Monthly Wellness Newsletter May 2014

May is

Women’s Health

Month

Women’s Health Newsletter May 2014

In this Edition

What you need to know about Breast Cancer

What is a cervical screening test and how is it done?

Ovarian Cancer

What do shoes have to do with your spine pain?

Women’s Health Newsletter

What you need to know about Breast Cancer

Definition of breast cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues of the breast. The most

common type of breast cancer is ductal carcinoma, which begins in the lining of

the milk ducts (thin tubes that carry milk from the lobules of the breast to the nip-

ple). Another type of breast cancer is lobular carcinoma, which begins in the lob-

ules (milk glands) of the breast. Invasive breast cancer is breast cancer that has

spread from where it began in the breast ducts or lobules to surrounding normal

tissue. Breast cancer occurs in both men and women, although male breast cancer

is rare.

WHEN THE BREAST CANCER SPREADS

Breast cancer originates in the tissues of the breast, but as breast cancer becomes advanced, it can metastasize — or spread — to areas throughout the body. Early breast cancer detection can make a big difference in stopping breast cancer spread.

How Breast Cancer Metastasizes

Cancer cells are abnormal cells that divide and multiply at a fast pace. These rapid-ly replicating cells form a tumor, but some of those cells can escape from the tu-mor, enter the bloodstream or the lymphatic system, and spread throughout the body. These cancer cells can become lodged in other tissues in the body, where they continue to multiply and form other tumors. These secondary tumors, called metastatic tumors, still contain breast cancer cells, even if they appear in the brain, the liver, or the bones.

Breast cancer spread can happen anywhere, but the most common locations in the body for metastasized breast cancer are the:

Brain

Lymph nodes surrounding the breast

Liver

Lungs

Bones — most often the pelvic bones, skull, legs, ribs, and spine

BREAST CANCER STAGES

Cancers are staged according to how advanced they are and how much they've spread. Here are the progressive stages of breast cancer, and how they specify breast cancer spread:

Stage 0. This is the earliest stage of breast cancer, when the cancer cells have formed a tiny tumor that is not invading any neighboring breast tissue. This is referred to as non-invasive breast cancer.

Stage I. This is considered invasive breast cancer, in which the cancer cells have formed a small tumor up to 2 centimeters (cm) in size, and finger-like projections of tumor cells have reached out into the normal breast tissues surrounding the tumor.

Stage II. This stage is used to characterize one of these situations:

The tumor is 2 cm in size or less, and breast cancer cells have spread to the nearby axillary (armpit area) lymph nodes

The tumor is between 2 and 5 cm in size without spread to axillary lymph nodes.

The tumor is between 2 and 5 cm in size and breast cancer cells have spread to the axillary lymph nodes

The tumor is more than 5 cm in size, but has not spread to the lymph nodes.

Stage IIIA. The tumor may be under or over 5 cm, and breast cancer cells are in the nearby lymph nodes, which are either are matted together or sticking to adjacent body structures.

Stage IIIB. The breast cancer cells have metastasized and affect the wall of the chest and may also reach the skin that covers the breast; or they may have spread into other, non-axillary lymph nodes in the chest area.

Stage IIIC. The breast cancer has metastasized to the lymph nodes around the col-larbone and breastbone, as well as to the axillary lymph nodes. A tumor may not even be found in the breast, but breast cancer cells are found in these lymph node areas.

Stage IV. This is very advanced breast cancer in which the cells are found in other major organs, like the brain, lungs, bones, or liver.

The more breast cancer has spread and the more places in the body that it affects, the

more advanced the cancer is, the more difficult treatment becomes, and the poorer the

prognosis.

May 2014

What is a cervical screening test and how is

it done? The cervix is the lowest part of the womb (uterus). It is often called the neck of the

womb.

Women’s Health Newsletter

You will be asked to remove your clothing from the waist down. If you wear a

loose skirt, you may only need to remove your knickers. You will be asked to lie

on your back on the examination couch. You should bend your knees, put your

ankles together, and let your knees fall open. A doctor or nurse will put an in-

strument called a speculum into your vagina. This gently opens the vagina and

allows the cervix to be seen (at the top of the vagina). The doctor or nurse then

uses a thin plastic stick with a small brush at the end to gently scrape some cells

from the surface of the cervix. The cells that are obtained on the brush are sent

away to be examined in the laboratory.

Cervical screening tests are not painful, although some women find the speculum

uncomfortable. It generally helps if you can relax - this makes the experience

better for you and easier for the person taking the sample. The newer disposable

plastic specula are also a lot less cold than the older metal ones!

Why are cervical screening tests advised?

Cervical cancer is a disease that can often be prevented. Early changes can be

detected in the cervix, which indicate that cancer may develop. A cervical

screening test samples some cells from your cervix. These are examined un-

der the microscope in a laboratory.

The cervical screening test is not a cancer test. The

test is used to detect early abnormalities of the cer-

vix which, if untreated, could lead to cervical can-

cer in the future.

Why is the cervical screening test im-

portant?

Cervical cancer is not uncommon. In recent years the number of cases has fallen due to cervical screening tests. However, there are still over 2,000 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed each year in the UK. Most of these occur in women who have never had a screening test, or who have not had one for many years. Cervical cancer can be prevented if you have regular screening tests. It is estimated that up to 3,900 women are prevented from developing cervical cancer every year in the UK, due to cervical screening.

Where do I go for a cervical screening

test?

Most women have the test at their GP surgery. It is usually done by the practice nurse. You can have it done at a family planning clinic if you prefer. A copy of the result is usually sent to you, your GP and the health authority. This takes about two weeks. Ask at your GP surgery for the result of the test if you do not receive it.

May 2014

Women’s Health Newsletter

Cancer of the ovary affects more than 6,500 women in the UK each year. It is the fifth most common cancer among women after breast cancer, bowel cancer, lung cancer and cancer of the uterus (womb).

Ovarian cancer is most common in women who have had the menopause (usually over the age of 50), but it can affect women of any age.

As the symptoms of ovarian cancer can be similar to those of other conditions, it can be difficult to recognise. However, there are early symptoms to look out for, such as persistent bloating, pain in the pelvis and lower stomach, and difficulty eating.

If you experience these symptoms, particularly over a long period of time, it is im-portant to see your GP. Read more about how ovarian cancer is diagnosed.

Types of ovarian cancer There are several types of ovarian cancer. They include:

epithelial ovarian cancer, which affects the surface layers of the ovary and is the most common type

germ cell tumours, which originate in the cells that make the eggs

stromal tumours, which develop within the cells that hold the ovaries together Epithelial ovarian cancer is by far the most common type of ovarian cancer. This infor-mation concentrates on epithelial ovarian cancer.

The exact cause of ovarian cancer is unknown, although a number of possible factors are thought to be involved, such as the number of eggs the ovaries release and wheth-er someone in your family has had ovarian cancer in the past. However, only one in 10 cases of ovarian cancer has a genetic link.

Read more about the causes of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian Cancer

Treating ovarian cancer

The best treatment for ovarian cancer depends on several things, such as the stage of your cancer and your general health. Treatment will usually involve a combination of surgery and chemotherapy.

As with most types of cancer, the outlook largely depends on how far the cancer has advanced by the time it is diagnosed and your age at diagnosis. Ninety per cent of women diagnosed with early stage one ovarian cancer will be alive in five years' time (the five-year survival rate).

Read more information about how ovarian cancer is treated.

Being diagnosed with ovarian cancer can affect daily life in many ways. However, there is support available for many aspects of living with ovarian cancer, including emotional, financial and long-term health issues.

Ovarian cancer screening

There are methods of screening for ovarian cancer but, at the moment, they are not yet fully tested. Screening is only available for women who are at high risk of developing the disease due to a strong family history or inheritance of a particular faulty gene. Clinical trials in the UK are currently assessing the effectiveness of screening in high-risk women and in the general population.

A cervical screening test (which used to be called a smear test) cannot detect ovarian cancer.

May 2014

Women’s Health Newsletter

What do shoes have to do with your spine pain?

Everything!

Shoes support your entire body as the only contact between you and the ground. Align-

ment, support, ride quality … Hey, this is beginning to sound like a tire commercial. Well,

shoes are like tires because they provide for your comfort (ride quality), your stability

(support), and your posture (alignment). Good shoes can put you on the road to spine

health.

Comfort

Suppose you had to walk around barefooted on a concrete floor for a few hours. That

would not feel very comfortable because nothing is cushioning you against the jarring of

the hard surface. With every step like a jack-hammer, the impact travels all the way to

your spine. Pound, pound, pound … Over time, these shock waves will cause pain in the

pressure-sensitive structures of your spine like the discs, joints, and ligaments.

You must buffer your back against the hard reality of the ground. Most high-heeled

shoes, cowboy boots, and sandals (including flip-flops) fail to give a cushy step in your

stride. You need air pillows to ease the hurt caused by the hard ground. The tire manu-

facturers figured that out when they switched from hard rubber to inflatable tires. Be-

fore you hit the road, it's time for you to upgrade to better ride quality with well-

cushioned shoes.

Stability

Your shoes also need to be very supportive. If your foot is wobbling, slipping,

and sloshing around, all the extra movement travels right up the leg to your

spine, which is hanging on for dear life just to maintain balance. Some women

seem to enjoy teetering on their toes in the spiked high heels. Walking should

not be a balancing act that places your body at risk for injury.

Flip-flop wearers especially endure an unstable shoe. Flip-flop, flip-flop … That

is what the heel is doing, just flopping around. A good shoe always controls the

heel with a strap or a cup. By stabilizing the heel, your shoes should provide a

solid foundation for the entire limb and spine. Without good footing, your back

will blow out from all that stressful shaking and leave you stuck at home.

Posture

When was the last time you checked your alignment? That's right your alignment—your

posture. Start by checking your feet. Foot position affects the position of your ankles, knees,

hips, and spine.

High-heeled shoes unnaturally place the heels above the toes. Even the slightest adjustment

to the foot can throw off your body's entire alignment. The spine is very vulnerable because it

has specially designed curves that evenly distribute your weight. High heels alter these

curves. Eventually, this poor posture places too much uneven wear on the discs, the joints,

and the ligaments of the back.

Wear out your back parts and you will have pain. All the parts in you (or your car) have to

lineup properly or the whole system breaks down, leaving you on the side of the road.

A shoe has everything to do with how your back feels. By providing comfort, stability, and

proper posture, your shoes are the foundation for you. Shoes are the only contact between

you and the road. And like tires, shoes have everything to do with your performance on the

road.

It is fine to wear bad footwear (like high heels and flip-flops) occasionally; just don't make it

a habit because unhealthy habits lead to chronic pain. So next time you choose shoes to wear,

think about choosing to feel better. With comfortable ride quality, stable support and proper

alignment, your spine will feel better over the long haul.

May 2014