There's no check for being part of the age group, yet never having had a mamogram. I'm old enough to have had one, but in light of the evidence that younger women may actually increase their chances of breast cancer later with yearly mammograms, I refuse to have one yet. Most breast cancers are caught by the woman or her partner by touch! Mammograms also miss some cancers.

I may eventually have one, but I think manual exams and ultrasound scanning, if you do find a lump is a better plan. MOST women will not get breast cancer. There are things one can do to reduce one'e chances of getting breast cancer. Having children early and breastfeeding each child for at least 6 months or longer can reduce the chance of breast cancer more than ANY other strategy.

Seeing as I had my first baby before 25, and breastfed my kids for between a year and half and four years apiece, and have no family history, was a vegetarian during my formative years and do monthly exams properly, my GYN says my personal chance of breast cancer is "about 1 in 1000 or more!"

I'll start giving money to breast cancer research when they strongly endorse the known fact (more than a dozen peer reviewed studies) that breastfeeding can reduce the chance of breast cancer by a gigantic margin. Most breast cancer groups refuse to include this fact, as I was told by one of the bigger ones at a meeting "We don't want cancer victims to feel guilty." HOW does keeping good data from women who still have the chance to make the choice by breastfeeding help anyone?

As long as they refuse to acknowledge this fact, they're not getting much from me. Also, I'm not a big fan of Komen because of the Planned Parenthood fiasco, when Susan Koman for the Cure stopped their donations to PP because of pressure from Right Wing groups. They have reversed their choice now, but WHY did they do it in the first place? And why were they so easily swayed by these groups?

I support La Leche League because they tell women the truth, breastfeed for a significant period of time and your chance of breast cancer will be REDUCED to somewhere between 11% per 6 months of breastfeeding to up to 56% reduction in many studies. Also, women who were breastfed as infants have a 25% decrease in developing breast cancer as an adult.

Here's some info from Katheryn Detwyller's website (she's a lactation-anthropolgis t)

The authors write: "An increasing duration of lactation was associated with a statistically significant trend toward a reduced risk of breast cancer (P < 0.001). Lactation at early ages and for long durations was associated with more substantial reductions in risk. If women who do not breastfeed or who breastfeed for less than 3 months were to do so for 4 to 12 months, breast cancer among parous premenopausal women could be reduced by 11 percent, judging from current rates. If all women with children lactated for 24 months or longer, however, then the incidence might be reduced by nearly 25 percent. This reduction would be even greater among women who first lactate at an early age."

Newcomb's study is merely the latest in a long series of studies that find protective effects of breastfeeding for mothers. It should also be pointed out that many women nurse far longer than the 24+ month limit in this study.

The second study I referred to in yesterday's post looked at whether having been breastfed protected women from breast cancer when they grew up. This study involved 1,130 women from two counties in Western New York. "Breastfeeding&am p;qu ot; was defined as ANY breastfeeding, so some of these women may have only been breastfed for a week or a month, and others for several years. The reference is:

Freudenheim, J. et al. 1994. "Exposure to breast milk in infancy and the risk of breast cancer." Epidemiology 5:324-331. (NOTE: epidemiologists use the term "exposure" to refer to both good and bad factors).

Their results showed:
Health Status

Relative Risk
Premenopausal breast cancer if not breastfed 1.00
Premenopausal breast cancer if breastfed 0.76
Postmenopausal breast cancer if not breastfed 1.00
Postmenopausal breast cancer if breastfed 0.73

Thus, for both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer, women who were breastfed as children, even if only for a short time, had a 25% lower risk of developing breast cancer than women who were bottle-fed as an infant. END QUOTE

These are only two of the more than a dozen studies in this area.

It makes sense, priests have a higher rate of testicular and severe prostate cancer. Why? Most of them didn't use those organs for the intended purpose, making sperm and releasing it on a regular basis. The result: more cancer in the unused organs.

The breast is no different.

What is "fair" really doesn't matter when it comes to science. Women who have children earlier in life and breastfeed for a significant period of time (at least 6 months per baby and the reduction increases with each additional month or breastfeeding) have lower breast cancer rates. It doesn't completely wipe out the risk of cancer, but certainly reduces it significantly. Also, exclusive breastfeeding has a much higher protective rate than "mixed feeding" (using both breastfeeding AND formula.) Nature really doesn't distinguish what is "fair" is is Nature. Nature doesn't care about one's "Life Plan" it only has biological imperatives and for women, using the breast for what it was intended for is a biological imperative.

It may not seem "fair" for some, but it is fact. less

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and women across the United States and the world are encouraged to do monthly self-exams and/or go for a yearly mammogram depending on your age. Breast cancer is the leading diagnosis in women and is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, aside from lung cancer.¹



Did you know that about 85% of breast cancer diagnosis occur in women with no family history?² It's all very scary information to digest but there is hope! With the help of foundations like the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation there have been many advancements in early-detection and treatment options available.

Monthly self-exams are really simple and take no time at all. Some women prefer to perform the exam in the privacy of her shower once a month or while lying in bed on a lazy Saturday afternoon. The choice is yours! There are even apps to remind you!

The key steps to a successful exam are touch and sight. You want to check the breast tissue for any lumps and examine the flesh and note any changes like an inverted nipple, or fluid leaking, and also note the general shape of your breasts. The slightest change could indicate a potential issue and you should refer to your physician as soon as possible.

For more information on how to perform a monthly exam, you can read the step by step instructions here. For examples of changes of the physical appearance of breasts, you may want to watch this NSFW video on Youtube. (You must prove you are 18 in order to view it, but it's extremely helpful.) For additional information on the symptoms of breast cancer you can find some really helpful insights here. And last but not least, this is a list of organizations which support finding a cure and can offer coping methods for new diagnosed women and their families.

Edenfantasys cares about this important research and to show our support, we're giving 5% of the sale proceeds for sponsored toys and giving away up to $1,000 in toys and gift certificates for three lucky winners. Click the link to find out how to enter!

The staffers here at EF have updated their icons to show their support and we encourage you to do the same. You can choose from one of the images below or make one of your own!









This is where you change your avatar and banners. Just right click and save the image you wish to use or copy the image link and paste it into the appropriate field!

Have any of you thought about the course of action you would take if you were to be diagnosed with breast cancer? For instance, some women with a known-family history would opt for a double-mastectomy instead of chancing it later in life - if you were in her shoes, do you think you could make the same decisions?

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The human body is an amazing thing. When it's allowed to do what it was meant to, it usually functions smoothly. Of course, when Nature designed and evolved our bodies, It didn't take into account modern lifestyles, which can derail natural functions. Often, those "derails" are the best thing for the person, individually. But, it's frustrating that we have Prehistoric bodies and 21 century needs and desires. They don't always mesh for everybody.

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It would take a long time, but probably wouldn't happen at all. And also considering that most of the world breeds and breastfeeds, I don't think it's something that evolution will see as beneficial.

Evolution favors adaptations that increase numbers of the species and increase the ability to survive. Not breeding and not feeding one's own young does neither, so evolution will not recognize these choices as beneficial to the species. Thus, not breeding and not feeding are not positive adaptations for survival. If it doesn't contribute to survival (because only those who put forth progeny get to pass their genes on to the next generation) it won't be seen by evolution as a positive adaptation. Thus, no evolutionary change in that direction. Animals that don't breed die out, because not breeding is not a positive adaption for the species.

However, there are still plenty of people breeding and feeding their own young, so I don't see why there would be any evolutionary change in that adaptation... it works to ensure survival and progeny. THOSE are the things evolution favors.

Unfair to some, yeah, but that's Nature. less

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and women across the United States and the world are encouraged to do monthly self-exams and/or go for a yearly mammogram depending on your age. Breast cancer is the leading diagnosis in women and is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, aside from lung cancer.¹



Did you know that about 85% of breast cancer diagnosis occur in women with no family history?² It's all very scary information to digest but there is hope! With the help of foundations like the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation there have been many advancements in early-detection and treatment options available.

Monthly self-exams are really simple and take no time at all. Some women prefer to perform the exam in the privacy of her shower once a month or while lying in bed on a lazy Saturday afternoon. The choice is yours! There are even apps to remind you!

The key steps to a successful exam are touch and sight. You want to check the breast tissue for any lumps and examine the flesh and note any changes like an inverted nipple, or fluid leaking, and also note the general shape of your breasts. The slightest change could indicate a potential issue and you should refer to your physician as soon as possible.

For more information on how to perform a monthly exam, you can read the step by step instructions here. For examples of changes of the physical appearance of breasts, you may want to watch this NSFW video on Youtube. (You must prove you are 18 in order to view it, but it's extremely helpful.) For additional information on the symptoms of breast cancer you can find some really helpful insights here. And last but not least, this is a list of organizations which support finding a cure and can offer coping methods for new diagnosed women and their families.

Edenfantasys cares about this important research and to show our support, we're giving 5% of the sale proceeds for sponsored toys and giving away up to $1,000 in toys and gift certificates for three lucky winners. Click the link to find out how to enter!

The staffers here at EF have updated their icons to show their support and we encourage you to do the same. You can choose from one of the images below or make one of your own!









This is where you change your avatar and banners. Just right click and save the image you wish to use or copy the image link and paste it into the appropriate field!

Have any of you thought about the course of action you would take if you were to be diagnosed with breast cancer? For instance, some women with a known-family history would opt for a double-mastectomy instead of chancing it later in life - if you were in her shoes, do you think you could make the same decisions?

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I would just like to say something humorous here... Apparently... Porn Hub . Com is also doing a booby love thing as well. it really is for breast cancer awareness and support! I thought it was funny and cute!

I have yet to get my first mammogram, so I think I will do it at my next check up. *nervous* less

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and women across the United States and the world are encouraged to do monthly self-exams and/or go for a yearly mammogram depending on your age. Breast cancer is the leading diagnosis in women and is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, aside from lung cancer.¹



Did you know that about 85% of breast cancer diagnosis occur in women with no family history?² It's all very scary information to digest but there is hope! With the help of foundations like the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation there have been many advancements in early-detection and treatment options available.

Monthly self-exams are really simple and take no time at all. Some women prefer to perform the exam in the privacy of her shower once a month or while lying in bed on a lazy Saturday afternoon. The choice is yours! There are even apps to remind you!

The key steps to a successful exam are touch and sight. You want to check the breast tissue for any lumps and examine the flesh and note any changes like an inverted nipple, or fluid leaking, and also note the general shape of your breasts. The slightest change could indicate a potential issue and you should refer to your physician as soon as possible.

For more information on how to perform a monthly exam, you can read the step by step instructions here. For examples of changes of the physical appearance of breasts, you may want to watch this NSFW video on Youtube. (You must prove you are 18 in order to view it, but it's extremely helpful.) For additional information on the symptoms of breast cancer you can find some really helpful insights here. And last but not least, this is a list of organizations which support finding a cure and can offer coping methods for new diagnosed women and their families.

Edenfantasys cares about this important research and to show our support, we're giving 5% of the sale proceeds for sponsored toys and giving away up to $1,000 in toys and gift certificates for three lucky winners. Click the link to find out how to enter!

The staffers here at EF have updated their icons to show their support and we encourage you to do the same. You can choose from one of the images below or make one of your own!









This is where you change your avatar and banners. Just right click and save the image you wish to use or copy the image link and paste it into the appropriate field!

Have any of you thought about the course of action you would take if you were to be diagnosed with breast cancer? For instance, some women with a known-family history would opt for a double-mastectomy instead of chancing it later in life - if you were in her shoes, do you think you could make the same decisions?

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