Today, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States and its incidence has risen dramatically over the last 50 years. This leads scientists to the conclusion that our lifestyle and environment must play an important role in whether or not we develop cancer.

There is still much more to learn about the factors that influence cancer development, but in the meantime, we should take to heart the things that we know cause cancer, and those that we believe can prevent it. Here are some things you can do to reduce your risk.

The first is eating a healthy diet, rich in fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are rich in anti-oxidants, which can prevent cancer and other diseases. Anti-oxidants are very effective at combating free radicals that are created in our bodies as we process food. We can’t stop these free radicals from occurring, but we can combat them with anti-oxidants. If we don’t combat them they cause damage to our cells and DNA, and this is what leads to premature aging and disease.

If you want to significantly increase the anti-oxidant level in your diet, pay special attention to the foods that can give you the most value. Get your fair share of artichokes, red beans, blueberries, pomegranates, tomatoes and green tea. Yes, that’s right – green tea.

In fact, in terms of dietary changes to help prevent cancer, green tea may be the very best thing you can add to your diet. There has been much research in recent years on the effects green tea has in preventing, and even treating cancer. Many studies have shown that green tea’s anti-oxidant power can be a powerful preventative against cancer. Not only is this suggested by the significantly lower cancer rate in Asian countries where green tea is widely consumed, but many studies have supported this theory.

In 1999, the Alternative Medicine Review reported that green tea appears to affect cancer in many ways. First, it is a powerful free radical scavenger, and destroys more free radicals than many other forms of anti-oxidants.

Secondly, green tea seems to have the power to inhibit the growth of abnormal cells, many of which might have started as, or turned into cancer cells. Green tea also appears to be a very strong detoxifying agent, helping to rid the body of potentially harmful substances.

Finally, the Alternative Medicine Review reported that green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. Therefore, even in patients who have already been diagnosed with cancer, green tea may be helpful, because it may prevent the cancer from spreading.

Other studies have also shown that green tea can be an effective adjunct therapy for cancer, not only because it appears to inhibit the spread of cancer, but also because it makes traditional therapies more effective. One study showed that when mice were given green tea in conjunction with chemotherapy, the chemotherapy drugs invaded the cancer cells in higher concentration than when the chemotherapy was administered alone.

Another recent study of breast cancer patients in stages one and two showed a significantly lower rate of cancer recurrence when the patients were given large doses of green tea.

Making Green Tea Part of Your Life

If you’d like to add green tea to your diet for its health effects, many doctors recommend that you start with about three cups per day. Experiment with the many flavors of green tea that are on the market, or stick with the traditional green tea so popular in Asian restaurants. Either will have the health benefits – hot or iced.

While most American doctors recommend that you begin with 3 cups of green tea per day, you should know that in Asian cultures most people drink significantly more than that. The average in China is 4-5 cups a day, and in Japan it’s estimated to be as high as 8-10 cups per day. If you don’t think you can manage that much tea in a day, there are green tea extract supplements available at many drug stores and health food stores.

One of the great things about using green tea as a preventative treatment is that there are no side effects. Green tea is healthy and safe even to give to your children. Green tea has significantly less caffeine that coffee and even has less caffeine that traditional black tea. So, it’s well tolerated by nearly everyone.

In addition to research showing that green tea helps prevent cancer, there is also evidence to suggest that it reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and Alzheimer’s disease. It is also thought to slow down the overall aging process. So, what do you have to lose? It seems there is no downside to drinking green tea and there may be a great many benefits.

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current

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Mesothelioma is one of the few cancers that don’t exhibit symptoms until the cancer reaches the late stage of development and it is at this point that many cases become incurable. It also has non-specific symptoms and thousands of cases each year are misdiagnosed as other, less severe respiratory conditions. Simply put, mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the thin layer of protective tissue around the major organs, most noticeably the lungs, heart and stomach and recently it has been positively linked to the mineral asbestos. This thin layer of tissue, the mesothelium, allows inhaled asbestos fibres to embed themselves, and it is here that they can lay dormant for up to 50 years before becoming cancerous.

The symptoms that are associated with mesothelioma depend on which of the body’s organs are affected.

Pleural mesothelioma. This type of cancer affects the lungs and causes a number of symptoms including:

· Persistent cough that doesn’t improve with medication
· Breathing difficulties
· Shortness of breath
· Fever
· Difficulty swallowing
· Chest pain
· Weight loss

Pericardial mesothelioma. This second type of mesothelioma affects the heart tissue and includes the following symptoms:

· Breathing difficulties
· Chesty cough
· Palpitations

Peritoneal mesothelioma. The third type of mesothelioma affects the stomach and causes the following symptoms:

· Nausea and vomiting
· Abdominal pain
· Weight loss
· Bloating of the stomach
· Bowel obstruction
· Fever

Obviously all of these symptoms can also be due to a number of other conditions however anyone who experiences them should consult a doctor, especially those who have been exposed to asbestos in the past.

Unfortunately for mesothelioma victims, the symptoms only present themselves late in the cancer’s development and so in many cases treatment is palliative rather than curative. There are a number of possible types of treatment that can be used against mesothelioma and the course of treatment that is prescribed will depend to a large extent on how developed the cancer is and how far it has spread around the body. This information can be determined using x-rays, CT scans and MRI scans because these imaging techniques can provide a detailed view of the cancer’s progression and how many areas of the body are affected. The possible forms of treatment include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and palliative care and either a single form or a combination will be used.

Surgery. Surgery can be used in cases where there is an obvious large tumour however it will only become an option if the tumour is causing chronic pain or if it is causing an obstruction e.g. in one or both of the lungs. Because mesothelioma can take between 30 and 50 years to develop many sufferers are elderly when they are diagnosed and so the option of surgery will also depend on age and general state of health. Occasionally it is considered safer to live with the tumour than to risk the rigors of surgery.

Radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is most effective when the mesothelioma is confined to a single site, such as the lungs. It can and often is used in conjunction with chemotherapy as an extra defence against any small pockets of cancerous cells that might survive drug therapy. Radiotherapy can produce some side effects however they are easily treated and rarely cause problems.

Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy for mesothelioma will more often than not involve a stay in hospital while a specific drug concoction is introduced to the body intravenously. Chemotherapy is used when the cancer has spread to other areas and so the treatment needs to attack multiple sites.

Palliative care. Palliative care can include any of the above treatments however they will be aimed at improving and extending the quality of life rather than providing a cure. Palliative care will also include pain relief as in many cases the mesothelioma is well advanced and causing chronic chest and abdominal discomfort.

Mesothelioma is considered a rare form of cancer however in the last decade the number of cases diagnosed each year has steadily risen. Since becoming associated with asbestos many victims have successfully sued their former employers and many more are starting proceedings each and every year. Today workers have to wear protective clothing and breathing apparatus while working with asbestos and so it may be that the presence of mesothelioma dies along with the current generation.

Andrew Daigle is the owner, creator and author of many successful websites including CancerAbout, a cancerabout.net Cancer Information Resource site and a mesothelioma-attorney-search.com Mesothelioma Lawyer Resource site.

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Most people wonder where they should start when they are ready to start improving their health. There is so much information on getting healthy and every practitioner or health guru wants you to start with their program. So here’s what do you need to do and where you’ll find this information.

If you go back and read many of the books written during the 50′ to 80’s you will find that most of the natural health healers always recommended you start with the colon.

If you go to your health food store you will find numerous colon cleansing products and in health magazine you will finds many advertisements on colonics.

If you first concentration on improving your colon health, you will do your whole body a favor and you will start to feel and be healthier. Because your colon serves your whole body with nutrients and information, you can make a big impact on becoming healthier.

Every part of your body is reflected in the colon. This means that every spot on the colon corresponds to some part of the body. It is through this spot that nutrients and information is sent to that part of the body. Can you imagine if that spot that represents your brain is filled with toxic matter and filled with layer after layer of toxic material that has built up over the years.

When the brain spot on your colon is corrupted, then toxins move readily into your brain and in addition traumatic life incident can readily move into the brain and settle there forever. The toxins in the brain make you senile in old age and the traumatic feeling can activate a heart attack when your heart immune system weakens.

Can you then imagine all parts of your colon walls being covered with toxic matter or being constantly exposed to toxic matter that stays there for 3-5 days because you were constipated? You could expect toxins to be flooding all parts of your body and weaken those parts to the point of failure when you get older.

It is my opinion that if you do anything for your health that you concentrate colon cleansing. This can be done by always eating and living a lifestyle that gives you a natural colon cleanse. Here are three things that you can do as a natural colon cleansing.

1. Change the way that you eat and not what you eat by helping your body during its normal body cycles. The body detoxifies from 8 am to noon, so don’t eat any heavy food during this period. Eat only fruits and vegetables and their juices. This helps to detoxify your colon and other areas of your body.

2. Eat more fiber since this helps to keep your colon clean and free of constipation and of other disease. Get your fiber from fruits and vegetables. For those of you that are over 60, since you may have diverticulosis, avoid these foods, seeds, nuts, black berries, cucumber, tomatoes, wheat, and rye. Avoid those foods with seeds since they my get lodged in the diverticula pockets and cause inflammation.

3. Use a colon cleanse once a year that helps to dissolve built up toxins along the colon walls. Once such product is Oxypowder.

Keeping your colon in good health is your key to your overall health. Plan to remove toxic matter from your colon. Eat a diet high in fiber to keep your colon strong and healthy. And, assist your body to detoxify by eating foods and liquids that digest quickly from 8 am to noon.

Rudy Silva is nutritionist that specializes in using natural remedies for better health. For more information and tips on colon health go to: coloncancerawareness.info coloncancerawareness.info or for free tips on constipation relief got to: stop-constipation.com stop-constipation.com or for audio books on health go to: excitingaudiobooks.spokennetwork.com excitingaudiobooks.spokennetwork.com

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Breast cancer affects thousands of Americans every year. Though no cure has been made yet, the best thing that doctors can do is contain this before it spreads to other parts of the body using drugs.

One drug is called Femara which is prescribed by the doctor for the patient. The generic name is Letrozole and works together when the woman is undergoing chemotherapy.

It works by not allowing the enzyme Aromatase which is found in the body to turn to adrogens which will later become estrogens. This will stop the tumor from growing and eventually make it shrink.

There are some reported side effects from patients such as back pain, nausea, hot flashes and fatigue which are perfectly normal when taking the medicine.

Another drug that the patient who is undergoing chemotherapy can take is called Zoladex. This is also used to treat people who have prostate cancer. This works by killing the cancer cells of estrogen through starvation.

This is because estrogen plays a big role in the growth of cancer cells. Unlike other drugs that can be taken orally, this has to be injected to the patient. This can be done monthly or every 3 months depending on the stage of the disease.

Some of the more common side effects are swelling or tenderness of the breast, loss of menses, hot flashes and vaginal dryness. The person should call the doctor at once if the drug makes the arms and legs numb or when this makes it difficult to urinate.

Tamoxifen is often used to treat patients who are undergoing chemotherapy. This is because it interferes with the growth of estrogen. This drug has been used for more than 20 years and is taken orally by the person. This is also used to treat breast cancer in men which rarely happens.

The drug works by either slowing down or stopping the growth of cancer cells produced by estrogen. This is also effective in preventing the disease from spreading which makes recurrence close to impossible.

Tamoxifen unfortunately also has side effects. These are headaches, impotence, loss of sexual desire and headaches. This can also lead to blood clots and problems of the liver but these are rare. The person can do some regular checkups to make sure all the other systems in the body do not react with the drug.

Most patients who have been prescribed this as a medicine will be taking this for the next 5 years. This may be very long but most patients have never experienced the recurence of breast cancer.

A new drug which is gaining popularity is called Taxol. The generic name for this is called Paclitaxel. This medicine is also used for those who have problems in the ovary, lungs and the bladder. This can also help treat esophageal cancer and melanoma.

This works like Zoladex since this has to be injected into the body through an IV. The person can go to the clinic to have this done or just do it at home. The side effects produced are similar to the other drugs.

This is administered for three hours every three weeks. Most patients have this done in the evening so the person can sleep peacefully without feeling the allergic reaction to the drug.

The dosage given per patient varies due to the weight; the status of the liver, how often is it given and the side effects that may be experienced.

Breast Cancer Care - 2breastcancercare.com Breast Cancer Care

Matt McMillan

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