Of course, although buying organic produce is the best, but when is it ok to buy their less expensive cousins?  How can you know which fruits and vegetables are ok to buy without the added cost of purchasing organic? Every year the Environmental Working Group publishes the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 Lists. These publications rate foods according to which have the highest and lowest pesticide residue to help shoppers determine which f...

Including powerful antioxidants in your diet is key in fighting or preventing cancer.  A great way to start the day is to include berries for breakfast.  Later meals throughout the day including cruciferous vegetables will continue your cancer fighting diet. Cruciferous vegetables are vegetables of the family Brassicaceae (also called Cruciferae) with many genera, species, and cultivars being raised for food production such as caul...

Studies have shown that deficiencies of Vitamin D3 have been associated with various cancers including breast cancer.  A simple blood test will tell your oncologist if you need to take a vitamin D3 supplement.  Along with vitamin D3,  green tea and it's high level of antioxidants have been found to not only be beneficial for cancer prevention, but for the prevention of heart disease as well.  Adding these two potent anti-cancer...

The following passage from the American Cancer Society’s Website:

“After having breast cancer surgery, some patients have problems with nerve (neuropathic) pain in the chest wall, armpit, and/or arm that doesn’t go away over time. This is called post-mastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) because it was first noticed in women who had mastectomies, but it can also happen after other types of breast-conserving surgery (such as a lumpectomy)....

Lauren's Story:
It was a bittersweet experience to be diagnosed with stage four breast cancer at the age of 37.  The thought of my young children, and what this label will mean to them, overwhelmed me. At the same time, I felt empowered, in a way I had waited to be empowered my entire life.  I knew I had a cause to fight for. I knew there were hurting people, people who did not have the tools to escape the pain of their diagnosi...

Understanding the detrimental effects of chronic inflammation is important for good health.  Good diet and lifestyle habits are the only way to control this condition.  The dangers of chronic inflammation lead to serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.  Reducing inflammation can often reverse and sometimes cure these diseases.  That is why it's so important to understand the condition and work to avoid it.

Su...

This is the first episode in a series where I will encourage you to adopt cancer prevention strategies by incorporating the suggested lifestyle changes in my next 29 posts. The goal of this series is to provide guidance to patients looking for ways to prevent cancer recurrence, but they can also be used to prevent cancer from starting.  Other benefits of adopting these strategies is the prevention of other health issues like heart ...

A cancer diagnosis is not only a physical condition, but one of the most difficult psychological challenges one can ever face.  Reducing stress is an essential  part of the healing process. However,  when navigating  treatment, it can at times seem impossible.  This podcast shares thoughts and feelings that are commonly shared in survivor groups that others found helpful.  It discusses that acknowledgment that the journey doesn'...

A complete explanation of the scoring system for the oncotype DX test and it's benefits for early stage, node negative, hormone positive, Her2 negative breast cancer.  The trend towards "individualized oncology" in the past ten years has changed the focus from "one size fits all"  to examining the genomic characteristics of the tumor cells.  Early stage breast cancers treated prior to this diagnostic test were a...

In this Podcast I discuss the days leading up to the mastectomy and detail the hospital stay from admittance to surgery and recovery.  Included are details of my journey with a double skin sparing mastectomy including  immediate reconstruction with expanders.  A nipple sparing was not possible and the reasons for my choices are discussed.  Tips for pain management and items to help recovery are referenced.

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The journey from biopsy to surgery is an extremely stressful and uncertain time.  Deciding between lumpectomy and mastectomy will depend on the clinical pathology resulting from your biopsy, and more information and further tests may be needed before reaching a final decision.  Organizing your surgery team if mastectomy is needed will require coordination between a breast surgeon and plastic surgeon.  Preparing for a mastectomy is ...

Sometimes, if surgery is not possible right away or at all, the cancer will be given a clinical stage instead. This is based on the results of a physical exam, biopsy, and imaging tests. The clinical stage is used to help plan treatment. Sometimes, though, the cancer has spread further than the clinical stage estimates, and may not predict the patient’s outlook as accurately as a pathologic stage. This Podcasts discusses how the cl...