Various cancers

Resveratrol Recommended Dosage, Resveratrol Pills & Resveratrol Extract For Cancer Prevention

2009-08-20T14:48:00.004+01:00

If you are looking for a resveratrol recommended dosage for a specific health problem, you might ask a practitioner of traditional Japanese or Chinese herbal medicine about the appropriate dose of Japanese knotweed. Of course, they would only recommend the plant for use as a laxative, to relieve constipation or promote regularity.

Japanese knotweed is the most concentrated source of resveratrol and is the source for most dietary supplements. It is found in grape skins and peanuts, too. But, the supplement only appeared on shelves after news reports proclaimed that it was “the” compound in red wine that accounted for the health benefits of the beverage.

Later, conflicting research concluded that it could not account for the benefits, because the concentration was too low. That result never made it to the mass media. When the studies about red wine were released, vineyards wanted to have it classified as a “health food”. People, wanting to do everything that they can for their health, are prone to jump on the bandwagon and drive up demand for foods, beverages and supplements. That’s what happened with resveratrol supplements in 2006.

There are dozens of different manufacturers and none of them seem to agree on a daily resveratrol recommended dosage. Generally, if you wanted this kind of dietary supplement, you would be interested in the protective or preventative benefits, such as those that pertain to the heart and to preventing cancer. But, if you greatly exceed the amount that is present in nature, there could be a problem.

A liter of red wine with the highest concentration would only contain 12.59mg of the compound. The dried knotweed root contains as much as 187mg/kg or .187mg/gram. So, if a practitioner suggested 24 grams to relieve severe constipation, the patient would only receive about 4.48mg of resveratrol.

If a supplement company lists a resveratrol recommended dosage at 200mg or higher, you will almost surely experience diarrhea, which could lead to dehydration and is not beneficial for your health. At higher dosages, which are found in some of the supplements on the market, all of the known health benefits of this potent antioxidant are negated, because it becomes a pro-oxidant, meaning that it is something like a free radical, which is what antioxidants normally neutralize.

There is a lot of misinformation on the internet. Let me set the record straight. For the long-term health benefits of decreased cancer risk and cardiovascular health, a 20-50mg daily dose is sufficient. That’s according to a well respected chemist, nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine.

He suggests that this resveratrol recommended dosage be combined with other beneficial extracts and essential nutrients that will allow you to feel better and possibly, live longer. What we want to strive for is the “optimal” nutritional intake. All of the basic vitamins, minerals and amino acids contribute to our long-term health and longevity.

There is no single stand-alone nutrient that is more beneficial to your health than any other. Consider this resveratrol recommended dosage a single part of your complete daily nutritional intake.

Fight Cancer Naturally With Vitamins and Herbs

2009-08-20T14:48:00.002+01:00

The whole human body is made up of cells that contain their own genetic material. In a healthy body, these cells divide at a controlled rate, growing and repairing damaged tissues and replacing dying cells. This predetermined rate of cell division is what keeps our bodies healthy. If cells keep multiplying when new ones are not necessary, a mass of tissue, often known as a tumor, is formed. This tumor can be either benign or malignant.

Benign tumors are not cancerous and can occur anywhere in the body. Benign tumors do not cause a threat to health, do not metastasize, and do not grow back if removed. Malignant tumors are cancerous and are usually serious. Often times, they can be life-threatening. Malignant tumors grow uncontrollably, interfere with normal metabolic and organ functioning, and have the ability to metastasize and invade other tissues.

If a portion of a cell’s DNA is damaged, the cell can become abnormal. When an abnormal cell divides, it forms new cells that are a photocopy of the damaged genetic material. This ongoing process occurs constantly within our bodies. The majority of the time our bodies have the ability to destroy these abnormal cells and maintain a sort of cellular equilibrium. If a crucial part of the DNA is destroyed and the abnormal cells cannot be controlled any longer, cancer forms. All cancer cells have two things in common: growing uncontrollably and having the ability to metastasize. The immune system does not recognize cancer cells as dangerous or foreign.

Although the exact cause for the cell damage that initiates the cancer process is unknown (theoretically free radical damage causes DNA damage), the chain of events that leads to cancer is very complex, and each individual body reacts differently. It is a combination of genetic, behavioral, environmental, and lifestyle factors that are thought to be involved in turning normal cells into abnormal cells, and abnormal cells into cancer.

There are also factors that are believed to slow the process, while other factors can speed up the process. Possible contributors to the development and growth of cancer can be divided into three categories: external, internal, and lifestyle. External factors include unhealthy workplace environments and exposure to air and water pollution, chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides. Included in the internal factors include both genetics and infections. Lifestyle factors are those we personally can most readily control, such as diet, smoking, drinking, and sun exposure. External and lifestyle factors account for 80 percent of cancer deaths in the United States.

Just as each of us looks different, each of our bodies has its own unique composition. Some of us may react adversely to what some of us react well to. This is why some treatments prove to be successful for some, but not for others. This is why dietary wellness and prevention is so important. If we can keep our bodies healthy and avoid known cancer-causing agents, we have a good defense against cancer in the first place.

The following nutrients and supplements are designed for persons who have been diagnosed with cancer, as well as for those who wish to enhance their chances of avoiding the disease: coenzyme Q10, colostrum, DMG, garlic, IP6, melatonin, MSM, proteolytic enzymes, selenium, 7-keto DHEA, shark cartilage, SOD, vitamin A, shiitake extract, acidophilus, chromium picolinate, flaxseed oil, grape seed extract, kelp, l-carnitine, multienzyme complex, a multi-mineral complex, multivitamin complex, NAC, raw glandular complex, taurine, and vitamin B complex. Additionally, the following herbs may be beneficial: astragalus, birch, burdock root, cat’s claw, chaparral, chuchuhuasi, cranberry, dandelion, Echinacea, fennel, green tea, licorice root, macela, milk thistle, parsley, pau d’arco, red clover, suma, cardamom, cayenne, ginger, rosemary, sage, thyme, turmeric, ragwort, wood sage, curcumin, essiac, noni, olive leaf extract, rosemary, and boswellia.

All of the above listed herbs and vitamins can help restore the body to good nutrition and help boost the immune system so the body can find and fight back against cancer. Natural vitamins and herbs are available at your local or internet health food store. When purchasing supplements, look for name brand vitamins like Solaray and Source Naturals to ensure you receive quality and you get what you pay for.

*Statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Natural vitamins and herbs are not intended to diagnose, treat and cure or prevent disease. Always consult with your professional health care provider before changing any medication or adding Vitamins to medications.

Cervical Cancer and Its Complementary Treatments

2009-08-20T14:47:00.004+01:00

What It Is

The cervix is an organ that is only present in women, and connects the uterus to the vagina. When cells in the cervix start to undergo abnormal changes, known as pre-cancerous changes, then this can represent the early stages of cervical cancer.

There are two types of cervical cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Of these, we know that the vast majority of cases are squamous cell carcinomas. Cervical cancer can be picked up early and prevented from occurring through regular screening, which is recommended for women of all ages.

Causes of Cervical Cancer

We should make it clear that, as with all cancers, cervical cancer is caused by factors such as a weak immune system, an acidic pH balance, oxygen deprivation and toxins in the body. However, it is also commonly caused by certain types of HPV (human papilloma virus). Some of these can cause genital warts and, as such, cervical cancer can arise as a result of a sexually transmitted infection.

Smoking is also known to lead to cervical cancer, and we know that a combination of an HPV and smoking, or an HPV and another sexually transmitted disease, can lead to a greater level of risk.

Cervical Cancer Symptoms

The most common symptom for cervical cancer, and the one that sends most women to the doctor in the first place, is abnormal vaginal bleeding. This could include bleeding outside of the regular period, bleeding after the menopause or any other type of bleeding.

Pain during sexual intercourse is also known to be a symptom, as is bleeding directly after intercourse. Pain related to sex is known as dyspareunia in the medical community.

Conventional Treatments

If the cancer is confined to the outside layer of the cervix, then we have the option of a number of surgery treatments that can be completed to remove the affected cells. The most common include laser surgery, which kills the cancerous cells using a laser beam; cryosurgery, which is the killing of cancerous cells through freezing; and a cone biopsy, which is when a piece of cervical tissue affected by the cancer is completely removed.

These procedures are fine if the cancer is in its early stages, but if the cancer is invasive and has managed to get inside the outer layer, then a hysterectomy is the most common form of surgery. This could either be a simple hysterectomy or a radical hysterectomy, which is more serious. However, both involve the removal of the uterus, making it impossible to become pregnant.

Chemotherapy and radiation are also commonly used if the cancer has spread, but we would warn you that these include a lot of unpleasant side effects, including hair loss, weakness and nausea.

Alternative and Complementary Treatments

Due to the nature of the side effects associated with conventional treatments, many people opt instead for alternative treatments, which have very few, if any, side effects and provide a far more natural way to cure different types of cancer.

We can recommend the Budwig Diet as one of the most effective alternative therapies in combating any type of cancer, including cervical cancer. This special diet, administered under the guidance of trained experts, has at its heart a very simple idea which has proved time and time again to be a powerful anti-cancer treatment.

The basic premise of this completely natural alternative treatment is that in order to grow, cancer cells require glucose. The Budwig Diet aims to reduce the amount of glucose in the blood through reducing the amount of sugar in the diet of the cancer patient, and is one of the most effective alternative treatments. However, some programmes go even further and recommend the complete absence of sugar from the diet. This leads to the body using less insulin, and the cancer cells therefore cannot grow.

The Budwig Diet should be specially administered, but at its heart it is a diet rich in raw vegetables, which prevents sugars from being consumed. The immune system also strengthens as a result, allowing the body to fight the weakened cancer cells more effectively.

As well as the Budwig Diet, we can also recommend a number of other alternative therapies which aim to combat cancerous cells in the body. These consist of emotional healing, which is the balancing of the meridian through the increasing of inner strength; biophotonic light therapy, which is the targeting of cancer cells using completely natural UV rays; massage therapy, which is the use of different types of massage to stimulate the circulation of energy; and techniques such as using SCIO Energetic Frequency Equipment, which aims to destroy the cancer cells through mechanical vibration.

Mesothelioma Doctors-How Do You Find The Best One For You?

2009-08-20T14:47:00.002+01:00

Many decades ago, doctors had limited knowledge of mesothelioma cancer, most cases of the disease were seen by family doctors who had very little knowledge about the cancer, the symptoms and methods of treating the cancer.

Although this asbestos related cancer is rare in comparison to other more common types of cancer, there has been a gradual increase in the number of diagnosed cases over the past 20-30 years, some medical doctors have become specialist and experts in the diagnosis and treatment of this terrible disease.

Most times the first medical professional that a mesothelioma patient will have contact with will be their family physician. The family physician will order for several imaging tests once there is reasonable clinical suspicion, to be able to make definitive diagnosis. Once a definitive diagnosis is made, the family physician will refer the patient to an oncologist, who may be located in the area where the patient lives.

However while most oncologists are familiar with mesothelioma, because of the rarity of the disease not all of them have enough experience in treating this type of cancer.

Many patients would rather prefer to look for the best top mesothelioma experts in the country so that they can get the best available medical care.
Most of these top mesothelioma experts work in the nations best hospitals located in the major cities. These doctors have built a reputation over time based on their knowledge and exemplary care. Most of these doctors are usually involved in ongoing research work, so they can give the patient latest information on clinical trials, and other aspects of the disease.

Some of these mesothelioma experts are not oncologists, though they have sound knowledge and experience in cancer treatment. Quite a number of them are respiratory physicians, known as pulmonologists; these are doctors specializing in the treatment of diseases of the lungs. Some other ones are Thoracic Surgeons; these are doctors that specialize in performing surgeries of the lungs, chest wall, esophagus and diaphragm.

A patient can make a choice from these different medical experts, all of them can offer good medical care once they become familiar with the persons disease and particulars.

Most of the time, mesothelioma patients living in the small towns will have to travel to the major cities where the large hospitals where these experts work are situated. This usually involves additional expenses on traveling, lodging, feeding etc, but most patients do not mind the extra money that they will have to spend. Most of these hospitals assists out of town patients to find affordable accommodations to stay while some offer their own lodging options to patients who have traveled over a great distance to come to the hospital.

Patients are also advised to check their medical insurance carriers before making a decision on their preferred medical expert. Insurance policies are different and some policies may actually cover travel and other expenses that will be incurred when attempting to see an expert. Again, an administrator in the doctor's office or hospital personnel may be able to help determine what is covered and what is not.

Meeting with a doctor before making a definitive choice is often a good idea. Though he/she may be an expert in the field of mesothelioma, patients should strive to choose someone with whom they believe they can work well. Having a good rapport with your doctor is essential in building trust and open lines of communication are certainly a must. Take time to interview a doctor before making a final decision.

The following includes a short list of the top medical mesothelioma experts in USA, for a more comprehensive list, do visit my blog.

South Carolina
James Bradof, M.D.
SC

Tennessee
Spencer McCachren, M.D.
Thompson Cancer Center
Knoxville, TN
(423) 541-1812

Texas
Department Of Clinical Investigation
University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd., P.O. Box 39
Houston, TX 77030
(713) 792-7959

Washington
Dr. Eric Vallieres
P.O. Box 356310
1959 NE Pacific
Seattle, WA 98195-6310
(206) 543-3093

Washington, D.C.
Cesar A. Moran, M.D.
Department of the Army
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
Washington, DC 20306
Dr. Paul Sugarbaker
Sugarbaker Oncology Associates, P.C.
110 Irving St., NW
Washington, DC 20010
(202) 877-3908

Wisconsin
Joan H. Schiller, M.D.
H. Ian Robins, M.D.
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI

5 Commonly Asked Questions About Mesothelioma

2009-08-20T14:46:00.001+01:00

Mesothelioma is an uncommon type of cancer in which the malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac lining most of the body's internal organs.

Most people who develop the disease were exposed to asbestos inhalation at their place of work. The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ {the visceral layer} and the other layer forms a sac around it {the parietal layer}.

The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against surrounding structures.

The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial lining that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the lining that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive organs in women. Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of the cancer begin in the pleura or peritoneum.

1-How common is mesothelioma?

Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, this disease is still a relatively uncommon type of cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. It occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.

2-What are the risk factors?

Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, the disease has also been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health problems.

Apart from causing mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a non cancerous, long standing chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney. Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the long run.

3-Who are the people at risk of developing the cancer?

Asbestos has been mined and used commercially since the late 1800s. Its use greatly increased during World War II. Since the early 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. Initially, the risks associated with asbestos exposure were not known. However, an increased risk of developing mesothelioma was later found among shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople.

Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure. The risk of asbestos-related disease increases with heavier exposure to asbestos and longer exposure time. However, some individuals with only brief exposures have developed this type of cancer. On the other hand, not all workers who are heavily exposed develop asbestos-related diseases. There is some evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing this cancer, and possibly other asbestos-related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers. To reduce the chance of exposing family members to asbestos fibers, asbestos workers are usually required to shower and change their clothing before leaving the workplace.

4-What are the common Symptoms

Symptoms may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling due to a build up of fluid in the abdomen.

Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include intestinal obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, low blood levels{anaemia}, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face. These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions. It is important to see a doctor about any of these symptoms. Only a doctor can make a definitive diagnosis.

5-How is the diagnosis made?

Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history, including any history of asbestos exposure.

A complete physical examination must be done , x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI can also be ordered for. A CT Scan is a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. In an MRI, a powerful magnet linked to a computer is used to make detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures are viewed on a monitor and can also be printed.

To confirm a diagnosis, a biopsy must be done. Biopsy involves the removal of a sample of the cancerous tissue for examination in the laboratory by a surgeon or medical oncologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples. If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a peritoneoscopy.

To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument called a peritoneoscope into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary. If the diagnosis is mesothelioma, the doctor will want to learn the stage (or extent) of the disease. Staging involves more tests in a careful attempt to find out whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to which parts of the body. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan treatment.

The cancer is localised if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.

Malignant Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma-What Is This?

2009-08-20T14:45:00.001+01:00

In histological terms, there are four different types of mesothelioma: sarcomatoid, epithelial, biphasic, and desmoplastic (a variant of sarcomatoid).In medical terms, the term histopathology refers to the microscopic examination of cellular tissue to gain insight into the manifestations of various diseases.

Malignant sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the least common of the four cellular types. It accounts for approximately 7 to 20 percent of cases. When viewed under a microscope,the malignant cells appear as elongated spindle-shaped cells that are irregularly shaped and often overlap one another.

Desmoplastic mesothelioma is considered a variant of sarcomatoid mesothelioma. This form is likely the most difficult of all mesotheliomas to diagnose. When desmoplastic mesothelioma invades or metastasizes, the cells can appear very bland and can be misdiagnosed as benign fibrous tissue. Medical experts say this form should not be diagnosed with a needle core biopsy.

It's important to know that malignant sarcomatoid mesothelioma is sometimes difficult to diagnose on the basis of histological methods. For example, cells of another type of cancer called pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma are very similar in appearance (as well as other characteristics) to malignant sarcomatoid mesothelioma.
For this reason, if you are diagnosed with cancer and you know that you have been exposed to asbestos at some time in the past, obtaining a second diagnostic opinion may be important. Different types of cancer vary widely in terms of prognosis and treatment options, and if misdiagnosed, patients may not receive the most appropriate treatment for their cancer.

Treatment and Prognosis

Each of the four cellular forms of mesothelioma is generally treated in the same way. Treatment is not based on the specific type of cells involved, but instead on the location of tumors and the stage of the cancer.
Each type of cancer responds to treatment very differently. In general, patients with malignant sarcomatoid mesothelioma have a poorer prognosis than patients with the epithelioid type , as sarcomatoid cancers are more aggressive and more resistant to treatment. Unfortunately, the general prognosis for all the different types is usually poor, and the difference in prognosis between sarcomatoid, epithelioid, biphasic and desmoplastic cancers may amount to as little as a few months.

Biopsy and Histopathology

Patients undergoing medical evaluation to ascertain a diagnosis of mesothelioma will also have to undergo a variety of medical tests to determine the location and nature of the cancer.

- Biopsy: This involves removal of samples of suspected cancer cells from several locations in the tumor site which are taken to the laboratory for proper evaluation to determine what type of cells they are and whether the cells are malignant.

The biopsy samples are tested in the laboratory under the principles of histopathology in two ways:
- They are viewed under a microscope to determine their general appearance.
- The cells are also tested for the presence of oncoproteins and molecules that are specific to certain type of cancer cells.

When viewed under a microscope, mesothelioma cells and other types of cancer cells have different types of appearance and different shapes when compared to normal healthy cells. Further tests that evaluate the types of proteins present on the surface of the cells are needed to determine the exact nature of the cells.

When mesothelial cells become malignant, they begin to produce different types of proteins and some of these are present on the surface of the cells. Examining the types of surface proteins allows a histologist to determine if the cells are malignant mesothelioma, another type of cancer, or healthy cells. The application of histochemistry in the diagnosis of mesotheliomas is primarily to differentiate epithelial mesotheliomas from mucin-producing adenocarcinoma.

Mesothelioma Unveiled

2009-08-20T14:43:00.001+01:00

Mesothelioma is an uncommon type of cancer in which the malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac lining most of the body's internal organs.

Most people who develop the disease were exposed to asbestos inhalation at their place of work.

The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ {the visceral layer} and the other layer forms a sac around it {the parietal layer}.

The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against surrounding structures.

The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial lining that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the lining that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive organs in women.

Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of the cancer begin in the pleura or peritoneum.

How common is mesothelioma?

Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, this disease is still a relatively uncommon type of cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. It occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.

What are the risk factors?

Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, the disease has also been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health problems.

Apart from causing mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a non cancerous, long standing chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.

Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma.

However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the air passageways in the long run.

Who are the people at risk of developing the cancer?

Asbestos has been mined and used commercially since the late 1800s. Its use greatly increased during World War II. Since the early 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos dust. Initially, the risks associated with asbestos exposure were not known.

However, an increased risk of developing mesothelioma was later found among shipyard workers, people who work in asbestos mines and mills, producers of asbestos products, workers in the heating and construction industries, and other tradespeople.

Today, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace. People who work with asbestos wear personal protective equipment to lower their risk of exposure.

The risk of asbestos-related disease increases with heavier exposure to asbestos and longer exposure time. However, some individuals with only brief exposures have developed this type of cancer. On the other hand, not all workers who are heavily exposed develop asbestos-related diseases.

There is some evidence that family members and others living with asbestos workers have an increased risk of developing this cancer, and possibly other asbestos-related diseases. This risk may be the result of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the clothing and hair of asbestos workers.

To reduce the chance of exposing family members to asbestos fibers, asbestos workers are usually required to shower and change their clothing before leaving the workplace.

Symptoms

Symptoms may not appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleura are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and abdominal pain and swelling due to a build up of fluid in the abdomen.

Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include intestinal obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, low blood levels{anemia}, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions. It is important to see a doctor about any of these symptoms. Only a doctor can make a definitive diagnosis.

How is the diagnosis made?

Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history, including any history of asbestos exposure.

A complete physical examination must be done , x-rays of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI can also be ordered for. A CT Scan is a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine.

In an MRI, a powerful magnet linked to a computer is used to make detailed pictures of areas inside the body. These pictures are viewed on a monitor and can also be printed.

To confirm a diagnosis, a biopsy must be done. Biopsy involves the removal of a sample of the cancerous tissue for examination in the laboratory by a surgeon or medical oncologist{a doctor who is a specialist in diagnosing cancer}. The sample is examined in the laboratory by a pathologist{ a medical specialist in examining cells}. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located.

If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples. If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a peritoneoscopy.

To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument called a peritoneoscope into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.

If the diagnosis is mesothelioma, the doctor will want to learn the stage (or extent) of the disease. Staging involves more tests in a careful attempt to find out whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to which parts of the body. Knowing the stage of the disease helps the doctor plan treatment.

The cancer is localized if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface where it originated. It is classified as advanced if it has spread beyond the original membrane surface to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, chest wall, or abdominal organs.

Healing Cancer With Mind Over Pain

2009-07-16T16:48:00.008+01:00

I received the most interesting email.
Gordon wrote:

“Thought you might be interested in that on June 13th I underwent a 1.5 hour hernia operation without ANY anaesthetic - no general, no local. I did it with the power of my mind using only relaxation techniques that I teach my clients. (I am a psychotherapist.)

6 days after the surgery, I have just returned from the gym after running 5K and doing a gentle workout. I have developed a healing program that has really worked for me - I feel wonderful.

This is a dramatic demonstration of the power of thought and intention. There is a known surgeon in Valencia who has carried out complex surgery without anesthesia in more than 900 instances, film cameras were invited into his operating room, and captured on film a woman who was having an operation without anesthetic. All she had to do was keep her mouth full of saliva and keep repeating to herself, “My leg is anesthetized.” A dry mouth is one of the mind’s first warning signals of danger. When the mouth is kept lubricated, the brain relaxes, assumes all is well and turns off its pain receptors, assured that anesthetics had been given.

Hypnosis is a type of mental intention, made during an altered state. Hypnotists have been able to demonstrate that in many remarkable instances, the brain or body mistakes a thought for the thing itself.

A professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University in California, carried out a fascinating study demonstrating that the brain’s visual cortex, the area responsible for processing our images, cannot distinguish between a real image and just an imagined one.

His participants were shown a colored grid painting and asked to imagine the color draining from the picture, leaving only black and white. Through the use of PET scans, which record physical activity in the brain, the tests showed that blood flow and activity were noticeably diminishing in the part of the brain dealing with the perception of color, while the areas that process black, white and grey images were being stimulated.

When the experiment was reversed, and the participants in the study were asked to imagine grey images turning into color, the opposite changes in brain-perception patterns resulted.

The point is, the body and the brain cannot distinguish between an action and a thought. When we tell our brains that we are seeing black and white, our brain actually registers black and white.

Through hypnotic intention, spinal surgery patients about to undergo their operations have been able to reduce blood loss by nearly half, simply by willing their blood supply away from the site of the surgery.
Pregnant women have been able to turn their babies from breech positions, burn victims have sped up their healing, and those suffering hemorrhages in the gastrointestinal tract have willed their blood to stop.

The most remarkable example of this concerned a small study of people with a mysterious and illness known as fish-skin disease. For those afflicted with this condition, unsightly fish-like scales cover most of the body. In the study, five patients were hypnotized and told to focus on parts of their body and visualize it becoming normal. Within just a few weeks, 80% of each patient's body had become normal. The skin remained smooth and clear.

Clearly, during a relaxed, meditative state, conscious thought can convince the body to ensure any pain, cure many serious diseases, change virtually any condition.

Research has also shown that the electrical activity of thought and an action are also similar within the brain itself. When an EEG is used to measure the electrical activity of the brain, the brain waves are similar, whether we’re thinking about doing something or actually doing it.

We have remarkable powers of healing that have been largely untapped. Obviously if we have the ability to heal ourselves from within without the use of chemotherapy, radiation or surgery, the medical industry is going to be none to happy to see its billion dollar industry disappear to our own healing powers. However, this power has been demonstrated in numerous studies and thousands of cases of spontaneous healing. Dr Magne is an expert in spontaneous healing and relates many stories and case studies in her ground-breaking book Cancer-Free-For-Life.

Signs Of Ovarian And Cervical Cancer

2009-07-16T16:48:00.005+01:00

Most women have heard of cancer of the cervix. It is one of the reasons you are pressured so much to see your doctor once a year and have a pap smear done. Cervical cancer is a very serious disease that all women should be aware of and take measures to prevent. It is the second leading type of cancer found in women today. However, if you have a routine exam yearly then it greatly reduces the risk of you having this disease. It helps to reduce the risk by allowing your doctor to find and treat the cancer before it has time to spread and turn into invasive cancer. So what causes cancer of the cervix?

Cervical cancer is when cancer cells develop in the lining of a woman’s cervix. The cervix is the lower part of womb or uterus. African Americans, Native Americans and Hispanic are in the high risk category for this disease. It is also very common in middle age women and older. It does take time for cancer of the cervix to develop which is why early screening is important. When cancer develops normal cells begin to deform and change into cancer cells. They go through a process when the cells are in a precancerous stage and if not treated it changes into cancer. Flat but scaly surface cells line the cervix and this is the most common place that invasive cancer of the cervix develops.

Although the cause of cancer of the cervix is not known there are certain factors that increase the risk of developing this type of cancer. The sexually transmitted disease called human papillomavirus or HPV for short is highly associated with invasive cancer of the cervix. Other factors that increase your chances of developing cancer of the cervix include a history of sexual transmitted diseases, having multiple partners and having sex when very young. Women who smoke double their risk of developing cancer of the cervix. It is very important for a woman to have regular routine exams to help find this condition early so they can receive treatment and prevent invasive cancer of the cervix from developing.

The beginning stages of cancer of the cervix normally do not have any warning signs. In fact, you may feel perfectly fine. The main way to detect this cancer in its early stages is by the annual routine exams. This test will show if precancerous cells are developing. As the cancer progresses you may develop signs such as a vaginal discharge that is yellow and has a noticeable smell. Abnormal vaginal bleeding may occur and you may experience lower back pain, pain during sex and painful urination. If cancer of the cervix is not treated then it will spread to other organs in the surrounding areas. If left untreated to long it can become life threaten and be too late to receive treatment of any value. Once the cancer spreads to vital organs there is not much that can be done therefore, it is imperative that all women receive regular monthly exams.

7 Ways To Prevent Yourself From Ovarian Cancer

2009-07-16T16:48:00.002+01:00

Approximately 25,000 new cases are diagnosed annually. Estimates indicate that 1 in 67 women will develop ovarian cancer in her lifetime. Ovarian cancer accounts for 4.3% of all new cases of cancer. The exact causes of ovarian cancer are not known. However, studies show that the following technique may decrease the chance of developing this cancer.

1. Check yourself carefully when this signs and symptoms that occurs. Most women with ovarian cancer may experience include:

- Persistent indigestion, gas or nausea
- Unexplained changes in bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation
- Changes in bladder habits, including a frequent need to urinate
- Loss of appetite
- Unexplained weight loss or gain
- Increased abdominal girth or clothes fitting tighter around your waist Pain -during intercourse (dyspareunia)
- A persistent lack of energy
- Low back pain

2. Reducing the amount of fat in the diet may lower the risk of developing ovarian cancer. Fruit and vegetable consumption have generally been found in epidemiologic studies to be associated with reduced risk for ovarian cancer.

3. Some studies have shown that taking birth control pills ( oral contraceptives ) with low levels of estrogen and progestin can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. Women who had used any oral contraceptive had a 50 percent reduction in the risk of developing ovarian cancer than women who had never taken the Pill.

4. A history of breast cancer increases a woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer.

5. Women who have never had children are more likely to develop ovarian cancer than women who have had children.

6. Always exercise has the potential to reduce a woman's chances of developing ovarian cancer.

7. If you have a history of ovarian cancer in your family ( especially your mother or sister ) , strongly consider seeing a doctor trained to care for ovarian cancer patients so that you can talk about screening and treatment options while you are disease-free.

How To Test For Cancer - It's Better To Be Safe Than Sorry

2009-07-16T16:47:00.002+01:00

Cancer screening tests are basically attempts to detect cancer at an early stage to increase the chances of a full recovery before it is too late. There are generic cancer tests to detect signs of cancer in your body and other specialized cancer tests to detect specific cancer types. The exact type of cancer tests you should take depends on which cancer risk group you belong to.

What Is My Risk Of Getting Cancer?

There are 3 types of cancer risk groups:

- Low risk ( 20% lifetime risk)

The lifetime risk is the probability of you having a particular type of cancer in your lifetime. When you visit a doctor for cancer screening, you will be classified into one of the groups above according to your gender, age, lifestyle, environment, race and family history of cancer. For example, a man in his fifties who works in a factory, lives in a very polluted city and smokes 10 cigarettes per day may belong to the high risk group. People from different risk groups will have different cancer screening schedules and may start their screening tests at an earlier age or have more frequent tests.

It is important that you look up the cancer screening guidelines of your country to make sure your doctor is planning the right combination of cancer tests. Some tests may not give you all the confirmation you need so having the right tests is critical to detect any signs of cancer as soon as possible. Going through more tests than you need will only result in you spending a lot of unnecessary time and money.

What Are The Cancer Tests I Need To Do?

The tests you will be going through should involve some or all of the following:

- Visual investigation of any lesions on your body, mouth, eyes, genitals, etc.

- Palpation tests to feel for any unusual lumps or tumors in your breasts, prostate, neck and other parts of your body.

- Endoscopy, X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), CT scans, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans or ultrasound scans

- Lab tests like Biological Terraine Assessment (BTA), blood tests, pap smears, Anti-malignin antibody screen (AMAS) or Cancer Marker Tests.

Cancer Can Strike When You Least Expect It

It is important that you follow your cancer screening test schedules religiously to prevent detecting any case of cancer in your body at a later or final stage. Everyone knows that the chances of treating cancer is easier in it's early stages so please do not take the unnecessary risk by being arrogant and lazy about doing your cancer tests. These cancer tests could save you lots of money in the long run and most importantly, they could save your life.

5 Steps In Cancer Diagnosis

2009-07-16T16:46:00.001+01:00

1.X-rays are the most common way doctors made pictures of the inside of the body. In a special kind of x-ray imaging, a CT or CAT scan uses a computer linked to an x-ray machine to make a series of detailed pictures.

2. Endoscopy allows the doctor to look into the body through a thin, lighted tube called an endoscope. The exam is named for the organ involved (for example, colonoscopy to look inside the colon). During the exam, the doctor may collect tissue or cells for closer examination

3. Laboratory tests such as blood and urine tests offer the physician significant data. If cancer is submit, the laboratory job can indicate the effects of the disease on the system. In some cases, particular tests are used to evaluate the sum of sure substances in the blood, urine, and new system fluids, or tumor tissue. The levels of these substances may get irregular when sure kinds of cancer are existing.

4. Biopsy is the simply certain manner to recognize whether the trouble is cancer. In a biopsy, the physician removes a sampling of tissue from the irregular region or may withdraw the entire tumor. A pathologist examines the tissue under a microscope. If cancer is submit, the pathologist can normally say what sort of cancer it is and may be capable to evaluate whether the cells are possible to rise slowly or rapidly.

5. When cancer is found, the patient's doctor needs to know the stage, or extent, of the disease to plan the best treatment. The doctor may order various tests and exams to find out whether the cancer has spread and, if so, what parts of the body are affected. In some cases, lymph nodes near the tumor are removed and checked for cancer cells. If cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes, it may mean that the cancer has spread to other organs.

Can Your Thoughts Cause Cancer?

2009-07-16T16:45:00.004+01:00

If you’ve heard about the movie The Secret, or luckily, already watched it, you know that YOU are the creator of all the occurs in all of your life experience, right?

You create your physical life experience through your thoughts. Literally, every thought that you think gives birth to a creation. EVERY thought has creative power.

The subconscious accepts whatever you pretend is real and will use it to create your outer reality.

The thoughts that you think, regarding those things that you want, set into motion the creation, and eventual fulfillment of that which you want. And likewise, the thoughts that you think, regarding those things that you do not want, set into motion the creation, and eventual fulfillment of that which you do NOT want.

Creative visualization is the technique of using your imagination to create what you want in your life. There is nothing at all new, strange or unusual about creative visualization. You are already using it every day, every minute in fact. It is your natural power of imagination, the basic creative energy of the universe which you use constantly, whether or not you are aware of it.

Spend time thinking of what you want rather than what you don't want and test it. Be careful of this, my friends, because if you envision something quite casually and do it with conviction, even though you may not be sure you want it, it will manifest.

The world of images is the source of power in your physical world. Imagining what you want is like creating a model before you build the real thing. The images direct the energy in your body.

With each breath, with each pulsation of energy, you send out this essence of yourself, which mingles with other essences and creates and re-creates your physical environment. Feel yourself centered within and sending out waves of your energy. See it radiation outward from your physical being and into the environment, where it becomes an extension of yourself.

Realize that the objects you perceive "out there" are the materialization of your thoughts, formed by YOUR energy into symbols of the inner you, your essence, your soul.

You are the creator of everything in your life. Nothing happens that you have not called to you.
Emotions help you create reality. When you believe in something, love, desire, and want it, you can create it more quickly. If there is anything you want to become aware of, focus upon it. Whatever you turn your attention to, you will create.

Life is really very simple. What we give out, we get back. You create creation with the thoughts that you think. The beautiful aspect of this is that it gives us a measure of control of our disease. This is a difficult concept to accept and grasp if you are new to it. It is in fact the miracle which happens in spontaneous remission. The patient uses the power of his thoughts and his beliefs to change the nature and the course of his dis-ease.

You CAN control your thoughts and heal your body heal of cancer.

The Secrets To Healing From Within

2009-07-16T16:45:00.002+01:00

Modern medicine is based upon the notion of battle. We battle germs and fight for life. As soon as we feel pain or discomfort, we immediately try to stop it from happening, look for some way to soothe what we are going through. We feel we must change our illness or problems, overpower them with our expertise. But this leads to a never ending battle, after one problem is conquered, another arises.

Healing from within brings inner peace with it. It arises in a different way. We are taught to stop, pay attention and respect all that comes to us. We do not view pain as bad, as something that must be removed at any cost. Pain arises from lack of balance and brings many messages along with it. When we see our pain as a messenger and learn how to listen to it, healing begins in all kinds of ways.

The first step in healing from within is to see pain as an ally, to learn how to "dialogue" with it. At first this requires a complete turn around. Instead of tensing up and gearing for battle, we learn how to pause and understand there is a lesson that we have to learn. When we do this we find the pain or problem often comes holding a gift in its hands.

Illness often comes when we feel defeated. We may not wish to struggle anymore. Some people become ill when they are overly exhausted. The illness is the only way they can give themselves permission to stop, rest, and make much needed changes in their lives. Each illness has it's own story.

When someone is in physical pain and suddenly understands what is troubling them, the physical pain often subsides. For full healing to take place it may be important to make changes in one's total life. During illness the body is rebelling. It is demanding that we pay attention to all that has been unattended. We may have been pushing ourselves for too long. Now our body is fed up. Stop and listen to me, it pleads. When we learn how to listen and how to reply, an entirely new life begins. Then pain and illness become an opportunity for vital change.

Learning To Listen

We usually listen only to part of ourselves. The rest is rejected. But no matter what we are rejecting, soon or later we must come up against it and face it straight on. Rejecting something over and over never makes it go away. It comes back to you then over and over just to be accepted.. Everything needs to be loved and accepted, including our illness and pain. The best way is to make friends with the pain. If we can relax into it and explore it, many possibilities arise. When we let go, and allow ourselves to listen to what the pain is saying to us. Incredible changes can happen then.

To do this, simply close your eyes, stop fighting, and ask the pain what it is saying to you, what does it need from you right now? Then become very quiet and listen deeply. An answer may not come right away. Patience is needed. Answers come in different ways. Some hear answers within. Others see images, some have dreams. Some sense a new way to deal with the illness. A true exploration begins.
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Exercise: Making Friends with the Pain

Look at your illness. Picture it and give it some kind of shape. What does it look like to you? Describe or draw it. What is this image saying to you about yourself and the life you are leading?

Next, ask the image any questions you may have and let it answer you. (Ask what it wants from you and what it would need to go away). See if you can give it what it needs.

This attitude is called making friends with the pain. When we do this ee become better able to understanding what the true causes are. For example, if we feel that life is meaningless, our bodies can start to express this by shriveling up and dying. If we have held onto difficult attitudes, our bodies will bear the burden of them. Persistent negative attitudes become wounds upon our entire selves.

Our attitudes are messages we give our body. Once we begin the crucial work of taking responsibility for and changing our attitudes, our entire body can begin to experience on-going ease instead of dis-ease. We must look at the basic attitudes we live with and ask ourselves if they are conducive to our health, or do they contain the very seeds of pain?

In order to heal from within, it is essential to change negative attitudes and patterns, to those that are positive and produce well-being. Health comes with learning to say "yes" to all of our experience. Wellness emerges out of the balance and harmony of all parts of ourselves. When we are well, we feel accepting and in harmony with ourselves and the entire world. This state of being brings refreshment and healing day by day.

Cc/Dr. Brenda Shoshanna/2007

Alternative To Chemotherapy

2009-07-16T16:44:00.002+01:00

From the desk of Dr Magne, author of Cancer Free For Life

As I continue my research on alternative ways to heal cancer, I came across a feature on Dr. Ralph Moss, who has written the book, Questioning Chemotherapy, which documents the ineffectiveness of chemotherapy in treating most cancers.

96% to 98% of cancers are not eliminated by chemotherapy. The vast majority of cancers, such as breast, colon, and lung cancer are barely touched by chemotherapy. However, there is another category where chemotherapy has a relatively minor effect--The most "successful" of these is in Stage 3 ovarian cancer, where chemotherapy appears to extend life by perhaps eighteen months, and small-cell lung cancer in which chemotherapy might offer six more months.

Effective cancer treatment is a matter of definition. The FDA defines an "effective" drug as one which achieves a 50% or more reduction in tumor size for 28 days. In the vast majority of cases there is absolutely no correlation between shrinking tumors for 28 days and the cure of the cancer or extension of life.

When the cancer patient hears the doctor say "effective," he or she thinks, and logically so, that "effective" means it cures cancer. But all it means is temporary tumor shrinkage.

Chemotherapy usually doesn't cure cancer or extend life, and it really does not improve the quality of the life either. What patients consider "good quality of life" seems to differ from what the doctors consider. To most it is just common sense that a drug that makes you throw up, and lose your hair, and wrecks your immune system is not improving your quality of life. Chemotherapy can give you life-threatening mouth sores. People can slough the entire lining of the intestines! One longer-term effect is particularly tragic: people who've had chemotherapy no longer respond to nutritional or immunologically-based approaches to their cancers. And since chemotherapy doesn't cure 96% to 98% of all cancers anyway...People who take chemotherapy have sadly lost their chance of finding another sort of cure.

It's especially telling that in a number of surveys most chemotherapists have said they would not take chemotherapy themselves or recommend it for their families. Chemotherapy drugs are the most toxic substances ever put deliberately into the human body. They are known poisons, they are designed poisons. The whole thing began with experiments with "mustard gas," the horrible chemical-warfare agents from World War I.

Dr. Braverman says that there is no solid tumor incurable in 1976 that is curable today. He concluded that chemotherapy overall is ineffective. A recent search turned up exactly zero reviews of his work in American journals, even though it was published in 1990. The belief is that this is not because his work was unimportant--but because it's irrefutable.

So why is chemotherapy still pushed by the large majority of oncologists? There's a tremendous conflict going on in the minds of honest, sensitive, caring oncologists. They're in a very difficult position because they've been trained to give these drugs. They're really in a bind, because they went into oncology to help the cancer patient, yet the tools they've been given don't work.

Personal Belief Systems Determine the Choices You Make

The choices to be made in treating cancer are not easy ones, because there is so little certainty of cure in any of them. The course that someone chooses to take is very personal, and reflects not only that person's knowledge of the options, but also his/her beliefs.

Yet, because we are strongly influenced by our natural fear of death, we lineup for conventional cancer therapy, not so much believing that it will work, but hoping that it will not fail. If expensive, debilitating procedures to eliminate acne scars had the same failure rate as cancer treatment, they would be abandoned. It is only because cancer is so often fatal that conventional approaches were not abandoned long ago. We continue to use them not because they work, but because those who perform them have so vigorously eliminated any other choice.

How To Use Willpower To Cure Cancer

2009-07-16T16:43:00.004+01:00

From the desk of Dr Magne, author of Cancer Free For Life

In the Science of Being Well, Wallace D. Wattles explains how you can use the will to cure yourself of cancer. The will is not used to compel yourself to go when you are not really able to go or to do things when you are not physically strong enough to do them. You do not direct your will upon your physical body or try to compel the proper performance of internal function by will power.

You direct the will upon the mind, and use it in determining what you shall believe, what you shall think, and to what you shall give your attention. The will should never be used upon any person or thing external to you, and it should never be used upon your own body. The sole legitimate use of the will is in determining to what you shall give your attention and what you shall think about the things to which your attention is given.
All belief begins in the will to believe.

You cannot always and instantly believe what you will to believe; but you can always will to believe what you want to believe. You want to believe truth about health, and you can will to do so. The statements you have been reading in this book are the truth about health, and you can will to believe them.

This must be your first step toward getting well. If a person will think only thoughts of perfect health, he must and will cause the internal and involuntary functioning of his body to be the functioning of health, provided that his external and voluntary functioning and attitude are in accordance with his thoughts.

You cannot long have faith in health if you continue to act like a sick person. If you continue to act like a sick person, you cannot help continuing to think of yourself as a sick person. And if you continue to think of yourself as a sick person, you will continue to be a sick person.

The first step toward acting externally like a well person is to begin to act internally like a well person. Form your conception of perfect health, and get into the way of thinking about perfect health until it begins to have a definite meaning to you. Picture yourself as doing the things a strong and healthy person would do, and have faith that you can and will do those things in that way. Continue this until you have a vivid CONCEPTION of health, and what it means to you.

Think of yourself in connection with health until you form a conception of how you would live, appear, act, and do things as a perfectly healthy person.

Think about yourself in connection with health until you conceive of yourself, in imagination, as always doing everything in the manner of a well person - until the thought of health conveys the idea of what health means to you. You can form a conception of yourself as acting like a healthy person.

Remember that the great essential thing is to SEVER ALL MENTAL RELATIONS WITH DISEASE, AND TO ENTER INTO FULL MENTAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HEALTH. This is the KEY to all mental healing; it is the whole thing. Sever relations with disease, and relate fully with health. Disease as an unreal state and you must accept health by faith as a reality.

While there is no healing power in the repetition of strings of words, yet it is a very convenient thing to have the central thoughts so formulated that you can repeat them readily, and so that you can use them as affirmations whenever you are surrounded by an environment which gives you adverse suggestions. When those around you begin to talk of sickness and death, close your ears and mentally assert something like the following:

I know no disease; I am Health.

Exercise your will power in choosing only those thoughts which are thoughts of health, and arrange your environment so that it shall suggest thoughts of health. Do not have about you books, pictures, or other things which suggest death, disease, weakness, or age. Have only those which convey the ideas of health, power, joy, vitality, and youth.

Think of your conception of health, and your gratitude, and affirm as above.

Use your will power to fix your attention upon thoughts of health. Do not try to use your will to compel the healthy performance of function within you.

You can decide what things he will think about.

How Is Prostate Cancer Diagnosed

2009-07-16T16:43:00.002+01:00

From the desk of Dr Magne, author of Cancer Free For Life

The prostate gland is a small, hormone producing organ that encircles the upper part of the urethra. It is only found in men, and is responsible for the creation of certain male hormones. It is vital to proper sexual functioning and to regular bladder control. The prostate gland is necessary in order to survive, reproduce and just live comfortably, making conditions that affect it of the utmost importance.

You may have had a DRE (digital rectal examination) and a blood test for a substance called PSA (prostate specific antigen) to look for signs of cancer. If your PSA result is higher than expected for your age, a more detailed analysis may help determine if it's prostate cancer, or another prostate problem.

Digital rectal examination (DRE)

A digital rectal examination (DRE) is the most common way to screen for prostate cancer. During your annual physical check-up, your doctor places a gloved finger into the rectum to feel the prostate gland. Most prostate cancers develop in the peripheral zone, which is the part of the prostate that lies closest to the rectum. This makes it easy to feel for lumps, irregularities or changes in size or consistency.

A normal prostate feels smooth and rubbery. Abnormalities detected by DRE may suggest a need for more tests.

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test for prostate cancer

The Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test is a blood test to help detect prostate cancer. It measures a substance called prostate specific antigen made by the prostate. It is normal to find small quantities of PSA in the blood but problems with your prostate can cause your PSA level to rise.

PSA levels vary according to age and tend to rise gradually in men as they age . Elevated levels of PSA can be caused by several prostate problems and not necessarily cancer. Sometimes men with prostate cancer still have normal PSA levels. If you have an enlarged prostate that is non-cancerous , your PSA level may also be high.

A number of special tests are usually necessary to confirm a prostate cancer diagnosis. They include:

Biopsy

Cells or tissues are removed from the body and checked under a microscope. If the cells are cancerous, they may be studied further to see how fast they are growing.

There are many ways to do a biopsy. A prostate biopsy is often taken during an ultrasound. Several samples of prostate tissue are removed through the rectum. This is uncomfortable but not painful, and is done with a local anesthetic. The tissue is checked for signs of cancer and to estimate its grade. The grade of a tumour tells you how active or aggressive the tumour is. In prostate cancer the grade is usually described as a Gleason score from 2 to 10. The lower the score the better.

Imaging studies

X-rays, ultrasound, CT scans (computerized axial tomography), MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) and bone scans allow tissues, organs and bones to be examined in more detail. They may be uncomfortable but are usually painless. An ultrasound is typically the only imaging study needed to diagnose prostate cancer.

To stop cancer from ever returning, you must completely stop cancer at its source. Cancer is foremost a psychological disease and its appearance in your body is a sign that at a deep level, your life is not working. Unless you approach and treat ALL the areas of your life, cancer is likely to re-occur.

This article is available for reprint for your website and newsletter, provided that you maintain its copyright integrity and include the signature.

Prostate Cancer -:- Are You At Risk?

2009-07-16T16:42:00.005+01:00

From the office of Dr Magne, author of Cancer Free For Life.

According to current statistics, approximately 1 in 10 men will develop prostate cancer during the course of their lives and it is the second most common cause of cancer death, with lung cancer being the first. Prostate cancer is exceptionally rare in men under 40, but increases sharply in the following years. It’s important to begin understanding prostate cancer so you know what you’re looking at.

This cancer begins in the prostate, which is a small gland about the size of walnut that sits just below the bladder. This gland is specific to men, so women do not need to have any screening or testing done.

Just like most other cancers, DNA defects are central to the development of prostate cancer. Many DNA defects are required before the cancer begins to develop and it is a process that contains many steps and takes place over a long period of time. To learn how you can prevent cancer in your life, read Cancer Free For Life.

Scientists have not yet been able to pinpoint a single, identifiable cause of prostate cancer. Many sources have been singled out as indicators of high risk, including advanced age, a family history of prostate cancer, African-American ancestry, a diet high in fat and high levels of serum testosterone.

One of the biggest problems regarding prostate cancer is that it exhibits nearly no symptoms in its early stages. By the time the disease can be recognized and diagnosed, it is usually past the point of effective treatment using traditional means. Prostate cancer is not sensitive to current chemotherapy regimes.

If the prostate cancer is confined to the gland itself, then it can sometimes be cured by radical surgery and radiotherapy. Of the most commonly used Western treatments radical prostatectomy offers the best hope. Coming with that hope, however, are the risks of intense complications.

Frequently, a prostate cancer tumor can cause lower urinary tract problems such as a poor stream, incomplete emptying of the bladder and straining while urinating. Frequency and urgency of urination is also frequently affected by prostate cancer. Although it isn’t considered common, prostate cancer can also cause bloody urine.
When it spreads, prostate cancer typically spreads to the bony skeleton and the lymph glands of the pelvis. It often metastasizes to the lower spine and pelvic girdle causing backache. Once the lymph glands are affected, it can lead to swelling legs and obstruction of the kidney’s drainage tubes. Occasionally, the prostate cancer can cause renal failure by due to that obstruction.

Because it is such a common disease for men over 40, it is extremely important that all men have yearly examinations once they pass that chronological milestone. The exam may not be the most exciting and fun thing you’ll ever do in your life, but it certainly beats the alternative.

This article is available for reprint for your website and newsletter, provided that you maintain its copyright integrity and include the signature tag.

Spontaneous Healing Of Cancer

2009-07-16T16:42:00.002+01:00

From the desk of Dr Magne, author of Cancer Free For Life

Everyone has the ability to heal. This is built into our physical, emotional, and spiritual natures as human beings. Cancer cells manifest a dysfunction where the only goal is to multiply, unaware that they’re bringing about their own destruction by destroying the organism of which they are a part.

In medical terminology, spontaneous healing of cancer refers to exceptional and unexplained partial or complete disappearance of cancer without medical intervention. Healing is as integral to life as is injury. There is nothing exceptional about a cancer cell reverting to a "normal" non-cancerous behavior. None of us would have been alive if it didn't occur. We all have cancer cells in our body, which get eliminated by a healthy immune system.

Spontaneous healing of cancer is Nature's expression of her willingness to yield its secrets of cancer healing—of how a cancer cell can change its dynamics back to a state of health. It offers a solid base of hope—both for the patient who suffers from cancer and for his physician. It is not an uncommon occurrence. Even if it happened only once, it still firmly establishes the possibility. Spontaneous healing of cancer also opens the door to all non-drug, restorative therapies that are known to facilitate the healing response in the human body.

How rare are spontaneous remissions when defined as tumor regression without chemotherapy? The answer depends on who you ask. Physicians who specialize in non-drug, natural cancer therapies will cite a very large number of cases to support their view that cancer remission without chemotherapy or radiotherapy is not uncommon. Most oncologists will dismiss such claims as blatant lies.

Spontaneous Remission: An Annotated Bibliography lists 1,051 case reports published in peer-reviewed medical literature. Spontaneous healing of cancer is not at all an uncommon event in the experience of pathologists, yet it's a rare pathologist who prepares a formal report for publication of such cases.

Patients whose advanced cancers spontaneously heal challenge the deepest beliefs of most oncologists and radiotherapists. Usually the cancer medical staff dismiss the subject as insignificant and irrelevant to their work. Many patients refuse chemotherapy recommended by oncologists, and months or years later they return to tell of their success with non-drug therapies.

What is spontaneous healing of cancer? It’s a war against cancer that the body's own dynamics, antioxidant defenses and DNA repair enzyme systems wins—it's that simple! Spontaneous healing gives clues to what therapies we might choose to facilitate the healing processes that normally control cancer- and coaxes the errant cells back to a healthful mode. This is the core principle of non-drug therapies for cancer management.

Everyone knows or has heard of people who were expected to die of cancer in several months or a few years but who defied their medical prognostic and underwent spontaneous remission. I know of hundreds of patients who had limited cancers that could be surgically removed, and so had little reason to die of the tumor. Yet, they succumbed quickly. I also know of many patients who lived for decades with cancers that had been originally pronounced terminal. What can one make of such cases?

When you think and feel the thought “I’m happy”, a chemical messenger translates the emotion into a bit of matter precisely attuned to your desire, so that every cell in your body jumps to attention like a good soldier, learns of the happiness and joins in. You have the ability to shift your body from one extreme emotion to the other, and that way affect your physiology.

This is the access to another world that you carry inside you, but is difficult to reach except with the techniques of meditation or hypnotherapy. The body is an image projected by the mind, and in a state of health, the mind keeps this image intact and balanced. However, injury and pain can cause us to withdraw our attention from the affected spot. In that case, the body image starts to deteriorate, its energy patterns energy patterns become impaired, unhealthy. So a healer restores the correct pattern – this is done instantly, on the spot – after which the patient’s own mind takes responsibility for maintaining it that way.

The mind controls the body in uncontrollable ways. You can’t usually stop your heart, or lower your body temperature. Some extremely rare human beings, such as yogis in Tibet, can actually do so in scientific tests. Yet, these are functions regulated by the brain. Consider the reaction to fear: your heartbeat is elevated, you breathe faster. But how does it happen? In your brain, you make a connection between a particular situation and a sense of impending danger to your body. Where does that connection occur but in the brain!

It’s extremely difficult for the Western mind to let go of the stream of consciousness. Meditation is a process where one has to sink up or down, transcending beyond the ordinariness of our everyday thoughts. The results are inconsistent due to the lack of knowledge that our thought processes can vary, from deep to shallow, with completely different results. For healing to occur, it’s necessary to go deep, to contact the hidden blueprint of intelligence to rearrange it, reorganize it. People thoughts’ powers are too weak, and their belief in the effectiveness of the method too superficial.

Leukemia

2009-07-16T16:40:00.001+01:00

All of the different “types” of cancer can be deadly, that’s a given. Even though survival rates tend to be much higher nowadays than they were perhaps twenty years ago, the fact is that a diagnosis of cancer can still be a death sentence and this is especially so when it affects the most vital components of the body.

One such type of cancer that falls into this category is cancer of the blood, more commonly known as leukemia. Many people may not think of it this way, but, in simple terms, blood is the most important tissue of the body.

It is effectively the conduit that connects all the other organs and tissues of the body together, carrying and supplying oxygen and other vital elements to even the remotest parts of the body. Bloods importance to the body cannot be over estimated.

So, the most dangerous feature of leukemia is that is attacks the blood which then has access to all of the bodies other organs, including the all brain, heart, kidneys and liver. Thus, the cancerous cells are spread throughout the body by the very blood that is normally the key to good health, in a leukemia sufferer.

To take this analogy one stage further, blood cancer specifically targets the leukocytes or the “white blood corpuscles” of the blood, which are the very ones that usually protect the body from external infections. Thus, the body’s immunity from, or resistance to, external infections is dramatically reduced in a leukemia sufferer. Such blood cancer causes the body to produce infected and abnormal cells that hinder the function of blood (i.e. the transport of oxygen around the body) rather than helping it.

It is common for a leukemia sufferer to become anemic, and to lose weight, because the cancerous cells are unable to adequately the hemoglobin, the body’s chief source of iron.

As a consequence, the blood cancer patient tends to lose all vitality and energy, and becomes especially vulnerable, because the infected blood tends to cause the brain to start to malfunction to some extent.

Exposure to raised levels of radiation is a prime proven cause of leukemia. Likewise, children born with Downs Syndrome have a raised probability of suffering blood cancer, and benzene (an industrial hydro-carbon) is also cited as a cause.

However, the slightly better news is that the abnormal cells are easily detected under the microscope, and a timely bone marrow examination should confirm these microscopic tests.

Chemotherapy, whilst it can be extremely painful, is nevertheless still the most effective method of killing the cancerous cells, although any patient undergoing such treatment should be prepared to have to ingest an unholy alliance of chemicals that he (or she) needs to take.

Similarly, radiotherapy can be effective also, with various unpleasant side effects, such as hair loss and poor skin quality whilst undergoing treatment.

Although it is undoubtedly one of the most deadly forms of cancer, leukemia is nevertheless treatable and indeed curable, and extensive research into more effective treatment is a constantly ongoing fact.

Methods like a bone marrow transplant, which may be required at a later stage, are also effective in treating the patient.

Coffee-The Cure For Cancer?

2009-07-16T16:39:00.002+01:00

Caffeine, the chemical stimulant in coffee and tea, has been found to lower the risk of skin cancer in laboratory mice.

A study suggests that a skin lotion spiked with caffeine or with another compound found in green tea can reduce by more than half the number of cancer tumors on the skin of hairless mice exposed to brutal levels of ultraviolet radiation, said Dr. Allan Conney, a professor of cancer and leukemia research at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.

"We had between 50 to 70 percent tumor formation inhibition in the mice that were treated with caffeine or with EGCG (the other chemical compound)," said Conney, senior author of a study appearing this week in the online site of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers in the United States. The American Academy of Dermatology estimates about a million cases will be diagnosed in the country this year. Among them will be more than 88,000 new cases of melanoma, the disease's deadliest form. Skin cancer generally is curable by cutting, burning or freezing the tumor cells, but untreated it can be deadly.

To test effects of caffeine on skin cancer, Conney and his colleagues exposed 90 mice to high levels of ultraviolet radiation twice a day for 20 days. They used a strain of animals, called hairless mice, commonly used for skin cancer studies.

After the mice got their UVB doses, the animals were divided into three groups. One group were slathered daily with a solution of acetone and caffeine. Another group received acetone and EGCG. The third group got skin applications of acetone only. Acetone is an organic solution often used on the skin.

At the end of 18 weeks, the three groups of mice were killed, and the level of skin tumor formation was analyzed.

Conney said mice in all three groups developed malignant skin tumors, called squamous cell carcinomas, but the number of tumors per mouse was reduced by 72 percent in those treated with caffeine and by 66 percent among those treated with EGCG, compared to the controls treated only with acetone.

The treated mice also had fewer nonmalignant, sunlight-related tumors, said Conney. Compared to the control group of mice, the mice treated with caffeine had 44 percent fewer nonmalignant tumors, the EGCG group 55 percent fewer, he said.

Conney said that although both compounds were effective in lower tumor risk, caffeine has an advantage because it is chemically more stable than EGCG.

Unlike sun screen lotions, which protect against skin cancer by preventing the skin from absorbing ultraviolet rays from the sun, the caffeine's cancer protection works in the cells after exposure to the ultraviolet rays. Rays from the sun can cause genetic changes in the skin that can lead to skin cancer. Conney said caffeine apparently blocks this action by causing abnormal cells to kill themselves, a type of programed cell suicide that prevents development of abnormal growths.

"This is not a sunscreening effect," said Conney. "It is a biological effect."

He said the caffeine acts selectively, causing the abnormal cells to die but not affecting the normal cells.

Caffeine, heavily consumed in coffee, tea and some cola drinks, has been shown in other studies to prompt mental alertness in many people. Some studies have suggested caffeine aggravates symptoms of menopause or intensifies the side effects of some antibiotics. Heavy caffeine use has been linked to miscarriage. Some studies also have suggested that some people can become addicted to caffeine and can experience headaches and other symptoms when deprived of their morning coffee or cola.

Dr. Darrell Rigell, a professor of dermatology at New York University and an expert spokesman for the American Academy of Dermatology, said research like Conney's is needed badly because "skin cancer is a major problem. I hope this treatment can prove itself, because there are more skin cancers than all other cancers combined in the U.S."

He said there is a need for a "morning-after" treatment for skin cancer, a therapy that would reduce cancer risk after excessive sun exposure.

Rigell said that although hairless mice are commonly used for such research, "there is really no good animal model for skin cancer. The hairless mouse is the best of a bunch of bad choices" for testing skin cancer compounds in the laboratory.

As a result, he said, "a lot of things that work in mice cannot be extrapolated to humans."

He said other treatments that showed promise in mice have often failed when tried on humans.

Conney said the next step in studying the topical effects of caffeine will be to use the solution on people who are highly susceptible to skin cancer — people who have a precancerous condition or who already have had skin cancer.

Brain Tumours and Their Complementary Treatments

2009-07-13T21:32:00.004+01:00

What It Is Brain tumours are slightly different from other forms of cancer in that there are over 100 types of different tumour. Some of these are malign, whilst some of them can be malignant.

Like all cancers, a brain tumour occurs due to an abnormal growth of cells. Brain tumours can affect any part of the brain, and can also be found on the inside of the skull.

They can also consist of primary tumours (tumours which start in the brain) and secondary tumours (tumours which have started in another part of body and have spread to the brain).

Causes of Brain Tumours

All cancers are essentially caused by a number of factors, and we know that toxins in the body, oxygen deprivation, an acidic pH balance and a weak immune system can all be to blame.

However, when it comes to brain tumours we know that there are a few specific factors that can lead to their formation. Generally, brain tumours are more common in older people, although they can occur in people of all ages. As well as that, a history of cancer in the family will make it more likely to become victim to a brain tumour. Although less likely, radioactivity has also been proven to influence the growth of brain tumours.

Brain Tumour Symptoms

There are countless symptoms associated with brain tumours. The most common symptom by far is a headache or a series of headaches. Headaches can be particularly painful, or they can seem quite normal. Most people visit the doctor when they have suddenly started experiencing headaches with greater frequency or intensity.

As well as headaches, other common symptoms include nausea, dizziness, fits, memory loss and drowsiness. An increase in the pressure in the head, known as raised ICP, is another common symptom. This is caused by a brain tumour growing and putting pressure on the inside of the head. However, we should clarify that all of these symptoms can be symptoms of less serious conditions, so although they should be checked out, none of them should cause undue alarm.

Conventional Treatments

The type of treatment required depends on the stage of the brain tumour. Surgery is often required to remove the tumour, but this will be dictated by the position of the tumour. Sometimes the tumour can be too near to a very sensitive area and it can therefore be too risky. If it is not possible to remove the whole tumour then sometimes only a part of it is removed, but this can still help.

Surgery can be very risky, and it can also lead to infection and bleeding in some cases. Due to the proximity of the surgery area to crucial parts of the nervous system, it can also lead to partial paralysis of the face and vision loss.

Radiation and chemotherapy are also options when it comes to treating brain tumours, but these come with harsh side effects including loss of hair, drowsiness and nausea.

Radiosurgery is also used to treat brain tumours. This involves directing powerful beams of radiation directly at the tumours, killing them without damaging the rest of the surrounding area. However, this can also lead to headaches and fatigue.

As all treatments can sometimes lead to problems with speech, thought and vision, they may often require some sort of follow-up treatment as well as the initial treatment.

Alternative and Complementary Treatments

One of the most effective alternative treatments that we know of is actually one of the simplest, and it comes in the form of a diet. The Budwig Diet is a specially-formulated diet designed specifically to beat cancer in a natural but powerful way, with no side effects.

This diet is based on the principle that all cancer cells, including those in brain tumours, require glucose in order to grow. By reducing the amount of glucose in the blood, the cancerous cells cannot grow. This therefore requires the patient to reduce their sugar intake completely, preventing the cancer cells from growing and strengthening the immune system at the same time to fight them.

The Budwig Diet is one of the most effective alternative therapies, but we can also recommend a number of other alternative treatments that can be used to treat brain tumours. One of the most effective is known as bio-photonic light treatment. This is when natural UV rays are used to target the cancer cells directly, killing them over a period of treatment with no damage to the rest of the body.

High body-temperature therapy is another of the most effective alternative treatments that sees high success rates. This involves the heating of the body to produce a special type of sweat that is packed full of harmful toxins. Reducing the level of toxins in the body provides a completely natural way to treat the cancer.

But there are many more types of alternative therapies for brain tumours, including emotional healing, SCIO therapies, ultra sound and massage therapy. These can all be used alongside the Budwig Diet, and due to their natural properties there is no limit on which types of treatment can be used alongside each other to increase the chances of destroying the cancer.

The Importance Of Annual Prostate Cancer Screenings

2009-07-13T21:32:00.002+01:00

When September rolls around, people often think about the beginning of school and fall, but a select few may remember that September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer affects one in six men, with skin cancer being the leading cause of cancer-related death. As a preventative measure, men should get checked annually for prostate cancer. Fortunately, prostate cancer treatment is available and the cancer is curable if detected early.

When Should I Get Checked for Prostate Cancer?

An annual physical examination can help detect the symptoms of prostate cancer in men. It is suggested that all men age 50 and above have an annual prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal exam (DRE). If your father or brother has prostate cancer, you may want to consider getting tested before the age of 50.

Listed below are the most common symptoms of prostate cancer. There are no specific warning signs or symptoms of early prostate cancer, which is why annual prostate screening is so important.

Symptoms of Prostate Cancer:

- Weak or interrupted flow or urine
- Urinating often (especially at night)
- Difficulty urinating or holding back urine
- Pain or burning when urinating

Other Symptoms of Prostate Cancer:

- Blood in the urine or semen
- Pain in the back, hips or pelvis
- Difficulty having an erection

Remember, the symptoms of prostate cancer may resemble other conditions or medical problems, so consult your physician for a diagnosis. Your physician will also be able to answer any questions about prostate cancer and discuss prostate cancer treatment options.

Why You Should Get Tested for Prostate Cancer Annually:

The majority of men diagnosed with prostate cancer had no symptoms when prostate cancer was first detected. An annual PSA blood test can detect prostate cancer quickly. Even if your PSA levels are normal (e.g., below 4) an increase in your PSA levels can help detect prostate cancer in its early stages.

What Is a PSA Test?

A PSA test is a blood test that detects the amount of prostate-specific antigens (a protein) in the blood. As the prostate enlarges, more of this protein is produced and the increase is detected by the test. During a PSA test, a nurse or doctor takes a sample of blood from your arm and sends it to a lab for analysis. After the test, you will receive a copy of the results with your PSA levels.

A high PSA level may indicate prostate cancer. However, any activity that irritates the prostate may also cause PSA levels to rise.

Causes of an Elevated PSA:

- Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), an enlarged prostate
- Prostatis, a condition where the prostate becomes inflamed due to an infection
- A Prostate Biopsy
- Recent Ejaculation
- Bicycle Riding

Information about PSA:

- According to the American Cancer Society, a PSA level between 4 and 10 may indicate prostate cancer. If this is the case, prostate cancer surgery and radiation are treatment options.
- PSA is measured by nanograms per millimeter of blood.
- PSA is released into the blood by the prostate gland.
- PSA is common in semen.

The most common symptoms of prostate cancer are urinary problems, which include the need to urinate often, trouble urinating and the decreased force in the stream of urine. Other indicators include blood in the urine or in semen as well as frequent pain in the lower back and hips. However, the best way to detect prostate cancer early is by getting an annual PSA test.

Prostate cancer affects more than 186,000 American men each year. Remember the importance of having your doctor check for prostate cancer before you develop any symptoms. If you have any concerns or questions, talk to your doctor. Men diagnosed with prostate cancer have many treatment options, and the sooner you get treated, the sooner you can recover.

Breast Cancer Stages

2009-07-13T21:31:00.002+01:00

Breast Cancer Stages: Importance of Knowing Breast Cancer Stages

Determining the breast cancer stages is important since it enables the patient and doctor to identify the treatment necessary for one’s condition. Also, it is essential in assessing the risk of the given condition and what lifestyle changes the patient can do to improve their health.

Identifying A Breast Cancer's Stage

When talking about breast cancer stages, it is aimed at describing the extent of the cancer in the body. So, if you ask how a breast cancer is staged, doctors often start to classify whether it is invasive or non-invasive. Other factors considered are the tumor size, number of nymph modes involved, and what other parts of the body it has managed to affect.

Determining a cancer's stage is helpful during prognosis and deciding on a treatment option.

To determine the stage, a few standard procedures are done by the doctor on a patient. They undergo physical exam and biopsy to acquire the data needed by the doctor for the diagnosis.

If needed, further tests are also conducted such as imaging tests that include x-ray, bone scans, mammograms for the breasts, CT scans, positron emission tomography (PET), and magentic resonance imaging.

What Are the Breast Cancer Stages?

Now that the importance of determining the different breast cancer stages have been clarified, as well as the methods used to identify them, it is now time to move on to discussing each of the stages. Take note of the features and extent of the cancer in each of the stages:

Breast Cancer Stage 0

This stage renders the case of breast cancer to be non-invasive. At this point of the breast cancer, cancer or non-cancerous cells cannot be detected yet.

The abnormal cells are still at the stage wherein they try to spread out within the specific part of the breast where the cells are rooted. Also, they can try to expand on the neighboring tissues as the cancerous cells continue to grow.

Breast Cancer Stage I

Once the breast cancer enters this stage, it is now categorized as an invasive type of breast cancer. Meaning, the cancer cells have now worked their way towards the neighboring tissues. Stage I breast cancer also exhibit the following characteristics:

• The cancerous tumor has reached the size of 2 centimeters.

• No lymph modes are affected.

Breast Cancer Stage II

For this particular stage of breast cancer, it is also known as an invasive type of cancer and is broken down into two more categories:

1) Stage IIA

Even in this particular stage, the conditions can be different:

• A tumor does not exist in the breast but cancerous cells are detected in the lymph nodes.

• A tumor could exist but measures less than 2 centimeters;

• The tumor has expanded beyond 2 centimeters but less than 5 centimeters without reaching the lymph nodes.

2) Stage IIB

This invasive level of the cancer are recognized as either one of the following:

• The tumor exceeds 2 centimeters in size but less than 5 centimeters, while also reaching the lymph nodes.

• The tumor is more than 5 centimeters in size but has not yet reached the axillary lymph nodes.

Breast Cancer Stage III

1) Stage IIIA

In this stage, the tumor could either be detected or not. Aside from the axillary lymph nodes, cancer can also stick to other structures outside of the lymph nodes and become clumped together.

2) Stage IIIB

In this stage, the tumor can grow in size and affect other areas of the body outside of the actual breast, whether th chest wall or skin of the breast. This is the stage wherein inflammatory breast cancer takes place.

3) Stage IIIC

In some cases, sign of breast cancer might not be detectable yet. However, the tumor could already be spreading towards the breast skin, chest wall, and below your collarbone.

Breast Cancer Stage IV

In this level, the cancerous cells have managed to spread to various organs of the body. Therefore, the cancer is no longer restricted on the breast and lymph nodes, which signifies the initial diagnosis of breast cancer. The reason why diagnosis is done only during this stage is because cancerous cells were not detected while still within the breast.

Recognizing breast cancer stages does more than just identifying treatment options, but also enables doctors and patients to understand the developmental pattern of the disease.

Types of Thyroid Cancer Explained

2009-07-13T21:30:00.004+01:00

Thyroid cancer is one of the less common types of cancer to be diagnosed and, for most people who contact it, with treatment, the prospects of recovery are very good.

Many people discovering a lump in their thyroid region perhaps automatically fear that this might indicate cancer but most estimates reckon that only about 5% of all thyroid lumps are actually cancerous. Women are more at risk of thyroid cancer than men, with the highest chance of having the problem being between the ages of 30 and 55, before it decreases somewhat. The risk for men increases with age, until the age of about 75.

The four different types of thyroid cancer are papillary thyroid cancer, follicular thyroid cancer and the less common medullary and anaplastic tumours. Papillary cancer, the most common type, is also the one most likely to appear in people in the younger age bracket. Follicular cancer is more probable in older people. Medullary cancer can sometimes be genetically inherited so, if there is a family history of this problem,
regular check ups and blood tests are a good idea. Anaplastic tumours, the rarest type of thyroid cancer, are more common in elderly patients and can develop more quickly than other types, whilst also sometimes being difficult to treat. In addition, it is possible that a person could develop a lymphoma of the thyroid, but this is even more uncommon.

There is no indication whatsoever that having an overactive or underactive thyroid can increase the risks of thyroid cancer. However, it has been estimated that approximately 1 in 5 cases of thyroid cancer do actually
occur in people who, in the past, have had nodules, goitres or inflammation of the thyroid. This is particularly evident amongst people who have had nodules at a younger age.

Other possible people at more risk of thyroid cancer appear to be those who have had radiotherapy in the neck; been exposed to radiation in their work; suffer from the bowel disorder known as Familial Adenomatous Polyposis; have low iodine levels; have recently had babies or are going through the menopause.

Research studies, however, indicate that by far the largest contributory factor towards thyroid cancer appears to be an unhealthy diet. It appears that eating refined rather than unrefined carbohydrates leads to a higher risk of the problem developing. Eating good amounts of vegetables, containing Vitamins C and E, and avoiding too much butter, cheese and red meat seems to be a way of trying to avoid thyroid cancer.

Dependent upon the type of cancer you have, your age, fitness levels and general health and how far your cancer has developed, your specialist doctor will decide upon the requisite treatment for you. Predominantly, surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and occasionally hormone therapy are used.

Surgery can involve either a partial or total thyroidectomy - removal of the thyroid gland. Mostly, doctors prefer the total thyroidectomy as it stops the cancer from possibly returning, although it means the patient
will require thyroid hormone tablets afterwards.

The radiotherapy used in thyroid cancer treatment is a targeted radiotherapy employing a radioactive form of iodine which can specifically target and destroy the cancer cells. There are generally very few side effects to this treatment. Radiotherapy is sometimes used after surgery to help prevent the return of the cancer or to treat cancer that has returned despite previous treatment. Chemotherapy, much less commonly used, is employed to treat advanced or returning cancers.

It needs to be re-emphasised, though, that not only is thyroid cancer quite rare but also, especially with early diagnosis and treatment, the fact is that many people are successfully and completely cured of it.

What You Need to Know About Colon Cancer

2009-07-13T21:30:00.002+01:00

Colon cancer, also known as Colorectal Cancer or Rectal Cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer found in men and women in the United States. It is estimated that this year there will be approximately 108,070 new cases of Colon cancer and 41,000 new cases of rectal cancer in the United States. These cases will result in approximately 49,960 deaths.

Colon Cancer is cancer of the large intestine (colon), which is the lower part of the digestive system; it also includes rectal cancer which is cancer in the last 6 inches of the colon. This is where food is processed to create energy for the body. It is also where the body disposes of solid waste matter. After food is swallowed it is deposited in the stomach where it is broken down. It then travels into the small intestine where it is broken down further and the nutrients are absorbed into the body. The food is then feed into the large intestine (colon) which absorbs more nutrients and water from the food and stores any waste matter. The waste matter then passes through the Rectum, which is the last 6 inches of the colon, before being expelled from the anus. There are several layers of tissues that line the walls of the colon and rectum. It is in these layers of tissues that Colorectal cancer starts. The cancer begins in the inner layer and spreads outwards. The stage of the cancer therefore depends on how deep it extends into these layers. There is no single cause of colon cancer, nearly all colon cancers usually begin as small, benign groups of cells called polyps. These Polyps may be large or small and depending on size produce maybe produce little or no symptoms. These Polyps eventually may develop into cancer.

The exact cause of Colon cancer is unknown, however there are certain known factors that can increase you risk of cancer. These include: age, genetics, ethnic background, dieting exercise, smoking, and diabetes. Colon cancer is dangerous because it often has no symptoms. The following symptoms however, may indicate Colon cancer: Abdominal pain and tenderness, blood in the stool, Change in bowel habits, intestinal obstruction, unexplained weight loss, or unexplained anemia.

Due to increased and improved Screening techniques Colorectal cancer cases and deaths have been declining for about the last 15 years. With proper screening polyps are usually found and removed before they become cancerous. Colorectal cancer can also be found at earlier stages where it is more easily treated.

Colorectal cancer screenings are tests that look for Colorectal cancer in patients who do not have any symptoms. These tests can detect colorectal cancers at very early stages which dramatically raise the chances of successful treatment. Certain screenings are also able to detect polyps in the colon which maybe become cancerous. The two most common tests are the Flexible Sigmoidoscopy (flex-sig) and the Colonoscopy. The Flexible Sigmoidoscopy is a flexible lighted tube which is about .5 inches thick. The tube is about 2 feet long and when inserted rectally it allows the doctor to examine the bottom half of the colon for cancer or polyps. If an adenoma polyp or Colorectal cancer is found you will need a Colonoscopy to check the rest of the colon. In a Colonoscopy a longer version of a sigmoidoscope is used which then allows the doctor to check the entire colon for cancer or polyps. With either test if Polyps are found they may be removed during the test.

Many treatment choices are available for Colorectal cancer. These treatments include: Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or other targeted therapies using monoclonal antibodies. Different therapies may also be combined depending on the stage of the cancer.

What Are Causes and Treatment of Leukemia Cancer?

2009-07-13T21:27:00.001+01:00

Leukemia leads to a reduction of white blood cells in the body system. Leukemia can thus be treated by way of ensuring that the body increases the White blood cells count. Leukemia can also be treated just by use of the same methods as used to treat cancer.

Chemotherapy is one such way, though this may take too much time. In fact, treatment using this method can take a period of not less than two years. Another way of treating the condition is by fixing the bone marrow problem. This method is expensive and is done in very few countries since it involves use of sophisticated instruments and highly experienced medics.

Replacement of the infected bone marrow with a healthy one is what it entails. A radiation therapy is also recommended though this has to go hand in hand with chemotherapy. Radiation entails giving doses of x-ray for a couple of months.
In cases where there is overproduction of White blood cells, there may be some blood infections. This may lead to blood disorders, and hence become necessary to use antibiotics to fight the problem.

If leukemia is at early stages, one can prolong survival with active immunotherapy. This is however still being experimented, as it is reported by Leukemia Society of America. Leukemia is actually a chronic problem and its treatment is not a matter of a short duration of time. Patience is thus of paramount importance. Cases of complete eradication using the above mentioned methods have been reported worldwide.

Symptoms of Leukemia

Leukemia is a disease that has claimed many people worldwide. It is a disease that can affect anyone irrespective of race, sex, color or age. Medics say that it is a bone marrow disease, but is also said to affect other parts of the human body. Just like most other diseases, Leukemia may have specific symptoms that doctors can use to identify a person suffering from it.

The most common symptom of Leukemia is body fever. Fever is a condition of feeling uncomfortable with the body temperature. It is a condition evident when somebody has Malaria, Flu, Typhoid, etc. Another symptom is body weaknesses that appear so exaggerated. This can be felt for a longer duration of time with no apparent cause.

A patient may also have the problem of not wanting to be engaged in strenuous physical exercises, and you may find the body becoming intolerant to activity. The fourth obvious symptom is the exaggerated abdominal pain. This is where one just feels uneasy even standing or seated.

Longer period of Leukemia will also resort to the loss of weight. Since Leukemia is a sort of cancer, the fat in the body may be eaten up or the system of converting body energy to fat may be tampered with. The other top symptom of anemia is enlargement of the lymph nodes, spleen, and/or liver The body may also experience intense tiredness that even movement is much of a bother. There may also be a noticeable bleeding of the abdomen. The body is also prone to infections because the white blood cells are weak.
Excessive bruising is also very evident.

How Many People Die of Cancer Each Year

2009-07-12T13:41:00.000+01:00

Did you know that today, ever 4 Americans, there is one diagnosed with cancer? In 2008, there are about 565,650 Americans expected to die of cancer. Every day, 1500 people lives are taken by cancer. It is accounted for 1 of every 4 deaths. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart diseases, and if current trends continue and we don’t do anything about it, it is expected to be the leading cause of death by the year 2010.

People are waking up to this scary fact. More are becoming aware of what leads to cancer and are taking steps to prevent it from developing by making adjustment to their lifestyle. The other good news is that early detection, diagnosis and treatment have improved the odds dramatically. In 1995, over 50% of cancer patients survived five years or more after diagnosis and treatment. The American Cancer Society estimates that an additional 25-30% of all cancer deaths could be prevented with earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Cancer is identified by uncontrolled cell division and cell death caused by cumulative damage to important regulatory genes. Generally, multiple genes must be damaged for a cancer to grow and to develop the capacity to spread, also known as metastasis. Cancers that seem to run in families may be hereditary or may signify similar family environmental exposure to substances that cause cell damage such as polluted air, water, soil and to radiation. Cancer can occur in many areas of the body and behaves differently depending on its types and origin. Cancer is caused by both external factors (tobacco, chemicals, radiation and infectious organisms) and internal factors (inherited mutations, hormones, immune conditions, and mutations that occurs from metabolism). It often takes ten or more years from exposure to external factors and a detectable cancer.

Even chlorinated municipal water can cause cancer. Chlorine treated water contains chemical compounds called trihalomethanes, which are carcinogens (cancer causing agents) resulting from the combination of chlorine and organic compounds in water. These chemicals do not degrade very well and are generally stored in the fatty tissues of the body (the breasts, other fatty areas, mothers’ milk, blood and semen), they can cause mutations by altering DNA, suppress immune system function and interfere with the natural controls of cell growth. Several studies also link chlorine and chlorinated by-products to a greater incidence of bladder, breast and bowel cancer as well as malignant melanoma. One study even links the use of chlorinated tap water to congenital cardiac anomalies.

If your family history shows that certain diseases have occurred repeatedly in the past, you must be diligent about getting regular screening examinations for these diseases. Check with your doctor for more information about evaluations or cancer screenings.

The best advice to lower cancer risk: Change bad habits and live healthfully. Quit smoking, exercise regularly, learn to manage stress, eat foods that help build your body’s defenses against cancer. Remove chlorine or chloramine and other contaminants from water before drinking or cooking. Take vitamin and mineral supplements. And most importantly, see your physician for regular testing and health screenings.

Fight Cancer Naturally With Vitamins and Herbs

2009-07-12T13:39:00.000+01:00

Cervical Cancer and Its Complementary Treatments

2009-07-12T13:37:00.000+01:00

Rob Griggs

What It Is

The cervix is an organ that is only present in women, and connects the uterus to the vagina. When cells in the cervix start to undergo abnormal changes, known as pre-cancerous changes, then this can represent the early stages of cervical cancer.

There are two types of cervical cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Of these, we know that the vast majority of cases are squamous cell carcinomas. Cervical cancer can be picked up early and prevented from occurring through regular screening, which is recommended for women of all ages.

Causes of Cervical Cancer

We should make it clear that, as with all cancers, cervical cancer is caused by factors such as a weak immune system, an acidic pH balance, oxygen deprivation and toxins in the body. However, it is also commonly caused by certain types of HPV (human papilloma virus). Some of these can cause genital warts and, as such, cervical cancer can arise as a result of a sexually transmitted infection.

Smoking is also known to lead to cervical cancer, and we know that a combination of an HPV and smoking, or an HPV and another sexually transmitted disease, can lead to a greater level of risk.

Cervical Cancer Symptoms

The most common symptom for cervical cancer, and the one that sends most women to the doctor in the first place, is abnormal vaginal bleeding. This could include bleeding outside of the regular period, bleeding after the menopause or any other type of bleeding.

Pain during sexual intercourse is also known to be a symptom, as is bleeding directly after intercourse. Pain related to sex is known as dyspareunia in the medical community.

Conventional Treatments

If the cancer is confined to the outside layer of the cervix, then we have the option of a number of surgery treatments that can be completed to remove the affected cells. The most common include laser surgery, which kills the cancerous cells using a laser beam; cryosurgery, which is the killing of cancerous cells through freezing; and a cone biopsy, which is when a piece of cervical tissue affected by the cancer is completely removed.

These procedures are fine if the cancer is in its early stages, but if the cancer is invasive and has managed to get inside the outer layer, then a hysterectomy is the most common form of surgery. This could either be a simple hysterectomy or a radical hysterectomy, which is more serious. However, both involve the removal of the uterus, making it impossible to become pregnant.

Chemotherapy and radiation are also commonly used if the cancer has spread, but we would warn you that these include a lot of unpleasant side effects, including hair loss, weakness and nausea.

Alternative and Complementary Treatments

Due to the nature of the side effects associated with conventional treatments, many people opt instead for alternative treatments, which have very few, if any, side effects and provide a far more natural way to cure different types of cancer.

We can recommend the Budwig Diet as one of the most effective alternative therapies in combating any type of cancer, including cervical cancer. This special diet, administered under the guidance of trained experts, has at its heart a very simple idea which has proved time and time again to be a powerful anti-cancer treatment.

The basic premise of this completely natural alternative treatment is that in order to grow, cancer cells require glucose. The Budwig Diet aims to reduce the amount of glucose in the blood through reducing the amount of sugar in the diet of the cancer patient, and is one of the most effective alternative treatments. However, some programmes go even further and recommend the complete absence of sugar from the diet. This leads to the body using less insulin, and the cancer cells therefore cannot grow.

The Budwig Diet should be specially administered, but at its heart it is a diet rich in raw vegetables, which prevents sugars from being consumed. The immune system also strengthens as a result, allowing the body to fight the weakened cancer cells more effectively.

As well as the Budwig Diet, we can also recommend a number of other alternative therapies which aim to combat cancerous cells in the body. These consist of emotional healing, which is the balancing of the meridian through the increasing of inner strength; biophotonic light therapy, which is the targeting of cancer cells using completely natural UV rays; massage therapy, which is the use of different types of massage to stimulate the circulation of energy; and techniques such as using SCIO Energetic Frequency Equipment, which aims to destroy the cancer cells through mechanical vibration.

2009-07-11T14:05:00.001+01:00

Natural Cures for Cancer – Helps to Prevent Cancer Risk

Phytochemicals are chemicals found in plants that protect plants against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Eating large amounts of brightly colored fruits and vegetables (yellow, orange, red, green, white, blue, purple), whole grains/cereals, and beans containing phytochemicals may decrease the risk of developing certain cancers as well as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. The action of phytochemicals varies by color and type of the food. They may act as antioxidants or nutrient protectors, or prevent carcinogens (cancer causing agents) from forming.
Limit consuming food cooked with high temperature and long time or by certain process that cause procarsinogen such as food which is salted, smoked, roasted till burn so that it produces polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ( PAH ). Boiled food is good.

One glass of milk contains 100 IU of Vitamin D. Other food source includes fatty fish and egg yolks. The author of this study recommended taking 1000 IU of active form Vitamin D, i.e. D3 supplement daily. He also suggested that our skin can produce 2,000 to 5,000 IU of vitamin D when we spend 10 to 15 minutes in the sun on a sunny day without sunscreen if 40% of the body is exposed. However exposure to the sun without sunscreen is not recommended in light of skin cancer issues.
Men who eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in fat, may have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. Studies are being done to further research this protective factor.
Healthy cells that make up the body's tissues grow, divide, and replace themselves on a regular basis. Sometimes old cells do not die when they should or may be damaged. Normally, the body repairs or destroys such cells. Sometimes, these cells may grow out of control. This causes growths or tumors to form. Tumors can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).
Screening for prostate cancer is controversial. There are two types of screening tests are available to screen for prostate cancer: digital rectal exam and prostatic specific antigen blood test. Each test can produce false results. This can lead to unnecessary treatment, which can be harmful. Research is being done to determine the best method of screening for prostate cancer. Talk with your doctor about what is best for you.

Sauté two cloves of crushed garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then mix in a can of low-sodium, diced tomatoes. Stir gently until heated and serve over whole wheat pasta. We already mentioned the benefits of garlic. The lycopene in the tomatoes protects against colon, prostate, and bladder cancers; the olive oil helps your body absorb the lycopene; and the fiber-filled pasta reduces your risk of colon cancer. As for the benefits of all of these ingredients together: They taste great!
Eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day as part of a healthy diet can help to reduce your risk of some cancers. We’ve got some top tips for getting your five a day and details on what counts as a portion.

Leafy green vegetables and other green vegetables, such as asparagus, brussels sprouts, and green beans are good sources. Yellow-orange vegetables and fruits, such as carrots and sweet potatoes, and apricots and pineapples, are also good sources. If you're not a huge vegetable eater, try fruits, such as lemons, oranges, and grapefruit, or drink juices from these fruits.
With the increasing focus on greenhouse gases, carbon emissions, and other types of pollution, we now have a much greater understanding of how our lifestyles endanger the planet. However, equally as frightening, is that many of these environmental concerns have an immediate impact on our health.
Keep to a low-fat diet of no more than 30 grams of fat a day. This helps you maintain a balanced diet that also keeps your weight in check. We store estrogen in our body fat, so the less extra fat we carry around, the better!

2009-07-11T14:04:00.000+01:00

Never Give Up! Don’t Let Statistics Rob Your Hope And Joy

When a child is first diagnosed with a medical condition, especially a life-threatening one, the first question many parents understandably ask is, “How long does my child have to live?” Medical professionals respond by quoting the statistics.

Statistically, all illnesses have a somewhat predictable course or an “average life expectancy.” But statistics based on the group norms may be very misleading and even disabling when applied to individual children. It’s very hard to predict who will be among the many who “beat the odds.”

Historically, medical professionals have been known to advise parents of children with cystic fibrosis not to worry about saving for their children’s college education. And parents have been known to lower their expectations concerning their children’s performance in school, sports, or other important matters relating to the future and living a “normal” life.

This lowering of expectations, with its suggestion of a “What’s the use?” attitude does a great disservice to children. It encourages them to become both entitled and to feel hopeless within themselves. Achievement and self-image both suffer.

The average life expectancy for many diseases is increasing at a fairly rapid rate due to medical advances. What might be an accurate statistic today probably won’t be tomorrow. While it is important to understand the statistics, it is not helpful to be governed by them. The Nash family knew this to be true:

When Liz was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in 1973, her parents were told not to expect her to graduate from high school. She did much more than that. Liz earned a PhD in molecular genetics, interned at Johns Hopkins University and went on to become a research scientist in CF. She also volunteered as a mentor to teens with CF, who struggled with thoughts about their future and medical compliance.

Liz was optimistic, enthusiastic, and passionate about her life’s work and interests. She shunned the limitations imposed by CF. As captain of her college ski team she refused to give up the sport when oxygen became necessary. She simply skied with a backpack filled with portable oxygen tanks.

As an inspiring individual, Elizabeth Nash was selected to carry the 2002 OlympicTorch through Union Square in San Francisco. Liz died at nearly 33, well past her “statistical average” at the time but her spirit lives on as her example and courage continue to bring hope to many.

With many medical conditions, there is a strong correlation between good self-care and longevity. Parents can use statistics to inspire hope and spark an “I can beat this” attitude. Parents who give off positive, “we can beat this” vibes generally raise kids with the same determined spirit. We have met many CF parents and their children who demonstrate this indomitable and inspiring attitude.

In summary, wise parents handle statistics and medical predictions by:

• Emphasizing that significant medical progress is being made in almost all areas, and that health and longevity are increasing for almost all illnesses.

• Realizing that for all individuals, the future is unknown. Many lives are shortened by unexpected illness and traumatic events.

• Encouraging their children to believe that they have every chance of being one of those children “who fall on the high side of the bell curve because you take such good care of yourself.”

• Understanding that the quality of a life is measured not by its length, but by the amount of love, accomplishment, and giving that fills it.

• Understanding that worrying about the future and chewing on the mistakes of yesterday rob both today and tomorrow. The resulting hopelessness, negativity, and worry can shorten lives and certainly diminish the quality of life.

• Believing that those who bravely face life’s obstacles build a character that not only leads them to be more capable people and leaders, but sets an example that enhances the lives of all with whom they come in contact.

Answering a child’s questions about the course of his or her illness can be difficult. How can parents answer their child’s questions with hope if they have not come to a good place themselves? The child will almost always take the parent’s cues. So don’t let scary statistics rob your hope and joy!

2009-07-11T14:03:00.000+01:00

Prevent Cancer by Eating Berries

It has been well established that a diet high in fruits and vegetables is helpful in preventing many diseases including cancer.

What has also been feverishly investigated is the effects of berries on the body. Some researchers have studied the health benefit of specific berries while others have focused on isolating the health-promoting bioactive compounds that give berries their claim to fame.

Some of the known cancer-preventive agents present in berries include vitamins A, C, and E and folic acid; calcium and selenium; beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and lutein; phytosterols such as beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol; triterpene esters; and phenolic molecules such as anthocyanins, ﬂavonols, proanthocyanidins, ellagitannins, and phenolic acids. Berries contain high levels of a diverse range of phytochemicals, most of which are phenolic molecules.

If you’re not familiar with the majority of these compounds then don’t worry. They are all more or less different types of antioxidants. That berries exhibit potent antioxidative properties is widely accepted, but their biological properties extend beyond antioxidation.

In fact, berries also exhibit anti-inﬂammatory properties, are able to inhibit cell proliferation, modulate cell cycle arrest, and induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells with little or no negative effects in normal cells.

These traits make berries an awesome addition to any health-minded diet.

For example, a 2006 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed that blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, cranberry, red raspberry, and strawberry extracts inhibit the growth of human oral, breast, colon, and prostate cancer cells.

In 2006, the journal Nutrition and Cancer published a 6-month cancer-preventive pilot study that was conducted by administering 32g or 45g (female and male, respectively) of freeze dried black raspberry powder (BRB) to patients with Barrett’s esophagus (BE), a pre-cancerous esophageal condition.

BE’s importance lies in the fact that it confers a 30-40-fold increased risk for the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma, a rapidly increasing and extremely deadly form of cancer. At the time of the publication, interim ﬁndings from 10 patients with BE supported the ﬁnding that daily consumption of BRB promoted reductions in two markers of oxidative stress.

So it goes without saying that berries are a blessing. As a rule of thumb, any food (or berry) that has a deep colourful hue will most likely be a high source of antioxidants. The key is to incorporate a wide variety of different colours in order to benefit from all their respective antioxidant properties.

Add berries to your smoothies, to your morning cereal and salads, or enjoy them on their own. Here’s a berry-licious recipe to get your taste buds started:

Berry Fusion Breakfast

½ cup each of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries
¼ cup goji berries, soaked (optional)
4 tbsp shredded dried coconut
1 cup rice or nut milk of choice

•combine berries in a bowl, sprinkle coconut overtop, and top with milk.

Nutrition Expert, Yuri Elkaim and his groundbreaking book, Eating for Energy, have helped thousands of people in over 80 countries regain control of their health and weight. Watch his new You Tube Video and discover a delicious GREEN smoothie recipe that will keep you energized and nourished. For more on his revolutionary healthy eating book visit http://www.EatingforEnergy.ca.

2009-07-11T14:01:00.000+01:00

Is Cancer Really A Mistake?
Over the years many books have been completed and disciplines created discussing the emotional messages behind our physical symptoms.

What if your symptoms really are telling you something? A new form of alternative emotional diagnostics is testing the beliefs perpetuated by conventional medicine.

There is now a specific science available that maps every physical symptom to an underlying emotional conflict, that is present in our survival programs built into our evolutionary upbringing. This goes further than body metaphor, or emotional guesswork. Each specific physical symptom has already been mapped, and proven by specific CT scans of the brain.

Take eczema. Eczema is in reality a “separation conflict” - the skin is reflecting physically, the emotional sense of something or someone being “torn from the skin.” In our evolutionary forefathers, this is an extremely important conflict as separation from the pack or group could often mean death. As a secondary symptom, severe eczema or psoriasis can often bring with it a short term memory loss. Thinking about it in an animal sense, this has the specific function of helping the animal temporarily forget that the person who is gone, is gone, and therefore helps the creature to resolve the emotional conflict.

In this way, different physical symptoms are telling us different things, all of it intended and built in by Mother Nature; we just have to speak the language.

Every physical symptom has a direct, deliberate and intended meaning from our animal evolution in this way and forms the basis of a new form of diagnosis toolkit used by a specialist band of alternative therapists.

And the same applies to cancers. In fact, in this new mode of thinking, every “dis-ease” *is* a cancer, or a cancer equivalent, as every conflict and repair process contains a cell growth at one stage or another. In many ways cancer is simply a word association we have built up based on the beliefs of conventional medicine, it’s teachers, and Practitioners. Cancer is simply a cell growth, which is the most natural thing in the world and happens in our bodies at every moment of every day.

Imagine a boy who breaks free from his mothers hand in the street and is accidentally knocked down. If the mother takes responsibility for this she will develop a breast cancer carcinoma growth in her left breast (if right handed). Importantly, this has the evolutionary purpose of ensuring an increased supply of milk to nurse the child back to health. When the emotional conflict is resolved, i.e. the child returns to full health, the growth will naturally cease as the additional milk supply is no longer required.

Most “metastases” identified today are in truth a result of secondary conflicts or are “iatrogenic” – doctor caused. Meaning that, the doctor’s delivery of the diagnosis, and/or the patients interpretation of it, can cause additional secondary emotional traumas and conflicts which are completely unrelated to the original breast cancer issue. Nevertheless, these additional traumas can create further physical disease processes in the body.

Fully resolving all aspects of an emotional conflict and all associations to the conflict will cause the program of nature to complete after a full healing has taken place, and provide maximum opportunity for the creature’s survival if it comes across the same conflict again in future.

2009-07-11T14:00:00.001+01:00

How Does Colon Cancer Diet Help to Prevent Cancer?

Do you know what the meaning of colon cancer diet is? Do you know what colon cancer diet gives you? Continue read this article you will find the answer for the entire question. Take time and effort in understanding the helpful tips and info contained in this article below:

The colon cancer diet is one which explains about the right foods and the one should be eating to heal the body. It also definitely will helps you to learn and understand about food tolerance. It also will help you by telling what foods you should be taken in order to avoid if you suffer from this disease. Taking some time to understand how this diet works will actually help you save your health.

Whether you have undergone with the surgery in order to eradicate a part of your colon, radio or chemotherapy it is depend upon what type of diet you actually have. It is very important for a cancer patient to always take note of their food intake and not to consume any foods which has the potential of causing cancer. Aspirin has already risen from the ranks of a mere pain reliever to become a highly valued heart attack and stroke prevention tool, and now researchers say preventing lung cancer may be added to its list of benefits.

The main element of this diet is that it is diet which contain of low fiber. So it is advisable to avoid the fruits and vegetables that contain high levels of fiber. At the same time when you are with this diet program you can no longer eat foods which are rich or contain high levels of fat such as fast food French fries and so on. Unfortunately all these types of foods are very likely to make worse the condition. So try to make yourself discipline and avoid this type of foods. Therefore, it is very important for them to always make sure their food intake contains foods with low fiber.

It is important for you that you must keep a good record with what you are eating and when you are eating whenever you are with this diet. At the end of the diet this will help you to highlight the particular foods that really causing you for the problems and later part surely you know which one to avoid and which one to take. The earlier cancer is detected, the greater the chance it can be treated before it spreads to other areas of the body.

The other important thing that you must keep a record is what digestive problems that you are having and when it is occur. It will again help you to highlight the particular food that giving you problem and you will exacerbate your condition further. Once, a cancer was a cancer was a cancer. Now, scientists have succeeded in using DNA to determine whether a particular type of cancer will be resistant to certain therapies, paving the way to choosing more effective, tailor-made treatments for patients.

However, you may find that after undergoing with the radio or chemotherapy treatment this condition that you can return to eating foods that you enjoyed before. But always remember that it is important for you to keep regularly check up and eliminate foods that which may be causing you the problems once again.

2009-07-11T13:59:00.001+01:00

Know about Causes and Treatment of Blood Cancer

Blood cancer is an uncontrolled increase in the number of blood cells. To better understand blood cancer, you may need to know a bit more about blood cancer and leukemia.
All blood cells are formed in the bone marrow from stem cells. A stem cell is the earliest stage of every blood cell. If a patient has blood cancer, the cancerous blood cells are either overproduced or simply live longer than normal. The stem cells may produce abnormal cells that do not function properly. For example, if white blood cells are affected, they will not be able to help your body fight infection.

Causes
There are several causes for blood cancer such as to much of radiation that common happen to people that have another cancer. so when you have to radiotherapy make sure you don't to much radiation because can make another cancer such as blood cancer. the other causes of blood cancer is diseases that affect the immune system such as HIV. beside that blood cancer can causes by Contact with a chemical called benzene, one of the chemicals in petrol and a solvent used in the rubber and plastics industry and Genetic disorders like Fanconi anemia, Schwachman-Diamond syndrome and Down syndrome.

A weakened immune system - this may be a result of drugs that suppress the immune system (such as those used for organ transplants), high doses of radiation (such as in radiotherapy for another cancer), or diseases that affect the immune system (such as HIV).

Genetic disorders like Fanconi anemia, Schwachman-Diamond syndrome and Down syndrome.

Treatment
Garlic is a naturally powerful antibiotic that stimulates the immune system and effectiveness of white blood cells and T cells.Garlic is an extremely important natural resource to ensure optimal immunity and protection from germs. It also has extremely resourceful anti cancer properties. Clinical research proves that garlic is very effective in prevention and cure of various types of cancer.
Most people feel confused and overwhelmed when they are told they have leukaemia. It's a very distressing time both for them and their families. An important part of cancer treatment is learning how to talk about how you are feeling, and getting support with the physical and emotional symptoms you are experiencing.

Many everyday activities put you at risk of cuts and scrapes. A low platelet count makes even minor abrasions serious. A low white blood cell count can turn a small cut into a starting point for a serious infection. Use an electric shaver rather than a razor to avoid nicks. Ask someone else to cut up food in the kitchen. Be gentle when brushing your teeth and blowing your nose.
Biological therapy uses special immune system cells and proteins to stimulate the body's immune system to kill cancer cells. Biological agents such as interferons, interleukins, monoclonal antibodies, tumor necrosis factors and colony-stimulating factors are natural substances found in the body that help alter the way the immune system reacts to cancer..
Licorice roots, according to the herb masters around the world are among the two or three most important herbs in the world. The Chinese consider licorice more important an herb than giensing. Licorice root essentially has a powerful potentiating effect on the human reticuloendothelial system, the primary line of defense against microorganisms.

2009-07-11T13:58:00.000+01:00

Herceptin Treatment - How to Survive Treatment With Herceptin

Herceptin Treatment is a fairly new treatment for breast cancer. It was originally licensed for women who had some form of meteastatic breast cancer spread but a little over two years ago it was licensed to be used on any woman with early stage breast cancer. For me this was amazing timing as I had just had a mastectomy and it was discovered that the tumour I had was HER-2 positive. This is the only type of tumor suitable for herceptin treatment.

So, it was organized that after chemotherapy and radiotherapy I would have seventeen Herceptin treatments at three weekly intervals. To be honest after all the other treatments I was tired and weary. However, I was aware of how important this treatment was and decided to give it my all!

Herceptin works by interfering in the way which breast cancer cells divide and grow. Some breast cancer cells divide and grow when a protein that naturally occurs in the body attaches itself to another protein known as HER2, which is found on the surface of the breast cancer cells.

Herceptin blocks this process by attaching itself to the HER2 protein so that the growth factor cannot reach the breast cancer cells. This stops the cells from dividing and growing.

Herceptin only works in people who have high levels of the HER2 protein. It appears to have little effect in those who do not. Approximately one in five breast cancer patients are HER-2 positive

The reasoning behind giving Herceptin over seventeen treatments is that the timescale from diagnosis to the end of Herceptin is approximately eighteen months ... and eighteen months is the most likely time for the tumour to return, or metastic spread to occur – clever don’t you think!

During my treatments – which I got at home- I felt tired but not the dreaded near death tiredness of chemotherapy, and it only lasted a few days. That said there was a build up effect and nearing the end of it I did feel pretty ropey a lot of the time. My biggest problem with Herceptin was cannulation. Having had Epirubicin as one of my chemo drugs my veins in my hand and arm were hard and near impossible to cannulate.

The nurses could only use one arm because my lymph nodes had been removed on the other side during the mastectomy and no cannulations or injections should be done on that side to try to prevent infection. The poor nurses! Me a quivering wreck and no veins to be seen. It did cause me a lot of stress but they managed it every time. Virtually no cancer centres in the UK use portacaths - which are the commonest approach to this problem elsewhere in the world.

I was quite lucky not to have experienced too many side effects during my herceptin treatment. I did experience diarrhoea but while this is unpleasant, it’s manageable. Forward planning about location of toilets and Imodium in your handbag!

Flu like symptoms are also common following administration of the drug.

One of the more serious herceptin side effects is a reduction in heart function. To monitor this it's normal to have an injection fraction scan every three months to determine if any damage has been done. These scans terrified me at first as I didn’t want anything to interrupt my treatments but I needn’t have worried as my heart function improved on Herceptin. Trust me to be different!

People can also experience allergic reactions and this is the reason the first two treatments are usually given in hospital.

My message to anybody out there who is embarking on Herceptin treatment is it’s not as bad as chemotherapy, it truly is life saving and it will be over before you know it! Stick with it and see it through. It's tough but you'll be glad you did once it's over.

2009-07-11T13:56:00.000+01:00

Testicular Cancer- Information on Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. In the United States; about 8,000 to 9,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of testicular cancer is roughly 1 in 250 (four tenths of one percent, or 0.4%). It is most common among males aged 15-34 years, particularly those in their mid-twenties. Testicular cancer has one of the highest cure rates of all cancers: in excess of 90%; essentially 100% if it has not metastasized.

Testicular cancer that forms in tissues of the testis (one of two egg-shaped glands inside the scrotum that make sperm and male hormones). Testicular cancer usually occurs in young or middle-aged men. Two main types of testicular cancer are seminomas (cancers that grow slowly and are sensitive to radiation therapy) and nonseminomas (different cell types that grow more quickly than seminomas).
Testicular cancer accounts for only 1 percent of all cancers in men in the United States. About 8,000 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer, and about 390 men die of this disease each year (1). Testicular cancer occurs most often in men between the ages of 20 and 39, and is the most common form of cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 34. It is most common in white men, especially those of Scandinavian descent. The testicular cancer rate has more than doubled among white men in the past 40 years, but has only recently begun to increase among black men. The reason for the racial differences in incidence is not known.

The testicles manufacture the male hormone testosterone. They also produce sperm. Sperm cells are carried from the testicle through the vas deferens to the seminal vesicles, where they are mixed with fluid produced by the prostate gland. During ejaculation, sperm cells, seminal vesicle fluid, and prostatic fluid enter the urethra, the tube in the center of the penis through which both urine and semen are passed.

Most testicular tumors are discovered by patients themselves--either by accident, as Knies did, or while performing self-examination on each testicle. "The usual presentation is of an enlarged, painless lump," says Malkowicz. "Occasionally there can be pain." The lump typically is pea-sized, but sometimes it might be as big as a marble or even an egg.
Each normal testicle has an epididymis, which feels like a small bump on the upper or middle outer side of the testis. Normal testicles also contain blood vessels, supporting tissues, and tubes that conduct sperm. These can feel bumpy and sometimes men confuse these structures with cancer. If you have any doubts, ask your doctor. The doctor may order an ultrasound test to examine the scrotum (see the American Cancer Society document, Testicular Cancer). This is an easy and painless way of finding out whether there is a tumor.

Symptoms include pain, swelling or lumps in your testicles or groin area. Most cases can be treated, especially if it is found early. Treatment options include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy. Regular exams after treatment are important. Treatments may also cause infertility. If you may want children later on, you should consider sperm banking before treatment.
Testicular cancer is highly treatable, even when cancer has spread beyond the testicle. Depending on the type and stage of testicular cancer, you may receive one of several treatments, or a combination. Regular testicular self-examinations can help identify growths early, when the chance for successful treatment of testicular cancer is highest.

Causes and Treatment of Mesothelioma

2009-07-10T16:30:00.001+01:00

Causes and Treatment of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer, predominantly caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. In fact, mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium, the sheath that covers major organs such as the lungs (pleurum), the heart (pericardium) and the abdominal cavity (peritoneum). Pleural mesothelioma is by far the most common kind.

Mesothelioma and Asbestos

When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they become embedded in the lining of the lungs. Due to their small needle-like size, the normal defenses of the body are unable to detect them. Usually, any foreign bodies such as this would either be coughed up, or be removed through a build-up of mucus around them. But nor asbestos. They cause inflammation of the lungs and tissue damage, leading to scarring and coughing. These are the initial symptoms of asbestosis, though asbestosis is not mesothelioma.

No one knows for sure why cancers develop, but once cancerous cells are formed in the pleura, it gradually becomes thicker, and over time restricts breathing and causes shortness of breath and coughing. What is known as 'pleural effusion' occurs, as the fluid of the pleura, designed to lubricate the movement of the lungs against the other organs nearby, builds up and exerts pressure on the lungs. The thickening of the pleura continues as an increasing number of cells become cancerous, until death eventually occurs.

The Effect of Smoking

Although smoking is known to lead to a number of forms of cancer, it does not in itself promote mesothelioma. However, a patient that has been exposed to asbestos, and who also smokes, will be more liable to contract the disease than a non-smoker will. This is why smokers are generally awarded lower sums in compensation than non-smokers with the same condition. However, it would be wrong to state that smoking is a cause of mesothelioma.

It is, however, the cause of many more lung cancer cases than mesothelioma caused by asbestos, and smoking and asbestos together also increase the risk of the patient developing general lung cancer, just as prolonged exposure to asbestos causes more than just mesothelioma. Asbestos lung cancer and mesothelioma are not the same thing.

Symptoms

The major symptoms are shortness of breath, weight loss, nausea and pain. This is true of all forms of mesothelioma, not only pleural mesothelioma. In the case of peritoneal mesothelioma, the abdomen becomes very painful and distended, just as the pleural version causes tightening and swelling in the chest due to pleural effusion. The pressure created can also result in pain, apart from that of the cancer itself.

Diagnosis

If the disease is not diagnosed early, then survival is unlikely. Therefore, any person who has previously worked in the asbestos industry, or has used asbestos in their employment, should make their doctor aware of that fact. They can then be placed on a schedule of regular examinations designed to detect the first signs of the disease. If the condition is detected early enough, most treatments available can be used effectively, and surgery is much more likely to be effective if the area affected is able to be isolated.

If you have contracted the disease, stopping smoking is essential, and you must try to avoid all infections of the lungs and airways. It is possible to have the condition treated, but if diagnosed too late then treatment tends to be palliative, and designed to make the patient as comfortable as possible.

It is essential, therefore, that people that have a history of contact with asbestos inform their physician immediately to make sure that if the symptoms do occur, they are spotted before any lasting harm can be done. Only then will there be a hope of a cure and successful recovery from this insidious disease.

Breast Cancer Radiotherapy

2009-07-10T16:29:00.005+01:00

Breast Cancer Radiotherapy - How to Survive Radiotherapy

Breast cancer radiotherapy is at best an ordeal and at worst a living nightmare for many women.

The worst moment after being told you really do have cancer is being told you will need chemotherapy and radiotherapy as treatment to fight the disease. Having been there I know it’s shocking and I felt I just simply would never cope with it all. I'm writing this article and describing my experiences in the hope that it will make it easier for others to cope. If that applies to you then my thoughts are with you - good luck on your journey. Be strong and you'll see it through.

My own breast cancer treatment regime was to consist of four treatments of FEC chemo, four weeks of radiotherapy treatment then four treatments of Taxotere chemo. This would all take the best part of ten months.

Having survived the first part of the chemo ( just! ) I went into my radiotherapy a bit bruised and battered. The first thing that needed done was going to a simulator to have the very complicated process of marking out where your treatment would be. This is done with lasers and details of where your tumour or tumours were. Small tattoos are then done to mark out the treatment area. This enables the machine to be set up very quickly every day during treatment.

I mentally decided that for the four weeks of radiotherapy I would treat it like a job. It took 45 minutes or so to drive to the hospital and back every day. The Western General in Edinburgh where I had all my treatments has a fantastic set up for radiotherapy patients. There is a dedicated car park next to the unit and you are guaranteed a space or they will valet park your car. This was amazing and a big weight off my mind as your appointment only lasts five minutes and you have to be there in time as the machines are in use constantly.

The actual radiotherapy lasts a few minutes and is painless-quite relaxing really. Some people find the treatment very tiring. I didn’t, but I think if you’ve had chemo first then your perception of tiredness changes! The going to the hospital every day is a bit of a bind but use any mental trick to over come this.

After a few weeks of treatment the skin over the treated area can become very red and fragile. No soap or creams should be used as these can make your skin even more sensitive. This does clear up but it did cause discomfort for a few weeks. The skin on this area will always be more sensitive and sun should be avoided. It’s also worth mentioning not to forget the exit area – mine was on my back – where the radiotherapy exists your body during treatments.

Radiotherapy treatment, for me, was the least unpleasant of the treatments I went through. At the outset it seems daunting but really it’s not – honestly!

All About Mesothelioma Cancer

2009-07-10T16:29:00.003+01:00

All About Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma cancer is considered to be the rarest and deadliest types of cancer, and usually affects the mesothelial tissues of the body organs, normally abdomen and lungs. It develops malignant and cancerous cells in mesothelium, which is the protective cell covering many internal organs of the body. It can even damage other body organs by spreading out the damaged cells to them.

The main cause of this type of cancer in about 50-80% cases is exposure to the asbestos. People involved in occupations like constructions jobs in insulators, shipyards and boiler makers are at a risk of catching asbestos disease. It is a very restrained form of cancer which provides only few symptoms that can be noticed until the disease becomes enormously advanced.

Pleural mesothelioma is the most usual type of the cancer, indicated by chronic coughing, shortness of breath in combination with common cold and allergies. Other pleural mesothelioma symptoms include chest pain, coughing blood, fatigue, wheezing, swollen lymph node, loss of appetite, loss of weight and lung infection.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is another form of the cancer, which generally affects the covering around the intestines and the stomach. Symptoms of this type of cancer include weight loss, fever, anaemia, pain in abdomen, swelling in abdomen or bowel obstructions. Another type of the cancer is pericardial mesothelioma, the symptoms of which including palpitations, persistent coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath.

It has been estimated that about 2000 new cases of this type of cancer are diagnosed every year. It is to be noted that only a professional cancer expert can diagnose mesothelioma. The disease starts in small lumps in the pleura membrane, that may not be scanned on X-rays, until they are advanced and grown up in large size. The symptoms of the disease may not come into view until 30-50 years of exposure to asbestos.

The treatment options available for this type of cancer are:

Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy with doxorubicin or adriamycin has been 20% responsive in cases of mesothelioma.

Radiation Therapy: This disease is quite moderately responsive towards radiation therapy also. It can improve the quality of life of the patient, as it can reduce shortness of breath and pain in the body, while it can not cure the problem.

Surgery: Surgical choices like removing the cancer tumour by cutting out the lun or decortication have also not been very successful so far.

Photodynamic therapy: In this process, the cancer cells are given an intravenous photosynthesizer, which are afterwards activated in order to destroy the cells with the help of a laser light of specific wave length. This therapy is still in its experimental stages.

The average survival time of a patient from the time of observance of the cancer is about 4-24 months, however, with proper care, some patients have also been seen living for many years. Therefore, it is advisable for those who are working in asbestos prone localities to regularly consult a doctor and go for regular check ups, so that any possibility for the cancer can be diagnosed at an earlier stage.

Afraid to Talk About Dying

2009-07-10T16:29:00.001+01:00

Afraid to Talk About Dying

When my husband was diagnosed with esophagus cancer, we never talked about him dying, except in the very beginning. I think we were afraid to voice the worst scenario we could think of, him not making it through this disease. He refused to consider taking the traditional route in medicine, which was chemotherapy and radiation treatment. He told me early in his illness he was certain that the chemotherapy would kill him right away. When such a diagnosis is delivered, you begin to carry around with you a heaviness inside. When someone you care about is terminally ill, it dominates your thoughts and every waking moment. Your mind races over the different treatments and the newest drug trials, in the slim hope that things aren’t as bleak as they seem.

When the doctors told him he had this cancer, which essentially prevented him from eating, he wanted them to operate and take out the largest tumor at the junction of the stomach and esophagus. His doctor said it would be a major operation, where the ribs would have to be cracked open, and not one that he had the ability to perform. After more extensive testing was done, the doctors decided not to operate because they felt there was a good chance the cancer had already spread to the lymph nodes in the esophagus region. I didn’t know it then, but I guess I should have -- they didn’t want to operate because they felt it was a lost cause.

We didn’t feel we should give up -- we just knew that each human life is a cause worth fighting for. We never gave up hope that he could beat this cancer, even though it wasn’t discovered until almost last stage. I never actually asked the doctor what stage his cancer was. I believe it was an emotionally insulating factor for myself. I was afraid to know. I did so much research on alternative therapies that might help him, but I was afraid to know where traditional medicine saw him in his stage of cancer. Perhaps I was just better off that way. If I had known, perhaps that may have taken some of the fight out of both of us. We passed many milestones on our quest to heal him. To me, it wasn’t extending his life, it was attempting to heal his life and his body.

When someone is terminally ill, you want to preserve every moment, and that in itself becomes exhausting, though you’re not really cognizant of the toll day to day life takes on you. You want to try every avenue available to get better. I wanted my husband to visit a clinic we learned about in Mexico, where they had a good success rate of treating his type of cancer. I questioned our alternative medicine doctor about the latest therapies for cancer patients. I refused to let hope die, especially when my husband’s smaller tumors disappeared, and even when he kept losing weight. My mother said to me once, that some women might have left, but it never occurred to me. How could I ever think of leaving someone who I love when they needed me?

We took note of every mile marker along the way. Each step forward felt like a triumphant race to the ultimate goal, his being totally cured of cancer. I read many stories about others who had beat this devastating disease. It wasn’t until three weeks before my husband passed away, the night I had a dream, that I knew he was going to die. I’m sure many others knew right along he was going to die, but being in the thick of living this illness, it wasn’t an option for me. When I had the dream he died, I awoke and knew he was going to die. It was that simple.

All hope turned to despair. And still, we did not talk of him dying. Perhaps we should have, I don’t know. Perhaps he didn’t talk about his dying to spare me and my children. Perhaps he was afraid that even though I’d always been strong, maybe he didn’t want to see me break into a million tiny fragments. And I might have. I might well have broken apart, lost the emotional glue that was keeping me together in those last weeks. When hope flees, emotion and fear can break you down.

Types Of Skin Cancer - Spotting Melanoma And Carcinoma Skin Cancers

2009-07-10T16:28:00.001+01:00

Types Of Skin Cancer - Spotting Melanoma And Carcinoma Skin Cancers

If you had skin cancer, would you know it?

For many people, the answer to this question is no. They don't know how to look for signs of skin cancer on their own skin. Because of this, if they get skin cancer, they may not spot it promptly.

Most types of skin cancer can be treated quickly and easily if they are found early. But if the diagnosis is delayed, the cancer can spread. In the case of melanoma, this can be fatal. Even for less serious skin cancers, such as the very common basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, delayed detection can lead to complications.

So how do you spot skin cancer? The key is knowing your own skin and being aware of changes in it.

The best way to do this is to learn how to do a complete skin self-examination. To do this, you need a full-length mirror, a hand mirror, and a place where you can use them in privacy. Stand in front of the full-length mirror and look carefully at the skin on every part of your body that you can see. Get to know your moles, marks, and other skin irregularities. Then, use the hand mirror to help you look at the places on your body that you can't see with just one mirror. Again, take note of any marks that you see.

Once you're familiar with what your skin normally looks like, you'll be prepared to spot changes. Any new change in your skin should be brought to the attention of a doctor, preferably a dermatologist (a doctor who specializes in treating skin problems). Most changes will turn out not to be skin cancer, but it's worth the trouble of having them checked out.

Changes that you should particularly look for, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, include the following:

- A sore that never really heals
- A translucent growth, perhaps with rolled edges
- A dark streak under one of your fingernails or toenails
- A cluster of shiny pinkish or reddish areas that grows slowly
- A scar with a waxy feel to it
- A flat or slightly depressed area that feels hard

When you're looking at your skin, it's especially important to examine all moles carefully. Most moles are perfectly normal, but it's possible for an unusual-looking mole to be a melanoma or to turn into a melanoma.

Normal, typical moles are usually small, uniform in color, and symmetrical (the two sides look the same). They have sharp, regular borders, and they are usually located on parts of your body that are exposed to the sun. Most of them first appear sometime between early childhood and age 40, and the moles on a particular person's body all tend to look the same. Moles that fit this description are of no concern.

Moles that should be brought to a doctor's attention include:

- Moles that are present at birth
- Moles that first appear during middle age or later
- Any mole that has changed in appearance
- Any mole that itches or bleeds
- Any mole that shows one of the "ABCD" signs of an atypical mole. Doctors use the ABCD mnemonic to help patients remember some of the differences between atypical moles and typical ones.

The four letters stand for the following:

"A" stands for "Asymmetry." A mole that is not symmetrical (that is, one in which one half doesn't look like the other half) is an atypical mole.

"B" stands for "Border Irregularity." A mole with a ragged or blurred edge or with notches in the edge is atypical.

"C" stands for "Color." A mole that contains a variety of different colors or shades is atypical.

"D" stands for "Diameter." A mole with a diameter larger than that of a pencil eraser is atypical.

All atypical moles - and any other skin changes or irregularities that concern you - should be examined by a doctor. Often, the doctor can tell just by looking (sometimes with the aid of a magnifying device called a dermatoscope) that the unusual-looking area is not skin cancer. In other instances, the doctor may need to perform a biopsy. This is a simple diagnostic test, performed in the doctor's office, in which a sample of the abnormal area is removed and sent to a laboratory to be examined under a microscope.

If you do spot an abnormality on your skin, there's no need to panic. Even if the abnormality turns out to be skin cancer (and it probably won't), it will almost certainly be curable. The important thing is to show the abnormality to a doctor promptly so that if it is skin cancer, it can be treated right away.

Reduce Cancer Risk

2009-07-10T16:24:00.000+01:00

Reduce Cancer Risk

Cancer is now the leading cause of death globally. It is estimated that cancer will kill 84 million people in the next ten years. While the causes of cancer are complex, it is well known that that certain things can lower the risk of getting it. The most important recommendations are to avoid toxins and eat healthy foods. Nature foods has many nutrients that are known to help protect against cancer.

Studies have shown that Sterol/Sterolins and Omega 3, 6 and 9 can increase natural killers (NK) cell activity and act as a potent immunomudulator for the treatment and restoration of immune dysfunction.

Gamma Oryzanol (Ferulic acid) is know to be anti-mutagenic. Inositol, IP6, Polyphenol, Fiber, Tocotrienols and Antioxidants are all known to be anti-carcinogenic. Polyphenols and Tocotrienols have been shown to inhibit Phase 1 microsomal enzymes, and the lipoprotein fraction of nature foods has been shown to inhibit abnormal cell prolifeation.

Numerous epidemilogic studies reported an association between high fiber intake and reduced incidence of colon cancer and breast cancer. A 1992 study by Harvard Medical School found that men who consumed only 12 grams of fiber a day were twice as likely to develop precancerous colon changes as men whose daily fiber intake was about 30 grams. Scientist theorize that insoluble fiber adds bulk to stool, which in turn dilutes carcinogens and speeds their transit through the lower intestines and out of the body.

12 studies found a link between high fiber intake and reduced risk of breast cancer. In the early stages, some breast tumors are stimulated by estrogen circulating in the blood stream. Scientist believe that fiber may hamper the growth of these tumors by binding with estrogen in the intestine, preventing it from being reabsorbed into the bloodstream.

IP6 has been shown to exhibit significant anti-cancer activity and to inhibit tumor cell growth in colon, intestinal, and liver cancers. Carotenoids (including the Alpha Carotene, Beta Carotene, Lutein, Lycopene, Zeaxanthin and Precrytoxanthin/Crypthoxanthin found in nature foods) offer powerful protection against many different types of cancer. Lycopene in particular has been associated with lower rates of prostate cancer.

Pangamic Acid (B15) has shown to have a unique ability to release a type of cyanide only at cancer sites, thereby destroying cancer cells while at the same time, nourishing non-cancerous tissue.

Sterols and sterolins (found in plants) are great immune supporters. They help the immune system to stop cancer, kill bacteria, destroy viruses and slow down the aging process. They have also been shown to keeep patients infected with the HIV virus from developing AIDS.

When a person has a weakend immune system, even a simple cold or flu can esclate and becoming a life threatening illness. Having a strong immune system is the best defense against illness and disease.

One of the most important nutrients CoQ10 which is a immune booster routinely recommended as part of people suffering from cancer such as cardiovascular disease, Muscular Dystrophy, periondontal Disease and many more.

Nutritionally strengthening and supporting the immune system is essential, especially after the age 50 because the body's natural defenses decline with age.