Choosing a doctor that is right for you can make all the difference in your treatment experience. Below are doctors with national and international reputations for their work with mesothelioma patients. The American Cancer Society has provided a checklist of topics to consider and questions to ask your doctor which may be helpful in choosing a doctor as your treating physician or to get a second opinion.



A Mesothelioma diagnosis can be stressful for anyone and therefore you will have a lot of questions. The following worksheets will guide you in asking the right questions when consulting a doctor about what the right course of treatment is best for you.

www.mirg.org/worksheets

Where Do I Go From Here?

After diagnosis, it is important to understand your treatment options. Your doctor or oncologist will provide you with information on the treatments that are available to you.

If you have mesothelioma, or any other asbestos-related disease, you were most likely exposed to asbestos. Many of the manufacturers of asbestos insulation products knew for decades that asbestos was hazardous, yet made a business decision not to warn people of those hazards. As a result, you may have a right of recovery against those manufacturers, which can help defray the costs of treatment and provide compensation for your pain and suffering.

mirg.org mirg.org

Related posts

• Your Household May Be The Cause of Mesothelioma Cancer (0)
• Where to Find Asbestos Attorneys (0)
• What You Need To Learn About Mesothelioma (0)
• What to Do When You Find Out You Have Mesothelioma (0)
• What Is The Function Of Mesothelium In The Body? (0)

Tags: mesothelioma

Sometime in June 1992: Ben was diagnosed with colon cancer. He underwent an operation to remove the cancerous portion of his colon. With the threats of cancer put aside, Ben’s life was back to normal. He obtained a job in a factory. For three years, he worked very hard. Life was both a physical and mental stress.

In July 1995, Ben lost his appetite and then had severe pains in his abdomen. A CT scan showed the cancer had spread to his liver. His earlier operation did not cure his cancer. He had to undergo chemotherapy.

Ben wrote about his experience below.

My Death Sentence

“I was informed by the doctor of the very bad news — CANCER of the liver at an advanced stage. There would be no medicine for me. I was advised to prepare my will as soon as possible. I was stunned for a moment. My wife, Cindy and I broke down. I thought, “I am going to die”. Confused and sad I felt helpless. I refused to eat and talk. When relatives and friends came to see me, I broke down. What about my daughter in Australia? She was preparing for her final year examination. Should I inform her? I could not decide. I simply cried and cried.”

Chemotherapy

“After my first chemotherapy that evening, I thought I was dying. I suffered nausea, weakness, loss of appetite and was in a confused stage. Just imagine, five more chemotherapy sessions to go.”

“After my second chemotherapy, I reluctantly went for the third. A young doctor assigned to me did his job in about 20 minutes. It nearly killed me. Normally, it takes about three hours. I felt tightness around my chest and that night I felt as if my chest was going to burst. Psychologically I was badly affected. When I thought of my fourth chemotherapy, fear and depression affected me. I suffered loss of appetite, restlessness and there was the phobia of going to the hospital. What is going to happen this time? My doctor assured me he will get another doctor with more experience to do the job. Still feeling frightened, I managed to finish the whole six courses of chemotherapy sessions. Praise God! He helped me to be positive.”

Herbs

20 July 1995: “I started taking the rodent tuber extract at night. My appetite improved the next day. I managed to finish a big bowl of porridge. After four days, the intake of the rodent tuber was increased to twice daily. My appetite continued to improve. Bowel movements were regular. A herbal Mixture A was introduced to me to be taken together with the rodent tuber extract. Physically I felt a bit stronger.”

25 August 1995: “I took Mixture B (liver powder) together with Mixture A and the rodent tuber extract. The appetite improved tremendously. I was stronger physically after a few days. There was great improvement for the next few weeks. My appetite was good. I was able to sleep and my bowel movements were regular.”

Path to Recovery

27 September 1995: “An ultrasound showed that the necrotic cells are dying off. The doctor encouraged me to continue taking the rodent tuber extract and the Mixtures A and B. I am still taking them. I lost a little bit of hair. I experienced PAIN many times, in the hospital and at home. The pain came without any warning. Each time I was in pain, I could not walk, sit or sleep. Pain killers were of little help. The doctor told me to try to bear the pain. Too many pain killers would affect the kidneys. Sometimes the pain was unbearable. I nearly gave up a few times. The doctor told me he had done his best and encouraged me to keep on praying to God to heal me.”

March 1996: “I am glad that I can participate in the CA Care Group and shared my experiences with those who were present. I know their sufferings very well. I encouraged them to think positively and not give up.”

My health

“My hair had grown more bushy, black and shiny. Even the gray ones have disappeared! The veins in my arm, once hardened and dead as a result of chemotherapy, are now becoming alive again. The skin pigmentation caused by the chemotherapy has now disappeared. I have nice, clean skin! Praise and thank the Lord!”

Ben had lived! He outlived his doctor’s doom prediction. His daughter returned home after graduation. He celebrated Christmas 1995 and continued living a strong and healthy life. For Ben, the fight against cancer was not over as yet. He had to continue to eat rightly and lead a happy, stress-free life.

In the early morning of 29 October 1996, Ben passed away. The doctors gave Ben two months to live after his liver diagnosis. But Ben got to live a happy life for a year, three months and eighteen days. It is not the length of time that mattered. What is more important is the quality of life Ben had. Ben lived a full happy life. He did not take life for granted. He anticipated and made preparations for his departure. He enjoyed whatever time he had with Cindy, having daily picnics and enjoying Penang’s natural spots under those shady trees. Ben even designed his own grave! He taught Cindy how to manage the chores of daily life without him like paying utility bills, taking care of the car, etc. When he departed, it was neither a sudden good-bye nor a slow painful death. Perhaps on this point alone, we take consolation that many people who were on the herbs died without much pain and their death came easily and peacefully.

Extracted from the author’s book: Cancer Yet They Live!

For more information about complementary therapy for cancer visit: cacare.com cacare.com, NaturalHealingForYou.com NaturalHealingForYou.com, Cancer-Answers.blogspot.com Cancer-Answers.blogspot.com

Related posts

• Suspected Colorectal Cancer - No Medical Intervention Please! (0)
• Stage Two Colorectal Cancer Turned Terminal After Chemotherapy (0)
• Healing of Cancer: Be An Exceptional Patient, Not A Statistic (0)
• Colorectal Cancer: Can Diet and Herbs Out-perform Chemotherapy? (0)
• Colorectal Cancer Part 6: Chemotherapy for the Elderly — Is It Worth It? (0)

Tags: chemotherapy, colon cancer, healing

Skin cancer is one form of cancer that is often disregarded by many people. It can kill, but unique treatments exist. Cryosurgery is one of them.

There is little doubt that cancer is a scary topic for just about anyone. That being said, there are some forms of cancer which do not always sound serious, but are. Skin cancer is one. It also happens to be the most prevalent form of cancer found in the world today. Fortunately, most skin cancer is treatable if found early enough. There are a variety of methods for doing this and a unique one is cryosurgery.

When talking about cryosurgery, one probably immediately gets visions of eccentric wealthy individuals freezing their bodies to hold off death. While this is a more extreme cryo technic, it has little to do with cryosurgery for skin cancer.

Cryosurgery for skin cancer involves a unique strategy for attacking cancerous cells in the layers of skin. The basic idea is to freeze the cells. When we talk about freezing, we mean extreme freezing. Liquid nitrogen is used to essentially turn the temperature down to the point that the cells are destroyed, thus wiping out the offending cells. Currently, cryosurgery is used to treat basal and squamous cell carcinomas.

Cryosurgery is gaining in popularity with medical professionals and patients. One of the major advantages to the procedure is it is less invasive than more established approaches. It typically involves only a topical treatment or small incision in the area in question. This reduces trauma to the body and makes recovery much quicker and less painful. Sometimes, it can be done with only a local anesthesia. It can also be repeated frequently and used in combination with other treatment strategies. As you might imagine, this less invasive approach also reduces the overall cost of treatment.

There is a disadvantage associated with cryosurgery. The primary issue is there is no clear evidence of the long-term results of the surgery. While it appears effective at treating obvious cancerous cells, it is unclear if the procedure deals with all of the cells in the surrounding area. It only takes a few missed cells to lead to a reoccurrence of the cancer. Given this uncertainty, some health insurance companies balk at paying for the procedure.

Cryosurgery for skin cancer is in its infancy at this point in time. It is offered in select hospitals, but is not widespread as of yet in the medical community. As the procedure becomes more accepted, it may offer an excellent treatment option for people suffering from skin cancer.

John Grimes is with

Related posts

• Your Lifestyle and Your Risk for Bladder Cancer (0)
• What Every Woman Should Know About Breast Cancer (0)
• Prostate Cancer Worries That Men Don’t Want To Admit To (0)
• Prostate Cancer Tips Tests And Treatments (0)
• Prostate Cancer Symptoms What You Can Do About It (0)

Tags: cancer treatment, skin cancer

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 BestProstateHealthTips.com prostate cancer treatments and prostate cancer symptoms go to BestProstateHealthTips.com BestProstateHealthTips.com Helen Hecker R.N.’s website specializing in prostate and prostate cancer tips, advice and resources, including information on prostate tests and BestProstateHealthTips.com natural prostate cancer treatments

Related posts

• Your Guide To Prostate Cancer And Natural Treatment (0)
• Worried About Getting Prostate Cancer -Think Living Foods (0)
• What You Must Know To Make An Informed Decision About Prostate Cancer Treatments (0)
• Ways to Detect Prostate Cancer and How It Can Be Treated (0)
• Understanding Cancer Therapies - A Patient’s Guide (0)

Tags: cancer treatment, chemotherapy, prostate cancer