Posts tagged cancer
What You Must Know If You Suspect Prostate Cancer – From A Nurse
Jan 23rd
Men have traditionally been less likely to seek medical attention than women, especially for minor problems which often serve as warning signs for more serious underlying illness. The main job of the prostate gland is to make seminal fluid, the milky substance that transports sperm. Prostate cancer is deadly but can be cured if it’s caught early enough.
The prostate is a small, walnut-sized structure that makes up part of a man’s reproductive system; it wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. Prostate cancer is normally a slow growth cancer that can take years before it becomes deadly. Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor of the prostate gland.
One prostate cancer symptom is difficulty starting urination or holding back urine. Blood in the urine or semen and frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs are often symptoms of cancer. Weak or interrupted flow of urine and painful or burning urination can be symptoms to watch out for.
Other symptoms might include unintentional weight loss and lethargy. If you have one or more prostate cancer symptoms, you should see a qualified doctor as soon as possible. Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease are bone pain or tenderness, and abdominal pain.
The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures the PSA enzyme in your blood for abnormalities. Another test usually used when prostate cancer symptoms are present is the digital rectal exam (DRE) performed by the doctor. A PSA test with a high level can also be from a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland.
What is called a free PSA may help tell the difference between BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy), an enlargement of the prostate gland, and prostate cancer. A chest x-ray may be done to see if there’s a spread of cancer. A bone scan can indicate whether the cancer has spread or not.
Some drugs with numerous side effects are being used to treat advanced prostate cancer, blocking the production of testosterone, called chemical castration; it has the same result as surgical removal of the testes. The approaches to treatment include: ever watchful waiting to see whether the cancer is growing slowly and not causing any symptoms. Side effects of chemotherapy drugs depend on which ones you’re taking and how often and how long they’re taken.
In the early stages, surgery and radiation may be used to remove or attempt to kill the cancer cells or shrink the tumor. The conventional treatment of prostate cancer is often controversial. Medicines can be used to adjust the levels of testosterone; called hormonal manipulation.
Since prostate tumors require testosterone to grow, reducing the testosterone level is used to prevent further growth and spread of the cancer. Surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy can interfere with libido on a temporary or permanent basis. Many men simply want the best treatment they can get but what’s important is picking the best treatment for you.
Medications can have many side effects, including hot flashes and loss of sexual desire. If chemotherapy is decided upon after the first round of chemotherapy, most men receive further doses on an outpatient basis at a clinic or physician’s office. In patients whose health makes the risk of surgery unacceptably high, radiation therapy is often the chosen conventional alternative.
Radiation therapy to the prostate gland is either external or internal, both of which use high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Anyone considering surgery should be aware of the benefits, risks and the extent of the procedure.
With the advent of PSA testing, most prostate cancers are now found before they cause any symptoms. Consider articles, such as this one, just a starting point where you can begin to learn about prostate cancer. Just about all men with prostate cancer survive at least five years after their diagnosis, 93% survive at least 10 years, and 67% survive more than 15 years.
For more information on prostate cancer treatments and prostate cancer symptoms go to http://www.BestProstateHealthTips.com Helen Hecker R.N.’s website specializing in prostate and prostate cancer tips, advice and resources, including information on prostate tests and natural prostate cancer treatments
Bad News – 1 Out of 2 Women Have Breast Cancer
Jan 23rd
Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the cells of the breast in men and women. It is diagnosed by the examination of surgically removed breast tissue.
Good News – Breast cancer is NOT a death sentence.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in American women. It is extremely rare in women in their teens or early twenties and uncommon in women under 35.
The first symptom, or subjective sign, of breast cancer is typically a lump that feels different than the surrounding breast tissue. Another reported symptom complex of breast cancer is Paget’s disease of the breast. Although many epidemiological risk factors have been identified, the cause of any individual breast cancer is often unknowable.
Risk
The primary risk factors that have been identified are sex, age, childbearing, hormones, a high-fat diet, alcohol intake, obesity, and environmental factors such as tobacco use, radiation and shift work.
However, in women who take 200 micrograms of folate (folic acid or Vitamin B9) every day, the risk of breast cancer drops below that of alcohol abstainers. Breathing secondhand smoke increases breast cancer risk by 70% in younger, primarily pre-menopausal women.
After taking into account various parameters about their health and family data through an interactive question-answer session, it identifies the risk group of the user and thus helps to detect breast cancer at an early stage.
Still, some benign breast conditions are important because women with these conditions have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Cells
Cells from benign tumors do not spread to tissues around them or to other parts of the body. Cells from malignant tumors can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. When breast cancer cells invade the dermal lymphatics, small lymph vessels in the skin of the breast, its presentation can resemble skin inflammation and thus is known as inflammatory breast cancer (IBC).
The closer to normal cancer cells are, the slower their growth and a better prognosis. This radiation is very effective in killing cancer cells that may remain after surgery or recur where the tumor was removed. However, radiation affects normal cells and cancer cells alike, causing some damage to the normal tissue around where the tumor was.
Healthy tissue can repair itself, while cancer cells do not repair themselves as well as normal cells.
Lymph
Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped collections of immune system cells that are connected by lymphatic vessels. Lymph is a clear fluid that contains immune system cells and waste products.
Stage is the most important, as it takes into consideration size, local involvement, lymph node status and whether metastatic disease is present. Breast cancer can also spread to other parts of the body via blood vessels or the lymphatic system. More recently, the technique of sentinel lymph node (SLN) dissection has become popular, as it requires the removal of far fewer lymph nodes, resulting in fewer side effects.
Research
The preliminary research into flax seeds indicates that flax can significantly change breast cancer growth and metastasis, and enhance the inhibitory effect of tamoxifen on estrogen-dependent tumors. These improvements have had a direct result on the decrease in mortality rates of people diagnosed with breast cancer and would not have been made without ongoing effective research.
Phenomenal research is being done but there is so much more we need to learn.
Family
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. 85% of all diagnoses have no family history. While a history of breast cancer in the family may lead to increased risk, most breast cancers are diagnosed in women with NO family history.
If a woman also has a family history of breast cancer in first-degree relatives, her risk may be increased 11-fold.
Joni Bell provides information from personal experiences and research into cancer related issues for the last ten years. He is considered an expert in the area of alternate cancer treatments. http://www.vitaminb17works.com
From A Nurse – Help For Prostate Cancer Symptoms
Jan 8th
Men younger than 40 are rarely ever diagnosed with prostate cancer but should be vigilant, never-the-less. The most common cancer in American men, excluding skin cancer, is prostate cancer. You may have just been diagnosed with prostate cancer and don’t know what to do; the first thing to do is don’t panic, generally it’s slow-growing – next change your diet to living foods.
If you have prostate cancer, are concerned about getting it, or if you’re looking out for the health of someone you love, this article can help. Early prostate cancer is confined to the prostate gland itself; most of the patients with this type of cancer can live for years without any problems. The prostate gland is located directly beneath the bladder and in front of the rectum.
Blood in the urine or semen and frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs can be symptoms of cancer. Most prostate cancer symptoms, although associated with prostate cancer, are more likely to be connected to non-cancerous conditions. Because prostate cancer symptoms can mimic other diseases or disorders, men who experience any of these symptoms should undergo a thorough work-up to determine the underlying cause of the symptoms.
Some men will experience symptoms that might indicate the presence of prostate cancer. The need to urinate frequently, especially at night is another symptom. One prostate cancer symptom is difficulty starting urination or holding back urine.
The decision about whether to pursue a PSA test should be based on a discussion between you and your doctor. CT scans may be done to see if the cancer has metastasized (spread). A urinalysis may indicate if there is blood in the urine, which may or may not be related.
There are several potential downsides to PSA testing; for example a high PSA does not always mean a patient has prostate cancer. A PSA test with a high level can also be from a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland. When a digital rectal exam is performed it often reveals an enlarged prostate with a hard, irregular surface.
Surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy can interfere with libido on a temporary or permanent basis. Be aware that some men chose natural treatment options and forgo any surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. Impotence is a potential complication after a prostatectomy or after radiation therapy.
Urinary incontinence can be one of the possible complications of surgery. Recent improvements in surgical procedures have made complications occur less often. The approaches to treatment include: just ever watchful waiting to see whether the cancer is growing slowly and not causing any symptoms.
The conventional treatment of prostate cancer is often controversial. Whether radiation is as good as removing the prostate gland is debatable and the decision about which to choose, if any, can be difficult. Many men simply want the best treatment they can get but what’s important is choosing the best treatment for you.
Thoroughly discuss all your treatment options and concerns with your doctor and other health professionals; it never hurts to get a second or even third opinion or more if necessary – don’t be afraid to ask. Surgery is usually only recommended after thorough evaluation and discussion of all available treatment options. Radiation therapy to the prostate gland is either external or internal, both of which use high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
Eat a lot of fruits and veggies every day, not just a token banana or apple. Buy lacinato kale and juice it in your juicer with sweet carrots. If possible eliminate all hormone-containing foods like meat and dairy from your diet.
Concentrating on a diet of predominately fruits and vegetables (preferably uncooked) and no junk food, should give you an observable improvement in your health within 30 days. For natural treatment for the prostate make an appointment with a naturopathic doctor, called a naturopath; ask around for referrals. Make highly nutritious raw applesauce using a food processor and put in 3-4 cored pesticide-free apples, with the skin on, and mix for a minute; so much better for you than canned highly processed applesauce and add 1/4 tsp. cinnamon or two tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseed for another boost.
Eat at least one, preferably two organic apples with the skin on every day. Add a small handful of kale or spinach to your fruit smoothie and blend– know one will ever know. Get familiar with juicing and juice every day for an extra phytonutrient boost.
If you haven’t been diagnosed but are concerned about symptoms you should call for an appointment to see your doctor; and if you’re a man older than 50 who has never been screened for prostate cancer (by rectal exam and/or PSA level determination) or not had a regular annual exam, or have had a family history of prostate cancer, make an appointment soon. Make sure to read everything you can about natural and conventional treatment online and offline. The one thing that you should not do however is rely on information obtained from the Internet to make your final decision; double-check everything.
For more information on prostate cancer treatments and prostate cancer symptoms go to http://www.BestProstateHealthTips.com Helen Hecker R.N.’s website specializing in prostate and prostate cancer tips, advice and resources, including information on prostate tests and natural prostate cancer treatments
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