Raising a healthy and happy family was the most important objective in our lives. We seemed to be succeeding with four daughters between the ages of eight and twelve. Life was good.

Then without warning our oldest daughter, Alisa developed some symptoms that, at first, seemed minor. But as the days passed and she didn’t respond to the antibiotics, we knew we were looking at a serious health problem. Little did we know that we would hear the words, “Your daughter has cancer!” From that moment on our lives changed forever.

Alisa was sent to Boston to get the best care. It was a daunting task trying to keep the family going. Everyone was feeling the effects of Alisa’s illness. We tried our best to maintain normalcy.

I have written a book, No Guarantees, that tells the story of our experience with childhood cancer. It is my wish that our story will help many other families. I know when Alisa was diagnosed that I searched everywhere to find books or stories about other children.

Please consider reading our story and by all means let others know who may be walking down the same path at this very minute.

Knowledge-Download.com/Childhood-Cancer-No-Guarantees/ www.Knowledge-Download.com/Childhood-Cancer-No-Guarantees/

Patricia A. Beckwith is the mother of four daughters and graduated from college with a B.S. in Education. After teaching for nine years she took a position at the Bangor, Maine Ronald McDonald House. This was her way of “giving back”.

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Chemotherapy drugs are used to halt the division and reproduction of cancer cells, but can also damage some of the more sensitive normal cells, such as bone marrow, linings in the mouth and digestive system, and hair follicles (which accounts for the classic hair loss). The cancer cells cannot survive after attack by chemotherapy drugs, but the affected healthy cells can. Most of the cellular damage recovers once the chemotherapy regimen is complete.

Each chemotherapy drugs has a unique mode of halting and killing the cancer cells. Many times various drugs are used in combination to attack the cancer cells from more than one way. There are over 200 chemotherapy drugs used in as many as 50 combinations. Certain cancers, prostate cancer, for instance, develop resistance to a single chemotherapy agent and so, for that situation, a combination treatment may be more successful.

Typically, chemotherapy is administered intravenously or through a port. The actual time at the hospital or clinic is around 2 hours for administration. Some newer drugs actually come in pill form. Treatments are given in a series, usually once every two or three weeks. This allows a ‘rest period’ for the patient, recovering from side effects. Directly after chemotherapy, an anti-sickness medication is given to lessen the unpleasant side effects. The rest period also gives the sensitive healthy cells a chance to recover, as more and more cancer cells are destroyed.

Chemotherapy has the potential to completely cure the disease by destroying all of the cancer cells. Sometimes a course of treatment is extended, even when there is no more evidence of cancer. This is to eliminate possible cancer cells that are too small for detection. In advanced stages of cancer, chemotherapy may be administered more for quality of life - to reduce the tumor, which would ease pain and prolong life.

Strategies for Chemotherapy use

Chemotherapy is used pre-operatively to shrink the tumor, making it easier to remove and surgery less invasive. In a post-operative treatment plan, chemotherapy is almost used as a preventive, to kill any cells which are too small for detection and removal during surgery. Some cancers may not be able to be completely removed during surgery, because of the risk to the patient. In this case, chemotherapy is used, not as a cure, but to reduce the tumor, and thus, the symptoms.

In cooperation with radiation, chemotherapy works together to more quickly eradicate cancer cells.

Bone marrow transplants are indicated when using high-dose chemotherapy. This is for certain cancers that may be very aggressive in growth and spread. A major side effect of the high-dose therapy is the destruction of bone marrow. Stem cells are used to replace the bone marrow. These cells may originate from the patient or a matching donor. Again, this is a specific treatment for only a very few types of cancer.

Mechanisms of Cancer Cell Destruction

As stated earlier, chemotherapy drugs were on unique areas of the cancer cell. Some of the older drugs are not as specific and cause more of the unpleasant side effects. New drugs have been developed which may target the outer cell wall of the cancer cell, the reproductive mechanism on the inside of the cell, and a ‘death receptor’ on the cancer cell, which can cause cell death.

Most often, chemotherapy drugs are used in combination with each other, surgery, radiation, hormone replacement therapy, and biological therapy. Since each person and cancer is unique, the treatment must be, as well.

To learn more about

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A disease that strikes fear in woman and everyone knows someone that has been diagnosed and treated for this. You constantly hear about breast cancer and there are constant news releases about new treatments being pioneered within the medical community. How should respond to the news reports, magazine articles and information that you receive from your own doctor?

Basically, watching for the early signs of this disease and taking immediate action can be the most important thing you ever do for yourself.

But, what are the symptoms of breast cancer? Many women do not know the basic facts that could save their lives. And, men get this form of cancer, at a lower rate, and they should also be informed.

There are several symptoms that all men and women should watch for. You should watch for:

* a lump-it will usually be small, firm and painless
* a piece of skin on the breast or underarm that swells or that has an unusual appearance
* veins that become more prominent on one or both breasts just under the skin surface
* nipples that have a change in skin texture, develops a rash, have a discharge (other than breast milk) or that becomes inverted, or
* a depression in any area of the breast surface that was not there before.

Women that already perform monthly self breast examinations know that their breasts always have a lumpy texture. Medical people say that if you do regular self-examinations, you will be able to tell the difference between your normal texture and the development of a lump. When in doubt, see a medical professional-they are there to help you and will not laugh if you are mistaken.

The medical profession tells us that only a small percentage of all lumps found in women’s breasts are malignant.

But, are you willing to take a chance and ignore the breast cancer symptoms? Being diagnosed is not a death notice-it is an opportunity for you to take action and to beat a terrible disease. Remember that every day more and more people are surviving breast cancer and living normal, healthy and long lives.

Watch for the symptoms of breast cancer. Be diligent, watchful and know the risks involved and your own family history with this disease. Even if there is no history of this disease in your family, that does not mean you are immune. Routine monthly self-examinations are the best way to ensure that you know your own body.

Do not be shy about the self-examinations and know the symptoms. No matter how slight the change in your breast, seek medical attention. Talk to your doctor; know how to be proactive in your own health care prevention and treatment. You are your own first line of defense-you know your body better than anyone else and you should be aware of any changes going on.

Think about the thousands of women every year that have survived this terrible disease. They have done so by being an actively involved in their own care and you can see many of them march every year in the Susan G. Konan race for the cure. Knowing the symptoms of breast cancer can mean the difference between you living long enough to see your grandchildren grow up or dying at an early age—the different might just be in your own hands.

For more information on breast cancer try visiting breastcanceranalysis.com breastcanceranalysis.com - a website that specializes in providing breast cancer related information and resources including information on breastcanceranalysis.com/breastcancersymptom.html breast cancer symptoms.

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The causes of mesothelioma would seem to be more complicated than they are, but they’re not. It would seem like such a virulent disease would be more complex in how it forms and what causes one person to get it over another one. But the causes can be boiled down to one word: asbestos.

Asbestos is a group of minerals that are fibrous in structure. Once used in building materials because of its ability to be fire resistant, asbestos is now banned in many countries around the world.

There are three different kinds of asbestos that can cause the dreaded mesothelioma cancer:

Blue Asbestos – Known as the most dangerous type of asbestos and also the most damaging to the lungs.

Brown Asbestos – Mined in Africa and also quite dangerous.

White Asbestos – This form of asbestos is still used in manufacturing and production in the United States and Europe.

Exposure to asbestos can take place twenty to thirty years before the patient even sees any symptoms, making the causes of mesothelioma hard to manage. If you don’t know or don’t remember that you have been exposed, you might not find out the answer until decades later, when the damage has already been done.

Many people are under the false assumption that one of the causes of mesothelioma is smoking, but this is not true. Studies have reported and proven that there is no link between smoking and mesothelioma cancer.

But exposure to asbestos is only one part of the causes of asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer. When the asbestos gets into your lungs, it can become trapped in the lining. With the fibrous texture of the material, it becomes difficult to expel and can move around in the lungs, causing irreparable damage. This damage leads to scarring in the lungs, which makes it difficult to breathe properly. The lungs can actually become sponge-like and dry out.

Many of the causes of asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer stem from exposure to asbestos fibers used in construction materials for buildings that were constructed before these discoveries were made. No one realized just how harmful asbestos really was, and when they did, they demolished the buildings with the fibers, but then exposed the workers to those fibers in the meantime. Older buildings can still have some remaining asbestos in them, making it possible to still be exposed in low doses. But over time, these causes of mesothelioma can still add up to damage to your body.

About the Author:

Dave Casey is a medical freelance writer for mesothelioma-adviser.com mesothelioma-adviser.com Visit the site for medical and legal advice for mesothelioma cancer victims.

Copyright 2007 Mesothelioma-Adviser.com

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