Latest Cancer Articles

The Importance of Dental Hygiene

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 02:02:05 -0500

There are many different aspects of our health which contribute to the quality of our lives, the length of our life span and the impression we make on people. Someone in good health will come across as well, attractive and energetic, while experiencing a longer life and greater resistance to bacteria. To achieve this they must consider the multiple variables that contribute to their overall health.

Dental hygiene is one such area of our health and there are many reasons that this is very important. The most obvious advantage of maintaining good dental hygiene is of course the fact that it can prevent us from losing teeth or having them deteriorate. If we brush our teeth regularly with a clean brush and a good toothpaste, we can prevent them from building up in plaque or from developing an abscess. This then prevents us experiencing tooth ache, teeth that are sensitive to temperature or sugar, from having to have black fillings, or from having to have teeth completely removed. This then can drastically affect your looks and your well being which in turn will affect how you feel about yourself and your happiness. It will affect how others treat you and it can mean the difference between having to have a painful procedure whereby your teeth are removed and you potentially even have a new fake-tooth screwed in (this process is known as having a dental implant). Similarly not regularly looking after dental hygiene can cause your teeth to become stained or marked. For example excessive tea consumption without brushing or washing your teeth can result in them becoming stained. In looking less white they can make you look less healthy and vibrant and be less eye catching.

At the same time though your teeth can affect other aspects of your health. Of course our mouth is a place which provides direct access to our stomach and through that to our blood stream. Thus it is a prime location for picking up infections or having unfavourable reactions if we should consume bacteria or off food. At the same time it's also a warm and moist area which provides an absolutely perfect breading ground for bacteria and viruses. Thus dental hygiene and oral hygiene are vital in order to prevent bacteria from gathering in your mouth and from infecting you. If you don't brush regularly in other words, then you will leave yourself vulnerable to infection and viruses.

Finally, the fact that you have a mouth full of bacteria won't just put you at risk of illness caused by the bacteria, but will also leave your body subdued and tired. The mere existence of the bacteria in your mouth here will cause your body to be under consistent attack from bacteria and it will be the job of your immune system to fight this off. As such you will find yourself feeling more tired and being more receptive to attacks from other sources - a lack of dental hygiene has even been associated with increased chance of developing cancer!

Side Effects of Brachytherapy

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:33:39 -0500

Education about possible influence of brachytherapy for breast cancer can assist affected person to become ready, react better as well as protect from those long-lasting results which may be aggravating in tandem with the existing disease. Much like other chemo - and radiotherapy based therapies, brachytherapy has few side effects as well.

Collateral influences depend on the particular sequence and the location of tumor treated. Due to these factors, effects can be potentially small, “medium significance” or long run. The treatment and the recovery period differs accordingly.

Small - scale side effects can be as follows:

• Limited area bruising

• Bleeding

• Swelling

• Discharge from the implanted tissue

Acute damages subside swiftly, in most cases within few days post cure took effect. Other possible collateral damages may be fatigue which may set in in time of the treatment. It must be admitted that like other acute negative effects, it disappears fast.

The following considerations should be considered in regard to the bad consequences mentioned above:

Limited area bruising may be considered absolutely normal since a selection of unnatural objects are implanted inside the tissues of patient’s body and thus cause some portion of blood to enter under-skin tissues. A real issue may be in case if those bruises are great and blood needs to be either removed taken out of hematoma bruise by means of another cut immediately to get absorbed by body which requires long period and some specific drugs.

Blood stream can be made either by minor cuts made to blood circulation systems or by definitely unavoidable incisions made while the implantation is done. Those need not be seen serious threat since losses of blood are limited and in case under control by doctor these are not going harm general state of organism seriously.

Swelling is another natural yet absolutely unpleasant reaction of organism on the kind of rather extensive invasion we face when applying cancer radiotherapy. This may be cured by applying ice. As well as in those above mentioned instances constant control is needed in order to additional problems and limit possible negative effects on patient.

Radiological treatment of prostate or cervical cancer can cause small-scale collateral; damage among which are enuresis, retardation, or even painful discharge. Bowel frequency, diarrhoea or constipation may also surface. Brachytherapy for skin tumor may also result in skin shedding. Generally mentioned side effects can be treated through ration change or by medication.

Long term side effects could be a outcome of injuring of adjacent body parts or tissues. Depending on the kind of injure to the tissues, the effects could continue for some time or vice versa. Generally these collateral effects are moderate in nature for example:

• Problems with urinary system

• Digestive problems

• Erectile dysfunction

Long term negative consequences require timely medication and control. Sexual malfunction induced by brachytherapy may be treated successfully by medication and its intensity depends on the age of treated person l. Older males are at greater risk than their younger colleagues. Erectile dysfunction commonly surfaces in 15-30% of prostate cancer patients. That danger may be further reduced once the patient is treated using radical prostatectomy.

Other side effects of brachytherapy for skin or mammal tumor could be possible scars around the place being treated. Breast cancer brachytherapy can also lead to fat necrosis due to which the mammal cells swell and get tender. That state attacks a fairly low 0.2 part of all cancer patient and typically appears 4-12 months post radiology treatment.

Hypnotherapy Might Just be Your Ticket to Quitting Smoking

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 05:36:45 -0500

Smoking is a dangerous and addictive habit practiced by nearly 1.35 billion people worldwide. If you're a smoker you probably know all the dangers linked to your habit including increased risk of lung cancer, heart attack, emphysema, and high blood pressure. You also probably know how tough it is to quit...even when you really want to.

Perhaps you've tried the nicotine patches, the gum, the new electronic cigarettes, or even the cold-turkey method. Millions of Americans just like you have attempted to quit with those methods and failed. But have you considered hypnotherapy? It may be just the right solution to help re-train your mind away from tobacco and put a stop to your addiction once and for all.

Intrigued? Well, here's how it works:

In essence, hypnotherapy is a method to help one reach the highest possible level of relaxation. In that relaxed state the conscious mind can be pierced, allowing the sub-conscious mind to be given new information about the world outside. Since the sub-conscious mind does not analyze information and accept or reject it based upon thought, it is free to accept anything given to it as absolute truth.

Where smoking is concerned, hypnotherapists understand the intense pleasure the brain receives from nicotine stimulation. And like any addictive behavior, the easiest and most successful way to break nicotine addiction is to replace the nicotine with something else. Hypnotherapy allows the sub-conscious mind to "transfer" the pleasure associated with smoking to another activity such as exercise, hobbies, or sporting activities. When that transfer occurs the sub-conscious believes the smoker is now a non-smoker and nicotine cravings are relieved.

You may be skeptical of using hypnotherapy to quit smoking and that's understandable. But numerous studies by groups like the San Francisco VA Medical Center, the University of California-San Francisco, the American College of Chest Physicians, and the Journal of Applied Psychology have all released studies that show hypnotherapy is successful in helping smokers quit at a rate three times greater than most other methods. Furthermore, studies have also shown that combining hypnotherapy with nicotine replacement programs greatly increase the chances of success even more.

With hypnotherapy you'll enjoy not just a great sense of relaxation, but also the relief of finally having quit the habit. Depending on the activity you chose for your hypnosis, you might even lose weight, increase your exercise, or finally devote some time to that hobby you've had to set aside. You'll also save money; a lot of money that you used to spend on your nicotine habit.

If you've tried the other products and failed or even if you're just beginning the journey to becoming a non-smoker, give serious consideration to hypnotherapy. It will reap benefits for you and your loved ones for years to come.

Mesothelioma Treatment Option - Asbestos Exposure Treatment

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:05:08 -0500

A cure for mesothelioma doesn't yet exist, but people with the disease may still choose to undergo a mixture of treatment methods for their cancer or also take part in clinical trials. The mesothelioma treatment options most often suggested are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. While these are the most frequent, there are additional procedures that are gaining in attractiveness, the bulk of of which are experimental. Some of these procedures are gene therapy, immunotherapy, and photodynamic therapy.

There are several different forms of surgery for mesothelioma sufferers; painkilling surgery, diagnostic surgery, and curative surgery. Palliative surgical procedures are to relieve pain and calls for removing some of the cancerous tissue. Nevertheless, this form of surgery doesn't provide a cure.

The objective of curative surgeries are to take away as much of the cancer cells as possible with the hope that it is enough to cure the patient. After curative surgical procedures are executed they are usually followed up with drug or radiation therapy.

Diagnostic surgeries are merely employed to tell if mesothelioma really is present in an individual or not. It furthermore assists in finding its location, if it is found, and is customarily non-invasive.

Medicines developed for chemotherapy are ordinarily given intravenously with the objective of destroying cancerous tissue. Cancer cells can grow very fast so it's better to begin chemotherapy treatment as quickly as you can.

The aim of radiation treatment is similar to chemotherapy, to kill cancerous tissue and limit the proliferation of cancerous cells as much as possible. It is also known as "ionizing radiation" and is ordinarily used after surgery has been done. It is sometimes used as palliative therapy in an effort to eliminate some of the symptoms associated with the condition.

Photodynamic therapy is ordinarily used only when the mesothelioma is localized and is not typically very effective when the mesothelioma has metastasized. Photodynamic therapy involves giving the patient medication intravenously which will make mesothelioma cells exceptionally sensitive to a certain form of light. A few days after photodynamic therapy the patient is then exposed to this particular light, destroying the cancer cells that have absorbed the medication.

Gene therapy is still experimental and involves infecting the patient with a virus that was altered genetically. The virus makes its way into cancer cells which results in the production of a protein. A short time after infecting the patient with the genetically altered virus, the patient is supplied with a chemotherapy medication that is not harmful to regular cells, but is created to be deadly to mesothelioma cells.

Immunotherapy attempts to deceive the person's immune system into destroying mesothelioma cells. With active immunotherapy the patient has some of their mesothelioma cells taken out and then used to make a vaccine. The patient then has the vaccine injected into them which can lead to the person's immune system recognizing the "mesothelioma cell vaccine" as a noxious substance, and consequently recognizing the mesothelioma itself as a noxious substance.

Breast Cancer Treatment Through Brachytherapy

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:55:23 -0500

It’s a sad fact that almost 10.4% of all cancer cases in females (source: wikipedia) are reported breast cancer cases. Even more saddening is the fact that there is no perfect remedy, yet, for this deadly disease. A large number of population worldwide succumbs to breast cancer. However thanks to the relentless and persistent efforts of some of the best brains in this world, many new therapies styles and medicines have come up that can check the cancerous growth and in fortunate cases, especially when detected early, delay its maturity by a long time. Breast Cancer and Its Treatment Breast cancer most commonly originates from the milk ducts or lobules that supply milk to these ducts. Breast cancer originating from ducts is known as ‘ductal carcinomas’, or as ‘lobular carcinomas’ in the other case. As is the case with cancer, there are different stages or spread, genetic makeup and aggressiveness. Most cancer cases require a combination of surgery, medication and radiation, which can be either delivered through external beams or brachytherapy (done by placing a radiation source close to the infected area internally.), to get treated. Brachytherapy is a known effective way of treating breast, skin, prostate and cervical cancer. The highlight of brachytherapy is its action on local area, thus limiting exposure to other tissues, which is higher in case of externally done radiotherapies. The radiation source retains its relative position with the affected area and thus works even when limbs move. This quality enables medical practitioners to use high dose of radiation source and thus enhance its effectiveness. High dose also means treatment for shorter time periods. Brachytherapy is done on out-patient basis thus ensuring that patients spend less time in getting treated. However, no matter how effective brachytherapy and other breast cancer treatments have been found at mitigating cancerous growth, the most advisable practice is to get yourself checked annually or bi-annually. There are many different kinds of screening procedures that can help detect the onset of breast cancer. Self breast exams, genetic screening, MRIs and mammograghy are few commonly used screening procedures. While self examination may not be the most effective, mammography is known to be a reliable screening procedure. It uses x-rays to check for any uncharacteristic growth in breast thus catching even the minutest of cellular development that may go unnoticed in self examinations.

Evolution of Cancer Treatments: Brachytherapy

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:04:14 -0500

While at one point of time, externally administered radiotherapy, known as External Beam Radiotherapy, came out as a major breakthrough in cancer treatments; its success, soon, got overshadowed by the damage that it inflicted on tissues of the adjoining area. Soon after, Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) got introduced to decrease the damage. It converted the external beams into focused ‘beamlets’ thus letting doctors control every beamlet’s intensity. However irradiation still remained a large concern. Treatments evolved with time. Today brachytherapy falls in the same line of evolution and can be regarded as the treatment with the least irradiation to the adjoining areas of the tumor. How Brachytherapy Works A radiation source is inserted next to the affected area and stays there in relation to it, even when there is a movement. This enables constant irradiation of the affected cells, thus resulting in faster therapy. As the radiation source is highly focused towards the affected area, Brachytherapy has the least exposure to the adjoining areas. Before inserting the radiation source, applicators are inserted in the patient at the cancerous site and correctly positioned to ensure that the radiation remains effective as well as limited, both spatially and temporally. An advantage that brachytherapy provides over external beam radiation is its high dose application. As irradiation is acutely focused, the radiation can be stronger for better results, a flexibility that can not be exercised in the case of external radiation. Brachytherapy Is More Effective As per many researches, brachytherapy is as effective as surgery and external beam radiotherapy put together. Its effectiveness gets even more when administered along with them. On top of all that, brachytherapy is also known for no major side effects. It is the only feasible option for patients with locally advance tumors. Brachytherapy is also used as a palliative in more advanced stages, for bringing relief from bleeding and pain. Brachytherapy Is Faster Brachytherapy’s course is completed faster than external radiotherapy treatments. This ensures that affected tissues don’t get more time to regenerate and spread over during the intervals. Patients need to make fewer visits to the medical facilities. Highly localized radiation ensures that patients don’t put their family members at risk. Getting treated is also a lot easier. Brachytherapy is administered on an out-patient basis and thus there is very little wait time or documentation.

Details about Gastrointestinal stromal tumor

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:26:07 -0500

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a type of sarcoma. Sarcomas, including Gist are a type of cancer. They occur in connective tissues, bones, muscles, fats, nerve cells, blood vessels and cartilage. GISTs occur in the gastrointestinal tract of the body.

GIST are derived from mesenchymal cells are primarily related to the mutation of a genetic protein CD117 or c-kit. Mesenchymal cells are connective cells such as fibroblasts, muscle cells, and blood vessel lining cells. Gist is a sarcoma and not a carcinoma; hence it requires a different medical treatment from that of more identifiable cancers such as lung, skin and prostate cancer. GISTs can occur anywhere in the GI tract including the stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum and esophagus. In rare cases, GISTs can occur in other locations in the abdomen.

Metastasizing of a cancer is when it spreads from its site or organ of occurrence to another site. GIST tumors can spread to the liver and the abdominal membrane enclosing the intestines and stomach. The symptoms and signs of the onset of GIST are indications of vague abdominal discomfort or pain, presence of a visible abdominal mass, and an unexplained feeling of being full as the most innocuous. GIST tumor cells often have a mutation in the c-kit (KIT) protein. . GIST tumors are believed to originate from stem cells or from specialized cells, found in the gastrointestinal tract essential for normal gastrointestinal movement. GIST is more common in older adults, but can occur at any age, including in children. There are several different type of GIST tumors such as adult GIST, wild type gist, pediatric, familial and eGISTs. eGISTs occur outside the gastrointestinal tract.

Cancers and tumors such as GIST are diagnosed from tissue samples taken from the patient in a procedure called a biopsy. The tissue sample is acted upon by various antibodies. The antibodies are used such that they react with specific proteins in cells on the tumor’s surface. The antibodies react with specific proteins and the stain or color the tissue sample. In the case of GIST diagnosis the antibody that reacts with the tissue sample is c-kit protein specific.

The primary treatment for GIST is surgery. The oral targeted chemotherapies Gleevec or Sutent are used to treat metastatic or inoperable GIST and Gleevec is used as preventative treatment for GISTs with a moderate to high risk of recurrence after surgery.

Further information about GIST and GIST treatments can be found on the internet.

Do You Know White Tea Contain More Health Factors than Green Tea

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:31:52 -0500

It is said that green tea is the best tea because it benefit our body a lot. But some researchers said that white tea may contain greater nutrition than green tea and may contain more health factors because of this. More than three studies pointed out that white tea to be beneficial for the prevention of cancer, obesity and even aging.

Why White Tea More Effective?

It is reported that white tea is made from the same species of plat, that is Camellia Sinensis. As other leas but the processing of white tea is different. White tea leaves and buds are picked when they are young and then immediately steamed and dried to maintain the optimum freshness. Not only does this give white tea a lighter, smoother flavor, it also helps it to maintain a higher concentration of antioxidants than green tea. Green tea is made of mature tea leaves which are picked, steamed or fried and then rolled. The processing of the leaves of green tea can make it lose some of its healing properties.

White Tea Help To Prevent Cancer a Lot

In 2000, Oregon State University conducted a study on the effects of white tea for cancer prevention. Because of the many studies on green tea which showed great potential for preventing certain cancers, researchers wondered what the effect of white tea would be because of the fact that white tea is processed less than green tea and therefore contained higher amounts of polyphenols (catechins). In their testing, researchers found that white tea inhibited DNA mutations, which are the first sign of cancer, more efficiently than its green tea counterpart. They found that white tea was particularly effective on colon cancer.

In a study published in the February, 2008 issue of Nutrition and Cancer, researchers at Oregon State University shared their findings on white tea as a prevention for colon cancer. Their study found that white tea and its constituents, caffeine and EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), were more effective in inhibiting cancer cell proliferation than green tea.

White Tea Slows Down Aging and Prevents Obesity

A study conducted by the School of Life and Sciences at Kingston University in South West London found that white tea can lower the risk of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and even aging. The researchers tested 21 herb and plant extracts and found that white tea was more effective than all of them.

The study showed that white tea contained high levels of antioxidants which are known to help prevent cancer and heart disease. It also showed that white tea was able to prevent enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, both of which support elasticity in the skin, arteries, lungs and ligaments. In addition, white tea is able to break down the oxidants that cause inflammation and lead to diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.

Another study by researchers from Beiersdorf AG, Germany found that white tea extract inhibited the growth of human fat cells as well as helped to break down existing fat cells. The researchers feel that white tea could be a natural slimming substance.

White tea as well as green tea contains a myriad of healthy substances and both are a good beverage choice. But in order to get a better health, maybe white tea is your ideal choice. Despite of this, take more exercise and establish a healthy living style is the most important. Drink less ,sleep enough, keep in a good mood, be optimistic and hold a positive attitude.

Brachytherapy treatment.

Sun, 30 May 2010 09:49:22 -0500

This method is administered on breast cancer patients and each method of this treatment requires the use of catheters which are tiny tubes. They are temporarily placed inside the breast as pack or separately or they can be housed within a supple balloon. Breast brachytherapy can be done with two techniques; Intracavity and Interstitial. Normally, it is the doctor who decides on which works more effectively on a patient depending on their case of attack. Interstitial Brachytherapy: In this treatment method, the tiny tubes (soft catheters) are inserted into the breast either in a pack through a single incision or separately. The catheters are implanted at some point when you are undertaking surgery or lumpectomy. They may also be implanted later on in an outpatient procedure. This particular brachytherapy may be carried out in order to give the patient a booster doze after she has undergone an external beam radiation’s course. Either for that reason or as the only way for breast radiation. Intracavity Brachytherapy: It is also goes with the name balloon catheter radiation. In this case what is used is one or several catheter lines held within a saline-filled balloon. Once the balloon is placed inside the breast, it is inflated in such a way that it is still able to hold the catheters which are used for treatment in place. This particular brachytherapy equipment can be implanted during a lumpectomy surgery or a few months later. This brachytherapy method can be used as the only available method during breast radiation. Who are the candidates for this mode of treatment? In order for one to be qualified for brachytherapy treatment, she must be having clear lymph nodes or must be planning on have a lumpectomy done, have a somewhat tiny tumor and be having a certain amount of tissue between the catheter balloon and the skin. There are specific requirements for each device and some of these devices can be customized in order to be more effective in terms of shape, duration of dose and intensity. Therefore you may find that there are different devices being used in radiation clinics. This gives you a chance of shopping around for something that might actually work for you. You can also be referred to different radiation oncologists for an opinion on what would be best for you by your doctor. If it so happens that your tumors are larger than expected or the lymph nodes aren’t clear, you can still have the radiation therapy done on you. The good thing is that they can use the external beam therapy to treat you as it can be tailor made to met you needs and spare some healthy tissues.

Is Cellphone a Cancer Link than Weaken Your Health?

Wed, 26 May 2010 03:05:21 -0500

Do you have a mobile? And do you use it frequently? Do you always put it under your pillow or near you head when you sleep? Do you have a habit that always keeps your phone open? If yes, maybe you have a series of illness, from rashes to brain tumors.

Millions of people say they suffer from headaches, depression, nausea and rashes when they’re too close cell phones or other sources of EMFs (low-level electromagnetic fields). At the same time, San Francisco and the state of Maine are currently considering requiring cancer-warning labels on cell phones. If these fears are justified, then perhaps we should all be worried about the amount of time we spend talking on our phones or plugging into wi-fi hotpots.

According to a professor emeritus of physics at the University of Maryland in the US, the magnetic waves aren't nearly powerful enough to break apart DNA, which is how known threats, such as UV rays and X-rays, cause cancer.

Perhaps it's just psychological. Some experts find that the electro-sensitivity syndrome seems to be similar to chemical sensitivity syndrome, which is a condition that's considered to be psychological.

Psychological or not, she suffers physically and has her own defense strategy. She stays away from cell phones and spends as much time as she can in low-EMF areas. “I like to spend time in the mountains or by the sea or in the countryside” she said.

Whether EMFs are harmful or not, a break in the countryside, the rural area without the cell phone, would probably be good for all of us.

So, my friends, be careful when you use these high technology products. Of course, they will convenient your life. On the other hand, they will weaken your health and make you feel uncomfortable. If possible, stay away from these things and if you don’t need it, don’t touch them.