Mammography, or an X ray of the breast, is a tremendously helpful diagnostic tool to pinpoint breast cancer. In fact, many early stage cancers, too small to be felt manually, can be detected by mammography. As a matter of fact, it can detect 90 percent of all breast cancers. Undoubtedly, the use of mammography has saved many women's lives through early detection. Other techniques such as thermography, which detects heat changes in the breast tissue, and ultrasound, which uses highfrequency sound waves, are diagnostic tools used less often.

Despite the usefulness of all of these techniques, the definitive diagnosis of breast cancer can only be made by doing a surgical biopsy. This allows the tissue sample removed from the breast to be looked at under the microscope and examined for cancerous cells.

Once breast cancer is diagnosed, many treatment options are available. These include surgery and removal of the breast and lymph nodes, if indicated. Less radical surgery, which leaves the breast intact, is being used more for localized cancer. Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are also used with various treatment regimens. What regimen is finally selected depends on how localized or disseminated the tumor is, as well as the preference of the patient and physician. Women interested in prevention should follow a diet low in saturated fat and limit their alcohol intake.

Vitamins and Minerals for Prevention of Osteoporosis

These are nutrients that can be of help in promoting prevention:
Calcium. There are dozens of studies that reinforce the importance of calcium for the prevention of osteoporosis. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, and 99 percent of it is deposited in the bones and teeth. (The other 1 percent of calcium is involved in blood clotting, nerve and muscle stimulation, and other important functions.) As a result, calcium is the most important structural mineral in bone. Along with phosphorus, calcium helps to build and maintain strong and healthy bones. However, calcium absorption becomes much less efficient by the time women reach their postmenopausal years due to the aging of the digestive tract. Calcium needs an acid environment in the stomach for proper digestion. As many as 40 percent of postmenopausal women lack sufficient stomach acid for proper calcium absorption.

Unfortunately, most women have too little calcium intake in their diets. The average American woman takes in 400 to 500 mg per day. This is far less than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 800 mg per day for women during their active reproductive years and the 1200 to 1500 mg per day needed by postmenopausal women.

As a result, adequate calcium supplementation is of major importance to prevent bone loss. The type of calcium used must be considered, also. The main type of calcium used in supplements has been calcium carbonate. This is an alkaline form of calcium and isn't absorbed well by some women. In contrast, calcium citrate, an acidified form of calcium, is well absorbed and a good source of this nutrient for women. Be sure to check the label of any calcium supplement to make sure the dosages and the type of calcium used are optimal for your needs.

Phosphorus. Phosphorus is the second most abundant mineral in the body, found in bones and soft tissues. A major structural mineral of bone, it is present in a specific ratio of 2.5 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus. This balance is important for both minerals to be used efficiently by the body. Because the American diet contains abundant phosphorous in foods such as meat, eggs, grains, seeds, nuts, and soft drinks, phosphorus deficiency is relatively rare. In addition, phosphorus is easily absorbed from the digestive tract, with an absorption rate of approximately 70 percent. The RDA for phosphorus is 800 ma.