Breast Cancer Treatment: Coping With A Mastectomy

Breast Cancer Treatment - As women, especially American women, much of our femininity is centered on our breasts. No matter where you look, there are pictures, billboards, commercials, television shows, and movies with women with these beautiful breasts and ample cleavage. The thought of losing one or both breasts, to breast cancer, can be devastating for many of us. Sure, there's reconstruction, but will it ever really look the same again? Even if you have reconstruction, you'll never have sensation there again and, for many of us, that definitely affects our sexuality.

I went through two separate mastectomies, for my breast cancer, despite the fact that I wanted them both done at the same time. Two different surgeons told me that wasn't necessary. They found out, later, that it was, as I had the same breast cancer in both breasts. Through these surgeries, I learned a few things about what to expect, and how to get up and running again, after a mastectomy for breast cancer.

The first thing to realize is that, apart from the emotional aspect of such an operation, this is a simple surgery. The breast is composed, mostly, of fatty tissue and, of course, milk ducts and lobes. The removal of this breast tissue is way easier than operating on an organ, but carries much more emotional impact for most of us. Most surgeons will get as much of the breast tissue out as they can to help alleviate the chance of a recurrence of your breast cancer. You will typically wind up with a horizontal scar about four inches long. The scar may be red for quite a while but, ultimately, should fade to where you can hardly see it anymore.

You want to be sure to take loose-fitting, button-down shirts (raiding your hubby's closet is helpful) with you, to the hospital, as you won't be able to raise your arms over your head for a while. You will also need a sports bra and I would highly recommend one that fastens in the front. They will put that on you after your surgery. Typically, you should be able to stay in the hospital for one night. If you're going to have lymph nodes removed, a small pillow, to slip under that arm, will help make you more comfortable. Check with your local American Cancer Society as they may have small pillows for you. An extra pillow to hold to your chest, if you need to cough, sneeze, or laugh, can help keep your incision from hurting.

When you wake up, you will have a couple of drain tubes for each side you have done. These tubes are important as they allow the excess fluid, which your body will produce, to drain out. If you didn't have them, the fluid would have to be aspirated with a needle. The drains, even though they're no fun, are better than that. These drains will have to be emptied a couple of times a day and you will have to write down how much fluid you drain so the doctor will know when you've slowed down enough to remove them. You may not know where to put these drains under your clothing. I pinned mine up to the sports bra and that way, they didn't pull when I moved.

When you get home, plan on having someone there to help you for the first few days. You won't be allowed to reach into your cabinets and definitely won't be able to clean house or pick up your children, if you have little ones. You'll be sent home with pain meds and definitely take them if you need them. Studies show that you will heal faster if you keep yourself out of pain, so don't be afraid to take them as prescribed.

If you have a recliner, you might consider moving it into the bedroom as you won't be able to lie flat for a while. You'll need to sleep in a partial sitting position. If you don't have one, or don't have space for it in your bedroom, lots of pillows will work, too. That's what I used. Just be sure you have enough pillows to keep yourself comfortable propped up.

If you would like someone who's been there before you to visit with, be sure to call your local American Cancer Society and ask for a Reach 2 Recovery volunteer. This is an American Cancer Society program where they try to match you with one of their volunteers who have as similar experience as you're facing. This woman will come visit you and will bring you all sorts of brochures and information on conventional treatment. She will also bring you a list of exercises you can start to do to regain your mobility and range of motion.

This is VERY important. It hurts to stretch your arm up, after surgery, but if you haven't had reconstruction, and you don't start soon, you will lose that range of motion. I would recommend starting to gently, slowly reach your arm up … let your body be your guide … the day after your surgery. This is ONLY if you have not had reconstruction. If you have, let your plastic surgeon tell you when to start stretching. Push to where it hurts just a little, but do not push too far past that. Little by little, you'll find yourself able to stretch a little farther every couple of days.

Most of all, allow yourself to heal emotionally, as well as physically. Some of us just can't look at that incision right away. That's OK. Take as much time as you need. I know I felt like some kind of freak with no breasts and, even six years later, I still do sometimes. But remind yourself that these scars are your battle scars. They do not make you less of a woman. They make you a warrior.

Building Self Confidence

Building Self Confidence The very first step is to accept yourself – lovingly. No person in the world in perfect so why bother to shed tears over your imperfectness. This is how God wanted us to be – Imperfect! We might have something that someone else may lack and someone else might be endowed with the qualities, which we lack. This incompleteness makes us go out and seek companions who make us feel loved, wanted and complete. Oh what a great feeling! Would we experience it if we were inside the cocoon of our perfection? Never! So accept yourself the way you are. It will free your mind of a heavy baggage of unnecessary worries. You will instantly feel light and cheerful.

Liberate yourself - Go out and do what you like! - How long it has been since you last went to have a walk among the pines – something that you loved as a child? How long has it been when you walked hand in hand with your friend to the bakery and tossed a coin to decide what to buy? These might seem very simple things but these simple things have the power to add on to build great confidence and fulfilment. Life if see is actually quite simple. What gets a bit too complex though is to remain simple. Isn’t it? Just as small drops of water make the mighty ocean, the little things you enjoy doing have the capability to turn you into a storehouse of confidence. When God made you, He put a desire in your heart and bestowed onto you the capability to achieve it. However, in the process of growing up, you forgot what exactly your purpose was, what is that you liked and what is that you enjoyed doing. It does happen with lots and lots of people who do feel like breaking free but are too tied up in their day to day responsibilities that it gets impossible for them to spare even 10 minutes to reflect on their lives, their direction, their dreams and goals. It’s our duty to clear the mess that prevents us from hearing to our heart. The conversations with your heart should keep getting clearer and the best way to do it is to find time to do what you enjoy. And since you enjoy doing that activity, it straightaway means that you have all the aptitude and intelligence necessary to do the job effortlessly even though you may not realize it.

Find your flock - Birds of a feather flock together. You must find out people with whom you enjoy being. They are certainly the people of your frequency and the energy flow between you and them is natural. Life becomes easy when you are among the people who are more or less on the same plane of thought as you and it’s easier to relate to them. They seem to understand you and vice versa thus creating conditions for healthy conversations. A good conversation is a very healthy exercise and an important need of our mind. We all want our ideas to be heard and appreciated and a good company provides platform for the same.

Set Achievable Goals and Go for it! - The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The idea is to begin with a small single step that can then further developed into giant strides. Learn to do the work at hand rather than to overwhelm oneself by looking at the entirety of a mammoth looking task. Just like the soil underneath your foot, the top of mountain too would someday be under your step. The only way to do something is to GO FOR IT! No matter how small the progress is the focus should be on completing a task successfully even though it’s a small task. A series of big uncompleted task is a sure shot way to depression. Break a big task into a list of small tasks to be completed. Tick off from your list each job successfully completed. A completed task no matter how small it is gives a sense of achievement that boosts our confidence and equips us with more energy to try a bigger task.

Tag: building self confidence, feel better, physically, mentally, diet, atkins, confidence level

The K Vitamin

The K vitamin is essential for the blood to clot to repair injuries. Whenever a person has a bleeding wound, it is the K vitamin that is present in the blood that stops the bleeding and enables most minor cuts to heal quickly.

There are three different forms of the K vitamin. The first variant of the K vitamin is vitamin K1, also known as phylloquinone. This is the form of the K vitamin that is found in types of plant foods. Vitamin K found in plant foods. The second form of the K vitamin is the vitamin K2, or menaquinone. This type of the K vitamin is formed by friendly bacteria in the intestines. Thirdly, there is vitamin K3 which is also known as menadione and is actually an artificial form of the K vitamin. All three of these types of K vitamin end up in the liver where it is used to create the blood clotting substances.

The best natural sources of the K vitamin are green leafy vegetables, such as spinach. However, because the friendly bacteria in the intestine makes one of the forms of the K vitamin it is extremely rare for a person to have a deficiency of the K vitamin and so K vitamin supplements are not needed by the majority of people.

Apart from the main function of helping blood to clot, the K vitamin, specifically the Vitamin K1, has an important part to play in the bone building process. This K vitamin is required to retain the calcium in the bones and redistribute it to where it is needed.

Although a K vitamin deficiency is relatively rare there are certain groups of people who may suffer from it. Newborn babies may not have enough of the K vitamin as they have insufficient bacteria in their intestines to produce it. The majority of newborn babies in developed countries are therefore given a K vitamin injection to tide them over until the natural process takes over. That is the only time that a K vitamin supplement will be taken by most people throughout their lives. However, an extended course of antibiotics may lead to a K vitamin deficiency due to the fact that the antibiotics kill the intestinal bacteria as well as the ones that they are being taken to cure. Again, a K vitamin supplement may be given if the course of antibiotics has to continue for a long period of time.

What is Symptom | Swine flu, what are the symptoms

Symptoms - this post will examine more deeply what is meant by Symptom and all information about the Symptom in relation to the swine flu, and here I give the sense Symptom Symptom according to wikipedia and viruses associated with pig flus, other than that I also gave FAQ's about Symptom I get from www.telegraph.co.uk
Symptom, is a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality. A symptom is subjective, observed by the patient, and not measured,
Types
Symptoms may be chronic, relapsing or remitting. They also may progressively worsen or progressively become better (convalescence). Conditions may also be classified as symptomatic (present and demonstrating symptoms) or asymptomatic (present but without symptoms). Asymptomatic conditions and asymptomatic infections can exist for many years undiagnosed and may only be found upon medical testing (such as high blood pressure).
Constitutional or general symptoms are those that are related to the systemic effects of a disease (e.g., fever, malaise, anorexia, weight loss). They affect the entire body rather than a specific organ or location.
The terms "chief complaint", "presenting symptom", or "presenting complaint" are used to describe the initial concern which brings a patient to a doctor. The symptom that ultimately leads to a diagnosis is called a "cardinal symptom

Non-specific symptoms are those self-reported symptoms that do not indicate a specific disease process or involve an isolated body system. For example, fatigue is a feature of an enormous number of medical conditions, and is a documented feature of both acute and chronic medical conditions, both physical and mental disorders, and as both a primary and secondary symptom. Fatigue is also a normal, healthy condition when experienced after exertion or at the end of a day.
Swine flu: what are the symptoms
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: The symptoms of swine influenza in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza infection and include fever, fatigue, lack of appetite, coughing and sore throat.

some people with swine flu have also reported vomiting and diarrhoea.

Q: What is swine flu?
A: It is a contagious respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses.
Pigs are hit by regular outbreaks.
There are many different types of swine flu and the current cases involve the H1N1 strain of type A influenza virus.
Q: How do humans catch it?
A: While people do not normally catch it, humans can contract the virus, usually if they have been in close contact with pigs.
It is also possible for the constantly changing infection to spread from person to person, which has happened in the latest outbreak.
Experts believe it spreads in the same way as seasonal flu – through coughing and sneezing. You cannot catch it through eating pork.
Q: What is the difference between swine flu, avian flu and the flu commonly seen in the UK during the winter?
A: Influenza viruses are commonly circulating in the human and animal environment, with different strains causing illness in humans, bird and pigs.
Seasonal influenza is caused by viruses that are adapted to spread in humans.
Humans have some natural immunity to the strains that are in common circulation, and this immunity can be boosted by immunisation with a vaccine.
Avian influenza is caused by influenza viruses adapted for infection in birds.
Similarly, swine influenza is caused by influenza viruses adapted for infection in pigs.
These illnesses all cause the same respiratory symptoms in sufferers and can be passed between one another.
Q: How dangerous is it?
A: More than 150 people have died and thousands made ill,.
However, testing has shown that the antiviral drugs oseltamavir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) appear to be effective against the human swine influenza H1N1 strain,
Q: Why should we be worried about it?
A: The World Health Organisation warned the outbreak had "pandemic potential" and countries were advised to step up surveillance and preparation in case the infection spreads rapidly.
Flu viruses have the ability to change and mutate, making it difficult for drugs manufacturers to ensure effective vaccines are available.
The new version of the H1N1 virus is a mix of different animal and human versions of the disease. Mixing can lead to the development of changed viruses to which humans have little immunity.
Q: What is a pandemic?
A: If the flu spreads over a wide geographic area and affects a large proportion of the population it goes beyond an epidemic and becomes a pandemic.
According to the Health Protection Agency, an influenza pandemic is defined as a new or novel influenza virus that spreads easily between humans.
When new influenza viruses are introduced into the environment, humans do not have any natural immunity to protect against them.
Therefore, there is a risk that new influenza viruses could develop into a pandemic if the virus passes easily from human-to-human.
Q: Is it in the UK?
A: Swine flu has already spread to the UK.
Anyone who has recently returned from affected countries should consult a doctor if they notice flu-like symptoms.
Q: What is being done in the UK to prevent the infection?
A: The HPA said it is working with the UK government to review the current incident and any threat it poses to UK public health.
It advised people to follow general infection control practices and good hygiene to reduce transmission of all viruses.
This includes covering their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully, washing hands frequently with soap and water and cleaning surfaces which are regularly touched

Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma Treatment - and after we know 3 main types of Mesothelioma, now we will discuss about Mesothelioma Treatment, There are several methods of treatment for mesothelioma although none of these have a high success rate. In general, the chances of curing a mesothelioma patient depends on how much the cancer has developed and matured when treated. If tackled aggressively in its early stages, there is a good chance of survival.

There are several methods of treatment for mesothelioma although none of these have a high success rate. In general, the chances of curing a mesothelioma patient depends on how much the cancer has developed and matured when treated. If tackled aggressively in its early stages, there is a good chance of survival. Due to the difficulty of diagnosing mesothelioma in its early stages, many mesothelioma treatments focus on improving the quality of life for patients.
Before a patient is treated upon, a doctor will decide what the best course of treatment is by considering the patient’s age, medical history, general well being and even weight. From here, the doctor will decide which of the three most common treatments are most suited to the patient’s condition. These treatments are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Surgery

Surgery comes in two different types. Aggressive surgery is treatment which aims to gain long term control against the cancer and palliative procedures which aims to just relieve the patient of symptoms.

Aggressive surgery involves removing the pleura, the lung, the diaphragm and the pericardium. This procedure is known as extra pleural pneumonectomy. The aim of this is to remove as much of the tumour as possible without harming the patient. However, this is a very risky type of surgery and the chances are high of patient fatality within a month. Due to this, only young, fit individuals are referred to this form of treatment. Palliative procedures involve removing just the pleura in order to control the symptoms of the cancer. This is performed when mesothelioma is in an advanced form and is impossible to cure.

Chemotherapy

This is the most commonly known cure of cancer. Chemotherapy uses drugs to treat mesothelioma although many of these drugs have a poor success rate on patients. Combinations of drugs are often used to improve their effect. Some of these combinations have proved to be effective. Chemotherapy of mesothelioma is being improved regularly as research labs and pharmaceutical companies are discovering new and more effective drugs.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses radiation to kill the tumour which mesothelioma creates. However, this procedure is extremely difficult because of where the tumour grows. Due to the closeness of the tumour and many vital internal organs such as the heart and lungs, doctors have to be very careful as to the doses of radiation they use. Lower radiation doses can be used however this lowers its effectiveness.

Dual Therapy

This is often used and is just a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy combined. Surgery removes the majority of the tumour cells while chemotherapy and radiation therapy work on removing the remainder. This is an effective method and also lessens the symptoms of the cancer.

Female Hair Loss Vitamins

Hair loss is one of the most common problems, and also the most difficult to tackle. While healthy hair indicates good general health, hair loss can be an indicator of a deeper internal health problem. Hair loss in women has been attributed to several factors till now: stress, lack of iron or anemia, condition of the scalp, condition of vital internal organs like the kidneys, liver, thyroid etc., emotional disturbances, menstrual problems, illness or lack of essential vitamins and other nutrients in the body etc.

Hair loss generally indicates a deficiency in vitamin B1, vitamin C, lysine and iron. Vitamin C’s antioxidant properties help to make skin and hair healthy by aiding body metabolism, and converting fat and carbohydrates into energy. It helps in the development of healthy collagen that binds tissues together. Hence it is effective in preventing breakage and split ends. Vitamin C is present in good quantities in Citrus fruits, strawberries, pineapple, tomatoes, green peppers, potatoes and most dark green vegetables. A daily dose of 60 mg is recommended for good health. Vitamin B1 or Thiamine aids in protein building and thus makes the hair healthy, giving it volume, shine and a good texture. This is ensured by providing nutrition to the scalp. Other vitamins that help to prevent hair loss in women are: other Vitamin B complex vitamins like Biotin, Inositol, Niacin and vitamin E. Minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium are also effective in preventing hair loss. The most common food-based sources of these vitamins are: citrus fruits, green vegetables, fruits like pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, potatoes, green peppers, vegetable oils, soybean, raw seeds, dried beans, wheat germ oil, brewer’s yeast, whole grains, eggs, liver, rice, milk, fish, turkey, chicken and red meat. Other products found to be efficient in combating hair loss are Saw Palmetto, nettle root, pumpkin, gotu kola, eleuthero, Uva-Ursi, Muria Puama and others.


There are hundreds of products in the market today that promise to prevent hair loss. These products are generally prescribed by experts though some over the counter drugs are also available. There are companies that specialize exclusively in the production of hair loss drugs. Information about these products is also available on the Internet on the websites of these companies. However, it is better to consult a physician to know the exact cause of hair loss before using any of these products.

EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ON THE BLOOD.

Dr. Richardson, in his lectures on alcohol, given both in England and America, speaking of the action of this substance on the blood after passing from the stomach, says:

"Suppose, then, a certain measure of alcohol be taken into the stomach, it will be absorbed there, but, previous to absorption, it will have to undergo a proper degree of dilution with water, for there is this peculiarity respecting alcohol when it is separated by an animal membrane from a watery fluid like the blood, that it will not pass through the membrane until it has become charged, to a given point of dilution, with water. It is itself, in fact, so greedy for water, it will pick it up from watery textures, and deprive them of it until, by its saturation, its power of reception is exhausted , after which it will diffuse into the current of circulating fluid."

It is this power of absorbing water from every texture with which alcoholic spirits comes in contact, that creates the burning thirst of those who freely indulge in its use. Its effect, when it reaches the circulation, is thus described by Dr. Richardson:

"As it passes through the circulation of the lungs it is exposed to the air, and some little of it, raised into vapor by the natural heat, is thrown off in expiration. If the quantity of it be large, this loss may be considerable, and the odor of the spirit may be detected in the expired breath. If the quantity be small, the loss will be comparatively little, as the spirit will be held in solution by the water in the blood. After it has passed through the lungs, and has been driven by the left heart over the arterial circuit, it passes into what is called the minute circulation, or the structural circulation of the organism. The arteries here extend into very small vessels, which are called arterioles, and from these infinitely small vessels spring the equally minute radicals or roots of the veins, which are ultimately to become the great rivers bearing the blood back to the heart. In its passage through this minute circulation the alcohol finds its way to every organ. To this brain, to these muscles, to these secreting or excreting organs, nay, even into this bony structure itself, it moves with the blood. In some of these parts which are not excreting, it remains for a time diffused, and in those parts where there is a large percentage of water, it remains longer than in other parts. From some organs which have an open tube for conveying fluids away, as the liver and kidneys, it is thrown out or eliminated, and in this way a portion of it is ultimately removed from the body. The rest passing round and round with the circulation, is probably decomposed and carried off in new forms of matter.

"When we know the course which the alcohol takes in its passage through the body, from the period of its absorption to that of its elimination, we are the better able to judge what physical changes it induces in the different organs and structures with which it comes in contact. It first reaches the blood; but, as a rule, the quantity of it that enters is insufficient to produce any material effect on that fluid. If, however, the dose taken be poisonous or semi-poisonous, then even the blood, rich as it is in water and it contains seven hundred and ninety parts in a thousand is affected. The alcohol is diffused through this water, and there it comes in contact with the other constituent parts, with the fibrine, that plastic substance which, when blood is drawn, clots and coagulates, and which is present in the proportion of from two to three parts in a thousand; with the albumen which exists in the proportion of seventy parts; with the salts which yield about ten parts; with the fatty matters; and lastly, with those minute, round bodies which float in myriads in the blood (which were discovered by the Dutch philosopher, Leuwenhock, as one of the first results of microscopical observation, about the middle of the seventeenth century), and which are called the blood globules or corpuscles. These last-named bodies are, in fact, cells; their discs, when natural, have a smooth outline, they are depressed in the centre, and they are red in color; the color of the blood being derived from them. We have discovered that there exist other corpuscles or cells in the blood in much smaller quantity, which are called white cells, and these different cells float in the blood-stream within the vessels. The red take the centre of the stream; the white lie externally near the sides of the vessels, moving less quickly. Our business is mainly with the red corpuscles. They perform the most important functions in the economy; they absorb, in great part, the oxygen which we inhale in breathing, and carry it to the extreme tissues of the body; they absorb, in great part, the carbonic acid gas which is produced in the combustion of the body in the extreme tissues, and bring that gas back to the lungs to be exchanged for oxygen there; in short, they are the vital instruments of the circulation.

"With all these parts of the blood, with the water, fibrine, albumen, salts, fatty matter and corpuscles, the alcohol comes in contact when it enters the blood, and, if it be in sufficient quantity, it produces disturbing action. I have watched this disturbance very carefully on the blood corpuscles; for, in some animals we can see these floating along during life, and we can also observe them from men who are under the effects of alcohol, by removing a speck of blood, and examining it with the microscope. The action of the alcohol, when it is observable, is varied. It may cause the corpuscles to run too closely together, and to adhere in rolls; it may modify their outline, making the clear-defined, smooth, outer edge irregular or crenate, or even starlike; it may change the round corpuscle into the oval form, or, in very extreme cases, it may produce what I may call a truncated form of corpuscles, in which the change is so great that if we did not trace it through all its stages, we should be puzzled to know whether the object looked at were indeed a blood-cell. All these changes are due to the action of the spirit upon the water contained in the corpuscles; upon the capacity of the spirit to extract water from them. During every stage of modification of corpuscles thus described, their function to absorb and fix gases is impaired, and when the aggregation of the cells, in masses, is great, other difficulties arise, for the cells, united together, pass less easily than they should through the minute vessels of the lungs and of the general circulation, and impede the current, by which local injury is produced.

"A further action upon the blood, instituted by alcohol in excess, is upon the fibrine or the plastic colloidal matter. On this the spirit may act in two different ways, according to the degree in which it affects the water that holds the fibrine in solution. It may fix the water with the fibrine, and thus destroy the power of coagulation; or it may extract the water so determinately as to produce coagulation."

Liquid Vitamin Supplements

Most people do not realise that the body can absorb the nutrients from liquid vitamin supplements easier than from tablets. It is estimated that liquid vitamin supplements are actually absorbed at least five times better than regular vitamin pills. Of course, there are many other benefits that liquid vitamin supplements have over pills. For example, the liquid vitamin supplements are easier to swallow. This alone makes liquid vitamin supplements preferable to pills, especially for children and anyone else who has trouble taking pills of any type.

Young children are often unable to gather sufficient nutrients from the foods that they eat but it is almost impossible for them to take vitamin supplements in pill form. Liquid vitamin supplements are ideal because they can be given by a dropper, straight into the child’s mouth or even added to their regular bottle of water or juice to ensure that they receive all of the vitamins that they need to grow. For exactly the same reason, liquid vitamin supplements are perfect for anyone who is unwell and not able to eat properly.


Despite the best efforts of most people it is likely that most are not getting sufficient vitamins and minerals from their diet and that is where liquid vitamin supplements are beneficial. The vitamins in many common pill supplements are actually packed too densely. This leads to a lot of the vitamins not being broken down and absorbed as they should do whereas liquid vitamin supplements do not have the same problem. The body is therefore able to absorb far more of the nutritional value from liquid vitamin supplements than it can from those in the traditional pill form. In fact, the body only absorbs about 10-20% of the nutrients from vitamin pills compared to around 80-90% that it can absorb from liquid vitamin supplements.

Another benefit of liquid vitamin supplements is that they often contain more than one type of vitamin and other nutrients. Vitamin pills traditionally contain only one which means that you are going to have to take a whole handful of vitamin pills to get the same benefits as you do from many of the liquid vitamin supplements. Liquid vitamin supplements offer far more convenience and effectiveness for supplying the body with the vitamins that it needs. The cost of buying the equivalent number of vitamin pills to obtain the same results is also far more than that of liquid vitamin supplements.

Prostate Health Diet that Reduces Enlarged Prostate

Prostate Health Diet that Reduces Enlarged Prostate - Most men need to be concern with the size of their prostate cancer. Starting over 50 you can start a special prostate health diet that will maintain the health of your prostate and assure you will not have prostate cancer or enlarged prostate. Read on to find out how you can do this. and don't forget to read about Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer

There are sixteen different supplements that you can add to your prostate health diet. But let start with the ones you should start using right away. The first one you should start using is beta-sitosterol.

Beta-sitosterol

Beta-sitosterol is the main active ingredient in the herbs saw palmetto and pygeum. Both of these herbs do not have enough beta-sitosterol to be of real value in giving you prostate health. Now, beta-sitosterol, which can be obtained from sugar cane pulp, can be purchased in capsule doses of 300 - 600 mg, which gives you an effective dose to eliminate your enlarged prostate. Pygeum can only provide around 30 mg and you need upwards of 600 mg daily.

Go to the Internet to find a good beta - sitosterol price and quantity.

Flax Seed or Fish Oil

The nutrient to use for the best prostate health diet is flaxseed oil. Flax seed oil contains more omega-3 than omega-6 and so it makes it a good source of omega-3. The more omega-6 use, from olive oil and other vegetables oils, the more prone you will be to prostate cancer. This is not the case with omega-3 oil and this has been verified through clinical studies.

Omega-3 protects the prostates cells and has anti-inflammatory properties. Using fish oil can also be a better choice than flax seed oil since your body digests it better.

Use 1 - 2 grams of flax seed or fish oil per day.

Soy Isoflavones

Soy Isoflavones have been shown in clinical studies to have good effects on your prostate and should be added to your prostate health diet. These isoflavones are flavones and contain no photoestrogen so the have no estrogen effects in the body.

The active ingredients in the isoflavones are genestein and daidzein. Buy a brand that has up to 40 mg of isoflavones Use this quantity daily.

Ionic Minerals

The prostate needs minerals. Adding these to your prostate health diet is critical. You cannot have good prostate health without plenty of minerals and your regular diet cannot supply what you need.

Use the Ionic Minerals, which are liquids, but not the colloidal minerals. Ionic Minerals are absorbed immediately into your blood stream soon after they enter your mouth.

In addition to these ionic minerals, you need to make sure you get plenty of zinc and selenium. The prostate has more zinc than any other part of the body. So take 15 - 20 mg per day and not to exceed 40 mg.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is another critical vitamin that you want to make sure you get plenty of. If you are out in the sun a lot, then you will not need to supplement with this vitamin. Otherwise, use up to 800 IU of this vitamin.

Vitamin E

This is the next most important Vitamin you should supplement with. Use up to 400 mg per day of the natural mixed tocopherols. Clinical studies have shown that vitamin E can reduce and suppress prostate cancer cells.

There you have it. Use, beta sitosterol, isoflavones, minerals, vitamin D, and vitamin E in your prostate health diet and see improvements in your prostate symptoms and health.

Prostate Cancer Treatment

Prostate Cancer Treatment- Cancer that grows in the prostate gland is called prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the U.S. About one man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime, but only one man in 34 will die of the disease.

In the early stages, surgery and radiation may be used to remove or attempt to kill the cancer cells or shrink the tumor. Doctors will usually advice you to undergo a surgical operation. You will then be given some medications to take. Many studies have shown that this combination reduces the pains experienced by men to a great extent especially if the prostate cancer has spread to the bones. The cancer will not totally disappear nor will you live longer. Seek medical advice too and you would be in a better position to decide according to your own health and your personal values. Medications can have many side effects, including hot flashes and loss of sexual desire. Urinary incontinence can be a possible complication of surgery.

Also a form of treatment used for early stage cancer is high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). This procedure is carried out under anesthesia (or using a local spinal anesthetic) and a probe is placed into the prostate gland through the rectum. A beam of high intensity focused ultrasound is them used to raise the temperature in the area of focus and thus to kill the cancer cells

Another prostate cancer treatment option is radiation therapy. This prostate cancer treatment includes the use of radiation of high energy from protons, neutrons, gamma rays and x-rays, as well as other sources to kill the cancerous cells and to shrink any existing tumors. There are two ways that radiation therapy can be administered as prostate cancer treatment. The first is from a machine that is located outside your body called external beam radiation therapy, or you may have material that is radioactive that is placed in your body near where the cancer is located. This is referred to as internal radiation therapy.
A relatively new technique, which is still being evaluated, is known as cryosurgery. During cryosurgery, which is carried out under anesthesia, cooling probes are guided into the prostate using ultrasound and the cancer cells are killed by freezing them.

The form of treatment used for early stage cancer is high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). This procedure is carried out under anesthesia (or using a local spinal anesthetic) and a probe is placed into the prostate gland through the rectum. A beam of high intensity focused ultrasound is them used to raise the temperature in the area of focus and thus to kill the cancer cells

For late stage prostate cancer hormone therapy is used and this is designed not to attack the cancer itself but to target the male hormones (in particular testosterone), which the cancer cells need to grow. In cases where hormone therapy proves ineffective, systematic radiation therapy or chemotherapy may be recommended.

The outcome of prostate cancer varies greatly; mostly because the disease is found in older men who may have a variety of other complicating diseases or conditions, such as cardiac or respiratory disease, or disabilities that immobilize or greatly decrease their activities. Whatever the stage of your cancer it is important to consider all of the options carefully and weigh the advantages, disadvantages and risks of each carefully before choosing the treatment that is best for you.

Breast Cancer And Pregnancy

Breast Cancer And Pregnancy - Although it is rare for breast cancer to strike younger women, the fact remains that all women are at risk. And for those of childbearing age, the first sign and symptoms of breast cancer leading to a diagnosis can not only be upsetting and unexpected, but complicated as well.

Developing breast cancer at a younger age—in a woman’s 40s, 30s, even 20s—will mean making important and difficult decisions about one’s life and future perhaps much sooner than originally expected.

Although it is rare for breast cancer to strike younger women, the fact remains that all women are at risk. And for those of childbearing age, the first sign and symptoms of breast cancer leading to a diagnosis can not only be upsetting and unexpected, but complicated as well.

Developing breast cancer at a younger age—in a woman’s 40s, 30s, even 20s—will mean making important and difficult decisions about one’s life and future perhaps much sooner than originally expected.

One concern is developing breast cancer during pregnancy, which although rare, can still occur. In this case, the treatment chosen will not only affect the patient and her body, but the growing baby inside her as well. It will depend on what stage of pregnancy she is in (first, second or third trimester) and what stage her cancer is in—such as whether or not it’s advanced.

Most pregnant women can have treatment for their breast cancer without affecting the baby. But some might be advised by their obstetrician or health-care practitioner—or even decide themselves—to terminate the pregnancy, more so if the pregnancy is in its earlier stages, in order to receive certain treatments that would be too risky otherwise. But it is essential to remember that it is a woman’s own decision—it is not medically necessary to terminate a pregnancy if the expectant mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. All it does is limit treatment options. Breast cancer itself will not affect the fetus—only certain tests and treatments will.

Generally speaking, tamoxifen, chemotherapy, radiation, and other drug-related therapies are avoided if the woman is pregnant because of their associated risks with birth defects. Tamoxifen, especially, is considered very unsafe because it is a hormonal therapy and is never recommended if the woman is pregnant or planning on conceiving.

Surgery—either a lumpectomy or mastectomy—is the most common and preferred method of treatment for breast cancer in pregnant women.

Another concern is whether or not breast cancer survivors can or should go on to have children after treatment and recovery. It’s a very controversial issue with firm advocates on both sides of the debate.

There are two main questions here, for both the medical and health community and breast cancer survivors wanting their own children: 1) Do certain breast cancer treatments affect fertility?; and 2) Is it actually considered safe to conceive and carry a baby to term following breast cancer and breast cancer treatments?

As far as fertility goes, there is no definite answer here. For chemotherapy, it depends on the age and what specific drug was used—some affect fertility more than others. And taking tamoxifen after chemotherapy to prevent recurrence is not recommended if the woman desires to become pregnant right away. Although tamoxifen is sometimes used as a fertility treatment, there is evidence to suggest that it damages developing embryos, and therefore is not considered safe to use.

Many doctors caution these women to wait several years to ensure receiving the best breast cancer treatment possible and to go past the point of the biggest threat of breast cancer recurrence. But some women decide to go ahead and have babies anyway, since it’s so important to them.

Tag : breast, cancer, women, pregnant, pregnancy, survival, sick, chemo,therapy,babies,baby

An Overview of Vitamin World

Nutritional supplements are in huge demand and one of the most established companies in this competitive market is Vitamin World. Vitamin World is a well established manufacturer and retailer of nutritional supplements. There are over 550 Vitamin World stores in the United States. However, it is the online side of their business that is even more impressive. The Vitamin World website has an extremely efficient automated order fulfilment system that is extremely sophisticated. This allows Vitamin world to process orders and dispatch them to thousands of households across the country.

The manufacturing side of Vitamin World was established in the 1960s in Long Island, New York. Nowadays, vitamin world produces more than a thousand nutritional supplement products. The product range that Vitamin has is extremely extensive and includes vitamins, minerals and herbs in every available type including tablets, two piece capsules, soft gel capsules, powders and liquids. All of the Vitamin World products are manufactured in their own state-of-the art facilities in Long Island.

Vitamin World has grown into a well respected nutritional supplement provider and this is due, in part, to the millions of dollars that it has invested in the manufacturing and quality control aspects of the business. The demand for quality nutritional supplements is constantly increasing and Vitamin World keeps ahead of the trends with its own scientists and researchers striving to develop new products to satisfy the needs of the public.

All of the Vitamin World products are developed in association with many state and federal agencies, including the FDA and the U.S. Pharmacopoeia (USP), to ensure that their test procedures guarantee their strength and beneficial qualities. This gives all Vitamin World customers the reassurance that their nutritional supplements are produced to the highest possible standards and with the greatest amount of purity available. The processes used by Vitamin World have become the benchmark for many other nutritional supplement manufacturers and retailers to aspire to.

Customers now have the choice of buying the Vitamin World products through a traditional store or in the comfort of their own home through the website. The efficiency of their website strives to deliver quality vitamin supplement products in the shortest time possible and guarantees full customer satisfaction. Vitamin World continues to develop new and more effective nutritional supplements and manufacture them in convenient forms to enable people of all ages to be able to have the nutritional health that their diet and lifestyle may not provide.

Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer

Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer-The prostate is a small, walnut-shaped sex gland in men that produces the seminal fluid, which nourishes and transports sperm. The growth of the cells in the prostate gland is stimulated by the male sex hormone called testosterone. Though its causes are unknown, prostate cancer is a frightening prospect for men. This cancer threatens not just their lives, but also their sexuality. Possible consequences of treatment (even if the treatment has been successful in saving a person

The prostate is a small, walnut-shaped sex gland in men that produces the seminal fluid, which nourishes and transports sperm. The growth of the cells in the prostate gland is stimulated by the male sex hormone called testosterone. Though its causes are unknown, prostate cancer is a frightening prospect for men. This cancer threatens not just their lives, but also their sexuality. Possible consequences of treatment (even if the treatment has been successful in saving a person’s life) include erectile dysfunction and bladder control problems. Prostate cancer progresses very slowly and the early stages show little or no symptoms. If detected early, effective treatment with minimum side effects is possible. Once the cancer spreads (metastizes) treatment becomes more difficult.

A man’s vulnerability to prostate cancer increases with age. Most often, prostate cancer is detected very late and people who lose their lives do not die from prostate cancer, but die WITH prostate cancer. As the cancer develops, it eventually squeezes the urethra, which surrounds the prostate. This is when signs and symptoms begin to appear:

-Urgency in urination
-Difficulty in starting urination
-Dull, persistent ache in the lower pelvic area
-Painful urination, a very slow flow (almost like a dribble)
-Intermittent urine flow, and a sensation that the bladder is not empty
-Frequent urination, sometimes including blood
-Painful ejaculation
-Persistent pain in the bones, lower back, hip and thighs
-General ill health, loss of appetite, and decline in weight

If the cells from the cancerous prostrate break away, the cancer will spread. Most commonly, prostate cancer spreads to the lymph nodes, bones in the hips or the lower back, lungs, and sometimes even the brain.

Risk factors:
The risk of prostate cancer increases with age. As with almost any other cancer, heredity also plays a key role. For reasons unknown, African-American men seem to have a higher risk of prostate cancer. A fat-rich diet and sedentary lifestyle also contributes to the risk. Fat causes an increased production of testosterone, which may in turn lead to the development of cancer cells. High levels of testosterone mean higher chances of developing prostate cancer. Therefore men who suffer from hypogonadism, or have been undergoing long-term testosterone treatments are at risk. A vasectomy may also result in prostate cancer, though there is no conclusive proof of this.

A routine screening test may reveal the beginnings of prostate cancer. A DRE (Digital Rectal Examination), which involves inserting a gloved finger into the rectum, helps the doctor to examine the prostate. Any change in shape or size of the gland may mean trouble. A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test analyzes a blood sample for the levels of PSA. If a higher than normal level is detected, a prostate infection or cancer may be suspected. A transrectal ultrasound helps to further evaluate the prostate using sound waves. If initial tests produce positive results, a prostate biopsy may be done to verify the presence of cancer. If cancer is confirmed, the next step is to investigate the spread of the cancer. A bone scan, CT scan, and Ultrasound scan may be used for this.

The mode of treatment directly depends on how aggressive the cancer is. For most men, a combination of treatments (surgery, radiation paired with hormone therapy, chemotherapy) may prove effective.

The best way to reduce the risk from prostate cancer is to eat a diet rich in fiber and low in fat. Regular exercise also helps.

Anemia

Anemia is an abnormally low red blood cell (RBC). Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, a protein, the iron-oxygen to all parts of the body leads. If the number of red blood cells is too low, has parts of the body does not receive enough oxygen and can not function properly. Most people with anemia feel tired or weak. Fatigue associated with anemia, a person can seriously impair quality of life and make it more difficult for patients with cancer and treatment side-effects to be done. Anemia is common in cancer patients, especially those receiving chemotherapy

Causes

RBCs are made in the bone marrow (a spongy, fatty tissue found inside larger bones). A hormone called erythropoietin, made in the kidneys, tells the body when to make more RBCs. So, any damage to the kidney or bone marrow can cause anemia. For example:

* Some chemotherapy can cause the bone marrow to not work properly, impairing its ability to make enough RBCs.

* Cancers that affect the bone marrow directly (including leukemia or lymphoma) or cancers that metastasize (spread) to the bone can crowd normal bone marrow cells, including red blood cells.

* Platinum chemotherapy, such as cisplatin (Platinol) and carboplatin (Paraplatin) can injure the kidneys, lowering the production of erythropoietin.

* Radiation therapy to extensive areas of the body or to bones in the pelvis, legs, chest, or abdomen can damage the bone marrow.

* Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite can cause a lack of nutrients needed to make RBCs, including iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid.

* Bleeding, as a result of surgery, or a tumor causing internal bleeding can cause anemia if RBCs are lost faster than they can be replaced.

* The body’s immune system response to cancer cells can also cause anemia, called anemia of chronic disease.

Signs and symptoms

People with anemia may experience some of these symptoms:

* Fatigue

* Muscle weakness

* Rapid or irregular heart beat and occasional chest pain

* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

* Dizziness or fainting

* Pallor (pale skin or lips)

* Headaches

* Difficulty concentrating

* Insomnia

* Difficulty staying warm

* Bleeding problems

Diagnosis and treatment

Anemia is diagnosed with a blood test that counts the number or percentage of RBCs and measures the amount of hemoglobin in a person’s blood. People with certain types of cancer or those undergoing cancer treatment known to cause anemia, may have regular blood tests, usually a CBC (complete blood count), to look for anemia and other blood-related complications.

If the anemia causes symptoms, the person with cancer may need a transfusion of RBCs. Some people with anemia caused by chemotherapy can be treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) such as epoetin alfa (Epogen or Procrit) or darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp). These drugs are forms of erythropoietin that are grown in the laboratory and work by telling the bone marrow to make more RBCs. Both are given as a series of injections and can take up to four weeks to start working. Learn more about ASCO’s recommendations for epoetin treatment. People considering taking ESAs should be aware of revised product labeling for these medications, based on emerging safety data. Learn more about understanding ESAs.

Your doctor may prescribe iron or folic acids pills or vitamin B12 if they find that lack of these nutrients has contributed to your anemia. Eating foods high in iron (such as red meats, dried beans or fruits, almonds, broccoli, and enriched breads and cereals) or folic acid (such as enriched breads and cereals, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, and lima beans) may also help.

The Genetics of Cancer

The ancient Greeks believed that cancer by excess fluid, they "black bile caused." Doctors in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, has suggested that parasites cause cancer. Today, doctors understand that cancer is genetic, which means that changes in different genes in the body can cause cancer.

Genes and Chromosomes

Genes are the functional units and physical basis of heredity passed from parents to offspring. You are the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and are found in structures called chromosomes in every cell of the body is a person. Genes provide the instructions to keep to work the body. Most people are familiar with a person's eye color with the genes for their role in determining the physical properties.

The human body contains about 30,000 genes. They are located in 46 chromosomes arranged into 23 pairs. Pairs of chromosome 1 numbered to 22 and are called autosomes. The other two chromosomes (pair 23) are the sex chromosomes that determine whether a person is born, male or female. Since genes come in pairs, taking a person, a gene from each pair of mother and father

The role of genes in cancer

In a person’s body, cells are continually dying and being replaced. For example, cells in the skin, liver, and intestines are replaced every few weeks. The body makes new cells by copying the old cells, and in this process (called cell division), there may be mistakes in how the genetic material is copied. These are called mutations. Some mutations have no effect on a cell, while other mutations are harmful or helpful to the cell. If a mutation is not corrected, and it occurs in a critical part of the gene, it may lead to cancer. However, the chance of one mutation leading to cancer is rare. Usually it takes multiple mutations over a lifetime to produce a cancer cell. This is why cancer occurs more often in older people—there have been more opportunities for mutations to accumulate.

There are two basic kinds of genetic mutations. If the mutation is directly passed from a parent to a child, it is called a germline mutation. This means that the mutation is present in every cell of the child’s body, including the reproductive sperm and egg cells. Because the mutation affects reproductive cells, it is passed from generation to generation. Germline mutations are responsible for 5% to 10% of cancer cases, which is called familial (occurring in families) cancer.

Acquired mutations occur during a person’s life and are not passed from parent to child. These mutations are caused by tobacco, UV radiation, viruses, age, and other factors. Cancer caused by this type of mutation is called sporadic cancer, which is much more common than familial cancer.

Most scientists believe that cancer happens when several genes of a particular group of cells become mutated. Some people may have more inherited mutations than others, and even with the same amount of environmental exposure, some people are simply more likely to develop cancer.

Genes that play a role in cancer

The following types of genes contribute to cancer:

* Tumor suppressor genes are protective genes. Normally, they suppress (limit) cell growth by monitoring the rate at which cells divide into new cells, repairing mismatched DNA (a cause of mutations), and controlling cell death. When a tumor suppressor gene is mutated (due to heredity or environmental factors), cells continue to grow and can eventually form a tumor. BRCA1, BRCA2, and p53 are examples of tumor suppressor genes. In fact, nearly 50% of all cancers involve a missing or damaged p53 gene.

* Oncogenes turn a healthy cell into a cancerous one. HER2/neu and ras are two common oncogenes.

* DNA repair genes fix any mistakes made when DNA is replicated (copied). Mistakes that aren’t fixed become mutations, which may eventually lead to cancer, especially if the mutation occurs in a tumor suppressor gene or oncogene.

Cancer develops when several genes in a cell become mutated in a way that overrides the checks and balances of the cell. However, many cancers cannot be tied to a specific gene, and some genes may interact in unpredictable ways with other genes or factors in the environment to cause cancer. In the future, doctors hope to learn more about the role of genetic changes in the development of cancer, which may lead to improved cancer treatment and prevention strategies.

Men and Breast Cancer

The men of any age may develop breast cancer, but is usually detected in men between 45 and 65 years of age. Breast cancer found in men is less than 1% of all cases of breast cancer. Although rare, the inflammatory breast cancer found in males is a very aggressive cancer that grows quickly. It's called inflammatory because cancer cells block the lymph vessels and this is manifested in the skin, which becomes thick and hollowed, the appearance is similar to that of an orange peel.

You may find the following types of breast cancer in males:

• Infiltrating ductal carcinoma: Cancer that has spread beyond the cells lining the breast ducts. This is the kind suffered by the majority of men with breast cancer.

• Ductal carcinoma in situ: Abnormal cells found in the lining of a duct, also called intraductal carcinoma.

• Inflammatory breast cancer: A type of cancer in which the breast looks red and swollen and feels warm.

• Paget's disease of the nipple: the surface of an underlying tumor ducts underneath the nipple.

Inflammatory breast cancer can spread in just a few weeks, is often mistaken for other things like a rash or infection. The symptoms are:

• Redness, swelling and warmth in the breast

• Red skin, purple or bruised

• Skin with bumps and / or marks as an orange

• Burning, pain and tenderness

• Increased breast size and an inverted nipple

Because usually this cancer does not form like a regular ball of tissue, but it spreadsthroughout the breast tissue right a way. This is why it is very difficult to detect with a mammogram alone, and the magnetic resonance imaging and biopsies can not usually diagnose it accurately either. However, surgical biopsy and positron emission tomography (PET) can be used effectively to detect it. In the near future, PET may be the most important diagnostic test for the inflammatory breast cancer. Although still under evaluation, Doctors have found that PET is able to see more inflammatory breast cancer, including lymph nodes removed from the breast, which will determine the presence of metastases at diagnosis better than other test.

Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options.
The prognosis and treatment options depend on the following aspects:

• The stage of cancer (if located in the breast only or has spread to other parts in the body).

• The type of breast cancer.

• The concentration of estrogen receptors and progesterone receptors in tumor tissue.

• If cancer is also found in the other breast also.

• The age and general health of the patient.

I hope that you find this informayion helpful.

Causes and Symptoms of Leukemia

The word leukemia is derived from two Greek words when combined together means white blood. Leukemia is the cancer of the blood or the bone marrow and can be classified in two types:

Acute Leukemia:

This type of leukemia occurs where DNA of immature blood is damaged. This results in the immature blood cells growing disorderly. Blood cells die all the while and are replaced by new blood cells which the bone marrow produces. However, abnormal blood cells do not die quickly and quickly crowd out the newer blood cells. It is this crowding out that makes the patient ill. Acute leukemia mostly affects children.

Acute leukemia can further be subdivided into Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) and Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)

Chronic Leukemia:

This is the rapid build up of mature but abnormal blood cells. Note that acute leukemia focuses on immature blood cells, chronic leukemia focuses on mature blood cells. This mostly affects older people and does not require immediate action compared to those suffering from acute leukemia.

Chronic leukemia can further be subdivided into Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

Symptoms of leukemia are:

1. Poor Blood clotting

The clotting of the blood will be poor. This is because the new blood cells which are essential in the clotting process are being crowded out. This will make the sufferer bruise quite easily or bleed excessively. Sufferer may develop petechiae which are pinprick bleeds.

2. Suppressed immune system.

Since the normal blood cells have been suppressed or crowded out by the abnormal blood cells, the immune system of the body will be compromised. Note that the body’s immune system is built around the normal white blood cells. The results in the sufferer becoming prone to many opportunistic infections

3. Anemia
Due to insufficient amounts of healthy blood cells in the body system, the patient will develop anemia. Symptoms of this are pale skin and difficulty with breathing.

4. Other symptoms of leukemia are nausea, fatigue, headaches or the feeling of fullness caused by an inflated spleen or liver.

If you notice any of the above symptoms of leukemia, it is advisable you seek help fast.

How To Find Out If You Have Skin Cancer

How To Find Out If You Have Skin Cancer - The process of detecting skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the United States, can be practiced with a monthly self examination combined with a yearly visit to your doctor. Early detection is key because, if diagnosed soon enough, skin cancer is almost always curable.

There are three main types of skin cancer, all of which are visible if you know what to look for. Melanoma, one of the main forms of skin cancer, is the deadliest. This disease is the most difficult to stop after it has spread throughout the body, which is why early detection and treatment are crucial. Skin cancer, of any kind, can usually be treated with success in it’s early stages.

As individuals, everyone has freckles, birthmarks and moles. These are a part of you and you are used to seeing them, but you may not notice slight changes right away and that’s what you need to be watching for. Any change in a mole’s shape, edges, size or color should be checked by a physician. If a mole becomes larger than that of a pencil eraser or if it’s color is multiple shades of brown rather than a solid color, these are both potential warning signs of skin cancer. A mole’s border should be well defined and, if that is no longer the case, notify your doctor. In addition, any sore that will not heal or a mole that grows larger at a rapid speed should be tested immediately.

Deciding to seek medical attention is difficult. For this reason, it’s best to choose a physician that you are comfortable with, such as a family doctor. He/she can examine your skin and refer you to a dermatologist if needed. The presence of skin cancer is determined by removing all, or part, of the questionable area and testing it with a microscope. Surgery is often utilized in the removal of ski cancer and, if done in the early stages, can be a very quick process. There will likely be a scar, but the physician may be able to completely remove all cancerous cells with only a very small incision.

If the cancer has spread, or is very large in the defined area, additional surgery may be required. In that case, chemotherapy or radiation treatments may be ordered to ensure the cancer is completely removed. Your physician will be able to answer all questions that you may have and should do so without reserve. When meeting with a doctor, ask for an explanation of all treatment options, including their likelihood for success in your particular case. Deciding to seek medical attention is a big step and one that a patient must be mentally prepared for.

This article should not be construed as professional medical advice. If you, or someone that you know, is concerned about the possibility of cancer, you should seek medical attention immediately. A medical doctor can discuss various options, prevention and treatment possibilities should the presence of cancer be detected. A series of tests may be conducted in order to confirm, or rule out, any such diagnosis and can only be done by a medical doctor.

Breast Cancer Treatment: Surviving Chemotherapy

Breast Cancer Treatment - Chemotherapy is a word that strikes fear into most of our hearts. We've seen the movies and heard such horrible stories about undergoing this difficult treatment for a disease that could very well kill us. I underwent chemo for breast cancer, and here are some of the things I learned.

Chemotherapy is a word that strikes fear into most of our hearts. We've seen the movies and heard such horrible stories about undergoing this difficult treatment for a disease that could very well kill us. I underwent chemo for breast cancer and know that, in some cases, the cancer isn't hard … it isn't painful … it doesn't make us sick. That's the case for most of us who have breast cancer, but don't have distant metastases. But then, they say we need to do chemo and we know we'll feel that.

Although chemo drugs haven't changed that much, and they're still terribly hard on our bodies, the management drugs have changed a lot. Chemotherapy, for many of us, isn't the show-stopper we thought it would be. Of course, each of us is different and the chemo drugs affect each of us in different ways, but, for the most part, chemo is definitely doable.

My breast cancer was Stage IIIa, with a 5.8 cm tumor, 8 of 10 lymph nodes positive, and I was only 39 years old. That bought me a ticket for the chemo ride. And I was scared out of my wits. But, I found an online breast cancer support group, at WebMD, and those women told me everything to expect and more. I went through four rounds of adriamycin and cytoxan. Both of them are some pretty stout breast cancer chemo drugs. After that, I did a controversial treatment that involved extremely high doses of cytoxan, taxol, and cisplatin, so I learned quite a bit about surviving chemotherapy.


First of all, I would highly recommend getting a port. This is a line that goes into a vein in your chest, the entrance to which sits just under your skin, right below your collarbone. It requires a quick surgery to put it in but, if you're having a mastectomy for your breast cancer, you can get the chemo port put in at the same time. If you choose not to do that, you'll have to get your chemo treatments through your veins and chemo is really hard on your veins. This means that you will, most likely, have to endure multiple attempts for them to find a vein, as time goes by. With the port, it's already in a vein, so all they have to do is stick the needle into the port to access it. If you find this uncomfortable, there is a cream they can give you called Emla cream. One of the first things I learned was to tell them the moment I was uncomfortable. It's all fixable. You'll put the Emla cream on a bit before you have to have your port accessed and it'll numb your skin.

Most breast cancer chemotherapy drugs will cause your hair to fall out. This is because chemo kills the rapidly dividing cells in your body. Your mucous areas and hair follicles are affected for this reason. That's why you may have nausea or develop mouth or throat sores. Again, all this sounds scary, but is totally manageable. Since you will probably be losing your hair, which can be quite traumatic, I would advise going wig or hat shopping before you even get your first chemo. Take a girlfriend with you and be adventurous. Try on different styles, and even colors. If you've always wanted to be a blonde, now's your chance! Make a day of it and have fun with it. Goodness knows, you have to look for that silver lining every chance you get. Also, make sure to have your nausea med prescription filled before you go so you'll have it waiting for you if you need it at home. You may be pretty tired, afterward, so don't wait till then to get those meds.

On your first chemo day, they will probably give you some steroids, intravenously or through your port, to help with the nausea. This may make you hungry; it sure did for me! But, I would recommend you don't eat your favorite food on chemo day. Chemo is manageable, but after you're all done, you may find that you have associations. For example, I used to love the cucumber melon fragrance when I was going through chemo. I had cucumber melon everything! But, to this day, the smell of cucumber melon makes my stomach do a little somersault because it reminds me of such an unpleasant time in my life. The same can happen with food. I still can't look a chicken burrito in the eye! But, I'm sure glad I didn't eat a taco because I would've hated for that to be ruined for me!

Many breast cancer chemo drugs are hard on your bladder, so be sure to drink, drink, drink. If you don't feel like drinking water, then broth, jello, or even popsicles will help. Since you've gotten your nausea meds all filled in advance, be sure to take them as prescribed, whether you think you need them or not. Chemo nausea isn't just any kind of nausea and it's much easier to stay ahead of it than to try to fix it once it occurs. If you do happen to get nauseated, and I can't stress this enough, call your doctor!!! There are many, many nausea meds and you do not have to feel sick just because you're doing chemo. Once they find the right drug for you, it will be so much easier. So, do not suffer this in silence! The same applies for if you get sores in your mouth or throat.

You will be tired from this treatment. Most of us get more tired as the treatments progress because they make our white blood cell counts drop really low. Because of this, it's a good idea to keep some Purell, or something similar, with you all the time for use when you've had to touch, for example, public restroom door handles. Your risk of infection will be much higher during this time.

If you lose your hair, it will typically happen in 10-14 days after your first chemo treatment. If you have long hair, you might want to cut it short in preparation. I know I felt so out of control of everything, during that time. When your hair comes out, it lets go quickly and in large clumps, getting all over your pillow and clogging your drain. For many women, that is more traumatic than even losing a breast. So, I figured that was the one thing I could control about this whole breast cancer thing … when my hair came out. I cut it really short, beforehand and, when it started to let go, I had my husband get the clippers and shave my head. My daughter helped and we did a little Mohawk and stripe action first!

That was my way of shaking my fist at this cancer … it might take my breasts, and it might take my hair for a while, but I beat it to the punch! It was my way of saying, "You cannot take my spirit!" You can do the same thing. Your breast cancer does not define you. It is but a speed bump in the course of your life. Strap on your gloves and step into the ring. This chemo is your biggest punch. Your spirit is your own and that breast cancer can't touch it!

Cholesterol Types

Cholesterol Types - Cholesterol has many types. The two big components are called LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein). And simplistically, we talk about the LDL being the bad cholesterol and the HDL being the good cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a blood fat needed by the body in moderate amounts. However, high cholesterol(http://www.vasacor.com/) levels can lead to atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD). Angina is chest pain caused by the restriction of blood flow to the heart (cardiac ischemia). Nitrates may be used to relieve angina.


Most people will have cholesterol blood tests regularly, including triglycerides, HDL (http://www.cholesterol-reduction.org/treatment/increasing-good-cholesterol.html), LDL and total cholesterol. Methods for increasing good cholesterol or lowering cholesterol levels (http://www.cholesterol-reduction.org/cholesterol/cholesterol-levels.html) may include cholesterol reducing drugs, such as statins, fibrates, niacin (nicotinic acid) and bile acid resins. However, these drugs do not reverse calcification. A heart attack occurs when the coronary arteries become blocked. Cholesterol has many types. The two big components are called LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein). And simplistically, we talk about the LDL being the bad cholesterol and the HDL being the good cholesterol.


That means that the bad cholesterol tends to accumulate in the arteries, tends to form plaques, tends to be the precursor to what eventually might end up being a heart attack.


The good cholesterol actually acts in part in reversing the cholesterol transport, takes cholesterol out of the plaque in the artery and may return it to the circulation, to the liver, to be excreted. So these are the two major categories, but within each one there are different particles, different cholesterols, different lipoproteins that carry the cholesterol, and they are differentially difficult players.


Some of the LDL cholesterol, i.e., the bad cholesterol, is worse than others. And it tends to be the small particle size that is very dense. You can think of the cholesterol particles as marbles, maybe, the small dense ones, and the larger, lighter ones might be ping-pong balls. And so the small marble ones are more dangerous.


On the other side, HDL the good cholesterol, posseses some components that are better than the others. So cholesterol is quite a complicated subject, and we're developing more and more therapies that aim not just at the total cholesterol, but in altering the good and the bad.