In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) I bring you some important information on breast cancer:
~ If you are breastfeeding and scheduled for a breast biopsy, you could participate in a groundbreaking research study. Tanya at the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog explains how “when you make milk, cells from your milk ducts are exfoliated off in the process. These are called epithelial cells, and they’re detectable in your milk. Past research has demonstrated that long before we notice a lump, those epithelial cells start changing in ways that are precursors to the development of breast cancer.” If you participate …read more

Yet another study recently showed that breastfeeding helps fight breast cancer by reducing a breastfeeding woman’s risk of developing certain types of breast cancer. Still, it remains critical to fight breast cancer through the funding of breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment. I am proud to say my sister Jill McNabb has committed to the cause by agreeing to participate in the Breast Cancer 3-Day — a 60-mile walk over the course of three days — and raising at least $2,200 in donations in the process (her goal is actually $3,000 and she’s raised $1,800 so far!) Jill will …read more

Recently a reader posted a comment seeking help on the question of leaking breast milk after a lumpectomy. This mother was nursing her one-month-old at the time of the surgery, and had had the incision glued and stitched several times in the month since, but breast milk continued to leak through the stitches. The delay in healing was compounding the stress of the lumpectomy. One doctor recommended weaning through the use of cabbage leaves and binding the breast tightly (please read on for a discussion of the dangers of that!)
While there are many resources online for dealing with breastfeeding initiated …read more

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which means it’s time for us to revisit the good news about breastfeeding and breast cancer. According to a Cornell University fact sheet:
“Although there are a few studies that report a decrease in the risk of breast cancer after only three or more months of breast-feeding, the evidence for risk reduction becomes more consistent the longer women breast-feed. The most consistent evidence of a relationship between breast-feeding and the risk of breast cancer has been reported in studies of Chinese women who breast-fed for long periods of time. In these studies, women who …read more

Breast self-examinations are an important tool for lactating women. Keep in mind the guidelines for doing an exam on lactating breasts. When you have a private moment and would like to see an example of how to perform a BSE, watch this video. The demonstration shows a live woman examining her naked breasts and thus may not be appropriate for watching at work or around children. Last time I checked, though, we’re all adults here.
VideoJug: How to Become Breast Self Aware
Should you and your doctor decide further testing is necessary, see X-Rays and Mammograms for Lactating Women.

Here’s a story that touches on what I wrote about breast cancer treatment options that preserve a woman’s ability to breastfeed.
When 26-year-old Paula was diagnosed with stage 1, intraductal breast cancer, she opted for a single mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. She went on to get married and have two children, each of whom she was able to breastfeed exclusively for several months!
At first she wondered how it would feel to be different from the other mothers because she was feeding her baby on one breast. But it soon felt natural, and she recalls, “Sometimes I’d see mothers who …read more

This final installment in the series for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month examines the diagnostic tests that can be run when a woman finds a breast lump through a breast self-exam or a doctor’s exam.

Is it even safe for a woman to breastfeed after breast cancer? A medical journal review answers a resounding “yes”:
After breast cancer treatment, there is no evidence that breastfeeding increases the risk of breast cancer recurrence, nor that it carries any health risk to the newborn. Women previously treated for breast cancer and free of recurrence are allowed to breastfeed their children. Beneficial effects of breastfeeding for the mother and the newborn should lead physicians and midwives to encourage prolonged breastfeeding in their medical practice.
Furthermore, another review states:
A frequently named reason not to nurse is the discouragement by the health …read more

Even though I highlighted the reduced risk of breast cancer for breastfeeding women, it remains important for every woman to be proactive about her health. Thus, my series of posts related to Breast Cancer Awareness Month continues with a discussion of breast-self exams for breastfeeding women.
As always, consult your doctor with respect to medical issues. This disclaimer is particularly important with respect to breast health, given both the seriousness of breast cancer and the current debate over the merit of breast self-exams. While traditionally the recommendation has been for monthly breast self-exams starting at age 20, recent studies have questioned whether breast self-exams reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer. Consequently, the …read more