There is not much awareness about cancer and that is why there are many myths that surround this medical condition. One thing which every one should know about the cancer is the early warning sign, so that the same can be treated and cured. The common myths about cancer are –

1. Use of cell phones can cause cancer.
Again this is a very common belief that cell phones can cause cancer. There is no credible study available that consistently proves that using a cell phone has the ability to cause cancer.

2. Hair dye can cause brain cancer.
Hair dye never causes cancer however this is a very common myth believed world over. The common belief was that hair dye can cause brain tumor, but there is no evidence of it causing brain tumors. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirms that hair dye does not increase the risk of developing cancer.

3. Cancer can cause hair loss or hair loss indicates cancer.
Cancer does not cause hair loss. However, hair loss can be a side effect of cancer treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation therapy. That too not with everyone, there are people who have undergone chemotherapy or radiation and did not lose their hair.

4. One can inherit cancer from parents.
This is not true with all types of cancer. This means that one will not inherit cancer from parents for sure. However there are few types of cancer which can be passed down genetically, like breast cancer, ovarian cancer and colorectal cancer. If a parent has any of these cancers, the cancer gene may be passed to their child. But this does not mean that the child will suffer from cancer surely. It can only increase the likelihood of developing cancer.

5. Breast cancer is found in women only.
This is the biggest cancer myth and believed by most. Men too can have breast cancer. As per an estimate 1500 men will be diagnosed and about 500 will die from the disease this year. However male breast cancer is very uncommon, yet it happens.

6. Cancer can be contagious.
In fact there is No type of cancer is contagious. However, there are two viruses which are contagious, Hepatitis C and HPV, they can cause cancer. Hep C causes liver cancer whereas HPV is a known risk factor for cervical cancer. Both of these viruses can be transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse. However, Hep C is more often transmitted through blood to blood contact such as sharing needles and transfusions.

7. Pharmaceutical companies have the cure for cancer but are hiding it.
If this was true, thousands of loved ones of pharmaceutical businessmen have not died due to this deadly disease. pharmaceutical researchers are actually fighting very hard to find some solution instead. This is the result of their hard word alone that today we can cure many types of cancer successfully.

8. Cancer means death.
Yes, this could be but not always that cancer means death. New breakthroughs have made it possible to treat the cancer in early detection of of the disease. An estimate is that more than 35% of cancer patients reach or exceed the five year survivor life!

9. Use of antiperspirants and deodorant can cause cancer.
According to the National Cancer Society, there is no conclusive evidence from recent studies that wearing them can cause cancer. This cancer myth is by far one of the most popular among women for that it can cause breast cancer.

10. Positive thinking cures cancer.
Positive thinking does not cure cancer but surely plays very significant role during cancer treatment. Optimistic attitude helps increasing the quality of life during treatment. Although there is no scientific evidence that positive attitude cures cancer.

All the above mentioned are wrong notions. As one sees symptoms that are warning signs of cancer, one should rush to a doctor.

The following are typical personality traits found in those with cancer:

1. Being highly conscientious, caring, dutiful, responsible, hard-working, and usually of above average intelligence.

2. Exhibits a strong tendency toward carrying other people’s burdens and toward taking on extra obligations, and often “worrying for others.”

3. Having a deep-seated need to make others happy. Being a “people pleaser” with a great need for approval.

4. Often lacking closeness with one or both parents, which sometimes, later in life, results in lack of closeness with spouse or others who would normally be close.

5. Harbours long-suppressed toxic emotions, such as anger, resentment and/or hostility. The cancer-susceptible individual typically internalizes such emotions and has great difficulty expressing them.

6. Reacts adversely to stress, and often becomes unable to cope adequately with such stress. Usually experiences an especially damaging event about 2 years before the onset of detectable cancer. The patient is not able to cope with this traumatic event or series of events, which comes as a “last straw” on top of years of suppressed reactions to stress.

7. Has an inability to resolve deep-seated emotional problems and conflicts, usually beginning in childhood, often even being unaware of their presence.

It is very common for those with cancer to have a long-standing tendency to suppress “toxic emotions”, particularly anger. Usually beginning in childhood, this individual has held in their hostility and other unacceptable emotions. More often than not, this feature of the affected personality has its origins in feelings of rejection by one or both parents. Whether these feelings of rejection are justified or not, the individual perceives this rejection as real, and this results in a lack of closeness with the “rejecting” parent, followed later in life by a lack of closeness with spouses and others with whom close relationships would normally develop.

Those at the higher risk for cancer tend to develop feelings of loneliness as a result of their having been deprived of affection and acceptance earlier in life, even if this is only their perception. They have a tremendous need for approval and acceptance, and develop a very high sensitivity to the needs of others while suppressing their own emotional needs. They become the “caretakers” of the world, showing great compassion and caring for others, and will go out of their way to look after others. They are very reluctant to accept help from others, fearing that it may jeopardize their role as the caretaker. Throughout their childhood they have been typically taught “not to be selfish”, and they take this to heart as a major lifetime objective.

A distinction needs to be made here between the “care-giving” and the “care-taking” personality. There is nothing wrong with care-giving, of course, but the problem arises when the susceptible individual derives their entire worth, value and identity from their role as “caretaker”. If this very important shift cannot be made, the patient is stuck in this role, and the susceptibility to cancer greatly increases.

As already stated, a consistent feature of those who are susceptible to cancer appears to be that they “suffer in silence”, and bear their burdens without complaint. These burdens of their own as well as the burdens of others weigh heavily upon these people through a lifetime of emotional suppression. The carefree extrovert, on the other hand, seems to be far less vulnerable to cancer than the caring introvert described above.

How one reacts to stress appears to be a major factor in the larger number of contributing causes of cancer. Most cancer patients have experienced a highly stressful event, usually about 2 years prior to the onset of detectable disease. This traumatic event is often beyond the patient’s control, such as the loss of a loved one, loss of a business, job, home, or some other major disaster. The typical cancer personality has lost the ability to cope with these extreme events, because his/her coping mechanism lies in his/her ability to control the environment. When this control is lost, the patient has no other way to cope.

Major stress causes suppression of the immune system, and does so more overwhelmingly in the cancer-susceptible individual than in others. Thus personal tragedies and excessive levels of stress appear to combine with the underlying personality described above to bring on the immune deficiency which allows cancer to thrive.

For the majority of people, coping with stress and highly stressful or traumatic events or conflicts is dealt with, with relative ease. Although those in this larger group feel the devastating effects of stress, stressful events, trauma, and conflicts, including grief and loss – stressful events are seen as part of life’s challenges, life’s ups and downs, and they are for they most part anticipated and not completely unexpected. These people are able to move on with their lives quickly afterwards.

Those susceptible to cancer, are highly vulnerable to life’s stresses and trauma, and feel unable to cope when life throws a curve-ball their way. These people are perfectionists and live in fear of conflict, stress, trauma and loss and are deeply frightened of negative events “happening” to them. And when faced with a highly stressful or traumatic event they have not anticipated, which inevitably happens during their life, react adversely and are unable to cope.

They experience inescapable shock and remain deeply affected by the experience. They have difficulty in expressing their inner grief, their inner pain, their inner anger or resentment, and genuinely feel there is no way out of the pain they are feeling inside. And because their mind cannot fathom what has happened, and remains in a state of disbelief or denial, these inner painful feelings are continually perpetuated, shooting up stress levels, lowering melatonin and adrenaline levels, causing a slow breakdown of the emotional reflex centre in the brain, and creating the beginning of cancer progression in the body.

When faced with a major trauma, the cancer personality feels trapped and unable to escape from the memory of the traumatic experience and the painful feelings of the experience. Stress hormone cortisol levels skyrocket and remain at high levels, directly suppressing the immune system, whose job it is to destroy cancer cells that exist in every human being. High stress levels generally means a person cannot sleep well, and cannot produce enough Melatonin during deep sleep. Melatonin is responsible for inhibiting cancer cell growth. This means cancer cells are now free to multiply. Adrenaline levels also skyrocket initially, but are then drained and depleted over time. This is especially bad news for the cancer personality.

Adrenaline is responsible for transporting sugar away from cells. And when there is no adrenaline left, sugar builds up in cells of the body. Viral-bacterial-yeast-like-fungus then inhabit normal cells to feed on this excess sugar, breaking the cell’s (oxygen) krebs cycle. This means normal body cells cannot breathe properly because of low oxygen and mutate during the dividing process into cancer cells. Cancer cells thrive in a low oxygen state, as demonstrated by Nobel Prize winner Otto Warburg. Cancer cells also thrive on fermented sugar for cell division, and this is provided by the viral-bacterial-yeast-like-fungus that ferment and feed on sugar in the perfect symbiotic relationship. Too much internal stress causes a depletion of adrenaline, leads to too much sugar in the body’s cells, resulting in the perfect environment for cancer cells to thrive in the body.

For the cancer personality, the news of being diagnosed with cancer and the fear and uncertainty of death represents another inescapable shock, creating another spike in stress hormone cortisol levels, and a further drop in melatonin and adrenalin levels. There is also a further breakdown of the emotional reflex centre in the brain that causes cells in the corresponding organ to slowly breakdown and become cancerous.

One of the most recent studies on psychosomatic cancer therapy comes from Germany. Over the past ten years, medical doctor / surgeon Ryke-Geerd Hamer has examined 20,000 cancer patients with all types of cancer. Dr. Hamer wondered why cancer never seems to systematically spread directly from one organ to the surrounding tissue. For example, he never found cancer of the cervix AND cancer of the uterus in the same woman. He also noticed that all his cancer patients seemed to have something in common: there had been some kind of psycho emotional conflict prior to the onset of their disease – usually a few years before – a conflict that had never been fully resolved.

X-rays taken of the brain by cancer Dr. Hamer showed in all cases a ‘dark shadow’ somewhere in the brain. These dark spots would be in exactly the same place in the brain for the same types of cancer. There was also a 100% correlation between the dark spot in the brain, the location of the cancer in the body and the specific type of unresolved conflict. On the basis of these findings, Dr. Hamer suggests that when we are in a stressful conflict that is not resolved, the emotional reflex center in the brain which corresponds to the experienced emotion (e.g: anger, frustration, grief) will slowly break down. Each of these emotion centers are connected to a specific organ. When a center breaks down, it will start sending wrong information to the organ it controls, resulting in the formation of deformed cells in the tissues: cancer cells. He also suggests that metastasis is not the SAME cancer spreading. It is the result of new conflicts that may well be brought on by the very stress of having cancer or of invasive and painful or nauseating therapies.

Dr Hamer started including psychotherapy as an important part of the healing process and found that when the specific conflict was resolved, the cancer immediately stopped growing at a cellular level. The dark spot in the brain started to disappear. X-rays of the brain now showed a healing edema around the damaged emotional center as the brain tissue began to repair the afflicted point. There was once again normal communication between brain and body. A similar healing edema could also be seen around the now inactive cancer tissue. Eventually, the cancer would become encapsulated, discharged or dealt with by the natural action of the body. Diseased tissue would disappear and normal tissue would then again appear.

According to cancer Dr Hamer the real cause of cancer and other diseases is an unexpected traumatic shock for which we are emotionally unprepared. The following list shows some of the relationships between conflict emotions and target organs for cancer.

Adrenal Cortex: Wrong Direction. Gone Astray
Bladder: Ugly Conflict. Dirty Tricks
Bone: Lack of Self-Worth. Inferiority Feeling
Brain: Tumor Stubborness. Refusing to Change Old Patterns. Mental Frustration
Breast (Milk Gland): Involving Care or Disharmony
Breast (Milk Duct): Separation Conflict
Breast (Left): Conflict Concerning Child, Home, or Mother
Breast (Right): Conflict with Partner or Others
Bronchioles: Territorial Conflict
Cervix: Severe Frustration
Colon: Ugly Indigestible Conflict
Esophagus: Cannot Have it or Swallow it
Gall Bladder: Rivalry Conflict
Heart: Perpetual Conflict
Intestines: Indigestible Chunk of Anger
Kidneys: Not Wanting to Live. Water or Fluid Conflict
Larynx: Conflict of Fear and Fright
Liver: Fear of Starvation
Lungs: Fear of Dying or Suffocation, including Fear for Someone Else
Lymph Glands: Loss of Self-Worth associated with the Location
Melanoma: Feeling Dirty, Soiled, Defiled
Middle Ear: Not being able to get some Vital Information
Mouth: Cannot Chew It or Hold It
Pancreas: Anxiety-Anger Conflict with Family Members. Inheritence
Prostate: Ugly Conflict with Sexual Connections or Connotations
Rectum: Fear of Being Useless
Skin: Loss of Integrity
Spleen: Shock of Being Physically or Emotionally Wounded
Stomach: Indigestible Anger. Swallowed Too Much
Testes and Ovaries: Loss Conflict
Thyroid: Feeling Powerless
Tumor (in location): Nursing old Hurts and Shocks. Building Remorse
Uterus: Sexual Conflict

Cancer occurs at the cellular level. And there are a number of factors that create stress on the body’s cells, causing them to become (1) depleted of adrenaline, (2) high in sugar and (3) low in oxygen, where they are more prone to mutate and become cancerous. The higher the sugar content of the cell caused by a depletion of adrenaline, and the lower the oxygen content, the greater the likelihood of normal cells mutating and becoming cancerous.

There are a number of factors that contribute to a normal cell becoming depleted of adrenaline, high in sugar and low in oxygen. Physiological stresses include (and are not limited to): Poor nutrition, Chemicals, Toxins, EMF Radiation, Parasites, Liver / Colon / Kidney disease, Lack of Exercise, etc. Psychological stresses include (and are not limited to): Inescapable Shock, Repressed Feelings, Depression, Isolation, Poor Sleep, Emotional Trauma, External Conflict, etc.

In the vast majority of those with cancer, there exists both a combination of psychological as well as physiological stresses that have contributed to the body’s cells becoming depleted of adrenaline, high in sugar and low in oxygen, causing them to mutate and become cancerous.

5 stages of cancer of how tumors are formed within the body:

Phase 1 – Inescapable Shock / Emotional Trauma
This initial phase occurs approximately 2 years prior to the cancer diagnosis. This is where the individual experiences an “inescapable shock”, affecting deep sleep and the production of melatonin within the body. Melatonin is necessary for inhibiting cancer cell growth and is the primary hormone responsible for regulating the immune system. During this phase a part of the emotional reflex centre in the brain slowly breaks down, creating a dark spot on the brain (viewed by X-ray). Each part of the emotional reflex centre controls and is connected to an organ or part of the body, and when the emotion centre begins to break down, so too does the organ or body part it is connected to.

Phase 2 – Stress Suppresses The Immune System
During this second phase, the immune system is suppressed by elevated stress hormone cortisol levels. The immune system also receives subconscious messages from the affected emotion centre of the brain to slow down, and to even stop working altogether. An individual experiencing “inescapable shock” often feels like they have died “emotionally” on some level, and the immune system receives these messages as a subliminal signal or command to give up the fight to live also. This causes somatids to react. Somatids are tiny living organisms (necessary for life) that live in our blood. Different types of somatids are specific to and inhabit different organs of the body. In a healthy organism, where the immune system is functioning properly, these somatids are limited to 3 stages in their life cycle – somatid, spore, double spore. When the immune system is impaired or suppressed, somatids pleomorphise (or change) into a further 13 stages (16 altogether).These further 13 stages are pathogenic (harmful) to the body and include viral, bacterial, and yeast-like fungus forms.

Phase 3 – Stress Causes Cell Glucose Levels to Rise
Over time, elevated stress hormone levels cause adrenaline levels to be depleted within the body, causing glucose (sugar) levels to rise within normal cells. The main purpose of adrenaline is to remove and convert glucose from cells for energy for the body, just as it is the main purpose of insulin to transport glucose (sugar) into cells. When the adrenaline reserves are depleted, glucose (sugar) levels increase sharply within cells – leaving little room for oxygen. This is why so many cancer patients are weak and lethargic, because they have no adrenaline left (or very little) to convert the glucose in their cells into energy for the body and their cells subsequently have very little room left to accept oxygen from passing blood.

Phase 4 – Fungus Enter Cells to Feed on Glucose
During this fourth phase, pathogenic microbes (virus-bacteria-fungus) that have pleomorphised and established themselves in a weakened part of the body, enter normal cells to feed on high glucose levels. This fermentation of glucose causes “mycotoxins” to be released (a highly acidic waste product), which 1) breaks the Krebs Cycle of the cell (a process that uses oxygen as part of cellular respiration), and 2) breaks the Electron Transport Chain of the cell, meaning the number of ATP molecules drops dramatically. (ATP molecules provide energy to the cell.) This lack of oxygen and cell energy means normal cells mutate during the dividing process – creating new rogue cancer cells. The body’s tissue and cells become highly acidic (low pH) due to the waste by-products caused by these viral-bacterial-yeast-like fungus. Over-acidification of the body also occurs due to fermentation of excess stress hormones in the body, poor diet (low pH value foods), and lack of exercise. Viruses, bacteria, yeast, mould, fungus, candida and cancer cells thrive in a low pH acidic environment.

Phase 5 – Fungus and Cancer Form Symbiotic Relationship
During this fifth phase viral-bacterial-yeast-like fungus form a symbiotic relationship with newly created cancer/tumor cells. Yeast-like fungus is symbiotic in nature and feeds on the high levels of glucose to use for energy for reproduction of new somatids. The yeast-like fungus provides a natural fermentation process and ferments the glucose within the cancer/tumor cell, providing energy and a natural growth factor in return. The yeast-like fungus uses the cancer/tumor cells as a host or house for their rich reserves of glucose, and stimulates these cancer/tumor cells to propagate more houses. The result is a mass of tumor cells, or tumor sites. Yeast-like fungus prevent cancer / tumor cells reverting back into normal healthy cells (re-establishing their Krebs Cycle), as they continue to cause “mycotoxins” to be released (a highly acidic waste product), meaning cancer / tumor cells in a sense are held hostage to the yeast-like fungus that inhabit them.

Phase 6 – Stress Stimulates Tumor Cell Growth / Metastases
During this final phase elevated stress hormone norepinephrine and epinephine levels, stimulate tumor cells to produce three (3) compounds: MMP-2 and MMP-9 (both martix metalloproteinases) and the growth compound VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor). Tumor cells make receptors for these stress hormones on their surface, to stimulate these three compounds. MMP-2 and MMP-9 breakdown the scaffolding of tumor cell walls making it easier for them to travel to other parts of the body, a process known as metastasis. VEGF causes blood vessels to grow in new tumor cells, so that they can grow and spread more rapidly. News of cancer at this stage, often becomes a further “inescapable shock” and the cycle begins again with secondary tumor sites forming in different parts or organs of the body.

Recently a Web Portal dedicated to Cancer patients across the world has been launched. The website, BestCancerHospitalIndia.com has been launched to help Cancer patients from different parts of the world who are seeking high quality cancer care and treatment at affordable cost in some of the best cancer hospitals in India. Through this website the patients can get a free no obligation opinion from top cancer specialists in India and also a quote for the treatment. The website has information on the treatment options and services offered by leading Cancer Hospitals in India.

 

This Web portal provides following services to cancer patients.

 

BestCancerHospitalIndia.com works with the Top Cancer Specialists in India who have vast experience and use latest technology for Cancer Treatment.

The hospitals and doctors are very busy with medical work and BestCancerHospitalIndia.com collaborates with them to help reach out to patients and render assistance on non medical aspects at no extra cost to the patient.

BestCancerHospitalIndia.com has affiliation with world class cancer hospitals which use International protocol and multidisciplinary team approach.

It ensures Zero Waiting Time and Affordable Treatment Packages from World Class hospitals.

It helps patients to get Expert Opinion from India’s top Cancer Specialists on your medical reports – answered in just 24-48 hours.

Round the clock assistance on our US / Canada Toll Free Helpline Number:1-888-771-6965, and International Helpline Number: 0091-9899993637

Priority Scheduling of appointments, Hotel, Visa Assistance Local Hospitality – Free Airport Transfers to/ from the hospital.

All these services come absolutely free of cost.

 

 

Cancer is a killer disease. Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and it accounted for 7.9 million deaths (around 13% of all deaths) . Lung, stomach, liver, colon and breast cancer cause the most cancer deaths each year. Deaths from cancer worldwide are projected to continue rising, with an estimated 12 million deaths in 2030. About 72% of all cancer deaths in 2007 occurred in low- and middle-income countries like African and Asian countries. About 30% of cancer deaths can be prevented. But it all depends on early detection and right treatment under expert Doctors using latest technology and drugs at a good facility. The duration of the treatment may be long and very expensive. Most of the countries in Africa and Asia do not have the right technology and expertise for Cancer Treatment and in developed countries like USA, UK or Europe the cost of cancer treatment is staggeringly high and unaffordable for self paying uninsured patients.  Hospitals in India are thus an obvious choice for overseas cancer patients from around the world.

 

India provides tremendous expertise in advanced cancer care with its highly skilled and experienced  Doctors, latest cutting-edge technology like Cyberknife, Novalis, PVP Laser, IMRT etc., internationally accredited  world-class facilities, high quality personal service and excellent flight connectivity from anywhere in the world. The best part, India provides all these services at a fraction of cost compared to the cost anywhere else in the world.

About BestCancerHospitalIndia.com

 

BestCancerHospitalIndia.com is a patient friendly online resource and facilitation service for cancer patient around the world who are looking for high quality treatment in India at a low cost. It helps overseas patients considering high quality medical treatment in India to not only find the best provider hospitals and cancer specialists in India, it also provides valuable guidance and information to obtain all required support services  to make their medical visit to India a great success.

 

The incidence of colon cancer is quite varied among different countries and within different ethnic groups inside the same country. Industrialized countries like United States, Canada, UK, Western Europe, Australia and Japan have a much higher incidence of colorectal cancer compared to the less industrialized parts of the world like Asia, Africa, and South America. Colon Cancer Prevention Foods Colorectal cancer represent over 9 percent of all cancers in men and about 10 percent of all cancers in women world-wide. In industrialized countries the incidence of colorectal cancer can be as high as 12 to 14 of all cancers, and in non-industrialized countries much lower rates of about 7 to 8 percent of all cancers diagnosed may be colorectal cancer.

Excluding skin cancer, colorectal cancer is the third commonest cancer diagnosed in the United States. Each year over 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with colon cancer and over 50 percent of these patients will die from colorectal cancer. Colon cancer incidence is not much different between males and females, however colon cancer is slightly more prevalent in women compared to men (ratio of 1.2:1) but the rectal cancer is more common in males (ratio of 1.7:1).

Lung Cancer Secrets Revealed Click here

Even though we do not know the exact cause of development of colorectal cancer, scientists have recognized several factors that can increase the risk of development of colorectal cancer. A risk factor for a disease is any condition that makes a person more likely to develop that diseases. Some of the risk factors like dietary factors are modifiable by the person involved while some other factors like age are un-modifiable. These risk factors may act in combination, and this combination of risk factors may be associated with cumulative increase in the risk of development of colorectal cancer. The simple presence of one or more risk factors does not necessarily mean that someone will develop colorectal cancer. On the other hand absence of all risk factors does not mean that an individual will not develop colorectal cancer, but generally more risk factors you have higher is the chance of developing colorectal cancer. Environmental factors also may be playing a role in the development of colorectal cancer. People who migrate from areas of low risk to areas of the world with higher risk of developing colorectal cancer, they tend to acquire the risk of the country to which they are migrating. This finding suggests the presence of environmental factors causing higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. Changes in dietary factors associated with migration may also be contributing to this increase in risk associated with migration from low risk areas to higher risk areas.

Risk factors for the development of colorectal cancer include the following:

Age over 50 years
Increased fat intake
Large intestinal polyps
Family history of colon cancer
Inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
Personal history of other cancers
Sedentary habits and lack of exercise
Obesity
Diabetes
Smoking
Alcohol content
Genetic colon cancer syndromes like Familial adenomatous polyposis or Hereditary Non-polyposis Colon Cancer (HNPCC)

Persons who have high risk of colorectal cancer may undergo screening for colorectal cancer with colonoscopy once every 2 to 3 years. Screening colonoscopy is recommended for every one who is 50 years or older. If someone has a higher than average risk of developing colorectal cancer, the screening may be initiated earlier than 50 years.

lung cancer treatment breakthroughs Click here

Are you worried about…breast cancer?

Many women worry about getting breast cancer| , sometimes because one of their relatives has developed the illness. This section explains:

Why having just one, or even two, relatives with cancer
does not normally mean that there is an inherited genetic link in your family.
What we know about the causes of breast cancer.
What you can do to help yourself.
Cancer genes/family history

Genes carry the biological information we inherit from our parents. They affect the way our bodies grow, work and look. Changes (mutations) in certain genes can increase the risk of breast cancer in family members who inherit the genetic change. But only a small number of breast cancers are thought to be due to an inherited altered gene running in the family.

Two gene changes – called BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations – can run in a family and increase the breast and ovarian| cancer risk of those family members who inherit the genetic change. But they are not common.

How does my family history affect my risk of developing breast cancer?

It is only likely that a genetic mutation that can increase your breast cancer risk is present in your family, if you have:

three close relatives from the same side of the family (your mother’s or your father’s family) who developed breast cancer at any age
two close relatives from the same side of the family who developed breast cancer under 60
one close relative who developed breast cancer at the age of 40 or under
breast and ovarian cancer on the same side of the family, or a male relative with breast cancer, or a close relative with cancer in both breasts.

Your close relatives are your mother, sisters or daughters. They are sometimes called your first degree relatives.

If your family is like this, and you are worried about developing breast cancer yourself, you might want to talk to your GP. They will ask you questions about your family history. If you have a family history of any unusual cancers/childhood cancers or you have Jewish ancestry or other ethnic background (where a faulty breast cancer gene is more common), you should mention that to your GP. If your GP thinks there’s a chance that you might have an increased risk of developing breast cancer because of your family history, they will refer you to a genetic counsellor, family cancer clinic or a cancer specialist.

All women, when they are 50, are invited to join the NHS Breast Screening Programme| and offered three yearly mammograms until they reach 70. Women who seem to have inherited an increased risk of getting breast cancer may be offered yearly mammograms, and sometimes MRI scans, from an earlier age.

If you only have one middle-aged or elderly relative who has developed breast cancer, or one case of breast cancer on each side of your family, this does not significantly increase your risk. If you had one of the ovarian or breast cancer genes in your family, then it is likely that more than one relative on the same side of the family would have developed ovarian or breast cancer.

If you are worried about the occurrence of breast and/or ovarian cancer in your family and whether there might be an inherited genetic link, OPERA| is an online interactive software program that will offer you personalised information and support in the comfort of your own home.

If you are still worried

It can be a normal reaction to severe illness in the family, or to bereavement, to feel more vulnerable to the same disease. If you can’t stop worrying, you may find it helpful to see a counsellor, who can help you get things back into perspective. You can ask your GP, or call our nurses| for details of a local service. You could also call the Cancer Counselling Trust| to speak to a counsellor.

Mind| , the mental health charity, has published a leaflet called ‘How to Stop Worrying’.

Cancer risk

The cause of most breast cancers is not known. But we do know that some things – called risk factors – can increase our chances of developing cancer. Some risk factors are very likely to cause cancer, whereas others will only very slightly increase our likelihood of getting it.

Having a particular risk factor for cancer, or being exposed to one, doesn’t mean that we will definitely get cancer, just as not having it doesn’t mean that we won’t. Smoking is a good example of this. If you smoke, it isn’t certain that you will get lung cancer , just as if you don’t smoke, it’s not certain that you won’t. But smoking will greatly increase your risk of getting lung cancer. Nine out of ten people who develop lung cancer are smokers.

Cancer is very common and nearly 1 in 3 of us will develop it at some time during our lives. This means that most of us will have relatives who have had cancer. Surveys have shown that many people are worried that a history of cancer in their family greatly increases their risk. People often worry that an increased risk of cancer can be inherited, or passed on from one generation to another. In fact less than 1 in 10 cases of cancer (between 5 and 10%) have been shown to be due to a family history of the disease.

Other risk factors

Other risk factors in the development of breast cancer can play a bigger role than family history.

Age

Breast cancer is mainly a disease of older women and is rare in women under 50. Only 1 in 9 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime, but the older you are the more likely it is that you will develop the disease. In the UK more than half of breast cancers occur in women over 65. Women under 50 are at far lower risk of getting breast cancer than older women, and women under 40 have an even lower risk.

Hormone levels

There is some evidence that the more years a woman has had periods, and is therefore exposed to the female hormone, oestrogen, the more prone she is to breast cancer. This means that you may have an increased risk of developing breast cancer if you:

started your periods at an early age (under 12)
had a late menopause (after 50)
have not had any children, or had children after you were 30
have not breastfed or breastfed for less than 12 months in total.
The contraceptive pill

Taking the Pill slightly increases a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer. The risk decreases again after stopping the Pill.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

There is evidence that women over 50 who take HRT increase their risk of developing breast cancer. The risk begins to increase after 1–2 years of HRT use, and then goes on increasing the longer HRT is used. Combined HRT increases risk more than oestrogen-only HRT. Risk begins to decrease when HRT is stopped and is thought to be back to normal around five years after stopping.

Obesity

Being overweight, particularly after the menopause, is a risk factor for breast cancer. This seems to be because overweight people have different hormone levels compared to people who are of normal weight.

Lack of exercise

There is evidence that regular exercise reduces women’s breast cancer risk. This might be because physical activity regulates women’s hormone levels.

Alcohol

Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol seems to increase women’s breast cancer risk. The European Code Against Cancer recommends that to reduce their risk of developing cancer women should drink no more than one unit of alcohol per day. A unit is half a pint of ordinary strength beer, lager or cider or one small glass (125ml) of wine or a single measure (25ml) of spirits.

Other possible risk factors

It has been suggested that particular diets, some dietary supplements and deodorants can increase the risk of developing breast cancer. However, there is no good evidence to support these claims. Scientists are studying many different possible factors, but so far the risk factors listed in this leaflet are the only ones where there is good evidence.

Reducing your risk

Although many of the known breast cancer risks are beyond our control there are other risk factors, known as lifestyle risk factors that you can control. It has been estimated that about one half (50%) of all cancers diagnosed in the UK could be avoided if people made changes to their lifestyles. These changes don’t mean that you definitely won’t get cancer – but they make it less likely. So here are some things that you might want to consider:

Take up some regular exercise

You don’t need to go to the gym – walking, cycling or gardening, done regularly, can be enough.

Try to maintain a healthy weight

Eating a balanced diet| , which contains plenty of fruit and vegetables, can help. Your GP can give you more advice.

Avoid smoking and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol

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Although making these changes may reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, they do not guarantee that you won’t get cancer. But all of the above strategies will improve your health generally.

Signs and symptoms

Breast cancer, when it is found early, can be treated successfully. Unfortunately, the early signs of breast cancer can be hard to detect and are often unclear. You should see your GP if you have:

a change to the outline or shape of the breast
lumps or bumpy areas
nipple discharge that is new for you and not milky
feelings of discomfort or pain in one breast that are different from normal (many women say that their breasts are more tender or a bit lumpy just before they have their period).

In most cases, changes to your breast do not mean that you have cancer. But it is worth seeing your doctor. There is no reason for you to feel that you are wasting your doctor’s time if you have discovered a change in your breasts.

Regular checks and screening for breast cancer

Women over 50 years are invited to join the national screening programme and have a mammogram (x-ray of the breasts) once every three years until they reach 70. Women of 70 and over can continue to have regular mammograms by contacting their GP, who will arrange an appointment in a breast screening clinic. From 2010 all women aged between 47 and 73 will be called for regular breast screening.

Mammography can help to detect breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat.

We have further information on breast screening.