Archive for the ‘Cancer Survival’ Category

Cancer Answer Has Been Known For Years

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

If you are just learning about cancer prevention, you are probably both amazed and confused by a great many things. It is probably shocking for you to find out that the FDA is not standing behind vitamin B17, which could be one of the greatest discoveries about cancer prevention in your lifetime. It probably amazes you that the little tiny apricot seeds can do so much to help people avoid cancer. Not the least, it probably confuses you just a little. After all, there are dozens of different websites about cancer prevention with apricot seeds and vitamin B17 tablets.

Do any type of research on vitamin B17, laetrile, amygdalin, apricot seeds, or cancer prevention and you are sure to come across the name Dr. Ernst Krebs, Jr.—at least several times. Many sources mention him in passing, just briefly noting his name; others just vaguely refer to him as the scientist who discovered laetrile, perhaps. In any case, most research sources do not go into a great deal of detail—they leave the reader wondering who this Ernst Krebs guy is and why every site keeps mentioning him.

Ernst Krebs came to realize that cancer was a result of a deficiency in vitamin B17. His theory was supported by the fact that many, many years ago—before cancer was a problem for humans—we used to eat diets that were rich in vitamin B17. Humans used to eat bread made with millet. People routinely ate the seeds of fruits. As humans began adopting a different type of diet—one that was lacking in vitamin B17—that’s when cancer became an issue.

As further proof of this, Ernst Krebs points toward the Hunza tribe of people. These people still eat a diet much like that of the diet people used to eat very long ago. The Hunza tribe has never—ever—had a case of cancer among all of their people…unless, that is, any of their people left the tribe to live in the Western world.

The best way to look at is it to consider the two different forms. The apricot seeds are, indeed, the best form of cancer prevention. Experts say that it is always better to get nutrients from the raw source whenever possible—this is true for all vitamins, not just for vitamin B17. For example, eating a serving of grapefruit is a much better way to get some vitamin C than taking a vitamin C tablet simply because the human body is better capable of metabolizing the vitamin from the food. So, you should definitely eat apricot seeds, about 7 to 10 per day.

Vitamin B17 tablets should be looked at as a supplement. Since you can never be certain that you are getting enough amygdalin from the apricot seeds (because they vary in size, weight, and composition), you should ingest some amygdalin in a supplement form as well so that you always get enough of the substance in your body.

Cancer prevention does not have to be a hard task. It is a lifelong plan including smart choices in our day to day lives. Preventing cancer is important to having a long and healthy life, and it is something not to take lightly. Prevention and early detection begins with knowing your cancer risk; then, doing something about it. A cancer prevention plan is a life- long commitment to a long- life of healthy living and it’s never too late to start. It is easier than you may think.

Jonathan Bell has more information on this subject at Cancer Free

Understanding Breast Cancer and Social Security Disability

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

It could be argued that breast cancer is one of the most visible diseases of our time. Perhaps to make up for the lack of attention it received in the past, when it was often undiagnosed and untreated, individuals and organizations today are very active in informing the public and pushing for more research form the medical community.

Breast cancer walks raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, along with sales of pink bracelets, pink ribbons and more. On a corporate level, multi-million dollar companies have joined the cause by promoting specific products of which a portion of their proceeds will be donated.

With a condition as prevalent as breast cancer (one in eight women suffer from it), the attention, fundraising and push for support and knowledge can only be seen as a benefit to the cause.

Those close to someone whose life has completely changed due to breast cancer, perhaps someone who wasn’t able to continue with her normal work and began accepting breast cancer Social Security disability–all have a vested interest in the continuing evolution of treatment options.

For women recently diagnosed and considering whether breast cancer SSI disability is the right move for them, new treatment trends are certainly something to explore as well. Working with a Social Security attorney who specializes in breast cancer SSI disability benefits will be of help, as the attorneys will regularly remind their clients of the importance of keeping detailed notes on all medical visits and treatments sought.

Hope for a Cure:

A recent breast cancer study from Canadian researchers has been the source of lots of buzz lately. The study, as reported in the NY Times, found that a shorter term of radiation could have the same positive effect as the five weeks that are commonly recommended. The study is mainly applicable to those with early-stage breast cancer, so will have the most impact on those who have been diagnosed as such.

The benefits of the shorter radiation schedule, which is three weeks as compared to the typical five weeks, are immense and varied. On an individual basis, women’s lives wouldn’t be disrupted for quite as long. Imagine a single mother with two children and a full-time job, for example–fourteen fewer days of radiation would probably be an incredible gift to her. Women who have applied and are working towards receiving breast cancer SSI disability benefits would have to speak with their lawyers to keep them updated on any changes in treatment schedule.

Additionally, if each woman spends less time receiving radiation, that would open up time for doctors to help more women receive the radiation they need, more quickly. By allowing an increased number of women to receive quicker treatment, more lives could be saved, and more breast cancer survivors created.

Social Security Disability Application Next Steps:

When treating the disease and also in the midst of the breast cancer Social Security disability application process, the importance of discussing treatment and symptom changes with legal counsel can not be over-stated. If women were to be approved for breast cancer Social Security disability, and also an appropriate candidate for shortened treatment, there could be consequences for the terms of the SSI disability.

While the most important focus is on ridding the body of the cancer, it’s also smart to consider and plan for all different avenues of support throughout the disease, which, for some, will be breast cancer SSI disability. Improved technology and continuing research will allow experts to continue exploring alternative treatment options that benefit everyone.

Matt Berry is a Social Security lawyer . As a Social Security (SSI) attorney he works with various disabled people, including those that have been denied SSI disability .

Creating Our Own Reality as a Cancer Survivor

Friday, October 24th, 2008

There is a lot of interest these days in the subject of do we create our own reality and can we attract conditions into our lives by mind power and positive thinking. The book the secret and the movie what the bleep are both examples of this philosophy currently popular in the public domain.

Within the world of cancer sufferers, or other people who are experiencing themselves as victims of misfortune, the subject is perceived as a double edged sword: it brings up the feelings of blame and self recrimination; if we create our own reality does that mean that I created this horrible condition that I am experiencing?

If you are suffering from cancer, or have lost a loved one from cancer, then the suggestion that you or they could have created this condition or are any way responsible can be very threatening, insulting and insensitive.

People who write about cancer survivorship universally warn cancer survivors not to feel that they should take any responsibility for creating their illness or feel that it is in any way their fault and this is good advice. It’s good advice in the same way that it’s a good idea not to try to prescribe your own chemotherapy or perform your own radiotherapy; because you don’t have the tools or the knowledge to do it effectively and create a satisfactory outcome.

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Customary Side Effects Associated With Chemotherapy

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

Chemotherapy effects can be intense depending on the types of drugs being administered, the dose and the general vitality of the patient. Healthy cells that reproduce rapidly, like the cells in the bone marrow, stomach, mouth, hair and intestines, are very susceptible to the damage caused by chemotherapy. This is why so many of the side effects of chemotherapy impact these areas of the body.

Of course, no two people experience chemotherapy or its subsequent consequences the same way. This is partly because everyone is different, but also because each chemotherapy treatment is individual. One patient may receive more of a particular drug that induces nausea, while another is administered a drug that causes dramatic hair loss. The side effects may also change as treatment progresses.

Keep reading for a breakdown of some of the most common chemotherapy effects – but remember that just because they’re common doesn’t mean they will always occur.

Nausea and Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are probably the two most common negative impacts of chemotherapy. Vomiting occurs when the drug stimulates a certain part of the brain called the chemoreceptor trigger zone – this then sends a message to the vomiting area of the brain. Fortunately, new drugs are being developed that limits the triggering of this response.

If nausea or vomiting are going to occur, it typically starts just a few hours after the treatment is completed and lasts for a short period.

Diarrhea or Loose Stools

Having loose or watery stools more than three times a day is diarrhea and a common result of chemotherapy. The drugs attack the frequently reproducing cells that line your intestines – therefore inhibiting their ability to do their job. Diarrhea is often intermittent, but if it continues for more than a few days, you should consult with your doctor immediately.

Sores in the Mouth

Because cells on the inside of the mouth are some of the fastest to regenerate in the body, they are the ones most susceptible to damage from chemotherapy. As a result, sores can develop, leading to possible infection and other problems. The esophagus is also vulnerable. A good defense is persistent oral hygiene.

Milk of magnesia can help to both soothe and dry out mouth soft sores. Doctors also recommend gargling with salt water and eating softer foods at or below room temperature. Avoid hot and spicy foods.

Hair Loss

Not every chemotherapy program causes the patient to lose their hair. Some drugs lead to hair loss, other’s only cause a minimal amount and some don’t result in it at all. Certain people lose only their head hair, and others lose hair from all over their bodies. Like every other symptom, the visible results depend on the patient, the drug and the dosage.

Though hair loss is often cited as the most obvious of the chemotherapy effects, it’s also one of the most temporary. Typically, the hair will begin to grow back right after treatments end – often coming in thicker and curlier. Interestingly, after cancer treatment many people who experience hair loss and recovery express a preference for their new hair appearance upon regrowth.

For helpful information on various cancers, please visit cancerinfotips.com, a popular site providing symptom and treatment insights, such as kidney cancer symptoms, immune system supplements, and many more!

Causes of Lung Cancer – Information You Need to Know

Monday, October 20th, 2008

More men and women die from lung cancer than any other cancers. Who is most susceptible to this disease? Nearly 70 percent of the elderly 65 and older will be diagnosed with this disease. Three percent of lung cancer cases have appeared in people younger than 45 years old.

Until the 1930s, cancer of the lungs was not as prevalent but still quite common. However, once there was an increase of tobacco smoking use, lung cancer cases rose drastically. As information and education circulates about the hidden dangers of smoking, lung cancer related deaths are beginning to see a decline. Despite all the education and the public awareness, it’s still a common human cancer. For women, breast cancer is no longer the number one killer. Lung cancer has exceeded breast cancer related deaths.

Lung Cancer Causes

Smoking – Most lung cancer related deaths (about 90 percent) have been associated with smoking. Each time a person smokes a cigarette, they increase their chances of getting lung cancer. Based upon doctors’ formula regarding the quantity of packs to the amount of years smoked, someone who has a 30 pack to year history has a greater chance to develop lung cancer. For those people who smoke two, three or more packs a day, statistics show that one in seven diagnosed will die from the disease. Cigarette smoking is not the only culprit to lung cancer. Cigar smoking and pipe smoking can also lead to the disease at a lower rate. Those who smoke cigars or pipe smoke are five times more likely to get lung cancer than a person who never smoked.

The smoke found in tobacco has over 4,000 element compounds. Many of these are cancer causing. Two key carcinogens are polycyclic aromatic hdrycarbons and nitrosamines. Once a person has given up tobacco use, lung cancer risks decreases every year. Normal cells will begin to grow and outnumber damaged lung cells. After 15 years of not smoking, lung processes and the threat of the disease gets close to that of someone who has never smoked.

Passive Smoking – What is passive smoking? This is when people who are in close quarters smokers breathe in the smoke filled air. Those who don’t smoke have a 24 percent likelihood to develop lung cancer if they live with a smoker. Nearly 3,000 deaths can be associated with passive smoking.

Asbestos Fibers – Mesothelioma and lung cancer through asbestos exposure is high. People who work in asbestos related fields and smoke dramatically increase their chances of getting a lung cancer connected disease. When compared with their non smoking counterparts, they have a 50 to 90 percent greater risk of getting lung cancer or other lung related illness.

Radon Gas – Radon gas has been documented to be the next leading cause in lung cancer deaths, killing anywhere from 15,000 to 22,000 people in the United States every year. Like asbestos exposure, radon exposure augments lung cancer risks. The gas is able to travel through soil. It can gain entrance into homes by the gaps found in its foundation, its drains and its pipes. Nearly one in 15 homes is found with dangerous level of radon gas according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Can a person tell if their home has high amounts of radon gas? Only by a kit. The gas cannot be smelled, nor can be it seen.

Genetics – It’s true that most cases of lung cancer can be linked back to smoking. However, not every smoker will get the disease. That means other factors like genetics could play a part behind the causes of lung cancer. Studies have revealed that cancer can and does occur in families that have smokers and nonsmokers. It would seem a gene can increase the vulnerability of smokers in getting lung cancer.

Lung Diseases – When a smoker or even non smoker has other lung diseases such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), they are at an increased risk to develop the disease even if they quit smoking and all the effects have worn away.

History of Lung Disease – People with a record of lung cancer are at a higher risk of developing it a second time. People who have survived a non-small cell lung cancers have a one to two percent risk to getting the disease a second time while those who have beaten small cell lung cancers have a six percent increase each year.

Air Pollution – The chances of getting lung cancer from air pollution is raised in individuals that breathe in polluted air every day. Pollution from cars, power plants and industrialized areas increases these risks. Yet, they only account for one percent of lung cancer related deaths. Experts have suggested that every day exposure to air heavily polluted can be compared to passive smoking.

eCancerAnswers.net is a comprehensive Cancer guide that covers topics from Cancer Symptoms to Breast Cancer and Cancer Treatment.

Breast Cancer Research and Women’s Health

Monday, October 20th, 2008

Doctors and researchers are sifting through tons of promising data to conclude how breast cancer occurs. From there, they hope to find ways that will prevent the disease from striking women. To this day, doctors are baffled by the mystery surrounding this silent killer. Why do some women get breast cancer but others do not?

Every person knows someone who is suffering or has suffered from breast cancer. When faced with this particular issue, many women wonder if they too will become afflicted with the disease. This is a normal reaction to something fearful. Women often look for ways to lessen their chances of getting breast cancer. However, there just isn’t enough prevention data out for women to make effective health choices to keep the disease at bay. There is no way to prevent the disease from striking a woman at the present moment.

Researchers are looking to two factors, internal and external, which affect women’s health, thus increasing the chances of them getting the disease.

Internal Factors

What sort of internal factors are used by researchers in determining why a woman may or may not get breast cancer? For starters, they will look at genetics. Those are the genes that are given at conception by the parents. Next, hormones are then looked at followed by illness, feelings and finally thoughts.

External Factors

What sort of external factors do researchers look at when making a breast cancer determination in women? They tend to look at the air everyone breathes, the food and drinks that are consumed. They’ll look at music and noise as well as people and lastly, stress. Each day, the external factors enter the human body. Another thing researchers look at when dissecting the factors is how these external factors are inhaled into the body. This can include the home, the workplace or the people women are around.

Researchers know that two factors will have a direct impact on a woman’s breast health. These direct impacts include the genetic makeup of the woman or medicines that she is taking to live healthier. However, little information is known regarding the indirect factors that can affect a woman’s breast health. These indirect factors include but aren’t limited to: exercise, air quality, time together with friends/family and meditation.

When trying to understand breast cancer and its factors, women need to know that anything that amplifies their chances of getting the disease is a risk factor. When a factor reduces the woman’s chance of getting breast cancer, it’s known as a protective factor.

Women do have some control over breast cancer risk factors. For instance, if a woman is overweight, she can lose the extra baggage she carries. An informed decision regarding the medicines she takes is another control factor.

While women can controls some aspects of their health, there are still many others they cannot change. This includes gender. Women are at much greater risk than men to develop breast cancer. Why? Men’s bodies do not have near as much estrogen and progesterone which is vital in growing normal and abnormal breast cells. Another factor that cannot be changed is age. Growing older is a part of life.

If a woman wants to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer, she could find ways to raise the protective factors to outweigh the internal factors that are already working against her. However, controlling those factors to work in her favor does not mean she will not get breast cancer. Yet, women can be at high risk to get the disease but never develop it.

Women should always speak with their physician regarding their risk factors behind breast cancer. The more women know, the better the chance of surviving this disease.

eCancerAnswers.net is a comprehensive Cancer guide that covers topics from Cancer Signs to Prostate Cancer and Chemotherapy.

Lung Cancer – Facts, Prevention And Treatment

Monday, October 20th, 2008

Many smokers tend to quit at least once if not twice in their lifetime. Yet, they may not utilize several techniques to help them completely quit thus getting stuck in a cycle of not being able to stop. However, if a smoker wants to prevent being diagnosed with lung cancer, it’s vital they get some help. What kind of help is there?

- Nicotine gum

- Nicotine inhalers

- Nicotine sprays; among many more

Smokers already know how to lessen their chances of getting lung cancer. Yet, non smokers are still at risk of getting lung cancer by being exposed to passive smoking. Non smokers may be exposed to radon gas and not even know it. For that reason, radon gas test kits are important in identifying the levels of gas inside their home. Radon gas is capable of causing lung cancer to appear in non smokers with limited history of passive smoking.

Doctors can use the helical low-dose CT scan to help them to identify and diagnose lung cancer in patients. These scans may be able to detect smaller cancers that are usually cured by surgical means thus preventing the spread of an incurable cancer.

The Facts behind Lung Cancer

Of all cancers, including breast cancer in women, diagnosed in the United States and around the globe, this disease is the primary killer in men and in women.

Despite the existence of passive smoking, cigarette smoking, not including cigar smoking, is a main favor behind lung cancer growth.

When a non smoker is exposed to tobacco smoke, there is an increased risk lung cancer due to the passive smoke.

There are actually two forms of lung cancer. The first is small cell lung cancers or SCLC. SCLC has been found to be the most aggressive. Survival of this aggressive cancer when it is untreated is about two to four months. Yet, it does respond well to chemo and radiation therapies. Survival rate increases through this treatment methods. The second is non small cell lung cancer or NSCLC. Cancers of this form usually will need to be surgically removed to be an effective treatment method. A small number of patients with SCLS can be helped by radition therapy. However, if the disease is in its advanced stages, there is a small chance of survival through chemotherapy treatment.

How extensive the disease, the size of the tumor, what sort of symptoms the patient has and the kind of lung cancer will determine at what stage the lung cancer is classified by doctors. Physicians will use x-rays, MRI scans, CT scan and bone scans to also determine the stage of the lung cancer.

Lung cancer treatments can involve any number of options including chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Treatments may also be combined to achieve success in beat the cancer. Some lung cancer patients may be invited to participate in experimental treatments.

Lung cancer survival, unlike other cancer types, has a low rate. Generally, survival rates are approximately 16 percent for five years.

Quitting smoking is the most vital way that can reduce the chances of getting lung cancer.

eCancerAnswers.net is a comprehensive Cancer guide that covers topics from Cancer to Cancer Risk Factors and Breast Cancer.

Cancer Information – How to Reduce the Trauma of Emotional Pain!

Friday, October 17th, 2008

Emotions. Emotions! EMOTIONS!! Cancer and emotions – what a potentially dangerous combination.

Why?

Think about it, not only do you have to deal with finding out you have cancer but you also have to deal with your emotions and the emotions of people around you. It can be overwhelming! Not to mention very stressful.

First off, there isn’t much cancer information about dealing with your emotions. And right now you don’t need more stress in your life because this further burdens your immune system.

So, where do you start?

Let’s start at the beginning. Your sub-conscious mind is the feeling part of you – the emotional part of you. This is the part of you that can wreak havoc in your life if you don’t take charge of it.

First of all, you must recognize there is a scale of emotions. Next, you must learn how to control your emotions. And lastly, you need to know how to move up the scale of emotions.

The scale of emotions ranges from best to worse – from pure joy and love all the way down to fear, grief and depression.

Every single experience of our lives includes emotions. Each experience doesn’t touch on every point of the scale of emotions. All experiences are different. And everybody is different – we don’t all react the same way. Nor do you react the same way every time you have the same experience.

You can experience something today and react by totally losing it. Tomorrow you can have the same experience and not react at all. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have learnt something from the previous day’s experience. You may not have. You may just be too tired to react or simply no longer care about the situation.

When it comes to you and your cancer, where do you want to be on the scale of emotions? It seems like a silly question, doesn’t it? But it does bear out the fact that most of us have never thought about this question before.

Here’s some cancer information for you – if you don’t know that the scale of emotions exist, then how could you ever move up the cancer scale of emotions? And if you don’t have a target to aim for, then how would you ever achieve it?

What about this startling piece of cancer information – today I can categorically say that I am happy about my cancer experience! How is that possible you might ask? Well, it’s like this. I learned many amazing things about myself during my cancer experience.

I learned that I have courage. I learned that I can focus on and achieve the goals I set for myself about my future. And, most importantly, I learned that I had strength of character.

I truly never realized that I possessed these qualities. And yes – if you haven’t already guessed – I had unresolved emotional issues like lack of self worth.

I never truly realized what I was capable of. So when the ‘test’ of cancer came along I swore I’d beat it. And beat it I did. That’s what I learned about myself. I learned that I was able to raise myself up, make a decision, and succeed.

For me cancer was such a life changing experience. But make no mistake, this was for the better! If cancer didn’t happen to me, I’d still be a “walking generality” – going nowhere!

Inadvertently, cancer gave my life direction. I am able to say this now.

This wasn’t always the case however. In the beginning, I started way down at the bottom end of the scale of emotions at depression. Over time I was able to lift myself up and now I’m happy with my experience. I’m happy because I realise the result of the cancer experience has been a huge positive in my life.

Am I saying this was such a good experience that I would choose to have cancer again? That’s a resounding NO! Once was enough, thank you. I learnt from the cancer experience the first time.

Effectively dealing with emotions and feelings is something we were never taught at school. You might say we learned it from social conditioning, from our parents and teachers. But often the results of these childhood experiences were that we learned how to suppress our feelings and emotions.

What you need to do is feel better about your experiences, even slightly better. And to maintain this new point of reference until you move up to a better feeling. Notice I didn’t say the aim is to make you feel good right now, about your cancer experience. That will come in time.

Have you learned anything about yourself during your cancer experience? Has the experience given your life new direction? New meaning? What pearls of wisdom have you gleaned from cancer?

Feeling better relates to you and only to you. You cannot control other people. So, dealing with your loved ones emotions’ can sometimes be more trying than your own. It can be more difficult because you certainly can’t change the way other people think.

Here’s a case in point. When I was diagnosed with cancer, relatives often asked – almost insisted – that my wife, Barbara, assure them that I would be okay and that everything would be fine. Note this was never asked of me.

You see, when there is crisis in the family, many look around to the strongest person to support them emotionally. In this case Barbara was perceived as the strongest (outside of myself) and relatives turned to her for comfort and support.

But they did this without realizing that Barbara may have needed support herself. You must understand that finding out a loved one has cancer is devastating for all involved.

Not everyone is able to lend support in a meaningful way to those who need it. Not everyone is able to be positive or even just maintain a ‘neutral’ attitude. Not everyone is able to rise to the occasion. It’s unfortunate. But that is just the way life is sometimes. Nobody is perfect.

“But if only they would ……..if only they could……..why can’t they…..”. This sort of thinking only increases your own emotional stress. So don’t think this way, it doesn’t serve you. And it doesn’t help your wellbeing. Accept people for where they are at. They are doing the best they can.

Realize that others around you are also hurting. Understand that others may not be able to support you. Understand that you may have to support them. It may not be fair. Some days you may struggle to support yourself. That’s okay. But recognize that everybody is in emotional pain.

Tell the people around you, how you are feeling. Tell them that you love them. Communication can help to relieve and reduce the stress involved with cancer and the fear of the unknown. And that goes for everybody involved. Let’s face it, nobody wants to lose you. And worse still, nobody wants to deal with the experience either.

That’s what my wife and I experienced and that’s what we learned. And now we teach others how to do the same.

Now is the time to be patient with everybody. Including yourself. Love yourself and love others. Learn from your experience. Embrace the learning. And know that the people around you do love you. They aren’t perfect but they do love you.

Michael Mihalcic is a cancer survivor, enduring a coma and near death experiences. Michael and his wife, Barbara King, spent the last 10+ years researching alternative health. Visit www.LymphomaAdvice.com/articles to read all about how Michael beat cancer, and how you can too!

Breast Cancer – Early Detection is Important to Women’s Health

Friday, October 17th, 2008

Most women know that keeping an eye on their breasts is essential to their health and well being. By doing monthly breast exams, women get an idea of how their breasts are supposed to look and feel. When something feels out of the ordinary, they will likely turn to their physician for an official diagnosis. Their physician will then conduct a breast exam and then order other tests. These include: MRIs, ultrasounds, mammograms and PET scans.

Any one of these tests can cause great anxiety for a woman. They are already worried about what could be wrong with their breasts. However, each one of these tests is vital to their health for three reasons.

- It helps to detect breast cancer in its early stages. That’s when breast cancer can be treated the most.

- It helps doctors determine and design a plan of action that is best for the woman’s needs.

- It helps doctors determine how to go about with the patient’s ongoing care.

To fight breast cancer, there are two testing stages: screening tests and diagnostic tests.

First, screening tests involve a yearly physical exam and mammogram. These are done during a woman’s annual physical exam. Often times, a woman with breast cancer will not exhibit any signs of the disease in its early stages thus screening tests are vital in finding and diagnosing the illness.

What is a mammogram? A mammogram is an X-ray machine and is usually the first tool used by doctors to locate breast cancer. For women ages 50 and over, mammograms have been able to reduce the number of women with breast cancer from dying by 35 percent. When women ages 40 to 50 years old get mammograms, their chances are also lowered by 25 percent to 35 percent. When the disease is found in its early stages by a mammogram, women have a greater chance of keeping their breasts instead of needing a mastectomy which can scar a woman for years to come.

Second, diagnosis testing involves more advanced technology devices including a magnetic resonance imaging machine or better known as the MRI and ultrasound. Doctors may also do bone scans and blood tests to get full confirmation of the illness.

What is a MRI? A MRI machine utilizes magnetic fields to obtain pictures of the body. When a doctor orders tests on a woman’s breast, technicians will use a breast coil to keep it in place. When a MRI is being done, the patient must lie absolutely still during the procedure. There are many advantages to using the MRI to detect breast cancer but it is also very expensive and can cause some metal objects in the body to move.

What is an ultrasound? An ultrasound uses sound waves of high frequency to give doctors a picture of the breast. Ultrasounds are usually done after a breast lump is found. It will allow the doctor to determine if the lump is firm. Yet, this device cannot give doctors the pertinent, need to know information on what kind of lump it is. That is… if the lump is benign or malignant . Ultrasounds can help doctors with biopsy needles by using it to guide the needle directly to the suspicious tissue.

It’s very important that women are screened and tested each year so they increase their chances of surviving this deadly disease.

Check out ecanceranswer.net for all type of Cancer information from Cancer Signs to Cancer Risks and Breast Cancer

Primary Evidences and Basics of Bladder Cancer

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

Bladder cancer symptoms are often not apparent until the disease has progressed to an advanced and sometimes fatal stage. This means that if you’re genetically susceptible to bladder cancer, you must be diligent about testing and early detection. To learn more about the risks of bladder cancer, its causes and its symptoms, keep reading.

Signs Associated With Bladder Cancer

The common bladder cancer symptoms that are visible to the naked eye include blood in the urine (which gives the urine a rusty-to-red appearance), painful urination or possibly frequent urination.

These symptoms, though almost always present in bladder cancer, are also always present in other urinary and bladder problems like urinary tract infections, prostate issues, prostrate infections, gall stones, cysts and more.

How Bladder Cancer is Diagnosed

The patient at the highest risk for developing bladder cancer is the one with a genetic predisposition for the disease, meaning one or more immediate family members or two or more extended family members have been previously diagnosed with the disease. If a person is at risk, he or she should consult a urologist regularly for cytology, a method used to detect the presence of the malignancy.

Another method used to detect bladder cancer is called cytoscopy. A cytoscopy is basically a small camera that’s inserted through the urethra and into the bladder. Once inserted, a urologist can view the interior of the bladder to check for lesions or tumors.

How Bladder Cancer is Treated

The method used to treat bladder cancer will often depend on the stage of the disease and what form it has taken. For example, a superficial tumor may be easily removed in surgery simply by shaving it off. In other cases, immunotherapy is used to treat tumors, while chemotherapy may be used with others.

However, tumors or lesions that are not considered superficial must be removed by removing all or part of the bladder. Some skilled surgeons can even construct a new bladder out of the remaining skin. This is done either in conjunction with or as an alternative to radiation and chemotherapy – often used to finish off any remnants of the cancer.

Are You At Risk for Developing Bladder Cancer?

Though genetic disposition is the most common factor in determining a patient’s risk for developing the disease, most urologists agree that environmental factors can play a huge part. For example, holding excessive amounts of toxins and carcinogens in the bladder can become a major cause of bladder cancer.

Born out of concern for these results, recent studies have shown that drinking more than 8 glasses of water in a day can dramatically reduce an individual’s risk for developing bladder cancer.

If you are at risk for developing bladder cancer, then you should take action before you see evidence of bladder cancer symptoms. Often, these outward signs are not present until the disease has advanced to a sometimes untreatable stage. So, if you have a strong family medical history that includes multiple instances of this malignancy, you should talk to your doctor and get tested.

For great information on recognizing disease symptoms, please visit diseasesymptomtips.com, a popular site to assist you in spotting early warning signs of diseases, such as a alcoholism symptoms, teenage depression, and many more!