Rare Treatment Medicines

Addison's Disease Signs and Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Causes Prevention EMedicines

2011-12-21T21:12:00.000-08:00

Addison's Disease Signs and Symptoms Treatment Causes Prevention EMedicines :

Signs and Symptoms of Addison's Disease

The symptoms of Addison's disease develop insidiously, and it may take some time to be recognised. The most common symptoms are fatigue, lightheadedness upon standing or while upright, muscle weakness, fever, weight loss, difficulty in standing up, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, sweating, changes in mood and personality, and joint and muscle pains. Some have marked cravings for salt or salty foods due to the urinary losses of sodium. Increased tanning may be noted, particularly in sun-exposed areas, as well as darkening of the palmar creases, sites of friction, recent scars, the vermilion border of the lips, and genital skin. This is not encountered in secondary and tertiary hypoadrenalism.

Causes of Addison's Disease

Causes of adrenal insufficiency can be grouped by the way they cause the adrenals to produce insufficient cortisol. These are adrenal dysgenesis (the gland has not formed adequately during development), impaired steroidogenesis (the gland is present but is biochemically unable to produce cortisol) or adrenal destruction (disease processes leading to the gland being damaged).

Diagnosis of Addison's Disease

Suggestive features

Routine investigations may show:

1) Hypercalcemia

2) Hypoglycemia, low blood sugar (worse in children due to loss of glucocorticoid's glucogenic effects)

3) Hyponatremia (low blood sodium levels), due to the kidney's inability to excrete free water in the absence of sufficient cortisol, and also the effect of Corticotropin-releasing hormone to stimulate secretion of ADH. That hyponatremia occurs even in secondary adrenal insufficiency (i.e. due to pituitary disease), in which aldosterone deficiency is not a feature, underscores the fact that hyponatremia in Addison's disease is not due to lack of aldosterone.

4) Hyperkalemia (raised blood potassium levels), due to loss of production of the hormone aldosterone

5) Eosinophilia and lymphocytosis (increased number of eosinophils or lymphocytes, two types of white blood cells)

6) Metabolic acidosis (increased blood acidity), also due to loss of the hormone aldosterone because sodium reabsorption in the distal tubule is linked with acid/hydrogen ion (H+) secretion. Low levels of aldosterone stimulation of the renal distal tubule leads to sodium wasting in the urine and H+ retention in the serum.

Treatment for Addison's Disease

Treatment for Addison's disease involves replacing the missing cortisol, sometimes in the form of hydrocortisone tablets, or prednisone tablets in a dosing regimen that mimics the physiological concentrations of cortisol. Alternatively one quarter as much prednisolone may be used for equal glucocorticoid effect as hydrocortisone. Treatment must usually be continued for life. In addition, many patients require fludrocortisone as replacement for the missing aldosterone. Caution must be exercised when the person with Addison's disease becomes unwell with infection, has surgery or other trauma, or becomes pregnant. In such instances, their replacement glucocorticoids, whether in the form of hydrocortisone, prednisone, prednisolone, or other equivalent, often need to be increased. Inability to take oral medication may prompt hospital attendance to receive steroids intravenously. People with Addison's are often advised to carry information on them (e.g. in the form of a MedicAlert bracelet) for the attention of emergency medical services personnel who might need to attend to their needs.

Source

Stress vs Pet Therapy, can Mental Depression be reduced by Pet Therapy?

2011-12-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

Stress vs Pet Therapy, can Mental Depression be reduced by Pet Therapy?

Absolutely true, the then researchers asked, adopting a pet will extend our life with out depression and joyful. The pet's owners are said to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than the others. whenever we walk a pet, we may feel more secured. Also if we alone whether divorced or widowed, our pets will reduce our stress and loneliness.

Pet owners visit the doctor less often than those who do not own pets. Children who own pets are known to have positive minded and self developed while comparing with the earlier. Regular companionship of pets helps us deal better with some serious illness or death affected family.

Pets are great stress busters, they are good companions, who listen to all our woes without any complaints. Besides therapeutic value of keeping a pet, they are known to do wonders to a child's development. Again pets are known to be much more perspective than human beings. In fact, there is no other art to find the mind's construction on one's face, but a pet can identify whether we are in foul mood, while entering to our house.

Leprosy Diagnosis Prevention Treatments, Signs and Symptoms of Leprosy

2011-12-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

Leprosy Diagnosis Prevention Treatments, Signs and Symptoms of Leprosy is given below :-

What is Leprosy?

Leprosy or Hansen's disease (HD) is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis.Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions are the primary external sign. Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. Contrary to folklore, leprosy does not cause body parts to fall off, although they can become numb or diseased as a result of secondary infections; these occur as a result of the body's defences being compromised by the primary disease. Secondary infections, in turn, can result in tissue loss causing fingers and toes to become shortened and deformed, as cartilage is absorbed into the body.

Signs and symptoms of Leprosy

Skin lesions are the primary external sign. Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs, and eyes.

How to Diagnosis Leprosy

Diagnosis in the U.S. is often delayed because healthcare providers are unaware of leprosy and its symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment prevents nerve involvement, the hallmark of leprosy, and the disability it causes. There are many kinds of leprosy but there are common symptoms. These include runny nose, dry scalp, eye problems, skin lesions, and muscle weakness.

Risk factors of Leprosy

At highest risk are those living in endemic areas with poor conditions such as inadequate bedding, contaminated water, and insufficient diet, or other diseases that compromise immune function. However, though hard evidence is limited, and fringe publications have made passionate claims to the contrary, professional studies show little evidence that HIV is an important factor in increasing the risk of leprosy infection. It is presumed that this might be because of differences between the modes of immunity involved. However, it is plain that the two infections and their signs and progressions need not be fully independent, so the matter should be regarded with reserve. For example, a Medscape clinical presentation reports that HIV infection neither is a risk factor for acquisition nor for increased virulence of leprosy, but that latent cases of leprosy may emerge after starting HAART. Lewis, F. S. et al. ; Dermatologic Manifestations of Leprosy Clinical Presentation

Prevention of Leprosy

In a recent trial, a single dose of rifampicin reduced the rate at which contacts acquired leprosy in the two years after contact by 57%; 265 treatments with rifampicin prevented one case of leprosy in this period. A non-randomized study found that rifampicin reduced the number of new cases of leprosy by 75% after three years.

BCG offers a variable amount of protection against leprosy as well as against tuberculosis.

Efforts to overcome persistent obstacles to the elimination of the disease include improving detection, educating patients and the population about its cause, and fighting social taboos about a disease that has caused its patients throughout history to be considered "unclean" or "cursed by God" as outcasts. Leprosy is not a hereditary disease. Where taboos are strong, patients may be forced to hide their condition (and avoid seeking treatment) to avoid discrimination. The lack of awareness about Hansen's disease can lead people to believe (falsely) that the disease is highly contagious and incurable.

The ALERT hospital and research facility in Ethiopia provides training to medical personnel from around the world in the treatment of leprosy, as well as treating many local patients. Surgical techniques, such as for the restoration of control of movement of thumbs, have been developed.

Treatments for Leprosy

Enough synthetic pharmaceuticals that are effective against leprosy have by now been identified, and support a flexible choice of treatments. The WHO Study Group's report on the Chemotherapy of Leprosy in 1993 recommended two types of standard MDT regimen be adopted. The first was a 24-month treatment for multibacillary (MB or lepromatous) cases using rifampicin, clofazimine, and dapsone. The second was a six-month treatment for paucibacillary (PB or tuberculoid) cases, using rifampicin and dapsone. At the First International Conference on the Elimination of Leprosy as a Public Health Problem, held in Hanoi the next year, the global strategy was endorsed and funds provided to WHO for the procurement and supply of MDT to all endemic countries.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer More Condition Symptoms

2008-01-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

In inflammatory breast cancer, the cancer cells may not grow as a lump that can be felt in the breast, but they grow along, and block, the tiny channels (lymph vessels) in the skin of the breast. With some people, their body reacts to the cancer cells in the lymph vessels and, as a result, the breast looks inflamed (which is how the condition gets its name) and swollen. The lymph vessels are part of the lymphatic system, which is responsible for removing fluid from tissues and collecting and filtering out bacteria and any waste materials that the body’s cells do not want.

Signs and Symptoms of Inflammatory Breast Cancer

The symptoms often develop quite suddenly. The breast looks red and inflamed, and feels warm and swollen. Ridges or raised marks may appear on the skin of the breast, or the skin may have a pitted appearance, like the peel of an orange (known as peau d’orange).

Other symptoms may include a lump, or thickening in the breast, pain in the breast or nipple, or a fluid (discharge) leaking from the nipple.

Prostate Cancer and the Amazing Da Vinci System

2008-01-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

Unlike normal blog postings dealing with Choices, Ethics, and Consequences - my topics as a professional motivational speaker - it seemed appropriate today to speak of my complete recovery from prostate cancer hoping that it might help others who are faced with decisions on prostate cancer treatment.

Discovering I had prostate cancer at the age of 47 was almost an accident and certainly not something that in any way I expected. I had no symptoms - none whatsoever. In layman's terms, everything seemed to work fine. So the discovery of prostate cancer was quite accidental. It seems I had gone to my doctor simply requesting a pill (propecia - a drug to reduce hair loss). She required I have a blood test, as this drug would have an effect on my PSA. Frankly, all that was greek to me...as I didn't know what PSA was and had never had it checked. I hated needles - had always said I was allergic to them - hence I avoided being stuck as much as I could. But on this day in November 2004 I decided to take the plunge - have my blood checked - and get the prescription.

Two days later I got a call while out of town saying that all the lab work was fine except that my PSA was a bit elevated - it was 4.58 and for someone my age that was high. My doctor referred me to a Urologist. The appointment was set.

Of course I had some concern, but after all, all the plumbing seem to work fine and I had no symptoms, so surely there was no problem. The Urologist's exam was routine - in fact he said he thought I had nothing to worry about as he felt nothing abnormal. But, to be on the safe side he schedule a biopsy. Being fearful of needles (and a biopsy is the ultimate needle) I asked if it would hurt. His response, "Most men don't really feel a thing." That was a lie! Looking back, I would have asked for good drugs as that was the most painful experience I can recall.

Several days following the biopsy I received the results. Prostate Cancer! I had a Gleason score of 6 and 30% of one side of my prostate was cancerous. My heart sank as I received the news. How could I, a 47 year old healthy male, with no other medical issues have prostate cancer? And, how amazing that it was caught by a simple test that my well versed female doctor required. Looking back, her diligence saved my life.

What next?

My local doctor wanted to schedule surgery immediately. He said I had four options: (1) Radical prostotectemy (traditional surgery); (2) Radiation; (3) Hormone therapy and/or (4) Watch and wait. Again, he recommended surgery. My immediate question was how many of the surgeries that he was suggesting did he do weekly or monthly. The number was low. In the back of my mind I thought, "Hum, maybe I need someone who isn't so surgery happy and who does this delicate removal frequently." I was like learning to play golf - I would prefer to learn from someone who plays daily than learn from a weekend hacker. Maybe that analogy seems harsh, but after all the decision made would have lasting and profound effects.

Following the meeting with the Urologist, and after telling my family (who thought I was joking), I spent some time in research. First thing I found - based on my diagnosis - I had time to consider carefully my options. Not that nothing should be done, but I didn't have to rush into any hasty decisions. Prostate cancer generally is slow in it's progression. CAUTION - do not use my experience as a crutch to avoid treatment (I witnessed my father-in-law die from complications from prostate cancer), rather, seek competent medical help in making your treatment decisions.

Options Considered:

Watch and wait. Well for several months I did just that. I researched - changed my diet - considered the possibility that I could reverse what existed and even reduce the cancer. I began a regiment of daily intake of cottage cheese and flax seed oil. For a short time I actually saw a decrease in my PSA; however, that was short lived. What I did learn was that diet was important - not only for general well being - but an effective tool in promoting a cancer free body. This was valuable time in that it gave me the opportunity to consider all my options.

Radiation Therapy. Not really an option for me. While I talked with a man in his late 60's to early 70's who had outstanding results using focused radiation (proton therapy I think it was called), the reality is - once you opt for radiation and the tissue is destroyed, if prostate cancer returns, it cannot be surgically removed. Hence the best advice I received was, in my case, this would not be a practical option. By the way information on proton treatment can be found at http://www.protons.com/ or at http://www.llu.edu/. The people I talked with who had used this treatment were extremely pleased with the level of care they received and the overall outcome.

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). In my search for the right treatment, I spent much time in considering this alternative. There were three practical objectives I wished to accomplish with whatever treatment I selected: (1) Cancer elimination, (2) Minimal issues with incontinence (preferably none) and (3) minimal issues with erectile function (again, preferably none). Based on my Gleason score and prostate cancer diagnosis, it seemed that this treatment would be viable. For research information visit http://www.ushifu.com/. As part of my consideration I met with Dr. George Suarez, Medical Director for USHifu. He reviewed my medical background and was kind in taking the time to discuss with me my options using this new prostate cancer treatment. Dr. Suarez took the time to explain all my options and how, if I elected, HIFU could be effective while meeting my three objectives. My only resistance was, at the time, it was not an option yet approved by the FDA in the United States, hence I would have to seek the treatment outside the scope of my medical insurance outside of the country. While I gave this serious consideration, I ultimately decided to go another route.

Radical Prostatectomy. All of the possibilities above, brought me back to the original suggestion - SURGERY. The issue I had was what kind and who would perform it. Since I had the time to research I discovered (through the wonder of the Internet) this, then, new procedure called a robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy. Hum...seemed that needed more study. Of course, at the time, Johns Hopkins Brady Urological Institute was recognized as one of the best in the world for prostate cancer research and study. After careful consideration I contacted Johns Hopkins inquiring about this seemingly new procedure - using the daVinci Surgical System. www.urology.jhu.edu/MIS/daVinci/

The folks at Johns Hopkins could not have been more caring and helpful as I sought all my treatment options. Of course, they reviewed my file carefully and spent all the time I wanted and needed to evaluate my options. Dr. Li-Ming Su was my surgeon and my hat is off to him and his skill and patience. In the end, one thing was clear - all other options being equal - surgical removal was still the "gold standard" in the fight against prostate cancer. Likewise, it appeared that this robotic assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy would meet my three objectives.

The surgery went fine - of course I don't remember a thing - so all I can base it on what the Doctor's report. Initially the report indicated that the cancer was contained in the prostate and the removal should yield me "cancer free." Of course this was to be confirmed later from lab reports. The first several days following surgery were not pleasant, but tolerable. Within three days, I boarded a plane and flew home to North Carolina - travel was not a big issue. The most discomforting thing following surgery was the catheter - which remained in for three weeks.

Outcome. Within four weeks following surgery I boarded a plane to Dallas, TX to begin a new job. My energy level was back and I had minimal incontinence isses with subsided within another three weeks. Within seven weeks of surgery incontinence was not an issue. Erecticle function returned within three months (with the aid of medication) and returned to full function (without medication) within twelve months.

Now it's been two years since surgery and all three objective have been achieved. Life is normal. I am cancer free. My sincere thanks to all who were there for me as I sought out the treatment that was right for me. I would not have the opportunity to function as a motivational speaker today if it were not for the skill and help of the fine folks at Johns Hopkins. While printing such personal items for all to read may seem (to some) out there! I feel that, perhaps, others who find themselves diagnosed with prostate cancer may learn from my experience. If you find this helpful, but still need to talk - please visit my web site: http://www.chuckgallagher.com/ and contact me through that portal. I'll be happy to talk with you via e-mail or phone.

Source : About The Author : Chuck Gallagher is an international speaker and author who shares his life experience in a way that is meaningful for his audiences. For information on Chuck’s presentations or how to subscribe to his free ezine...visit http://www.chuckgallagher.com.

Malignant Mesothelioma Information & Asbestos Cancer Lawyer Guide

2008-01-13T03:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the leading source for information on mesothelioma.

Malignant Mesothelioma is one of the deadliest forms of cancer known today - an incurable disease that claims the lives of thousands of victims in the United States each year.

While medical science continues to develop miraculous technology that prolongs many of the lives ravaged by this insidious condition, a cure for malignant mesothelioma is still out of reach and the prognosis is always fatal.

What a Mesothelioma diagnosis means:

Tragically, there is usually little time left after a malignant mesothelioma diagnosis, and physicians are left with few options except to help alleviate physical suffering and ensure that a victim's final days are as comfortable and pain-free as possible. We can help you to determine if you have an asbestos lawsuit claim.

Omega 3 Fish Oil and Alzheimer's Disease

2008-01-11T22:59:00.000-08:00

Although no one knows what causes Alzheimer's disease, many research studies indicate that those who regularly eat fatty fish or who supplement with fish oil have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life. Why this is the case remains an interesting topic of investigation but it is believed to be due, at least in part, to the role Omega 3 fatty acids play in the general functioning of the brain itself.

Omega 3 fatty acids are known to improve mental function, mood, memory and concentration and have already demonstrated considerable success in the treatment of conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADD and ADHD. Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer's, although research does indicate that Omega 3 fatty acids can slow down the ageing of the brain and possibly delay the onset as well as slow down the progress of Alzheimer's too.

One research team from Aberdeen and Edinburgh University led by Professor Lawrence Whalley, questioned approximately 300 people aged 64 on their Omega 3 intake, they also tested their blood levels of Omega 3. The participants had previously taken part in a survey on IQ in 1947 when they were 11 years old. They found that those who had taken Omega 3 supplements showed better results on mental speed tests and there was even an association between the results and the level of Omega 3 in the blood of the participants. The team reported that the evidence seemed to suggest that Omega 3 could slow down the ageing of the brain and help it to work faster.

Another study conducted by Uppsala University in Sweden looked at the effect of Omega 3 fatty acids on patients who already had Alzheimer's disease. Researchers gave 89 patients the Omega 3 fatty acids Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) for a period of 6 months and another 85 were given a placebo in the form of corn oil. After the initial 6-month period, the placebo group also switched to Omega 3 for a further 6 months. Although there was no real differences noted between the two groups in general, there was an interesting result where 32 patients who had milder mental impairment showed less of a decline whilst taking Omega 3.

The results of both these studies indicate that Omega 3 supplementation might not only improve mental function in the twilight years, it could possibly be beneficial in slowing down the progress of Alzheimer's disease, particularly in the early stages, however, more research is required to substantiate this.

DHA deficiency and the "fatty acid paradox"

The brain is composed mostly of fat, in particular, the Omega 3 fatty acid Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Patients with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia have shown very low concentrations of DHA in the brain indicating a possible DHA deficiency. This has naturally led to the conclusion that supplementing with DHA might offer therapeutic help.

However, what has been dubbed the "fatty acid paradox" is the belief that the best way to correct any DHA deficiency is not by increasing intake of DHA as what one might expect, but to increase intake of EPA instead. If enough EPA is present, the body can produce DHA as required.

EPA is believed to inhibit the activity of the enzyme phospholipase A2. Over-activity of this enzyme is associated with neurotoxicity and death of brain cells and is a feature of Alzheimer's disease as well as other neurodegenerative diseases.

What is Alzheimer's disease?

Alois Alzheimer first identified Alzheimer's disease in the early 1900's. It affects over half a million people in the UK alone. It is characterised by progressive mental decline and begins with periods of memory loss, confusion, and personality changes before proceeding to full-blown dementia with complete loss of most cognitive abilities and even physical abilities. No one knows what causes it, it is irreversible and there is no cure. It is relatively rare under 50 years of age but the chances of developing it increase the older you become. Medication is aimed at slowing down the progression of the disease. It is not the same as normal age-related cognitive decline where some impairment in mental function is considered a normal part of the ageing process.

Conclusion

Although no evidence exists that Omega 3 fatty acid supplementation prevents you from developing Alzheimer's disease, the indications are that increasing intake of Omega 3 does decrease your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life. There are indeed many other health benefits afforded by getting an adequate amount of Omega 3 in the diet including increased protection against cardiovascular disease, arthritis and many other inflammatory conditions. Bearing in mind the toxicity risk involved in eating too much fresh fish, supplementing with high quality fish oil would seem the best way to gain the protective benefits associated with Omega 3 fatty acids.

Source : About The Author : Dave McEvoy is an expert in omega 3 fish oil EPA with over 20 years experience; for more information about fish oil and how it can help come and visit. http://www.mind1st.co.uk http://www.mind1st.com

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

2008-01-10T19:21:00.000-08:00

How Is Leukemia Cancer Treated?

Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. There are two types of leukemia, chronic and acute, which are treated differently and have different symptoms. Acute leukemia rapidly progresses and needs immediate, aggressive treatment. Chronic leukemia can take months or years to show symptoms and may not need immediate treatment but will require ongoing monitoring.

Chemotherapy utilizes chemicals to treat the cancer. It causes many side effects such as hair loss, nausea and decline of the immune system. The complete course of therapy can be from two to five years including maintenance. This is the most common form of treatment for leukemia with the desired result being total remission. Even without symptoms, ongoing monitoring must occur to guard against relapse.

Radiation therapy is another form of treatment. It is painless and in low doses causes very few side effects. Where the radiation is concentrated and the exposure levels will determine the side effects, if any, and the severity of them. Damage to the skin, swelling and infertility are among the possible side effects.

A bone marrow transplant is an effective way to prolong the life of cancer patients. It is, however, a risky surgery and requires a donor which can be difficult in attaining. These surgeries should be performed at state of the art hospitals specializing in cancer treatment. This surgery has a high mortality rate and is therefore used only in life threatening cases.

Immunotherapy is a means to stimulate the immune system so the body can attack the cancer cells. This type of treatment is still in its early stages and continually under development. It is believed that this type of treatment may prove less harmful than chemotherapy or radiation therapy and may someday supplant these treatments as a method for treating cancer.

Long term effects of leukemia treatments may cause anemia. This side effect can be treated by blood transfusions or platelet transfusions. There are risks with transfusions but it is believed transfusions will help reduce the threat of additional complications such as heart attacks. Doses of antibiotics are also generally prescribed to leukemia patients to help counteract the danger of infection cause by declined immune system or treatment side effects.

There are currently almost 200,000 people in the United States diagnosed with leukemia and an estimated 35,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year. It is the leading cause of death for people under the age of 20. There are many treatment facilities throughout the United States specializing in cancer treatment. Early diagnosis, aggressive treatment, and monitoring will help prolong life and increase chances of a person going into remission.

About The Author : Gray Rollins is a featured writer for http://www.leukemiaclinical.com. To learn more about leukemia, visit http://www.leukemiaclinical.com/acutemyeloidleukemia/.

Drug Treatment Center

2008-01-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

Affordable High Quality Treatment

Affordable low cost drug treatment program in California. The Shores offers thirty day residential drug treatment programs for the low cost of $7500.00. This includes all individual one on one therapy, all groups, even a personal trainer. Other beachside programs charge 20 to 40 thousand dollars a month for these services. The Shores delivers all of the services of nearby higher priced programs at a fraction of the cost. Documented success, fully licensed/certified staff and free ongoing support are part of what makes The Shores the best choice for moderately priced affordable drug treatment programs.
One of the reasons The Shores California drug treatment center is so successful at getting people to stop destructive behavior is the ongoing support that is offered to every client before during and after treatment. The Shores offers free ongoing support and counseling for one year to every client after program completion. You can start on the path to lifelong sobriety, rebuild your life, rebuild old relationships, and build new relationships. With help from the Shores Treatment Center the first step is possible.

Is Crohn's Disease(Regional Enteritis) Chronic?

2008-01-03T03:31:00.000-08:00

Crohn's disease (also known as regional enteritis) is a chronic, episodic, inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by transmural inflammation (affecting the entire wall of the involved bowel) and skip lesions (areas of inflammation with areas of normal lining between). Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus; as a result, the symptoms of Crohn's disease vary among afflicted individuals. The main gastrointestinal symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody) or constipation, vomiting and weight loss. Crohn's disease can also cause complications outside of the gastrointestinal tract such as skin rashes, arthritis, and inflammation of the eye.

The disease was independently described in 1904 by Polish surgeon Antoni Lesniowski and in 1932 by American gastroenterologist Burrill Bernard Crohn, for whom the disease was eponymized. Dr. Crohn, along with two colleagues, described a series of patients with inflammation of the terminal ileum, the area most commonly affected by the illness. Crohn's disease affects between 400,000 and 600,000 people in North America. Prevalence estimates for Northern Europe have ranged from 27–48 per 100,000. Crohn's disease often develops in the teenage years, though individuals in their earlier years are also at increased risk. There is a genetic component to susceptibility with highest relative risk in siblings, affecting males and females equally. Smokers are three times more likely to get Crohn's disease.

Although the cause of Crohn's disease is not known, it is believed to be an autoimmune disease that is genetically linked. The condition occurs when the immune system contributes to damage of the gastrointestinal tract by causing inflammation.

Unlike the other major type of IBD, ulcerative colitis, there is no known medical or surgical cure for Crohn's disease. Instead, a number of medical treatments are utilized with the goal of putting and keeping the disease in remission. These include 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) formulations (Pentasa capsules, Asacol tablets, Lialda tablets, Rowasa retention enemas), steroid medications, immunomodulators (such as azathioprine, mercaptopurine (6-MP), and methotrexate), and newer biological medications, such as infliximab (Remicade) and adalimumab (Humira).

Why Ginkgo Biloba Is The Best-Selling Booster For Brain Function

2008-01-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

The preparations of ginkgo biloba commonly sold as herbal supplements are derived from the leaves of the ginkgo trees, which are probably the longest living in the world Individual trees are believed to live for up to 1,000 years and are found most commonly in southern and eastern areas of the US, southern France, China, and Korea.

Traditional Chinese medicine has made use of the nuts of the ginkgo tree for around 5,000 years, but the use of the leaves is a relatively recent European development. Widespread recognition of the active properties of the plant have made ginkgo leaf extract products the best-selling of all herbal medicines and supplements in Europe, and also placed them in the ten most popular in the USA, where it’s classed as a dietary supplement. In fact it’s estimated that around 2 billion 120 mg doses of supplement have been sold in the last twenty years alone.

The principal active elements of ginkgo leaf extract are the flavonoids which, like those derived from other sources (green tea, for example) are a powerful anti-oxidant; and terpene lactones.

As an anti-oxidant, ginkgo biloba is particularly effective in neutralizing the most damaging superoxide free radicals and thereby helping to prevent the atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which is a common precursor of serious cardiovascular disease. And most of the benefits of ginkgo stem in fact from its effect in improving the circulation of the blood - as numerous research studies have demonstrated.

Ginkgo enhanced circulation in the minute capillaries of the eye has been credited with protecting against age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts and diabetic retinopathy. Improved circulation in the ears may also protect against tinnitus and hearing loss.

Studies using supplementation at 240 mg also demonstrated improved exercise tolerance and reduced pain in those suffering from intermittent claudication, or peripheral vascular disease, –a painful and potentially dangerous problem with the circulation in the legs.

But as valuable as these effects undoubtedly are, it’s as a stimulant for the brain and a protector against the dreadful effects of Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia that ginkgo biloba is best known. Although conventional medicine, as ever, retains its tendency towards caution when considering the possible effects of “alternative” remedies, it’s generally conceded that ginkgo biloba has significant therapeutic effects in the treatment of the early stages of Alzheimer’s. The benefits, in fact, are closely analogous to those of conventional drug therapies, and although not, of course, offering a cure, may significantly slow down the progress of this most devastating disease.

Research studies have also indicated clinically significant improvements in performance in standard tests of memory and learning when healthy adults were given supplements at the level of 180 mg of ginkgo biloba a day for a period of six weeks. Similar benefits, however, were not shown at lower levels of supplementation.

The common sense hypothesis is that ginkgo biloba improves the blood supply and circulation to the brain as it does to other parts of the body, which can only have a positive effect on the memory and other cognitive functions of the organ. Moreover, improved circulation along with ginkgo biloba’s anti-oxidant properties play a major role in protecting against the circulatory problems which can lead to stroke, still one of the major causes of premature death or incapacity in the Western world.

Although the 180 mg daily dose has been shown to be beneficial, some alternative medical practitioners recommend higher doses, even as high as 360 mg. The generally recommended composition of supplements, and that found in most commercial preparations, is in the proportions 24% ginkgo flavonoids and 6% terpenes.

Ginkgo biloba is recognized as a safe medication and very rarely produces any side effects in the otherwise healthy even in the high doses mentioned above. But it’s effect in improving the circulation by reducing the “stickiness” of the blood mean it is strongly contra-indicated prior to surgery and for those already taking blood thinning drugs such as warfarin.

In summary it may be said that conventional medicine recognizes ginkgo biloba as a potentially effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and as an aid to good circulation with some positive effects in cases of cerebrovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease in the legs. Alternative practitioners insist that ginkgo biloba is also effective in improving memory, learning and general cognitive function in healthy adults, but orthodox medicine remains reluctant to endorse these claims.

About The Author : Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in direct marketing and with a particular interest in health products. Find out more at http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/GinkgoBiloba.htm

Periodontal Disease, Gum Disease, Gum Infections - Linked to Chronic Lung Disease

2007-11-20T19:48:00.000-08:00

Learn how hidden bacteria in teeth cause side effects that can endanger your life. Discover how germs trapped in teeth and tonsils mutate and metastasize like cancer cells and how these bacteria migrate to heart, kidney, eyes, brain, arthritic joints and countless other body tissues. This article is part of Dr. George Meinig's, DDS, FACD, research information of the extensive and investigative research of Dr. Weston Price's DDS, FACD, research work.

Link between Chronic Respiratory Disease and Periodontal Disease

According to Daily University Science News, The message delivered in a study just published in the journal of Periodontology conducted by oral biologists from the University at Buffalo. The researchers found an association between chronic respiratory disease and periodontal disease in an analysis of data from a large national database, the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, known as NHANES III.

Frank Scannapieco, D.m.D.,ph.D., associate professor of oral biology in UB,s School of Dental Medicine and lead author of the study, said the mechanism linking oral health and lung disease isn't clear, but that bacteria in the mouth likely are to blame.

"Accumulation of disease-causing organisms associated with gum disease may increase for serious lower-respiratory-tract infection in susceptible subjects", said Scannapieco.

"It is possible that bacteria that normally stick to the teeth are sloughed into the saliva and may be breathed into the upper airways, changing that environment and paving the way for other germs to infect the lower airways. Oral conditions likely work together with the factors, such as smoking, environmental pollutants, allergies and genetics to make existing lung problems worse"

Scannapieco's earlier work with pneumonia in hospitalized patients suggested a potential association between respiratory diseases and poor oral health, and led him to investigate whether such a relationship exists in the general population. For the analysis, he used data from 13,792 participants in NHANES III who were at least 20 years old and had at least six natural teeth.

Questionnaires completed by participants included items about their history of respiratory disease. The physical examination measured each person's forced expiratory volume (FEV1), or how much air a person can blow out in one second, a measure of lung health and function. A dental examination assessed the loss of gum attachment supporting the teeth, amount of gum bleeding, number of cavities and number of teeth.

Gum Disease and Respiratory Function

Analyzing these two sets of data for a relationship, the researchers found that lung function appeared to diminish as the amount of gum-attachment loss increased. Results also showed a decline in respiratory function as oral health worsened.

"We aren't saying that if you don't brush, you'll develop lung disease," said Scannapieco. "We're saying that if you already have lung disease, taking care of your teeth and gums is especially important. It's possible that improved oral health is one factor that may help prevent progression of this disease, which is responsible for 2.2 million deaths a year worldwide."
About The Author
Dr. George Meinig,D.D.S.,F.A.C.D. is a Founder of the Association of Root Canal Specialists Discovers Evidence That Root Canals Damage Your Health Learn What to Do.
Learn how Dr. George Meinig discovered that a meticulous 25 year research program, conducted by Weston A. Price, DDS, under the auspices of the American Dental Association's Research Institute was buried.
To subscribe newsletter: Visit: www.1stultimategumsolution.com
Edited and prepared by Sung Lee, alternate author.

The Dental Infections, Gum Disease Produces Astonishing Blood Changes

2007-11-20T19:38:00.000-08:00

Dr. Prices supposed that dentists would know if any changes took places in a patient's blood when a dental infection was present, but found no reports in scientific literature on that subject. This led him to do exhaustive blood studies of patients and animals to determine the side effects of root canal infections.

Thousands of blood tests on patients and animals Infected by root filled teeth showed?

Lymphocytes(white blood cells) increased in humans and increased 58 percent in rabbits.
Polymorphonuclear leukocytes, a form of white blood cells, decreased in humans and in animals to 33 percent less than normal.
Hemoglobin changed very little, either up or down.
Hemophilia, a tendency to hemorrhage, occured frequently in rabbits.
Increased amounts of sugar were found in the blood.
In some rabbits, higher amounts of ionic calcium were found; but in most rabbits, calcium was lower.
resulting in 15 to 20 different pathologic conditions.
There was increased uric acid and nitrogen retention.
Alkaline reserves decreased, resulting in acidosis.
Some patients and all animals lost weight. Patients suffering rheumatic disease often experienced a withering away of their tissues.

Patients with pyorrhea pockets loaded with pus suffered severe weight loss, as did animals innoculated with diluted solutions of the crushed pyorrhetic teeth that had all the bacteria filtered out. This demonstrated dramatically that the toxins of the bacteria, rather than bacteria itself, caused the weight loss and death of the animals.

Should you think this may have been an accidental or occasional occurance, this study involved 667 rabbit inoculations. In a group of 667 successive rabbit inoculations, some with cultures, some with filtrates of cultures, and many with filtered washings from crushed teeth, all were found to be bacteria free. Of these, 33 1/3 percent lost 10 to 30 percent; while 3.6 percent pained from 30 to 50 percent.

Inasmuch as all of the rabbits were maintained on the same diet throughout these test, these changes in their blood and weight, whether up or down, must be considered diagnostic symptoms of the presence of dental infections, either from action of the bacteria or their toxins.

All rabbits that had inoculations of infected material involved in dental infection, or had infected teeth implanted under their skin, lost weight. The more severe the infection, the greater the weight loss.

Dr. Price noted patients suffering from rheumatic disease were prone to the withering away of their tissues. The emaciation could range from 10 to 25 percent in ordinary cases and 35 to 40 percent in extreme ones. He reported that one woman patient who had a normal weight of 130 dropped to 72 pounds. Upon removal of her dental infections, her weight quickly climbed from 72 pounds to 111. A culture taken from one of her infected teeth was inoculated into a rabbit. In four days time this rabbit had a weight loss from 1381 to 1105 grams(20 percent).
About The Author
Dr. George Meinig,D.D.S.,F.A.C.D. is a Founder of the Association of Root Canal Specialists Discovers Evidence That Root Canals Damage Your Health Learn What to Do.
Learn how Dr. George Meinig discovered that a meticulous 25 year research program, conducted by Weston A. Price, DDS, under the auspices of the American Dental Association's Research Institute was buried.
To subscribe newsletter: Visit: www.1stultimategumsolution.com
Edited and prepared by Sung Lee, alternate author.

Gum Disease And Dental Checkups

2007-11-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

About a year ago, my dentist and hygienist said that I had gingivitis. Actually, I suspect that I've had it for over a decade. The interesting thing about gingivitis is that it doesn't make much noise as it slowly erodes your gum tissue. Sometimes, a lot of bone loss can occur before you become aware of it.

What made me pay attention was when the hygienist wanted me to sign a paper that the office would not be responsible if I lost my teeth. At first I saw this as a possible marketing ploy, since they wanted me to have a root scaling and planing procedure done. That sounded painful and expensive.

I figured that having me sign that paper was part of their attempt to move me in the direction of accepting this treatment. They wanted me to start right away. I declined. I wasn't about to approve a treatment that sounded so serious without a little investigation of my own.

What I found was disturbing. I think that a lot of people don't quite understand that bleeding gums, no matter how minute the bleeding, is a bad sign. For example, I've heard someone say that their gums only bleed if they push too hard with a toothbrush. She thinks that means she doesn't have gingivitis or gum disease.

However, you would have to push fairly hard to make healthy gum tissue bleed. Therefore, if a person has gums that bleed from brushing or flossing then there is a chance that person has gingivitis or worse, periodontal disease. A person that notices bleeding gums should check with a dentist for diagnosis and treatment.

I also discovered that a root scaling and planing was not something I wanted either. In fact, a relative of mine had the procedure done. In her opinion, it made her gums worse. The procedure involves numbing the gum tissue and scraping underneath the gum line down to the root to remove any built-up tartar or plaque.

I researched some possible alternative solutions and found something I thought might be promising. I tried it and by the next visit my gums had become healthier. They were better to the point that the hygienist and dentist said that there was no more tarter under the gum line. I no longer needed the root scaling and planing treatment.

I recently visited the dentist again and they said my gums are continuing to improve. This time there was zero bleeding during the probing part where they check for pocket depth with a metal instrument. No bleeding during a checkup is a good sign.

Gingivitis can be hazardous to your health. Infected gums can provide a pathway for bacteria to enter the blood stream. In addition, gingivitis is the major cause of tooth loss and not cavities as one might expect.

If you have or think you might have gingivitis, gum disease or any other health problem, be sure to visit your doctor or dentist for proper diagnosis and treatment.
About The Author
David Snape is the author of: "What You Should Know About Gum Disease", available at http://Gingivitiskiller.com Dave also writes about and answers question on health, fitness and wellness topics at http://ToBeInformed.com He also writes for http://AllThingsPondered.com

Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)

2007-11-18T23:05:00.000-08:00

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is heart disease in the newborn, and includes structural defects, congenital arrythmias, and cardiomyopathies. CHD is a defect of the heart that exists primarily at birth, and can describe a wide variety of different abnormalities affecting the heart. CHD occurs when the heart or blood vessels near the heart does not develop properly before birth. Therefore, the heart does not pump because it is not completely developed. Also the blood flow is obstructed in the heart of the vessels nearby, causing an abnormal flow of blood through the heart. Blood flow obstructions put a strain on the heart muscle causing the heart to work harder and beat faster. Abnormal blood flow usually occurs when there is a hole in the walls of the heart and may be an abnormal connection between two arteries outside the heart.

Antenatal Detection and Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)
Before birth, an obstetric ultrasound scan may be used to screen pregnant women for signs of CHD in their unborn babies. This screening scan is often performed around 20 weeks of pregnancy when the fast moving structures of the fetal heart are large enough to be more easily imaged. If CHD is suspected, a mother will be referred for a fetal echocardiograph, which is a more detailed, diagnostic ultrasound scan by a specialist cardiologist. It is increasingly possible for specialists to screen for CHD as early as 14 weeks, if CHD is suspected from other factors, such as a family history.

Postnatal Detection and Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)
After delivery, if congenital heart disease is present but has not been detected, then a newborn baby may appear blue or breathless. Signs of CHD are sometimes mistaken for an infection or illness, so it is important to rule this out. Blueness and/or breathlessness may take some time to present, depending on the type of congenital heart disease and whether there is a duct-dependent lesion (i.e. one relying on an open ductus arteriosis for blood flow). This duct usually closes within the first three days of life in babies born at term (i.e. at nine months gestation).

Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Detection and Diagnosis in Adulthood
Although the majority of congenital heart disease diagnoses are made in childhood, there are significant congenital heart defects which may be go undetected until adulthood. These typically include defects that do not cause cyanosis ("blueness") in childhood but may cause problems over time, such as certain kinds of valve problems, transposition disorders, holes in the heart, and abnormalities of the heart's major veins and arteries. Congenital heart defects are most commonly diagnosed through an echocardiogram - an ultrasound of the heart which shows the heart's structure. Cardiac magnetic resonance(MRI) are used to confirm CHD when signs or symptoms occur in the physical examination. An echocardiograph displays images of the might also be used to confirm the problem, particularly in complex defects in which anatomy is hard to determine with echocardiography. It also finds abnormal rhythms or defects of the heart present with CHD. A chest x-ray may also be issued to look at the anatomical position of the heart and lungs. A Cat Scan(CT) can also be used to visualize CHD. All of these tests are ways to diagnose CHD by a physician.

Outcomes of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)
It is now estimated that the number of adults in the United States who have congenital heart disease is approaching one million. Because of advances in cardiac surgery, many who would not previously have survived childhood, now lead normal or relatively normal lives. However, some increase in complications has been observed in adults who were previously thought to have had successful repair of heart defects. These complications include cardiac arrhythmia, disorders of heart valves, and heart failure. Regular check-ups by cardiologists are now recommended for patients with histories of congenital heart disease, including those who may have previously been told that their defects were successfully repaired. Since most adult cardiologists have little experience with congenital heart disease, congenital heart disease centers have been developed to care for adult patients with more severe congenital heart disease. It is thought that some patients, especially those with more complex disorders, and women who are pregnant or considering pregnancy, would likely do better if they are followed in specialty centers. Guidelines have been developed regarding which patients may be successfully followed in non-specialized cardiology practices, and which should be seen in adult congenital heart disease centers.

Medicine & Treatment for Infertility

2007-11-17T08:10:00.000-08:00

By Jane Lyttleton
Providing a clear understanding of infertility, this practical resource analyzes and describes the diagnoses and treatment of infertility both male and female with Chinese medicine. It includes Western medical information with explanations of physiology, reproductive biology, and modern infertility treatments to expand the understanding of patient options. Content discusses all aspects of achieving a successful pregnancy, including pre-conception care, conception, pregnancy and miscarriage, and modern medical treatments.Detailed and clear Chinese medicine treatment strategies are described.Information on reproductive biology and Western physiology are included to provide an understanding of the complexity of a patient's symptoms and conditions.Western treatment options that may impact Chinese medicine treatment are described, along with details about how these two perspectives can work together.Clinical approaches to supporting the early stages of a pregnancy and preventing miscarriage are included.Advice is offered on pre-conception help and the optimum diet and lifestyle choices for preparing for a pregnancy.The author is a well-known specialist in this field.

Pet Dog Medicine Online

2007-11-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term encompasses both feral and pet varieties and is also sometimes used to describe wild canids of other subspecies or species. The domestic dog has been (and continues to be) one of the most widely-kept working and companion animals in human history, as well as being a food source in some cultures.

The dog has developed into hundreds of varied breeds. Height measured to the withers ranges from a few inches in the Chihuahua to a few feet in the Irish Wolfhound; color varies from white through grays (usually called blue) to black, and browns from light (tan) to dark ("red" or "chocolate") in a wide variation of patterns; and, coats can be very short to several centimeters long, from coarse hair to something akin to wool, straight or curly, or smooth.

The English word dog, in common usage, refers to the domestic pet dog, Canis lupus familiaris. The species was originally classified as Canis familiaris by Linnaeus in 1758. In 1993, dogs were reclassified as a subspecies of the gray wolf, Canis lupus, by the Smithsonian Institution and the American Society of Mammalogists. "Dog" is sometimes used to refer collectively to any mammal belonging to the family Canidae (as in "the dog family"), such as wolves, foxes, and coyotes. Some members of the family have "dog" in their common names, such as the Racoon dog and the African hunting dog.

The English word dog might derive from the Old English docga, a "powerful breed of canine". The English word hound is a cognate of German Hund, Dutch hond, common Scandinavian hund, Icelandic hundur which, though referring to a specific breed in English, means "dog" in general in the other Germanic languages. Hound itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European *kwon-, which is the direct root of the Greek κυων (kuōn) and the indirect root of the Latin canis through the variant form *kani-.

In breeding circles, a male canine is referred to as a dog, while a female canine is called a bitch. The father of a litter is called the sire, and the mother of a litter is called the dam. Offspring are generally called pups or puppies until they are about a year old. A group of offspring is a litter. The process of birth is whelping. Many terms are used for dogs that are not purebred.

Dogs are valued for their intelligence. This intelligence is expressed differently with different breeds and individuals, however. For example, Border Collies are noted for their ability to learn commands, while other breeds may not be so motivated towards obedience, but instead show their cleverness in devising ways to steal food or escape from a yard. Being highly adaptable animals themselves, dogs have learned to do many jobs as required by humans over the generations. Dogs are employed in various roles across the globe, proving invaluable assets in areas such as search-and-rescue; law enforcement (including attack dogs, sniffer dogs and tracking dogs); guards for livestock, people or property; herding; Arctic exploration sled-pullers; guiding the blind and acting as a pair of ears for the deaf; assisting with hunting, and a great many other roles which they may be trained to assume. Most dogs rarely have to deal with complex tasks and are unlikely to learn relatively complicated activities (such as opening doors) unaided. Some dogs (such as guide dogs for the visually impaired) are specially trained to recognize and avoid dangerous situations.

The meaning of "intelligence" in general, not only in reference to dogs, is hard to define. Some tests measure problem-solving abilities and others test the ability to learn in comparison to others of the same age. Defining it for dogs is just as difficult. It is likely that dogs do not have the ability to premeditate an action to solve a problem.

For example, the ability to learn quickly could be a sign of intelligence. Conversely it could be interpreted as a sign of a desire to please. In contrast, some dogs who do not learn very quickly may have other talents. An example is breeds that are not particularly interested in pleasing their owners, such as Siberian Huskies. Huskies are often fascinated with the myriad of possibilities for escaping from yards, catching small animals, and often figuring out on their own numerous inventive ways of doing both.

Assistance dogs are also required to be obedient at all times. This means they must learn a tremendous number of commands, understand how to act in a large variety of situations, and recognize threats to their human companion, some of which they might never before have encountered.

Many owners of livestock guardian breeds believe that breeds like the Great Pyrenees or the Kuvasz are not easily trained because their stubborn nature prevents them from seeing the point of such commands as “sit” or “down”. Hounds may also suffer from this type of ranking. These dogs are bred to have more of a "pack" mentality with other dogs and less reliance on a master's direct commands. While they may not have the same kind of intelligence as a Border Collie, they were not bred to learn and obey commands quickly, but to think for themselves while trailing game.

Dogs are highly social animals sometimes regarded as the most social animals on earth. This can account for their trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households and social situations. This similarity has earned dogs a unique position in the realm of interspecies relationships despite being one of the most effective, voracious, and potentially dangerous predators. Dogs and humans at times co-operate in some of the most effective hunting in the animal world; in that context, dogs are superpredators.

The loyalty and devotion that dogs demonstrate as part of their natural instincts as pack animals closely mimics the human idea of love and friendship, leading many dog owners to view their pets as full-fledged family members. Conversely, dogs seem to view their human companions as members of their pack, and make few, if any, distinctions between their owners and fellow dogs. Dogs fill a variety of roles in human society and are often trained as working dogs. For dogs that do not have traditional jobs, a wide range of dog sports provide the opportunity to exhibit their natural skills. In many countries, the most common and perhaps most important role of dogs is as companions.

Dogs have lived and worked with humans in so many roles that their loyalty has earned them the unique sobriquet "man's best friend". However, some cultures consider dogs to be unclean. In some parts of the world, dogs are raised as livestock to produce dog meat for human consumption. In many places, consumption of dog meat is discouraged by social convention or cultural taboo.

Breast Cancer

2007-11-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

What is "breast cancer"?
Breast cancer is cancer that starts in the breast, and it is where normal healthy tissues initially start to become hyperplastic, so they start to grow. There can also be genetic abnormalities and mutations that occur in the healthy cells, which cause them to start to become a little atypical. Once they become atypical, they start to grow faster, there are more genetic mutations, and they turn into a full-blown cancer. At that point, the breast cancer is usually an "in situ" cancer, meaning it is just there, within the breast. It has not invaded through the basement membrane, which is the lining of the normal, healthy cells. Once it becomes invasive cancer, it invades through that basement membrane, and spreads throughout the breast. It can then spread to lymph nodes and then spread to other organs and become metastatic.
What are the most common types of breast cancer?
With regards to breast cancer basics, before I talk about what the most common types of breast cancer are, let me talk about the anatomy of the breast. Basically, you have a lot of different lobules which are the glands where milk is produced in the breast which then as you move towards the nipple become ducts. These ducts go up to the nipple where the milk is expressed and released, any area along those paths can turn into cancer. The most common place for cancer to start is in the duct. About 85% of breast cancers start in the duct. After that, the lobule, the lining of the glandular tissue is the second most common place that cancer can start within the breast. Then there are other more rare forms of breast cancer. For example, medullary carcinoma, tubular carcinoma and other less aggressive carcinomas can occur in the breast and in the tissues between the lovules and between the ducts. In addition, there is something caused inflammatory breast cancer which is where cancer invades into the lymphatics in the skin. The tissue can become thickened, red and painful. Inflammatory breast cancer is one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer that there is.
What causes breast cancer?
That's a difficult question to answer because there are so many different factors which go into how and why cancer develops. To break it down, the two most basic components are genetics and environment. Somebody is born with a certain genetic predisposition to cancer. For instance, if they have BRCA1 or BRCA1 mutations, they have a greater risk of developing breast cancer, and these are genetic mutations that people can inherit from their parents. In addition, environment plays a role. If somebody is exposed to a lot of oestrogen over their lifetime, it can increase their risk of developing breast cancer. In addition, if they're exposed to radiation, it can increase the risk of developing breast cancer. So, in other words, it's a play between somebody's genes and their ability to withstand environmental hits to those genes. That determines whether somebody's going to develop breast cancer over their lifetime or not. It's very difficult for any one individual to say exactly what it was that lead to them to develop breast cancer.
How common is breast cancer?
With regards to breast cancer, breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer for women in the United States, and it's estimated that one in eight women will develop breast cancer over her lifetime. The majority of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are post menopausal and over the age of fifty, although premenopausal women can and do develop breast cancer. Therefore it's important for women to get the appropriate screenings to pick up breast cancer early, because the earlier breast cancer is found, the greater the chance of a cure.
Is breast cancer on the rise?
Actually the incidence of breast cancer is decreasing, and it's one of the exciting things that we've just noticed is that over the last couple of years there's been a decrease in the number of new breast cancer diagnoses in the United States. It's not clear exactly why that is. Some people are hypothesizing that the downward trend in the number of women on hormone replacement therapy is decreasing the number of new breast cancers, or maybe it's because more women are using Tamoxifen or other medications to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. But it has been noted that the number of new breast cancers are decreasing and that is an exciting thing.
Is breast cancer fatal?
Breast cancer, like any cancer, can be fatal. The chances of breast cancer being fatal or the chances of it being cured come down to when it is diagnosed. The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, or the earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the greater the chances are that it's going to be cured. Therefore it's really important to do the appropriate mammographic screening and breast exams to catch breast cancer early when it's curable. Breast cancer presents at a more advanced stage if it's metastatic. Usually at that point it is not curable. If breast cancer relapses in just one organ, one site in the liver, or in the lung, potentially it can be resected similarly to colorectal cancer. It can potentially be cured, but for the majority of women once breast cancer relapses or if it presents in a metastatic setting, it's not curable. All the treatments we have at that point are to help women live longer and to live longer feeling better, and to try to turn breast cancer into a chronic disease, but we know that at some point the breast cancer will grow through the treatment and that women will die of the breast cancer or a complication of it. So, that's why it is so important to catch breast cancer early before it becomes more advanced, before it's metastatic.
Does breast cancer occur in men?
Men can develop breast cancer. Men have breast tissue, not as much as women, and they don't have the circulating oestrogens that women have. And so men's risk of breast cancer is less. The segment of the male population who are a greater risk for breast cancer are those who carry certain genes that predispose them to breast cancer. So men with BRCA1, BRCA2, they have a greater risk of developing breast cancer. In addition, if men have had radiation to the chest, that can increase their risk of developing breast cancer as well. So while men can get breast cancer, it is rare.
Is breast cancer slow or fast-growing?
Breast cancer can be both slow growing and fast growing. When you say breast cancer; breast cancer is not just breast cancer. There are so many different types of breast cancer, and one woman's breast cancer is not the same as another. Some are hormone receptor positive, some are hormone receptor negative. Some divide very fast and are very poorly differentiated, meaning they look less like normal, healthy breast tissue and more just like atypical cancer cells; others look more like healthy breast tissue. In general, the ones that are more well differentiated and look more like healthy breast tissue grow slower, and those that are less differentiated and look more atypical, grow faster. There's wide variation in how fast a breast cancer will grow between one individual and another.
What are the most common benign conditions in the breast?
What are "breast lumps"?
When a woman feels lumps in her breast, it can be a number of different things. The breast lump can be a cyst or fibrocystic changes. The breast lump can be a benign adenoma. It can be cancer. Or the breast lump can be a collection of a fatty deposit there, or a normal lobule or a normal duct. And it's important to separate these out. And so, if you feel a lump in your breast which you're not sure about, again, it's really important to see your physician, so that you can get it evaluated to make sure that it is not cancer. While the majority of lumps are not cancer, you've got to get it checked out.
What is a "breast cyst" and a "breast cyst aspiration"?
A breast cyst is a fluid collection that occurs inside the breast tissue and it can oftentimes be felt as a lump or as a mass which initially can be concerning because of the possibility of breast cancer. On further evaluation with a mammogram and ultrasound, this lump or mass is found to be a fluid filled collection. Oftentimes what is used to treat this is breast cyst aspiration which is where a small needle is inserted into the cyst and the fluid is withdrawn. If the fluid is clear there is nothing further to do except to just observe the breast and make sure that the cyst does not return. If the fluid comes back bloody then it needs to be evaluated for any atypical cells or cancer cells underneath the microscope, and the breast has to be followed more closely to make sure that it's not breast cancer or that breast cancer does not develop there. However, as a rule, simple breast cysts are benign; they are not cancerous.
Where in the body does breast cancer tend to spread?
Breast cancer starts in the breast, and the first place it goes to is the axilla or the armpit. That's where lymph nodes drain the breast. The cancer goes to the armpit first, and once it hits the lymph nodes there's a greater risk of the cancer spreading to the rest of the body. The cancer can go to the lungs, to the liver, to the bones, to the brain, the cancer can go pretty much anywhere in the body. It's really important to catch the cancer early when it's just in the breast. Once it has spread to the armpit and involves the lymph nodes there, it can still be cured. There's a greater risk of relapse but if it's only in the lymph nodes and the breast, it can still be cured. Once cancer spreads beyond the armpit and it's found in the lungs, the liver, the bones, the brain or another organ, at that point as a rule the cancer cannot be cured. That's why it is so important to catch the breast cancer early, when it's curable. It's always treatable, even if it has spread to other organs, but at that point the cancer is just not curable.
What does "benign" and "malignant" mean?
A benign condition is a non-cancerous condition. It will not turn into cancer, it is not life-threatening. A benign condition can grow locally, but it is not going to spread anywhere else in your body. A malignant condition is a cancer and as a cancer a malignant condition can spread to other organs in the body and it can be life-threatening.
What are "fibrocystic changes" in a breast?
With regards to breast cancer basics, fibrocystic changes describe the changes in a breast that is denser, with areas of nodularity and areas of thickening. Fibrocystic changes are benign, they are not cancerous. They usually happen in younger women with denser breasts, but it's important to separate them out from cancerous changes. So, you have to work with your health care professional to make sure you're getting appropriate monitoring to make sure there are not changes occurring in the breast.
What are "carcinogens" and how are they related to breast cancer?
With regards to breast cancer basics, carcinogens are compounds or chemicals that increase our risk for developing cancer. Specifically for breast cancer, alcohol has been related with an increased risk of developing breast cancer, and with smoking there's some evidence to suggest that it may increase the risk of breast cancer too. It's not as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer, but there does seem to be a link between smoking and breast cancer.
What is "Paget's disease of the breast"?
With breast cancer basics, Paget's disease of the breast is where the skin of the nipple becomes dry; it becomes scaly, or basically becomes eczematous. It is indicative of a cancer deeper down in the breast. For that reason, it's important that if you notice that you're getting changes to your nipple, the skin is becoming dry; the skin is becoming scaly, that you go to see your physician so that they can do a breast exam and get a mammogram and further evaluation to see if you have Paget's disease of the breast. This will make sure that you do not have an underlying breast cancer. If an underlying breast cancer is found, the treatment for Paget's disease is the same as the treatment for the breast cancer. Hence, this means surgery, with or without radiation, with or without chemotherapy, and with or without hormonal therapy. Whatever would be indicated for that breast cancer is the treatment that you would need.
Can breast cancer be a chronic disease?
Absolutely, in some women breast cancer can definitely be a chronic disease. Once breast cancer spreads beyond the breast and the axilla and its metastatic we're not able to cure it. Our goals of therapy at that point are to help women live longer; to live longer feeling well, living their lives and involved in their lives. That becomes our goal of therapy. So, we attempt to turn breast cancer into a chronic condition, so that women can be out there living their lives. It is something that has to be monitored and treated like just diabetes and just like high blood pressure. For women with bone only metastatic breast cancer, they can live many, many years, and some women live upwards of ten years with metastatic breast cancer. That is not the typical course of breast cancer, but that can happen and we are able to provide that life expectancy for some women. So, breast cancer can be a chronic disease for some individuals.
What is the "TNM system"?
The TNM system is a way of staging cancer. The TNM system is not just for breast cancer, but for any type of cancer. And the T stands for the size of the initial tumor. The N stands for the nodal involvement, in other words the lymph nodes that are involved with cancer. And M stands for metastases. Is there any cancer outside of where the cancer initially started? So is there cancer that has spread through another organ like the liver or the lung? Based upon the TNM, for breast cancer women are diagnosed with either a Stage I, a Stage II, a Stage III, or a Stage IV cancer. And all of them have different prognoses and different treatment goals.
What is the "Bloom-Richardson score"?
The Bloom-Richardson score is a way that the pathologist grades the tumor and what that means is after a woman has surgery and her cancer is removed or if it is just biopsied, the cancer is stained and looked at underneath the microscope. The pathologist then describes the cells based on how normal they look or how abnormal they look and they give the cancer a score. This is the Bloom-Richardson score. The higher the number, the less the cells look like normal breast tissue. The lower the number, the more the cells look like normal breast tissue. And, in general, the higher the number, the more aggressive the cancer, the lower the number, the less aggressive the cancer. There are a number of different other factors which go into the overall prognosis but this is an important one for determining prognosis for breast cancer.
How is a "radiologist" different than a "radiation oncologist"?
A radiologist is a physician who specializes in reading imaging tests. So mammography, ultrasound, x-ray, CT scan, MRI: a radiologist reads those. A radiation oncologist is a specialist who focuses on providing radiation to – in general – cancer, and helping to treat cancer. Radiologists and radiation oncologists are both MD's, and they've gone through medical school, as well as a residency specializing in either radiology or radiation oncology.
What are "genes"?
In regards to breast cancer basics, genes are basically our DNA. Genes are what we're born with, we get half of our genes from our mothers, half of our genes from our fathers, and based upon that, it makes up who we are to a degree. Environment also plays a factor too, but we are all born with a certain genetic predisposition to medical conditions like diabetes, like high blood pressure, as well as cancer. It's important to realize that genes alone do not determine whether you're going to get cancer or not. Just because a relative of yours, your mom, brother or sister develop cancer, does not mean that you will develop cancer because you share some genes. Genes are important, but environment also plays a role.
What does "carcinoma" and "sarcoma" mean?
They are both different types of cancer. Carcinoma is cancer of epithelial tissue, which is basically tissue that lines the surface of a structure. In other words, in the case of carcinoma breast cancer, it is in the lining of the ducts in the breasts, and the lining of the lobules in the breast. The majority of carcinoma is adenocarcinoma in the breast. Sarcoma is cancer of connective tissue, so in breasts it's the tissue between the ducts; between the glands. While sarcomas can develop in the breast, they are much rarer than the adenocarcinomas that develop in breast cancer cases.
What are "lymph nodes" and why are they important?
Lymph nodes are part of our immune system. Lymph nodes also drain our different organs and drain the different tissues, and clean the body. It's an opportunity for the immune system to attack any bacteria or anything that should not be in the body. In terms of cancer, lymph nodes also can be the first spot that cancer can go to after it starts in its initial organ. So for instance, the cancer starts in the breast, but depending upon which lymph nodes are draining the breast, the cancer will usually spread to those lymph nodes first before it spreads anywhere else in the body. And so it can be one of the first places to look to give you a clue if the cancer may have spread beyond the local area.

HIV Medication Side Effects

2007-11-10T20:00:00.000-08:00

The most serious side effects with HIV medications is very rare, and that is lactic acidosis. I have only seen a couple of cases in my life, so it really is very rare. Lactic acidosis means that the body becomes very acidic. The patients get short of breath. The body is very intolerant of high acid levels, and that can lead to death quite quickly. But, thankfully, it's very rare. We do see it overseas a bit, in resource limited settings, where the drugs that we use mostly are indeed AZD 14 DDI, where other drugs are not available in most countries. Other serious side effects, thankfully, are rare. But, if kidney function or liver function is affected, that's bad. Very rarely, with viralkin, the liver can seriously be damaged, very rapidly. If the drug, however, is used only when C4 counts are very low, we've found that doesn't occur hardly at all. But, we do have to warn patients, if they feel sick when they go on those drugs they should let us know quickly. Tenofovir can cause renal damage, but it's very rare. In the clinical trials, they didn't even see it, but we do see it sometimes, but it's slowly developing and reverseable, we just have to watch for it. Sometimes skin rashes can be very severe. Again, it's very rare, but with the virakin and some of the other drugs, a very serious skin rash can occur which can sometimes be fatal. So there are some serious side effects, they don't occur very often, but they do exist.

HIV Treatment & Medication

2007-11-10T19:33:00.000-08:00

Perhaps the most common side effect of HIV medications these days would be actually from Sustiva, because Sustiva is a very commonly used drug. It's part of Atripla, and it can cause weird dreams and dizziness, especially when people start therapy, and it often wears off. Sometimes this HIV medication can make patients irritable or depressed, in which case they should stop taking it. It's a common side effect, but is normally not serious and usually wears off. However, some patients will have to change drugs because they won't tolerate it. Both Sustiva and Viammune can cause rashes, just as almost any drug in the pharmacy can cause a rash, but the incidence of rash with Sustiva and Viamune is about 15%. In some patients, they can go on taking it and the rash will fade away, others will have to stop the drug because of a rash. With Protease inhibitors, the most common side effects are in the gastrointestinal tract, usually meaning loose stools, sometimes frank diarrhoea (although usually not), and maybe some bloating and some feeling of gas. That's very common, but, again, very minor, and less of a problem with the newer HIV medications.

Preventive Medicine Is A Must For The Shih Tzu Show Dog Kennel

2007-11-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

A Shih Tzu show dog kennel should practice preventive medicine as the means of maintaining optimum health. The Shih Tzu show dog must be available for showing for extended periods of time. Preventive medicine is much more practical and is kinder to the Shih Tzu. The Shih Tzu show dog must have routine checks for parasites and a strict maintenance of inoculations. Being in the show ring presents more chances of being exposed to disease germs. It is imperative that the Shih Tzu show dog that has been traveling from show to show be kept separate from the home crew once returning home. This can be compared to the older sister or brother who goes to school and brings home the chicken pox to all younger brothers and sisters. Extra precautions should be taken by the Shih Tzu show dog kennel to prevent possible spread of disease germs to the entire kennel and/or any Shih Tzu puppies for sale present among them. Three very serious diseases to which all dogs are susceptible are: 1. Distemper 2. Hepatitis 3. Leptospirosis These diseases are serious because they are frequently fatal. Fortunately, there are effective inoculations against all three. Fleas and ticks are present in almost all parts of the country during warm weather. They are easy to pick up and sometimes quite difficult to get rid of, especially in the case of a long-coated Shih Tzu. Fleas and ticks also are capable of causing a dog to become infested with worms and sometimes diseases. The simple rule to follow is to consult the veterinarian whenever there is the least question concerning the health of a Shih Tzu show dog. This is especially true in the case of the various diseases of the skin or conditions that result in seasonal irritants. These problems need to be treated promptly in order to prevent a chronic condition leading to the ruin of a Shih Tzu show dog coat, but is also detrimental to the over-all health of the Shih Tzu. Toy Dogs, which include the Shih Tzu, have physical problems that are peculiar to them. The Toy dogs also have a few advantages over other certain classes of dogs. Many of the special problems affecting Toy dogs are the direct result of having been bred down to their present size. Toy dogs are actually a creation of man mainly for an amusing house pet.
About The Author
Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. She is publishes a FREE weekly newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Designer dog clothes are offered on the website. Discounts are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com

Breast Cancer Cure With The Power Of Fame

2007-11-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

There is no known cure for breast cancer. More than 1.5 million people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year worldwide. The incidence of breast cancer has nearly tripled in the past 50 years. A woman's lifetime risk has increased from 1 in 20 in the 1950's to 1 in 7 today. Scientists don't know why most women get breast cancer, yet breast cancer is the most frequent tumor found in women the world over. What can a woman do when fate has played a cruel joke and a woman's very life can be in question? What do you do when an intimate part of your body becomes host to an assassin, a foreign element assigned to debilitate, maim and kill?
A woman who dies of breast cancer is robbed of an average of nearly 20 years of her life. Breast cancer knows no social boundaries. It’s a disease that can affect anyone. Some prominent women whose lives that have been touched by breast cancer include: Anastacia, singer only 29 years old! Jill Eikenberry actress age 52; Ann Jillian, 48, Actress; Peggy Fleming age 49 figure skater; Kate Jackson age 50 (Charlies Angels); Olivia Newton-John age 50 actress singer; Patti LaBelle, age 57, singer; Diahann Carroll, age 63 Actress/singer; Rue McClanahan, Hollywood actress, Rue is best known for her portrayal of Blanche on the hit sitcom “The Golden Girls;” Shirley Temple Black age 70 Actress/singer; Betty Ford, Former First Lady; Nancy Reagan age 77 former first lady; Melissa Etheridge age 43 singer; Lynn Redgrave, age 59, actress; Edie Falco Sopranos star, Tami Agassi, sister to tennis star Andre Agassi, and the beautiful Suzanne Summers actress. Dusty Springfield the singer, died from breast cancer at age 59. Breast cancer also took the lives of Linda McCartney and Jill Ireland. This is a disease that has plagued women for centuries. The mother of Louis XIV of France died of breast cancer in 1666. These high rates of breast cancer are not acceptable to the women of the world and must be met with scientific research that provides results.
Despite over a decade of research, and more than $1.7 billion spent, hundreds of women worldwide are dying from breast cancer every day. Yet doctors don’t know how breast cancer starts or how to cure it. Doctors are still approaching treatment for breast cancer in the same old fashioned ways: surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Barbaric treatments…And scientists keep doing the same old redundant research that’s simply not working. Over 30 US federal agencies and dozens of foundations, pharmaceutical and biotech companies are conducting or funding research, but: No one knows how much money is being raised every year. No one knows how much money is being spent every year. No one knows where the money is going. Meanwhile, mothers, sisters and daughters are dying-at a rate of nearly 110 women a day. It’s time for a new approach to cure this deadly killer. We don’t want you to have to under go surgery, radiation or chemotherapy.
A global action is the only answer to rising cancer deaths. Someone needs to answer the action call on all types of cancer. Newly formed International Celebrity Cancer Research Foundation has answered that call on global cancer. ICCRF’s war on cancer will be fought with the power of fame with celebrities from all 192 countries of the world. But the war on cancer can only be won with the support from the citizens of the world. Each and every one of you can answer your personal call to action to help fight the global war on cancer by supporting ICCRF’s battle on the war on cancer now.
Billionaires whom we have been recommended that we should contact for support include: Paul Allen, Bill and Melinda Gates, Jon Huntsman, William and Alice Goodman, Ann Lurie, Jamie and Karen Moyer, Harold C. Simmons, Alfred Mann, Sumner M. Redstone, Michael Milton and the Palm beach billionaires. There are simply too many billionaires to mention them all. The combined wealth of the three Microsoft billionaires alone is more than ten times the amount spent by the U.S. Federal Government on research to fight cancer and other deadly diseases. We could use help from the media with publicity stories, ads and promotions to get the word out. We are particularly interested in looking for assistance from the billionaires of the world; there are approximately 600 in the world. Billionaires like Sergey Brin and Larry Page (Google billionaires), Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner, and Oprah Winfrey and others who control the media could get our life-saving message to the world fast.
Here’s what some very influential and famous people have to say about breast cancer research. Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta Jones, "Catherine and I are committed to do everything possible to eradicate this disease," says Oscar-winner Michael Douglas. Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, “I lost my aunt to breast cancer about two years ago and my very good friend Liz to ovarian around the same time," says Wilson, who is married to Tom Hanks. "I've seen what these cancers are really like and we have to support more research.” Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw, “Steven and I are passionate about improving women's health," says Capshaw.”
Stars that we know that are interested in supporting cancer research including breast cancer research include: Melissa Etheridge, Charlie Sheen, Kirk and Anne Douglas, Sting and wife Trudie Styler, Larry King, Sylvester Stallone, Nicole Kidman, Bon Jovi, Julia Roberts, Jack Lemmon, Dustin Hoffman, Denzel Washington, Warren Beatty, Candice Bergen, Angie Dickinson, Sally Field, Larry Hagman, Merv Griffin, Carroll O'Connor and his wife, Nancy, Robert DiNiro, Cybill Shepherd, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, Sean Penn, Gwyneth Paltrow, Carmen Electra, Gene Wilder, Oprah Winfrey, Brad Pitt, Michael J. Fox, Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Leonardo Di Caprio, Sigourney Weaver, Bruce Willis, Billy Joel, Tim McGraw, Robbin Williams, Elizabeth Hurley, Tiger Woods, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Will Smith, Katie Couric, George Clooney, Mike Myers, Ben affleck, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Al Pacino, P Diddy, George Lucas, Oliver Stone, Drew Barrymore, Britney Spears, Barbara Streisand, Gene Hackman, Fred Thompson , Burt Reynolds, William Shatner, Donald Trump, Donald Sutherland, Morgan Freeman, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Sidney Poitier, Tom Arnold, Quincy Jones, Eminem, Shaquille Oneal, Adam Sandler, Steven Soderbergh, Bono/U-2, Patti LaBelle, Rosie O’Donnell, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon, Actor Rob Lowe, he was moved to serve as a spokesperson for the Lee National Denim Day, which raised money for breast cancer research, because his grandmother and great-grandmother both suffered from the disease, Sharon Osbourne, Britt Ekland, Westlife, Simon Cowell, Emma Thompson, Philip Treacy, Geri Halliwell, Paul McCartney, and Lance Armstrong.
Country music stars who support breast cancer research include: Wynona Judd, Amy Grant, Donny Osmond, Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain, Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Toby Keith, LeAnn Rimes, the Dixie Chicks, Lonestar, Brad Paisley, Diamond Rio, Trick Pony, Alan Jackson, SHeDAISY, Terri Clark, Lee Ann Womack, Phil Vassar, Buddy Jewell, Joe Nichols, Amy Grant, Anne Murray, Vince Gill, Randy Travis, Tracy Lawrence, Tammy Cochran, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lee Greenwood, George Jones, Rascal Flatts, Emerson Drive, Bering Strait, Brooks & Dunn, Clint Black, Steve Wariner, Kenny Rogers, Alabama, Faith Hill and Sara Evans, Richard Marx, Anne Cochran, Lee Ann Womack, Terri Clark, Dave Koz, Sophie B. Hawkins, Jonatha Brooke, Heart’s Anne and Nancy Wilson and Mercy Me.
We are also hoping that more of my celebrity friends will come forward as spokespersons and spread their wings to help support our breast cancer research. My friends and acquaintances include: Steven Seagal, Charlie Sheen (Charlie, has done a great job for breast cancer research by leading an effort in the fight against breast cancer, by encouraging the American public to take part in a National Denim Day), Wesley Snipes, Danny Glover, Erik Estrada, Tom Arnold, Dolph Lundgren, Roger Clinton, Bill Clinton, Usher, Clint Black, Hulk Hogan, Ivana Trump, Clint Black, John Secada, Sylvester Stalone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Reno, Eddie Money, Paul Hogan, Jay Leno, Danny Glover, Danny Aiello, Larry Hagman, Lee Majors, Tyson Becford, Jennifer Tilly, David Hasselhoff, Richard Branson, Brendan Fraser, Cindy Crawford, (whose grandmother died from breast cancer), Cher, Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and other stars that I have had the good fortune of meeting in person and others celebrities that I hope to meet in the future. How about Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnon, Mick Jagger and Pamela Lee Anderson. (Photos of Denny and the stars can be viewed at his promotional group listed below.) We have star friends who are bigger than life and they are ready to become our spokespersons. But we still need your donations to get our celebrities to international print and broadcast ads to get the word out. We, the people of the world can cure breast cancer as well as all the cancers of the world.
Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at dennyarmstrongiccrf@yahoo.com
About The Author
Denny Armstrong counsels and writes about the global cancer problem. Mr. Armstrong has recently formed the new International Celebrity Cancer Research Foundation. You may join the war on cancer by joining ICCRF’s group and supporting the cause to find better treatments and a cure for all types of cancer. visit his group at: http://groups.msn.com/CancerResearch

Natural Self-Defense Against Breast Cancer - Organochlorines

2007-11-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

Natural Self Defense Against Breast Cancer - Learning to Cope with Organochlorine Pollution
What are organochlorines?
Organochlorines are chemicals found in some herbicides and pesticides, in chlorine bleach and most chemical disinfectants, and many plastics, especially PVC (polyvinylchloride).
Organochlorines are implicated in causing and promoting breast cancer because they mutate genes and they cause breast cells to become more receptive to a cancer-promoting chemical called estradiol. Organochlorines weaken the immune system and lower your body’s resistance to bacteria and viruses. They also act as a negative type of estrogen in the body.
How do they enter our bodies?
Organochlorines enter our bodies through our drinking water, by eating foods grown with certain agricultural chemicals, and through the plastic linings on canned or microwaveable foods. They enter through our lungs by breathing in the fumes of chlorine bleach disinfectants and by body contact with chlorine bleached paper products such as tampons, toilet paper and paper cups.
How can we reduce our exposure?
Step One-Reduce Your Exposure
The first thing to do is to reduce your plastic consumption, especially of convenience foods. On plastic containers, there is typically a triangle with a number inside of it on the bottom of the container. You can recognize PVC or polyvinylchloride as the type of plastic that has a 3 in the center of the triangle.
As for paper products, use oxygen bleached or unbleached paper products. Companies who sell non-chlorine bleached paper products typically say so on the label and they do not necessarily market their products as “green” products.
Buy the non-chlorine bleach and more environmentally friendly household products. Simple vinegar and water can be used for many household chores.
Eating only organically produced meat and dairy products will reduce the amount of organochlorines in your diet by 80%.
Step Two-Help Your Liver
With help, your liver can metabolize organochlorines.
Flaxseeds and organic egg yolks contain lecithin, a chemical that speeds up the elimination of fat-soluble chemicals such as organochlorines by making them water-soluble.
Beans, lentils, red clover, soy products and chickweed contain chemicals called saponins. Saponins help to break down organochlorines, prevent cellular mutation and can stop the reproduction of cancer cells. These foods are strongly recommended for anybody who regularly consumes organochlorines.
Members of the cabbage family including broccoli, kale, turnips, radishes, cabbage, bok choy or cauliflower can help you metabolize organochlorines by increasing the production of non-cancerous by-products.
Step Three-Mother Nature’s Help
Woman-positive natural sources of estrogen can block entrance of organochlorines, estradiol and other cancer promoting estrogens when enough of them are in the blood stream. The reason behind this is that these positive hormones move quickly through our bodies whereas the cancer producing chemicals such as organochlorines move more slowly. If there are enough of these plant hormones in the blood stream, they can easily block organochlorines from attaching themselves to breast cells and from promoting cancer.
These plant hormones can be found in lentils, dried beans, tofu and fermented soy products such as tempeh and miso, parsnips, sweet potatoes, pomegranates, burdock roots, red clover, hops and ginseng. Regular intake of broccoli and cabbage is also helpful.
Post Transformation Tips
Making changes in favor of your survival and that of the environment often puts us in a period of re-adjustment, not only with the society we live in, but also with our family, friends and neighbors.
Several strategies we use to maintain positive social relations are
Natural self-defense does not mean natural aggression, nor does it mean that it will cause you to develop a social disorder triggered by the existence of organochlorines. Foods and herbs that encourage natural self-defense make you lose the taste for products associated with organochlorines.
Allow self-defense foods to empower you to envision and work towards an organochlorine free future without any anger about the present situation. In other words, don’t let the forces that encourage personal and environmental negligence push your buttons.
Chose recycled plastic toys or second hand plastic toys over new ones for your children.
Send lunches in reusable containers.
Bring a bean or lentil salad to the next barbecue or potluck supper.
Invite friends who use a lot of plastic and organochlorine products over to eat. Explain why you eat certain foods and what you have done to minimize your contribution to its proliferation. Relay the information in such a way that your guests feel comfortable and leave them to lose the taste for organochlorine products in their own way and time.
Use organic foods to show your body what a natural food is and have confidence that your body will use this knowledge to recognize what isn’t natural and respond appropriately to it. This is a goal that can be started even on a limited budget. The return of your natural body begins with one organic apple, especially a shared one!
Written by Jennifer Rodriguez-Allen, B.Sc., Environmental Chemist and President of Agoo Agii, inc (http://www.agooagii.com/). This article can found in print form with Agoo Agii's Aromatherapy Breast Self-Exam Kit. Gently encourage a loved one (or yourself) perform the Breast Self-Exam.
Legal Disclaimer-The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.
About The Author
Agoo Agii, inc. is an eco-innovative natural body care company. We can be found at http://www.agooagii.com/ and contacted at agooagii@agooagii.com. Retail and wholesale inquiries are welcome.

Giving Gift for Breast Cancer Patients and Their Families

2007-11-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

Did you know that each year, 182,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 die? One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year.
The above statistics are scary to say the least. If you have loved ones or friends that have been diagnosed with breast cancer, I am sure you've often wondered what, if anything, you can do to help them.
Here are some gifts that are appropriate for cancer patients, and their families to give encouragement, and support.
Probably one of the most important gifts you can offer, is the gift of your time: time to listen, and time to be with them as they accept the fact that they have cancer, and go through their treatment.
A small journal is another idea: they can put on paper their thoughts, their struggles, and their accomplishments as they fight this battle.
A book of inspiring, encouraging words will do wonders for their soul. One suggestion would be Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul: 101 Stories of Courage and Inspiration from Those Who Have Survived Cancer.
Don't forget a nice teddy bear they can hug, and a CD of soft, comforting, music.
Some cancer patients develop sensitivity to fragrance, so please stay away from scented items.
Again, remember that at times, all they need is to have someone to talk to, or hold their hand: be there for them!
For your information:
If detected early, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer exceeds 95%. Mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram.
Don't miss your mammogram this year. Several national organizations will have a list of the facilities that participate in National Mammography Day. To find a place near you, call:
American Cancer Society 1-800-ACS-2345
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation 1-800-IM-AWARE
National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations (NABCO) 1-888-80-NABCO
National Cancer Institute 1-800-4-CANCER
Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization 1-800-221-2141
About The Author
Adriana Copaceanu provides people with creative gift ideas that don't blow the bank. Gift Baskets for Baby to Birthday and Beyond, are just some gift ideas you'll find at her site: http://www.abcgiftsandbaskets.com. Want regular reminders on gift-giving? Sign up for her free monthly newsletter at http://www.abcgiftsandbaskets.com/gift-news-signup.htm

Breast Cancer Education Gets More Visual Explanations

2007-11-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

(NC)-If a picture is worth a thousand words, how do you use pictures to help people understand and learn about a sensitive subject like breast cancer? Researchers from the division of biomedical communications in the department of surgery at the University of Toronto are exploring the use of images to study how best to teach women at risk about breast cancer.
Text and images are used on the Breast Matters site (www.bmc.med.utoronto.ca/ breastmatters) to explain and portray the complex information about breast cancer and breast health for Canadian women. The site is informational, free of jargon and includes definitions and visual explanations of complex concepts. The site includes an overview of breast anatomy, a section on early detection of breast cancer, self-examination, annual check-ups, mammography, ultrasound and x-ray and biopsy. Also included is information about breast cancer risk factors, risk reduction and links and resources for more information.
"Our team uses medical illustration to bridge art, science, medicine and communication," said Professor Linda Wilson-Pauwels, co-lead investigator of the study. "Design and communication theory combined with scientific knowledge informs the production of visual material for health promotion and medical education - in this case about breast cancer."
An initiative of the Bell University Laboratories, a collaborative research program funded by Bell Canada that contributes to innovation and leadership in the development of communications technology in Canada, the researchers used a focus group of 10 women from the breast cancer screening program at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto to determine what breast cancer information to feature and what sorts of visuals to use. Photography, video, animation and illustration are used with varying levels of complexity and interactivity to provide a visually stunning learning experience.
A second part of the site will be developed in 2003 for women coping with breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Canadian women. It accounts for almost 1 in 3 cancer diagnoses among Canadian women. On average, 104 Canadian women die of breast cancer every week, according to Canadian Cancer Society estimates.
About The Author
News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.
News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Recommendations For Early Breast Cancer Screening Test

2007-11-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

Women need to empower themselves about the benefits and risks of mammography and examine the additional screening tools available today. One current philosophy suggests breast health screening should begin at age 25. Where does this recommendation come from and why is this valid?
For MOST women, the recommendation for annual breast cancer screening begins at the age of 40. Unfortunately, the American Cancer Society stated that the number one cause of death in women between the ages of 40-44 is breast cancer. So what does this mean for women? It means that we screen at age 40 and potentially find tumors that have been growing for an estimated 8-10 years. Mammography, like most conventional tests, evaluates structure.
There exists a technology that can detect an issue YEARS before a tumor can be seen on X-ray or palpated during an exam. This technology has been approved by the FDA as an adjunctive screening tool since 1982 and offers NO RADIATION, NO COMPRESSION AND NO PAIN. For women who are refusing to have a mammogram or those who want clinical correlation for an existing problem, digital infrared thermal imaging may be of interest.
There are very strict protocols both for testing and interpreting. Perhaps due to these guidelines, thermography (as with all digital technology) has exploded in its technique and capabilities. Thermal cameras detect heat emitted from the body and display it as a picture on a computer monitor. These images are unique to the person and remain stable over time. It is because of these characteristics that thermal imaging is a valuable and effective screening tool. Tumors or other breast diseases measures warmer than surrounding tissue and can thereby alert a physician to a problem before a tumor is actually palpable.
Medical doctors who interpret the breast scans are board certified and endure an additional two years of training to qualify as a thermologist. Thermography is not limited by breast density and is ideal for women who have had cosmetic or reconstructive surgery. It is recommended that since cancer typically has a 15 year life span from onset to death, women begin thermographic screenings at age 25. As previously mentioned, the number one killer of women ages 40-44 is breast cancer. Therefore, a woman diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 possibly had the cancer as early as age 30. Since most women do not have a mammogram until age 40, there is a critical time period from age 25 to 39 that thermography could be especially beneficial. Thermography, because it analyzes function, may identify a problem years earlier. DITI may allow women time and opportunity to support their immune system, change their lifestyle and give their body the best chance to alter their fate.
By combining both technologies, the detection rate increases to 95-98%, surpassing either technology as a stand-alone therapy. Thermography, like mammography, is a personal choice for women. This decision ideally should be made in collaboration between you and your physician. However, thermography does not require a physician’s order.
Thermographic screening is not covered by most insurance companies but is surprisingly affordable for most people. For more information or to find a certified clinic in your area, go to www.proactivehealthonline.com.
About The Author
Brenda Witt is co-owner of Proactive Health Solutions in Southern California. She has worked in the medical field for 9 years and is now an American College of Clinical Thermology (ACCT) certified thermographer in the Orange County area. To contact Brenda, email her at brenda@proactivehealthonline.com.

Breast Cancer Treatment and Pregnancy

2007-10-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in pregnant and postpartum women, occurring in about 1 in 3,000 pregnant women. The average patient is between 32 to 38 years of age and, with many women choosing to delay childbearing, it is likely that the incidence of breast cancer during pregnancy will increase.

Breast cancer pathology is similar in age-matched pregnant and nonpregnant women. Hormone receptor assays are usually negative in pregnant breast cancer patients, but this may be the result of receptor binding by high serum estrogen levels associated with the pregnancy. Enzyme immunocytochemical receptor assays, however, are more sensitive than competitive binding assays. A study using binding methods indicated similar receptor positivity between pregnant and nonpregnant women with breast cancer. The study concluded that increased estrogen levels during pregnancy could result in a higher incidence of receptor positivity detected with immunohistochemistry than is detected by radiolabeled ligand binding, which is because of competitive inhibition by high levels of endogenous estrogen.

The natural tenderness and engorgement of the breasts of pregnant and lactating women may hinder detection of discrete masses, and therefore, early diagnoses of breast cancer. Delays in diagnoses are common, with an average reported delay of 5 to 15 months from the onset of symptoms. Because of this delay, cancers are typically detected at a later stage than in a nonpregnant, age-matched population. To detect breast cancer, pregnant and lactating women should practice self-examination and undergo a breast examination as part of the routine prenatal examination by a doctor. If an abnormality is found, diagnostic approaches such as ultrasound and mammography may be used. With proper shielding, mammography poses little risk of radiation exposure to the fetus. Mammograms should only be used, however, to evaluate dominant masses and to locate occult carcinomas in the presence of other suspicious physical findings. Since at least 25% of mammograms in pregnancy may be negative in the presence of cancer, a biopsy is essential for the diagnosis of any palpable mass. Diagnosis may be safely accomplished with a fine-needle aspiration, core biopsy, or excisional biopsy under local anesthesia. To avoid a false-positive diagnosis as a result of misinterpretation of pregnancy-related changes, the pathologist should be advised that the patient is pregnant.

Overall survival of pregnant women with breast cancer may be worse than in nonpregnant women at all stages; however, this may be due primarily to delayed diagnoses. Termination of pregnancy has not been shown to have any beneficial effect on breast cancer outcome and is not usually considered as a therapeutic option. Termination of pregnancy, however, may be considered, based on the age of the fetus, and if maternal treatment options, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, are significantly limited by the continuation of the pregnancy.

Mesothelioma Lawyer - Upholding The Rights Of People If Not Life.

2007-10-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

Had it not been for the Mesothelioma lawyers the reign of terror unleashed by the widespread use of asbestos would have left the American society scarred just as asbestos leaves scarring marks in the lungs! Quite aptly, a Mesothelioma lawyer is regarded as the guardian of the Mesothelioma victims.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer; an ailment of the mesothelial cells that line the internal body organs. Typically associated with the exposure to asbestos, Mesothelioma is very rarely diagnosed at its early stage. Consequently, most cases are not detected before they reach malignancy.

As regards asbestos, man has been familiar with its heat and combustion resistant properties since the ancient times. People of the prehistoric civilizations were open to the use of asbestos. All the while, however, man was in the dark about the hazardous effects of asbestos. America saw the maximum use of asbestos during the two World Wars. Rampant use of asbestos was made in the shipping, construction and combat equipment manufacturing industries.

Once the dangers of asbestos exposure were recognized, legal regulations aimed at eliminating the use of asbestos (rather the abolition of asbestos) were introduced. Today, the US law does not prohibit the use of asbestos but attributes deadly consequences to its use. The legal regulations and warnings, however, failed to deter all employers and masked use of asbestos continues in certain fields.

This denial, on the part of the US employers, to abide by the asbestos regulations has given rise to hundreds of asbestos litigation claims. Some eminent lawyers and law-firms have come forward to safeguard the interests of the Mesothelioma. Every state of US now has its own Mesothelioma lawyers and law firms. The proceeding being quite complicated, people (who have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma or those who have been exposed to asbestos) approach lawyers and law-firms for help regarding their asbestos lawsuits.

These days, the Mesothelioma attorneys file class action lawsuits against those manufacturers who continue to use asbestos in their products and expose their employees to the probable health threats. (Class action lawsuit is a legal device that allows a person or persons to sue or be sued as the representative of a group of people; however, it also requires all of them to have a common interest). Class action lawsuits, upholding the liability of employers and seeking compensation for the harm caused to employees, have restored the peace of mind (even if it is only a bit) of the Mesothelioma victims and their near and dear ones.

Law-firms fielding competent Mesothelioma lawyers with proven records of accomplishment can pull off advantageous monetary settlement in the form of reimbursements for the Mesothelioma victims. Mesothelioma settlements, ranging from few hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, depend on the lawyers’ skill in pinpointing the cause of asbestos exposure. Once this hurdle is crossed, the Mesothelioma lawyer investigates into the avenues of working out the smartest deal for the Mesothelioma litigation claim. In case of litigations being handled by experienced lawyers, manufacturers readily agree to the settlement proposals benefiting the Mesothelioma victim as well as the family members and the society at large.
About The Author, Paul Heath, You may freely redistribute this article on your website providing no alterations are made to the text and the link remains intact. This article is courtesy of http://www.1st-lawyersonline.com.

Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart).

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or have been exposed to asbestos dust and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos, or by home renovation using asbestos cement products. Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking.

Signs and Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.

Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.

These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.

Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:

chest wall pain
pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
shortness of breath
fatigue or anemia
wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up

In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.

Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:

abdominal pain
ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
a mass in the abdomen
problems with bowel function
weight loss

In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:

blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
low blood sugar level
pleural effusion
pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
severe ascites

A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.

How to Diagnosis Mesothelioma
Diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult, because the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient's medical history. A history of exposure to asbestos may increase clinical suspicion for mesothelioma. A physical examination is performed, followed by chest X-ray and often lung function tests. The X-ray may reveal pleural thickening commonly seen after asbestos exposure and increases suspicion of mesothelioma. A CT (or CAT) scan or an MRI is usually performed. If a large amount of fluid is present, abnormal cells may be detected by cytology if this fluid is aspirated with a syringe. For pleural fluid this is done by a pleural tap or chest drain, in ascites with an paracentesis or ascitic drain and in a pericardial effusion with pericardiocentesis. While absence of malignant cells on cytology does not completely exclude mesothelioma, it makes it much more unlikely, especially if an alternative diagnosis can be made (e.g. tuberculosis, heart failure).

If cytology is positive or a plaque is regarded as suspicious, a biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma. A doctor removes a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy may be done in different ways, depending on where the abnormal area is located. If the cancer is in the chest, the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy. In this procedure, the doctor makes a small cut through the chest wall and puts a thin, lighted tube called a thoracoscope into the chest between two ribs. Thoracoscopy allows the doctor to look inside the chest and obtain tissue samples.

If the cancer is in the abdomen, the doctor may perform a laparoscopy. To obtain tissue for examination, the doctor makes a small opening in the abdomen and inserts a special instrument into the abdominal cavity. If these procedures do not yield enough tissue, more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.

Asthma Medicine

2007-10-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

Asthma is a chronic illness involving the respiratory system in which the airway occasionally constricts, becomes inflamed, and is lined with excessive amounts of mucus, often in response to one or more triggers. These episodes may be triggered by such things as exposure to an environmental stimulant (or allergen), cold air, warm air, moist air, exercise or exertion, or emotional stress. In children, the most common triggers are viral illnesses such as those that cause the common cold. This airway narrowing causes symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. The airway constriction responds to bronchodilators. Between episodes, most patients feel well but can have mild symptoms and they may remain short of breath after exercise for longer periods of time than the unaffected individual. The symptoms of asthma, which can range from mild to life threatening, can usually be controlled with a combination of drugs and environmental changes.

Signs and symptoms of Asthma
In some individuals asthma is characterized by chronic respiratory impairment. In others it is an intermittent illness marked by episodic symptoms that may result from a number of triggering events, including upper respiratory infection, stress, airborne allergens, air pollutants (such as smoke or traffic fumes), or exercise. Some or all of the following symptoms may be present in those with asthma: dyspnea, wheezing, stridor, coughing, an inability for physical exertion. Some asthmatics that have severe shortness of breath and tightening of the lungs never wheeze or have stridor and their symptoms may be confused with a COPD-type disease.

An acute exacerbation of asthma is referred to as an asthma attack. The clinical hallmarks of an attack are shortness of breath (dyspnea) and either wheezing or stridor.[5] Although the former is "often regarded as the sine qua non of asthma, some patients present primarily with coughing, and in the late stages of an attack, air motion may be so impaired that no wheezing may be heard. When present the cough may sometimes produce clear sputum. The onset may be sudden, with a sense of constriction in the chest, breathing becomes difficult, and wheezing occurs (primarily upon expiration, but can be in both respiratory phases).

Signs of an asthmatic episode include wheezing, rapid breathing (tachypnea), prolonged expiration, a rapid heart rate (tachycardia), rhonchous lung sounds (audible through a stethoscope), and over-inflation of the chest. During a serious asthma attack, the accessory muscles of respiration (sternocleidomastoid and scalene muscles of the neck) may be used, shown as in-drawing of tissues between the ribs and above the sternum and clavicles, and the presence of a paradoxical pulse (a pulse that is weaker during inhalation and stronger during exhalation).

During very severe attacks, an asthma sufferer can turn blue from lack of oxygen, and can experience chest pain or even loss of consciousness. Just before loss of consciousness, there is a chance that the patient will feel numbness in the limbs and palms may start to sweat. Feet may become icy cold. Severe asthma attacks, which may not be responsive to standard treatments (status asthmaticus), are life-threatening and may lead to respiratory arrest and death. Despite the severity of symptoms during an asthmatic episode, between attacks an asthmatic may show few or even no signs of the disease.

Asthma Diagnosis
Asthma is defined simply as reversible airway obstruction. Reversibility occurs either spontaneously or with treatment. The basic measurement is peak flow rates and the following diagnostic criteria are used by the British Thoracic Society.

In many cases, a physician can diagnose asthma on the basis of typical findings in a patient's clinical history and examination. Asthma is strongly suspected if a patient suffers from eczema or other allergic conditions—suggesting a general atopic constitution—or has a family history of asthma. While measurement of airway function is possible for adults, most new cases are diagnosed in children who are unable to perform such tests. Diagnosis in children is based on a careful compilation and analysis of the patient's medical history and subsequent improvement with an inhaled bronchodilator medication. In adults, diagnosis can be made with a peak flow meter (which tests airway restriction), looking at both the diurnal variation and any reversibility following inhaled bronchodilator medication.

Testing peak flow at rest (or baseline) and after exercise can be helpful, especially in young asthmatics who may experience only exercise-induced asthma. If the diagnosis is in doubt, a more formal lung function test may be conducted. Once a diagnosis of asthma is made, a patient can use peak flow meter testing to monitor the severity of the disease.

In the Emergency Department doctors may use a capnography PMID 16187465 which measures the amount of exhaled carbon dioxide along with pulse oximetry which shows the amount of oxygen dissolved in the blood, to determine the severity of an asthma attack as well as the response to treatment.

Asthma Treatment
The most effective treatment for asthma is identifying triggers, such as pets or aspirin, and limiting or eliminating exposure to them. Desensitization to allergens has been shown to be a treatment option for certain patients.

As is common with respiratory disease, smoking is believed to adversely affect asthmatics in several ways, including an increased severity of symptoms, a more rapid decline of lung function, and decreased response to preventive medications. Automobile emissions are considered an even more significant cause and aggravating factor. Asthmatics who smoke or who live near traffic typically require additional medications to help control their disease. Furthermore, exposure of both non-smokers and smokers to wood smoke, gas stove fumes and second-hand smoke is detrimental, resulting in more severe asthma, more emergency room visits, and more asthma-related hospital admissions. Smoking cessation and avoidance of second-hand smoke is strongly encouraged in asthmatics.

The specific medical treatment recommended to patients with asthma depends on the severity of their illness and the frequency of their symptoms. Specific treatments for asthma are broadly classified as relievers, preventers and emergency treatment. The Expert Panel Report 2: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (EPR-2) of the U.S. National Asthma Education and Prevention Program, and the British Guideline on the Management of Asthma are broadly used and supported by many doctors. On August 29, 2007 the final Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma was officially released. Bronchodilators are recommended for short-term relief in all patients. For those who experience occasional attacks, no other medication is needed. For those with mild persistent disease (more than two attacks a week), low-dose inhaled glucocorticoids or alternatively, an oral leukotriene modifier, a mast-cell stabilizer, or theophylline may be administered. For those who suffer daily attacks, a higher dose of glucocorticoid in conjunction with a long-acting inhaled β-2 agonist may be prescribed; alternatively, a leukotriene modifier or theophylline may substitute for the β-2 agonist. In severe asthmatics, oral glucocorticoids may be added to these treatments during severe attacks.

For those in whom exercise can trigger an asthma attack (exercise-induced asthma), higher levels of ventilation and cold, dry air tend to exacerbate attacks. For this reason, activities in which a patient breathes large amounts of cold air, such as skiing and running, tend to be worse for asthmatics, whereas swimming in an indoor, heated pool, with warm, humid air, is less likely to provoke a response.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School (HMS) have come up with convincing evidence that the answer to what causes asthma lies in a special type of natural "killer" cell. This finding means that physicians may not be treating asthma sufferers with the right kinds of drugs. For example, natural killer T cells seem to be resistant to the corticosteroids in widely used inhalers.

Simple And Easy Tips To Overcome Depression

2007-10-25T01:14:00.000-07:00

If you know the symptoms of depression, you should also know some strategies for reducing the problem. Depression can be the result of many things, and it is necessary that you avoid those circumstances that upset you or make you feel depressed.

Every day, stories appear in print media and television that are mostly negative, highlighting the economic and social deprivations of humanity. Stories focused on destruction, war, crime, doom and despair will only aggravate the problem of depression rather than solve it. Avoid reading such negative stories and events. Helplessness will only add to your depression, rather than cure it.

Moreover, always see the positive side of life. Say good things about others, share with them your most memorable moments, and set aside all such moments that depress you.

Indulge yourself in lots of physical exercises. A healthy body is the root to a healthy mind, attitude, and thinking. Regular practice of breathing exercises will help you overcome your depression problems. These tips to reduce depression are simple but can work wonders if followed with determination and will.

Do not keep too many goals and expectations that will depress you further. Always keep aside one important goal that you think is necessary to achieve. When you try for many things at one go, you only aggravate the problem of depression.

There are many research materials and information available on depression and also its effective treatment. You can go through a vast array of information and make those important decisions about your health and ways to cope with your health problems. Although you can reduce the problem by applying the useful tips mentioned on online websites and books on depression, it is your psychiatrist who can really help you out in curing the problem.

Depression causes a serious imbalance of brain chemicals and many other internal changes that need serious medication and treatment. It is not something you should be ashamed of. Depression is just like any other illness which just needs full support from the family. Always have a hopeful heart. It is a must to overcome depression.

Make few but good friends who will be always there to support you in good and bad times. Never allow depression to grow in isolation. Make it a point to have your near and dear ones around you. Socialize as much as you can when you feel depressed. That will mitigate your problem to a great extent. Watch good movies, especially comedy, or visit funny and humorous web sites or read funny books. Light things will make you feel good and reduce your depression problem.

Positive thinking always gets your brain going. Involve yourself into lots of singing and dancing activities that will signal that your brain is really happy. Go for lively music that really rejuvenates the mind and soul and overcomes your depression. Try to engage yourself in as many activities as possible. A healthy routine must be followed to keep your body and mind healthy. Physical exercises affect your brain chemicals, and this can really help in reducing you depression problems.

Try to hold as few grudges as you can. This can only aggravate your frustration level and cause depression. The more you learn to forgive and forget, the better for you. Always reserve a quiet time where you can spend quality time with yourself. This certainly does not mean isolation. It is essential because this is the time you give to yourself.

About The Author

Milos Pesic is a successful webmaster and owner of popular and comprehensive Overcome Depression blog. For more articles and valuable resources on Depression related topics, Depression symptoms and treatments,
visit his blog at:http://overcome-depression.blogspot.com/

Source

Stressful Life and Depression

2007-10-25T01:10:00.000-07:00

Baby boomers want it all. They have seen success, for the most part, but at what cost? In the United States and around the world, depression is the most common disability. It is often found in baby boomers. It is unfortunate that it is often mis-diagnosed and not treated.

Why is it that boomers have a better chance of having major depression? The answer is that in the daily quest for success and wealth, as well as in the effort of raising healthy children, a stressful situation can be created. Baby boomers show higher rates of depression than do previous generations. Studies show that stress is a major reason for this.

Although baby boomers often feel that chronic fatigue is simply a fact of life, if it is left untreated it may lead not only to depression, but also to potential thyroid disease or sleep apnea. Excessive fatigue should not be seen as normal and thus shouldn't be left untreated.

Women are more likely to be depressed than men. Females have cyclical and hormonal changes that often add to the depression. Menopause, perimenopause, and PMS all contribute to depression. The hormonal changes after childbirth can also lead to a major depressive episode.

It's a shame that depression is frequently misdiagnosed and not treated. Research shows that in may suicide cases involving adults, these people have visited their doctor shortly beforehand. In fact, as many as 20 percent had been to their doctor the same day, double this number within a week, and as much as 70 percent had seen their doctor in the last month.

So where does one go for help? First of all, to your primary care doctor. Hypertension and depression are the two biggest reasons for medical visits. That said, you must be honest about your problem. Otherwise, your doctor cannot be blamed for a bad diagnosis. You should make sure your doctor understands the extent and severity of your depression. You are not the only one with this problem, remember. There is little social stigma anymore over depression and most mental illnesses. If you're asked whether you've had suicidal thoughts, or thoughts of harming others, make sure to be up-front about it. That will be the first step of the treatment and might save your life.

Most doctors make use of medications that will raise serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the brain. These neurotransmitters help nerve cells communicate within the brain. One common medication used to treat depression is Prozac, a drug that does not have as many side-effects as its predecessors. Remember that some medications will not work for some people, while others will. Keep trying until you find the right one.

There are times when medication is insufficient to get someone out of a bout of depression. In those cases, the doctor often will recommend psychotherapy to get at the root causes of the problem. Many boomers will cringe at the thought of trying to fit in yet another thing every week. They feel like relying solely on their medication to help them. But for a majority of people, this kind of stressful, busy lifestyle exacerbated the depression from the start.

Don’t underestimate the benefits of therapy. You can learn relaxation and breathing techniques, and your therapist can help you organize your life. They can also help you look at the specific reasons for your depression. It's typical to see improvement between six and eight weeks after therapy begins. It might take longer than this for childhood trauma survivors.

Depression can be a lonely illness, and people affected by it often suffer silently. You have the option to treat it. First recognize the problem and get help. Depression can cause many problems, and even ruin your personal and family life. Learn all you can about it, and get a good therapist to help you get your life back on track. Some people have been depressed for years without knowing it. A good therapist can help figure out at what point the depression began.

About The Author

Aldwin Pet owns http://tedsworld.org and http://golfidea.org.
Source

Coping Up With Depression During Menopause

2007-10-25T01:08:00.000-07:00

If there were one disease caused by biological factors that is very hard to deal with, it would be depression. Depression or the condition of feeling sad or despondent—characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, and feelings of extreme sadness, dejection, melancholy, and hopelessness—is one of the visible symptoms of menopause especially for women.

Caused by the dropping of serotonin—a hormone in the brain that regulates a person’s mood—levels, depression has been linked to menopause because it has been observed that women who are on the verge of this phase experience intense mood fluctuations and severe episodes of sadness and confusion.

Experts say that depression is normal for menopausal women but it should be addressed properly so it wouldn’t lead to more serious health, emotional, and behavioral problems.

UNDERSTANDING DEPRESSION DURING MENOPAUSE

Studies show that 8 to 15 percent of menopausal women experience depression. Experts say that the end of menstruation or menopause triggers episodes of depression and sadness in most women because of drastic hormonal changes that are left unsettled or not addressed.

Various researches prove that women who have a history of mood disorders, those who have been depressed before—especially during 20s, those who have underwent surgical or operational procedures, those who are smoking, dealing with so many children, or those who have work that causes a lot of stress are more likely to develop depression during menopause.

Symptoms of depression during menopause include sleeping disorders, hot flushes, loss of energy or fatigue, irritability, anxiety, excessive feeling of guilt or worthlessness, difficulty in concentrating or confusion, decreased interest or pleasure in activities, drastic change in appetite, and two or more weeks of depressed mood that may lead to extreme restlessness and suicidal tendencies.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Although depression is a natural occurrence during menopausal years, experts say that this should not be neglected because it can lead to more episodes of fluctuating moods and physical implications.

Although it is hard to deal with because it involves emotional and hormonal factors, medical authorities agree that depression is treatable when addressed properly. Here are some suggestions and treatment options that can help you cope up with depression during menopause:

1. Consider depression treatments and medications. Seeking help if you are suffering from depression during menopausal years is the first step in curing the “disease.” Today, there are actually many effective and well-tolerated medications available depending on your need. Being an essential part of treating depression, antidepressant medications such as Selected Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) help to increase the amount of serotonin in the brain.

Aside from antidepressants, therapies such as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and Estrogen Therapy can help in especially in early menopausal stages. Before taking in any of these, make sure that you have consulted your physician first so you can discuss the risks and benefits of such treatments and medications. Psychotherapy is also one effective way to combat menopausal depression.

With the help of trained social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists, you can learn how to cope up with the negative feelings over menopausal years. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT that teaches better ways of thinking and behaving and Interpersonal Therapy or IPT that helps the person communicate more effectively are available for you.

2. Schedule for a physical examination. As women grown older, physical changes emerge that lead to physical health problems. Getting a thorough physical examination is one way to know if you are about to experience any physical ailments caused by depressive symptoms.

3. Try out alternative medicines, herbal therapies or remedies, and dietary supplements. Organic and herbal medications have grown popular the years for its healing properties. Today, the most popular herb used to cure depression is St John’s Wort because it can help reduce effects of estrogen fluctuations.

Although many people attest to its effects, there have been no scientific studies that support the effectivity and safety of this alternative medicine. Before trying any of these herbal or organic products, make sure you inform your physician so further damage can be avoided especially if you are under any monitored medication.

4. Engage in physical activities or regular exercise. Experts agree that exercise helps treat depression by releasing your body’s mood-elevating hormones that leads to a feeling of accomplishment and enhanced self-esteem.

5. Start changing your diet. Dietary changes like eating a well balanced diet and regularly scheduled meals are known to help a lot in managing depression.

About The Author

Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.bestmenopause.com/depression.html http://www.aperfectharmony.com or http://www.a-1hypnosis.com.
Source

What Is Your Choice? Depression or Joy?

2007-10-25T01:04:00.000-07:00

Looking at your life over the past year does not make you feel very happy.

Actually your life does not look so great lately. At work you have this colleague, who seemed a real colleague at first, but has become pure competition now and he or she bootlicks your boss, who even seems to like that. You see all your hopes for promotion within the company being flushed through the toilet and at the same time it looks as if you are flooded with more and more work.

You hope to finally be able to catch your breath at home but again there you find your spouse, who is as overstressed as you are and you find your extremely demanding kids, who help you to remember that they live in the same house, too. Even when you think you could possibly get rid off the feeling through your favourite sport you notice that this too does not help, because you simply feel too miserable. You start eating more and more, because you think that that’s the only thing that can still keep you happy, or you seek a different state of being by drinking too much alcohol.

You can feel yourself sinking into a miserable state. The state in which all your motivation to go on is dying. You can not remember what “joy of life” means. You slowly get close to a depression, but you keep on saying to yourself that “one day you’ll get over it”.

At the same time you see other people having a great time and you start wondering why it is so much easier for you to fall into depression. Why is it so difficult to stay happy? Why do these periods of joy disappear so quickly and why do these times of depression last so long?

You know why? Because you are thinking about it. You are focussing on it. Did you know that our brain releases chemicals in our blood that support our moods? Well, that’s exactly what’s happening! You attract whatever it is that you focus on. In other words by thinking about the things that make you feel depressed, you make yourself more depressed.

The reversed is just as true. If you would spend as much time thinking about pleasant things as that you spend thinking about depressive things, guess what you would attract in your life? Exactly! You would attract Joy! And if you would focus on the things that bring joy into your life, you would attract more joy and you would be able to maintain that state of joy.

Of course this is not about denying what’s going on in your life. You would need to see the things for what they really are.

Sure this colleague is bootlicking your boss, sure you get more and more work and sure you have kids that ask for a massive amount of attention.

But does all this need to become the focal point of every thought that passes?

You could find your colleague’s attitude amusing and continue to keep up with your own good work and become more pro active about it. The fact that all this work comes to you could also be seen as a compliment somehow.

Isn’t this a matter of either setting better boundaries or to become more efficient with your work or time?

And for as far as your children are concerned; have you tried to approach this with some humour? Or you could sift out some books about parenting or find parents with the same type of problems and speak to them. Experiment with a number of different approaches. It also helps to think back at your own youth once in a while. After all you grew up okay, did not you?

Getting into a state of joy is easy and staying there is easy. And believe me, this is not easier said than done. It is scientifically proven.

It is the will to choose how we look at the situations in our lives and it is a matter of choice whether we focus on joy or on the negative things that bring us down.

Practice to think positive thoughts! Because, let’s be fair. What is more fun: practicing depression or practicing joy?

I know what I choose.

I hope you have enjoyed the self motivation tips in this article and that they provided you with some new insights.When you use these as self motivation exercise you will obtain the necessary self motivation skills and you will become a much more joyful person.

About The Author

Ab van Deemter (http://www.passiontogrow.com) is a Personal Growth specialist and a spiritual person, who believes in sharing his knowledge of personal perseverance. He has studied metaphysics and other holistic methods for many, many years and embarked on a life of success. With successful tools for personal freedom he has made it past a life full of obstacles and now mentors and teaches business owners, their staff, his own employees, as well as a large group of private individuals.

Source

What Are The Causes of Depression?

2007-10-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

What does depression feel like? For most people it's being unable to deal with something bad that happens. It could be something as serious as the death of a loved one or something less serious - whatever it might be, it is the fact that we are unable to cope that is depression.

Even though depression is now known to have serious effects if it persists for a long length of time, the actual causes of depression are not well defined. It is possible that depression occurs due to a number of reasons which combine to give that feeling of helplessness and inability to cope. These reasons, can involve both internal and external factors.

There are other theories such as the cause of depression arises from genetics. It is considered that it is the family and their behavior that has a predisposition towards depression. There are numerous studies and research that has shown family members who are affected by depression have a genetic makeup that is very different from family members who are unaffected by depression.

It has also been noted that changes in the brain structure or even brain functions may be one of the causes of depression. So, while there is no clear evidence that brain functionality or genetics cause people to be predisposed towards depression, there is ample research data to suggest that this could be the case.

There are many groups of people who could be vulnerable to depression. I have identified:

* people between the ages of 25 and 50, and those over the age of 65;

* women are about as twice as likely as men in the United States;

* people who are unhappily married, separated or divorced.

People within the identified age groups are subject to so many influences and stresses throughout everyday life that is no wonder that many in those age groups could be vulnerable. It is interesting to note that about 20-25% of women and 12% of men will experience a serious bout of depression at least one time in their lifetimes.

Among children, depression seems to happen in equal numbers of boys and girls. Then, as the sexes reach adolescence, girls tend to become more depressed than boys do. This gender imbalance with major depression continues into older age.

Women are both historically more likely to seek treatment for depression and the negative feelings that may be occurring, such as feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness, though even more recent statistics show an increasing number of men seeking self improvement therapy sessions. The increase in the number of men may be due to an acceptance by men that they experience bouts of depression and that it is OK to do something about it. It is a fact that the rates of major depression are considerably lower for those who are happily married.

Although people may be identified within the vulnerable groups that fact alone does not ensure that someone will develop a depressive episode. It has to be recognised that everyone has the susceptibility of developing depression from time to time.

Low self esteem and pessimism are thought to be related to the causes of depression. With these mood traits, a person suffering from low self esteem may regard themselves with feelings of pessimism, worthlessness, a desire to end their life and perhaps even attempts at suicide. In this case the person who suffers from low self esteem and depression will only see the negative aspects of life. These low self esteem and pessimistic feelings, together with other factors, create a potential for depression and may indeed invoke a response towards depression.

Being overwhelmed by stress can easily lead a person into a state of depression. The many pressures that we face in our lives and the great expectations that are placed on us contribute to this feeling of stress. Therefore as more stress enters our lives depression begins to set in. Low self esteem, pessimism and stress are considered to be psychological causes of depression. In these circumstances, we begin to understand that depression is not caused by one factor but by a number of diverse factors all intricately woven to make a person vulnerable to depression.

Other causes of depression can include any physical changes that occur to our bodies. Severe medical conditions like Parkinson’s disease, heart attacks, strokes and diabetes can make the individual believe that there is nothing worthwhile living for. The idea that your body cannot no longer do the things your mind expects it to do can create and overwhelming desire to believe that life will not be the same and it becomes easy to slip into a negative spiral of emotions but than treat such situations as positive influences on the changing circumstances of life. By feeling depressed the rate of recovery is delayed.

While it is not completely clear what the exact and precise causes of depression are, there is agreement that certain physical, emotional, and genetic traits can lead towards depression. Whatever the actual causes are, the end result is that the individual who is suffering from depression has a very poor quality of life. Therefore, until we can define what are the real causes of depression, all that we can do is to help them become better.

Rather than look at the causes of depression as though depression were a fully understood condition, let’s look at it in manageable packets. Exploring and understanding potential risk factors related to depression can go a long way toward making decisions about treatment and acceptance of a bout of major depression. The key is to understand how individual circumstances weave together to create very personal circumstances that affect an individual. Those very same physical and emotional circumstances will cause one person to be vulnerable to depression whilst another may treat those circumstances as a positive influence and powerful driving force.

About The Author

Jem Meades at http://ultimatedailyhealth.com discusses a wide range of common health issues every week. Understanding your health needs will increase your confidence and ability to tackle any health issues you or your family experience. Visit http://ultimatedailyhealth.com today. Receive regular articles about common health issues every week, be informed and subscribe right now at http://ultimatedailyhealth.com.
Source

Depression - How Depression Hurts Your Heart

2007-10-22T23:10:00.000-07:00

How Depression Hurts Your Heart
As if feeling bad weren’t enough, negative emotions could be harming your heart. Over time, persistent blues, anxiety or anger can increase the risk of heart disease—or make an existing condition worse. “Psychosocial factors are increasingly recognized as important predictors of heart disease,” says Richard Stein, M.D., director of preventive cardiology at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York and author of "Outliving Heart Disease." “Depression is right up there with high cholesterol, smoking and high blood pressure as risk factors for heart attack.” Hostility and anxiety, says Dr. Stein, aren’t far behind.

The Mood-Heart Link

On one level, it’s as simple as taking care of yourself: People who are depressed, angry, anxious or highly stressed are less likely to eat healthfully, exercise regularly, quit smoking or take their medication as directed. But negative thoughts and feelings may also harm the heart more directly. Depression and anxiety disorders can alter heart rhythms, raise blood pressure and increase blood-clotting factors.

Meanwhile, the “stress” hormones norepinephrine, epinephrine and cortisol—often released in abundance when people are depressed or angry—may increase such heart disease risk factors as inflammation and insulin resistance, notes Edward Suarez, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at Duke University’s school of medicine in Durham, NC.

Blood pressure is part of another mood-heart link. Studies show that some people react to stress or anger with spikes in blood pressure, which over the years increases their risk of atherosclerosis, the main cause of heart attacks. The turbulent blood flow during these spikes may damage blood vessel walls and make a person more susceptible to plaque buildup, says Richard Jennings, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

How to Feel Better

If you have persistent negative moods, it’s important to lighten your emotional burdens. “Just living better and feeling better is enough of a reason to treat these issues,” says cardiologist Dr. Stein. But it may also benefit your heart: One study at the Stanford University School of Medicine found that when depressed people who’d had a heart attack were treated with antidepressants, they saw a significant decrease in their risk of dying over the next two and a half years.

So if negative feelings begin to color your world dark blue or angry red, talk to your doctor about whether you might benefit from psychotherapy, a stress or anger-management program and/or antidepressants. “Cardiologists and primary care physicians are not trained to recognize these issues,” says Dr. Stein. “To get the best care, you have to make this part of the discussion.”

4 Ways to Lift Your Spirits

* Walk. Incorporating 30 to 45 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise into each day isn’t just good for the heart, it helps treat depression—and may even prevent it from recurring.

* Dine on fish. Eating Omega 3–rich seafood at least twice a week also confers double benefits, protecting the heart and, some preliminary studies have found, helping lift depression.

* Engage. A good support system and social life help buffer you from the physiological effects of negative emotions.

* Laugh. Rx: funny movies? Yes! Laughing regularly is associated with the healthier function of blood vessels, according to Michael Miller, M.D., director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.

Sources: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, December 2005; Circulation, October 12, 2004 and February 1, 2005; Journal of the American Medical Association, December 20, 2000; Psychosomatic Medicine, November/December 1999 and November/December 2006; Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, February 2006.

Easing a broken heart and a troubled mind may take time, so don’t get discouraged. Feeling well is worth the effort.

About The Author

Writer: Stacey Colino
©MDminute: Heart, Issue 1, 2007

Get a FREE 2-year subscription to REMEDY, which features more than one informative health magazine article to improve your health--http://www.HealthisNow.com Sign up today!
Also, check out http://www.HealthyUpdates.com --a health education website produced by MediZine, LLC.

Say Good-Bye to the Symptoms of Depression. Why a Natural Treatment is Right for You!

2007-10-22T23:06:00.000-07:00

You have been sad for the past weeks, months, and possibly years. You don't know if what you are suffering is simply a bout of the blues or depression? Thousands of questions grip your mind and you feel like you have no place to turn (YOU DO!). Unfortunately, if you are suffering from depression, almost 10% of the population (18+ and older) is also dealing with the same disease. You are not alone and millions have cured the 'invisible disease' that haunts almost every aspect of one's life.

The first step is discovering if you suffer from depression? Take a look at the following depression test and keep track of how many symptoms or signs you relate with.

Symptoms of Depression:

Prolonged Sadness;
Feeling hopeless or worthless;
Difficulty in making decisions;
Concentration difficulties;
Loss of enjoyment from things that were once pleasurable;
Excessive sleep or insomnia;
Aches and pains;
Stomach or digestive problems;
Change in appetite (weight gain or loss);
Sexual dysfunctions; or
Suicidal thoughts (thoughts of death)

Typically, the two main trademarks of depression are: 1. Loss of enjoyment from things that were once pleasurable and 2. Prolonged Sadness (Depressed mood) that makes you feel sad, helpless or hopeless, and you may have crying spells. In addition, for a professional to diagnose depression, most of the listed symptoms must also be present for at least two weeks.

Why a Natural Treatment Might be Right for You!

At Barton Publishing Inc., we are serious about common illnesses and natural, holistic (whole body) ways of curing them. In fact, our team of researchers has been busy for literally months reading, documenting, interviewing and researching everything under the sun about depression! We have discovered why prescription depression medications will only hide the symptoms and NOT cure them (as well as have harsh side-effects). We have discovered a simple four-part natural cure called The Joy Equation, we are confident will treat any type of depression. In fact, I am so confident; I put our 100% no-risk, money-back guarantee on our Joy Equation Report which explains how to naturally cure depression. And finally, we are confident our natural cure WILL treat your depression symptoms for good! So let me ask you,

Are You Ready For A Serious, Legitimate, Natural And Affordable Depression Cure That Really Works And That's Based On Sound Research And Real World Experience?

Just imagine yourself bounding out of bed in the morning ready and even eager to face the day and whatever challenges it might bring.

Just imagine being filled with passion and love and truly, once again being able to enjoy the company of your friends, your family and your spouse or partner.

Just imagine saying goodbye to the stress and the expense of those side-effect laden depression pills... and regaining your true personality and your true self.

Just imagine finally being happy... and having the tools and the knowledge you need to stay happy even in the face of the toughest challenges.

Just imagine finally finding joy. Take a minute and check out our Joy Equation Website because life is too short to be depressed! I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

About The Author

Joe Barton writes for Barton Publishing, a natural health company specializing in educating people of safe, natural remedies. To see how you can have The Joy Equation sent to your computer in minutes, http://www.thejoyequation.com/depression

Relieve Depression Naturally

2007-10-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

Relieve Depression Naturally
Depression is a mood disorder that ranges from mild to severe. All of us have experienced a form of depression at some time in our lives. It can accompany loss, stress, unresolved anger, fear, shame, disappointment and other emotional dynamics that are a part of our life situation. Depression is experienced by children, adults, and elderly regardless of economic status, gender, or culture. Depression affects physical health, relationships, awareness, weight, memory, decision making ability, energy level, interest, and sleep. In addition to emotional experience, depression can result from diet, nutrition, and other physical biochemical origins.

In severe, special cases of depression associated with extreme mental disorder, synthetic, chemical based drugs called antidepressants are required and necessary for relief of depression. However, most of us do not fall into this category and too often these synthetic antidepressants are prescribed for us who suffer from common daily disappointments in our lives. For most common experiences of depression, antidepressants are not often necessary. Synthetic Antidepressants have been known to have some harmful side effects, prompting the FDA to recommend that manufacturers add this warning label to their products: "Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in short-term studies in children and adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of {insert established name} or any other antidepressant in a child or adolescent must balance this risk with the clinical need. Patients who are started on therapy should be observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidalty, or unusual changes in behavior".

This is not to suggest that ignoring the feelings of depression will make the feelings go away. Since depression can have physical biochemical origin and depression from emotional stress can cause biochemical change in the body, it would follow that common, not severe, depression would respond to clinically proven all natural remedies as vitamins, herbs, supplements, minerals, amino acids, aromatherapy, and all natural formulas designed to relieve the pain of depression. Other treatments e.g. psychotherapy, exercise, acupuncture, yoga, meditation also aid in the natural relief of depression.

Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals can trigger depression as well as depression decreasing the availability of vitamins and minerals essential for the maintaining our body's health. These vitamins and minerals include vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium and trace minerals. Supplementing our bodies with these vitamins and minerals can relieve and perhaps prevent depression as well as greatly improving our health generally.

Adding amino acids to our diets can go a long way in relieving depression and promoting general health. For example, SAMe (S-Adensoyl-L-Methionine) is an amino acid that can be found in all cells of our body. It is a natural antidepressant that has additional value of protecting the liver and cardiovascular system, synthesis of natural melatonin that assists sleeping well. Phenylalanine is another amino acid that makes the neurotransmitter, i.e. substance that conducts messages to and within the brain, norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is diminished in the brains of people who are depressed. The amino acid L-Theanine naturally reduces anxiety associated with depression and is not addictive or habit forming. Another amino acid that naturally relieves depression and stimulates alertness is L-Tyrosine.

5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophane) is a naturally occurs in our bodies and helps the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Adequate amounts of serotonin is vital for a feeling and sense of emotional well being. 5-HTP can cross the blood brain barrier which makes it unique in the facilitation of serotonin. 5-HTP has gained a great reputation in the natural treatment of insomnia, depression and obesity.

For many people who suffer common depression, a effectively created herbal formula is very beneficial for the natural relief of depression. St. John's wort (hypericum perforaturn), commonly referred to as "Nature's Prozac", helps naturally relieve mild or moderate depression, stress, anxiety, and tension. Gingo biloba is used as an alternative treatment for moderate depression in elderly people because depression is an early sign of cognitive decline or cerebrovascular deficiency. Valerian root has a natural calming effect for anxiety and depression. Passionflower is an efficient natural sedative for calming and sleeping well. Black Cohosh, used by early Native Americans, soothes the body and reduces spasm. These are just a few of the examples of herbs and herbal formula that treat moderate depression effectively and naturally.

Hormonal imbalance can lead to moderate depression. A common treatment is natural progesterone for women. Other natural substances help balance hormones e.g. flax oil, black cohosh, dimpro, promensil, essential fatty acids, red clover, virtex berry and many other naturally derived supplements.

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils and other natural aromatic compounds from plants to effect emotional and physical health The oils are referred to as "essential" because they are the "essence" of the plant. Olfactory sense has a powerful effect on our emotional and physical health. Aromatherapy can be used to alter mood, inspire confidence, ease moderate depression, and increase energetic feeling. In some nations essential oils are used for their antiseptic qualities to treat infection. In France, many aromatherapy essential oils are perceived in a similar way as prescription drugs are in the United States. Aromatherapy comes in many forms, e.g. essential oil, mists, sticks, candles, infusions, massage creams and oils, mineral bath formulas, and absolutes.

One on the most popular aromatherapy aromas is lavender. Lavender essential oil has a calming scent which makes it an excellent tonic for the nerves and helps in treating migraines, headaches, anxiety, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress. Its refreshing aroma removes nervous exhaustion and restlessness and increases mental activity. Lavender essential oil induces sleep and hence it is often recommended for insomnia. Lavender essential oil is also an excellent remedy for various types of pains including those caused by sore muscles, tense muscles, muscular aches, rheumatism, sprains, backache and lumbago.

In summary, many of us suffer mild to moderate depression for a variety of reasons. Our experience of depression is not so severe or of long duration to justify the use of powerful synthetic prescription drugs or antidepressant drugs with their potential of hazardous, harmful physical and behavioral side effects. We have available to us, a vast variety of effective, efficient, all natural vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, aromatherapy, hormonal balancers, and other safe natural modalities for relieving mild to moderate depression.

About The Author

Jennifer Kays has over twenty years experience with all natural health care products. She provides the highest quality all natural health care products through http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com

Depression and "the Secret"

2007-10-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

A lot of people are misinformed about what "the Secret" is. They watched the movie or read the book, read what they want to into it, jumped to conclusions, and assumed they know everything there was to know. Actually the "Secret" is pretty complex and difficult to understand because it goes against everything we've been told. I have a small library on the subject, and I'm still struggling to understand it. I do know, however, that after being moderately to severely depressed most of my life, the "Secret" is the best thing I've ever heard. Why? Because it gives the depressed person some hope.

Probably the most significant component of depression, if not all of it, is the feeling that you don't have control over what is happening in your world. It has been shown that making animals powerless to change their world automatically makes them depressed. The sad feeling comes from the idea that you will never be able to improve your situation, whatever it is. There is no hope for you.

The "Secret" states that everyone has the ability to change their situation, and their world, even me. It says that we are all God's children, and have all been given the same power. The only difference between me and the millionaire with everything he wants is that he has figured out how to use that power.

Of course, it also says that a successful person thinks positive thoughts, and feels happy. It has been said that "The one thing a depressed person hates most of all is a happy person" and that has been my experience for the most part. Being happy is obviously extremely difficult for the depressed person, but we are given an idea of how to go about achieving that. We are given some hope of achieving what we want and need most of all.

It's about awareness, first of all. We first of all need to know the correct information (that we have the power to change too). Then we need to be aware of what we have been thinking. If you are aware of what you are thinking, you can change it; maybe not much, but at least a little bit. As they say, "Reach for the best feeling thought you can find". As we all know "the first step is always the hardest" and the most important thing is to be moving in the right direction, even if that movement is very slow. You may be taking one step forward, and then two steps back, but at least you will eventually get there. I won't become happy overnight but at least I am seeing an improvement in my mood. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope.

It's about action, second of all. One thing that we need to take into consideration here too is that action is essential. You have to do something. You can't achieve anything even by sitting there and thinking positive thoughts. There is a joke about the guy who prayed to God that he would get a million dollars, and finally God said to him "Give me a break; go and buy a lottery ticket." The good news is that doing something, even if it is just getting out of bed, will automatically make you feel happier. And it will start a snowball effect. You will be doing more and more and feeling better and better. You will learn, from experience, that you can, indeed, make a difference. It may be a small one at first, but eventually you will get to a point where you can make significant differences, and feel wonderful about them.

Depression, then, comes mostly or entirely, from the idea that we are powerless to change our situation, whatever it is. The "Secret" tells us that this idea is simply wrong. We have power. We have hope. We can change, even if it takes a while. We can influence our world, and in doing so, we can become happy again.

About The Author

Tracy Crowe has suffered from moderate to severe depression most of her life. She knows how difficult it can be to cure. For information about depression visit http://yourdepressioninfo.com

Chiari Syndrome

2007-10-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Chiari Syndrome
In some cases, chronic fatigue can be caused by pressure on the nerves in the neck or the base of the brain. The name for this is "Chiari's Syndrome". It is genetic malformation at the base of the skull. Surgery may be able to correct the condition.

Chiari's Syndrome is a genetic condition in which a malformation at the base of the skull presses on the base of the brain causing chronic fatigue. It usually shows up by the late teen years.

Chiari's syndrome was first described by Dr. Chiari over 100 years ago. It can cause chronic fatigue in some people. Other neck injuries can also cause fatigue. If you have neck problems, you may want to consult a reputable neurosurgeon and get an MRI. If your CFS began in your teens or early twenties, it may be worthwhile to investigate this.

Chiari and other neck problems are being diagnosed with greater accuracy these days. Many neck injuries do not show up on X-ray. It was not until recent years and the availability of MRIs that a good diagnostic tool was available.

It is difficult to know who will benefit from surgery and who won't. There are a number of different possible procedures and it has been difficult to know which one to use. Great advances have been made in this area in the last year and even in the last few months alone. Several studies have been published which shed much light on these issues.

Make sure you go to a reputable teaching hospital if you are going to have surgery, because frankly it can take a year or two for new methods to make their way out to other hospitals. You want someone who is up on the latest advances.

Chiari Malformation
Chiari malformation is considered a congenital condition, although acquired forms of the condition have been diagnosed. A German pathologist, Professor Hans Chiari, first described abnormalities of the brain at the junction of the skull with the spine in the 1890s. He categorized these in order of severity; types I, II, III, and IV. The term “Arnold-Chiari” was latter applied to the Chiari type II malformation. These malformations, along with syringomyelia and hydromyelia, two closely associated conditions

Chiari Malformation Symptoms
Many people with Chiari I malformation have no symptoms. However, any of the following symptoms may occur, alone or in combination. Some of the symptoms are related to the development of a syrinx (a fluid filled cavity in the spinal cord).

Severe head and neck pain
An occipital headache felt at the base of the skull that is made worse by coughing, sneezing, or straining
Loss of pain and temperature sensation of the upper torso and arms (as a result of a syrinx)
Loss of muscle strength in the hands and arms (as a result of a syrinx)
Drop attacks – collapsing to the ground due to muscle weakness
Spasticity
Dizziness
Balance problems
Double or blurred vision
Hypersensitivity to bright lights

Treatment of Chiari malformations
Treatment of Chiari malformations and syringomyelia is very dependent on the exact type of malformation, as well as progression in anatomy changes or symptoms.

Chiari I malformations that are asymptomatic should be left alone. There is no indication for "prophylactic" surgery on these. If the malformation is defined as symptomatic, or is causing a syrinx, treatment is usually recommended.

Chiari II malformations are treated if the patient is symptomatic, and physicians have determined that there are no complications from hydrocephalus. In some patients, consideration of a tethered cord is also explored. In many infants who become symptomatic from a Chiari II malformation, the symptom onset and progression are severe and rapid, and this requires an urgent or emergency approach.

Cancer Treatment

2007-10-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

Cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases in which cells are aggressive (grow and divide without respect to normal limits), invasive (invade and destroy adjacent tissues), and/or metastatic (spread to other locations in the body). These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited in their growth and do not invade or metastasize (although some benign tumor types are capable of becoming malignant). Cancer may affect people at all ages, even fetuses, but risk for the more common varieties tends to increase with age. Cancer causes about 13% of all deaths. Apart from people, forms of cancer may affect animals and plants.

Nearly all cancers are caused by abnormalities in the genetic material of the transformed cells. These abnormalities may be due to the effects of carcinogens, such as tobacco smoke, radiation, chemicals, or infectious agents. Other cancer-promoting genetic abnormalities may be randomly acquired through errors in DNA replication, or are inherited, and thus present in all cells from birth. Complex interactions between carcinogens and the host genome may explain why only some develop cancer after exposure to a known carcinogen. New aspects of the genetics of cancer pathogenesis, such as DNA methylation, and microRNAs are increasingly being recognized as important.

Genetic abnormalities found in cancer typically affect two general classes of genes. Cancer-promoting oncogenes are often activated in cancer cells, giving those cells new properties, such as hyperactive growth and division, protection against programmed cell death, loss of respect for normal tissue boundaries, and the ability to become established in diverse tissue environments. Tumor suppressor genes are often inactivated in cancer cells, resulting in the loss of normal functions in those cells, such as accurate DNA replication, control over the cell cycle, orientation and adhesion within tissues, and interaction with protective cells of the immune system.

Cancer is usually classified according to the tissue from which the cancerous cells originate, as well as the normal cell type they most resemble. These are location and histology, respectively. A definitive diagnosis usually requires the histologic examination of a tissue biopsy specimen by a pathologist, although the initial indication of malignancy can be symptoms or radiographic imaging abnormalities. Most cancers can be treated and some cured, depending on the specific type, location, and stage. Once diagnosed, cancer is usually treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As research develops, treatments are becoming more specific for different varieties of cancer. There has been significant progress in the development of targeted therapy drugs that act specifically on detectable molecular abnormalities in certain tumors, and which minimize damage to normal cells. The prognosis of cancer patients is most influenced by the type of cancer, as well as the stage, or extent of the disease. In addition, histologic grading and the presence of specific molecular markers can also be useful in establishing prognosis, as well as in determining individual treatments.

Signs and symptoms of Cancer
Roughly, cancer symptoms can be divided into three groups:

Local symptoms: unusual lumps or swelling (tumor), hemorrhage (bleeding), pain and/or ulceration. Compression of surrounding tissues may cause symptoms such as jaundice.
Symptoms of metastasis (spreading): enlarged lymph nodes, cough and hemoptysis, hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), bone pain, fracture of affected bones and neurological symptoms. Although advanced cancer may cause pain, it is often not the first symptom.
Systemic symptoms: weight loss, poor appetite and cachexia (wasting), excessive sweating (night sweats), anemia and specific paraneoplastic phenomena, i.e. specific conditions that are due to an active cancer, such as thrombosis or hormonal changes.
Every symptom in the above list can be caused by a variety of conditions (a list of which is referred to as the differential diagnosis). Cancer may be a common or uncommon cause of each item.

Cancer Treatment
Cancer can be treated by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy or other methods. The choice of therapy depends upon the location and grade of the tumor and the stage of the disease, as well as the general state of the patient (performance status). A number of experimental cancer treatments are also under development.

Complete removal of the cancer without damage to the rest of the body is the goal of treatment. Sometimes this can be accomplished by surgery, but the propensity of cancers to invade adjacent tissue or to spread to distant sites by microscopic metastasis often limits its effectiveness. The effectiveness of chemotherapy is often limited by toxicity to other tissues in the body. Radiation can also cause damage to normal tissue.

Because "cancer" refers to a class of diseases, it is unlikely that there will ever be a single "cure for cancer" any more than there will be a single treatment for all infectious diseases.

General Info about Breast Cancer

2007-10-19T20:02:00.000-07:00

Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women. Breast cancer mostly occurs in women over the age of 50, and the risk is especially high for women over age 60. Breast cancer is also found to occur more often in white women than African American or Asian women.
Each breast has 15 to 20 sections called lobes. Within each lobe are many smaller lobules (milk producing glands). Lobules end in dozens of tiny bulbs that can produce milk. The lobes, lobules and bulbs are all linked by thin tubes called ducts (milk passages that connect the lobules and the nipple). Fat surrounds the lobules and ducts. These ducts lead to the nipple in the center of a dark area of skin called the areola. There are no muscles in the breast, but muscles lie under each breast and cover the ribs.
Each breast also contains blood vessels and lymph vessels. The lymph vessels carry colorless fluid called lymph, and lead to small bean-shaped organs called lymph nodes. Clusters of lymph nodes are found near the breast in the axilla (under the arm), above the collarbone, and in the chest. Lymph nodes are also found in many other parts of the body.

Medicines to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

2007-10-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Chemoprevention, the use of drugs to reduce the risk of cancer in healthy people, is a fairly new and rapidly growing area of cancer research. Several clinical studies have shown that the drugs tamoxifen and raloxifene may reduce the risk of breast cancer in women known to be at increased risk. Other studies are looking at the effectiveness of newer drugs called aromatase inhibitors in risk reduction.

The following information is intended to help you and your doctor decide whether or not one of them may be right for you.

Tamoxifen (Nolvadex®)

What Is Tamoxifen?

Tamoxifen is a drug that is taken once a day as a pill. It has been used for more than 25 years to help treat some women with breast cancer.

Tamoxifen works against breast cancer, in part, by interfering with the activity of estrogen. Estrogen is a female hormone that can fuel the growth of breast cancer cells. Tamoxifen works by blocking estrogen from attaching to receptors (molecules that regulate the cells' activity) on the surface of breast cells. .For this reason, tamoxifen is often called an "anti-estrogen" and is used as a treatment for estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. (Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer responds to estrogen, and estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer does not.)

As a treatment for breast cancer, this drug slows or stops the growth of estrogen receptor-positive cancer cells that are already present in the body. Tamoxifen also helps prevent cancer from coming back (recurring) in women who have been treated for breast cancer.

Several studies also have looked at tamoxifen's ability to lower the risk of getting breast cancer in women known to be at increased risk for the disease.

How Effective Is Tamoxifen in Reducing the Risk of Developing Breast Cancer?

The Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT), a large study looking at tamoxifen, was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the mid 1990s. In this study, more than 13,000 women at higher than average risk of breast cancer were assigned to one of two groups. Each group was to take a pill each day for 5 years. One group took tamoxifen, the other took a placebo (sugar pill), but neither group of women knew which pill they were taking. After observing these women for 7 years, the study found that compared to the women taking the placebo, those who took tamoxifen had:

About half the risk of invasive breast cancer. There were 145 cases in the tamoxifen group vs. 250 cases in the placebo group.

About one-third less risk of noninvasive breast cancer, such as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). There were 60 cases in the tamoxifen group vs. 93 cases in the placebo group.
During the 7-year follow-up period, there was no major difference in the risk of death from breast cancer between the two groups. Breast cancer caused 11 deaths in the placebo group and 12 in the tamoxifen group. (The number of deaths from any cause was also about the same between the groups.)

Another study that looked at tamoxifen for breast cancer risk reduction, the IBIS-I study, was an international clinical trial that began in 1992. It followed more than 7,000 women at increased risk. The study was similar in design to the BCPT study. After an average of about 8 years, the women taking tamoxifen had about one-third (34%) fewer cases of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer compared to those taking a placebo. Recent findings from the IBIS-I study also have shown that the breast cancer risk reduction effect of tamoxifen continues, even beyond the 5 years of actually taking the drug. In fact, this study has shown that tamoxifen's risk-reducing effects lasted for at least 10 years, while most of its side effects stop when the drug is stopped.

Are There Other Benefits of Taking Tamoxifen?

In addition to reducing the risk of developing breast cancer, tamoxifen can also help prevent osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones, that can occur in women after they reach menopause. The BCPT study found that it reduced the risk of bone fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine by about one third (32%).

Tamoxifen did not offer protection against heart attacks in the BCPT study, although it did seem to provide some in other studies of women who already had breast cancer. More research is needed to clarify these conflicting results.

Are There Risks With Taking Tamoxifen?

Tamoxifen is a complex chemical. In addition to its anti-estrogen properties it appears to have some weak estrogen-like properties, too. Because of this, tamoxifen may increase a woman's chance of some rare, but serious health problems such as:

endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus)
uterine sarcoma (cancer of the connective tissue of the uterus)
major blood clots (pulmonary embolism, stroke, deep vein thrombosis)
Endometrial Cancer and Uterine Sarcoma

Estrogens and agents that act like estrogens are known to increase the risk of endometrial cancer. According to the BCPT study, tamoxifen increases a woman's chance of developing endometrial cancer (based on 53 cases in the tamoxifen group vs. 17 cases in the placebo group of the study). It also appears to increase the risk of developing a rare but serious form of cancer known as uterine sarcoma (based on 3 cases in the tamoxifen group vs. 1 case in the placebo group).

It is especially important for women who have taken or are taking tamoxifen to discuss this information with their doctors. These women are strongly encouraged to report any unexpected vaginal bleeding or spotting, which could be symptoms of these cancers. Women should talk to their doctors about the potential benefits, risks, and limitations of testing for early endometrial cancer detection.

Endometrial cancer usually can be found at an early stage, when treatment is most effective. The 2 main methods currently available for detecting endometrial cancer are the endometrial biopsy and transvaginal ultrasound. (For more information, see the American Cancer Society document, Endometrial Cancer.)

Although the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that women taking tamoxifen learn about their options for endometrial cancer screening so that they can make informed decisions, ACS makes no recommendation for routine screening for these women. This is because so far, studies to date have not shown that routine screening helps find endometrial cancer at a more curable stage. Also, many studies have found that routine screening for endometrial cancer may lead to unnecessary surgery to evaluate "false positive" test results.

Women who have had a hysterectomy (surgery to remove the uterus) are not at risk for endometrial cancer.

Major Blood Clots

According to the BCPT study, women taking tamoxifen have about 2 times the chance of developing a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot in the lung. This finding is based on 28 cases in the tamoxifen group vs. 13 cases in the placebo group.

Women in the tamoxifen group of the study were also more likely to have a stroke or to have deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot in a major vein), although the differences were small enough that they may have been due to chance.

The IBIS-I study also found an increased risk of blood clots (about 2½ times higher) in the women who took tamoxifen, especially among those who had recently had major surgery. Women taking tamoxifen who will be having surgery may want to speak with their doctors about this.

In general, blood clots occur more often in people with high blood pressure or diabetes, smokers, and in those who are obese.

Are There Any Other Possible Side Effects of Tamoxifen?

Like most medicines, tamoxifen causes side effects in some women. The side effects experienced most often by women in the BCPT study were hot flashes and vaginal discharge. Other side effects were also reported, but these were no more common in the women who took tamoxifen than in the women who took placebo and included:

vaginal dryness, itching, or bleeding
menstrual irregularities
depression
loss of appetite
nausea and/or vomiting
dizziness
headaches
weight gain
fatigue
Treatments that could reduce or eliminate most of these side effects are available.

Some research has shown that women who take tamoxifen may be at a slightly increased risk for developing cataracts (a clouding of the lens of the eye). In the BCPT study, women in the tamoxifen group were 21% more likely to develop cataracts than women in the placebo group. They were also more likely to have cataract surgery. The IBIS-I study, however, did not find an increased risk of cataracts. As women age, they are more likely to develop cataracts whether or not they take tamoxifen.

As in the BCPT study, women on tamoxifen in the IBIS-I study were also more likely to have vaginal discharge and hot flashes. New findings in the IBIS-I study included an increased risk of vaginal yeast infections and an increased risk of having brittle nails.

Does Tamoxifen Cause a Woman to Begin Menopause?

Tamoxifen does not cause a woman to begin menopause, although it can cause some similar symptoms (such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and vaginal dryness). In most premenopausal women taking tamoxifen, the ovaries continue to act normally and produce female hormones (estrogens) in the same or slightly increased amounts.

How Long Should Women Take Tamoxifen?

When used to treat breast cancer, tamoxifen should be taken for 5 years. In one study, women with early stage breast cancer who took tamoxifen for 10 years had no greater benefit from the longer duration and showed a trend toward more side effects.

In the BCPT study, women took tamoxifen for 5 years. The ideal length of time women should take tamoxifen to reduce their risk of breast cancer is not known. This question is being researched. Recent reports from the IBIS-I study have shown that the benefits of taking tamoxifen for 5 years may actually last beyond the 5 year active treatment period, while the side effects do not. Based on the best information available at this time, it is recommended that women take the drug for 5 years.

Does Tamoxifen Have the Same Risks as Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also called post-menopausal hormone therapy (PHT), is used by some women to reduce hot flashes and other problems after menopause that can affect quality of life. It may also help women maintain bone density, reduce the risk of fractures, and may reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Clinical studies have suggested that combined HRT (estrogen plus progesterone) increases a woman's chances of developing heart problems, blood clots, breast cancer, and other serious health problems. Women considering using HRT after menopause should be aware of these potential effects and should discuss them with their doctor before deciding on a course of action. Those who decide to use HRT should do so at the lowest effective dose and for the shortest possible time.

Tamoxifen, on the other hand, does not reduce menopausal symptoms and may actually make them worse. Like HRT, it appears to increase the risk of blood clots. Tamoxifen does reduce breast cancer risk and may help slow or reduce bone loss. Its overall effect on heart disease, however, is still not known.

Who Should Consider Taking Tamoxifen to Reduce Their Breast Cancer Risk?

The BCPT study looked only at women who were at increased risk for developing breast cancer. These included:

women 60 years of age and older

women between the ages of 35 and 59 with risk factors that increased their chances of getting breast cancer within the next 5 years to the same level or higher than that of a 60-year-old woman
The risk for these women was determined by the Breast Cancer Assessment Profile. Their risk score was a minimum of 1.7% meaning that 17 of every 1,000 women with this score were expected to develop breast cancer within 5 years. (See the "Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tools" section below for information on how risk scores are determined.)

Many diseases, including breast cancer, occur more often in older women. The risk of developing breast cancer increases with age. This means that breast cancer occurs more commonly in women moreolder than 60 years old compared to women in their 40s and 50s. A woman younger than age 60 could have similarthe same risk toas a 60 year-old woman (or even higher) if she has one or more of the following factors:

BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene alteration

previous history of breast cancer

breast biopsy result that shows either atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). These conditions indicate an increased chance of developing invasive breast cancer

family history of breast cancer (i.e. several close relatives – mother, sister(s), daughter(s) – particularly if they were diagnosed before menopause)

not having any children, or having a first child later in life (after age 30)

starting menstrual periods before age 12 or going through menopause after age 55
To learn more about your own breast cancer risk and whether you might want to consider taking tamoxifen, see the section, "Breast Cancer Risk Assessment: Should I Consider Taking Tamoxifen?"

Should Certain Women NOT Take Tamoxifen for Risk Reduction?

Tamoxifen should not be used to reduce breast cancer risk in women who:

have ever had blood clots or who develop blood clots that require medical treatment
are taking medicines to thin their blood
have a history of high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, or diabetes -- tamoxifen increases the risk of blood clots in these women.
are planning to become pregnant or are pregnant
are breast-feeding
are younger than 35 years old, or are younger than 60 years old and who are not at increased risk
have not had any breast cancer risk assessment
are currently taking hormone replacement therapy, raloxifene or an aromatase inhibitor
There may be other reasons that a woman should not take tamoxifen, such as a history of atypical hyperplasia of the uterus or cataracts. Women should talk with their doctor about their specific situation.

Tamoxifen may cause birth defects if taken at the time of conception or during pregnancy. People taking this drug need to use a barrier or non-hormone method of birth control. If you are pregnant, breast-feeding, or planning to have children in the future, tell your doctor before you start treatment. Do not use oral contraceptives (birth control pills) or other contraceptives containing hormones while taking this drug without checking with your doctor first.

Should Women Who Have An Increased Risk of Breast Cancer Take Tamoxifen?

Women with an increased risk of breast cancer can consider taking tamoxifen to reduce their risk. As with any medical procedure or treatment, the decision to take tamoxifen is a personal one in which the benefits and risks of the therapy must be carefully considered.

The balance of these benefits and risks will vary depending on a woman's personal health history and how much importance she puts on the benefits and risks. Even if a woman is at increased risk of breast cancer, tamoxifen therapy may not be appropriate for her. Any woman who is considering tamoxifen therapy should talk with her doctor about her personal health situation in order to make the best decision for herself.

Should Women Who Do NOT Have An Increased Risk of Breast Cancer Take Tamoxifen?

Because tamoxifen has never been studied in healthy women at average risk for breast cancer, there's no way to know if it would lower their breast cancer risk and if so, by how much. Only higher risk women were allowed to participate in the BCPT study, in part because there are known side effects of taking tamoxifen.

Women at average risk would be exposed to the same risks of the drug, but the benefit would be less because fewer of these women would be expected to develop breast cancer. There is currently no recommendation to take any breast cancer chemopreventive medicine if you are not considered to be at an increased risk. Women who are not at increased risk should talk with their doctor about their specific situation.

Breast Cancer Risk Assessment: Should I Consider Taking Tamoxifen?

There is no easy answer to this question, and ultimately any decision you make should be made with your doctor. As is the case with almost all drugs, there are benefits and risks with taking tamoxifen.

For now, most experts feel that a woman's breast cancer risk should be higher than average for her to consider taking tamoxifen. A woman who is at higher than average risk needs to compare the benefit of possibly reducing her breast cancer risk with the potential for side effects and complications from taking tamoxifen.

To find out if you are at higher than average risk for breast cancer, your risk factors need to be identified. A risk factor is anything that affects a person's chance of getting a disease. For example, smoking is a known risk factor for lung and several other cancers.

Age is the major risk factor for breast cancer. The risk increases as you get older. If you are 60 years old, you have a higher risk of having breast cancer than if you are 40. Another risk factor is family history. If your mother or sister or aunt or grandmother has had breast cancer, then you have a higher risk than if you don't have any close relatives with breast cancer. There are other risk factors for breast cancer that are less important, but when combined can influence your risk, such as age at first menstruation and menopause and your age when your first child was born.

Being at higher risk because of a certain characteristic or risk factor does not mean that you will develop breast cancer. In fact, most women who have one or more risk factors will never develop breast cancer.

You can get some idea about your risk of breast cancer (and whether tamoxifen might be an option for you) by answering the following questions. These are the same questions that doctors asked women interested in taking part in the BCPT study. The questions deal with age, personal history of breast cancer, LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ), DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), ADH (atypical ductal hyperplasia), reproductive history, and family history.

QUESTION: How old are you?

If you are younger than 35 years of age: Tamoxifen is not approved for breast cancer risk reduction in women younger than age 35. Women in this age group were not part of the BCPT study because their risk is generally low to begin with.

If 35-55 years of age: Go to the next question.

If you are in your late 50s: When the BCPT study was set up, it was decided that all women 60 and older automatically qualified to take part. This is because breast cancer risk increases with age. The study later showed that tamoxifen appeared to reduce breast cancer risk by about half for women age 60 and older.

Tamoxifen is approved for breast cancer risk reduction in all women over the age of 60, but we don't know how effective tamoxifen would be for women in their 50s who don't have a lot of other risk factors because those women did not take part in the study. But because you are close to the age cutoff, it may be OK for you to consider taking tamoxifen. Discuss this with your doctor, particularly the risks and benefits of taking tamoxifen and your personal risks for blood clots and osteoporosis, as well as breast cancer and endometrial cancer.

If you are 60 or older: Most doctors consider an average woman's risk at age 60 to be sufficient to consider taking tamoxifen to reduce breast cancer risk, so this is an option for you. When the BCPT study was set up, it was decided that all women 60 and older (regardless of any other risk factor) automatically qualified to take part because breast cancer risk increases with age. Tamoxifen was shown to reduce breast cancer risk by about half for women age 60 and older.
Source

All about Breast Cancer

2007-10-17T23:28:00.000-07:00

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers. Most cases occur in women over the age of 50. If you notice any lump or change to your normal breast then see a doctor soon. If breast cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, there is a good chance of a cure. In general, the more advanced the cancer (the more it has grown and spread), the less chance that treatment will be curative. However, treatment can often slow the progress of the cancer.

The breasts

Breast tissue is attached to muscle on the chest wall. A 'tail' of breast tissue extends up into the armpit. Men have a small amount of breast tissue around the nipples. The breasts contain:

Many lobules which are made up of glandular tissue ('milk glands'). They make milk after pregnancy.
Ducts. These are channels which take milk from the lobules to the nipple.
Fatty tissue and supporting connective tissue.
Blood vessels, lymph channels and nerves (like all other areas of the body).

Many women find that their breasts become more lumpy and tender before periods. Breasts also alter their size and shape with increasing age, pregnancy, and with marked weight changes. What is important is that you get to know your own breasts - how they look and feel - and report any changes promptly to a doctor.

What is cancer?

Cancer is a disease of the cells in the body. The body is made up from millions of tiny cells. There are many different types of cell in the body, and there are many different types of cancer which arise from different types of cell. What all types of cancer have in common is that the cancer cells are abnormal and multiply 'out of control'.

A malignant tumour is a 'lump' or 'growth' of tissue made up from cancer cells which continue to multiply. Malignant tumours invade into nearby tissues and organs which can cause damage.

Malignant tumours may also spread to other parts of the body. This happens if some cells break off from the first (primary) tumour and are carried in the bloodstream or lymph channels to other parts of the body. These small groups of cells may then multiply to form 'secondary' tumours (metastases) in one or more parts of the body. These secondary tumours may then grow, invade and damage nearby tissues, and spread again.

Some cancers are more serious than others, some are more easily treated than others (particularly if diagnosed at an early stage), some have a better outlook (prognosis) than others.

So, cancer is not just one condition. In each case it is important to know exactly what type of cancer has developed, how large it has become, and whether it has spread. This will enable you to get reliable information on treatment options and outlook.

See separate leaflet called 'What is Cancer' for further details about cancer in general.

What is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. More than 30,000 cases are diagnosed in the UK each year. Most cases develop in women over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can also develop in men, although this is rare. Breast cancer develops from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.

There are some 'sub-types' of breast cancer which are important to know as the treatment and prognosis (outlook) vary depending on the exact type of the cancer. The following gives a rough idea of the main sub-types. Your specialist will be able to give you more details as to the exact sub-type of breast cancer that you have.

Invasive or 'in situ'
Most breast cancers are diagnosed when a tumour has grown from within a duct or lobule into the surrounding breast tissue. These are called 'invasive' breast cancers. Invasive breast cancers are also divided into those where cancer cells have invaded into local blood or lymphatic vessels and those that have not.

Some people are diagnosed when the cancerous cells are still totally within a duct or lobule. These are called 'carcinoma in situ' as no cancer cells have grown out from their original site. A carcinoma in situ is easier to treat and has a better outlook than an invasive cancer.

Grade of the cancerous cells
A sample of breast cancer tissue can be looked at under the microscope. By looking at certain features of the cells the cancer can be 'graded'. As a rough guide, the lower the grade, the better the cancer is likely to respond to treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Grade 1 - the cancer cells tend to be slow growing and less 'aggressive'.
Grade 2 - is a middle grade.
Grade 3 - the cancer cells tend to be fast growing and more 'aggressive'.

Hormone responsive or non-hormone responsive
Tests on a sample of breast cancer cells can show if they 'respond' to oestrogen, the main female hormone. Breast cancers are divided into two types:

Oestrogen responsive breast cancer. The cells are stimulated by oestrogen which encourages the cells to divide and multiply. (Treatment can block the oestrogen - see below.)
Non-oestrogen responsive.

Stage of the cancer
This does not describe a type of cancer, but describes how much the cancer has grown and whether it has spread (see below). As a general rule, the earlier the stage, the greater the chance of a cure.

What causes breast cancer?

A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'. (See separate leaflet called 'What Causes Cancer' for more details.)

Risk factors
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are certain 'risk factors' which increase the chance that breast cancer will develop. These include:

Ageing. The risk of developing breast cancer roughly doubles for every 10 years of age. Most cases develop in women over the age of 50.
Where you live. The rate of breast cancer varies between countries. This may reflect genetic or environmental factors.
Family history. This means close relatives who have or have had breast cancer. In particular, if they were under the age of 50 when diagnosed.
If you have had a previous breast cancer.
Being childless, or if you had your first child after the age of thirty.
Early age of starting periods.
Having a menopause over the age of 55.
Taking HRT (hormone replacement therapy). Taking the combined contraceptive pill may increase the risk slightly.
Having dense breasts.
A past history of some benign breast diseases.
Lifestyle factors: taking little exercise, obesity after the menopause, and excess alcohol.

Family history and genetic testing
About 1 in 20 breast cancers are caused by a 'faulty gene' which can be inherited. Breast cancer which is linked to a faulty gene most commonly affects women in their 30s and 40s. If you have a strong family history of breast cancer you may wish to discuss this with your doctor. Genetic testing to see if you have inherited certain 'faulty genes' is possible. Alternatively contact the National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline (details at the end of the leaflet).

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

A breast lump
The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast. But note: most breast lumps are not cancerous. Most breast lumps are fluid filled cysts or fibroadenomas (a clumping of glandular tissue) which are benign. However, you should always see a doctor if a lump develops to check it out as the breast lump may be cancerous.

Other symptoms
Other symptoms which may be noticed in the affected breast include:

Changes in the size or shape of a breast.
Dimpling or thickening of some of the skin on a part of a breast.
The nipple becomes inverted (turns in).
Rarely, a discharge from a nipple occurs (which may be bloodstained).
A rare type of breast cancer causes a rash around the nipple which can look similar to a small patch of eczema.
Rarely, pain in a breast. But note, pain is not a usual early symptom. Many women develop painful breasts (mastalgia), and this is not usually caused by cancer.

The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit (axilla). If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit. If the cancer spreads to other parts of the body (advanced breast cancer), various other symptoms can develop.

How is breast cancer diagnosed?

Initial assessment
If you develop a lump or symptoms which may be breast cancer, a doctor will usually examine your breasts and armpits (axillae) to look for any lumps or other changes. You will normally be referred to a specialist. Sometimes a biopsy of an obvious lump (see below) is arranged, but other tests may be done first such as:

Mammography. This is a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can detect changes in the density of breast tissue which may indicate a tumour.
Ultrasound scan of the breast.

Biopsy - to confirm the diagnosis
A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under the microscope to look for abnormal cells. A specialist may take a biopsy with a fine needle which is pushed into the lump and some cells are withdrawn. Sometimes the doctor may be guided as to where to insert the needle with the help of a mammogram or ultrasound scan. Sometimes a small operation is needed to obtain a biopsy sample.

The biopsy sample can confirm or rule out breast cancer. Also the cells from a tumour can be assessed and tested to determine their grade and hormone responsiveness (see above).

Assessing the extent and spread
If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver, chest x-ray, a bone scan, other types of scan, etc. (There are separate leaflets which describe each of these tests in more detail.) This assessment is called 'staging' of the cancer. The aim of staging is to find out:

How large the tumour has grown.
Whether the cancer has spread to local lymph nodes in the armpit.
Whether the cancer has spread to other areas of the body (metastasized).

See separate leaflet called 'Cancer Staging and Grading' for details.

By finding out the stage of the cancer, the grade of the cells, and whether the cancer is hormone responsive, it helps doctors to advise on the best treatment options. It also gives a reasonable indication of outlook (prognosis).

What is the treatment for breast cancer?

Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used. The treatments used depend on:

The cancer itself - its size and stage (whether it has spread), the grade of the cancer cells, and whether it is hormone responsive or not, AND
The women with the cancer - your age, whether you have had your menopause, general health, and personal preferences for treatment.

You should have a full discussion with a specialist who knows your case. They will be able to give the pros and cons, likely success rate, possible side-effects, and other details about the various possible treatment options for your type of cancer.

You should also discuss with your specialist the aims of treatment. For example:

Treatment aims to cure the cancer in many cases. In particular, the earlier the stage of the cancer, the better the chance of a cure. Because of routine mammography, many women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the early stages and have a good chance of a cure. (Doctors tend to use the word 'remission' rather than the word 'cured'. Remission means there is no evidence of cancer following treatment. If you are 'in remission', you may be cured. However, in some cases a cancer returns months or years later. This is why doctors are sometimes reluctant to use the word cured.)
Treatment may aim to control the cancer. If a cure is not realistic, with treatment it is often possible limit the growth or spread of the cancer so it progresses less rapidly. This may keep you free of symptoms for some time.
Treatment may aim to ease symptoms in some cases. Even if a cure is not possible, treatments may be used to reduce the size of a tumour which may ease symptoms such as pain. If a cancer is advanced then you may require treatments such as nutritional supplements, painkillers, or other techniques to help keep you free of pain or other symptoms.

Surgery
The types of operation which may be considered are:

Breast-conserving surgery. This is often an option if the tumour is not too big. A 'lumpectomy' is one type of operation where just the tumour and some surrounding breast tissue is removed. A partial mastectomy is another type of operation which removes more breast tissue than a lumpectomy. It is also usual to have radiotherapy following these operations. This aims to kill any cancer cells which may have been left in the breast tissue.
Removal of the affected breast (mastectomy). This may necessary if there is a large tumour or a tumour in the middle of the breast. It is often possible to have breast reconstruction surgery following a mastectomy. This involves using a breast implant (for example, a silicone implant) and using flaps of skin and muscle to recreate the shape of a breast.

Whatever operation is done it is also usual to remove one or more of the lymph nodes in the armpit, or to have radiotherapy to these lymph nodes. These lymph nodes are where breast cancer usually first spreads to. The lymph nodes which are removed are examined under the microscope to see if they contain any cancer cells. This helps to accurately stage the disease and helps to guide the specialist as to what treatment to advise following surgery.

Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is a treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation which are focussed on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops cancer cells from multiplying. (There is a separate leaflet which gives more details about radiotherapy.)

For breast cancer, radiotherapy is mainly used in addition to surgery. For example, if you have breast-conserving surgery it is usual to have radiotherapy to the affected breast after the operation. This aims to prevent breast cancer returning in the same breast. When radiotherapy is used in addition to surgery it is called 'adjuvant radiotherapy'.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying. See separate leaflet called chemotherapy for more details.

When chemotherapy is used in addition to surgery it is known as 'adjuvant chemotherapy'. For example, following surgery you may be given a course of chemotherapy. This aims to kill any cancer cells which may have spread from the main tumour site. Chemotherapy is sometimes given before surgery to shrink a tumour so that surgery may have a better chance of success. Chemotherapy may be used to treat breast cancer which has spread to other areas of the body.

Hormone treatments
Some types of breast cancer are affected by the 'female' hormone oestrogen (and sometimes progestogen). These hormones stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Most oestrogen and progestogen is made by the ovaries. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer. This hormone treatment works best in women with 'hormone responsive' breast cancer, but they sometimes work in cancers classed as non-hormone responsive. Hormone treatments include:

Oestrogen blockers. Tamoxifen has been available for many years and is widely used. It works by blocking the oestrogen from working on cells. It is usually taken for five years. It is most commonly prescribed to women who have had an operation to remove a breast tumour. A newer drug called Toremifene has a similar action to tamoxifen
Drugs which stop you from making oestrogen. There are a number of drugs which work by stopping the body from making oestrogen (or progestogen). Even women past the menopause make some oestrogen and can benefit from this type of treatment.
An alternative which may be considered for women before the menopause is to remove the ovaries (or to destroy them with radiotherapy). This stops oestrogen from being made.

In summary
The treatment plan can vary greatly from case to case and depends on many different factors.

What is the prognosis (outlook)?

The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure. The outlook has improved in recent years because of the routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 70. More breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.

In general, the more advanced the cancer (the more it has spread) then the less chance that treatment will be curative. Factors which influence the outlook include whether the cancer is hormone responsive, and the grade of the cancer cells.

The treatment of cancer is a developing area of medicine. New treatments continue to be developed and the information on outlook above is very general. The specialist who knows your case can give more accurate information about your particular outlook, and how well your type and stage of cancer is likely to respond to treatment.

Screening for breast cancer

Women in the UK aged between 50 and 70 are invited to have a routine mammography every three years. Mammography is a special x-ray test and aims to detect breast cancer at an early stage when treatment is most likely to be curative.

Genetic testing and mammography screening (and preventative treatments in some cases) may also be offered to younger women with a strong family history of breast cancer. See your doctor if you feel this applies to you.
Source

Alternative Medicine: Acupuncture may harm chances of IVF pregnancy, say researchers

2007-10-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

Women who have acupuncture alongside IVF treatment could harm their chances of becoming pregnant, researchers say. The warning follows a study that found that women who had acupuncture immediately before and after having an embryo transplanted were less likely to conceive than other women.

The finding contradicts previous studies showing acupuncture having either no effect on pregnancy rates or slightly increasing the chance of conceiving.

The number of women choosing to have acupuncture while undergoing IVF has soared in recent years, but many doctors suspect any benefits from the procedure could be attributed to a placebo effect.

For the new study a team of doctors at the University of Oklahoma, led by LaTasha Craig, randomly assigned 97 IVF patients, with an average age of 35, to two groups.

One group continued fertility treatment as normal while the other was also given acupuncture. The researchers reported a pregnancy rate of 65% after one cycle of IVF among 43 women who had not had acupuncture, and a 39% pregnancy rate for 46 women given the needles treatment. Four women in each group have yet to be followed up.

The team concluded that women should avoid acupuncture during IVF. But they also said the study results could be explained by other factors, such as the stress among the studied women who had had to travel to receive their acupuncture. Also, generally, some women will only seek acupuncture after traditional fertility treatment has failed.
Source

New breast cancer genes identified

2007-10-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

The most significant advance in the understanding of breast cancer for a decade was announced last night with the identification of a new group of common genetic markers for the disease.

Scientists have discovered four genes which, if faulty, can increase a woman's chance of developing breast cancer - by up to 60% in the case of two of the genes. This helps explain why women with a close relative with breast cancer are twice as likely to develop the disease, and offers the hope of a test in the near future. The scientists also believe the techniques used will help them unravel other cancers.

Karol Sikora, a leading cancer specialist, said of the studies published online in Nature and Nature Genetics last night: "This set of incredible papers points to the future understanding [of] the genetics of cancer."

It is the most significant discovery in the field since the 1990s, when scientists identified two rare genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, which make carriers likely to develop breast cancer. An international coalition of researchers led by Cancer Research UK at Cambridge University has proved the theory that geneticists have been working on ever since: that most familial patterns of breast cancer can be explained by myriad smaller genetic effects.

Breast cancer is twice as common in those who have a close relative who develops it due to a fault in a gene, although the presence of a faulty gene does not mean that cancer will definitely occur.

The scientists trawled large parts of the genome in 800 people. They identified 11,000 "tags", or blocks of DNA which point to genes, which were more common in women with breast cancer and studied them in 8,000 more women. In the final process, which involved 40,000 women, they narrowed the search down to five tags which were significantly more common among women with breast cancer than those without. The tags pointed them to four genes which they believe are responsible for the increased breast cancer risk among the patients studied. Scientists expect that they will find a fifth.

Two of the genes identified, FGFR2 and TNRC9, are thought to increase the risk of breast cancer by about 20% in women who carry one faulty copy of a gene and by between 40% and 60% in those who carry two faulty copies. The lifetime risk for women with two faulty copies in either of these two genes would rise from one in 11 to around one in six or seven. The other two genes increase risk by 10% if there is one fault.

A maximum 10% of breast cancers have a genetic element, and the genes scientists know about so far account for 25% of these. The genes identified today account for a further 4% and are responsible for only a small number of breast cancers - up to 179 of the 44,000 diagnosed every year.

The ultimate aim is genetic screening that would band women according to risk. But scientists warn this could create an army of "worried well". They stress that the findings do not merit genetic testing immediately.

The findings do, however, hint at a different cause of familial breast cancers. Three of the new genes are involved in the control of cell growth or cell signalling, mechanisms which have never been linked to breast cancer before.

The author of the study, Douglas Easton, director of Cancer Research UK's Genetic Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge, said: "We're very excited by these results because the regions we identified don't contain previously known inherited cancer genes. This opens the door to new research directions." The techniques used are similar to those which helped identify the genes for obesity last month.
Source

Earlier Detection and Treatment of Breast Cancer

2007-10-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

Cancer Research UK podcast

In this special edition of the Cancer Research UK podcast, dedicated to breast cancer, Dr Kat Arney finds out how some of our scientists are working to understand the disease and develop better treatments. We also get the lowdown on how to be breast aware, and hear about the importance of screening.

Download the podcast

Although you can download the show to a portable mp3 player, you can also hear it directly through your computer's speakers.

Download Breast Cancer Podcast 2007

If you are having any problems downloading the podcast you can get help with listening to the podcast or read a transcript of this podcast.

What's in the podcast

We hear from Dr Jason Carroll, based at the new Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute. He is working to understand the precise role that the female sex hormone oestrogen plays in breast cancer.

Drugs such as tamoxifen block the action of oestrogen, and help to stop breast cancers from growing. But sometimes the treatment stops working and the cancer comes back.

Dr Carroll explains how he and his team are using the latest technology to find out why this happens, so we can develop better ways to treat breast cancer in the future.

One of Cancer Research UK's cancer information nurses, Jean Slocombe, tells us what women should look for when checking their breasts. Do you know the key signs to look for and how often should you check?

Finally, breast cancer survivor Barbara Powell shares her story. Her cancer was picked up during a routine mammogram, highlighting the importance of breast cancer screening.

We hope you enjoy the show. Don't forget that you can get the latest news about all Cancer Research UK's work every month in our regular podcast.

You can find out more about other aspects of our breast cancer research on our News & Resources website.

Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the UK after non-melanoma skin cancer and over 44,100 new cases are diagnosed every year.

Breast cancer claims the lives of 12,500 women each year in the UK. Men can also get breast cancer but it is rare (around 335 cases are diagnosed each year).

The good news is, thanks to earlier detection and improved treatment , breast cancer death rates in the UK have fallen by a fifth over the last ten years. Of those women diagnosed with breast cancer today, two-thirds are likely to survive for at least 20 years.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with breast cancer, you can find more detailed information on our patient information site, CancerHelp UK.

Reducing your risk of breast cancer

The risk of developing breast cancer is strongly linked to age – nearly three-quarters of cases occur in women over 65. But some aspects of your lifestyle also affect your risk.

Being overweight after the menopause for example, can increase a woman's risk of breast cancer. So try to maintain a healthy body weight by combining a balanced, low fat diet with regular exercise.

Drinking alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer, so try to limit the amount of alcohol you drink each day. And there is also a link between leading an inactive lifestyle and an increased breast cancer risk.

Stay breast aware

A woman's breasts will change in size and shape at different times in her life and during the menstrual cycle. Knowing what your breasts feel like at different times of the month can help you notice any changes. So you should get into the habit of checking your breasts regularly.

It is important to be breast aware (PDF, 48KB) and you should tell your doctor if you notice any changes in the look or feel of a breast. Be sure to attend breast screenings whenever you are invited. You can still ask for breast screening after the age of 70, just phone or write to your local breast screening unit or GP.

If you are worried about having a family history of breast cancer, you can speak to your GP about a referral to a breast clinic.
Source

Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) Clinic Opens World's First Program Dedicated to Treatment, Research

2007-10-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

By Darcy De Leon
Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC)

Imagine being diagnosed with a fast-growing, lethal cancer so rare and baffling that researchers have little information on how to treat it. That has been the case for women diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), a disease in which only 40% of patients in the United States survive five years.

Scientists hope to improve those statistics with the opening of M. D. Anderson’s Inflammatory Breast Cancer Clinic and Research Program, the world’s first clinic devoted solely to research, diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory breast cancer.

Inflammatory breast cancer, which represents 2% to 5% of breast cancers in the United States, is vastly different from other types of breast cancer in its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

Often mistaken for a rash or breast infection, inflammatory breast cancer frequently is diagnosed after the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, says IBC expert and clinic co-director Massimo Cristofanilli, M.D., associate professor in M. D. Anderson’s Department of Breast Medical Oncology.

The severity and rarity of the disease have driven Cristofanilli and clinic co-director Thomas Buchholz, M.D., professor in M. D. Anderson’s Department of Radiation Oncology, to bring together a team of 17 IBC experts in different disciplines to form the clinic.

“Every IBC patient will receive very specific tests that patients with more common breast cancers do not,” Cristofanilli says. “The idea is to have a dedicated team of inflammatory breast cancer specialists for each patient – experts in areas such as epidemiology, breast medical oncology, pathology, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, imaging physics and surgery.”

Tissue and tumor bank created to study inflammatory breast cancer

With the opening of the clinic, M. D. Anderson hopes to nearly double the number of IBC patients it sees annually from 40 to 70, Cristofanilli says. A major aim not only is to provide specialized inflammatory breast cancer treatment but also to draw enough patients to collect adequate samples of tissue, blood and other specimens to study the disease.

Cristofanilli hopes this tissue and tumor bank can help researchers discover:

Why inflammatory breast cancer is different from other breast cancers
Why inflammatory breast cancer tends to be resistant to treatment
How to develop better treatments

Symptoms, diagnosis differ from most breast cancers

While more common breast cancers are discovered through a mammogram or when a lump is found, most inflammatory breast cancers are not. Lumps are rare in IBC, and mammograms cannot identify the sheet-like structure of inflammatory breast cancer cells.

Typically, inflammatory breast cancer symptoms may include:

One breast larger than the other
Red or pink skin on breast
Swelling of breast
Rash (entire breast or small patches)
Orange-like skin texture (peau d’ orange) on breast
Breast skin hot to the touch
Pain and/or itchiness of breast
Ridges or thickened areas of breast
Nipple discharge
Nipples that appear inverted or flattened
Swollen lymph nodes under the armpit
Swollen lymph nodes of the neck (sometimes)

Advocates celebrate opening

Inflammatory breast cancer experts, survivors and advocates who attended the recent clinic opening ceremony say the clinic is a major step in treating a disease that spreads so quickly.

Mark Welch moved the crowd with the story of his wife Morgan, who died from the disease in January 2006, shortly after they were married. “I know the clinic would please her because it means we’re not giving up,” he says, adding that he hoped the clinic will “save lives and stop the nightmare.”

Laney Cummings, an inflammatory breast cancer survivor of six years who founded ibcuk.net, an organization that raises money for inflammatory breast cancer research and educates the public, flew to Houston from her home in Durham, England to attend the opening.

“The clinic is history in the making,” she says. “All of us came here to make better survival statistics.”

Jenee Bobbora, an inflammatory breast cancer survivor treated at M. D. Anderson, says she shared news of the clinic with other inflammatory breast cancer advocates via e-mail, and her e-mail box was immediately flooded.

“Everyone is so excited about the clinic,” she says. “inflammatory breast cancer spreads so quickly that there’s no room for error.”

Global benefits are anticipated

Findings from the clinic and research program are intended to benefit patients worldwide, including areas with much higher inflammatory breast cancer rates, says Gabriel Hortobagyi, M.D., chair of M. D. Anderson’s Department of Breast Medical Oncology. Inflammatory breast cancer represents about 20% of breast cancers in the northern African basin, he says.

In Tunisia, inflammatory breast cancer represents 14% of breast cancers, says Paul Levine, M.D., former clinical research coordinator on inflammatory breast cancer studies with the Tunisian Cancer Institute. Now a research professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Medicine, Levine is director of the GWU IBC registry. He continues to work with data gathered during the research project, which was funded by a Department of Defense grant.

The goals of the M. D. Anderson clinic are promising, he says. “What M. D. Anderson is doing is like what I have done with the inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) registry, but it will include laboratory research and treatment,” Levine says. “If you see a large number of patients at one place you can get a lot done."

Women experiencing any inflammatory breast cancer symptoms can call askMDAnderson at 1-877-MDA-6789 (1-877-632-6789) and request information on how to register for an appointment at the M. D. Anderson Inflammatory Breast Cancer Clinic and Research Program.
Source

Breast Cancer Treatment: Surviving Chemotherapy

2007-10-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

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!

About The Author
Melissa Buhmeyer is a breast cancer survivor and has been so for seven years. She is also the founder of http://www.breastcancer-treatment.us, a site focusing on breast cancer treatment options, news, articles, and survivor experiences.
Source

Exercise And Breast Cancer

2007-10-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

Taking every opportunity to distribute my marketing material for my new book, I stopped by a children’s clothing store one Sunday afternoon. Upon leaving the parking lot, my six year old son caught a glimpse of “those ribbons with two lines”. In my half-engaged attention, I acknowledged his observation that there were “more than three” on this one particular car. From his persistence to gain my feedback, I began to focus on our conversation. I informed him that I was not exactly clear of what he meant by the description of this two-lined ribbon. “You know…the red one…the boob problem…and the…”. Ground zero! I realized that he was speaking of the Awareness Ribbons that so emphatically adorn various vehicles these days. I started to chuckle at his innocence in remembering my recent 15-minute explanation of breast cancer as “the boob problem”. After we enjoyed the moment, I struck a more serious note to remember that the disease is far from funny and can leave heartache and devastation in its vicious path. In fact, according to Dr. Susan Love, breast cancer affects 110 women every day.

My first encounter as a Personal Trainer with a recovering breast cancer client came quite a few years ago and meeting her was quite an experience. If you have ever met a breast cancer victor you will notice that their eyes reflect a beautiful understanding of life. My encounter with my client came while I worked at a swim and racquet club. Even the way she approached me was filled with grace. Wanting to strengthen her body after the illness, she inquired about a weight training routine. She had a beaming, yet subtle smile with each simple question that she asked of me. To look at her would never disclose of her recent pain. Her hair was a typical short style of a middle-aged woman and her legs still presented the years of tennis that kept her fit. I was honored to take the position as her trainer and we worked together on a program toward rebuilding her body for not only the purpose of strength and endurance, but to attain a touch of inner peace as well.

Recovery from breast cancer is not so different a program than simply exercising to avoid such a catastrophic event in a woman’s life. If you have followed fitness for any amount of time, visited your doctor or taken a class in school, the informative path to righteous living is well paved with getting the blood flowing and the heart pounding. In turn, you increase your chances of avoiding disease (heart-related, cancer, diabetes). Likewise, if you have successfully battled the disease and yearn for a method of attack against it recurring or simply want to lessen the unpleasant after affects, the all-knowing finger will be pointing in the same direction…the local gym. Even as early as the 1980’s, research was proving that aerobic exercise improved fatigue levels and nausea in post cancer patients. Fast forward to present and the benefits have multiplied over the years. Subsequent studies indicate that weight training, aerobic exercise, and fitness emphasizing mind and body (i.e., yoga) all have a substantial impact of up to 25-50% improvement on pain, fatigue, overall optimism, the general fitness level of the individual and how much a person can improve their quality of daily life, complete with energy-draining tasks.

It is clear that exercise plays a tremendous role in helping breast cancer survivors feel better. So what are the details of program design? First and foremost, you want to stay clear of stress on the surgical or stitched area. Next, and just as important, begin with the usual 10-15 minute warm-up, no matter if you are doing weight training sets, a cardio routine or a number of yoga poses. It is after this warm-up that variety begins. For resistance/weight training exercises, you will want to start the initial phase of your program with a lowered weight volume but with up to double the repetitions. Elastic tubing and bands are also a good start for the first phase. Though you may not be directly working the muscle tissue in your surgical area, many muscles work together in stabilizing another muscle’s contraction. The lesser weight will insure that your wound is not overexerted to soon. The standard 2-3 sets are appropriate with 15-20 repetitions.

Another area of exercise is that of cardiovascular training. Cardio machines such as the treadmill or elliptical machines are acceptable and can be used for 3-4 days per week. In your initial phase of a recovery fitness routine, you may want to follow an interval program where you begin the session with a higher-intensity minute followed by a low-intensity minute totaling up to thirty minutes. As your condition improves, you can reduce your low intensity minute to 30 seconds and eventually eliminate it all together.

Finally, mind and body exercises such as yoga go a step further in fitness. Not only are you strengthening your body, you are also tapping into inner peace with each slow and controlled breath. Ideal for achieving relaxation, this type of training can be utilized for as little as 5-15 minute a day and still present positive results.

While breast cancer awareness has reached far heights as that of former president, Bill Clinton, who signed the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act of 2000, it does not stop the fact that the disease continues to take more and more lives. While a cure is currently elusive, preventative measures are not. Engaging in a fitness program that includes healthy eating, routine exercise and positive mental development is a safe bet of increasing longevity.

About The Author
Sherri L Dodd is the creator and author of Mom Looks Great - The Fitness Program for Moms. She is an ACE-certified Personal Trainer, Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant and Kickboxing Instructor with over fifteen years of exercise experience. She has lectured to groups on her fitness plan and is a freelance writer on the topics of fitness and general nutrition as well as the humorous side of motherhood. momlooksgreat.com
Source

Breast Cancer Symptoms

2007-10-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

Ways Of Detecting The Early Stages Of Breast Cancer
As many doctors will tell you where most diseases or health issues are concerned, the methods for fighting them is by prevention, being aware and early detection. Therefore if are aware that there is a history in your family of heart problems and cancer then you an advantage over others. Because you know of the risks involved concerning the family history of the disease or health issue involved you can educate yourself on having a healthier lifestyle and what factors in the environment could be contributing to you becoming a higher risk. Certainly with the issue regarding breast cancer this is no different, in fact awareness and knowledge are the strongest you will have in not only detecting the disease early but also beating it.

If you were able to detect breast cancer early enough, you will find that it can often be treated more effectively. In fact the five year survival rate for women who are treated for the early stages of breast cancer is an astounding 96%.

However in its early stage breast cancer does not usually cause the patient any pain and this is why it can be easy for us to recognize it. In fact when breast cancer is in the first developmental stages there are often no symptoms which make it easily identifiable, and it is only as the cancer grows that the changes will begin which should be watch for and be aware of.

So how do you go about detecting the signs and symptoms (changes):-

One of the first signs you may notice is a new or persistent lump or a thickening in or near the breast or possibly in the underarm area.

The size or shape of your breast may change over time.

You will discover that there is discharge from either of the nipples that had not occurred before.

There will be a change in colour or feel of your breast, areola or nipples, which may consist of dimpling, puckering or a scaliness of the skin.

By carrying out regular self breast examination you should be able to detect any one of this signs or symptoms and if you find something that you feel is abnormal then arrange an appointment to see your doctor. There is nothing wrong in being cautious where this disease is concerned. Just remember that most abnormalities that you find are not cancerous and are more likely to be cysts or a growth of fatty tissue and this can be quickly and painlessly dealt with. I’m sure that not only your doctor but you and your family will be pleased that you are erring on the side of caution, rather than ignoring something that can become more serious later on.

About The Author
Kerris Samson, who now lives in Spain and has become a work from home mum. Is now spending a large amount of her time researching breast cancer and other cancers and alternative treatment methods. For further information please visit http://www.cancerreport.info.
Source

Fat Has Long Been Known As One Of The Evil Elements In Breast Cancer

2007-10-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

Research has shown that too much fat in the fodder cup increases the tumor risk. In addition, international comparative studies stated, where greater amounts of fat were consumed, breast cancer cases rose.

The quality of the results of these comparative studies does not leave much to the imagination. They are based on agricultural production numbers and state nothing about the fat consumption of individual persons.

Besides societies differ, where there is little fat eaten as in traditional Japanese rural regions or in Africa as compared to our prosperous western societies that it is impossible to link back the different diseases such as breast cancer to only a meal or to an individual material like fat.

Take young African women who get their periods later than western females, but they bear their first child in earlier years and have far more children. Each of these factors reduces the statistical risk for breast cancer.

The latest and more methodical studies in which women who consumed a great deal of food but with little fat were compared directly with each another. The results did not provide any proven evidence that vouches for the fact that any one different source of fat was worse or better than the other.

It did not play a role whether the fat was of animal or vegetable origin and whether it predominantly consisted of unsaturated fatty acids.

As breast cancer promotions advertize a bad nutrition is also regarded as too many calories, too much fat, alcohol and meat. On the other hand a low fat food diet is better for the chest and rich in base materials, vegetables, fruit, anti-oxidants and vitamins.

But how well are these statements proven by scientific investigations?

In laboratories it has been proven that mice set on half rations of food live longer and rarely get cancer. So do women who want to protect themselves against breast cancer have to do likewise?

It is advised that it would not be beneficial for women to go on these stringent diets because first of all observation studies of humans did not result in a connection between the calorie admission and the risk of breast cancer. Secondly from experience it shows that humans who are constantly dieting on and off tend to put on weight rather than become thinner.

Nevertheless there is an indirect effect of our western way of life on the risk of breast cancer. Our children mature exceedingly faster especially the females who are becoming sexually ripe earlier. Statistically this earlier stage of development is accompanied with an increase in breast cancer.

Also the connection between the predominance of breast cancer is far less clear, than what has been studied and read in technical literature. The data shows that years ago chubby women seemed to be protected against chest tumors. Past statistics have shown this.

Past published studies showed an increase in weight did not result in a higher risk of getting this form of breast cancer. These extra pounds of body weight actually help protect against Osteoporosis, the fearful decalcifying of the bones.

With the rising consumption of meat about half of the studies published so far have not resulted in an increased risk of breast cancer, the other half were undecided which is possibly explained by the fact that there are some women who have sensitive reactions to meat

The women with sensitive reactions showed certain characteristics in their hereditary factors, which are presently being intensively investigated. Which leads to a possible concern as to the benefit of meat. It is important to know that the questionable substances develop particularly with well done meat. In addition these reactions can be further intensified to a minimum by meat spices such as Thyme, Mint and Mustard.

As far as alcohol goes most studies found an increase of the risk of breast cancer, some starting from a drink per day. However the aggravation of risk was only slight. While alcohol is not favorably healthy in larger quantities, the benefits of alcohol in moderation must be taken in to account. Such as its favorable effect on the cardiovascular system, a moderate consumption of alcohol in the second part of life accompanies clearly with decreased cardiac problems and impacts disease accumulation risk with a higher life expectancy!

Fruit and vegetables are healthy, but consuming a large amount of vegetables and fruits, do not however automatically offer a higher protection from breast cancer. Several large studies could not provide any proof of a special protective effect by a high fruit and vegetable consumption. However that in no way diminishes the importance of fruit and vegetables as part of a healthy nutrition!

The same with vitamins like anti-oxidants, vitamin E, C and A, whilst good for you there is no undisputable evidence that vitamins can reduce the risk of breast cancer. References have been made that Vitamin E and C can actually help enrich the tumor helping it to protect itself against the medicines meant to destroy it.

A possible exception concerns a Vitamin of the B-group. Whether it is really useful however will only be shown through future studies as more data is collected and recommendations made.

Beside Vitamin and mineral supplements vegetables contain secondary plant compounds that could be helpful. Among these substances for example ranked highly is Flavonoid (group of antioxidant chemical compounds) and Phytoestrogens (compounds that occur naturally in plants).

Therefore they are at present investigated intensively with laboratory and animal experiments as well as a set of human observation studies pointed towards the chest-protecting effect of Phytoestrogens.

Before purposeful nourishing recommendations can be given, the researchers must however still clarify how the processing of the food affects the effect of these substances.

Still with all the existing knowledge gaps it can safely be said that there is no Diet or food form which can heal cancer!

About The Author
John Stone writes exclusively for cancer-treatment-help.com http://www.cancer-treatment-help.com
Source

Breast Cancer Awareness

2007-10-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

Understanding Breast Cancer
Our body is made up thousands of cells that differ in size, shape and function. Controlled by our DNA, each cell is programmed to perform certain tasks and after a specified period of time - die. This is normally done in an orderly manner. However, if our cells are exposed to carcinogens, viruses or ionizing radiation, for example, the DNA can become damaged creating havoc with this once orderly process. Said another way, if the rate of new cell growth in the body overcomes the rate of cell death, tumors can develop. If these cells invade and destroy surrounding normal tissues, the abnormal cell growth is considered to be cancerous.

In the US, breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 30 and 50. Rarely diagnosed before a woman reaches 25, the number of incidents rises with age, peaking at menopause and decreasing once menopause had passed. About 182,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and about 40% of those diagnosed die within 10 years. Scientists believe these numbers are increasing.

Overwhelming evidence into the cause of breast cancer suggests the female hormone estrogen plays a central role in this disease. Studies indicate that estrogen stimulates the cells of the breast to form cancerous cells. Thus a prolonged uninterrupted presence of high estrogen levels in the body may predispose a woman to breast cancer.

These studies also indicate the less time a woman is exposed to her own reproductive hormones, the lower her risk of developing breast cancer is. This includes women who enter menses at a later age as well as women who enter menopause, both naturally and artificially, before the age of 45. Pregnancy, breast feeding, physical activity, a low fat, high fiber diet also helps to reduce the amount of estrogen flowing through the body.

Additional risk factors for developing breast cancer include a family history of breast cancer. If your mother, sister or aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, it may indicate a genetic predisposition to this disease. Women who have not had children or women who did not have their first child until after the age of 30 have been identified as having a two to five times greater risk. Women who take birth control pill or utilize estrogen replacement therapy after menopause are also at a greater risk. Other factors that can increase your chances of getting breast cancer include: weight, dietary fat intake, alcohol consumption, dietary deficiencies and certain types of fibrocystic breast disease.

Recommendations For Wellness

Do monthly breast self-examination. If you don’t know how, ask your gynecologist. I’m sure he or she will be happy to show you how. If you are over 40, it is recommended that you get a mammogram and begin a regular screening program.

Get rid of your under wire bras. Under wire bras don’t cause breast cancer, however, they do restrict the flow of lymph in the breast tissue thus allowing toxins and waste products to build up.

If it is possible, have your babies earlier than later. Having your first child before the age of 30 will help reduce your risk. Breast feeding your child for 6-8 months will reduce your risk even further.

Think twice before taking birth control pills as a form of contraception or for menstrual irregularities.

Reduce your fat intake. Studies have shown that women who eat a low-fat, high fiber diet have lower estrogen levels than women that don’t.

Eat soy! Soy has been shown to block the type of estrogen involved in the formation of breast cancer. Note: If you suffer from hypothyroidism, soy may reduce thyroid hormone levels.

Nutritional deficiencies weaken the bodies systems. Begin a diet filled with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, make sure you take a high quality vitamin and mineral supplement to ensure your body is getting all of the nutrition it needs.

Barley Greens and Nature’s Sunshine’s Immune Stimulator can be used to strengthen the body and support the immune system.

Do a liver cleanse! The liver is responsible for breaking down hormones that have served their function and eliminate them from the body. Use herbs such as milk thistle, dandelion root or burdock to keep your liver healthy.

Indole-3 carbinol is found in cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts). It has been shown to reduce the amount of the carcinogenetic forms of estrogen and increase the good kinds of estrogen in the body.

Essiac Tea is popularly used as an additional supplement to support the immune system of individuals suffering from cancer.

In preliminary studies paw paw twig extracts have be used to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. In one study, some breast cancer patients experienced partial or complete tumor reduction. Talk to your health care provider before taking this supplement. It should not be taken with a number of other supplements such as antioxidant products and Co-Q10. If you have Parkinson’s Disease, you should not take this substance.

About The Author
Dr. Rita Louise, © Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer 2005. All rights reserved.
Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Rita Louise, Ph.D. is the author of the books “Avoiding the Cosmic 2x4” and “The Power Within”. It is her unique gift as a medical intuitive and clairvoyant that illuminates and enlivens her work. Let Dr. Louise help you bring health healing and wholeness back into your life. Medical Intuition & Energy Medicine Certification training classes are now forming. Visit http://www.soulhealer.com or call (972) 475-3393 for more information.
Source

Herbal And Alternative Treatments For Breast Cancer

2007-10-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

Herbal remedies have been around for for thousands of years. Now, women with breast cancer facing chemotherapy and radiation are supplementing this traditional medicine with herbal remedies and alternative treatments. They are not abandoning the usual breast cancer treatment; they are using herbal remedies and alternative treatments to curb the side effects.

Ginseng has been used by the Chinese for centuries. They believe that it stimulates the immune system and energies the patient. There are more than 30 active compounds in the ginseng root. Many of the compounds are believed to have anti-tumor properties. In a Chinese study it was found that women who took ginseng before their diagnosis had a higher survival rate than the women who took ginseng after their diagnosis. Women have reported that they have a higher quality of life and suffer less depression while using ginseng.

There is a mushroom, the Maitake that helps in boosting the immune system. Here again, in the East this has been used widely. Lab studies have been done using liquid Maitake extract. Many researchers believe that the mushrooms contain beta-glucans which helps to enhance the immune system. They still don't know why, but they are working on it.

Mistletoe extract has been used in Europe to treat cancer patients for over 80 years. It has been shown to kill cancer cells and boost the immune system. There have been very few studies done here on mistletoe, but some research is under way and will be out at the end of this year. Researchers are studying the safety, the effects on the immune system and its toxicity.

Acupuncture is especially helpful for nausea and post surgical pain. Many studies done by research oncologists have shown that acupuncture was better for women with breast cancer than the medication taken to fight nausea. It also helps in loss of appetite, fatigue and sleep disorders. The AAMA recommends women with breast cancer should get acupuncture during their chemotherapy treatments but only after you have spoken to your primary doctor.

All doctors and researchers stress that diet and exercise play a key role in treating cancer. Stick to a diet that is high in fruits, vegetables and grains. The National Cancer Institute recommends at least 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day. Phytochemicals are found in fruits and vegetables and they prevent cancers in a number of ways. Research shows that they help in detoxification of carcinogens, DNA repair, boosting of the immune system and maintenance of cellular control mechanisms. Obesity plays a role in getting cancer. Change your diet, eat healthy and go for a walk or ride a bike. This is a suggestion we should all take to heart.

These alternative methods may well help you through your breast cancer treatment and perhaps even get you a speedier recovery. New studies are being done everyday for women with breast cancer. Discuss these alternative therapies with your Doctor and always let your physician and your oncologist know about any therapies you want to take, before you take them. This will make sure that the alternative therapy won't interfere with your chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor am I in the medical field. This is just information that I researched out of curiosity and the desire to know all of the options available.

About The Author
Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com
Source

Signs of Breast Cancer

2007-10-16T06:39:00.000-07:00

Identifying the Signs of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women and the leading cause of cancer deaths.

Every woman's breasts are different so it is important for each individual woman to be familiar with her breasts in order to recognize any peculiarities.

Unfortunately, the early stages of breast cancer may not have any symptoms. This is why it is important to follow screening recommendations. As a tumor grows in size, it can produce a variety of symptoms including:

* lump or thickening in the breast or underarm * change in size or shape of the breast * nipple discharge or nipple turning inward * redness or scaling of the skin or nipple * ridges or pitting of the breast skin

If you experience these symptoms, it doesn't necessarily mean you have breast cancer, but you need to be examined by a doctor.

Breast cancer is very rare before age 20 and is rarely diagnosed in women younger than age 25. Past that age, the incidence rises steadily to reach a peak around the age of menopause. The rate of increase is lessened after menopause, but older women are still at increasing risk over time.

Although a specific cause for breast cancer has not been identified, there are risk factors that increase the likelihood that a woman will develop a breast cancer. These risks include:

* Maternal relative with breast cancer. * Women who start their menstruation early and/or go into early menopause, increasing the length of reproductive years, are at greater risk. * Obesity. Women who are overweight are at increased risk * Women who have never had children are at greater risk. * Women who had their first child over age 30 are at greater risk. * Previous breast cancer. * Previous endometrial cancer.

Aside from the genetic predisposition, the common factor in many of these risks is increased endogenous estrogen exposure over a long time.

It is recommended that women over 35 check their breasts monthly. However, it is also important that all women do regular breast checks. Your doctor can show you how to effectively check your breasts. Any lump, regardless of size, should be reported to your doctor. Many of these lumps are simply fatty lumps or cysts but it is far better to be safe than sorry.

Catching breast cancer early makes a big difference in the type of treatment needed as well as the overall prognosis.

About The Author
Anne Wolski has worked within the health and welfare industry for more than 30 years. To see many great health-related resources, go to http://www.magnetic-health-online.com
Source

Breast Cancer Ribbon

2007-10-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

Breast Cancer Ribbons. The Pink Symbol of our Times.
Certainly in this day and age nearly every worthy cause uses a ribbon and certainly without going in to too much detail and they way in which people use them, the ribbon which I feel is more important than most is the breast cancer ribbon.

Many women will agree that breast cancer is an enemy to any woman and although awareness concerning the risks and understanding the preventive measures that need to be taken on a regular basis has increased over the last few years, and which has probably saved many lives, there are some people who are still not aware of the dangers of breast cancer and there are many others who prefer to live in denial of it happening to them.

There it is important for more women to take up the pink ribbon and join in the fight against breast cancer. Firstly and the most important thing is that it shows that you care and that you are willing to give a little of your time or energy to try and educate more women as well as warn others and then just may be by carrying out this one small action you are contributing to saving the life of someone. Certainly this is not a joke, and it is only sometimes awareness that separates the ill from the healthy and those that live or die. We are now at a stage where people are learning of new dangers all the time and now with the potential dangers arising relating to terrorism and natural disasters, breast cancer although it has been around for such a long time and has caused so much grief and pain it certainly deserves to be treated with a little more respect and should be remembered even on a daily basis. So by wearing the pink ribbon you will be doing this.

Now every October across the globe this has been international breast cancer awareness month and it is at this time when we should try and do our utmost to increase the general public’s awareness of the disease and so educate more women in the ways of fighting breast cancer. Also during the month time is dedicating to raising money for the many different organizations and foundations that are working through the year on helping the many victims of the disease. There are many patients who do not have the money or funds to be able to try and treat the disease and it is with the help of the organizations that money is raised for they can provide them with the support that they need.

So when October next comes around all you need to do is purchase one of these pink ribbons and place it on your shirt or jacket and show your solidarity for those patients who are presently dealing with the disease, those that have become victims of the disease and those members of a victims family or their friends who find that they have been effected by this dreadful disease. But you don’t have to limit yourself to wearing it just during the month of October as it only takes one person to ask you about it and just think what a difference this will make over the term of a year, and if liked minded people do the same across the world every day and each person is approached by someone who has no knowledge of what it means, imagine the number of lives that could be saved or spared.

So hopefully that in the future the fight against breast cancer as is the same with the fight against all forms of cancer will achieve the goal it is striving to reach and will end up claiming less victims. Also that it will help modern medicine and science to discover a cure and that even more and more people across the globe will live happier and healthier lives.

Breast Cancer Pink Ribbon

2007-10-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Pink Ribbon Jewelry For Breast Cancer
Since time immemorial, diamonds have been presented as the greatest symbol of love. They’re a woman’s best friend, so in line with this we at Diamond Safe have come up with a very special collection to show love to women everywhere and help those with breast cancer.

Studies have shown that breast cancer is the number one cause of death in women. This year alone, more than 200,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with this disease, which mean that every 2 minutes a diagnosis of breast cancer will be made. It could strike anyone, regardless of race, creed or social level.

Yes, it is a frightening prospect, but medical strides have made it now possible to beat the killer disease. And with early detection, the survival rate over 5 years can reach up to 98%, with a growing rate of breast cancer survivors each year - 2 Million to date.

To continue fighting for and with women everywhere, we at Diamond Safe believe that through education, awareness and continuous research the disease can be stopped.

Our special Breast Cancer Jewelry Collection was created with this in mind. Our beautifully designed pieces were made to symbolize the “pink ribbon” breast cancer awareness stands for can be worn by women everywhere as a reminder that the battle goes on with the disease.

This collection includes a limited edition line of gorgeous pieces, with rings, necklaces, charms, pins and pendants with inspirational names such as “band of Courage”, “Optimism Earrings” and “Conviction Pin”.

For every piece sold from this special collection, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to further breast cancer research and educate women everywhere.

About DiamondSafe.com

DiamondSafe.com has been in existence since July 2000 and is based in Midtown Manhattan, right in the heart of the diamond trade in the US. They are operated by experts in the diamond industry and know only the best about diamonds.

At DiamondSafe.com, you can be assured that each diamond you purchase meets the highest quality standards. We provide certification issued by an independent gemological laboratory to assure you that your diamond is indeed only the best.

At DiamondSafe.com, you are offered a wide variety of payment options. You can opt to use your credit card and you are assured of a high level of security in all of your transactions. You can also opt to use any of the following methods: wire transfers, money orders, personal checks, and certified checks.

DiamondSafe.com ships to all 50 states of the US, with a small additional fee for Alaska and Hawaii. They also ship orders to other countries using Fed Ex. All of their shipments are insured to guarantee the safety of your orders. Furthermore, they have a return policy to ensure your full satisfaction. You are assured that you will be fully satisfied with your purchases. However, if for any reason you want to return or exchange your purchases, you are allowed to do so as long as you do it within 30 days of receipt of the goods.

About The Author
John Caldwell owns http://www.DiamondSafe.com - one of the most reputable online sellers of diamonds out there. And ethical….with strict policies on the blood diamond trade. A share of the proceeds for “Breast Cancer Awareness Month”, being October, will be donated to charities for breast cancer research. And John encourages you to wear the “Pink Ribbon” as a sign of courage. For further information, please visit-: http://www.diamondsafe.com/breast-cancer-awareness.asp
Source

Are You At Risk For Breast Cancer?

2007-10-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

Each year, millions of women learn that they have developed breast cancer. Despite most commonly being found in women, breast cancer can also be diagnosed in men. That is why breast cancer is often considered one of the most common types of all diagnosable cancers. Fortunately, you if you are diagnosed as having cancer, there are a number of treatment options that may help you become cancer free. However, before that can occur, you need to be diagnosed as having breast cancer.

When it comes to being diagnosed with breast cancer, a large amount of focus is placed on the signs and symptoms. While it is important to focus on the symptoms of breast cancer, they are not the only things that you should keep in mind. Although an exact cause of breast cancer has yet to be determined, there are a number of risk factors associated with the cancer. Determining whether or not any of these risk factors apply to you is one of the best ways, aside from regularly examining your body, to determine whether or not you may have breast cancer or end up developing it in the future.

You may be at a greater risk of developing breast cancer if someone else in your immediate family has also been diagnosed with having it. It has been noted that the BRCA1 gene and the BRCA2 gene have something to do with the development of breast cancer. Research is still being conducted on this; however, it is looking as if damaged cells, which may later account for breast cancer, are being passed down through family members. Therefore, if someone in your family has been diagnosed with breast cancer, there is a good chance that you may also develop it.

Your age may also increase your risk of developing breast cancer. While it is important to remember that breast cancer can occur at just about any age, there are a group of men and women who are more at risk. Those individuals are likely over the age of fifty. That is why it is recommended that all women over the age of forty undergo a yearly mammogram. Until that age, a self breast exam, performed by yourself or by a healthcare professional, should be enough.

When you first started your menstrual cycle, as well as when it ended, may increase your risk of developing breast cancer. It has been noted that those who began their periods before the age of twelve are at an increased risk for developing breast cancer, later on in life. The same, in a way, can be said for menopause. Recent studies have shown that the later a woman begins menopause, the more at risk she is for developing breast cancer. Menopause should begin around the age of fifty-five. If it starts to occur any later, you will want to be on the lookout for the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and birth control pills have been known to increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. These risk factors are not as high as the above mentioned risk factors, but a connection between breast cancer, hormone replacement therapy, as well as birth control pills has been established. Therefore, if you are currently on birth control pills or are undergoing hormone replacement therapy, it may be a good idea to speak to a healthcare professional. Your OBGYN or primary care physician should be more than willing to give you inside and updated information on the connection between breast cancer and these two widely used medications.

In addition to hormone replacement therapy, birth control pills, a family history, late menopause, early menstrual periods, and age, there are a number of other risk factors that have been connected to breast cancer. These additional risk factors include, are not limited to, radiation, and excessive alcohol consumption. Now that you know whether or not you are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, you may be able to better prepare yourself for what you may find, now or in the future.

If, at any point, you notice a lump in your breast or have unexplained breast pain, you are advised to seek medical assistance immediately. The sooner breast cancer is detected, the sooner it can be treated and gone from your life, hopefully forever.

About The Author
Anne Childs is a contributor to http://www.healthline.com who has also conducted many seminars to raise awareness on http://www.healthline.com/channel/breast-cancer.html, and other conditions which women are most susceptible to.
Source

Breast Cancer- Top Ten Things Every Woman Should Know

2007-10-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

Breast cancer is a reality many women will have to deal with. Statistics show that one woman out of nine will develop breast cancer in her life. Whether it be a dear friend, a close family member or herself, every woman will be touched by breast cancer in one way or the other. Breast cancer accounts for about 30% of all cancers.

Every woman should be aware of the risk factors and change those she can to lower her risk of developing breast cancer in her life.

Women who are not active physically, smoke or consume a lot of alcohol are at higher risk to develop breast cancer.

Women who have their first child at a later age or have never given birth are at higher risk to develop breast cancer.

Women who had their first period at an earlier age (less than 12 years old) are at higher risk for breast cancer.

Woman who have close family members who had develop breast cancer are at higher risk for themselves.

Women who are older. The further a woman advances in life, the higher her probability of developing breast cancer.

Women who experience a late menopause (after 55 years old) have an increase risk of developing breast cancer.

There is hope however and certain measures have proven to help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer for a woman. It is recommended to exercise regularly, lose any excess weight, lower alcohol consumption and stop smoking. It is also proven that women who breastfeed their babies are at lower risks to develop breast cancer.

Certain measures, by finding breast cancer at an earlier stage can lower the complication rate and morbidity associated with this condition. The two most recommended measures are to do a mammogram exam every two years after the age of 50 (or earlier if a woman has risk factors) and doing a breast self-examination. It is also recommended for a woman to visit her doctor regularly. One has to know that about two thirds of breast tumours are found by the woman herself upon doing her self-examination.

Many organizations and industries have joined forces to push back breast cancer and one can only encourage them by donating time or money for this worthy cause. There are many researches on breast cancer conducted worldwide and it is expected that the near future will see the decline of this devastating affliction.

About The Author
Dr Nathalie Fiset is a family doctor and a certified hypnotherapist. For more information go to: http://www.bestmenopause.com http://www.drnathaliefiset.com or http://www.a-1hypnosis.com.
Source

Over Coming Breast Cancer

2007-10-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Being diagnosed with breast cancer is one of the most scary things a woman can learn.

We know a great deal about it because information on breast cancer is in just about every woman's magazine, along with awareness articles in papers and a staggering amount on the internet. Yet still it is a gut wrenching moment when you find you are one of the statistics.

There is though life after breast cancer. It does not have to be all doom and gloom, but it might not be life as you knew it! I have the t-shirt “I survived breast cancer” and though my path may not be the right path for you, any survival story gives hope and encouragement, so here is mine.

I felt the painful lump, and rushed off for a mammogram. (Or should that be, I felt the lump, and rushed of for a painful mammogram?) Anyway the diagnosis was that it was probably a cyst. This at least gave me some hope in the time between diagnosis and operation.

It was though a cancer, and small enough that I did not have to loose my breast. The surgeon did remove a Lymph gland as a precaution, something I don't think they now do unless necessary. The surgeon told me he thought that he had removed all the cancer and it should not return. But, yes there is always a “but” as a precaution I should have radiation treatment.

I talked this over with my husband, and we decided that I wasn't prepared to have the treatment. If the surgeon thought he had removed all the cancer, that was good enough for me. I just wanted to get on with my life. We did think though that he would try to talk me, or even bully me into having the radiation treatment. I was very surprised then when the surgeon said, “Well if you don't think it will help, then it won't!” He then went on to explain a little of the power of the mind, and how attitude plays a major part in the recovery process.

Off the hook, not a bit of it. “Even if you don't have the radiation treatment,” the surgeon said, “you must still take the Tamoxifen, especially as your family has a history of cancer.” I had read a little about this drug, and was horrified to think I would be taking it for the rest of my life! Back to discussions with hubby, (This support is invaluable, so if you don't have this sort of support in your life, get a coach) and a great deal of research. The answer for me was a resounding “No” I would try other ways to keep the cancer at bay.

Not long after I returned home, I caught an infection, and ended back in hospital. It was some form of pneumonia and was finally brought under control with heavy doses of antibiotics. I was very weak and felt worse than I had after the cancer operation. The surgeon cheered me up by explaining that an operation often weakens the immune system, which is why I caught the infection. Now having fought it off, my immune system was in good working order, so I should expect to make a full recovery.

During my convalescence I had time to think about the breast cancer, what had caused it, and how to prevent it happening again. I was and still am convinced that it was caused by stress. The surgeon had told me how long the cancer had been growing, and was surprised that it was not bigger.

The early growth of the cancer related to a very stressful period of my life. During that time I had also suffered from blackouts, which only happen to me when I am extremely stressed. However, once this period had passed, I went through a tranquil phase during which time I believe the cancer remained dormant. The medical profession will argue that I have no proof, but I think in the near future we will come to understand a lot more about how stress affects cancer and our life in general.

At this time I had been married about thirty years, and as I have said my husband was extremely supportive, so we sat down together and discussed ways of making our life stress free. Like most couples with a house and 1.5 children, we had decided to go the full Monty and have 2, and the debt that went with it. We were both working and able to service the debt, but it was always something I worried about, so we made becoming debt free our number one priority.

I also looked at my diet, being a non-smoker was a plus, but I figured I could be eating healthier food. I cut out the biscuits and cakes replacing these with fruit and nuts that I could nibble on between meals. I also increased the variety of vegetables at meal times and the number of times we had red meat. Yes I am a believer; if we were meant to be vegetarian then we would have a different digestive system. If you don't eat meat because you don't like killing animals then you should take a closer look at nature, you should also wonder if plants have feelings. Our diet is too important to have fads.

I love walking, but at this stage in my convalescence, I only had the energy to walk to the mail box, so I started a regime of simple floor exercises such as sit ups, to build up my strength. This became a morning routine that I still follow .and of course walking is one of the best exercises you can do.

In my research towards a healthy life, I read loads of books, one of them, “You can Heal your Life” by Louise Hay, made a big impact on me. I followed through with some of the suggestions and looked at life from a different perspective. I took up meditation and was amazed at how much better it made me feel. I was able to relax and let my cares lift away, while my body healed itself.

Happiness and contentment contribute to our peace of mind. My husband and I decided we weren't really happy with our way of life, so we changed it. We had virtually brought our children up on boats that we lived aboard and cruised, but for the last few years of their schooling we had decided to move ashore to give them the best chance. Now they had both left home, to go traveling of course, not to uni as we had thought, we could also go back to a life we had enjoyed and still hankered after. Being settled didn't suit us so we sold up and bought another yacht and are cruising.

We move on when the mood takes us and money allows, we have a very relaxed attitude towards life and keep our stress levels down. I walk a lot, get plenty of sleep, eat a balanced diet, meditate and enjoy life. Will it keep the cancer at bay? I don't know, but it is now twelve years since my op and I have never felt better.

Breast cancer made me look at life in a different way, and for that I am grateful.

About The Author
Trish Powell, For the full results of Trish's research into a healthy life or to answer your questions on life after cancer visit her web site at http://www.wellbeing-information.com
Source

A Metaphysical Perspective on Breast Cancer

2007-10-16T05:45:00.000-07:00

We all see the Susan G. Kolman pink ribbons for breast cancer awareness. I would like to address breast cancer from the metaphysical perspective. Breasts are directly linked to nurturing -as is the color pink. Breasts also represent mothering, whether of our children, our family, our spouse or the world in general. Issues with the breasts, whether experienced by a man or a woman, indicate insecurity about our ability to provide for others or protect them.

Both my mother and her mother learned from breast cancer. They both experienced cancer in the right breast; which I will explain in a moment. Breast disorders can also occur when you tend to ask too much of yourself and then feel that you cannot deliver to everyone’s satisfaction. According to Lisa Bourbeau in her book “Your Body is Telling You Love Yourself!” “If you are right handed, the right breast is linked to your partner, your family or those close to you. Your left breast is linked more closely with your child, your inner child. If your left hand is dominant the opposite is true.

In my experiences, I have found that the left breast can indicate issues to do with care giving, nurturing, motherly type feelings. The left side of the body is the feminine side, and also addresses receiving. When lessons in cancer develop on the left side first, then it is time to examine attitudes that deal with those areas in your life.

I find that many women, including my mother and grandmother, develop lessons in their right breasts after a period of stress created by care giving. When I speak, I often explain that cancer is based on deep issues of guilt or resentment; much anger is accumulated within those cells. In the case of breast cancer I have discovered that the high ration among caregivers is neither due to resenting the care giving nor resenting those you are caring for. Cancer is linked to the guilt one places on self due to the RELIEF felt after the death, however brief there is still a sense of relief when one we love transitions. I receive many reactions to this perception, but through many years of spiritual counseling as well at my own experiences I believe in the importance to recognize and release this understandable human reaction.

The right also represents how we present our self to the world (masculine or “man’s world” issues. When a male spouse transitions, we assume the role of being in charge, hence the relationship with masculine energies. Right is also about releasing and issues of letting go, so that is to be examined as well.

Understanding that the breast is about nurturing and nourishment, I look at issues of mother initially regardless of which side issues such as cysts or tumors manifest. There is a direct correlation with the way you were mothered and issues developed in the breasts (this is true for me or for women). Rather than pushing yourself in order to “forget about it”or on the other end of the spectrum lamenting about what you are going through, stop and objectively begin to realize that you weren’t put on this earth to protect and feed everyone you love! It is about caring and loving self first. I equate this to the oxygen mask on the airplane, you must assist yourself first in order to be of help to anyone else.

If others ask you for help and it is within your power to help, don’t hesitate. But do it with love, joy and pleasure. Not out of a sense of obligation or with resentment. If helping at a given time is beyond your limitations in any way or you just don’t want to do it, admit it both to yourself and to them and allow yourself to step back. It is OK to say “no”.

I often tell clients, and practice this myself, the only way to gain control of your life is to let go! Your maternal love and basic nurturing will always be there to sustain those you love without your feeling obliged to be actively (s)mothering them.

About The Author
Catherine Poole (http://www.catherinepoole.com) offers her unique services as a Medical Intuitive to help provide insight for individuals seeking to understand the "why" of their present circumstances or illness. She is the Metaphysical Director of Integrated Health Concepts, which she co-founded with James H. Schrenker, M.D. in 2004. She has presented her color expertise in workshops and seminars on the uses and effects of color in contexts such as advertising, packaging design, art therapy, healthcare, and workplaces.
Source

Breast Cancer

2007-10-16T00:46:00.000-07:00

Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the tissues of the breast.

There are two main types of breast cancer:

Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are of this type.
Lobular carcinoma starts in parts of the breast, called lobules, that produce milk.

In rare cases, breast cancer can start in other areas of the breast.

Many breast cancers are sensitive to the hormone estrogen. This means that estrogen causes the breast cancer tumor to grow. Such cancer is called estrogen receptor positive cancer or ER positive cancer.

Some women have what's called HER2-positive breast cancer. HER2 refers to a gene that helps cells grow, divide, and repair themselves. When cells have too many copies of this gene, cells -- including cancer cells -- grow faster. Experts think that women with HER2-positive breast cancer have a more aggressive disease and a higher risk of recurrence than those who do not have this type.

Causes of Breast Cancer

Over the course of a lifetime, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Risk factors you cannot change include:

Age and gender -- Your risk of developing breast cancer increases as you get older. The majority of advanced breast cancer cases are found in women over age 50. Women are 100 times more likely to get breast cancer then men.

Family history of breast cancer -- You may also have a higher risk for breast cancer if you have a close relative has had breast, uterine, ovarian, or colon cancer. About 20-30% of women with breast cancer have a family history of the disease.

Genes -- Some people have genes that make them more prone to developing breast cancer. The most common gene defects are found in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These genes normally produce proteins that protect you from cancer. But if a parent passes you a defective gene, you have an increased risk for breast cancer. Women with one of these defects have up to an 80% chance of getting breast cancer sometime during their life.

Other genetic defects have been linked to breast cancer, including those found in the ATM gene, the CHEK-2 gene, and the p53 tumor suppressor gene, but these are very rare.

Menstrual cycle -- Women who get their periods early (before age 12) or went through menopause late (after age 55) have an increased risk for breast cancer.

Other risk factors include:

Alcohol use -- Drinking more than 1-2 glasses of alcohol a day may increase your risk for breast cancer.

Childbirth -- Women who have never had children or who had them only after age 30 have an increased risk for breast cancer. Being pregnant more than once or becoming pregnant at an early age reduces your risk of breast cancer.

DES -- Women who took diethylstilbestrol (DES) to prevent miscarriage may have an increased risk of breast cancer after age 40. This drug was given to the women in the 1940s-1960s.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) -- You have a higher risk for breast cancer if you have received hormone replacement therapy for several years or more. Many women take HRT to reduce the symptoms of menopause.

Obesity -- Obesity has been linked to breast cancer, although this link is controversial. The theory is that obese women produce more estrogen, which can fuel the development of breast cancer.

Radiation -- If you received radiation therapy as a child or young adult to treat cancer of the chest area, you have a significantly higher risk for developing breast cancer. The younger you started such radiation, the higher your risk -- especially if the radiation was given when a female was developing breasts.

Breast implants, using antiperspirants, and wearing underwire bras do not raise your risk for breast cancer. There is no evidence of a direct link between breast cancer and induced abortion or pesticides.

The National Cancer Institute provides an online tool to help you figure out your risk of breast cancer. See: www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool

Breast Cancer Symptoms

Early breast cancer usually does not cause symptoms. This is why regular breast exams are important. As the cancer grows, symptoms may include:

Breast lump or lump in the armpit that is hard, has uneven edges, and usually does not hurt
Change in the size, shape, or feel of the breast or nipple -- for example, you may have redness, dimpling, or puckering that looks like the skin of an orange
Fluid coming from the nipple -- may be bloody, clear-to-yellow, or green, and look like pus

Men get breast cancer, too. Symptoms include breast lump and breast pain and tenderness.

Symptoms of advanced breast cancer may include:

Bone pain
Breast pain or discomfort
Skin ulcers
Swelling of one arm (next to breast with cancer)
Weight loss

Signs and Tests of Breast Cancer

The doctor will ask you about your symptoms and risk factors, and then perform a physical exam, which includes both breasts, armpits, and the neck and chest area. Additional tests may include:

Mammography to help identify the breast lump
Breast MRI to help better identify the breast lump
Breast ultrasound to show whether the lump is solid or fluid-filled
Breast biopsy, needle aspiration, or breast lump removal to remove all or part of the breast lump for closer examination by a laboratory specialist

If your doctor learns that you do have breast cancer, additional tests will be done to see if the cancer has spread. This is called staging. Staging helps guide future treatment and follow-up and gives you some idea of what to expect in the future.

Breast cancer stages range from 0 to IV. In general, breast cancer that stays where it has started is called in situ or noninvasive breast cancer. If it spreads, it is called invasive breast cancer. The higher the number, the more advanced the cancer.

Breat Cancer Treatment

Treatment is based on many factors, including type and stage of the cancer, whether the cancer is sensitive to certain hormones, and whether or not the cancer overproduces (overexpresses) a gene called HER2/neu.

In general, cancer treatments may include:

Chemotherapy medicines to kill cancer cells
Radiation therapy to destroy cancerous tissue
Surgery to remove cancerous tissue - a lumpectomy removes the breast lump; mastectomy removes all or part of the breast and possible nearby structures

Other treatments for Breast Cancer:

Hormonal therapy to block certain hormones that fuel cancer growth
Targeted therapy to interfere with cancer cell grow and function

An example of hormonal therapy is the drug tamoxifen. This drug blocks the effects of estrogen, which can help breast cancer cells survive and grow. Most women with estrogen sensitive breast cancer benefit from this drug. A newer class of medicines called aromatase inhibitors, such as exemestane (Aromasin), have been shown to work just as well or even better than tamoxifen in post-menopausal women with breast cancer.

Targeted therapy, also called biologic therapy, is a newer type of cancer treatment. This therapy uses special anti-cancer drugs that identify certain changes in a cell that can lead to cancer. One such drug is trastuzumab (Herceptin). For women with stage IV HER2-positive breast cancer, Herceptin plus chemotherapy has been shown to be work better than chemotherapy alone. Studies have also shown that in women with early stage HER2-positive breast cancer, this medicine plus chemotherapy cuts the risk of the cancer coming back by 50%.

Cancer treatment may be local or systemic.

Local treatments involve only the area of disease. Radiation and surgery are forms of local treatment.
Systemic treatments affect the entire body. Chemotherapy is a type of systemic treatment.

Most women receive a combination of treatments. For women with stage I, II, or III breast cancer, the main goal is to treat the cancer and prevent it from returning. For women with stage IV cancer, the goal is to improve symptoms and help them live longer. In most cases, stage IV breast cancer cannot be cured.

Stage 0 -- Lumpectomy plus radiation or mastectomy is the standard treatment. There is some controversy on how best to treat DCIS.

Stage I and II -- Lumpectomy plus radiation or mastectomy with some sort of lymph node removal is standard treatment. Hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and biologic therapy may also be recommended following surgery.

Stage III -- Treatment involves surgery possibly followed by chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and biologic therapy.

Stage IV -- Treatment may involve surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or a combination of such treatments.

Breast Cancer Prevention

Many risk factors -- such as your genes and family history -- cannot be controlled. However, a healthy diet and a few lifestyle changes may reduce your overall chance of cancer in general.

Breast cancer is more easily treated and often curable if it is found early.

Early detection involves:

Breast self-exams (BSE)
Clinical breast exams by a medical professional
Screening mammography

Most experts recommend that women age 20 and older examine their breasts once a month during the week following the menstrual period.

Women between the ages 20 and 39 should have a doctor examine their breasts at least once every 3 years. After age 40, women should a clinical breast exam every year.

Mammography is the most effective way of detecting breast cancer early.

Screening recommendations:

The American Cancer Society recommends mammogram screening every year for all women age 40 and older. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommends mammogram screening every 1-2 years for women age 40 and older.
If you are high risk, experts say you should start getting a mammogram at age 30. Certain women at high risk of breast cancer should also have a breast MRI along with their yearly mammogram. Ask your doctor if you need an MRI.
For those at high risk, including those who have or had a close family member with the disease, annual mammograms should begin 10 years earlier than the age at which the relative was diagnosed.

Questions have been raised about the benefit of screening mammography in women under age 50 and over the age of 69. Annual mammograms in women between 50 and 69 have been show to save lives. But while screening can also detect early breast cancer in younger and older women, it has not been shown to save lives.

This is a topic filled with controversy. A woman needs to have an informed and balanced discussion with her doctor, along with doing additional reading and researching on her own, to determine if mammography is right for her.

Women at very high risk for breast cancer may consider preventive (prophylactic) mastectomy, which is the surgical removal of the breasts. Possible candidates for this procedure may include those who have already had one breast removed due to cancer, women with a strong family history of breast cancer, and persons with genes or genetic mutations that raise their risk of breast cancer.
Source

Which Alternative Remedies Really Work?

2007-10-16T00:22:00.000-07:00

When Dr. Andrew Weil, the alternative medicine guru, hurt his knee, he skipped pain relievers and went straight to acupuncture, reports CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen in her online column Empowered Patient. “It worked,'’ said Dr. Weil. “My knee felt much better.'’

Acupuncture is one of five alternative therapies highlighted by Ms. Cohen in a recent column on unconventional remedies backed by science. The evidence for acupuncture to relieve knee pain goes beyond Dr. Weil’s personal endorsement. A study of nearly 600 knee pain sufferers, funded by the National Institutes of Health, showed that acupuncture improved both knee function and pain by 40 percent, compared to sham treatment resembling acupuncture and traditional care with pain drugs.

Ms. Cohen’s other picks are St. John’s wort for depression; a regimen of calcium, magnesium and vitamin B6 for PMS; glucosamine for joint pain; and guided imagery, a relaxation and breathing technique, for pain and anxiety.

The research on all of these remedies is mixed. St. John’s Wort, for instance, has been shown to help in mild to moderate cases, but not in severe depression. Anyone thinking about taking St. John’s wort should talk to a doctor, not just because depression is a serious health issue but also because the herb can interfere with other medications. The University of Maryland offers a comprehensive look at the history, uses, side effects and supporting research behind St. John’s wort.

Glucosamine appears to work best in people with more severe arthritis. Although a recent government-sponsored trial called GAIT didn’t find any overall benefit, glucosamine actually worked better than the pain-reliever Celebrex among a subgroup of patients with severe arthritis. The National Library of Medicine offers a generally positive assessment here.

For a video demo of guided imagery, check out this Web page at the University of Minnesota, and for more information about alternative therapies, I recommend visiting the Web site of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health.

Ms. Cohen notes that 38 academic medical centers have joined together to form The Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine. For people interested in integrative medicine, which combines traditional treatment with so-called alternative therapies, the group’s Web site is a great resource. It lists all 38 members and their respective Web sites, as well as resources in the field of integrative medicine. And the University of Minnesota, a consortium member, offers advice for patients looking for a doctor who practices integrative medicine.
Source

Nutrition: Vitamin D and Calcium Intake Found to Affect Breast Cancer

2007-10-16T00:14:00.000-07:00

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Published: June 5, 2007

Consuming high levels of vitamin D and calcium may offer some protection against the most aggressive kinds of breast cancer, a new study reports, but only in premenopausal women.

Researchers studied 10,578 premenopausal and 20,909 postmenopausal women, using data gathered as part of a larger long-term study of women’s health. All the participants had filled out extensive dietary questionnaires, and the researchers computed their intake of vitamin D and calcium. During an average 10 years of follow-up, 276 premenopausal and 743 postmenopausal women were found to have invasive breast cancer. The paper appeared May 28 in The Archives of Internal Medicine.

The one-fifth of premenopausal women who consumed the highest levels of vitamin D and calcium — more than 1,366 milligrams of calcium and 948 units of vitamin D daily — had a one-third reduced risk of developing breast cancer compared with those who consumed the least, fewer than 617 grams of calcium and under 162 units of vitamin D. The association was particularly strong for the most malignant and aggressive kinds of tumors.

“This was only an observational study,” said Jennifer Lin, the lead author and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard, “so I would not recommend that women take more than the recommended amounts of calcium or vitamin D. I would suggest instead that women take at least the suggested values to keep up their overall health, and possibly to prevent breast cancer.”

One thousand milligrams of calcium and 200 to 600 units of vitamin D a day are considered adequate.

VITAL SIGNS; Aspirin Linked to Lower Risk Of Cancer and Heart Disease

2007-10-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Published: June 19, 2007

Regular aspirin use may significantly reduce the incidence of both cancer and heart disease, according to a large new study, but other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or Nsaids, have no effect.

Researchers studied 22,507 postmenopausal women, following them for 10 years. All reported their aspirin and Nsaid use as part of a detailed physical and behavioral health questionnaire. None of the women had cancer or heart disease at the start of the study.

After controlling for age, exercise, diet and other factors, those who used aspirin had a 16 percent reduced risk of getting cancer, and a 13 percent reduced risk of cancer death, compared with women who never used it. Aspirin use was also associated with a 25 percent reduced risk of dying from coronary artery disease and an 18 percent reduction in all-cause mortality compared with those who never took aspirin. But use of other Nsaids like ibuprofen (Advil and other brands) and naproxen (Aleve and others) had no effect, and there was no significantly reduced risk among aspirin users who were currently smoking. The study was published in the June issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The authors acknowledged that the study was not a randomized trial, that the questionnaire did not assess duration of aspirin use, and that the participants were all postmenopausal women, most of whom were white.

''It would be premature at this point to advise women to take aspirin,'' said Dr. Aditya Bardia, the lead author and a resident in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic.

''The study does produce provocative evidence that aspirin can reduce mortality, but for now it would be best that women talk to their health care provider about the risks and benefits of aspirin use.''

F.D.A. Advisory Panel Opposes Curb on Anemia Drugs

2007-10-15T23:48:00.000-07:00

By Andrew Pollack

Published: September 12, 2007

A federal advisory committee voted yesterday against imposing a new restriction on the use of anemia drugs to treat patients with kidney disease, offering a rare reprieve to Amgen, the manufacturer of the drugs.

The panel, advising the Food and Drug Administration, voted 14-to-5 against an F.D.A. proposal to set a fairly specific upper range on the drugs’ use. Several studies have linked overuse of the drugs to cardiovascular problems and deaths and, when used to treat cancer patients, to a worsening of tumors.

Shares of Amgen, which had fallen sharply since safety concerns about the drug intensified in January, shot up more than 5 percent yesterday, closing at $53.88. The vote was also considered important to kidney dialysis chains like DaVita and Fresenius that, under Medicare rules, profit from the use of the anemia drugs.

Some panel members seemed swayed by testimony from Amgen and from some outside kidney specialists and patient representatives that setting too strict an upper limit would mean that many patients would be undertreated, leaving them with debilitating anemia or needing risky and inconvenient blood transfusions.

“Such an approach alone would undoubtedly return us to the days of frequent blood transfusions,” Dr. Allen R. Nissenson, a nephrologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, told the committee, speaking on Amgen’s behalf.

Still, while yesterday’s vote made it less likely that there would be drastic restrictions on the use of the drugs in kidney patients, the levels of use are unlikely to return to those common before the safety concerns took hold. Even while rejecting the F.D.A.’s proposed ceiling, most panel members recommended a treatment target lower than what some dialysis clinics and kidney specialists previously used.

Moreover, the F.D.A. said it was proposing to remove assertions on labels that the drugs improved the quality of life for patients, saying the data to support such claims was inadequate. Amgen has proposed keeping some, but not all, the claims. The committee was not asked to vote on the matter.

The panel’s outcome was “not as benign as the initial vote,” Jim Birchenough, a Lehman Brothers analyst, wrote in a note to clients.

The drug most affected by the committee’s vote was Epogen, an Amgen medication used to treat nearly all the roughly 350,000 dialysis patients in the United States. It had sales of $2.5 billion last year.

Johnson & Johnson sells the same drug under license as Procrit. Both Procrit and another Amgen drug called Aranesp are used primarily to treat cancer patients and kidney disease patients who are not undergoing dialysis.

Yesterday’s panel, which met in Gaithersburg, Md., was far easier on Amgen than one in May that considered the safety of the drugs for use by cancer patients. After that meeting, Medicare sharply reduced its reimbursement for cancer use. The Medicare action resulted in a drop in sales that contributed to Amgen’s decision last month to cut its work force by 12 to 14 percent.

The drugs work by raising the level of the body’s red blood cells, which carry oxygen to tissues. Epogen, first approved for dialysis patients in 1989, has become a mainstay for such patients.

But safety issues arose when researchers tried to use the drugs not merely to correct severe anemia but also to try to raise kidney patients’ levels of hemoglobin — the oxygen-carrying component of red cells — to 13.5 or 14 grams for each deciliter of blood, nearly the level of a healthy person.

Two clinical trials, one in dialysis and one in predialysis patients, showed that patients given additional quantities of the drugs to raise their hemoglobin to those levels suffered more heart problems and deaths than those treated with a hemoglobin goal of 10 or 11 grams a deciliter.

In March, the F.D.A. changed the labels to say that the drugs should be used as sparingly as necessary to avoid blood transfusions and that hemoglobin levels should not exceed 12 grams a deciliter.

But yesterday it proposed setting an upper target of about 11. The committee — in two 14-to-5 votes, one for dialysis and one for predialysis patents — rejected that idea, saying somewhat more flexibility was needed.

Malazia Y. Scott, a kidney patient from Tuscaloosa, Ala., the patient representative on the panel, said, “At 11, I’m not in the bed, but I think most of the day is spent in bed.”

Some panel members favored a range of 10 to 12 grams, which had also been proposed by Amgen. Still, that was lower than the 11-to-13 range that had been suggested by some kidney treatment guidelines.

Many panel members said there was not enough data to distinguish the effects of 11 grams compared with 12 grams.

The committee’s chairman, Dr. Richard Platt, decried the lack of data, saying it was “extraordinary” that 18 years after Epogen was first approved, doctors still did not know how to best use the drugs. He said the drugs’ developers should have conducted more thorough clinical trials.

“As individuals and society,” said Dr. Platt, a professor at Harvard Medical School, “we should demand much better evidence much earlier on. We are in a very difficult situation here being asked to advise in the absence of data.”

AIDS Drugs May Help Against Cancer

2007-10-15T23:38:00.000-07:00

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR

Published: September 18, 2007

A drug widely used to treat H.I.V. infection may also be effective in fighting cancer, a new study suggests, and a human trial of the medicine is already under way.

In laboratory and animal tests of six protease inhibitors, three were found to slow growth in a variety of cancer cell types, in dosages that have been tolerated in patients with H.I.V. Of the six, nelfinavir, sold under the brand name Viracept, had the most powerful effect. It is now being used in a Phase 1 trial, the first step in testing the drug in humans for use against cancer.

In a paper published Sept. 1, researchers reported that the six drugs were tested using 60 cell lines that had been derived from nine types of tumors. In all the lines, the higher the dose of medicine, the more cell growth was reduced.

Nelfinavir was also found to be effective against breast cancer cells that are resistant to currently used cancer drugs like Nolvadex (tamoxifen) and Herceptin (trastuzumab). The protease inhibitors used in the study were donated by Pfizer.

The scientists also tested nelfinavir in mice that had been experimentally injected with cancer cells. In smaller doses, it worked well to reduce the size of tumors, but larger doses produced unacceptable side effects.

Exactly how nelfinavir acts against cancer cells is not clear. Protease inhibitors are known to interfere with a protein pathway that helps cancer cells survive, but in the study only nelfinavir, ritonavir and saquinavir worked against them. There are different proteases — enzymes that break down proteins — in H.I.V. and cancer. It is possible that protease inhibitors target a protease in cancer that does not exist in H.I.V.

The study, which appears in Clinical Cancer Research, says the cost of developing a cancer drug is about $1 billion, and the process takes about 15 years from conception to approval by the Food and Drug Administration, should it be granted.

One way to shorten this time and reduce the cost is to consider drugs for which there are already data on safety and a clear understanding of the way the drugs are absorbed, how long they work, what organs they affect and how they are excreted. Protease inhibitors have been in use since 1993, and their safety, toxicity and various effects in humans are well known.

Now, only a year and a half after doing the experiments in cultured cancer cells, the researchers are using nelfinavir in a Phase 1 trial. Their main goal is to find out how large a dose can be safely administered. When nelfinavir was tested for use in H.I.V. patients, researchers increased the dosage only until a patient’s viral load decreased, so the maximum dose was never determined. For this test, the scientists are recruiting 45 people who have tumors, any type except leukemias, that have not responded to treatment.

Volunteers are being started with 1,250 milligrams orally twice a day, a standard dose in people with H.I.V. infection. The amount will gradually be increased. The maximum tolerated dose will be the level at which one out of three patients experiences toxic effects like gastrointestinal problems or elevated blood levels of lipids or glucose.

The trial is not designed to determine the drug’s efficacy, but patients whose tumors respond to it will continue to receive it.

“The endpoint of the trial is safety and tolerability,” said Dr. Phillip A. Dennis, the senior author of the study and the principal investigator on the clinical trial. “But for an effective drug, we look for hints of activity. Preliminary efficacy will be further investigated in trials with specific types of cancer.”

Dr. Dennis, a medical oncologist at the National Cancer Institute, said his laboratory was also designing trials for drugs to be used with nelfinavir to treat cancer. “We’ll use the information from the Phase 1 trial,” he said, “to determine where we start the nelfinavir dose in any combination trial.”

There is no scientific basis for the categorisation of food into 'hot' and 'cold' foods

2007-10-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

by G. Padma Vijay
Superstition spares nothing. Not even food. Traditional practices and superstitious beliefs relating to food have been passed on for generations.
Take, for instance, the misconception of 'hot' and 'cold' foods: Ancient belief has it that consuming some foods produces heat in the body. Called 'hot' foods, these include meat, eggs, papaya, legumes, oilseeds, jaggery and curry leaves. On the other hand, 'cold' foods are believed to lower heat production in the body and includecitrus fruits, gooseberries, custard apples, onions, milk and curds.
Consuming an excessive quatity of either 'hot' or 'cold' foods is said to lead to physical ailments, minor or major.
'Hot' foods, the theory goes, produce boils, cause constipation, and lead to nose-bleeds, insomnia, skin rashes, vertigo, butrning palms and soles, dryness of throat, even abortion. One is told to avoid these foods in the summer because high temperatures aggravate their effects. Pregnant women are told not to eat papayas or foods containing sesame seeds, as they are said to cause abortion.
'Cold' foods are said to rsult in colds, sinus problems, headaches, sore throats, chest pains, premature greying, of hair, reduction in eyesight, coughs and sneezes. One is told to avoid them in winters because the cold climate could aggravate their effects. Lactating women are told to keep away from 'cold' foods, especially fish and pumpkin.
The practice of classifying foods as 'hot' and 'cold' is still widely prevalent in India, despite the fact that the theory has no scientific basis. Just like so many other misconceptions that abound in a populace rent with superstition.