Overview

When a group of cells display uninhibited growth, which refers to division beyond the normal limits, this phenomenon is commonly referred to as cancer. Other characteristics include an attack and destruction of surrounding tissues, and the spread to other locations in the body via lymph or blood, which is known as metastasis.

These malignant, which refers to a severe and progressively worsening disease, properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited and do not invade or metastasise.

A tumor refers to a swelling or lesion formed by an unusually high growth of cells and occurs with most cancers. However, some, like leukemia, do not produce tumors.

Breast cancer becomes established, initially, in the cells of the breast in men and women. On a worldwide basis, the second most established form of cancer, after lung cancer, is that of breast cancer. It represents 10% of all cancers relating to both sexes. It is the fifth most common cause of cancer death.

The most common type of cancer specifically related to women, globally, is that of breast cancer. It occurs at more than twice the rate of that of colorectal cancer and cervical cancer and about three times that of lung cancer. Further, in the case of women, deaths from breast cancer, worldwide, is approximately 25% more than that from lung cancer.

In a study in 2005, it was found that breast cancer produced 502,000 deaths worldwide. To get this into context, this represents about 7% of all cancer deaths, and nearly 1% of all recorded deaths. Further, there has been a substantial increase, globally, in breast cancer since the 1970s. This statistic, it is suggested, may be associated with modern lifestyles in the western world.

On a global basis, the occurrence of breast cancer differs significantly according to region. It is less widespread in less-developed countries and more so in the further-developed countries. In the twelve designated regions of the world, the annual incidence rates per 100,000 women are as follows: Eastern Asia, 18; Southern Central Asia, 22; sub-Saharan Africa, 22; South-Eastern Asia, 26; North Africa and Western Asia, 28; South and Central America, 42; Eastern Europe, 49; Southern Europe, 56; Northern Europe, 73; Oceania, 74; Western Europe, 78; and in North America, 90.

The United States has the highest incidence rates of breast cancer in women, globally. A study has shown 141 cases among white women and 122 among African American women. Also in the US, breast cancer amongst women is the most prevalent cancer. After lung cancer, it produces the second highest occurrence of deaths from all cancers.

There is a 12.5% chance of women in the US developing invasive breast cancer within their lifetime. Further, there is a 3% chance that the breast cancer that they may contract will actually cause their death. A forecast has suggested that, in 2007, breast cancer would be the cause of 40,910 deaths in the US. This would represent some 7% of cancer deaths, and almost 2% of all deaths.

For the last few years, both the incidence and death rates from breast cancer in the US have been in decline. In 2005, a study conducted in the US by the Society for Women’s Health Research concluded that breast cancer remains the disease that causes the most concern. This is an interesting outcome since heart disease is a much more widespread determinant when considering all deaths among women.

Breast cancer is also prevalent in men. This is due to the fact that the breast is composed of identical tissues in respect of both genders. However, it must be remembered that the manifestation of breast cancer in men is some 100 times less common than that in women.  Conversely, men with breast cancer are considered to have the same statistical survival rates as women.

Breast Cancer – How To Succeed

Peter Radford writes Articles with Websites on a wide range of subjects. Breast Cancer Articles cover Background, Symptoms, Risk, Prevention, Treatment.

His Website contains a total of 41 Breast Cancer Articles, written by others and carefully selected.

View his Website at: breast-cancer-how-to-succeed.com

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Aerobic and Anaerobic Comparison

There are countless forms of aerobic exercise. However, the most common format is when it is performed at a steady pace and over a relatively long period of time. To illustrate the point, consider the following examples:

Running a long distance at a moderate pace is classified as an aerobic exercise, whereas sprinting is not.

Playing singles tennis, which involves almost continuous activity, is typically regarded as an aerobic activity, whereas playing golf or doubles tennis, which involves brief bursts of high activity punctuated with more frequent breaks, is not regarded as predominantly aerobic.

Accordingly, some sports may be designated as inherently “aerobic.” On the other hand, some aerobic exercises, such as fartlek training or aerobic dance classes, are designed specifically to improve aerobic capacity and fitness.

Fartlek means “speed play” in Swedish. Most Fartlek programmes last for at least 45 minutes. They can include anything from aerobic walking to anaerobic sprinting. Fartlek training is normally synonymous with running, but can include almost any kind of exercise.

Becoming involved in a regular programme of aerobic exercises can produce some very desirable benefits, such as:

Strengthening the respiratory muscles that will help to improve the flow of air in and out of the lungs.

Not only strengthening but also enlarging the heart muscles which will help to improve the efficiency of its pumping action and reduce the heart rate when at rest.

Toning up the muscles throughout the body.

Increasing the efficiency of the circulatory system and reducing blood pressure.

Substantially increasing the number of red blood cells in the body which in turn assists in transporting oxygen throughout the body.

Improving overall mental health. This may include reducing the level of stress and helping to lower the possibility of depression.

Accordingly, the aforementioned point to the fact that aerobic exercise can assist greatly in reducing the risk of dying from heart disease. Further, high-impact aerobic activities, which include jogging or jumping rope, are able to stimulate bone growth. Also, they are known to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. This is a disease in which the bone is liable to break at the slightest opportunity.

Apart from the health benefits, there are many performance benefits. Consider the following:

Endurance will be increased as a result of the storage of more energy molecules, such as fats and carbohydrates, within the muscles.

Neovascularization, which is the formation of functional microvascular networks with red blood cell perfusion, of the muscle sarcomeres, which give skeletal and cardiac muscles their striated appearance, to increase blood flow through the muscles.

If the rate of aerobic metabolism was increased within muscles, this would allow a greater proportion of energy for intense exercise to be generated aerobically.

If muscles are able to use fats during exercise more easily, this will help to preserve intramuscular glycogen, which is a form of glucose, and functions as the secondary short term energy storage.

Muscles recovering from high intensity exercise being made much easier   

Aerobics – How To Succeed

Peter Radford writes Articles with Websites on a wide range of subjects. Aerobics Articles cover Background, History, Types of Exercise, Benefits, Aerobic Capacity, Other Issues, Commercial Success.

His Website contains a total of 140 Aerobics Articles, written by others and carefully selected.

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Aerobic Exercise

This refers to a particular form of exercise which can either help or even improve the consumption of oxygen by the body. The word Aerobic means “an association with oxygen”, and involves the use of oxygen in the body’s metabolic process by which energy is generated.

In general, Aerobic exercises are associated with a level of exertion that tends to be low, and over longer periods of time. A warm up period should precede any aerobic session for best results. This should then be followed by 15-20 minutes of either moderate or ranging through to intense exercise which utilises large muscle groups. The session would end with a short period of cooling down.

Historical Development

The concept of aerobic exercise was developed by Dr Cooper, an exercise physiologist, and Col. Potts, a physical therapist, both of the United States Air Force. Dr. Cooper, who was himself a keen exercise enthusiast, could not understand why some people with excellent muscular strength were still unable to give good performances with tasks such as long-distance running, swimming, and cycling.

In order to measure the work done by the exerciser, he used a bicycle ergometer, which consists of a stationary bicycle fitted with a system of measuring the amount of energy expended. He began by measuring the performance achieved using this apparatus in terms of an individual’s ability to use oxygen. The results of his work, which were published in 1968, included different types of exercise programmes.

Around that time in the US, there was growing concern, in certain quarters, at the increasing weakness and inactivity in the general population, coupled with a lack of suitable exercise. His research results became the yardstick for most aerobics exercise programmes which are focused on an individual’s oxygen-consumption.

Comparison

When a high level of activity is achieved, sugars are converted into energy and it is this process that forms the basis of anaerobic exercise. This type of exercise is helpful for athletes to generate power when they are involved in non-endurance sports. It is also used by body builders to build up muscle mass. Muscles trained under such conditions develop in a different way. Such exercise can help performance over short periods of time.

Conversely, Aerobic exercise involves less intense activities over a longer time periods. Examples of such activities include cycling, swimming, running and walking. In each case, a huge volume of oxygen is needed in order to generate the required amount of energy needed for exercise over such prolonged periods.

Weight training and strength training are good examples of Anaerobic exercise.

These two forms of exercise differ not only in terms of the time involved and level of intensity of the muscular contractions involved, but also by the way in which the energy is produced within the muscle itself.

During Aerobic exercise, glucose is broken down, using oxygen within the bloodstream, to generate energy. In the absence of these carbohydrates, such as glucose, fat is produced instead. Fat lowers an individual’s level of performance since it takes a long time for it to be formed.

Conversely, Anaerobic exercise relates to the initial warm-up exercise, or to any short burst of intense exertion, in which the glycogen is consumed without oxygen, and is a far less efficient process.

Aerobics – How To Succeed

Peter Radford writes Articles with Websites on a range of subjects. Aerobics Articles cover Background, History, Types of Exercise, Benefits, Aerobic Capacity, Other Issues, Commercial Success.

His Website contains a total of 140 Aerobics Articles, written by others and carefully selected.

View his Website at: aerobics-how-to-succeed.com

View his Blog at: aerobics-how-to-succeed.blogspot.com