Breast Cancer Information

For more information on breast cancer, click below:

Types of breast cancer

Breast Cancer Symptoms

Possible Risk Factors of Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Glossary

New Hope Medical Center has found that many times symptoms may be improved and possibly reversed with our alternative treatments for breast cancer. This is the most common form of cancer among women. Most patients with this diagnosis have likely had the cancerous mass for 5 to 10 years before the diagnosis. There are new medicines and alternative treatments for breast cancer. Cancers can be easily felt in the breast when they reach a size of approximately 1 cm. A lump of this size contains approximately one billion cells, which is the result of 30 doublings of a single cancer cell. Assuming that a breast lump grows with a doubling time of 100 days, it would take approximately 10 years to reach a point where it could be felt.

Breast cancer in males occurs less at about 1/100 th that of females. If spotted in the initial stages, breast cancer therapy is available and the patient should be sent to a specialist immediately. The patient can be suggested with conventional treatment like surgery or radiation therapy to chemotherapy, depending on what the specialist thinks is best. In addition, alternative breast cancer treatments are also available for males.

Breast cancer may metastasize to almost any organ in the body if not stopped. The most common sites are skin around a lumpectomy or mastectomy scar, scalp, lymph nodes, bone, lung, liver, and brain. Alternative treatments and complementary medicine for breast cancer may help build the immune system and fight any progression of the cancer.

Breast Cancer Detection:

Cancerous masses can be easily felt the breast when they reach a size of approximately 1 centimeter (about the size of a pea). A lump of the size contains approximately one billion cells, which is the result of 30 doublings of a single Cancer cell. Assuming that a breast lump grows with a doubling time of 100 days, it would take approximately 10 years to reach a point where it could be felt.

It is important for everyone to conduct regular Breast Cancer screenings, before symptoms are apparent. There are several screening methods that your doctor may suggest:

Screening Mammogram

• A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast that is used to detect lumps or abnormalities.


• Typically, beginning at age 40, women should have mammograms every 1 to 2 years.


• Women younger than 40 who have Breast Cancer risk factors should talk to their doctor about scheduling regular mammograms.


• Mammograms will often allow the doctor to detect a lump before it is large enough to be felt during a self-exam.


• Mammograms are currently the most effective tool a doctor has to detect abnormal masses and/or Breast Cancer.

Clinical Breast Exam

During a Clinical Breast Exam, your doctor will check your breasts for several things including:

• Differences in the size or shape of your breast.
• Skin Rashes or Dimpling.
• Lumps
• Fluid in the nipples.
• Enlarged lymph nodes in the breasts.

Typically, a clinical breast exam only takes about 10 minutes.

Self Exam

It is recommended that you perform breast self-exams once a month to check for any changes in your breasts.
It is important to remember that regular changes in your breasts may occur due to the following:

• Aging
• Menstrual cycle
• Pregnancy
• Menopause
• Birth Control Pills
• Other Hormones

Contact your primary care physician if you find any unusual changes.

Types of breast cancer:

There are several types and stages of Breast Cancer. Breast tumors can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). The physicians at New Hope Medical Center understand that each type of Breast Cancer responds to treatment in different ways. Basically, each Cancer type and location is as unique as a person’s fingerprint. This is why New Hope Medical Center works together with the patient and her primary care physician to develop an individualized treatment protocol in order to effectively reduce the size and symptoms of the Breast Cancer.

• Inflammatory breast cancer is characterized by a diffused inflammation and enlargement of the breast, sometimes without a mass.
• Ductal carcinoma in situ is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. These cancer cells are found within the milk ducts but have not yet spread into the breast tissue.
• Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most common type of invasive breast cancer and is responsible for approximately 80% of all cancers. These type cancer cells are found in both the milk ducts and the breast tissue. Invasive ductal carcinoma may spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body if not stopped.
• Invasive lobular carcinoma is responsible for approximately 10 to 15% of all breast cancers. These type cancer cells first grow in the lobes of the breast and have the ability to spread to other parts of the breast and also to other parts of the body.

Stage 0 ( Carcinoma in Situ)
There are two types of Stage 0 Breast Cancer: Lobular Carcinoma in Situ (LCIS) and Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS). LCIS means that there are abnormal cells in a lobule’s lining. Even though a diagnosis of LCIS in one breast increases the risk of cancer for both breasts, the cancer is usually non-invasive. DCIS (also referred to as intraductal carcinoma) means that there are abnormal cells in a duct’s lining. Although the abnormal cells found in DCIS have not yet moved to other breast tissue, the cancer can become invasive if left untreated.

Stage I
The tumor in Stage 1 Breast Cancer is no larger than three-quarters of an inch (2 centimeters) across. Stage 1 is considered an early stage invasive cancer, although cancer cells have not yet spread to other parts of the body.

Stage II
A Stage II tumor is typically between 2 to 5 centimeters (three-quarters of an inch to 2 inches) across. It is possible that during Stage II, the Cancer has spread to lymph nodes near the breast.

Stage III
Stage III is considered a locally advanced cancer. This basically means that the cancer has spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes.

Stage IV
Stage IV Cancer has spread to other parts of the body. New Hope’s treatment strategy for Stage IV Cancer focuses on each Cancer site individually in order to effectively reduce symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Breast Cancer Symptoms:

Most breast cancers are discovered as a lump by the female herself. Some females may have a history of pain with no mass; however, this presentation is less common. The following are possible breast cancer symptoms, breast enlargement, a thickening in the breast tissue, or nipple dimpling, nipple discharge, nipple erosion or ulceration, lymph node enlargement around the breast area or under the arms. The presence of pain should not lead to a false security that it is not cancer. Approximately 10% of patients may present with breast pain and no mass. It is very important to consult a physician when experiencing breast cancer symptoms. The most effective orthodox or alternative treatment for cancer is early treatment.

Possible Risk Factors of Breast Cancer:

The risk for breast cancer increases with age. Worldwide breast cancer tendency rates appear to correspond with variations in diet, especially a high fat intake diet and high alcohol intake. The BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes are inherited genes and account for only about 3% of breast cancers. If a woman has already had cancer in one breast, she should be aware that she has an increased risk for getting cancer in the other breast. Women with early periods (menarche), late menopause, and late first pregnancy are at increased risk. Women how have been exposed to radiation at an early age are at higher risk.

Various chemicals such as arsenic, aflatoxin, vinyle chloride, and benzene show definite evidence of causing human cancers. Other human carcinogens based on evidence from animal experiments are chloroform, dichloro-diphenyl-trichlorethane (DDT), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and formaldehyde.

Breast Cancer Glossary:

• Axillary:under the arm area.
• Benign:not malignant; not recurrent; not cancerous.
• Biopsy: the removal and examination of a small piece of tissue from the living body to determine if cancer cells are present.
• Carcinogens: any substance that has the ability to cause cancer.
• Carcinogenic: any substance that causes cancer.
• Chemotherapy: a treatment for disease by using chemical agents.
• Extended radical mastectomy: radical mastectomy with removal of the ipsilateral half of the sternum, a portion of the ribs, and the internal mammary lymph nodes.
• Ipsilateral: pertaining to the same side as the affected breast.
• Lumpectomy: a surgical excision or removal of only the palpable lesion or mass in the breast.
• Malignancy: a cancerous growth which has the tendency to progress.
• Mastectomy: removal of the breast.
• Menarche: the beginning of a female's monthly cycle.
• Menopause: the ending of a female's monthly cycle occurring usually around the age of 50.
• Metastatic: the transfer of a cancer from one organ to another.
• Modified radical mastectomy: a total mastectomy with axillary node removal but leaving the pectoral muscle.
• Palpable: being able to touch or feel the lump.
• Radiation: a treatment for disease using high-frequency ionizing radiation.
• Tumor: a growth of tissue in which the division of cells is uncontrolled and progressive.

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DISCLAIMER: It is important to understand that as of today's standard; only traditional medicine is known to be FDA approved. New Hope Medical Center does not make any stated or implied claims regarding results. The extent of the response to treatment varies from patient to patient, even those with a similar diagnosis due to the uniqueness of each patient's internal body makeup.