Breast Cancer
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Breast Cancer will affect 13.2 percent of women born today who will be diagnosed with it at some time in their lives reports The National Cancer Institute. The Institute also reports that the estimated lifetime risk of this disease has increased gradually over the past decades, with only this last year in a slight decline. These reports make the news of a new breast cancer drug, Herceptin, good news for women all over the world. Trials of the drug show future promise for those suffering from an aggressive form of the disease.
Further reports by the National Institute were the results of the trial that was halted early because of the hopeful results. The outcomes percentages measured were from two randomized clinical trials for patients who were diagnosed with HER-2 positive invasive cancer. The findings show that those who took the breast cancer drug in combination with chemotherapy had significant decrease in risk for recurrence - by 52 percent - as compared to the patients who received only chemotherapy without that drug. Genentech Inc., the manufacturer of this drug, and the Institute announced Monday, April 25, that Herceptin had also successfully prolonged life.
According to the National Cancer Institute, Herceptin is a monoclonal antibody. This breast cancer drug belongs to a group of drugs made in the laboratory that are designed to attack specific cells. This medicine is given intravenously and targets deadly cells that "overexpress" or make too much of a protein called HER-2. This medicine slows or stops the growth of these dangerous cells. There are side effects that can occur during the first treatment with Herceptin and they include fever and chills. Other possible side effects may include weakness, nausea, headache, diarrhea, rashes and other minor difficulties. Side effects generally decrease after the first treatment with this important drug.
Women should gather facts about breast cancer and determine if at risk, to promote early detection of the disease. A woman's chances of getting breast cancer increase with her age. The older a woman becomes, the greater the risk for the disease. A woman who has a mother, sister or daughter is also put into a high- risk category. A woman's family history can serve as an indicator to get regular examinations and mammograms.
Women over 40 are encouraged to have a mammogram every 1 to 2 years. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that takes less than one minute. The slight discomfort experienced during the mammogram will be worth the potential of finding breast cancer at an early stage, which is crucial to successful treatment. Lack of mammograms and self examination can allow this disease to spread, going undetected. Finding the disease early save a life.
Keeping a healthy body is crucial. God's Word, the Bible encourages us to care for our bodies because we were bought with price. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, says "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
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