Heart Cancer Survival

Question: 2nd time Breast Cancer... survival rates? My mother was just diagnosed with breast cancer for the 2nd time at age 53. She had breast cancer 14 years ago (at age 38), had the lump removed and under went chemo and radiation. She recently found a another lump in the same breast and it has tested positive. Any one have any experiences with a 2nd round of breast cancer and what the survival rates are??? They don't know what stage it is yet or if it has spread, until they do surgery and more tests, so I know I'm jumping the gun. I'm just so nervous and wondering if anyone else has dealt with a similar experience. To make matters worse, she has had some heart complications in recent years due to the first chemotherapy treatments. It had damaged and weakened her heart and she is now on medications to help her heart work more efficiently. I know cancer treatments are more sophisicated today, but I'm afraid her options are limited because of her other medical issues.

Answer: I'm sorry to hear the news, and having gone through this once I'm sure you and your family are very upset. She does need further testing to figure out what's going on, but from what you've told me here's my best guess: She's had a lumpectomy and radiation in the past and 14 years later has a new mass. If it's biopsied and proves to be a cancer, the long time since her original tumor is very favorable and suggests that this may be a completely new tumor rather than the old one coming back. After previous radiation, she may not be able to have breast conserving surgery and her surgeon will likely discuss mastectomy. She will need some other tests and surgery to decide whether chemotherapy will be necessary again; perhaps only hormone therapy (tamoxifen, anastrozole or other drugs). I hope that's helpful during this tough time for you; my best wishes to you and your family during this difficult time.

Question: What do you do to prevent yourself from getting cancer? My mother passed away in year 2000 because of breast cancer, after 11 years of survival. Actually, in the depth of my heart, I am very much worried about the cancer that often said to be genetic. Does anyone have similar life experience with me? What do you do to stop your mind from worrying and to prevent yourself from getting cancer?

Answer: I can sympathize with you because many people in my family died from cancer as well. But, actually, cancer isn't genetic. That's just a big lie. The reason we get cancer is because of all the chemicals put into processed food. Also, eating animal meat is dangerous today, because of the conditions in which the animals are raised. (I'm a vegetarian myself - I only eat fish and eggs for Omega 3 and iron). Plus, even in buying many fruits and vegetables, they are radiated with dangerous chemicals and pesticides. Yes, it's a tough world out there. So what do we do? Well, for a start, try to buy organic whenever possible. Especially eat many fruits and vegetables RAW. That's right, not cooked in an apple pie - eat the raw apple instead! Also, if you bake a lot, or eat sweets, regular flour and sugar are very dangerous. I use whole-wheat flour in my baking, and honey instead of sugar. People are always amazed at the results. It tastes so sweet, you'd never guess there was no sugar put in! I love eating my foods raw - I loosely follow a diet called "The Hallelujah Diet." It uses 85% raw foods and 15% cooked. I'm not quite that good at balancing my cooked and raw, but I make sure to have something raw at every meal. It's as simple as putting bananas in your cereal at breakfast (I always buy organic cereal - it's safest), then having a big salad with loads of veggies with your lunch. For snacks, eat raw fruit or nuts (Almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans... I don't eat peanuts, they are dangerously high in protein). Then for supper, eat another salad (the good thing about salads is that there are so many different varieties.) And NEVER eat fruit after a meal. Eat it before a meal. Eating cooked food before raw is strongly discouraged - because the cooked food digests slower than the raw - which makes the uncooked ferment in your stomach. Not very pleasant, I can assure you. Okay, I hope this helps you. If you want more information, check out the hallelujah diet website listed before. Good luck! Stay healthy!

Question: What is the best symbol for survival, hope, peace and\or serenity? I am a single mom who is a 2 year cancer survivor. Last month, my doctors thought that my cancer came back. It was arounf my heart and just this past Friday I had a biopsy. My heart surgeon said that to him, it just looked liked scar tissue. I am going to be getting a series of tattoos to represent all of the things in my life over the past two years. For all of my spiritual healing "terms" (written in kanji), I need a solid symbol to place them around. I was wondering if someone had some ideas. Thank you and God Bless.

Answer: Might I suggest a phoenix? "...said to regenerate when hurt or wounded by a foe, thus being almost immortal and invincible — a symbol of fire and divinity." "Although descriptions (and life-span) vary, the phoenix (Bennu bird) became popular in early Christian art, literature and Christian symbolism, as a symbol of Christ, and further, represented the resurrection, immortality, and the life-after-death of Jesus Christ." http://www.tattoos-by-design.co.uk/rate_my_tattoo/tattoos/tattoo/act/657773484144.jpg http://www.tattoo.co.za/data/tattoos/sim/Phoenix.jpg http://aura.zaadz.com/photos/2/16551/small/Phoenix_fengshui.bmp http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j294/tattooconfidential/66814945_c69d688da9-tc.jpg http://z.about.com/d/tattoo/1/0/i/v/021205r.jpg

Question: Does anyone know the survival time/rate of a stage 4 sarcoma cancer patient? My 67 yr old mom was diagnosed with it, of course when her kidney's were failing and she's gained 65 lbs. in the last 4 weeks was she finally was told what she had after a year of wondering. I've read a lot about it, but it never mentioned the chances of survival. The can't operate bc she has a bad heart. The tumor is attached to her kidney's. It has spread into little cancer seeds throughout her abdomin. She's retaining a lot of water as well. She is going Tuesday to an oncologist that specializes in this type of cancer. I know she's not a statistic but she's really getting depressed and I feel she's basically given up because of all the weight gain. She looks like she's carrying quintuplets and she's only 5'4. Her last blood test came back w/low red blood cells and they wanted to do a blood transfusion but she denied treatment.I'm just very scared and worried, I don't want to lose my mom.

Answer: People are not statistics . . so even though statistics are good to give us overall knowledge about disease . . it is not a good predictor for individuals. There are many subtypes of sarcoma and all of them are different. It would be helpful to know what type your mother has. As you must know by now, however, stage 4 disease is metastatic cancer . . which means the tumor has shed hundreds of new malignant cells into the blood stream or lymphatic system. Those cells can travel anywhere in the body (they usually end up in the lungs, liver, brain but other places as well). It is metastatic cancer that is the most difficult to treat because it is now a 'systemic disease' (in the body system) and not located in just one spot. Stage 4 is treatable, but it is very difficult to treat successfully. It can be done but it depends on many factors all coming together . . it depends on sarcoma type, how much metastatic disease is present, the grade of the disease, the location, whether 90 - 100 percent of the tumors can be removed by surgery, patient response to first line treatment (chemo), the patients overall health and age. Too, much depends on whether a patient is treated at a local hospital or goes to a larger cancer center .. much depends on the expertise of the oncologist. In your mothers case she should be seen by a sarcoma specialist if that is possible. Sarcoma should always be treated by a specialist or at a sarcoma center. Sarcoma Centers http://www.sarcomaalliance.org/centers.html Sarcoma Alliance for Research Through Collaboration http://www.sarctrials.org/public/pag1.aspx You do not mention which type of sarcoma she has or where the primary is located. You might wish to to on the Sarcoma Alliance forum and ask questions of other sarcoma patients. There is also an email sarcoma list at ACOR. You can join the general Sarcoma group or if you know the specific subtype of sarcoma you can see if there is a group: ACOR: Sarcoma http://listserv.acor.org/archives/sarcoma.html

Question: Aries and Cancer? For Aries: The Crab is far too sensitive and slow for your speedy and hot tempered nature. You will have difficulty listening to the Crabs nagging and negativity. This is really a poor match up right from day one. ( Source: Love Test ) For Cancer: This is not a very good combination for you. The Ram's lack of tact and their hot temper is just too devastating for your sensitive and insecure nature. ( Source: Love Test ) Quick fascination with each other when you first meet but things soon start to deteriorate. Cancer is cautious and Aries leaps without looking. Aries hates being tied down and Cancers heart is where the home is. Aries‘ sharp tongue wounds sensitive Cancer. The more aggressive Aries is the more defensive Cancer is. Soon Cancer will start to nag and Aries will look for greener pastures. (Source: Astrology Fun ) Aries Man & Cancer Woman His Arian volatility will offend the Cancer lady's sense of domestic decorum and his casual cruelties will break her heart. If her hurt transmutes into a few of those colossal black moods that her sign is famous for, it might put a bit of the fear of God into even him. But it cannot end well .... (Source: AquarianAge Romance ) Forget it unless you like feeling limp all the time or thoroughly well steamed. (Source: AquarianAge Romance ) This is not a very good love match. When a Cancer girl gets involved with an Aries boy, you want to protect him and cherish him. Meanwhile, this type of snuggly closeness makes him feel smothered and trapped. He also has a bad habit of checking out other girls, which will make you feel incredibly jealous. He won’t apologize for his behaviour either and he’ll get irritated if you point out that he’s flirting. He’s too scared of being fenced in. He is not the type of guy who wants to settle into a cozy love nest, and that’s exactly the kind of loving you need. This match won’t last long. (Source: Jellybean's Astro-Soulmate Guide ) Cancer girl is about creature comforts, lasting friendships, and feeling cozy. Aries boy, as precious as he is, is about excitement and change-and that often doesn't mean catching some tv on the couch! While this can be a relationship of mutual admiration, just remember, you're two very different people! ( Source: FUNgirl - Astrology ) Aries Woman & Cancer Man This poor fellow won't know what's happening to him from one day to the next as he passes in & out of purgatory. After a while, he might cease to care. His whirlwind wife, on the other hand, will interpret his kindness as weakness and his moodiness as fragility, either one of which on its own is more than enough to destroy her respect for him. ( Source: AquarianAge Romance ) Lots of anger and tears followed by intense and fast sex followed by a great meal, daily. (Source: AquarianAge Romance ) From all the signs an Aries could choose, a match with a Cancer has one of the worst hopes for survival. Yes, you are drawn to him. Yes, there is undeniable physical chemistry between you. But you are complete opposites in personality, and that makes a relationship between you almost impossible to keep alive. He is very possessive and clingy and tends to be mistrustful. You’ll all about having fun and being free. After a short time, his nagging will drive you totally crazy. This match is a bad bet for lasting love. (Source: Jellybean's Astro-Soulmate Guide ) There's no middle ground with you and Mr. Cancer, Aries. Chances are that at any given moment, he's either driving you up a wall or driving you crazy. Cancer is as stubborn and determined as you are, so be ready to roll with the punches and accept it if he tells you he'd rather stay home and watch TRL than hit the mall with you and your friends. The original homebody, Cancer needs some solitude once and a while. The good news: he's one of the most loyal guys in the zodiac. ( Source: FUNgirl - Astrology )

Answer: "When Aries and Cancer come together in a love affair, it's a case of opposites attracting. Aries is rash and brash while Cancer is sensitive and emotional. Aries can certainly be emotional -- in a fiery, impetuous way that can completely overwhelm Cancer. Even though Cancer usually likes to take time with relationships, Aries's whirlwind approach can be extremely stimulating. Aries, on the other hand, may find the Cancerian sensitivity appealing; it's a good balance for the typical Aries bluntness. Troubles may arise if Cancer's mood swings or Aries's aggression becomes hurtful. Both Signs must take time to listen to their partner's needs and understand that they're coming from different directions to meet a common goal. Cancer is the Sign of Home while Aries is the Sign of Self. One great dynamic between these two is that both Signs are extremely protective of those they love. Cancer uses that Crab shell to draw around themselves and their family and mate when trouble is near, while the Ram uses their strength and bravery, like a knight in shining armor. Cancer also provides Aries with a happy domestic life and emotional security. Sometimes they might build an idealized image of their Aries partner or be overly possessive, which can really grate on independent Aries. However, Aries can help by reassuring their Cancer partner that they are loved and cherished. Aries really needs to learn to listen to Cancer: the Crab operates on an instinctive level and their advice can help Aries avoid making silly mistakes caused by that typical Aries lack of planning. Aries is ruled by the Planet Mars and Cancer is ruled by the emotional Moon. Mars was the God of War, and Aries is a soldier meeting every challenge head-on. Aries's open, passionate nature appeals to Cancer, who often internalizes emotions and feelings. Cancer can have intense, feminine energy and Aries can help them learn to release it. The Moon controls tides of the Earth, quietly affecting all life; similarly, Cancer works behind the scenes (while Aries rushes into battle). Cancer tends to be sentimental and can teach Aries to slow down and appreciate life instead of always rushing on to the next thing. Aries is a Fire Sign and Cancer is a Water Sign. These two elements can be a great combination if they work together, using both emotion and action to get things done. Cancer can help Aries slow down and learn to be gentle, while Aries teaches Cancer to come out of their shells. But Cancer can be emotionally manipulative -- sometimes there's just too much Water dampening Aries's enthusiasm. Conversely, too much Fire can cause Water to evaporate, leaving Cancer emotionally raw. Aries and Cancer must talk openly and freely to ensure their balance is maintained. Aries and Cancer are both Cardinal Signs. Both Signs are initiators, but they have to learn to cooperate. On the surface, Aries is the leader, always rushing out to meet a challenge, but Cancer is also indirectly in charge through emotional control and the ability to weigh the situation. Cancer tends to compromise more easily while Aries can be unwilling to yield, so the Crab may have to accept giving in. What's the best aspect of the Aries-Cancer relationship? Once they realize they're on the same team, the combination of Fire and Water works well together. Aries is out there getting attention and Cancer is quietly supporting the back end. Each partner's ability to provide what the other is lacking makes theirs an equal relationship." :)

Question: Okay from a religious stand point is this suicide and will it send a person to h e l l if a person has life? threatening cancer and their survival rate is very slim and they refuse chemo and the physician gives them pain medicine and they eventually due to the pain shot their self up full of morphine until they blow their heart up unintentionally. Is this considered suicide? Or for example a person is suffering from lupus and refuses medical treatment for it the physician still gives them pain medicine they sign a DNR and eventually has a seizure due to the lupus. Is this considered suicide? Please any advice is dually appreciated but please answer all or both of my questions?

Answer: In the case of cancer, I don't see how refusing treatment for a terminal diagnosis is suicide. Deciding to let 'nature take its course' is just that. For the lupus, I again feel the same way. A DNR is just to indicate that you don't want 'life prolonging' measures, no CPR, no intubation. In that case you are saying that you don't want your life sustained by outside means. You used pain meds in both of your examples, neither of which I see as suicidal behavior, but instead seeking freedom from physical pain, with the assistance of (hopefully) narcotics, from two very painful diseases.

Question: what's my chace of survival if i don't take Tamoxifen after lumpectomy follwed by chemo -6 cycl & radiation I am 47 yr.old unmarried woman. i have been advised 5 years of tamoxifin after a stage 1 lumpectomy,with lymph node removal(total 30 nodes removed.all -ve) breast cancer(hormone +ve) operation in April 05.I've also taken 6 cycles of chemo followed by 30 sittings of radiation.I just don't want to take any medicine now like Tamoxifen or Arimidex after this.What are my chances of disease free survival if I don't take it? My mother & my maternal aunt had breast cancer too way back in 1978 & 1959 respectively,they both were operated that time & were also given radiation.They both never had any recurrence & lived 20years of normal life after cancer & later both died of heart attack.Is it a must that I take some medicine?

Answer: That depends on which doctors you ask. The traditionalists will always be as aggressive as possible against the cancer. They won't want to take any chances. YOu might go to a clinic that specializes in natural ways to treat cancer and see what they say. I don't blame you for not wanting to take Tamoxifen. My mother had a lumpectomy and radiation. She didn't have to take Tamoxifen. But I can't remember what the lab results for her cancer were.

Question: Have you read an amazing book on health lately? Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival Summary With research gleaned from the National Institutes of Health, T. S. Wiley and Bent Formby deliver staggering findings: Americans really are sick from being tired. Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and depression are rising in our population. We're literally dying for a good night's sleep. Our lifestyle wasn't always this way. It began with the invention of the lightbulb. When we don't get enough sleep in sync with seasonal light exposure, we fundamentally alter a balance of nature that has been programmed into our physiology since Day One. This delicate biological rhythm rules the hormones and neurotransmitters that determine appetite, fertility, and mental and physical health. When we rely on artificial light to extend our day until 11 PM, midnight, and beyond, we fool our bodies into living in a perpetual state of summer. Anticipating the scarce food supply and forced inactivity of winter, our bodies begin storing fat and slowing metabolism to sustain us through the months of hibernation and hunger that never arrive. Do you think that keeping the lights on is causing disease in people.

Answer: the reason people carnt get a good night sleep they stay up to long and be come so tense they carnt sleep the doctors tell people to drink a warm glass of milk or cocoa it works for some

Question: Throat Cancer Stage 4? Hello, My g/f just found out that her father, has stage 4 throat cancer, and she is broken hearted, and I am too. My question is, what is the chances of his survival? he's 55 years old. My g/f and I are having a child, his first grand kid. Thanks, mp

Answer: When a person is diagnosed with any stage 4 cancer it means it is so far advanced that the next step is death. There is no cure, they may be able to prolong life briefly and of course they will be able to provide comfort measures.

Question: All the women close to him in his past have passed away. I have two types of cancer. Will we ever get married? My boyfirend is the man I want to marry...I have known from the beginning. He has had a rough past and its not mine to tell but in brief...his mother passed when he was a child and his step mother when he was a teenager. As he stepped into adulthood we met and fell in love. Months later I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. One year later his grandmother passed away and the next day I was diagnosed with leukemia...the next day the said with the type I have and the time it was caught I have a lowered survival rate. I am in 100% remission and doing well and hes been by my side the whole time but I fear I future is to be stagnet and if it is to grow into a marriage my fear is that something will happen with my health and I will be the next domino to fall in his trageic history.. Do you think we will ever get married? Do you think that I should withdraw to save the heart of the man I love or stay and love him as long as I can on this earth and for longer beyond?

Answer: Marry him. As soon as possible. Love him as much as possible with the time you have. You may end up living for 80 years together, you may die tomorrow. There are no guarantees in life, and the only thing that is certain is that if you leave him, then he will withdraw from everyone. If your battle turns for the worse, make sure he knows what the time you've spent together has meant. His past is tragic, but his present doesn't have to be.

Question: My Uncle had a Heart Attack, i have a few Questions that need answering..? New Years Eve Morning, my Uncle had a massive Heart Attack, Heart Problems dont run in my family or anything. Cancer does. But, im very worried about him, ive been upset alot of the day, im quite close with him. My mum was told my Uncle had another heart attack a few hours ago, and she was told one of his arteries were blocked and he might need a Bypass or something. Hes 55, and normally very healthy. Im really worried about him, he will be having surgery i think. Hes being transferred to another Hospital soon. I just wanna know what the chances of survival are and if he will be okay afterwards. What does the Bypass involve? I wanna ask my mum, but shes upset too at the moment and i dont wanna intrude. So can someone please tell me. Thanks.

Answer: Hello, Hannah; I am sorry to hear about your uncle. I trust he will recover fully within a few weeks. I will explain what could have happened in my layman's terms. Eighteen years ago my wife had bypass surgery. This becomes necessary when veins at the heart become clogged and don't let the blood though. Cholesterol can be responsible. Skillful surgeons can operate and remove that clogged section and replace it with a bypass, a section of another vein taken from the leg, say. This is transplanted on. It is a common enough operation and hospitals safely do thousands of them every year. Five years ago, something similar happened to me, but I had a stent inserted into the vein to keep it open and I am still going strongly. I stent is like a very fine wire, coiled spring. If you visit your uncle, my advice is to make your visit short. Five minutes is enough. It is a hard job "entertaining" visitors when you are not up to it. Be positive Give him your reassurance. Take a couple of pieces of soft frit, a banana and a peach, say. He will be on a drip when you see him, but do not be frightened of that. It is all done to help the doctors and nurses to save his life. He really will not feel like talking much and will appreciate being allowed to rest. You might, however, see if you can chat with the head sister of the ward or doctor on duty and ask them about your uncle's particular condition. They cannot by law discuss a patient's condition with anybody else but the next of kin but they can surely give you whatever good news there is about his condition. Now, why don't you busy yourself in making him a personal get well card with magazines cut-outs glued onto a board base. Just be creative.

Question: Is it worser to take radiation than chemo? If you have lung and heart problems and have had a stroke and now have cancer, does it mean that you have less chance of survival because you are taking radiation and the doctors don't wanna just come right out and tell you? Thanks to all that answer

Answer: chemo literally kills off all ur tainted cells and even some good ones. if u or sum1 u know has all those problems and takes chemo, they probably wont survive. with radiation, its much better. u have a MUCH better chance of curing the cancer. no it does not mean that u have a less chance of survival. they dont want to put a person with that many conditions on chemo because that persons body is already at a weakened state.

Question: What are the chances someone will survive with colon cancer? My girlfriend has colon cancer, it is between stages 1 and 2 (thank god its not higher), ive done research and i have heard about 5 year survival rates but what after that? is theres a 90% chance she'll survive 5 years what is the chance she'll survive years after that? i really would like to know please give me information and links to website that will show if we can have a long life together or not, she is only 18 years old, she does have more health problems with her heart and other things but i'd like to know what this cancer is going to do to our life together Yes i have learned to NEVER take the one you love for granite, it will bite you in the ass in the end, we already have a daughter even tho im only 17 but once im 18 were having another kid becuz we have to cherish as much time as we can

Answer: Very high survival rates with a Stage 1 or 2. I found out I had colon cancer at age 45 last year (Stage 2, no spread to lymph nodes) and had surgery, no chemo. (hopefully she won't need chemo because that is what can kill you! I researched colon cancer after I had all the details of my own case and opted out of chemo since I was Stage 2, basically my cancer was surgically removed and that's all) I'm alive one year later and expect to be around in 4 years too. My brother-in-law's father had colon cancer and he's in his 70's I believe and he's past the 5 year mark and still alive. He even had to have that shunt with a bag to collect stool and empty it every day. If she has other health problems that might be what diminishes her quality of life in the long run.

Question: What are the chances for surviving lung cancer at an advanced stage only age of 20? My friend has been diagnosed with lung cancer, its both of her lungs and its at an advanced stage they have given her 6 months to a year to live she is only 20 years old never smoked in her whole life. just last year around september she was also diagnosed with tongue cancer, she had to get surgery but she beat it and now this, why does this happen, and do you guys know of any stories that have beat the odds. any advise that i can give her, this is the hardest time for all her family and friends we all lover her so much, she has the biggest hearts that i know. anything helps, percentages survival rates.

Answer: Sorry to hear about your friend. Tongue cancer would have been found before it spread, normally with lung cancer in both lungs would have had it for several years before it was found but why wasn't it found during examination for the tongue cancer? You don't have to smoke to get cancer of any type, there is 2 types of lung cancer, one is a slower growing cancer which has nothing to do with smoking but if the doctors say 6 months - 1 year it must be advanced, do the not offer chemo? My dad was a smoker and 6 years ago lung cancer was found at the early stages, he had part of right lung removed and recovered, 3 years later he developed bowel cancer, we were told 6 months-1 year, he was dead within 6 weeks of diagnoses. You will have to be there for your friend, she will get very ill and will say a lot of horrid things to you which you must forgive her for, when it spread to the liver she will only have a few weeks left. my prayers are with you.

Question: Help with my Grandmother who's battling cancer for the 3rd time? I'm asking in this section because I'd really like to hear from some of my contacts on this one as its very close to my heart. My grandma (who I'm very close to) is battling stage 4 ovarian cancer, that's now transferred to her liver. She's gone through 3 bouts with it (of chemo) and come through each one, however none of us are hopeful this time around because she's frail and weak and tired. She's had a good run and beat the odds each time but this time her chances are about 15% survival rate. We've been so close all these years and I'm really struggling emotionally with this. I'm looking for advice from people who've lost a family member. Do you think she wants me to be overly positive or to be realistic in my approach that her chances this time around aren't that great? What's worse, complete denial or complete negativity? Any help on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated, I'm about to have a meltdown. I don't know whether to show my vulnerability to her or to be strong for her. Thank you everyone, these answers are really helping.

Answer: Ohh sweetheart, i'm so sorry about this!! The only thing you can do is to just tell her how much you love her and how much she means to you. Let her know that she is so loved and respected and you believe in her. Let her know that you are scared and upset though too. Good luck to her this time, please know that our prayers are with you, and your family!

Question: What do you do to prevent yourself from getting cancer? My mother passed away in year 2000 because of breast cancer, after 11 years of survival. Actually, in the depth of my heart, I am very much worried about the cancer that often said to be genetic. Does anyone have similar life experience with me? What do you do to stop your mind from worrying and to prevent yourself from getting cancer?

Answer: I'm sorry to hear about your mother. Do you know whether the type of breast cancer she had could be genetically passed on? Only 5– 10% of breast cancer cases are due to hereditary factors; my oncologist was able to assure me me mine wasn't. It may be that your mother's was random like mine and the majority of cases. If it was hereditary then you need to see your doctor about being tested for the faulty gene that is responsible, if you haven't already. Even if you have the gene, it doesn't mean you will definitely get breast cancer. The other known risk factors for breast cancer are: Getting older. This is the greatest risk factor - approximately 80% of breast cancers occur in post-menopausal women (women aged over 50 years). Having children at an older age or not at all. The more children a woman has may also slightly lower her risk. Breast-feeding helps protect against the disease. The longer a woman breast feeds her children, the more she lowers her risk. Starting periods at a younger than average age (under 12) or having a late menopause (after 55) . Taking the contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) causes a small increase in risk. However, the risk gradually returns to normal after you stop taking them. Being overweight (especially after the menopause). Regularly drinking more than 1 unit of alcohol per day slightly increases the risk of breast cancer. Having a previous diagnosis of breast cancer increases the risk of developing a new cancer in the other breast. These are only risk factors though; ticking one, some or all these boxes does not mean you will get breast cancer, and many people who are diagnosed with breast cancer have none of these risk factors. As for diet etc, there is no evidence that any product or food is linked to breast cancer, but some evidence that a low fat diet may help in prevention. All the other talk on here about diet is speculation - I was a vegan who ate organic, juiced exercised, never smoked - and I got grade 3 breast cancer. Find out if you're at risk genetically; check your breasts regularly and try not to worry otherwise. Sorry again about your mum; you never really get over it do you?