Breast cancer: Put your questions to Breakthrough Breast Cancer's experts here

[carriemumsnet]

Mumsnet are working with breast cancer charity Breakthrough in the lead up to October - Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Post any questions you have about breast cancer before Sept 21st and we'll pass them on to Breakthrough Breast Cancer's panel of experts (see below). We?ll then post the answers to the most common questions on 1 October.

The panel is made up of:
Dawn Symonds, Breast Cancer Nurse: Dawn is the Lead Breast Care Nurse at Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust. Every day Dawn helps women come to terms with the fact that they have breast cancer, helping them through their treatment and beyond.

Dr Sarah Cant, Policy Manager at Breakthrough Breast Cancer: Sarah is an expert on a wide range of subjects including what we currently know about the causes of breast cancer and the factors that may increase or decrease a person?s risk of developing the disease, breast cancer services and treatments and how to be breast aware.

Dr Kai-Keen Shiu: Kai-Keen is a medical doctor who specialises in cancer treatment. He is taking time out from his clinical work to carry out vitally important research as an Avon Clinical Research Fellow at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre in London. His research looks HER2 positive breast cancer, which makes up one in four of all breast cancers, and why some women in this group become resistant to treatment.

Breakthrough are also keen to compile the top 10 best bits of advice you've ever been given on anything, which they will use to publicise their breast cancer awareness advice. If you'd like to add your best bit of advice and be in with a chance of winning £100 of M&S vouchers click here.

Thanks,

MNHQ

[elliesue]

I could not agree with you more. I have worked on PR for mastectomy bra companies for 10 years, and every year come October, I try to get the magazines to write about some of the lovely modern lingerie that is now available, and all they want to write about is pink! I have friends who have had breast cancer, and until I told them, they all thought that they would end up having to wear the kind of 'boulder holder' bras that their granny would wear! While it is great that the focus is on fund raising events, it is also important to use October to give breast cancer suffers more practical information, about things that can make a difference to their everyday lives.

[MaryAnnSingleton]

I think that it seems important, from what I've gathered from the BCC forums to tell it more like it is - a lot of people seem to think that breast cancer is a 'good' cancer to have and that breasts are not essential equipment,unlike a lung or liver - but there is a devastating side to it too - which the pinkness seems to mask -pinkness makes it easier to deal with somehow. It might be worth asking these forum members to talk about what it is really like,all the horrid bits.

[whomovedmychocolate]

Why do they smush your boobs so hard against the plates when they do a mammogram? It's very uncomfortable and much like a smear, I think a lot of people put it off for that reason. Is there a reason why they have to squash you in this way?

[Fayrazzled]

My paternal grandmother died from breast cancer in her early 50s. Am I at increased risk or is the genetic link only on the maternal side?

What would be your top tips for preventing breast cancer generally, e.g. diet related.

[whomovedmychocolate]

I'd also like to know why breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer and if that effect is quantifiable - i.e if I breastfeed for a year does my likelihood of getting breast cancer go down by 10%, 80% or what? What about those who only feed a few days, does the protective effect still kick in?

[brimfull]

My daughters paternal grandmother had breast cancer in her 20's as did numerous other woman on that side of the family.
Her maternal grandmother had breastcancer in her 70's

What are her risks and how often should she be checked?

[PrettyCandles]

It's my understanding that post-menopausal women taking HRT are at increased risk of breast cancer. What about peri-menopausal women? I am 43 and have had to start HRT because I could not cope with the severity of my menopausal symtpoms.

[Nancy66]

Now that scientists have discovered a specific breast cancer 'gene' Wouldn't routine screening for this make more sense and be more cost effective in the long run?

[JulesJules]

I read somewhere that the risk of breast cancer is reduced by 7% per baby and 4.3% for each year of breast feeding - is this right? Does it make any difference if a woman is older when she starts a family?

Is the rising incidence of breast cancer in the UK partly due to having less children and lower bf rates, or mainly other risk factors such as quality of diet and exercise etc?

[Heated]

As a woman who's already 'booked in' for mammograms starting at 40, why aren't women under 40, with a family history of premenopausal breast cancer, offered MRI scans?

Under what circumstances are women WITHOUT BC offered a preventative elective mastectomy with reconstruction?

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

My Nana had breast cancer and was given the 5 year all clear to die of lung cancer which had spread. Is my daughter at more risk? My nana was my dad's mum.

[BelleWatling]

There have recently been reports that some specialists believe that the existing screening programme for Breast Cancer throws up a significant number of false positives and there is over-diagnosis of breast cancer.

This is one such discussion at the blog of a US breast cancer surgeon and another in The Times.

What are your views on this?

My interest in this is: I am 35 with two close relatives (mother and aunt) who have been treated for breast tumours. They were diagnosed by routine mammograms both post-menopausally, and promptly and successfully treated with surgery and some radiotherapy. There has been no recurrence so far (6 years and 12 years since original diagnosis) touch wood. Because of this (my age/family history) I have been booked in for annual mammograms. However as I am relatively young and symptom free (ish - I have a small epidermal cyst in one breast, diagnosed through ultrasound but going to the breast clinic led to the mammogram booking) I am concerned. Is my risk of being treated unnecessarily higher or lower than my risk of something serious being detected? Should I go ahead and have the mammogram? (I am currently breastfeeding so wouldn't have it for a while).

I know this question might be controversial btw as I know how lucky I am to be offered in the first place.

[bronze]

How are you supposed to tell what is a lump if you are breastfeeding?

This scares me a lot as someone I know died last year. She was breastfeeding and didn't notice the lump and by the time anyone realised it was in her bones.

[silentcatastrophe]

My first lump didn't show on the mammogram and when it was investigated I was dx with DCIS. I've just had a clear mammogram but now they would like to give me an MRI scan. How common is this?

[NotSoRampantRabbit]

My mum is currently undergoing treatment for bc (aged 65). Both maternal and paternal grandmother died pre-menopausally (maternal GM only 34) from bc.

Should I be pushing for early mammograms? Or should my mum be tested for BRAC? I also have a DD - should I be requesting tests for me?

Have been worrying about bc even more since DD born 3 months ago. Am breastfeeding and have recently started getting pains in both breasts (not blocked duct/mastitis) which feel deep in the breast tissue. Not sure whether I should put this down to feeding or get it checked out.

Thanks for doing this thread MN.

[VeryHungryLennipillar]

I would also like to know what the incidence of bc is in breastfeeding mothers. I am having a lump checked out at the moment which is probably breastfeeding related. It is very confusing to know what to look for especially while breastfeeding.

Also why are mammograms not effective for screening in breastfeeding mothers?

WMMC - I read today that bc risk reduces by 4.6% for each year you breastfeed.

[yummyspottyblueberry]

I have been told that cervical/ovarian cancers can be linked to breast cancer. My maternal grandmother & 2 aunts died from ovarian cancer, my mother and I have been treated for ovarian cancer 'cells' yet I got raised eyebrows in the breast clinic for being referred by my vigilant GP for a breast lump investigation and was told they/I were being 'over cautious'. I am also not scheduled for a mamogram until 50 (am 29) Why?

[carriemumsnet]

Sorry - a couple of questions:

Does IVF treatment increase the chance of developing breast cancer?

Do you think more should be done to educate people who have had breast cancer about what secondaries they are likely to get so they can be on the lookout for them? Noone told us anything about this when my mother had her mastectomy back in '89 so we ignored the unexplained aches and lack of appetite/ swollen belly which turned out to be fatal bone and liver secondary cancers. We'll always wonder if these might have been treatable if they'd been caught earlier.

[dingdong05]

A lot of confusion as to what is a worrying lump and what is "normal" . Can this be clarified? Or is it safer to say "get all lumps checked"?

[VeryHungryLennipillar]

Other than an obvious lump are there any other breast changes that could indicate cancer? I have quite large breasts and it's pretty hard to feel right through them, in fact I usually end up feeling a bit tender the next day if I try.

[HerbertSnodgrass]

A question about a rare genetic link to breast cancer.

There is general awareness of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and the increased risk relating to them. There is almost NO awareness of the much rarer BRCATA, which is related to a balanced translocation between chromosomes 11 and 22. This apparently results in a "tenfold" increased risk of developing breast cancer. See link from the cancer research website.

If lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is 11%, then a tenfold increase would mean 10x11% = 110%!!! Which is a nonsense, as it suggests an absolute certainty of developing cancer. Is this risk really comparable or even higher risk than the BRCA1 and 2 genes?

Nobody (neither geneticists nor cancer experts) can advise me on what type or frequency of screening should be advised for someone with this translocation. Therefore nothing is being done at all.

PLEASE - is there someone in breakthrough breast cancer prepared to read the studies showing this worrying link and advise accordingly? (there are only three studies as far as I am aware and they all show varying levels of increased risk
1, 2, 3) Otherwise my mother and I will continue to live with the knowledge that we may have a tenfold increased risk (an almost certainty?) of developing breast cancer but no particular action will be taken to screen us other than the standard population mammograms. I'm not sure if my mother is even called up for these now that she is over 70, and I am apparently not to even bother to go for screening until I turn 40.

[bronze]

Another thing I've signed up and given my blood samples etc. Are you still actively pursuing candidates?

A lot of people seem to want to know how family links who should be tested etc. For example both my aunt and great aunt (maternal side) have and had breast cancer is this too tenuous a link to worry about being tested?

[avoidingthegym]

My mother has had breast cancer twice (post menopause) (either side) four years apart and had lumpectomies both times followed by chemotherapy. She has been clear for over twelve years now.

I am 43 and my sister 40 and we have been advised to have early mammograms due to our higher than average risk but wondered if we would be eligible for these on the NHS?

Also isn't the breast tissue too dense in your 40s to show anything?

[verylittlecarrot]

MNHQ

I must have missed the 'answer' thread. Could someone kindly link, please?

[VeryHungryLennipillar]

Also looking for the response thread....