Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

eastfeeding 253
CHEMOTHERAPY AGENTS TO TREAT BREAST CANCER
capecitabine
docetaxel
epirubicin
gemcitabine
vinorelbine
cyclophosphamide
doxorubicin
5-fluorouracil (5FU)
paclitaxel
Risk Factors and Preventive Measures
Age is the primary risk factor for breast cancers of
all types, with the likelihood of developing breast
cancer reaching one in two for women 85 and
older. Hereditary factors (such as BRCA-1/BRCA-2)
influence about 5 percent of breast cancers.
Lifestyle factors that contribute to nonhereditary
breast cancers include EATING HABITS that feature
high-fat foods, lack of physical exercise, cigarette
smoking, and excessive ALCOHOL consumption.
There is a strong correlation between OBESITY
and breast cancer, though researchers do not
know whether this is a circumstance of excess
body fat or the consequence of eating habits and
physical inactivity. Fat cells convert androgens to
estrogen, raising the level of estrogens in the
blood circulation. Continued exposure to elevated
levels of estrogen is a risk factor for breast cancer
as well as other hormone-driven cancers.
It is not possible at present to completely prevent
breast cancer. However, lifestyle improvements
can significantly reduce the risk of
developing breast cancer. Regular breast examination
from a health care provider, breast self-examination,
and mammograms make possible early
detection of breast cancer, which establishes the
most ideal circumstances for successful treatment.
See also CANCER PREVENTION; DIET AND HEALTH;
FIBROCYSTIC BREAST DISEASE; INTRADUCTAL PAPILLOMA;
MOLECULARLY TARGETED THERAPIES; MUTATION; OBESITY
AND HEALTH; ONCOGENES; SMOKING AND HEALTH; STAG-
ING AND GRADING OF CANCER; SURGERY BENEFIT AND
RISK ASSESSMENT.
breastfeeding The process of nourishing an
infant with milk the mother’s breasts produce.
Health experts recommend breastfeeding at least
for the first six months of life when possible.
BREAST milk provides the ideal nutritional balance
for the infant. It also conveys important antibodies
to the infant, helping provide immune protection
while the infant’s own IMMUNE SYSTEM is developing.
Breastfeeding, also called nursing, further
supports a strong physical and emotional connection
between mother and baby.
Though breastfeeding suppresses a
woman’s normal hormonal cycle to
some extent, breastfeeding is not a reliable
method of CONTRACEPTION (birth
control). It is still possible for a nursing
mother to get pregnant.
First Milk: Colostrum
The first milk the mother’s breast produces after
birth is colostrum, often called premilk. Colostrum
is more concentrated than mature breast milk and
contains primarily carbohydrate and protein with
little fat. This composition is very easy for the
infant to digest in the first use of the gastrointestinal
system; its concentration delivers more nutrition
with less volume. Colostrum also contains a
higher concentration of antibodies than mature
breast milk. The infant should breastfeed about
every two hours in its first few days of life, both to
provide sufficient nutrition and to encourage adequate
milk production.
Milk Production
The hormones of PREGNANCY establish the initial
environment for milk production. The stimulation
of the infant’s sucking induces the hormonal
responses that cause the lactiferous glands of the
breasts to produce milk. The lactiferous ducts store
some breast milk, though the lactiferous glands
actively produce milk as the infant nurses. The
breasts will continue producing milk after pregnancy
for as long as the baby nurses regularly.
The breast releases mature milk in two surges.
The first surge, the foremilk, is thin, bluish, and
contains primarily lactose (a simple carbohydrate)
and proteins. The second surge, which releases
after the infant has nursed for three to five minutes,
is hindmilk. Hindmilk is thicker, yellowish,
and contains a higher concentration of fats that
are essential to supply the infant with a source of
energy. The infant may nurse 10 to 30 minutes on
hindmilk.
Let the Infant Take the Lead
Lactation and nutrition experts currently recommend
that the mother allow the infant to nurse