Today, breast cancer reconstruction techniques are varied and effective. Prevention methods have also improved.
When it comes to breast cancer,
reconstruction and prevention methods have improved and increased. As time goes on, ongoing research and technological advances have made doctors' abilities to diagnose the disease earlier, more effectively and with better outcomes.
Today, there are still more than 200,000 American women who are given the bad news annually. The goal of the medical world is to bring down these numbers with prevention tactics, have even earlier diagnoses with advanced screening tools and have viable reconstruction methods. Here are some things to think about:
The old adage is as true as it ever was: "An ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure." Here are some recommendations for preventing the onset of this disease:
- Healthy weight: Staying at a healthy weight reduces a woman's chances of carcinoma. The leaner a female is, the lower her risk of developing abnormal cells.
- Fish oil: 2 grams each day of omega 3 fatty acid fish oil will reduce the chances.
- Exercise: Not only will exercise make a person look and feel better, she will also cut down the chance of tumors and lesions developing in her cells. Even an hour or two each week will make a big difference. Go for a walk; join a bowling league, go dancing.
- Reduce or cut out meat from diet: The most dangerous form of meat is red beef that has been injected with hormones. Reducing all meats and dairy products is something to consider and taking note of how the beef you do eat has been manufactured is important.
- Soy foods in early life: A grown woman eating soy isn't as beneficial as a young female child ingesting it. Moms should feed their daughters soy. Tofu stir fry, anyone?
- Hormone replacement therapy: Take a look at your own body and consider whether HRTs are right for you. Discussing it with one's doctor and reading up on it is beneficial, too.
Screening tools and diagnostics: There are various screening techniques including mammography, ultrasound, MRIs and surgical biopsies. Monthly self exams are helpful, too.
Breast cancer reconstruction techniques: After a mastectomy, there are various ways to reconstruct the breasts.
- Silicone or saline implants: Implants filled with either silicone or saline can be used to fill the space in the bosom region to give a patient back her pre-cancer shape.
- DIEP flap: The DIEP flap is a method of taking a patient's own tissue, fat and blood vessels and transferring them to the chest region in order to create a new breast. Since the transferred flesh is often from the abdomen, this operation is similar to an abdominoplasty.
- TRAM: T.R.A.M. stands for transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous and is similar to the DIEP method as it moves the patient's own tissue around to perform the breast cancer reconstruction.
Medical science continues to learn more about disease screening, diagnosis and prevention in order to help patients. Breast cancer reconstruction, treatment and lifestyle changes to prevent it are all new findings that are allowing patients to live better and longer lives.
