Mesothelioma cancer, Prostate cancer treatment, Cancer Articles, breast cancer treatment: April 2009

Kamis, 30 April 2009

What Is The Connection Between Green Tea And Prostate Cancer Prevention

While I was doing research on the health benefits of green tea, I found an interesting relationship with prostate cancer that I never knew existed. I know from the numerous medical reports aired on television that prostate cancer affects both men and women. This is a subject that both men and women need to learn more about to lead a healthy life.

Green tea contains powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. These polyphenols have some unique properties and do some extraordinary things in the human body. They like to attack and kill cancer cells and leave normal cells alone.

There have been studies that show that green tea extract stops the growth of prostate cancer cells in the laboratory. The large clinical studies are reporting that the actual risk of prostate cancer decreases as the frequency, duration, and quantity of tea consumed go up.

This specific cancer information is great, but the other benefits just seem to make the argument for drinking tea that much more convincing. Regulating blood sugar, regulating cholesterol, numerous other cancers, weight loss, diabetes, dental plague, and inflammation are just what we know now that is helps control. With more and more laboratory and clinical studies being done, it is just a matter of time before science adds more to the list.

I know that as I learned more and more about the health benefits of this tea, I realized that it was not a matter of “ if ” I should add it to our diet it was “ when“ were we going to add it. There really is no reason not to add it and the awesome thing about this tea is that there is an extract version of it that makes it much easier to get those health benefits. There is a somewhat new trend to add the extract to a multi vitamin. This became a perfect match for my family because it can be difficult to remember to drink tea each day. And those days when we can drink the tea it just adds more of those antioxidants to our bodies.

What to do next? It is simple, check out my website where I get my vitamins from. It is a well known company that uses high quality ingredients in their recipe. I have used the product and love it and recommend it to anyone wanting to improve their or their family’s quality of life.

Breast Cancer: Steps That Can Curb The Menace

It is true that your body has the propensity towards dreaded diseases like cancer through genetic make up. But it is also true that environmental factors act upon it and make you more vulnerable for the disease. Breast cancer patients are no exception. You can take certain actions to reduce the chance of getting breast cancer. These preventive measures are definitely easy to take to avoid the dreaded consequences later. Especially the modifiable risk factors can certainly be avoided, though the non modifiable factors like genetic make up cannot be avoided.

The women’s health and fitness after forty can take dramatic turns if she is not vigilant about her body. Instead those women who are keen to pursue normal health undergo proper screening tests after forty, thus reducing their risk of late cancer detection by large percentage. Let’s see some of the preventive factors that you can exercise easily:

(1) Limit alcohol: Yes, excess alcohol puts you in high risk category for acquiring breast cancer. Limiting alcohol to less than 1 drink daily and total abstinence can do marvelous job to prevent breast cancer.

(2) Don’t be overweight: Well, women with excess weight especially after menopause are victims of breast cancer. There may be some connection between production of estrogen in fatty tissue and breast cancer. Try to embark on diet and exercise regimen along with some good healthy supplement like acai berry weight loss supplement to be within healthy weight limits.

(3) It is observed that breast cancer is more likely in women with sedentary habits. No doubt it adds to weight also. Therefore, have good exercise at least 30 minutes a day and stay away from harmful effects of breast cancer.

(4) Fat consumption: there has been definitive evidence that states the link between fat intake and breast cancer. It is seen that invasive cancers are rare in women who eat less fat. Those who consume less than 35% of fat of their daily caloric intake are at low risk of developing breast cancer.

(5) Avoid hormone replacement therapy for long term: It is seen that short term hormone therapy during menopause does not exert much of negative influence on your body. But if it is continued for long period, you run a risk of developing breast cancer. Try to manage your menopausal blues by other options and try limiting your hormone therapy for shorted period of time by consulting your doctor. (6) Avoid overuse of antibiotics: when the antibiotics were used for longer duration, there was high risk of developing breast cancer according to many studies. Therefore, do not consume them without specific need and doctor’s advice.

(7) Limit exposure to pesticides: There has been found a link between excessive pesticide exposure, excess pesticide residue in breast tissue, and development of breast cancer. Though exact relation is not known, it is better to take care to avoid long standing pesticide exposure.

(8) Do mammograms every year once you cross forty years of age. These mammograms help you identify the precancerous stages early and the treatment becomes much easier with great prognosis!

Prostate Cancer Questions and Answers

Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that only occurs in men. While information on it has been steadily increasing throughout the years, there are still some prostate cancer queries that need to be addressed. This is a prostate cancer questions and answers article that hopes to enlighten those who have it and those who want to be informed.

This list of prostate cancer questions and answers does not promise to shed light on all of your inquiries, but it will provide you with enough base information for you to make sense of this disease.

1) How does one get prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer rarely occurs in men below the age of forty. While there is no universal culprit for it, some factors have been known to contribute to its progression.

Aside from age, genetics also increases your chance of getting prostate cancer. If someone in your family has or had prostate cancer, it is wise to see a doctor for a check-up. High consumption of animal fat is also believed to add to prostate cancer.

2) What are the symptoms to watch out for?

There are usually no obvious symptoms of prostate cancer. In some cases, however, patients have reported blood in the urine, increased urination and difficulty in controlling the flow of urination as symptoms. 3) What are the available treatment options?

There are a number of options for patients with prostate cancer. Others opt to wait and see how the cancer is progressing before jumping into decisions.

Radiation is a common treatment choice. It kills off these fast-growing cancer cells. Chemotherapy also does the same thing although it makes use of chemicals and is usually considered only when the cancer has reached a serious stage. Cryotherapy involves the doctor inserting an ultrasound probe into the patient’s rectum and freezing the tissue causing cancer cells. There is also the option of prostate removal and prescription of estrogen pills.

If you have any more queries not addressed by this prostate cancer questions and answers article, I strongly suggest seeking expert medical help. There’s nothing wrong with seeking information from the Internet. However, firsthand information is always the best.

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Senin, 13 April 2009

Is Mesothelioma Of Great Concern To You?

by Uchenna Ani-Okoye

The two places in which mesothelioma can develop are the lungs and the abdomen, but it is most commonly found in the lungs. None of these treatments seem to be highly effective in curing patients, but like other types of cancer, research is being done to try and find a treatment that will successfully heal Mesothelioma patients. If you have been affected by this disease your quality of life may have, or will in the future suffer by having being infected with Mesothelioma.

Should I consider Mesothelioma Litigation? If you have mesothelioma, the employer or organization that put you into contact with asbestos is at fault and you deserve compensation. You can also browse the Internet for mesothelioma-related information, mesothelioma pictures, more information on asbestos, etc.

The classic histopathology of the mesothelioma is a biphasic tumor with both an epithelioid and sarcomatoid or spindle cell component. What is really unique about this new mesothelioma treatment study is the fact that this is the first trial to investigate the use of chemotherapy before surgery and radiation. Usually, patients with pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial malignant mesothelioma are treated with radiation or chemotherapy, depending on the stage of the disease, the patient's age, and his/her overall health.

Pharmaceutical companies are conducting trials to come up with the right combination of drugs that can produce better results for treating pericardial mesothelioma. Radiation therapy, as applied to malignant mesothelioma uses the same basic technology as other forms of medical radiation insofar as the technique employs high energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. Even acute symptoms of mesothelioma may be mistakenly associated with other diseases.

Find a mesothelioma lawyer today. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos without sufficient protection. Malignant mesothelioma is graded upon the extent they have spread.

In 1968, there were 153 deaths caused by mesothelioma but in 2003, statistics shows 1874 deaths. The necessity for the evolution of alternative ways to treat patients suffering from mesothelioma arises because of the complex nature of different types of cancers, and because patients respond differently to various types of medical care. Even today, there are around 3,000 cases of mesothelioma being diagnosed in the United States every year.

One rare cancer that affects the lungs is Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a kind of cancer, which is inflicted by exposure to asbestos most frequently used in industrial and residential places till the late seventies. What Jobs Are Associated With Mesothelioma: Asbestos was used in a lot of occupations.

While no blood tests confirm a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma, there are certain blood abnormalities that suggest the presence of a cancer. Just a couple of months of exposure to asbestos can lead to mesothelioma 30 years later. It is also known that the major cause for pleural mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos.

You see the only way to contract Pleural Mesothelioma is by being exposed to Asbestos. Although there is no current cure, pleural mesothelioma can be treated in a number of ways including: chemotherapy (and other drug-type therapy), radiation, intra-operative photodynamic therapy, and surgery. As the time passes and the disease grows older, the symptoms of all the three types of Mesothelioma pleural, peritoneal and pericardial start appearing in more vigorous form.

Should we expect mesothelioma lung cancer increases not only from asbestos exposure after another 20 - 30 years? A well specialized lawyer who deals with mesothelioma cases can help you maximize your compensation. However, in general mesothelioma has a latency period of 35-40 years from the time of exposure to asbestos to the actual development of symptoms.

Natural Breast Cancer Treatment Strategies

By Sandra Clair

Many women suffering from breast cancer are interested in learning more about natural treatment options. This type of treatment is often referred to in the medical field and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) treatment, and there are actually a number of different types of treatment options that fall under this category.

Understanding CAM

CAM is any type of medical practice, system, or product that is not considered to be the standard form of care. There are three areas of natural breast cancer treatment that fall under this category: Complementary Medicine, Alternative Medicine, and Integrative Medicine.

Complementary medicines are those that are used along with standard medical treatments like chemotherapy and surgery. A common complementary treatment is acupuncture, which is used to help with the side effects associated with cancer treatment. Alternative medicine, on the other hand, is a natural treatment approach that is used instead of standard medical treatments. Special diets to treat cancer, for example, may be used rather than chemotherapy. Integrative medicine takes care of your mind, body, and spirit by combining standard medicine techniques with CAM techniques.

Natural Breast Cancer Treatment Techniques Involving the Mind and Body

There are a number of treatment techniques you can utilize to help ease the pain and assist in the treatment process. Some of these techniques include:

Biofeedback - using machines to learn how to affect certain bodily functions you are normally not aware of, such as your heart rate.

Meditation - focusing breathing or repeating words or phrases in order to calm your mind.

Yoga - using special stretches and poses with special attention given to your breathing.

Hypnosis - creating a state of relaxed and focused attention and concentrating on certain ideas, feelings, or suggestions to assist in the healing process.

Creative Outlets - special therapy such as dance, music, and art.

Imagery - imagining certain pictures, scenes, or experiences in order to help the body heal.

Biological Natural Breast Cancer Treatment Options
It is also possible to treat your breast cancer by taking advantage of things found in nature, such as herbal products and dietary supplements. These can include certain foods, vitamins, herbs, and special dietary plans. Soy products are one additive that have shown a great deal of promise when it comes to preventing and treating breast cancer.

You should also include whole grain foods, beans, nuts, fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, low-fat dairy products, flaxseed, green tea, as many herbs as possible, and either virgin oil or canola oil in your diet. All kinds of herbs are good to add to your diet because they increase your intake of phytochemicals, which may help to fight cancer.

Body-Based Natural Breast Cancer Treatment Options

Body-based treatment options are those that work on one or more parts of your body. These techniques manipulate the body in order to achieve a greater level of health. Massage involves manipulation of the tissues, while chiropractic care manipulates the skeletal system and joints. Reflexology, which utilizes pressure points in the feet and hands to affect parts of the body, is another type of treatment.

Deciding if Natural Breast Cancer Treatment Options are Right for You

Before deciding to start a treatment program, it is important to discuss it with your doctor. There are certain foods and supplements that can actually interfere with other forms of treatment, so you want to be sure the plan you are following is safe.

Your best option is to consult a professional that is trained in natural strategies. Your doctor or nurse might be able to refer you to a specialist. If not, contact your local cancer center or hospital and ask for names of professionals that might be able to help you. Before working with the person, however, make sure he or she is licensed to practice in your state. Your health is important, so you need to be sure to have the best care possible.

Asbestos Exposure Causes Mesothelioma

By David Neehly

Although asbestos is no longer a commonly used material for building there has been a rise in the number of diseases caused by asbestos exposure. This is because the fibers that cause the problem take about 20 to 30 years to manifest. Thus, after a long period of dormancy the symptoms show up dramatically. What is even more dangerous is the fact that many of the symptoms are similar to other diseases, and so it is all the more difficult to find the real cause.

Asbestos is a material that was very popular as an insulator. It insulates very well, and it is fire retardant. As a result, it has been used in many buildings. Because asbestos is not a problem as long as it is not stirred up, many building that were built using it as insulation have not replaced the asbestos. But, exposure to this substance years ago may only now be manifesting itself in the form of cancer or even asbetosis (which cannot be cured).

People who work around old construction sites that involve demolition or remodeling are exposed to asbestos, as they inhale the small fibers. These microscopic fibers, inhaled through the mouth or nose are breathed into the body and come to rest in the lining of the lungs.

Since the illness takes decades to manifest, the damage is not immediately apparent. This can explain the rise in the number of poisoning cases today. Initially, the poisoning is likely to be diagnosed as lung disease since the symptoms are common.

The symptoms of diseases caused by asbestos fibers include increased shortness of breath over time and coughing. These symptoms come with other diseases, and are mistaken for less deadly illnesses. Since the symptoms do not appear to be too serious, they are often ignored. That is dangerous! So, when you experience a persistent cough or shortness of breath, get it checked at once.

Other symptoms related to asbestos disease include chest pain, hoarseness, and coughing up blood. These symptoms can be considered more dangerous if persisting, although their cause not often construed to be asbestos. It is important to have proper tests run if you experience these symptoms and know that you have probably been exposed to asbestos at some point in your life.

If you suspect asbestos exposure in your line of work, you must share your concerns with your doctor who can then refer you to a specialist. A specialist will help you figure out whether your problem is asbestos related or not. It is crucial to catch the signs and symptoms of asbestos early and start addressing the problem.

Although there is no cure for asbestos related illness the symptoms can certainly be treated. However, if it develops into lung cancer, you may have to go in for surgery. In other cases chemotherapy can be tried. Essentially, a healthy lifestyle is crucial in controlling asbestos symptoms.

Fruits and Veggies No Match For Breast Cancer: Texas Survivors Analyze The Data

By Pat Carpenter

Diets low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables apparently have no effect on the return of breast cancer, according to a seven-year government study released earlier this month. The study is of particular importance to the 2.4 million breast cancer survivors, and to states like Texas, where over 12,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with the disease this year and over 25% of the population is going without health insurance.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on July 18th, the study focused on over 3,000 women successfully treated for early-stage breast cancer. Average age of participants was fifty-three, and ten percent died within the course of the study, mostly due to a recurrence of the disease. The cancer returned for approximately the same number of individuals in each group.

Diets assigned to 1,537 of the participants exceeded the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of five fruits and vegetables per day, and consisted of five daily vegetable servings, three fruit servings, sixteen ounces of vegetable juice, and thirty grams of fiber. A "serving" was to equal one-half cup, French fries and iceberg lettuce could not be counted, and only fifteen to twenty percent of calories could be derived from fat. Control groups were given educational literature on the importance of eating at least the RDA of fruits and vegetables.

But the study is already undergoing criticism from healthcare professionals and researchers, many of whom believe the causes of serious diseases like cancer are multi-dimensional, and that studies focusing on a few macronutrients or food groups -- with few other controls -- may be unable to yield the intended data with accuracy. Previous studies on the link between healthy diet and the prevention of breast cancer have returned mixed results at best.

Susan M. Gapstur, of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, is one of those asking pointed questions. "Should we really have focused on dietary components like fruits, vegetables, and fat? Or should we be focusing, in addition to diet, on lifestyle factors including physical activity and weight?"

The call to approach nutritional studies differently from studies on pharmaceutical medicines is growing stronger. Steve Mister, President and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, urged colleagues during this May's symposium, The Workshop, to consider alternative methods for studying nutrition and the effects of dietary supplements. "nutrients have beneficial effects on multiple body tissues, and interact in a dynamic fashion with other nutrients," said Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and a Workshop attendee.

In other words, simply linking one nutrient -- let alone entire food groups -- with a particular outcome, without taking into account this complex interaction, may yield inaccurate or incomplete results. The government study did not control for organic, versus conventionally-grown foods, nutrient levels, source of nutrients (which have been linked with osteoporosis in studies focusing on calcium), or lifestyle factors (including physical activity, weight, calorie consumption, other food consumption, and stress). Nor did it control for environmental factors, or other variables associated with breast cancer, including obesity and exposure to certain chemicals linked with breast cancer.

Texas has a particular interest in the accuracy and proper portrayal of such studies, as breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Texas women. An Ecological Study of the Association of Environmental Chemicals on Breast Cancer Incidence in Texas by Y.M. Coyle and colleagues, found that twelve toxicants released into the environment by industry were positively associated with breast cancer in that state. Those twelve were Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) "chemicals designated as carcinogens or had estrogenic effects associated with breast cancer risk." The release of these chemicals, furthermore, was "consistently reported to EPA TRI for multiple counties in Texas during 1988 - 2000," which included years for which the study used data.

Some of the chemicals associated with breast cancer rates were formaldehyde, methylene chloride, styrene, tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, chromium, cobalt, copper, and nickel. Styrene was the "most important" chemical linked with the disease, affecting men and women of all ages, commonly used for food storage and preparation, and released from building materials, tobacco smoke, and industry.

The government study has been further criticized for not highlighting the many beneficial effects of better eating habits, including fewer incidences of other cancers, and improved overall wellbeing. One fear is that consumers, including breast cancer survivors, will read abstracts of the report and begin to believe that high intake levels of fruits and vegetables are simply unimportant.

If these fears were to come to fruition, and the study was to have a negative effect on the population's eating habits, the healthcare and health insurance industries of Texas could be devastated with higher incidences of diseases already at epidemic levels in the state, including obesity and diabetes. Even a slight increase in rural, uninsured residents seeking care in the larger cities of Dallas, Houston, and Austin, could add enough weight to functionally collapse those cities' healthcare systems.

What many don't know, but should, is that the release of such results must be analyzed within their appropriate context, not sensationalized by high-impact headlines or incomplete reports. Common sense, overall, should take hold. Fruits and vegetables have always been good for the human population -- throughout cultures, throughout technological eras. In other words, until we can alter our very DNA, keep eating those salads.

Without a doubt, how nutritiously you eat affects your health. How you take care of yourself will certainly affect you as you age, and eventually your wallet, as well.