Around 250,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even as cancer treatments have become increasingly targeted and refined, many women choose to have a mastectomy versus lumpectomy and radiation. And close to half of women who undergo mastectomy have reconstruction using one of two options: reconstruction with implant surgery or reconstruction with flap surgery.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and three breast cancer topics will be featured on the next Mayo Clinic Radio program. Dr. Sarvam TerKonda, a Mayo Clinic plastic surgeon, will discuss reconstruction surgery after breast cancer treatment. Also, Dr. Jordan Ray, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, will explain the importance of heart care for breast cancer patients. And Dr. Kathryn Ruddy, a Mayo Clinic medical oncologist, will discuss the rare and often overlooked disease of male breast cancer. 

Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

The post Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Mayo Clinic Radio appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

3D mammogram
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and today, October 18, is National Mammography Day, as well. This is a good time to check if you're due for a mammogram and consider whether you should opt for a 3D mammogram. This imaging technology is used to look for breast cancer in people who have no signs or symptoms. It also can be used to investigate the cause of breast problems, such as a breast mass, pain and nipple discharge. The images collected during a 3D mammogram are synthesized by a computer to form a 3D picture of your breast. For breast cancer screening purposes, the machine also creates standard 2D mammogram images. Learn more about 3D mammography and whether it might be right for you.

Nutrition, appetite and cancer treatment
Sometimes cancer or cancer treatment can affect your appetite. Though you may not feel like eating, it's important to do what you can to maintain your calorie, protein and fluid intake. In some cases, such as advanced cancer, eating may not affect the outcome of your illness or treatment, though. In these situations, trying to follow specific dietary guidelines, such as adhering to a low-sodium or low-fat diet, may not be practical. Try these tips to plan meals and snacks that will be more appealing and provide the nutrition that you need.

Paraneoplastic syndromes of the nervous system
Paraneoplastic syndromes of the nervous system are a group of uncommon disorders that develop in some people who have cancer. They occur when cancer-fighting agents of the immune system also attack parts of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves or muscle. Depending on where the nervous system is affected, paraneoplastic syndromes can cause problems with muscle movement or coordination, sensory perception, memory or thinking skills, or sleep. Learn more about the types and symptoms of paraneoplastic syndromes of the nervous system.

The post Living With Cancer: What is a 3D mammogram? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a great time to spread the word about the importance breast cancer screening and being alert to breast changes. After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in women in the U.S.

Importance of breast cancer screening

While most breast cancer screening guidelines recommend routine screening for women, beginning at age 40 — and younger in women with a family history of breast cancer — Deborah Rhodes, M.D., an internal medicine physician in the Breast Diagnostic Clinic at Mayo Clinic , says that women of all ages should be aware of changes in their breasts and seek medical advice if they notice anything unusual.

Breast awareness

Dr. Rhodes says even young women, including those without a family history of breast cancer, should never ignore changes in the appearance or feel of their breasts, such as:

• A breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue
• A change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast
• Changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling
• A newly inverted nipple
• Bloody nipple discharge
• Peeling, scaling, crusting or flaking of the pigmented area of skin surrounding the nipple (areola) or breast skin
• Redness or pitting of the skin over the breast, similar to the skin of an orange

Young breast cancer patients may experience more advanced cancers

Judy Boughey, M.D., a Mayo Clinic breast surgeon, recently conducted a study of more than 46,000 women ages 15–49. This study found that while adolescents and young women account for less than 2% of breast cancer patients, they tended to be diagnosed with more advanced breast cancer and more aggressive tumor biology, including triple-negative and HER2-positive breast cancers.

"Our study found that very young women, ages 15–29 years, experienced more advanced disease than women ages 30–39 years, so it's very important that these women take note of any changes in their breasts and discuss those changes with their physician," says Dr. Boughey.

Dr. Rhodes and Dr. Boughey are available for interviews.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news and An Inside Look at Mayo Clinic for more information about Mayo.

Media contact: 

• Joe Dangor, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Expert Alert: Awareness key to recognizing breast cancer symptoms appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Article by Julie Janovsky Mason

Watch Elena’s story here:

Six years ago, Elena Blevins discovered a lump on her right breast as she was getting dressed.

"At first I thought it was cyst," she says, initially dismissing the lump as she focused on her job and family. After several months, she became increasingly tired. And the lump appeared to get larger and harder.

At the urging of her daughter, Elena, who is a member of the Tohono O'odham Nation, scheduled an appointment with Indian Health Service at Phoenix Indian Medical Center (PIMC). It would be the first of a series of medical appointments that would bring medical experts from Phoenix Indian Medical Center and Mayo Clinic together to coordinate Elena's care.

A coordinated approach

A mammogram and biopsy at PIMC revealed Elena had triple-negative breast cancer - an aggressive form of the disease that often is challenging to treat.

"We recognized immediately that Elena had a serious breast cancer problem that needed immediate attention,"  Donald Northfelt, M.D., associate medical director of Mayo Clinic's Breast Clinic, says of Elena's diagnosis.
"Triple negative is a form of breast cancer in which there is no expression of estrogen receptor, no expression of progesterone receptor and no overexpression of the HER2 [human epidermal growth factor receptor 2] protein," he explains. "Because none of these proteins are expressed in the cancer, we are lacking specific targets for that type of cancer."

Elena, a home health aide, was at work when she learned the news.

"I hung up the phone and finished up my shift," she says. "I don't know how I was able to maintain it. I had maybe another half hour to go until my shift was over. I didn't tell my client anything. I told her, 'I will see you tomorrow.'"

Elena burst into tears once she got into her car.

When she arrived home, she told her daughter first. Then she sat down with her son, who was only 12 at the time. Friends and family started arriving at her home as the news spread. "Everyone was crying," Elena says. "It was very traumatic."

The Mayo Clinic and Phoenix Indian Medical Center teams felt Elena would be a good candidate for a clinical trial at Mayo as part of her overall treatment plan.

A Pivotal Clinical Trial

Elena recalls that her care team explained to her that she qualified to be part of a clinical trial and what it would entail. She liked the fact participating in a clinical trial potentially could help other women with this type of cancer.

"I thought if I could help people and the clinical trial could help me, it was a win-win," she says. So Elena continued her cancer treatment at Mayo Clinic's Arizona campus and was enrolled into the Breast Cancer Genome Guided Therapy, or BEAUTY, study which was sponsored by the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine.

"The BEAUTY trial employed a very sophisticated genetic and molecular analysis to help us understand the nature of Elena's cancer and make a better plan for her treatment," says Dr. Northfelt, one of the researchers on the trial.

As part of her treatment protocol, Elena received several months of preoperative chemotherapy, and it shrank her tumor. Then Elena had a lumpectomy at Mayo Clinic, performed by surgeon Richard Gray, M.D., who was also a researcher on the clinical trial. The area of the original tumor was removed and lymph nodes were extracted from her armpit for testing.

"We were grateful at the time of her surgery to find out all the cancer had disappeared from her breast, which was our goal and our hope," Dr. Northfelt says. Elena then received conventional postoperative whole-breast radiation therapy to complete her care.

Elena has been cancer-free for more than five years. She credits her strong faith and the support of her family and friends for helping her get through. She's thankful that she had access to the clinical trial and is grateful to her care teams at Mayo Clinic and Phoenix Indian Medical Center.

"It was a true blessing to have people care about me so much," Elena says of having two care teams. "It was a huge team. It was like a big family."

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to call attention to this type of cancer, which affects 1 in 8 American women. Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, along with colleagues within the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, are researching new, individualized ways to detect and treat breast cancer early, when it is most curable.

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Join the conversation

For more information on the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, visit our blog, Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter at @MayoClinicCIM.

Coverage from the 2018 Individualizing Medicine Conference:

• CIM CON day 1 – Precision cancer care: ‘So much power’
• CIM Con day 2: Unlocking the mystery of rare diseases
• 6 ways individualized medicine in advancing patient care
• CIM Con18 Wrap up
• CIM Con breakout session: gene editing
• Mayo Clinic Minute: What is the microbiome and how does it affect your weight?

The post BEAUTY trial charts an individualized path to breast cancer treatment appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Have you gotten your flu shot yet? 
Flu season is here, and having cancer, being treated for cancer or being a cancer survivor all increase your risk for flu complications. The flu is a viral respiratory infection that can cause serious complications or death. Flu vaccines are the best way to prevent the flu, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months or older be vaccinated annually. Have you gotten your flu shot yet?

Breast cancer staging
The stages of breast cancer range from 0 to 4. Stage 0 indicates cancer that is noninvasive or contained within the milk ducts. Stage 4 breast cancer, also called metastatic breast cancer, indicates the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. Your breast cancer stage will help your health care provider determine which treatments are most likely to benefit you. Learn more about the information, tests and procedures used in breast cancer staging.

The post Living With Cancer: Do you need a 3D mammogram? appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Karthik Ghosh, former director of the Breast Diagnostic Clinic at Mayo Clinic, will discuss the latest in breast cancer screening and treatments. Also on the program, Dr. Ralph Gay, a physiatrist at Mayo Clinic, will explain what can be done about low back pain. And Terri Wheeldon, a well-being specialist at Mayo Clinic's Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center, will share why strength training is especially important for women.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Use the hashtag #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Access archived shows or subscribe to the podcast.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Breast Cancer Awareness Month appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Karthik Ghosh, former director of the Breast Diagnostic Clinic at Mayo Clinic, will discuss the latest in breast cancer screening and treatments. Also on the program, Dr. Ralph Gay, a physiatrist at Mayo Clinic, will explain what can be done about low back pain. And Terri Wheeldon, a well-being specialist at Mayo Clinic's Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center, will share why strength training is especially important for women.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Miss the show?  Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

Use the hashtag #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Access archived shows or subscribe to the podcast.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Breast Cancer Awareness Month / low back pain / strength training for women appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Karthik Ghosh, director of the Breast Diagnostic Clinic at Mayo Clinic, will highlight the importance of breast cancer screening and early detection. Also on the program, Dr. Elizabeth Stewart, division chair of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Mayo Clinic, will discuss causes of infertility and treatment options. And Dr. David Erasmus, medical director of Mayo Clinic's Lung Transplant Program, will explain lung restoration, which can make more donor lungs available for transplant.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Breast Cancer Awareness Month appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On the next Mayo Clinic Radio program, Dr. Karthik Ghosh, director of the Breast Diagnostic Clinic at Mayo Clinic, will highlight the importance of breast cancer screening and early detection. Also on the program, Dr. Elizabeth Stewart, division chair of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Mayo Clinic, will discuss causes of infertility and treatment options. And Dr. David Erasmus, medical director of Mayo Clinic's Lung Transplant Program, will explain lung restoration, which can make more donor lungs available for transplant.

To hear the program, find an affiliate in your area.

Miss the show?  Here's your Mayo Clinic Radio podcast.

Follow #MayoClinicRadio, and tweet your questions.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

Access archived shows.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Breast cancer awareness / infertility / lung restoration appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Listen to the program on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 9:05 a.m. CDT, and follow #MayoClinicRadio.

Mayo Clinic Radio is on iHeartRadio.

Access archived shows.

Mayo Clinic Radio produces a weekly one-hour radio program highlighting health and medical information from Mayo Clinic.

The post Mayo Clinic Radio: Breast Cancer Awareness Month appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.