The most common type of cancer among women is breast cancer. It also ranks second to lung cancer as the leading cause of all cancer deaths. Two-thirds of women afflicted with breast cancer are aged over 50. The rest are mostly in the 39 to 49 age group. Women of African-American descent are more likely to have breast cancer than Caucasians before menopause. Although the cancer condition is not limited to women, male breast cancer accounts for only one percent of the total breast cancer cases.

The good news with breast cancer is that if it is detected early, it is highly treatable. Localized breast tumors can be successfully treated prior to the cancer spreading. Of ten such cases, nine women will survive for at least five more years. The problem arises with late recurrences of the cancer, which is also common.

As the cancer spreads in the other parts of the body, the treatment becomes more difficult. Treatment can, nevertheless, control the disease, often, for years. A combination of effective screening and treatment options will allow 70 percent of patients with breast cancer to survive at least five years after the initial diagnosis. Half of these survivor patients will live more than ten years.

Causes of Breast Cancer

There is a clear link between breast cancer and the hormone estrogen. A woman becomes more susceptible to breast cancer the longer her exposure to estrogen is. Estrogen is responsible for cell divisions. It is when cells increase uncontrollably from continuous divisions that potentially abnormal and cancerous cells are created. The cancer that develops in the tissues in the breast is called breast cancer. It will still be described as such even if the cells travel to other parts of the body where they are not found normally. In this case, the cancer is then called metastatic.

Women who have higher risk for breast cancer are:

• Those who are aging – Statistics show that breast cancer seem to develop among women aged 39 and above and occurrence gets higher for those over 50.
• Those who have family history of breast cancer – The risk of developing breast cancer is two to three times higher for women whose mother, daughter or sister has had the cancer condition.
• Those who have previously had ovarian, endometrial or colon cancer.

Chiropractic Care for Breast Cancer

There are more than 2.5 million women in the U.S. who are breast cancer survivors. Women with breast cancer who undergo traditional forms of cancer treatments are subjected to stresses from many sources. The disease itself presents the biggest source of stress in these patients. The other sources are side effects after the mainstream treatments begin – chronic pain resulting from chemotherapy and radiation fibrosis and complications arising from prolonged bed rest.

Although chiropractic care may not be a cure-all option for disease and cancer treatment, its benefits as a complementary health care in cancer therapies are being recognized. Chiropractic care, as a health care option, consistently focuses on restoring function and health to the patients’ nervous system, the body’s communication pathway. When there is a clear communication from the brain to the rest of the body, anything from health and wellness standpoint, is possible, including healing. A healthy spine and nervous system is he best foundation for overall health and wellness. With a healthy nervous system, instant health is not guaranteed, but as with most established systems, the greatest benefits can be achieved with time. Chiropractic offers an option for holistic management of the symptoms of breast cancer in the following ways:

• It provides patients relief from pain.
• It reduces the incidence and also the severity of headache.
• It prevents nausea and vomiting.
• It gives patients improved sense of their well-being despite their illness.

All of these contribute to improving the quality of life of women with breast cancer.