain Ups Breast Cancer Risk: 7 Ways to Avoid the Bulge]

Walnuts. Consuming walnuts slowed the development and growth of breast cancer tumors in mice, according to a study published in September in Nutrition and Cancer. Study author Elaine Hardman, a professor at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, looked at the effect of a diet containing the human equivalent of 2 ounces of walnuts a day (25 to 30 walnut halves). After 34 days, mice that ate walnuts had less than half the rate of breast cancer as a control group on the same diet minus the walnuts. The number and size of tumors also were significantly smaller for the walnut group. The study authors speculate that walnuts’ anti-inflammatory properties are the reason.

Cutting back on alcohol. Even a moderate amount of alcohol is “clearly linked” to an increased risk of breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Compared with non-drinkers, women who have two to five drinks a day are at least 50 percent likelier to develop the disease. If you have to drink, stick to a glass of wine (5 ounces), a shot of liquor (1.5 ounces), or a bottle of beer (12 ounces) a day.

[Women and Alcohol: How Much Is Healthful?]

Cabbage and sauerkraut. Researchers at Michigan State University found that people who ate raw or lightly cooked cabbage and sauerkraut at least three times a week were 72 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than those who had it twice or less. Findings were presented during an American Association for Cancer Research meeting in 2005. High levels of glucosinolates—compounds found in cabbage—may be responsible.

Vitamin D. Multiple studies have linked higher vitamin D levels with a lower risk of breast cancer. In one study, women with high vitamin D intake were up to 50 percent less likely to develop the disease, according to findings presented at an American Association for Cancer Research meeting in 2006. In another study, Canadian researchers found that women who spent time outdoors or got lots of vitamin D from their diet or a supplement were 25 to 45 percent less likely to develop breast cancer. “Vitamin D is a subject under intense research,” says Collins. “And it does appear to play a role.” Some of the best vitamin D sources include milk, cod, shrimp, and salmon.

[How Much Vitamin D Should You Be Taking?]

Peaches and plums. Researchers at Texas A&M University found that peaches and plums contain antioxidants that kill breast cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed. The positive effect is likely caused by chlorogenic and neocholorogenic acid, both found in particularly high levels in both fruits. Findings were published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry in 2010.

SOURCE:  http://health.usnews.com
Author Angela Haupt

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By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Feb. 19, 2010 – Aspirin has anticancer effects, new studies confirm.

The latest of these studies shows that after successful treatment for breast cancer, women who take aspirin regularly have a significantly lower risk of dying from recurrent cancer. Aspirin also cut their risk of having their cancer spread to other sites.

What does this mean for people treated for cancer? What does it mean for people worried about their cancer risk? Here are answers to these and other frequently asked questions about aspirin and cancer.
Does aspirin really improve breast cancer survival?

Only a clinical trial, in which randomly assigned treatment is tested against an inactive placebo, can prove that a treatment is truly effective.

Until such proof is available, the next best thing is a study in which people taking the treatment are observed over time. The Nurses Health Study followed more than 4,000 nurses who had been treated for breast cancer at least 12 months earlier.

The result: Nurses who took aspirin were significantly less likely to die of breast cancer and to have cancer recur at another site. After adjusting for cancer stage, menopausal status, body mass, and hormone sensitivity of the tumor, women who took aspirin seven days a week were 43% less likely to die of breast cancer.

The findings may apply only to women who survive at least four years after breast cancer treatment. But since 90% of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive at least five years, “our findings have considerable clinical importance,” conclude researchers Michelle D. Holmes, MD, DrPH, and colleagues at Boston’s Brigham & Women’s Hospital. Their study is published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

SOURCE: webmd.com

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Breast Cancer High Risk Calculator

Please answer the following questions:

Do you have:

* a male relative who had breast cancer?
* any relative who had breast cancer before age 50?
* two or more female relatives with breast cancer after age 50?
* a relative with cancer in both breasts or two cancers in one breast?
* a relative who had ovarian cancer?

Are you of Hungarian, Swedish, Icelandic, or Ashkenazi Jewish descent?

Have you or a relative tested positive for the BRCA 1 or 2 gene? (Breast cancer gene)

Have you been diagnosed with:

* ovarian cancer?
* Hodgkin’s lymphoma and been treated specifically with “mantle” radiation to the chest?
* lobular or atypical changes on breast biopsy?

If you answered “Yes” to any of the above questions, you may be at high risk for breast cancer and are a good candidate for our upcoming free seminar on November 7th, 2009.

If you answered “No” to all of the questions above, please proceed to the National Cancer Institute’s Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool to calculate your percent lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. If the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool assigns you a lifetime risk of greater than or equal to 20%, you are at high risk for breast cancer and are a good candidate for our upcoming free seminar on November 7th, 2009 in San Luis Obispo CA. For more information on our free November 7th, 2009 seminar, please visit our link below.

Click here for more info

Source: sldiagnostic.com

Treatments for Breast Cancer Stage
Breast cancer is a complicated disease. Every woman’s case is distinct. Your experience may be very different from those of friends or relatives who also had breast cancer. So there is no single “best” treatment. Only you and your team of health care providers can work out the best approach for you. No matter what treatment you have, you will need regular checkups to make sure that you’re staying healthy.

Doctors evaluate a woman’s breast cancer in part by determining how large the tumor is and how far it’s spread. This is called staging. It’s just a way of summarizing your current condition. There are five basic stages, 0 through IV, and a number of sub-stages.

Staging doesn’t tell the whole story. Other factors can affect your prognosis, such as the type of cancer, the speed with which the cancer is growing, your general health, your age, whether you had breast cancer before, and whether female hormones affect the cancer’s growth.

If you know the stage of the disease that you have, you can use this quick guide to see what kinds of treatments might help.

Treatment Options for Stage 0 Breast Cancer

When needed, treatment for stage 0 breast cancer is very successful. The five-year survival rate is about 100%. This very early stage of the disease is not always actually breast cancer. Instead, it’s often a precancerous condition. Treatment isn’t always needed, and close observation may be enough. Treatments differ depending on what kind of stage 0 cancer you have. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or intraductal carcinoma is one type. In this condition, abnormal cells appear in the ducts of the breast. Sometimes, these cells become cancerous. That’s why it’s key to get treatment now. Here’s a list of the typical treatments:

* Surgery is a standard. For smaller tumors, you might get a lumpectomy, in which only the abnormal cells and some of the tissue are removed. Some women choose a mastectomy, in which the entire breast is removed. After a mastectomy, you might choose to have breast reconstruction surgery.
* Radiation therapy is standard treatment after a lumpectomy. Radiation therapy attacks any abnormal cells that might have been missed and decreases the risk of another cancer.
* Hormone therapy with tamoxifen after surgery may also help prevent cancer from developing in the same or opposite breast.

Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) is the other type of stage 0 breast cancer. LCIS develops when abnormal cells appear in the lobes of the breast. Most women don’t need treatment right away. However, LCIS raises the risk of getting cancer. So it’s key to have frequent checkups with your doctor. Here are some treatment options:

* Hormone therapy with tamoxifen to lower the risk of developing cancer.
* Bilateral mastectomy — the removal of both breasts — is another option. Some women choose this approach because they are worried about getting cancer. They might have certain risk factors, like a strong family history of breast cancer. After surgery, you might choose to get breast reconstruction surgery. However, experts think that a bilateral mastectomy is a more extreme approach than women usually need.

Treatment Options for Stage I Breast Cancer

This is a very early stage of breast cancer. The cancer hasn’t spread beyond the breast at all. So you have a number of good treatments to choose from. The eight-year survival rate for women with stage I breast cancer is about 90%. This doesn’t mean that these women will only live eight years. Doctors just measure success rates for cancer treatment by seeing how women are doing five to 10 years after treatment. Women usually do well with a combination of treatments. Here are your basic options:

* Surgery is a standard. Since the tumor is still small, you may get a lumpectomy. In this procedure, just the tumor and some of the surrounding tissue are removed. Some women get a mastectomy, in which the whole breast is removed. In either case, the surgeon will likely take out one or more of the lymph nodes. After a mastectomy, you might choose to get breast reconstruction surgery. Surgery treats the disease doctors are aware of. The other treatments of radiation, chemotherapy, and/or hormone therapy are considered “adjuvant” (added) treatments for or hidden disease. They are used to reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence.
* Radiation therapy is standard after a lumpectomy. It can kill off any cancer cells that were missed. Women with stage I cancer who get a mastectomy don’t usually need radiation.
* Chemotherapy is treatment with drugs that attack cancer cells. It’s often used after surgery to lower the risk of the cancer coming back. Women who had larger tumors are more likely to need it.
* Hormone therapy is sometimes used after surgery in women who have hormone receptor-positive cancer (tumors whose growth seems dependant on estrogen). In these women, hormone therapy drugs can prevent the tumor from getting the hormone it needs to grow. These drugs include tamoxifen for premenopausal women and aromatase inhibitors like Arimidex, Femara, and Aromasin for postmenopausal women. Women who haven’t reached menopause may consider having their ovaries removed or taking drugs to stop them from making hormones that help cancer grow. Again, women with larger tumors are more likely to need hormone therapy.
* Biological therapy is another approach. In about 25% of women with breast cancer, an excess of a protein known as HER2 makes the cancer spread quickly. Herceptin is a new drug that’s been approved to treat women with metastatic breast cancer that is HER2 positive. It stops this protein from making the cancer grow and makes chemotherapy more effective. It is most often used in combination with chemotherapy. Studies have led to its use in early breast cancer.
* Clinical trials are open to many women with stage I cancer. A clinical trial may allow you access to cutting-edge treatments. Many new therapies — new drugs, new treatments, and new combinations — are in clinical trials now. Keep in mind that any successful treatment we have now started out in a clinical trial.

Source: webmd.com
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National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Celebrating 25 Years of Awareness, Education, and Empowerment

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization is a partnership of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to screening services.

In 2009, NBCAM celebrates its 25th anniversary. Since its inception a quarter century ago, NBCAM has been at the forefront of promoting awareness of breast cancer issues and has evolved along with the national dialogue on breast cancer. Today, NBCAM recognizes that although many great strides have been made in breast cancer awareness and treatment, there remains much to be accomplished. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we remain dedicated to educating and empowering women to take charge of their own breast health by practicing regular self-breast exams to identify any changes, scheduling regular visits and annual mammograms with their healthcare provider, adhering to prescribed treatment, and knowing the facts about recurrence.

While October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the www.NBCAM.org Web site is a year-round resource for breast cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and the general public. We encourage you to visit our site in October and regularly throughout the year as we add updated breast cancer information and resources.

Source: www.NBCAM.org

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Pretty In Pink Foundation

RALEIGH, N.C., July 16/PRNewswire/ — Capital Bank President and CEO B. Grant Yarber will appear in an upcoming segment on the TODAY Show scheduled to air Monday, July 20. A producer, NBC News’ correspondent Anne Thompson and crew from the TODAY Show visited Raleigh earlier this month to highlight Pretty In Pink, a foundation providing treatment, education and support for uninsured and underinsured women with breast cancer, and Capital Bank’s support of the organization. Thompson, a breast cancer survivor herself, interviewed Yarber for the segment. The TODAY Show is broadcast regionally on WNCN-TV (NBC 17). This story will air during the 8 to 9 a.m. hour and will also be online at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/.

“Our mission as a community bank is to make a difference in the lives of those in the communities we serve,” said Yarber. “We supported Pretty In Pink in its early years after becoming aware of the need for a different type of support for women with cancer. Unlike organizations that fund cancer research, Pretty In Pink provides funding for critical treatment for underinsured women.”

Capital Bank continues to support Pretty In Pink as the growing foundation strives toward its vision of having a presence in each state in the country by 2020. The bank also awarded Pretty In Pink its first Pink Promise Corporate Donation of 2009.

“Capital Bank helped Pretty In Pink Foundation move closer to our mission and we are deeply appreciative of both their financial commitment and their spirit of community,” remarked Dr. Lisa Tolnitch, founder of Pretty In Pink Foundation. “When Capital Bank committed to be a Pink Promise contributor earlier this year, the entire Pretty In Pink Foundation staff was moved with gratitude. Their contribution helps us provide immediate and necessary financial assistance to breast cancer patients when they need it most. We will always be grateful for Capital Bank’s compassion and support.”

“I encourage others to support the wonderful service this organization is providing,” added Yarber. “The need to assist those in North Carolina is great, yet we are confident in Pretty In Pink’s efforts to eliminate financial barriers to cancer treatment in our own state and beyond.”

About Capital Bank

Capital Bank Corporation CBKN, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., with approximately $1.7 billion in total assets, offers a broad range of financial services. Capital Bank operates 32 banking offices in Asheville (4), Burlington (4), Cary, Clayton, Fayetteville (3), Graham (2), Hickory, Mebane, Morrisville, Oxford, Parkton, Pittsboro, Raleigh (5), Sanford (3), Siler City, Wake Forest, and Zebulon. Capital Bank plans to open offices this summer in Holly Springs and west Cary. The company’s website is www.capitalbank-nc.com.
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