| Newest Treatments For Breast Cancer | | | | extreme instances, bone loss and treatment-induced |
| Among women in the United States, breast cancer is | | | | leukemia have occurred. |
| the second most commonly diagnosed cancer (next | | | | In the past several years, doctors have discovered |
| to skin cancer). Aside from lung cancer, breast cancer | | | | new ways to use targeted therapy to deliver the |
| claims more American women's lives than any other | | | | drugs used in chemotherapy directly to the cancer |
| form of cancer. It is estimated that nearly one in | | | | cells, and avoid interference with normal cell |
| every eight women in this country will be diagnosed | | | | processes, as well as reduce the side effects |
| with breast cancer in their lifetime. | | | | associated with the solvents used to dissolve |
| It is because of these statistics that researchers | | | | chemotherapy drugs such as Taxol. One such drug |
| work hard to find new and innovative ways to treat | | | | being used today is Abraxane, which uses a process |
| breast cancer. For many years, there were relatively | | | | called protein-bound nanoparticle technology to create |
| few options for treating breast cancer. | | | | "packages" of Taxol that have been bound to |
| Lumpectomies, mastectomies have been, and remain, | | | | albumin, a substance that is found naturally in the |
| a first line of defense against cancer, but each has its | | | | body and is dissolved in water. With this |
| advantages and disadvantages. Lumpectomies, for | | | | advancement, there is less need for chemical |
| example, often require four to six weeks of radiation | | | | solvents in the delivery process which may lead to |
| therapy following surgery. Mastectomies have more | | | | side effects. Also, because growing cancer cells tend |
| post-operative complications and a longer recovery | | | | to rapidly accumulate albumin during the growth |
| time. Hormone therapies have found some success | | | | process, doctors theorize that binding the Taxol to |
| against hormone receptor-positive cancers by | | | | albumin causes the cancer cells to actively seek out |
| lowering the production of estrogen and blocking the | | | | and absorb the drug for its piggybacked albumin, thus |
| effects of existing estrogen in the patient. This | | | | more effectively targeting the cancer over other, |
| treatment is, unfortunately, useless against hormone | | | | normally dividing cells. |
| receptor-negative cancers. | | | | Over 2.5 million women are breast cancer survivors. |
| Another method of treating cancer is chemotherapy. | | | | With new advancements in treatment available now, |
| A common problem with chemotherapy treatments | | | | and future discoveries on the horizon, that number is |
| has been the drugs' inability to specifically target the | | | | expected to steadily increase in the future. |
| dividing cancer cells, instead interfering with all cell | | | | You can fight your cancer naturally with the Breast |
| division in the body. This interference can lead to | | | | Cancer Diet. |
| aches, nausea, lack of energy, and hair loss. In more | | | | |