Monday, 29 September 2008

A Granddaughter's Perspective on Surviving Cancer

A Granddaughter's Perspective on Surviving Cancer
By Laurie Marbas

When my grandmother, Grams, came to live with us in 1997 she was depressed and a shell of person that I had known in my childhood. She came to us because she was leaving a violent marriage of 20 years. The Grams of my youth was vibrant and energetic, spending many summers with my younger sister and I shopping or playing miniature golf. But that cold day in April of 1997 I saw a sad hunched over figure in a wheelchair being wheeled off the airplane. I almost did not recognize her.

Grams settled into our home, spending many hours with my young daughter, Emily, looking at the stars and discussing what to wish for. Over the course of the next 7 months her divorce was finalized and we moved from Ohio to Texas closer to my mother. By this point I was beginning to see shimmers of happiness and energy from Grams, but on occasion she would fall back into the depths of depression. She struggled with being dependent on us for everything and pushed away opportunities of socializing with others outside the family.

By 2001 I had begun my third year of medical school and my grandmother watched the youngest of my 3 children, Gabriel. In October she called to tell me that her mammogram had showed an irregularity and she was told by her doctor that it would need further evaluation. My heart sank as I had a gut feeling that it was going to be bad news. I spoke to many physicians asking which surgeon they would take their mother to and Dr. Ronaghans name came up more than once. We had her referred and Dr. Ronaghan gave us the grave news. She indeed had what looked like breast cancer and biopsy would be the only positive answer. Grams took the news as if you told her that she had a simple cold. My assumption was either she was in denial, had completely lost her mind, or extremely stoic. I, on the other hand, was falling to pieces inside. The thought of losing my grandmother made me nauseous, but I knew she was counting on me to be there for her. Little did I know that I was going to be leaning more on my grandmother during this process than she on me. A few days later she had a lumpectomy which revealed lobular carcinoma and would need further surgery. Grams remained enthusiastic and positive about her outcome, she almost seemed happier than I had seen her in 4 years. I didnt know what to make of it, but then again things flew by so fast that I didnt have time to process it.

She went on to have a bilateral mastectomy with positive lymph nodes on the right side. So, we werent out of the woods yet, she would require chemotherapy and radiation. Chemo would begin in December, 2-3 times per week for several weeks. By the tenth day her hair began to fall out in clumps and we began looking for wigs. One night she asked me to shave her head so she would not have to deal with her hair falling out anymore. I had cut hair many times, even Grams, but this request made me anxious and hesitant, almost to the verge of tears. It made me feel as though the cancer was winning, she was losing herself to the enemy. It was taking her beautiful thick white mane that made her my Grams. Well, we went to the kitchen and I plugged in the electric razor. I stared at her for a long time until she prodded me saying, Laurie, it will be alright, dont worry. Anyway, I am hoping that it will come back curly! At that moment I began to realize that the cancer was not going to win, because my Grams was strong and positive in heart and mind. I was looking at the Grams of many years ago, vivacious and alive! Yes, aliveshe hadnt died yet. Wake up Laurie and join the fight! I went on to shave her head of course after we entertained the idea of a mohawk.

She continued with the chemotherapy and had good and bad days of vomiting and fatigue but her optimistic attitude never wavered. The children had adjusted to having a Grams without hair, the boys, Jonathan and Gabriel, loved to run around in her wigs. In preschool Jonathan was asked to draw a picture of his family. He drew his mom, dad, brother, sister, and Grams. We all had hair except one figure had no hair and was holding something in her hand. When asked who this was and what were they were holding, Jonathan promptly replied, That is Grams holding her wig. As the story was relayed to her, Grams eyes twinkled as she replied, Well, its too hot to wear a wig all the time.Grams went on to have six weeks of radiation therapy that resulted in severe burns across her chest. She was in pain most of the time and we did what we could to make her comfortable. She never cried or felt sorry for herself. She always asked me how my day went, always worrying that I wasnt eating right, getting enough sleep, or working too many hours. All the meanwhile she was in the middle of a life and death battle with an ever imposing enemy. She prayed and read her Bible daily, always reassuring the rest of us that she would make it.

Indeed, 5 years later my Grams is still here without any signs of reoccurrence of the cancer. She taught me the power of positive thinking, humility, love of family and faith in God. I can only hope and pray to be a fraction of the woman that is my Grams. And yes, her hair came back curly.

Laurie Marbas, MD is a Family Medicine physician currently serving in the United States Air Force. http://www.justaskdoc.com

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Thursday, 25 September 2008

Cancer: How Exceptional Patients Find Healing

Cancer: How Exceptional Patients Find Healing
By Beng Im Teo

Power of the Mind

The main basic difference between medical science and holistic healing is the perception of what we are. The holistic view regards man as a trinity, made up of the body, mind and soul. Indeed, the body is only the physical case that houses the mind and soul. Medicine, however, is based on the philosophy proposed by Rene Descartes, a French mathematician and philosopher in the 17th century. He regarded man as a machine that obeys only the physical laws. The mind and soul play no roles in the body.

Given this conflicting view about man, it is therefore up to you to decide what you want to make out of yourself. You may believe that you are just a pile of chemicals, bones and flesh that has no mind and soul. Worry not, for like an old car, you can remove any worn-out parts of your body and replace them with some newer parts from somewhere, if you can. Hopefully by doing so, you can function better. BUT, can you?

I am reminded of an article in Newsweek (Special Issue 1999) about a man who had undergone a heart transplant. After everything is done, the man recovered very well. Modern technology had saved him. However, what surprised the cardiac surgeon was that the man with the new heart did not behave as he did before. He had the tendency to become suicidal.

From the holistic point of view, the mind is the root cause of problems. Carolyn Myss (in Creation of Health) says that cancer is created through excessive fear, guilt feelings, inability to cope with changes, self-hate and self-denial. Debbie Shapiro wrote (in The Bodymind Workbook): Cancer appears to be the result of many years of inner conflict, guilt, hurt, grief, resentment, confusion or tension surrounding deeply personal issues. It is connected to feelings of hopelessness, inadequacy and self-rejection.

According to Freud, the mind is an iceberg and only one-third floats above water. However, Avni Sali, a professor of surgery at the University of Melbourne, Australia, said: But Im sure that in cancer patients its probably 10%. Most of it is under water. Paramahansa Yogonanda said that there is an innate connection between the mind and the body. Whatever you hold in your mind will be produced in the physical body. all diseases have their origins in the mind. The pains that affect the physical body are secondary diseases.

The holistic healers view pain, sickness or the disease of the body as a signal that there is an imbalance within, perhaps due to conflicts of emotions and thoughts deep down within us, and is threatening our survival. This disease represents a wake-up call for us to do something in order to heal ourselves. However, few ever understood this message.

Contrary to medical views, body-mind healers have pointed out that:

1) The healing power of the body is within us. There is a physician within us and this power heals us absolutely.

2) Many of us are ignorant or are unaware of our own bodys healing potential.

3) Many of us block ourselves off from this potential, preferring to trust others whom we think can cure us rather than trust our own Infinite Intelligence within.

4) Many of us create unhealthy circumstances by thinking negatively and harbouring self-denying thoughts that eventually make us sick. We fail to recognise that these are the root causes of our many illnesses.

5) We are unaware that from the day we are born, we have been bombarded with negative suggestions. Negativity begets illness.

The seat of our real mind is the subconscious. Joseph Murphy (in The Power of Your Subconscious Mind) wrote that we view our world through thoughts in the subconscious mind. Think good and good will follow, think evil, evil follows. Change your thought and you change your destiny. Ralph Emerson said that man is what he thinks all day long.

From the above, we can conclude that the very first step in healing is for every cancer patient to recognise the influence of his own mind on his illness and recovery process. Many a time, we ask patients if they carry any emotional baggage or harbor any unresolved emotional conflicts within them. Invariably the answer would be: No, no, I have no emotional problems at all. They simply do not want to admit or discuss them, perhaps for fear that people know their secrets or they do not see the relevance or relationship between unresolved personal emotions and their cancers. After all, in schools we are taught that illness is caused by some kind of bug, virus or germ and it has nothing to do with the mind. Most patients would tell me that whatever problems they have are all old issues and have long been forgotten.

However, as we began to probe deeper, some of them just broke down and cry. So, my first advice to all cancer patients is to be honest with your own self, especially your subconscious mind. Think again, do you carry any baggage? Remember that you are not just a machine devoid of mind or soul. You are sick because something inside is eating you up.

Let me suggest a list of some active steps that you can take to heal your mind, your soul and lastly, your body and its cancer.

1) Think positively: as you think, so you become!

According to Susan Bannerman, a clinical psychologist working with cancer patients (in As you think, so you become. Proc. 1st World Congress on Cancer, Sydney, 1999, pg. 199): Illness is a reflection of a persons negative perception and self-defeating ways of thinking. Hatred, envy, selfishness, jealousy, self-judgement, self-doubt, self-criticism, lack of self-respect, feeling of unworthiness, etc. All these are negative and destructive thoughts. Do not harbour them for they do not help you at all. On the other hand, cultivate positive attitudes of love, joy, happiness, sharing, caring, self-esteem and self-confidence.

When you see a glass of carrot juice that is not filled up to the brim: how would you see it -- as half full or half empty? Our perceptions of many situations can be either negative or positive. Learn to see things positively. Alex is a colon cancer patient. He told us: I do not consider myself taking herbs. I just drink tea and it brings me a lot of good. On the other hand, we have patients telling us: Yuck! The tea tastes horrible! Think for yourself, do you think you will benefit from drinking a yucky drink?

What messages do you think the following remarks convey to you?

Are your herbs hygienic?

You mean I to boil the herbs? I have no time to do so. It is so cumbersome!

The herbs are so bitter!

My doctor said this My doctor said that

I have this problem for such a long time already, my doctor said there is no more cure

You may want to tell us: No, I cant change. Take me for what I am. We remember one young lady who had breast cancer. She hated her father very intensely. The sight and thought of her father worked her up so much so that she felt pains in the lump of her breast. We told her to go home and hug her father and love him. She was adamant at sticking to her guns saying: No, I hate him. We then told her: The problem is this. It is you who have to suffer and perhaps die. It is not your father who suffers if you hate him. Again here, patients have a choice, to embark on the healing journey rightly or to be left in misery. In our Centre, there is a quotation: when you hate people, the only person who gets hurt is you, because most people you hate dont know. And the rest of the world dont care.

To cultivate positive thinking is simple and easy. It is just like letting go of your baggage. Put it down! This requires no skill at all but you must have a loving heart. Do not insist on hanging onto your baggage. You have a choice. And again, our advice is: Let go!

2) Free yourself of negative thoughts.

Many negative thoughts are ingrained into our subconscious mind and they become a part of us. You and I have similar problems. And more often than not, we do not even know that these negative thoughts ever exist or are causing us all the problems. We are the product of our environment and the experiences of our lives. So to be able to free ourselves from these negative thoughts we must first and foremost be aware and recognise that these negative thoughts are in us. If we keep insisting that they are non-existent, then there is no reason for change or wanting to be free. If we admit that negative thoughts are our problems, the next step is to consciously correct them and replace them with positive thoughts. Keep on doing this correction like cultivating new habits. With time these good values stick in our mind. Always tell ourselves that we want to change and are capable of doing so. In time we will see that we do change. Remember, you need not be trapped in your past. Life is not living in the past, or the future. It is living in the present.

Beng Im

For more information: www.cacare.com

www.naturalhealingforyou.com

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Treatment Of Pancreatic Cancer Has Saved Middle Aged People

Treatment Of Pancreatic Cancer Has Saved Middle Aged People
By Riley Hendersen

Pancreas lies horizontally behind the stomach. It serves to release enzymes that help digestion, and hormones that serve to regulate carbohydrates metabolism. It helps regulating the sugar level (glucose) of your body.

Pancreatic cancer spreads very fast and it is difficult to spot it, therefore, it is a major cause of death among cancer illnesses. It is a cancer that spreads very rapidly to other parts and organs of the body, making surgical intervention useless in protecting the patient from death.

How does cancer develop in your pancreas? Most tumors form in the cells that produce digestive enzymes. These tumors that are called adenocarcinomas account for nearly 95% of cancer pancreatic.

Endocrine tumors that form in the islet cells are less common. Upon existence, they produce too much hormone. Very serious are the ampullary cancers that form in the ampulla of Vater, it is where your bile and pancreatic ducts are emptied into your small intestine. These tumors when blocking the bile duct, lead to jaundice.

The developing of pancreatic cancer happens when the DNA is damaged, and the growth and division of healthy cells becomes uncontrolled. Thus, a tumor is formed which is a formation of malignant cells.

A small number of people develop this cancer due to genetic predisposition. In 90% of the cases environmental factors, lifestyle, smoking, diet, and chemical exposure lead to the formation of cancer.

According to surveys, black men and women are at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer, being overweight and working with petroleum compounds also play a risk factor.

How do you suspect that you may have developed cancer in your pancreas? First of all, you lose your appetite, develop sharp abdominal pain, suddenly lose weight, and have jaundice, yellowing of the skin. It is important to mention Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that infect your mucus and your stomach. In many cases it is asymptomatic.

Courvoisier's law predicts that jaundice and a painless gallbladder that is distended are together indicative of pancreatic cancer. This cancer can be spotted while carrying out liver function tests, along with ultrasound and abdominal CT examinations. Endoscopic ultrasound is a painful, but effective way of spotting the tumor.

Patients having cancer in their pancreas have a poor prognosis due to the cancer not causing evident symptoms in the early stage. Mortality is around 99% in the United States, ranking cancer pancreatic as the number one fatal cancer in America.

This cancer may result in diabetes which turns out to be a life-long illness exposing the patient at discomfort and high risk of death if not treated properly. The American Cancer Society promotes high consumption of vegetables and fruits and lower consumption of red meat. Like with all other cancers, smoking proves a major factor in developing this cancer as well.

Prevention of cancer is vital. Long-term examinations have proved that taking vitamin D helps in decreasing the risk of cancer with 50%. Lately, younger generations have been affected, however, these patients have responded well to treatment in the UK, for example. There is hope for better treatment and diagnosis, these cases have proved the general statistics wrong. For further details, please consult the Pancreatic Cancer UK organization.

For more information on cancer try visiting http://www.cancercondition.com - a website that specializes in providing cancer related information and resources including information on pancreatic cancer.

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Monday, 22 September 2008

Taking Steps to Prevent Skin Cancer

Taking Steps to Prevent Skin Cancer
By John Grimes

Many forms of cancer are difficult to prevent. If you are diagnosed with them, it is just your bad luck. This is not the case with skin cancer.

The skin performs a very important purpose. It protects the body against heat, radiation and infection. The skin also regulates your temperature and produces vitamin D. To the surprise of many, the skin is considered an organ. In fact, it is the largest organ you have.

The skin is surprisingly tough given its thinness. That being said, it can be damaged by exposure to sunlight. This often presents in the form of skin cancer. There are three types of skin cancer basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Squamous occurs in the top level of the skin, basal cell in the middle layer of the skin and melanoma in the deep layers of the skin.

So, how can you prevent skin cancer? As you might expect, there are some practical steps. The first is to reduce your exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Ultraviolet radiation is found in typical daylight, but you can also be exposed to it in heavy doses in tanning booths and under sunlamps. Both should be avoided.

Staying out of the sun completely will prevent skin cancer. Obviously, that is slightly impractical. Living in your home 24/7 will protect you from skin cancer, but it will not do much for your mental stability! In short, you are going to be outside.

While outside, there are some practical steps you can take. Keep in mind the sun is most intense from 11 to 3 each day. Try to wear protective clothing that can cut down on your exposure. This can include hats, shirts and such.

Obviously, some of your skin is going to be exposed to the sun at some point. After all, you might want to go to the beach! If you do, the key to reducing your risk of skin cancer is to ease into it. If you are bone white, dont go hit the beach for an 8 hour session. You are going to get roasted, even with sunscreen on.

The final practical step is a simple one as well. Wear sunscreen at all times! Many people mistakenly put sunscreen on when they first go outside and then forget about it. Sunscreen only lasts for a certain amount of time depending on the brand. Make sure to reapply it from time to time. This is particularly true if you go in the water regardless of the waterproof claims made by the product.

Nobody wants to stay inside when it is a beautiful day. Make sure to wear a hat and put sunscreen on to prevent the sun from damaging your skin. Then enjoy yourself!

Find biodegradable sun protection products at http://www.AllTerrainco.com

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8 Urgent Needs for a Cancer Patient to Heed! Fight and Win!

8 Urgent Needs for a Cancer Patient to Heed! Fight and Win!
By Lucy Wong Moi

The WILL to SURVIVE cancer is the most urgent need for just any cancer patient. No one can survive when his or her will to survive cancer is gone. Hope will bring light, light will bring confidence, confidence is faith. Faith will survive the fight! Emerge as Winners!

[1 The will to survive

Do not be disheartened and discouraged! Listen! Obey! Respect! and Follow your Faith! What ever the trouble, the pain or suffering, the only goal of our life should be holding on to the Faith! This is the essence of our life.

Pray for inner strength, the surge of which will carry you through the ups and downs of the mind's rebellion. To uproot the chaos that is already present. You must find the strength of a rock to face the challenges. Love conquers all. Fill every thought with the might of its warmth, maturity and compassion. This is the only race where one should emerge a winner, not a whiner! This is the most urgent need, the strong will to survive! Tell yourself that you WILL DEFINITELY recover!

[2 The will to accept and adapt to certain changes

The expectations of certain degrees of discomforts, disabilities, sufferings would be there. There is nothing as unbearable, treat sufferings and miseries as footsteps towards deeper understanding of True Self. When one is in deep suffering, one will be forced to search within and look for resolutions.

We should have equanimity towards honor and dishonor, cold and heat, pleasure and pain. Without pain, one cannot understand pleasure, sorrow is verily the royal road to joy.

Sufferings are the stepping stones that lead man towards virtuous conducts. Deep suffering and pain is also one form of meditation in faith. It always lead to self realization and self awakening. Be patient to understand these changes. Fear not.

[3 The will to change for the better

Certain foods and drinks that are carcinogeous should be immediately avoided. Unhealthy lifestyles should be put to a stop. Doctors of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame and diet, and the cause and prevention of diseases. Understand what Thomas A. Edison said. Find out the cause and prevent it from happening at the first place.

But fear not, as I always confide in many people, there are also certain miraculous and wonderful food that can cure cancer. Change for the better. Stop poisoning our body, go for a detoxification program where one can go on a strict diet on just certain fruits, vegetables and herbs. It will heal. Starve the cancerous cells, feed the immune system.

[4 The will to smile at adversity

Do not fear, carry the luggage of will and strength. Strive on, tough man will last, tough time won't! Whenever you find truth, beauty, goodness, justice, wisdom, compassion, hope, love, God is present and active! We must surrender our judgement to the Lord, then the Lord will assume full responsibility and be your guardian, guide and the motivator. Our worries and tears cannot change what is predetermined. Be equal-minded to happiness and unhappiness.

People are being tested, but it should not be called so. It is grace, those who suffer have God's grace. Only through suffering will they be persuaded to turn inward and make the inquiry. And without turning inward and making inquiry, they can never escape misery! Pass the test of adversity, pass it with doctorate!

[5 The will to reprogram one's thinking

Life brings the message to live it to the fullest, but how many of you are using the power of this strength, fully and completely? Rid off poor habits and restraints, delete uncontrolled desires of the mind which are simply excusedly called 'pleasures' and 'prizes' Reprogram one's thinking to more meaningful works. Choose to stay with positive companions and environment. Be positive in thoughts, in words, in deeds and apply all positive emotions.

[6 The will to 'look beyond' our mortal body

Planning ahead, yes planning ahead. With each sunset, the span of life is being chipped away remorselessly but man does not prepare himself for the eventuality of death and the aftermaths. Our mortal body cannot survive forever. But our immortal soul is embedded inside our mortal body. Have one ever given a second thought on how to attain immortality and that we are actually a spark of Divinity?

[7 The will to cooperate with doctors and physicians

There are many cases where patients aren't cooperating well with healing doctors. We have our choice to which physicians we trust. We need the doctors to diagnosis our well-being and our status of cancer. To survive a cancer, one MUST work hand in hand with your doctor. It is a MUST!

[8 The will to return to normal living, accepting oneself among friends, loved ones, relatives and family

Love will solves all problems and challenges. Recovery from a near-death illness is no game to gamble or play with. All of us learn in a difficult and expensive way in realizing the value of life. All of us should show discipline and wisdom in emerging as a winner and once again one is breathing freely and feeling the warmth and beauty of sunshine. Life written cannot be rewritten. All of us should learn to treasure life.

This article is taken from my personal blog and actually is written for a new friend who is now having ovarian cancer and is now hospitalized. I wish her speedy recovery and would like to share with more people on how to survive cancer. Fight we must, survive we will. This is the 3rd article on cancer that I have wrote.

If there is a will, there is a way, if there are 8 WILLS, there are MANY WAYS!

Lucy Wong is a health and nutrition consultant. Her interest in health related issues include the development of mental health. She is also keen in sharing Multiple Qs, she is also an educator and has written many articles on this subject in her personal column under alternative health in http://submitarticles.biz Read more about mental health articles in her personal column and discover the secrets of maintaining good mental health. She has a personal blog. Read more from 'Lucy's tips for a healthier and happier You'.

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Sunday, 21 September 2008

7 Stages of Cancer Development

7 Stages of Cancer Development
By Siew Yin Gark

You must have heard of this statistic that out of every 3 of us, one of us will get cancer. But do you know that back in 1901, only 1 in 8,000 got cancer? Our body actually tries in so many ways to give us all the warnings and symptoms to tell us that something is not right and we need to do something about it!

Let us see from the Holistic Health Science point of view how cancer develops in 7 stages.

First stage, Enervation.
It is not recognized as a disease yet. Most people will just feel tired, exhausted and worn-out at this stage. The best way to recover from enervation is to get enough sleep as sleep is the greatest energy charger! Inadequate sleep and rest are the main causes of enervation.

Second stage, Toxemia or intoxication.
Toxemia is a state where toxins saturate our body. This happens when we fail to observe our capacities and ignore the symptoms of enervation. We continue to overwork, sleep late and are under great stress.

Third stage, Irritation is when we feel itchy and uncomfortable, or when we have irritating but not painful areas.
Irritation results from toxic substances being sensed by our nervous system. Our body is giving us signal to move away from this condition.

Fourth stage, Inflammation.
Its only at this stage that doctors recognize it as disease as it involves pain. Maybe youve experienced this before: you completely lost your appetite; and you don't feel hungry at all even youve not been eating for the whole day, all you want to do is just to sleep and rest! Sounds familiar? The area becomes inflamed due to the continuous irritation of toxic substances. Appendicitis (appendix), tonsillitis (tonsils), hepatitis (liver) and nephritis (kidney) are all inflammation but in different areas.

Fifth stage, Ulceration.
Our body use ulcer as a way to drain toxic built-up, it will heal if causes are stopped. Cells and tissue structures are being damaged due to our bodys inability to live in increasing toxin.

Sixth stage, Induration, or often called tumor formation.
Induration is the process where our tissue hardened so that ulcer and toxic materials can be kept inside and sealed off by the hardening of the tissue around them. This is a way of quarantining the toxins. This shows how our body tries so hard to protect us even at this stage! However, if we continue with our destructive lifestyles and diet patterns, our body will eventually dissolve the hard tissue when the toxin level is so high and it can no loner take it! This means the toxins will leak and circulate to other parts of the body, and that leads to cancer...

Final stage, Cancer.
Our cells have become parasitic at this stage. Cancer is usually fatal, it can ONLY be reversible with the condition of us stopping the causes and indulge in healthful practices, as healthful practices are the universal panacea!

Siew Yin Gark's philosophy has always been that there are no quick fixes to staying healthy. She believes that we can attain health only through proper diet, exercise, sleep and rest and the results will be long term. You can get her latest tips and sharing on health for FREE at her blog: http://www.greathealthandus.com

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CancerA Snapshot Of Time

Cancer-A Snapshot Of Time
By Iain McIntosh

In the American society, cancer is the disease most feared by the majority of people within the U.S. Cancer has been known and described throughout history.

In the early 1990s nearly 6 million cancer cases and more than 4 million deaths have been reported worldwide, every year. The most fatal cancer in the world is lung cancer, which has grown drastically since the spread of cigarette smoking in growing countries. Stomach cancer is the second leading form of cancer in men, after lung cancer. Another on the increase, for women, is breast cancer, particularly in China and Japan. The fourth on the list is colon and rectum cancer, which occurs mostly in older people.

In the United States more than one-fifth of the deaths in the early '90s was caused by cancer, only the cardiovascular diseases accounted at a higher percentage. In 1993 the American Cancer Society predicted that about 33% of Americans will eventually get cancer. In the United States skin cancer is the most dominating in both men and women, followed by prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women. Yet lung cancer causes the most deaths in men and women. Leukemia, or cancer of the blood, is the most common type in children. An increasing incidence has been clearly observable over the past few decades, due in part to improved cancer screening programs, and also to the increasing number of older persons in the population, and also to the large number of tabacco smokers--particularly in women. Some researchers have estimated that if Americans stopped smoking, lung cancer deaths could virtually be eliminated within 20 years.

The U.S. government and private organizations spent about $1.2 billion annual for cancer research. With the development of new drugs and treatments, the number of deaths among cancer patients under 30 years of age is decreasing, even though the number of deaths from cancer is growing overall.

Types of Cancer

Cancer is the common term used to designate the most aggressive and usually fatal forms of a larger class of the diseases known as neoplasms. A neoplasm is described as being relatively autonomous because it does not fully obey the biological mechanisms that govern the growth and the metabolism of individual cells and the overall cell interactions of the living organism. Some neoplasms grow more rapidly than the tissues from which they arise, others grow at a normal pace but because of the other factors eventually become recognizable as an abnormal growth and not normal tissue. The changes seen in neoplasm are heritable in that these characteristics are passed on from each cell to its offspring, or daughter cells. Neoplasm occurs only in muticellular organisms.

The main classification of the neoplasms as either benign or malignant relates to their behavior. Several relative differences classify these two classes. A benign neoplasm, for instance, is harmless, but malignant is not. Malignancies grow more rapidly than do benign forms and invade adjacent normal tissues. Tissue of a benign tumor is structured in a manner similar to that of the tissue from which it is derived, malignant tissue, however, has an abnormal and unstructured appearance. Most malignant tumors, in fact, exhibit abnormalities in chromosome structure, that is, the structure of the DNA molecules that constitute the genetic materials duplicated and passed on to later generations of cells. Most important, however, benign neoplasms do not begin to grow at sites other than the point of origin, whereas malignant tumors do. The term TUMOR is used to indicate a readily defined mass of tissue that is recognizable from normal living tissue. Thus a scar, an abscess, and a healing bone callus are all designated as tumors, but they are not neoplasms.

Besides being classified according to their behavior, neoplasms can also be classified according to the tissue from which they arose, and they are usually designated by a tissue-type prefix. A general system of tnonmenclature has also arisen to distinguish benign and malignant neoplasms. The designation of the benign neoplasm usually is signified by the suffix-oma added to the appropriate tissue type prefix. Malignant neoplasms are separated into two general classes. Cancers arising from such supportive tissues as muscle, bone and fat are termed sarcomas. Cancers arising from such epithelial tissues as the skin and lining the mouth, stomach, bowel, or bladder are classified as carcinomas. Examples of benign neoplasms are a lipoma (from fat tissue) and an osteoma (from bone). Malignant counterparts of these neoplasms are a liposrcoma and an osteosarcoma. The term adenoma is used to indicate a benign neoplasm of glandular tissue, and corresponding malignancies are termed adenocarcinomas.

Exceptions to this form of nomenclature include thymomas, which are either malignant or bengnneoplasms of the thymus gland, and such descriptive terms os dermoid, a benign tumor of the ovary. The suffix-blatoma denotes a primitive, usually malignant, neoplasm. Leukemia, literally meaning white blood, is the term used to designate malignant neoplasms having a major portion of their cells circulating in the blood stream. Most leukemia's arise in the blood-forming tissues, such as the bone and in the lymphatic tissues of the body.

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Prostate Cancer Survival Rates in UK

Prostate Cancer Survival Rates in UK
By Adrian Jones

There are approximately 25 000 men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the United Kingdom. For these men the risk of dying from their prostate cancer depends on a number of risk factors. For example if the cancer is confined to the prostate gland at diagnosis the chance of surviving to 5 years is 70%. If the cancer has already spread e.g. to the bones then only 20% of men will survive to five years. Of all the men who currently have prostate cancer in the UK approximately 10,000 will die of the disease each year. The prostate cancer survival rate is much higher in the developed world - unsurprisingly.

When a man is first diagnosed with prostate cancer then the doctor who has found the cancer (most often a urologist a surgeon who specialises in looking after problems to do with the kidneys, prostate and bladder) will arrange a series of tests to help assess the risk for that individual patient. The results of these tests will in turn help the doctor and patient to decide the best treatment for that patient.

Prostate Cancer Tests to Help Predict Survival

1. Prostate Specific Antigen or PSA

2. Digital Rectal Examination or DRE

3. Trans-rectal Ultrasound and Biopsy

4. CT or MRI Scan

5. Bone Scan

PSA This is a protein made by the prostate gland which can be measured on a sample of your blood i.e. a blood test. The PSA level can be raised by non cancerous problems with the prostate gland i.e. not all men who have a raised PSA have prostate cancer. Also some men who have prostate cancer will not have a raised PSA. However PSA does tend to increase as prostate cancers grow, invade and spread so PSA can be used to monitor how a prostate cancer is progressing or how it is responding to treatments.

DREThis is where a doctor feels the prostate gland through the back passage. It tells the doctor how big the prostate gland is, whether the cancer is able to be felt easily and whether it has invaded the area near by.

Tran-Rectal Ultrasound and BiopsyFor this test you need to lie on your side with your knees brought up into the chest (same position as for a DRE). An ultrasound probe is then inserted into the back passage. This enables the doctor to see on a screen the outline of the prostate gland. There is no radiation involved. The image on the screen then allows the doctor to insert a needle safely into the prostate gland to take some samples of the prostate tissue. Usually several samples are taken from each area of the prostate gland. These samples are then sent to a laboratory to be looked at under a microscope. This allows confirmation that there is prostate cancer present and tells us how aggressive the cancer looks. Sometimes a local anaesthetic is used to help make the procedure more comfortable.

CT or MRI ScanThis is usually carried out in an x-ray department and involves lying still on a thin couch which moves through either a big donut (CT) or into a long tunnel (MRI). This is not painful in any way. The pictures gained from this test helps the doctors to see whether the prostate cancer is still within the prostate gland or whether it had started to invade out of the gland into other surrounding structures. This tells the doctor what stage the prostate cancer is.

Bone ScanThis requires you to have an injection and then to lie on a special table where a camera scans the whole body. It shows up whether any of the bones in the body have been affected by the prostate cancer i.e. whether the prostate cancer has spread to the bones.

Prostate Cancer Stage and Survival

The stage of prostate cancer describes how far the cancer has grown and spread. It is assessed by a mixture of DRE and CT/MRI scans.

T1 StageThis is very early prostate cancer which can only be seen under a microscope. At this stage the cancer would not cause any symptoms. Men with this stage are at low risk from their disease may not need any treatment but surveillance. The original cause of a prostate cancer problem can be difficult to diagnose.

T2 StageThis is early prostate cancer but is now big enough to be felt by a doctor on DRE. This may still not have caused any symptoms. This is most often cured if treatment is undertaken at this stage and about 70% of men are still alive after 5 years i.e. average length of survival from diagnosis is well over 5 years.

T3 StageThis is locally advanced prostate cancer which has started to extend and invade outside of the prostate gland. This stage would often cause bladder symptoms in men. By this stage in the disease the chance of cure with treatments is reduced however survival is often around five years.

T4 StageThis is more advanced prostate cancer which invades the structures around the gland. At this stage there are often already secondaries e.g. bone metastases. If the disease has spread it is usually incurable but may be controlled for some time. The average survival is between 1 and 3 years.

Predicting Survival in Prostate Cancer

Doctors use a combination of risk factors to predict the behaviour of prostate cancer but cancers do not always act as expected. The factors they consider include the cancer stage (see above), the age of the patient, the PSA level and how quickly it is rising, and the Gleason Score. The Gleason score is a marker of how aggressive the cancer looks under the microscope and how much of the gland is affected by cancer.

Adrian Jones has a personal interest in promoting awareness and self-help in dealing with several forms of cancer. This article is from his website dealing with prostate cancer and prostate cancer treatments. He writes on other forms of cancer, including colon cancer. This article is available for reprint for your website and/or newsletter, provided that you maintain its copyright integrity and include this resource box information.

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Cancer My Wake Up Call

Cancer - My Wake Up Call
By Zoe Routh

Four days after I got engaged in March of this year I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. The doctor said, You have a cauliflower growth on your cervix. That's not normal. I am booking you in to see a specialist.

A myriad of tests and a few weeks later I am getting ready to go into hospital tomorrow and have what is called a 'radical trachelectomy' - removal of the cervix, leaving the uterus and ovaries intact in order to preserve my fertility.

I decided to share this story because I know that each one of you reading this will know someone who has cancer, whether it be a friend, family member, or a colleague. I am hoping that some of what I share will be helpful to you.

Like you, when you hear of someone being diagnosed with cancer there is a shock and horror about the news, and then a secret relief that it is not you. I believed cancer was for other people. Not me. People who do not look after themselves get cancer. Old people get cancer. Some poor unfortunate kids get cancer. Not me. I'm healthy. I have been a vegetarian for twenty years and have run five marathons. When I went to see the doctor I was two weeks away from running my sixth marathon.

When I got the call saying I had cancer, this was my reaction: terror. Then grief, then shock, then horror, and a whole cocktail of other emotions. I sobbed long and hard. I looked at my new husband-to-be and wondered if he still wanted to marry me as I faced the prospect of losing my ability to give us children.

I would love to say that I was strong, that I saw the positive side of things, that I laughed it off. I did no such thing. I was as terrified as anyone else who learns their body is under major threat. Being told you have cancer really, really sucks. It hardly seems real, even now, a month later.

The worst part was the waiting between tests and results and doctor's visits to clarify what it was we were dealing with. The worst imaginings tend to wreak havoc.

Then there were plenty of questions. Why? How? How does a life coach get cancer?? The truth is that a life coach did not get cancer. Zo got cancer. And that's when I started to understand a little more about what this could teach me.

I raked my history to find some source, some reason for my cancer, some personal transgression, some oversight in my health that I had missed. I beat myself up wondering how I did this to myself. I stripped all of my emotional and mental cloaks away to go to the source and stood there raw and vulnerable to see the human being under the skin. And that's when I felt a deep compassion - a compassion for myself. When I reached this deep place of love, I was then able to let it flow to others and feel compassion for every other human being who is wrestling or hiding from their own demons - physical, emotional, or spiritual. It is a big journey requiring much courage.

Some people say that cancer is a gift, or that they have it for a reason. This sounds dreadfully punishing. I choose to find something I can learn from this. It is a big journey, only just beginning, but I have found some crystals of truth in the anguish.

Here is what I am learning on my cancer journey:
* Each and every human being is a universe of gifts and stories and wonder.
* I love many people and am loved deeply in return.
* I don't have to be brave all on my own.
* I can heal my soul, if not my body.
* I am already good enough - I do not need a massive bank balance, fancy clothes, or any other markers to know that I am a worthy human being.
* I am who I am - I am not my job, my services, the roles I play in life as sister, daughter, partner, business owner. I am Zo - a woman who lives and loves deeply.
* Laughing is a really, really good thing.

My wish for you, dear readers, is that you pause for a moment each day in full and complete gratitude for the gift of life and all the wonderful things before you. See and appreciate the sunlight on the trees, the blue sky, a smiling dog, a beautiful song.

Copyright Inner Compass 2005 www.innercompass.com.au

Cancer survivor Zoe Routh is the Head Coach at Inner Compass, a personal development organisation that helps busy professionals work less and achieve more. Inner Compass offers practical strategies and solutions to improve personal effectiveness and live an inspired life.

Zoe has worked with groups and individuals since 1987. She has worked as a trainer, coach and facilitator in helping people achieve their personal best.

Inner Compass offers articles, resources, and coaching programs to help busy professionals radically improve their personal effectiveness to live an inspired life.

http://www.innercompass.com.au

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Common Forms Of Prostate Cancer Treatment Prescribed (Feb 2007)

Common Forms Of Prostate Cancer Treatment Prescribed (Feb 2007)
By Adrian Jones

When a patient is first diagnosed with prostate cancer and has had all the relevant tests to check the extent of the disease he will normally have an appointment with his doctor to discuss what is best. Prostate cancer treatment will depend on the extent of the cancer and on the intent of the treatment. For example early prostate cancers will be treated with surgery, radiotherapy or watchful waiting. Prostate cancer surgery is a definite possibility for many men in the early stages of the disease and so the subject should be discussed with the doctor. Late prostate cancers will be treated with hormone therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or a mixture of all 3. Often patients will be given a choice of treatments by the doctor and the pros and cons of each option explained. There is no best cancer of prostate treatment because the treatment you receive will depend on the extent of your cancer.

PROSTATE CANCER RADIOTHERAPY (COMMONLY CALLED PROSTATE CANCER RADIATION TREATMENT)

Many men undergo radiotherapy as it is often regarded as the best prostate cancer treatment. This may be with the aim to cure the cancer or to shrink and control it depending on the stage. Often hormone treatment is given prior to radiation treatment to help reduce the size of the cancer and improve the rate of cure. Small cancers dont need this hormone pre-treatment.

TYPES OF PROSTATE CANCER RADIOTHERAPY

Radiotherapy is the treatment for cancer of the prostate with radiation. This is most often as X-rays which pass through the body and kill the cancer cells in its path known as external beam radiotherapy. The alternative way to treat the prostate is from within the body using small radioactive sources known as brachytherapy. Brachytherapy is only suitable for a small proportion of men with early prostate cancer and with a suitable sized prostate gland. It has the advantage of slightly fewer side effects during the treatment but would not be so effective at curing more bulky prostate cancers.

EXTERNAL BEAM RADIOTHERAPY FOR PROSTATE CANCER

The majority of men with cancer of the prostate will have this type of radiation treatment. It is given by a machine called a Linear Accelerator. This makes high energy X-rays which are good at killing cancer cells. Linear accelerators are worked by radiographers who will also help you get into the right position for your treatment and give you advice during your treatment.

For the treatment the patient has to lie on a thin couch, rather like those used in the CT or MRI scanners. The machine then moves around the patient to deliver X-rays from several different angles, all pointing towards the prostate gland. Each treatment takes approximately 10 minutes to give, and the full dose of treatment is spread out to be given every day over a few weeks. This helps to give a big enough dose to the prostate to kill the cancer whilst reducing the side effects of treatment.

To make sure you are in the correct position and the prostate is being treated properly either an X-ray picture or more usually an extra CT scan will be taken before treatment starts to locate the prostate gland accurately. At this time you will also be given several tattoos (tiny dots on the skin) so that when you lie on the couch for each treatment the radiographers can make sure you are lined up properly. This helps to make sure the prostate gland is treated fully and to reduce side effects.

Patients are not able to feel X-rays or even be aware that the treatment machine is on. However as patients go through the weeks of treatment there are a number of common side effects that can be expected. Most of these are short term side effects which slowly build up through the treatment, are worst at or just after the end of treatment and then improve quite quickly (within a few weeks). There are also some long-term or late side effects which can occur.

Adrian Jones writes on several forms of cancer. Further information is available on his website dealing with prostate cancer treatments. You may reprint this if you include this credit.

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Thursday, 18 September 2008

Stages of Ovarian Cancer

Stages of Ovarian Cancer
By Jeanette Pollock

There are four specific stages of ovarian cancer. Knowing these stages will help you to determine what your treatment options are and what symptoms to look for so you can get the upper hand on the silent killer.

Stage one is when the cancer is limited to the ovaries only. Within this there are three stages. Stage 1A is when the cancer is limited to just one ovary, 1B is when the cancer is in both ovaries and 1C is with tumors on either one or both ovaries and a tumor on the surface.

Stage two is when the ovarian cancer involves one or both ovaries with pelvic extension. Stage 2A is when the cancer has extended to the uterus and/or the tubes, 2B is when the cancer has extended to the pelvic tissues and 2C is a tumor with a ruptured capsule that contains malignant cells.

Stage three is ovarian cancer that involves one or both of the ovaries and the cancer has spread outside the pelvis. Liver metastasis can equal stage three ovarian cancer. Stage 3A is when the cancer is limited to the pelvis but microscopic examination shows seeding in the abdominal cavity, 3B is when the cancer has become implanted on abdominal surfaces but nothing is above two centimeters in diameter and 3C is any abdominal cancers over two centimeters in diameter.

Stage four is a growth on one or both of the ovaries with distant metastasis. Stage 4A is an extension of metastasis to the uterus and/or the tube, 4B is an extension to the pelvic tissues and 3C is a ruptured capsule with malignant cells.

Jeanette Pollock is a freelance author and website owner of ovariancancerdomain.com. Visit Jeanette's site to learn more about the different stages of ovarian cancer.

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Why You Should Consider a Prostate Cancer PSA Test TODAY

Why You Should Consider a Prostate Cancer PSA Test TODAY
By Abbie Frank

Prostate Cancer kills if allowed to grow. If ever there was a good reason to have a simple blood test, this is it. The Prostate cancer PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test is one of the tests given to determine if cancer cells are present in an otherwise healthy prostate. It is a simple blood test to help doctors diagnose and identify the existence of prostate cancer.

The PSA test, although considered a prostate specific test is not really an absolute definitive test for the cancer. Depending on the research conducted, the PSA test is known to be somewhere between 85 and 95% accurate in identifying prostate cancer.

While an elevated PSA test may suggest the presence of prostate cancer, it's not an absolute. If however you have an elevated result, your doctor will probably want to do additional testing for a more complete and accurate assessment of the potential cancer. The last thing you want to do is to allow prostate cancer to grow beyond the prostate gland.

The good news is that BPH or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, better known as an enlarged prostate can also elevate the PSA test results. Even Prostatitis and Lower Urinary Tract symptoms can show elevated levels of PSA so if you have an elevated test result don't panic! A normal result from a PSA test, doesn't guarantee that your free from cancer, nor does a higher than normal result means you do have cancer

It's critical that you follow your doctor's lead in regard to dealing with the Prostate Specific Antigen test results. The results are an indication in a tool only to develop a complete diagnosis. To complicate matters more, PSA levels can also increase with age. Oh and the relative size of your prostate also plays a factor in interpreting the results.

Remember that as many as two out of three people with elevated the PSA readings DO NOT have a malignancy

Here's a quick list of the benefits and reasons why you should consider getting a PSA test

1. It's possible to detect a cancerous condition before any symptoms are known

2. Early detection catches prostate cancer before it is spread increasing the chances of a complete cure

3. The PSA blood test has been recognized as a contributing factor that has significantly reduced the number of prostate cancer death

The PSA test also delivers a false positive, which is a normal PSA level in about 20% of the time. It is still recognized as a good indicator of potential cancerous conditions and should be taken seriously. A 2005 Harvard study indicated that men having an annual PSA test were almost 3 times LESS likely to die of prostate cancer than men who didn't bother with the test. So the best reason to have the test is that without it, you greatly increase the chances of dying from prostate cancer!

Abigail Franks has written many articles on the subject of prostate cancer. On her site you can find valuable Prostate Cancer Information and more about early detection with Prostate Cancer Tests

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Some Answers To Colon Cancer Questions

Some Answers To Colon Cancer Questions
By Groshan Fabiola

1.What is colon cancer?

Cancer is a disease which can affect cells from all organs. The colon cancer affects the cells of the colon, determining them to proliferate in an uncontrollable way. This mass of abnormal cells will form a tumor inside the colon. The cancer of the intestine is quite frequent and two thirds of this type of cancer is situated in the colon.

2.Who can develop colon cancer?

You are at risk of developing colon cancer if you drink a lot of alcohol and you are obese. Also if other members of your family had colon cancer or breast cancer you could inherit some genes that make you more sensible to cancer. If you have polyps on your intestine and you leave them untreated for a long time, they can transform into malign polyps, meaning that cancer had occurred.

3.Is my diet involved in cancer development?

Following a diet which is rich in fats and proteins could expose you to cancer. If you eat a lot of fruit, vegetables and high fiber foods you can prevent colon cancer from occurring.

4.Does colon cancer come with any symptoms?

There are some symptoms which could announce that cancer is installing, but they also appear in other diseases. Some of the symptoms are: seeing blood in your bowels, alternation of diarrhea with constipation, and low abdominal pains.

5.How does the doctor know that I have cancer?

The doctor will perform a sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy to examine the insides of the colon. Also x-rays of the colon will be performed. These methods will see if tumors are present inside the colon. In order to stage colon cancer CT and ultrasound will be used.

6.Can colon cancer be treated?

Generally the most indicated procedure in trying to treat colon cancer is surgery. By surgery the doctors will remove the tumor from the colon. If the cancer spread, giving metastasis, the doctors will recommend you chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These are hard bearable due to their side effects like nausea, vomiting, loss of hair, fever, and tiredness.

7.Is the treatment effective or not?

If the colon cancer was diagnosed in its early stages and it has not spread to other organs the treatment will be 90% effective and patients will survive even five years after. If the cancer has given metastasis the treatment will not be so effective any more and half of the diagnosed patients will live less that five years.

For greater resources on colon cancer or especially about colon cancer symptoms please visit this link http://www.colon-cancer-center.com/colon-cancer-symptoms.htm

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7 Good Tips To Prevent Getting Cancer

7 Good Tips To Prevent Getting Cancer
By Jonathan Budd

To keep it short and sweet lets just say there is TONS of evidence to show where the increase in cancer is coming from. This article will tell you the latest facts and tidbits to help you prevent getting cancer.

1. To prevent getting cancer watch what you expose yourself too! Toxic molecules called free radicals have been proven to damage or mutate our cells at the molecular level. To prevent getting cancer avoid these toxic molecules as much as possible. Common sources are:

-House hold chemicals
-pesticides on your food
-air pollution
-stress
-increased sun exposure
-partially hydrogenated oils
-and everything else that doesnt seem natural to your body.

2. Watch what you eat! Diets rich in fruit and vegetables provide your body with very important antioxidants, which have been shown to prevent free radical damage. On the contrary bad foods which are loaded up with chemicals, preservatives, and processed garbage will weaken your body and increase your risks of disease.

3. Eat Organic Foods. Organic has much less risks of being contaminated with cancer causing molecules.

4. Reduce your stress and relax as much as possible to help prevent getting cancer! Stress has been proven to release a toxic hormone into your body that scientists have named the death hormone as it has devastating effects on other cells in your body. Do Yoga, Exercise, meditate, all proven things to help lower stress, ease anxiety, and promote an all around sense of well being.

5. Be emotionally healthy! Your emotions take a toll on your physical body if you store lots of emotional pain and baggage. Express whatever might be causing you pain and suffering and you will reduce risks of being prone to physical and mental disease.

6. Take a high quality nutritional supplement to help prevent getting cancer. High quality supplements have been proven to boost nutrient protection in the body and can add crucial defense where you might need it. Make sure it is a high quality supplement, and not some cheap industrial made manufactured vitamin which has very poor nutrient quality.

7. Be more Aware! Paying attention to all these things and living a more aware lifestyle will help prevent getting cancer. Watching over yourself and making sure you are making healthy decisions, and reducing exposure to cancer causing risk factors will make a huge difference in your life.

Its simple enough that anyone can do it, and these 7 highly effective tips could be the difference between you getting cancer or the other 1 out of 2.5 people in North America who will get cancer in their lifetime. Yea its that bad. And to prevent getting cancer we all have to start taking our health very seriously. Be more aware in your life and you are taking the first crucial step!

Jonathan Budd helps to protect and prevent people from getting degenerative diseases through bringing awareness of what causes these diseases, and offering powerful solutions to help people live a disease free life. learn more at http://www.LifepaknanoNow.com

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5Steps to Breast Cancer Free

5-Steps to Breast Cancer Free
By J.J. Yong

We believed that things in life were predestined and we would accept the fate of our life when some tragic incidents happened upon us. But once we were able to reconcile with our love and pain, therefore we would able to create wisdom to face any predicament with less anxiety and depression. The solution is simple - 5-Steps to Breast cancer free!

Achieving the goals are simply are simply if you put your faith on this 5-Steps to Breast cancer free.

1. Start a healthy diet - start your meals by including cancer-fighting vegetables such as broccoli, salads, coleslaws & flax seeds. This doesn't imply that you should be a Vegan and you could still able to eat poultry or red meats moderately. With all due respect, avoid eating fast foods - especially fried & barbecued foods. Drink water frequently as it is able to cleanse toxins away from our body. Green tea is also a suitable and pleasant drink as well.

2. Start a healthy lifestyle - Workout in gym or in our house is a must in keeping your body fit and healthy. If you do not like strenuous exercises, you could practice Qigong or Taichi. Statistics have proven that these two type of Chinese meditations increase the probability of curing breast cancer. Having adequate sleep is necessary for health and survival. A fresh and sharp mind are needed to shape positive attitude towards good health.

3. Socialize more - having leisure with family and friends is essential of improving interpersonal relationship. You will feel better when you console problems with your closest family or friends. Control yourself from bad influences such as smoking and excessive alcohols.

4. Learn to communicate with your personal Dr. or psychiatrist - Educate yourself with medical terms and information in order to understand your ailment. Don't be shy to ask questions during consultation with your doctor. If you have severe depression and anxiety, seek treatment from psychiatrist. For your information, being healthy comprises healthy body, mind and soul.

5. Write & Blog - Start a habit of writing journals today. Writing is a best way to express your thoughts and emotions. By writing journals, you will review past incidents easier in order to set further achievable goals. There are a lot of blog hostings available via internet. Blogging is a good way to write journals as it is the best communication tool of sharing your updates to the whole world. It is also reflects the importance of life that we should live our life to the fullest.

Keep track with this basic steps that will lead you a better tomorrow! Bear you mind about this basic steps that will change your destiny - Knowing that you can change your perception will allow you a sense of empowerment, which increases your sense of responsibility for your perception.

J.J. Yong

Your trustable source and guide to breast cancer

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Women's Struggle With Breast Cancer

Women's Struggle With Breast Cancer
By Leydi Barrera

This disease is caused by an abnormal growth of cells. If someone in your family has breast cancer, there may be a chance that you will have it as well. Women twenty-five and up have a higher risk of developing this disease. There is no way of preventing cancer. Women need to go to the doctor regularly for check ups. They must learn to recognize the symptoms and know the causes and treatments available for breast cancer.

We do not know exactly what causes breast cancer, but there are several risks that we need to be aware of that may cause cancerous cells. You need to investigate your familys history with breast cancer: early menstruation, and late menopause, and breast exposure to radiation are factors may affect your health.

If you begin to notice abnormalities on your breast, you need to get checked. Know your body so you can give yourself self-examinations. A sign of breast cancer is a lump in the breast or armpit area. Sometimes these lumps are the beginning of breast cancer, but may or may not be cancerous yet. These lumps may be removed by a simple operation. Other symptoms that may be detected during the self examination are the following: thickening in the breast or arm pit area, a change in the size, shape or color of the nipples, dimples or redness of the skin on the breast, or changes in the size or shape of the breast.

The treatments needed in case you have this disease will depend on how serious and developed the breast cancer is. The simplest treatment is the lumpectomy that consists of removing the cancerous lump. During this process they also remove some of the lymph nodes in the arm. Another treatment which is a more serious one is known as mastectomy. In this process, the doctor needs to remove the whole patients breast because the lump has become very large and cancerous and the patient runs the risk that the cancer will spread all over the chest muscle. In some occasions, the chest muscles that are around the breast and the lymph nodes of the arm are removed. This is called a radical mastectomy. If the doctor finds cancer cells on the lymph nodes, this means that the cancer has spread throughout other parts of the body. When this occurs, the patient will require a more aggressive treatment. There are three common forms of treatment for breast cancer: radiation, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy.

In conclusion, breast cancer is very common in women of all ages. For doctors, it is important that the patient knows her body and knows how to conduct self-examinations, and be aware of any changes in her breast area. Women need to take extra precautions if they have any history of breast cancer in their family. Make sure you examine yourself regularly to prevent any surprises. Remember that the lumps may or may not be cancerous, but to make sure you should go to the doctor and have a mammogram done before it is too late.

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Tuesday, 16 September 2008

Cancer and Green Tea Sorting Through The Evidence

Cancer and Green Tea - Sorting Through The Evidence
By Jon Stout

By now most of us have heard that green tea may have tremendous potential in terms of helping us win the war against cancer. There have been many studies that have shown that green tea has been shown to prevent the development of cancer when it is a significant part of your diet. In addition, there have even been studies that have shown that green tea may even have potential for treating cancer.

But, then occasionally youll find a study that makes it sound as though green tea may actually have some negative effects on our health. So, it can be easy to get confused as to whether we really should be adding green tea to our diets for health benefits or not.

Here are a few things that are known for sure.

Anti-oxidants are good for us. They combat the free radicals that are created in our bodies as we process food. When our diet is low in anti-oxidants the free radicals damage our cells and our DNA. Over time this leads to aging and disease.

Tea contains EGCG and polyphenols. These are two of the most potent forms of anti-oxidants, making tea, particularly green tea, because of its lack of fermentation, rich in the substance that protect us from aging and disease.

There are no known side effects to drinking green tea. Green tea is lower in caffeine that coffee or black tea, so its a good beverage choice for those who must watch their intake of caffeine. And, its completely natural. A simple cup of tea will have no additives, preservatives or processed substances.

Asian cultures drink a large amount of green tea and have a significantly lower than incidence of cancer, heart disease and stroke. Of course, there may be other factors in the Asian lifestyle that affect their lower incidence of disease. However, there are some statistics that are startling. For instance, nearly 75% of all Japanese men smoke, yet their risk of lung cancer and heart disease is significantly lower than that of American men.

Its true that we still need additional research on humans to gain more conclusive evidence about green tea and its potential in preventing or treating cancer.

Many of the studies that have been conducted have been on mice. Human research takes years of follow up to be conclusive and is more difficult than laboratory research. And, there are many more factors that must be considered during human studies, such as habits and genetics.

One interesting discussion of the studies that have been performed on green tea and their results, both positive and negative, is in the National Library of Medicine. This publication gave an overview of several studies done on green tea and cancer. The breakdown looks like this.

In 5 studies on colon cancer, three concluded that it might prevent cancer, one concluded that green tea might contribute to cancer.

In 4 studies on rectal cancer, one reported that green tea could prevent cancer, but two showed that it might actually contribute to developing the disease.

In 10 studies on stomach cancer, 6 suggested that green tea might prevent cancer and 3 suggested that it might contribute to cancer. The most comprehensive study on stomach cancer reported that green tea is an effective preventer of cancer.

Nearly all studies on pancreatic and esophageal cancer suggest that green tea has a preventative effect, and most lung cancer studies have shown positive results, though there has been at least one study that reported and increased risk associated with green tea.

So, as with many other health research concerns, there is still much work that needs to be done. And, there have been a few studies that have shown a possibility that green tea might actually increase your risk of cancer. However, when you take the research as a whole, it seems probable that youre better off drinking green tea than avoiding it.

As research continues, well learn more definitive information about the level of protection that green tea can provide, and just exactly how it provides this protection. As we learn more, well be better able to determine how much tea you really need to drink and on which cancers it seems to be most effective.

In spite of the few studies that have shown some negative results, overall researchers believe that green tea shows great promise in the area of cancer prevention and treatment. For centuries, Asians have used green tea to prevent and treat all kinds of illnesses, even before there was scientific research to support it.

In the mean time, there seems to be no reason to avoid green tea. Its refreshing, has no side effects and can be a great way to lower your intake of caffeine. Keep your eyes out for the new research findings as they emerge its sure to be exciting to find out all the potential that lies in green tea.

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea) and chai. Visit goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company's fine line of teas.

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Monday, 15 September 2008

Learning About Cancer

Learning About Cancer
By Mark Meyers

As you're likely aware, cancer is a deadly disease which claims millions of lives each year and which, unfortunately, even with hundreds of organizations from places all over the world racing to find a cure, doesnt appear to be going away anytime soon. As you might suspect there are hundreds of websites offering information and advice about cancer, but rarely will you find the grounding information in an understandable and non-medical format. From learning about what cancer is to how you could get it, cancer is certainly a common topic. This article is an introduction to cancer in non-medical terms which will help you learn the basics about this horrific disease.

What is Cancer?

With so much written about cancer over the last couple of years we can easily get confused with the tricky medical terms and information overload. In the simplest terms cancer is any one of a very large number of diseases where your bodys cells don't work the way they should. Normally the cells in your body have a complete life cycle: they are born, they grow and then they die to make way for new cells. With cancer your normal cells change and then grow in an uncontrolled way (i.e. they don't die like they are supposed to) then they clump together with other nearby cancerous cells to form tumors (pronounced: too-mers). Some of these tumors eventually are able to attack and destroy the normal cells around them thereby damaging your bodys healthy tissues. And that in a nutshell is what cancer is, but how do we get cancer in the first place?

What Are My Chances of Getting Cancer?

First of all you should know that anyone can get cancer. It doesn't matter how old you are, your gender, what your ethnic background is or where you live. The truth is at this point doctors still don't know for sure why some people get cancer and others don't. Now lets dispel a myth: As far as we know you can't catch cancer from someone else, it's not contagious like a cold or flu bug. That being said, there are certain lifestyle choices and other factors that can increase your risk of getting cancer. Unhealthy habits like not eating healthily, drinking too much alcohol each day and smoking cigarettes or cigars could greatly increase your risk of getting certain types of cancer. And there are a number of other things that can lead to getting cancer as well: spending too much time in the sun without sufficient sun protection; repeatedly having severe sunburns; or just having a family history of cancer can put you at risk as well.

In closing, cancer is actually a group of many related diseases that all have to do with abnormal growth in our cells. It's not contagious, but there are certain things, some that you can control and some that you can't, which could increase your risk of getting cancer. I hope this brief introductory article has helped you understand just what cancer is and some of the ways that you could be at risk of getting it. And finally I would just like to say my thoughts and prayers are with you if you are (or you know someone who is) suffering with one of these horrible diseases and I hope you find solace with the loved ones with you.

I hope this helps you understand more about cancer.
Have a super day!
Mark Meyers

P.S. Thanks for reading this article. I hope you've learned something new. I run an an informational health based website that is stuffed full of all manner of health tips and advice. To take advantage of this great free information please check out my site at:
http://www.1HealthArticles.com

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Sunday, 14 September 2008

Cancer Care: Integrating the Best of Western and Eastern Healing Wisdom

Cancer Care: Integrating the Best of Western and Eastern Healing Wisdom
By Chris Teo, Ph.D.

Cancer invariably affects many of us -- young, old, rich and poor. By the way things are cancer is here to stay. It is written that by 2020, new cases of cancer will double to 20 million a year. A review of literature shows that we are not winning this war against cancer. Cure for cancer still remains uncertain and elusive for most people.

Malaysians are a people of different ethnic background with various healing traditions derived from the Malay, Chinese, Indian and various indigenous races. The practice of alternative medicine is allowed, and is popular among Malaysians. In 1995, my wife and I started a semi-charitable organization called CA Care with the aim of helping cancer patients who have failed to find cure for their cancer through modern medicine. We understand that cancer in a complex problem and we need multi-approaches to achieve healing. The world needs more than the perspectives of medical science to help understand and solve this problem or at the very least contribute to lessen the pains and sufferings. Our strategy is to combine the best of what medical science has to offer besides relying on our Eastern healing wisdom. To us, healing of cancer should come from within. Patients need to participate in their own healing process and do what is best for themselves. After dealing with patients for over a decade we found our ways to be effective.

Our Cancer Care Therapy consists of the following holistic steps:

Step 1: Give total commitment to your healing. This is your sickness and only you can heal yourself -- others can only help. If you come to us but do not believe that we can help you, then go and find someone else whom you have faith in or can trust so that he can help you better. Searching for healing in cancer needs your whole-hearted commitment. You need to change your ways -- your lifestyle and mental attitude. It is more than swallowing some pills or getting an injection. Our decade of experience shows that those who participated fully in the healing process benefited tremendously.

Step 2: Seek proper medical help. We do not substitute medical doctors. We advise you to consult your doctors and get the best possible treatments, but at the same time know the limitations of what medical science can do. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are invasive and destructive. Most patients who came to us have generally undergone all these treatments and they failed to find a cure. So it is good that patients learn to know, when enough is enough.

Step 3: Take herbs. Herbs are not magic potions. But, herbs can restore the imbalances that exist in the sick body. People of China and India have been taking herbs for thousands of years to cure and maintain their health. Herbs do not kill cancer cells like the cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs or radiation. Many educated, presumably scientific people are skeptical about taking herbs. Our experiences show that herbs do no harm but on the contrary, help many cancer patients. There is a saying: the believer asks no question, while no answer can satisfy the unbeliever! If you do not believe in herbs, our advice is, find other avenues for your healing.

Step 4: Eat rightly. But, we also know that diet by itself cannot heal cancer, just as drugs or herbs alone cannot cure it. However, diet is important and can determine the progress and direction of your healing. From our experience, having to give up ones favorite food is often refuted and even detested by some patients. They counter with: My doctors say I can eat anything I like -- food has nothing to do with my cancer. We suggest that you read more widely. Every year, more and more evidence accumulates and points to the fact that what we eat determines the progress and direction of our healing or have a great influence on whether we get sick or not. Today, we are aware that the causes of 70% of cancers are related to our food and lifestyle. Studies have shown that as the Western way of life gains popularity in the developing countries, more and more people in the third world are getting cancers.

From the literature, we know that cancer patients benefit from a diet that consists of the following:
Fresh vegetables, either raw or cooked.
Lots of fresh juices and fruits.
Whole grains, cereals, seeds and nuts in an as unprocessed form as possible.
Avoid taking meat, dairy products, table salt, white sugar and cooking oils in the diet.
Avoid types of food that are preserved, canned or processed.

Step 5: Lead a happy, stress-free life. We advocate that you do proper exercise daily but do not over-strain yourself. Qi-kung, tai-qi and deep abdominal breathing exercises are good for you. Also, cultivate a positive attitude. Avoid anxiety, anger and other forms of negative emotions. Learn to love and to forgive and forget. Let go of any emotional baggage that you have been carrying in your life! We also find that those who believe in God or a higher being/order, cope better with their sickness. We advise cancer patients to find solace in the Loving God, according to their own beliefs. On top of all these, patients who have full-hearted family support and tender loving care, generally fare better. Love, care and understanding of the spouse, children and relatives are important recipes for healing.

Chris Teo, Ph.D.

For further details visit: http://www.cacare.com, http://www.CancerCare.com.my

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Worried About Getting Prostate Cancer Think Living Foods

Worried About Getting Prostate Cancer -Think Living Foods
By Helen Hecker

Early prostate cancer is confined to the prostate gland itself; most of the patients with this type of cancer can live for years without any problems. Simply put, cancer that grows in the prostate gland is called prostate cancer. In most men, prostate cancer grows very slowly; most men will never even know they have the condition.

Men at higher risk for prostate cancer include African-American men older than 60, farmers, tire plant workers, painters, and men exposed to cadmium; the lowest number of cases occurs in Japanese men and those who do not eat meat who reach the age of 80. Detected in its early stages, it can be effectively treated and cured. About 80 percent of men who reach the age of 80 have prostate cancer.

One of the most common symptoms is the inability to urinate, get checked right away. There are other symptoms that may not be mentioned here. Most prostate cancer symptoms, although associated with prostate cancer, are more likely to be connected to non-cancerous conditions.

If you have one or more symptoms, you should see a qualified doctor as soon as possible. If cancer is caught at its earliest stages, most men will not experience any symptoms. The need to urinate frequently, especially at night is another symptom.

A prostate gland biopsy usually confirms the diagnosis. A bone scan can indicate whether the cancer has spread or not. A chest x-ray may be done to see if there's a spread of cancer.

There is a newer test called AMACR that is more sensitive than the PSA test for determining the presence of prostate cancer. Urine or prostatic fluid cytology may reveal unusual cells. CT scans may be done to see if the cancer has metastasized (spread).

What you can do now is begin to understand what exactly your treatment options are and where you're going to begin. Besides hormonal drugs, hormone manipulation may also be done by surgically removing the testes. Recent improvements in surgical procedures have made complications occur less often.

Since prostate tumors require testosterone to grow, reducing the testosterone level is used to prevent further growth and spread of the cancer. Surgery, radiation, hormonal therapy and chemotherapy all have significant side effects; know fully what they are before you proceed. Surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy can interfere with libido on a temporary or permanent basis.

The conventional treatment of prostate cancer is often controversial. Medicines can be used to adjust the levels of testosterone; called hormonal manipulation. Radiation therapy to the prostate gland is either external or internal, both of which use high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.

Surgery, called a radical prostatectomy, removes the entire prostate gland and some of the surrounding tissues. An oncologist, a cancer specialist, will usually recommend treating with a single drug or a combination of drugs. Be aware that some men chose natural treatment options and forgo any surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.

Make highly nutritious raw applesauce using a food processor and put in 3-4 cored pesticide-free apples, with the skin on, and mix for a minute; so much better for you than canned highly processed applesauce and add 1/4 tsp. cinnamon or two tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseed for another boost. If you're not already doing so, make a serious effort to watch your diet closely. For snacks, choose raw nuts without salt instead of lifeless roasted nuts.

Make smoothies with fruit only, using a base of two bananas, adding a cup of frozen or fresh blueberries and mango chunks or substitute any other fruit and add an energy boost of two tablespoons of coconut oil; add one or two leaves of kale for another highly nutritional boost. Making ginger tea, by adding a thin slice or two of fresh gingerroot to hot water, is helpful to many people I know. Buy lacinato kale and juice it in your juicer with sweet carrots.

Consider taking cod liver oil or fish oil supplements every day. Eat high-fiber snacks like raw nuts (soak them overnight first), raw seeds, and dried fruit, such as dates, and figs. Use flaxseed oil or walnut oil in your daily dark green salad.

The one thing that you should not do however is rely on information obtained from the Internet to make your final decision; double-check everything. If you do choose invasive conventional treatment, you can always change your diet and do non-invasive natural treatments too. With the advent of PSA testing, most prostate cancers are now found before they cause any symptoms.

For more information on prostate cancer treatments and prostate cancer symptoms go to http://www.BestProstateHealthTips.com Helen Hecker R.N.'s website specializing in prostate and prostate cancer tips, advice and resources, including information on prostate tests and natural prostate cancer treatments

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Can You Be Cancer Free For Life And Drink Alcohol?

Can You Be Cancer Free For Life And Drink Alcohol?
By Laurence Magne

Are you at risk?

Cancer kills an estimated 526,000 Americans yearly, second only to heart disease. The most common cancers in the United States are cancer of the lung, large bowel, and breast. Rothman, K.J. in Preventive Medicine 9(2):174-179, 1980, found that there is now considerable evidence to suggest a connection between heavy alcohol consumption and increased risk for cancer, with an estimated 2 to 4 % of all cancer cases thought to be caused either directly or indirectly by alcohol.

There is also a strong connection between alcohol use and cancers of the esophagus, pharynx, and mouth, whereas a more controversial association links alcohol with liver, breast, and colorectal cancers. The American Cancer Society found that together, these cancers kill more than 125,000 people annually in the United States.

Alcohol Will NOT Allow You To Be Cancer Free For Life

Research shows a link between the level of alcohol consumption and certain types of cancer. As alcohol consumption increases, so does risk of developing certain cancers, such as cancers of the upper digestive tract, the esophagus, the mouth, the pharynx, and the larynx. Other data link alcohol consumption and cancers of the liver, breast, and colon.

An estimated 75 % of esophageal cancers in the United States are attributable to chronic, excessive alcohol consumption.

Nearly 50 % of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx are associated with heavy drinking. People who drink large quantities of alcohol over time have an increased risk of these cancers as compared with abstainers. If they drink and smoke, the increase in risk is even more dramatic.

Liver. Prolonged, heavy drinking has been associated in many cases with primary liver cancer. However, it is liver cirrhosis, whether caused by alcohol or another factor, that is thought to induce the cancer. In the United States, liver cancer is relatively uncommon, afflicting approximately 2 people per 100,000, but excessive alcohol consumption is linked to as many as 36 percent of these cases. Alcohol CANNOT promote a cancer free for life.

Mechanisms of Alcohol-Related Cancers

Preliminary studies show that alcohol may affect cancer development at the genetic level by initiating and promoting cancer. Acetaldehyde, a product of alcohol metabolism, impairs a cell's natural ability to repair its DNA, resulting in a greater likelihood that mutations causing cancer will occur.

Alcohol assists in the development of cancer

Alcohol may act as a co-carcinogen by enhancing the cancer-provoking effects of other chemicals. The risk for mouth, tracheal, and esophageal cancer is 35 times greater for people who both smoke and drink than for people who neither smoke nor drink, implying a co-carcinogenic interaction between alcohol and tobacco-related carcinogens.

Alcohol's cancer producing effect may be explained by its interaction with enzymes that normally help to detoxify substances that enter the body. Carcinogens such as those from tobacco and diet can become more potent as they pass through the esophagus, lungs, intestines, and liver and encounter the activated enzyme.

Nutrition. Chronic alcohol abuse may result in abnormalities in the way the body processes nutrients and promote certain types of cancer. Reduced levels of iron, zinc, vitamin E, and some of the B vitamins, common in heavy drinkers, have been experimentally associated with some cancers. Also, levels of vitamin A, hypothesized to have anticancer properties, are severely depressed in the liver and esophagus during chronic alcohol consumption. For a cancer free life, just watching your diet will not reduce your chances of developing cancer in your body.

A recent study indicates that as few as two drinks per day can suppress any beneficial effects of a correct diet on decreasing risk of colon cancer. Although the study suggests that a diet high in folic acid, a B vitamin found in fresh fruits and vegetables, decreases the risk for colon cancer, it also warns that alcohol consumption may counter this protective action and increase the risk for colon cancer by reducing folic acid levels.

Suppression of immune response

Alcoholism has been associated with suppression of the immune system. Immune suppression makes chronic alcohol users more susceptible to various infectious diseases, and to cancer. For your best chances to remain cancer free for life, you would be best to reduce your alcohol consumption to a minimum. This means a maximum of two alcoholic beverages NO MORE than 3 times a week.

by Dr Laurence Magne, publisher of Alternative Health Ebooks and Author of Cancer Free for Life

For more information go to http://www.cancer-free-for-life.com

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Worried About Prostate Cancer? Nurse's Report

Worried About Prostate Cancer? - Nurse's Report
By Helen Hecker

You may have just been diagnosed with prostate cancer and don't know what to do; the first thing to do is not to panic. Early prostate cancer is confined to the prostate gland itself; most of the patients with this type of cancer can live for years without any problems. The prostate is a small, walnut-sized structure that makes up part of a man's reproductive system; it wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body.

The prostate gland is located directly beneath the bladder and in front of the rectum. Prostate cancer is characterized by 'grade' and 'stage'; grade is given to indicate how quickly a cancer is growing -- the higher the grade, the more likely it is that the cancer will grow and spread rapidly and the size and extent of the tumor will determine its stage.

The male hormone testosterone contributes to the growth of cancer. Blood in the urine or semen and frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs are often symptoms of cancer. Weak or interrupted flow of urine and painful or burning urination can be symptoms to watch out for. One prostate cancer symptom is difficulty starting urination or holding back urine.

If cancer is caught at its earliest stages, most men will not experience any symptoms. One symptom is a need to urinate frequently, especially at night. There may be other symptoms not mentioned here.

Your doctor may use either one or two of the most common tests for prostate cancer detection. A number of tests may be done to confirm a diagnosis of prostate cancer. A prostate biopsy usually confirms the diagnosis.

Another test usually used when prostate cancer symptoms are present is the digital rectal exam (DRE) performed by the doctor. When a digital rectal exam is performed it often reveals an enlarged prostate with a hard, irregular surface. Urine or prostatic fluid cytology may reveal unusual cells.

The conventional treatment of prostate cancer is often controversial. Impotence is a potential complication after the prostatectomy or after radiation therapy. If chemotherapy is decided upon after the first round of chemotherapy, most men receive further doses on an outpatient basis at a clinic or physician's office.

An oncology specialist will usually recommend treating with a single drug or a combination of drugs. Surgery, called a radical prostatectomy, removes the entire prostate gland and some of the surrounding tissues. Chemotherapy medications are often used to treat prostate cancers that are resistant to hormonal treatments.

What you can do now is begin to understand what exactly your treatment options are and where you're going to begin. Treatment options can vary based on the stage of the tumor. Surgery, radiation, hormonal therapy and chemotherapy all have significant side effects; know fully what they are before you proceed.

Many men simply want the best treatment they can get but what's important is picking the best treatment for you. Anyone considering surgery should be aware of the benefits, risks and the extent of the procedure. In the early stages, surgery and radiation may be used to remove or attempt to kill the cancer cells or shrink the tumor.

Besides hormonal drugs, hormone manipulation may also be done by surgically removing the testes. Prostate cancer that has spread (metastasized) may be treated conventionally with drugs to reduce testosterone levels, surgery to remove the testes, chemotherapy or nothing at all.

Just about all men with prostate cancer survive at least five years after their diagnosis, 93% survive at least 10 years, and 67% survive more than 15 years. With the advent of PSA testing, most prostate cancers are now found before they cause any symptoms. If you've already been diagnosed with prostate cancer, pick the option that's best suited to you and your continuing good health.

For more information on prostate cancer treatments and prostate cancer symptoms go to http://www.BestProstateHealthtips.com Helen Hecker R.N.'s website specializing in prostate and prostate cancer tips, advice and resources, including information on prostate tests and natural prostate cancer treatments

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