Showing posts with label radiation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label radiation. Show all posts

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Popular Therapies against Stage 4 Breast Cancer

By Tyler Weber

Today, many cancer therapies are very sophisticated and effective on fighting off cancer. The days are gone when humans are powerless against cancer and its consequences. It is common knowledge that cancer up to now is still difficult to cure however, the advancements in treatment strategies today make these therapies better than before.

Breast cancer is perhaps one of the most common and feared cancer types. When this type of disease is discovered at stage 4 breast cancer or the malignant stage, it is very difficult to treat. Many therapies may be available but it will still be very hard if cancer is already on the metastatic stage.

Many people can seem at a loss when faced with the different treatment options for stage 4 breast cancers. To help you with this, let us examine some of the most popular and effective medical treatment for breast cancer: Surgery to excise the cancer cells - Surgery aimed at taking away cancerous cells in the body is one of the treatments to eradicate cancer. When it is possible to remove the cancerous cells through surgery without affecting much of the organ or body function, this alternative may be the best option. Surgery for cancer treatment is ineffective if the cancer has spread throughout the body already. This therapy is only effective against some localized tumors or those that have not spread into the body systems. This means that cancer has to be at the early stages so that this surgery can be effective.

Radiation - Radiation is also one of the most popular therapies when it comes to cancer treatment. It makes use of a radioactive energy source to kill the cancer cells and stop it from multiplying uncontrollably. There are essentially two ways to deliver the radiation to the target cancer cells: an external radiation source or an internal radioactive implant. In external radiation sources, the radiation beams come from a device or equipment that does not essentially come in contact with the body. Unlike the internal radiation source that needs to be implanted inside the person's body to be effective.

Chemotherapy against cancer - The use of special medications that have properties to fight cancer is called chemotherapy. Although the cancer medicines work in different methods, they all have an end goal of stopping the cancer progression. This can lead to an end or merely a break in the cancer cycle. There may be side effects with this treatment however it still has a great potential in helping cancer stop its deadly course.

This article has hopefully shed some light on the subject of cancer treatments and therapies.

About the Author:

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Skin Cancer Radiation Therapy

By Bart Forcey


When radiation is used to treat skin cancer it is the use of x-rays to eliminate the skin cancer cells. It will usually take multiple visits for treatment before the skin cancer can be completely destroyed. It will take place over time. Skin cancer radiation treatment is generally used when skin cancer keeps coming back or is particularly resistant to treatment.

Skin cancer radiation treatment is not a first option for treatment. There are cases, however, where it is the only option that is available. Many times the condition of the patient or other mitigating circumstances will require the use of radiation treatment for skin cancer. The reasons that skin cancer radiation treatment might be used are many. It could be that the patient has other health considerations that prevent them from undergoing other forms of treatment.

The area where the skin cancer is either too large or in an area that is not conducive to treatment with surgery are other reasons that radiation treatment might be sought. It is always possible that a skin cancer has been treated but is reoccurring frequently.

This type of treatment has been shown to have some success for difficult skin cancers. In patients who were experiencing a fifty percent re occurrence of their skin cancer the radiation treatment dropped that number to twenty five percent.

However, there are a number of threats that accompanies rays of radiation while treating skin cancer. Fresh skin cancer may develop in the part that encloses the affected area. To a great extent,It might be difficult to cure skin cancer once it reoccurs after nursing it because of the radiation. And damage might reoccur to the healthy skin in the same area.

Many possible side effects must be kept in mind as you think of skin cancer radiation treatment. Fatigue, nausea, hair loss, and redness are all possible experiences. When the treatment is stopped, though, such effects will usually dissipate.

Your doctor should have already discussed this kind of treatment for your skin cancer if you are seriously considering it. You will need to be very careful in reviewing your situation, to ensure that this treatment suits your needs. Radiation may not be the best option for treating you skin cancer, and your doctor should consider all other treatment options before proceeding with radiation treatment.

About the Author:

Monday, December 29, 2008

3 Mesothelioma Treatments Explained

Mesothelioma is one of the most uncommon types of cancer and is almost always caused by past exposure to asbestos. It is believed to affect around 2000 people in the UK each year. There are two different forms of mesothelioma; pleural mesothelioma (which makes the lining of the lungs become thicker) and peritoneal mesothelioma (which makes the lining of the abdomen become thicker). Being diagnosed with this type of cancer is not a pleasant experience. However, there are treatment options available. In this article I will be explaining three of the top mesothelioma treatments.

1) SURGERY:- If you have pleural mesothelioma and it is in the early stages, surgery may be a viable treatment option. However, it cannot usually be used to treat peritoneal mesothelioma. When surgery is possible it will usually involve a pleurectomy (removing part or all of the pleura and the surrounding lung tissue) but sometimes an extra-pleural pneumonectomy (removing the pleura, the diaphragm, the tumour and the whole lung) is required for more advanced cancers.

2) CHEMOTHERAPY:- This mesothelioma treatment involves using anti-cancer medications to slow the growth of the tumour. It can also help reduce any undesirable symptoms. Unfortunately, in most cases chemotherapy alone is not enough to cure mesothelioma and instead helps provide sufferers with a better quality of life. However, it can be effective after surgery for killing off any remaining cancer cells and reducing the risk of recurrence.

Chemotherapy treatment does come with some undesirable side effects. The main side effect is that the drugs used often kill some non-cancerous cells too which makes you more susceptible to infections and can make you tire more easily. There are other associated side effects which include hair loss, nausea and diarrhoea. However, these depend upon the type of chemotherapy drug being used.

3) RADIOTHERAPY:- This involves using high energy radiation beams to destroy the cancerous cells. Radiotherapy is often used to relieve any undesirable symptoms but can sometimes prove an effective treatment for mesothelioma. It can also be used to shrink the tumour before surgery and to reduce the risk of the cancer returning after surgery.

Radiotherapy treatment also has comes with some unwanted side effects. These include nausea, vomiting and tiredness. However, these side effects and their severity varies depending upon the strength of the radiation used and the length of the radiotherapy treatment.

Mesothelioma is very rare but like any other cancer it can prove fatal if ignored. No one wants to be diagnosed with a condition like this but it can be treated. This article has discussed three of the options that are available but to get the full picture you need to go see your doctor. They are the professionals and they will be able to choose the best type of treatment for you and your circumstances.

Whilst every intention has been made to make this article accurate and informative, it is intended for general information only. Mesothelioma is a very serious, life threatening condition and you should discuss any concerns, treatments or lifestyle changes fully with your doctor.

Tom Parker owns and operates a number of useful fitness resources and websites. You can learn more about mesothelioma by visiting http://blog.freefitnesstips.co.uk/mesothelioma-explained.html

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Oxygen and Cancer Do Not Get Along

There are a number of things we can do to enable us to live a long healthy life that is full of energy and without disease. There are some basics that range from what we put in our bodies, how active or sedentary our lifestyle is, and how are thught life is managed in regard to stress, worry, outlook,etc.

What I want to target is cancer and it's prime cause. There are a lot of various types of "cancer awareness", which is a good thing, with monies being raised for more and more research to stop this disease. What we need to look at is not letting cancer get a foothold to begin with. And it starts with oxygen.

Without a dependable supply of oxygen, the cells in our bodies cnnot function properly. Nutrients in our diets must have oxygen present to convert their potential energy into usable energy. In order for new cells to be formed, hundreds of amino acids must link together using oxygen as the source of their energy.

The prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar. All normal body cells meet their energy needs by respiration of oxygen, whereas cancer cells meet their energy needs in great part by fermentation.

Poor oxygenation comes from a buildup of carcinogens and other toxins within and around cells, which blocks and then damages the cellular oxygen respiration mechanism. Clumping up of red blood cells slows down the bloodstream, and restricts flow into capillaries. This also causes poor oxygenation. Even lack of the proper building blocks for cell walls, essential fatty acids, restricts oxygen exchange.

There are some factors that rob us of oxygen on a daily basis. Toxicity, emotional stress, physical trauma and infections, reduction of atmospheric oxygen, improper diets and lack of exercise. Some of these factors we can control and some we cannot. For instance, scientific analysis reveals that the oxygen content of the air appears to be declining in our atmosphere, especially in larger cities.

It is not a surprise then that we see concurrent increases in human illness and disease. Is this chance, or a direct correlation to the decreased levels of oxygen. I go with the latter and is something not to take lightly.

Biochemist Dr. Otto Warburg, who awarded the Nobel prize regarding his cancer research, was convinced that cancer cells can only begin to proliferate in the human body when the cells become oxygen deficient and that cancer cells cannot proliferate at all when exposed to an oxygen-rich environment.
Recent research just confirms this, that indeed, lack of oxygen in cells and tissue is the underlying root cause of not just cancer but, quite possibly, of all chronic degenerative disease.

Cancer cells produce excess lactic acid as they ferment energy. Lactic acid is toxic, and tends to prevent the transport of oxygen into neighboring normal cells. Over time as these cells replicate, the cancer may spread if not destroyed by the immune system.

Chemotherapy and radiation are used because cancer cells are weaker than normal cells and therefore may die first. However, chemo and radiation damage respiratory enzymes in healthy cells, and overload them with toxins, so they become more likely to develop into cancer. The underlying cancer causing conditions are worsened, not improved. And the cancer usually returns quickly a second time unless you make changes to support the health of your body.

The implication of this research is that an effective way to support the body's fight against cancer would be to get as much oxygen as you can into healthy cells, and improving their ability to utilize oxygen. Raising the oxygen levels of normal cells would help prevent them from becoming cancerous. And increasing oxygen levels in cancer cells to high levels could help kill those cancer cells.

Medical researchers when working with cell cultures in a lab, if they want the cells to mutate, they turn down the oxygen. To stop the mutation, the oxygen is turned back up. One type of white blood cells kills cancer cells by injecting oxygen creating hydrogen peroxide into the cells.

So, how can we make sure that are cells are oxygenated? There are liquid oxygen supplements available that release oxygen into the blood that will literally produce more oxygen in your cells. In a nutshell, a stabilized oxygen supplement contains oxygen molecules in a liquid solution that is taken orally, usually 10-20 drops in glass of pure water which makes pure oxygen available to be immediately absorbed directly into the bloodstream. The hemoglobin then carries this oxygen straight to your body's cells and tissues, highly saturating them with oxygen in the process.

Joni Bell has many years of experience in the area of natural cancer prevention and treatment. He has numerous success stories of people being diagnosed living cancer free with use of alternative methods. http://www.bigcure4cancer.com/

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

What Are The Symptoms For Breast Cancer?

By Don Pedro

Radiation therapy can be used to treat breast cancer. This therapy involves the sending of gamma rays to the affected region. This ray will destroy the growth of the cancerous cell within the breast. This is an option that can save the breast from being removed totally. It has proved very effective to a lot of women. It might to you too - so stay open and be positive that you will be saved... and you will be!

The constant research work on breast cancer has shown a strong link between high fatty foods and breast cancer. Countries with staple food based diets like Japan of the 1950s have recorded minimal occurrence of breast cancer. With this, I'm sure you will want to watch out for the fat content of your food.

If you are very positive, even when breast cancer is staring you in the face, unseen forces will come to your aid and heal you. I know this sounds crazy but history has it of lots of ladies that have also survived breasts cancer because of their strong faiths. If they could, you can as well. What's stopping you is the belief that you can be healed. To get started, get the belief. After the belief, then find out what those ladies who survived did and do the same thing. Nothing can stop you from getting the same results, except of course, your mind.

Excessive consumption of fat and alcohol can enhance the development of breast cancer. You should watch your food and drinks even though it has not been proven that these two culprits cause cancer, we know it contributes to it.

Breast cancer is a major killer of women all over the world in general. The actual cause of breast cancer has not been agreed upon but body size, age, level of alcohol and fat content in the body are known associates of breast cancer. Therefore don't get overweight, reduce alcohol consumption, exercise a lot and avoid fatty foods for protection against breast cancer.

Breast cancer is almost painless at the initial stage; this has made early detection somewhat difficult. One of the symptoms however that can be felt early enough is armpit itching. The itching can even extend beyond the armpit and extend to the surroundings of the breast. Although this is not a must feel symptom before breast cancer can be diagnosed, it is advised that you take note and report all irregular cases of armpit itching.

Statistic shows that breast cancer reoccurrence is about 10% in treated patient. This deadly disease should not be allowed to reoccur. After a successful treatment of breast cancer, you should maintain a regular monthly appointment with your doctor to prevent the disease reoccurring.

Breast cancer is an ailment caused by the formation of malignant cells within the breast tissues. Although the ailment is common in women, it is almost non existence in men although few diagnoses have been made. The cancer is known to be heterogeneous as it shows variation in different women.

About the Author:

Monday, August 25, 2008

Cancer Treatment - Options: Radiation

By Meng Y

Radiation therapy remains one of the most common tools for breast cancer treatment, but it has been refined considerably over the years.

Radiation is designed in two different types: external or internal.

External radiation treatments utilize a highly energized and highly focused light beam to rid the body of cancer cells and their surrounding tissues. The light beam cannot be seen with the human eye however it is semi-transparent allowing it to pass through your skin. Cancer cells are uniquely composed, so therefore they all have a different reaction to the treatment.

Healthy cells are in the path of the radiation and are affected by it. But, as cancer cells are actively dividing and growing in abnormal ways, their function is more readily interrupted. They may absorb a much higher percentage of the radiative energy than healthy cells. That energy kills the cancer cells. The beam may also destroy the blood vessels around the tumor that the cancer generates in order to feed itself.

Radiation performed internally is often called brachyytherapy. It is similar to chemotherapy. Instead of utilizing drugs to affect a chemical change a small amount of radioactive material is placed within the body. The material then emits radiation targeting cancer cells, destroying them from within the body.

Internal radiation therapy isn't as common as external. But just like with any other treatment method when and how it is utilized is something that is determined after you meet with a specialist.

Radiation therapy is usually used before or with another treatment. After an individual undergoes a modified mastectomy, their oncologist could recommend that they also receive a course of radiation treatment that lasts six to eight weeks.

The goal is to ensure that any cancerous cells the surgeon couldn't remove are destroyed by the radiation. But it's a less intensive treatment since using radiation to kill the entire cancer would involve higher and longer doses.

Similarly, radiation treatments may accompany chemotherapy. Since each case is unique, the patient and oncologist will determine what's best for each person. In other cases, it may be used solely to relieve symptoms without any expectation of cure.

Despite the high energy in the beam, radiation treatments themselves are painless. There are often uncomfortable side effects, however.

Radiation treatments can produce fatigue, particularly in the later stages of treatment. Treatments are often given five days a week for several weeks, sometimes twice per day. In these cases, the fatigue can last for a few weeks or longer after treatment ends.

Having skin issues is a rather common side effect. Because radiation is absorbed by the surrounding breast tissue. In these areas the individual might experience symptoms like redness, soreness, and itching. These individual's might notice less sensation on and around the breast. It might also be notices under the arm and in surrounding areas. Radiation does not cause an individual to lose hair unless it is directly applied to the head, which usually isn't the case during breast cancer treatment.

In cases that are more severe the immune system might be compromised, especially if radiation is being applied to an individual's lymph nodes. Lymph nodes and the vessels that connect to them and run through the body are a vital part of the immune system and radiation can potentially work to decrease their level of effectiveness.

Luckily, the side effects of radiation are typically short. Aside from the most extreme instances usually organs, lymph nodes and other bodily functions and components aren't completely destroyed or harmed beyond repair during radiation treatment. However, their function could be temporarily hindered, but the body will quickly bounce back.

About the Author:

Monday, August 11, 2008

Prostate Cancer - Possible Warning Signs

By Alice Sy

We all know that prostate cancer can happen to any male and it is a very common type of cancer. The commonest form of cancer in the United States today is skin cancer but, to many people's surprise, prostate cancer is the second most frequently seen type of cancer and results in some 30,000 deaths each year. According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, this type of cancer is the most prevalent non-skin cancer in the United States.

A prostate seed implant may be the only type of radiation therapy needed by a man with low-risk prostate cancer or it may be prescribed in addition to external beam radiation therapy in men with intermediate- and high- risk prostate cancer. If caught in its early stages prostate cancer can be successfully treated either by surgery or radiation therapy (radiotherapy) and, while such treatment can often leave its mark in terms of ongoing problems with urination or a degradation or loss of sexual function, the cancer will often not return. Curing prostate cancer is possible, and the treatment is more effective if cancer is detected in the early stages.

Curing prostate cancer is possible, but the condition has to be detected in the early stages. Because prostate cancer is a relatively slow-growing disease and easy to control if it is detected early enough, the regular screenings are recommended for obese people experiencing the above symptoms. Although the aforementioned prostate statistics don't seem to be good, the truth of the matter is that if prostate cancer is detected early, treatments are often very successful and chances of surviving are very high.

Although the same researchers were quick to point out that each year fewer and fewer men are dying of prostate cancer, due to awareness, better treatments and early detection through new and more available screening techniques. In order to catch prostate cancer in its early stages, it is recommended that men with no risk factors get an annual screening every year beginning at age 50. In addition, beginning at age 50, an annual PSA test is necessary because it is substantially more sensitive for men health than DRE when it comes to detecting early, tiny, or even microscopic cancers that are confined to the prostate gland.

In addition, another confusing aspect is that most of the possible warning signs, if they appear, are also the same signs for other prostate health problems that are non-cancerous in nature, such as BPH, which is called an enlarged prostate gland. I'm sure that we've all heard at some point or another the notion that more sex is the solution to prostate problems, citing as evidence the high incidence of prostate cancer in celibate priests. This could be the first time an evidence is produced that a virus is related to prostate cancer development.

Probably, the conclusion that drugs lowering cholesterol may help prevent prostate cancer or at least decrease its development is premature. Sun exposure prevent prostate cancer and the new research suggest vitamin D in supplement may be a safer option today for men. Researchers shown that vitamin D has many micronutrients promote and prevent the prostate cancer in men.

Chemotherapy is typically not effective against prostate cancer although newer drugs developed in recent years have shown the ability to relieve symptoms in men with advanced prostate cancer. According to Prostate Cancer Foundation, symptoms of the ailment include a necessity to urinate very often, weak urine flow, difficulty in starting urination, painful or burning urination, painful ejaculation, blood cells in the semen or urine, as well as frequent pain and cramps in the lower back, hips and upper thighs. One of the most common symptoms listed above is the difficulty starting to pass urine, but keep your eye out for the others.

About the Author:

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Radiation Therapy For Prostate Cancer Treatment

By: Khim Lim

Radiation therapy, also commonly known as radiotherapy, is the most frequently prescribed prostate cancer treatment. It is designed to kill off your cancerous cells with high energy radiation beams however even with the accurateness of the process today some normal body cells are inevitably also killed during radiotherapy sessions. This accounts for any side effects you may suffer from.

Radiotherapy as a prostate cancer treatment can be used for all stages of the disease. If you are diagnosed as having early stage prostate cancer then radiotherapy can often cure the disease without the need for surgery. Later stage cancers may require surgery followed by a course of radiotherapy and in terminal cases radiotherapy can still be used to relieve the pain associated with the disease.

There are two main ways in which radiation can be used as a prostate cancer treatment; internally and externally. The type of radiotherapy you receive will depend on your circumstances and the extent of your cancer. For more information about the treatments and how they work you should speak to your oncologist as they will be able to give you much more detailed information than is given here.

The prostate cancer treatment known as brachytherapy, or internal radiation, works by implanting microbeads of radioactive material directly into your cancerous tissue. These microbeads act to kill the cancerous cells in the immediate vicinity and only a very small number of normal body cells also become damaged. This will lead to you suffering from minor side effects such as urinary leakage and occasionally penile dysfunction however in some cases these are almost non-existent.

Having internal radiotherapy as a prostate cancer treatment will mean you have to undergo keyhole surgery however this is a one-time procedure and will only entail a short stay in hospital. Because of the relative expense of this procedure, it is only used in cases where cure is still a viable outcome i.e. where the cancer is still confined to the prostate and has not yet spread to other sites in the body.

External radiation is the more commonly used prostate cancer treatment. It will involve you travelling to the hospital on average five times per week and spending time underneath the radiation machine. In this case the radiation beam penetrates through the skin, muscle and fat before it reaches the cancerous tissue of the prostate and so many more normal body cells are damaged. Thus with this form of treatment you will often suffer with more severe and varied side effects than with the previous option.

With regards to the skin you may lose some of the pubic hair permanently and the area may become a little sore and dry however this is a small price to pay considering the potential outcome. Internally, you might suffer with incontinence, urinary and bowel discomfort and some degree of impotence as the tissues around the prostate gland are affected. Thankfully, advancements are continually being made that mean fewer normal body cells are damaged and so the side effects described may be minimal in your case.

Radiation therapy is a very effective prostate cancer treatment and although it can be gruelling and cause you to feel fatigued a lot of the time, it is well worth pursuing as a treatment.

Author Resource: Your prostate health is important for cancer prevention. For more information, resources and support, please click http://www.prostate-cancer-treatment-hub.com.

Article From Mister Article

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

What Are The Treatments For Breast Cancer

By Roselyn Capen

There are several options for treatments, when the disease is breast cancer. People, today, can choose from the many options available, to defeat breast cancer, unlike several years ago. There are at least three types of treatments for any stage of breast cancer.

Certain forms of surgeries, like biopsies, are used to diagnose breast cancer. These focus on specific areas of the body, like the breasts and lymph nodes, and not the whole body. When cancer is positively diagnosed, the patient has two options. Either she can opt for complete removal of breasts, as is the case with mastectomy, or removal of just a part of the breast, like in partial mastectomy. These two surgeries are most effective when the patient has small malignant tumors. Also, they are effective when the patient has had large tumors previously which are now small and have been successfully shrunken by chemotherapy.

Systemic therapy is good in order to get rid of any cells that may have spread to other parts of the body. If the cancer has spread and has formed tumors elsewhere this treatment can help shrink the cancer and hopefully lead to a remission, which would be ideal for everyone.

This treatment is mainly decided by the characteristics of the cancer. The more aggressive the caner is then it will have a higher risk of spreading outside that area and into other areas where treatment can be harder to do. Treatments are dependent on the status and harmful effects of cancer. The more advanced the stage, the harder it is to treat it, since it's more likely that the cancerous cells are not confined to just the breasts, then. This means the treatment has to extend outside the breasts, and can make the procedure complicated and tiresome.

Therapies are taken by either a pill or even sometimes by injection. Chemotherapy can be administered by either way and is used to destroy cancer cells that it finds. Immune therapy is widely unknown and not used as much as the other therapies just because it is new. It works the same way that getting a flu shot works, it makes the body think that something is attacking it, so that it was use its defense systems which are the while blood cells to fight the infection, or whatever the problem may be.

Many people are turning to what is known as Complementary therapy. The principle behind Complementary therapy is that it restores the body's natural health so that the body becomes capable of fighting infections on its own. Complementary therapies include yoga, massages, chiropractic, herbal remedies' intake and acupunction. People who have tried this therapy are more than just satisfied by the results, and they can reaffirm that it makes them feel a lot better while they're surviving the disease. There is absolutely nothing to lose by trying this therapy, only a chance to feel better and healthier.

About the Author:

Friday, August 1, 2008

New Breast Cancer Treatments

By Roselyn Capen

When it comes to treating breast cancer there are more than a few options. There are many options that people can choose to help fight their cancer. For every stage of breast cancer, you can consider three types of treatment.

Breast cancer is usually diagnosed through some form of surgery, like a biopsy, which is concerned specifically with specific parts or the body, and in this case, with the breast or lymph nodes. Once it is diagnosed for certain, two very effective surgeries can be used for treating it. Mastectomy, which includes removal of the entire breast, and partial mastectomy, which entails with removal of a part of the breast. These surgeries are most effective when the malignant tumor is small and the cancer has not spread out. Also, for women who had large tumors, which have shrunken due to chemotherapy, partial mastectomy is a great option.

Systemic therapy is good in order to get rid of any cells that may have spread to other parts of the body. If the cancer has spread and has formed tumors elsewhere this treatment can help shrink the cancer and hopefully lead to a remission, which would be ideal for everyone.

This treatment is mainly decided by the characteristics of the cancer. The more aggressive the caner is then it will have a higher risk of spreading outside that area and into other areas where treatment can be harder to do.

Treatments are administered in various manners. For breast cancer, oral treatment, along with injectibles, are prevalent in treatments today. A very effective therapy, Chemotherapy, kills cancerous cells, and can be taken either orally or injected. Another therapy, called the Immune therapy, makes the body produce antibodies by introducing a foreign article, and the body fights back, reacting to the foreign invasion. This is much like the flu shots work. However, this is widely unknown and not used much on grounds of being new.

Unconventional methods such as yoga asana, acupuncture, massages, intake of herbal remedies, chiropractic, are also in practice. A lot of people suffering from breast cancer claim to get "healed" for the simple reason that these practices help make the body healthier and enable it to fight the ailment itself. They feel rejuvenated during the course of the action, and forget their ailment. There is nothing to lose trying these Complementary therapies, and just a healthier body to gain.

About the Author:

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Cancer Treamtment - Chemotherapy, an option for Breast Cancer

By Meng Y

Experts agree that for most breast cancer cases, chemotherapy is not the first treatment of choice. But for those for whom it is appropriate, it can provide effective, long term results.

Chemotherapy consists of using drugs to combat cancer. With the increasing sophistication of pharmacology, those drugs are safer, more effective and more targeted, with fewer side effects than ones of the past. Today, it's common to use a drug 'cocktail' in order to offset side effects and provide a more effective treatment.

The drugs used typically interfere with the cells' ability to divide, since that is one of the chief characteristics of cancers, an uncontrolled growth from abnormal cell division in breast cancer tissue.

Usually Chemotherapy is utilized when an individual's cancer has be advanced and requires a treatment that is more rigorous so that it more efficiently and more effectively eliminates cancerous cells. Clumps of cancer cells can grow and spread to other areas. When this occurs it is often indicative that chemotherapy should be utilized.

Cancers can come back. The causes of this is not currently understood. In some instances it could be that the original cancer was not completely eradicated. It could also be the case that the true cause that originally generated the cancerous tumor is still both active and present, causing the cancer to show itself. Whatever the reason is, Chemotherapy is typically used.

One of the major complications associated with chemotherapy is the side effects. Even though the drugs are beginning to improve, chemotherapy treatments can from time to time affect an individual's healthy cells in addition to the ones that are cancerous.

Since some of that function is to fight disease such as the cancer itself, a double harm occurs. Radiation therapy has a similar drawback in that it compromises the immune system, which is part of what helps to fight the cancer and its effects.

Often an individual's digestive system is negatively affected. They might experience nausea, hair loss, and even have poor bone marrow composition. Bone marrow is used for different bodily functions. Most importantly it assists in the production of both white and red blood cells.

Someone undergoing chemotherapy might experience heart, kidney, and other organ damage. This is extremely uncommon because the cells in these organs aren't capable of dividing as frequently under normal instances. In some studies individuals lost their memory and concentration. Older females often find that their reproductive system changes, causing premature menopause.

Still, drugs in use today are better tolerated and more targeted that those of previous generations. They may help cut off vessels that supply blood to the tumors which encourage the growth of just such vessels to feed themselves. There are a variety of chemotherapy regimens, with each one designed for the individual patient and his or her circumstances.

Though never pleasant, chemotherapy provides an important tool in the fight against what was once an almost always fatal disease. Today, long term survivability is greater than ever with fewer long-term side effects. Chemotherapy is one of the reasons.

About the Author:

Breast Cancer Treatments That Work

By Gerardo Hunnell

The treatments for breast cancer vary according the stage, type, location and size of the cancer. The non-surgical treatments are hormone therapy, chemotherapy and radiation. Surgeries for breast include the removal of a tumor, mastectomy (breast removal) and the removal of lymphatic tissue.

The Beginning Stage

If a woman has very small blockages in her mammary glands called "lobular carcinoma", usually nothing is done except to watch her very carefully. Some women who have lobular carcinoma choose to have both of their breasts removed because the chances of getting breast cancer in the other breast are very slight. In the case of ductal carcinoma, women can often have only a lumpectomy - the lump is removed without having to remove the breast. She will then be treated with radiation therapy. Again, some women also choose to have both of their breasts removed as a preventative.

The Middle to Late Stages

In these stages, women are often treated with chemo, radiation and hormones before surgery is attempted. If the cancer is larger and is spreading quickly, a mastectomy is done followed with the removal of the lymph nodes in the axillary area. Radiation, chemotherapy and hormone therapies are used after this major surgery.

Chemotherapy is often given before a woman has surgery to see if the tumor will shrink. If it does, there is a better chance that she will not have to have her entire breast taken off.

The non-invasive treatments are almost always used regardless of whether or not surgery is done. Treating the cancer intensively makes survival more likely.

Once the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes, there is no choice but to remove them from the axillary area. A mastectomy is also performed in this case.

The Last Stage of Cancer

In the fourth stage, it is too late to operate with any success. A woman may be treated with radiation, hormones and chemotherapy to allow her to live a while longer. Many women don't have these therapies and instead choose to be given supportive care. Supportive care offers pain management and stress therapies for a woman who is dying. Nothing is done to prolong her life but instead, the focus is on the quality of her life in the short time she has to live.

If the cancer is treated and reoccurs or if some of the cancer is missed, a mastectomy and lymph tissue removal is followed by therapies if the cancer has not reached the last stage. Otherwise, supportive care is recommended.

Though it seems unlikely, men have been known to get breast cancer. They are treated in the same manner as women are when this happens.

About the Author:

Cancer Treatment - Surgery as Breast Cancer Treatment Option.

By Meng Y

No person wants to undergo surgery. Luckily, breast cancer surgery that is performed today is targeted than it has been in the past. Individuals today do not experience as much scarring and are able to quickly recover while also receiving treatment that is effective enough to lower the odds of recurrence.

Diagnostic tools are more precise and the disease is better understood. Traditional options still largely apply, but employing them is no longer automatic. Each case is unique and individually analyzed. The breast cancer patient has choices and is an active participant in the decision making process.

One of the most common choices made is known as a lumpectomy. Just what it sounds like, a lumpectomy is the surgical removal of the lump that constitutes the cancer tumor. Even here there are a wide range of choices. The amount of tissue removed around the lump varies. Surgeons make a judgment call about how much is needed to reduce the chances of the cancer returning.

Depending upon where the tumor is located, its size, and how long it has been growing a surgeon might have to remove one or more lymph nodes during the lumpectomy process. Lymph nodes are bean-sized glands that are typically oval in shape. They operate as part of a system that operates throughout the body. Lymph nodes are necessary in the immune system. Lymph nodes help to fight off bacteria and the invasion of foreign bodies.

Once cancer has reached a lymph node it can easily and quickly be spread throughout the body by way of the blood vessels that connect lymph nodes together. When and if this occurs cancers become extremely difficult to treat. Sometimes chemotherapy or even radiation treatments are necessary at this stage.

To minimize the likelihood of that happening, surgeons will sometimes remove one or more lymph nodes near a cancerous tumor. Then, lab tests are performed to check for any spread of the cancer. Here again, each case is unique and the options and likely actions should be discussed with all the physicians involved.

Like other cancers, breast cancer develops in different stages. The stages are determined by the location, size and type of tumors that the cancer is comprised of. When breast cancer reaches a stage where it is necessary surgery may extend beyond a lumpectomy. The patient and the doctor might decide that a segmental or partial mastectomy is necessary.

In that procedure more breast tissue is removed than in a simple lumpectomy. In many cases radiation therapy may be part of the follow up treatment regimen, often extending for six or eight weeks. The goal is to ensure that all the cancer was removed, or that any remaining malignant tissue the surgeon was unable to get is destroyed by the radiation.

In more extreme cases, which are fortunately recommended much less often today, a mastectomy may be performed. Most or all of the breast is removed. When no lymph nodes are taken, the procedure is called a simple or total mastectomy. When all the breast tissue is removed, along with the nipple and lymph nodes in the armpit, the surgery is termed a modified radical mastectomy.

When the surgeon has to go further and remove the accompanying chest wall muscles the procedure is called a radical mastectomy. Fortunately, this extreme action is rarely called for today. Even when required, reconstructive surgery or prosthetics can often restore appearance almost entirely.

Hospital stay varies with the type of treatment, ranging from outpatient, same-day release for a simple lumpectomy to a week for more intensive procedures. Explore all your options and research the effects carefully. Ask questions and don't be put off by too-busy physicians. Finding one willing to answer questions at length in layman's terms is the first step toward proper treatment.

About the Author:

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Could Kennedy’s Tumor Have Been Caught 5 Years Ago?

Sudbury, ON – Senator Edward Kennedy’s brain tumor, known as glioma, is incurable. His doctors admit that at this point even surgery and follow up radiation won’t stop the spread of the cancer.

“I’m pretty confident they could have caught Kennedy’s cancer 5 years ago,” says Dr. Anthony Martin author of “Medical Crisis: Secrets your doctor won’t share with you.”

Dr. Martin did not treat the senator, but believes Kennedy was experiencing warning signs for half a decade before his May 20th seizure.

“His seizure was prompted by the size of the tumor, but before it got that large the bell would have been ringing ‘check the engine – something’s wrong!”

It takes more than 5 years for most cancers to grow to the size of the tip of a ball point pen. By the time cancer is found by routine tests or massive symptoms (like a seizure) the patient may have missed precious time.

“Your car has dashboard warning lights to alert you that the oil is low or you’re out of gas,” says Dr. Martin, “the body has those same warning signals. You just have to know how to read them.”

As a U.S. Senator Kennedy had access to the best health care and routine exams, but Dr. Martin says the doctors wouldn’t have been running the tests they should have.

“By the time routine blood tests come back abnormal, the disease has already spread. It takes quite a long time for tests to show the body has broken down. That is precious time for someone with a growing cancerous tumor they don’t know about.”

Dr. Martin says Kennedy would likely have been experiencing a high free radical count, fatigue, inflammation and an acidic PH level. All those things could have been ‘caught’ by a urine test, two blood tests and a saliva test.

Most doctors know these warning signs, but few sit back to contemplate how these symptoms work together to affect your health.

“More than half of people who make appointments with their doctors complain of fatigue,” says Dr. Martin, “but doctors rarely bother to ask why you’re tired or how that affects long-term health. They (doctors) wind up prescribing sleeping pills or dealing with the short-term affects of exhaustion. They don’t stop to think that lack of energy is a big, red, flashing warning sign that something is seriously about to go wrong with the body.”

Dr. Martin suggests once you’ve got a realistic idea of where you stand you can start giving yourself the antidote. “Change your attitude, change your diet, change your exercise habits and change your supplements.”

“So much of what Americans are dying from these days is 100-percent preventable,” says Dr. Martin. He believes breast cancer and prostate cancer are among the diseases that don’t need to be fatal.

It is too late to catch Senator Kennedy’s cancer in the early stage. It remains to be seen how he will recover – if he recovers at all.

About the Author

Dr. Martin is a certified as a Natural Medicine Practitioner as well as a qualified Chiropractor. He is a respected and renowned nutraceutical consultant, nutritional practitioner, author and medical spokesperson. He is a world famous research leader in the fields of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and environmental toxins and has spoken at seminars across the United States, Canada, France, China and South Korea. Dr. Martin is also a frequent guest on television and radio across the US and Canada, where he also hosts his own radio show “Ask The Doctor.” He heads up his own practice, The Martin Clinic, in Sudbury, Ontario and is passionate on educating people about the importance of proper nutrition. His says his personal purpose in life is to help people regain their health. Dr. Anthony Martin’s website can be found at http://www.drmartin.ca/

Article Source High Profile Articles 3