We all know that doctors are busy, pulled in many directions and pressed for time. As a breast cancer patient, when you are dealing with people you might otherwise find intimidating, you may be a bit reluctant to make demands. But remember, they are people just like you and you can bet they’d want someone to pay close attention if you were in their shoes. Never lose sight of this fact - and never chose a doctor who has. You should expect doctors to hear you. As a way of showing they are listening and caring, it is not unusual for doctors to pull up a chair and sit face-to-face while discussing your diagnosis and options for treatment of your breast cancer. You need to feel your doctor sees you as a person. If only one of you is talking, there’s a problem. You will want to make certain that your doctor not only answers any questions you may have, but also provides you with information that will allow you to make decisions, or know where to look for answers.

Each of us has a comfort level when it comes to facing what will lie ahead in terms of breast surgery, cancer adjuvant therapies, prognosis and possibilities. You may want to know every detail. If this is the case, you should expect the doctor you select to explain tests and procedures you will be undergoing. On the other hand, you should decide in advance how much you really want to know. Some of us need the hard, fast facts of breast cancer; others just want a broad overview; still other want only the information they will need to take their first step. One size does not fit all, so feel free to ask about anything that comes to mind.

Because you may be nervous or frightened - or simply because you may be asking questions that require lengthy or complicated answers - you may want to tape-record conversations with your doctor. Don’t be afraid to ask. This is a great way to make sure you aren’t missing anything important. It provides you with the opportunity to review what you discussed and also allows you to absorb what was said at your own pace, in your own time. If you run into a doctor who doesn’t want to be taped, you should seriously consider whether this is someone you will feel safe and confident with, or if it’s time to move on.

In this day and age, it is not uncommon for women with breast cancer to seek out therapies that may be considered outside the realm of Western medicine. A growing number of patients feel they need to approach breast cancer on more than one level. You may try acupuncture, massage, Chinese herbs, vitamins, or many other therapies currently classified alternative or complementary medicine. Your doctor should want to know about these and you will want to pay close attention to reactions when you discuss other therapies you may be trying or want to try. If your doctor dismisses these therapies without evidence that a specific therapy is harmful or ineffective, you may want to leave that doctor and find one who acknowledges that alternative treatments can help you to improve you physical and emotional well-being.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to breast-cancer.treatment-and-guides.com/ Breast Cancer

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Tags: breast cancer, cancer patient

After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer seen in men today with more than 230,000 cases been diagnosed annually in the United States alone. It is also a major cause of death amongst men in the United States and claims more than 30,000 lives every year.

Although prostate cancer is more likely to be seen in African American men, men with a family history of the disease and men over the age of 60, it does not otherwise discriminate in choosing its victims and claims the lives of poor and rich alike including some well know figures like Don Ameche, Bill Bixby, Telly Savalas and Frank Zappa.

While any death is clearly regrettable, the deaths of such well known personalities from prostate cancer has done much to raise the visibility of the disease and this, combined with other figures such as retired General Norman Schwarzkopf, Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens and comedian Jerry Lewis who have all publicly fought prostate cancer, has led to greater public awareness and earlier medical intervention. And the results are clear to see.

While some 230,000 people will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, the figure 10 years ago was 330,000. Similarly, while in the region of 30,000 will die from prostate cancer this year, the figure again 10 years ago was nearly 42,000.

There are two major problems with prostate cancer. The first is a reluctance on the part of many men to talk about anything to do with their sex organs or to visit their doctor until the symptoms are so bad that they simply don’t have any choice. The second is the fact that it is quite common for men to suffer from an enlarged prostate and therefore to experience problems with urinating as they enter their 60s. Because an enlarged prostate is a benign condition and enlargement of the prostate generally progresses slowly, they simply put up with the problem as simply another sign of growing old. The problem here is that, while an enlarged prostate does not cause cancer, the symptoms produced by an enlarged prostate can mask the symptoms of a developing prostate cancer.

As with many forms of cancer, the secret to finding a prostate cancer cure lies in the early detection of the condition. If the disease is detected at an early stage when it is still confined to the prostate gland then it can be treated without too much difficulty. Once it starts to spread however into the surrounding tissue, and particularly into bone tissue and the lymphatic system, treatment is far more difficult and less effective.

There are now a variety of tests available to detect the presence of prostate cancer and a prostate cancer cure is certainly within the reach of most men as long as they act quickly as soon as the first signs of trouble appear and consult their doctor.

For more information on finding a prostatecancerexplained.com” target=”_blank prostate cancer cure please visit prostatecancerexplained.com” target=”_blank ProstateCancerExplained.com today.

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Tags: prostate cancer, skin cancer

So you want to get tan? Welcome to the world of tanning. But how will you begin your journey to that “golden” land? Developing a tan has come a long way since tanning became popular early in the 20th century, when Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (creator of that famous line of perfumes) started a fashion trend when she accidentally got a tan, sailing from Paris to Cannes, aboard the yacht of the Duke of Westminster.

Today, almost anyone can get a tan indoors, with the rapid growth of those popular tanning salons opening in every city. Now you’ll want your journey to be a safe one and with every journey there are choices to make, different roads to take and advice to get from those who have taken the journey before. Let’s prepare properly for this journey by becoming aware of the “rules of the road” to tanning.

No Burning

Perhaps the most important rule of the road to a great tan is, “No burning allowed”. Just as speeding on the highway is dangerous, so also is trying to “speed” your way to a tan by burning. It is dangerous and actually counterproductive to your goal. Let me tell you why. Your skin knows how to protect itself against the effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays, or in this case, the effects of tanning beds you might be laying on.

When certain UV rays hit your skin, it reacts with a complex process that ends in the production of melanin, a protein that protects your skin from UV rays. And guess what? Melanin is tan in color! But if the skin receives too much UV light in too short a period of time it will turn red, an indication that it could not produce that protein fast enough to protect itself. And, instead of a tan, you’ve got a burn.

What’s worse is now the skin has to spend time repairing itself instead of producing melanin. So what’s the rule here? You will not get to your goal of tanning any faster by trying to burn your way there. It’s dangerous and actually makes the whole process longer because you’ve damaged your skin with a burn, instead of protecting it with a tan.

Know Your Own Body

One very important question to ask yourself is, what’s your skin type? When you get into a car you need to know what that car can and cannot do. The same thing is true for your body. As you might have guessed, the lighter your natural skin, hair and eye color, the more difficult it will be to get a tan. There are variations to this rule so combine it with what you already know about your own body. And I hate to rain on your parade, but if you burn easily in the sun and have a lot of trouble tanning, you’re not going to have any more success with tanning beds.

Medical Considerations

Have you ever gotten a prescription from the pharmacy that warned you about the dangers of driving while taking that medication? Believe it or not, there are quite a number of medications (both prescription and over-the-counter types) that increase the potential dangers of tanning beds, because they sharply increase your skin’s sensitivity to UV rays and therefore sunburn.

Another consideration if you’re a woman, is that of pregnancy. Although UV rays don’t penetrate past your skin, pregnancy and tanning beds include other concerns. The bulbs that tanning beds use can produce quite a bit of heat that might be uncomfortable and possibly harmful. If you’re in the later months of pregnancy, you wouldn’t be comfortable climbing into a tiny sports car and a tanning bed might be a bit of a challenge for you as well.

Finally, there is the issue of tanning beds and cancer. If you have a personal history of skin cancer, are tanning beds safe? The answer is unfortunately no, they are not. If you have any doubts or questions about this section you should check with your personal physician, before embarking on this road to tanning.

Choosing The Right Facility

Last but not least on your road to a golden tan is choosing the best and safest place to get that tan. All tanning beds are not equal. So which one should you use and how long should you use it for? The person responsible for this is the Tanning Facility representative. And the professional salon with the most responsible representative is your goal to find. Here are a few items that will help you determine what salons are trustworthy:

1. Were you asked to fill out a tanning profile before you begin your actual tanning?

2. Were you given a statement about radiation that you were asked to read and sign?

3. Were you asked what medications you are currently using?

4. Were you instructed in the proper use of protective eyewear?

5. Were you cautioned not to tan outdoors within 24 hrs of using the tanning beds?

6. Were you given adequate instructions as to the operation of the equipment?

7. Is the facility clean?

8. Are the tanning beds cleaned after each client’s use?

If you entered a tanning bed facility and were not met with the above questions and care, you might as well leave and keep looking. The operators are responsible to help you get to your goal of tanning as safely as possible, based on what your relationship to tanning has been in the past.

They are trained to know how long you should spend on your first visit, your second visit and on from there. They will explain the process to you so you will achieve your goal in the safest way possible. They should not allow you to put yourself in danger by taking unnecessary risks. To put yourself into their hands means just that! Be reasonably sure before you take that step.

Adam Murray is the writer and owner of tanning-beds-resource.com/ Home Tanning Beds. This site contains a lot of useful articles such as the downsides of tanning-beds-resource.com/tanning-bed-bulbs.htm cheap tanning bed bulbs, what the big deal about tanning-beds-resource.com/wolff-tanning-beds.htm wolff tanning beds is, and much more.

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Tags: skin cancer

It turns out that the key to defeating cancer just may found in sugar…well, at least in the polysaccarides, or “sugar molecules,” surrounding tumors. That’s good news for developed countries like the U.S., in which cancer is a leading cause of death. Texas alone endures approximately 10,000 lung-cancer related deaths every year, many of which are in high-pollutant areas like Dallas, Houston, and Austin. The implications this has for potential lifesaving treatments, and, subsequently, for the health care and health insurance industries, are profound.

According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, altering some of the sugars found on the surface of cancer cells can control tumor growth. Theorizing that changes in the polysaccarides surrounding tumors indicated the stages or aggressiveness of cancers, Ram Sasisekharan and colleagues from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) conducted studies in which cancer-infected mice were given doses of two enzymes and their products predicted to cut the sugar heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans in different places. Heparinase I (hep I) promoted the growth of melanoma tumors, while heparinase III (hep III) inhibited their growth, and prevented subsequent spreading.

Tumors “bind to (hence, disrupt) activity of certain signaling molecules involved in tumor activity.” The implication is that cancerous tumors can be restricted or encouraged by enzymes released by the body, or, as experiments would suggest, introduced to the body through polysaccaride-based anti-cancer drugs. Though further testing is necessary, such treatments may also come with the added bonus of having relatively few side-effects.

Further research has been done on enzymes’ link to cancer growth. Results of a study conducted on lung cancer, released by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and published in the journal, Cancer Research, suggested that blocking the enzyme telomerase — which prevents the death of cancer cells — may also slow or halt the spread of most malignancies. Such treatments may be most effective after chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, or other treatments are administered to rid the body of most of the disease. Enzymatic treatment, then, can follow, eliminating remaining cancer cells. Such therapies may also be used during the course of treatment to slow malignant growth.

This all makes a little more sense in light of some basic cell biology. In normal cells, the tail end of the chromosomes are called telomores. As cells divide and age, they become shorter and shorter, and, at a certain length, they simply stop dividing and die. Cancer cells, on the other hand, have a certain enzyme, telomerase, that activates and keeps the chromosomes the same length, thereby preventing their death. Malignant cells are so hard to kill partly because they live so long and multiply so rapidly. Enzymatic therapy that would halt this growth would be a major breakthrough in the treatment of nearly all cancers.

Between 1995 and 2000, there were 81,132 lung cancer cases recorded in Texas alone. Ninety percent of those who were diagnosed didn’t make it past five years. The rates were higher in counties with higher emissions, especially emissions containing zinc, chromium, and copper. Ominously, a report entitled An Ecological Study of the Association of Metal Air Pollutants with Lung Cancer Incidence in Texas, released by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, concluded that “a positive relationship” between air pollution and lung cancer existed. Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter, produced from the combustion of fossil fuels (such as in power plants, incinerators and motor vehicles) also conferred lung cancer risks.

Undoubtedly, most lung cancer is associated with cigarette smoking, but around 15% of those with this horrid disease are nonsmokers. Such a significant percentage implies that other factors are to blame, such as air pollution (obviously higher in cities like Dallas and Houston), secondhand smoke, asbestos, and Radon exposure. Lung cancer rates are so significant because few people diagnosed are actually cured. If scientists can somehow find a way to treat even the toughest of cancers, there is hope for even the most desperate of patients.

What is so exciting about the possibility of enzymatic therapy for cancer patients is that it’s relatively simple. Scientists are discovering the basic processes allowing cancers to exist and grow, and are attempting to cut them off before the malignancies overtake the body. Perhaps, just perhaps, we may even soon stop this often-fatal disease well before it can take hold. Now that would be something.

No one wants to be afflicted with cancer. How you take care of yourself can surely help reduce your risk, and will certainly affect you as you age — eventually your wallet, as well. If you’re a young individual who tries to keep informed and maintain a healthy condition and lifestyle, you should take a look at the revolutionary, comprehensive and highly-affordable individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for you. Visit our website, www.precedent.com, for more information. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly-competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled “real time” application and acceptance process.

Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at precedent.com precedent.com

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Tags: cancer patient, cancer risk, chemotherapy, lung cancer, melanoma