The answer is still uncertain. A team of researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research in London tracked 160,900 women for an average of 11 years. The participants were divided into two groups: Women in the study group were offered annual mammography screenings beginning at age 40, while those in the control group were offered annual screenings beginning at age 50.

Deaths resulting from breast cancer among the younger women decreased by only 17 percent, a figure considered by researchers to be not statistically significant. However, the study also found that in this group of women 23 percent had at least one false-positive result, compared with 12 percent of older women. (A false-positive result is an irregularity in the screening process that later turns out not to be breast cancer.)

Regular screening also increases the risk of radiation-induced breast cancer, a risk that many endocrinologists believe outweighs the benefit in a small percentage of women.

The researchers concluded that annual mammography screenings remain too uncertain to conclude that a net benefit accrues to women in the below 50 age-group.
Another study conducted by researchers at France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale, or INSERM), found that chest X-rays may actually raise the risk of breast cancer in women with the breast cancer gene mutations BRCA1 or BRCA2.

Researchers studied 1,601 European and Canadian women with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, which greatly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers. The group included 853 women with breast cancer.

The results show that the women who reported having chest X-rays were 54% more likely to have breast cancer, compared with those who reported having no chest X-rays. That outcome was more prevalent among women up to 40 years old and those who reported having had chest X-rays before age 20.

According to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation’s web site, the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are carried by an estimated 250,000 women in the U.S. These inherited gene mutations account for 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers diagnosed in the U.S. A woman’s odds of developing breast cancer, assuming that she lives to the age of 85, are about 13 percent if she has no BRCA2 mutation, 60 to 80 percent if a woman has a BRCA1 mutation, and 30 to 85 percent if she has a BRCA2 mutation.

It is known that radiation exposure can increase the risk of cancer. However, it should be noted that X-rays typically use low levels of radiation that are generally considered to be safe. It is also known that the younger the age at first exposure to radiation the greater the risk of breast cancer.

The timing of exposure can be as important as the dose. When exposure occurs during the time of greater cell growth of the breast, vulnerability to the cancer-causing effects of radiation is increased. Even in older women who are still having a menstrual cycle, the timing of exposure is very important. The cumulative dose as in annual mammography screenings starting below the age of 40 in a woman with the breast cancer gene mutations BRCA1 or BRCA2 significantly increases the risk.

Breast cancer takes years to develop from the first genetic event or exposure to the point when a lump is seen on a mammogram or felt during a breast exam. It is possible that the initial genetic damage may have occurred very early in life. It is difficult to pinpoint when the initiating event occurred.

Although the medical establishment takes to avoid exposing a woman who might be pregnant to X-rays, a woman should also avoid having a mammography screening towards the end of a menstrual cycle because that’s the time when the breast cells are reproducing most rapidly.

Since young women and women who are genetically at high risk for breast cancer are more affected by X-ray radiation, exposure to radiation should be limited and alternatives should be used in emergencies. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses imaging technology different from X-rays, could be a good alternative to X-rays and mammography.

It is the responsibility of each woman to decide for herself (after research) whether she should risk developing breast cancer as a result of routine mammography screenings or risk having the complications of late-diagnosed breast cancer that could have been avoided if detected earlier by screening mammography.

Reference:

Journal of Clinical Oncology

Syble James is the author of numerous articles covering a wide range of topics including health and wellness, vitamin and supplements, food and beverage, and self improvement. She has published several articles on specific diseases such as diabetes, obesity and breast cancer and prostate cancers. As a scholar with the Gerson Lehrman Group, Syble does research, writes analyses, and consults on vitamin/supplements weight loss/fitness, nutraceutical/functional food, MLM and personal care industries for the investment community. She has strong knowledge of product sourcing, product ingredients, consumer and industry trends, sales, distribution and marketing strategy within the above industries. Contact her via syblejames.com syblejames.com or mailto:bella@syblejames.com bella@syblejames.com to discuss this article or other projects.

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The history of asbestos as we know it dates back 2000 years. It was the Greeks who named this mineral asbestos, meaning inextinguishable. The ancient Greeks observed the harmful biological effects but continued to use the mineral said to have magical properties. Pliny (Roman naturalist) and Strabo (Greek geographer) noted an appearance of “sickness of the lungs” in slaves who wove asbestos into cloth. The Greeks also used asbestos for the wicks of the eternal flames of the vestal virgins, as the funeral dress worn by kings and for napkins. They were so impressed with the magical properties of the mineral that they were willing to overlook its harmful symptoms for humans. They went as far as calling asbestos “amiantus”, meaning “unpolluted.

During the middle ages, it was believed that the Frankish king, Charlemagne had asbestos tablecloths. Asbestos products were used in the 1700 hundreds but did not really become popular until the late 1800’s. The industrial Revolution demanded new uses for the mineral. It was used as insulation for steam pipes, turbines, boilers, kilns, ovens, and other high-temperature products.

The history of asbestos use continued into the twentieth century and researchers began to investigate the harmful toxic affects. It was first noticed in 1917 and 1918 that a great number of young people in asbestos mining towns prematurely died. Researchers in England carried out clinical studies on asbestos workers in 1924, after the recorded death of a young woman who had been diagnosed with the new disease they called asbestosis. Twenty-five percent of the test subjects showed evidence of asbestos-related lung disease. Legislation was enacted in 1931, to increase ventilation and to recognize asbestosis a work-related disease.

The 1930’s brought in with it, the surge of major medical research articles, warning about the asbestos connection with lung cancer partially due to a new disease, silicosis, caused by in haling silica dust particles. Much of this research continued to be ignored. Large Asbestos companies continued to use asbestos in manufacturing and construction, despite that fact that safer alternatives such as fiberglass insulation were created to replace it. These companies hid their lung cancer findings to avoid the million dollar lawsuits brought upon them by asbestos cancer victims. The history of asbestos use and company profiteering has no doubt exploited asbestos workers then and now. Today, victims exposed to asbestos are faced with mesothelioma cancer and certain death.

What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber mined from the earth. It is strong, flexible, and resistant to heat, chemicals and electrical conditions.

Forms of Asbestos
The three most common forms of asbestos are divided into two groups. The serpentine group includes white (chrysotile) asbestos. The amphibole group includes brown (amosite) and blue (crocidolite) asbestos.

Asbestos Properties
Asbestos has many properties that once made it attractive to industry. It is stable when heated, it provides strength under tension, it is resistant to chemicals and does not absorb water (depending on type of asbestos). Asbestos is suitable for weaving and can be used to reinforce materials such as concrete. And lastly, it is a good resistance to electricity.

Asbestos Categories
‘Bonded’ is used to refer to asbestos being so firmly embedded in a material that these materials are unlikely to release measurable levels of asbestos fiber into the air if they are left undisturbed. Therefore, they generally pose a lower risk to health.

Bonded asbestos-containing materials include asbestos cement products (flat and corrugated sheeting used in walls, ceilings and roofs, molded items such as down pipes), vinyl floor coverings.

‘Friable’ is used to refer to asbestos-containing materials that can be easily reduced to powder by hand, when dry. These materials are more likely to release measurable levels of asbestos into the air when disturbed, and generally pose a greater risk to health. Friable asbestos-containing materials include sprayed asbestos fire retardants

Asbestos Industry
In the past, the asbestos industry used around 3000 products manufactured worldwide, most commonly in the construction, car manufacturing and textile industries. It was generally manufactured in the following forms: fibrous (limpet asbestos), woven (cloth, tape or sleeving), wound (rope) or mixed with a binder, such as calcium silicate (to make asbestos cement or vinyl floor products containing asbestos).

Because of its strength and its ability to resist heat and chemicals, asbestos was used in a range of insulation materials.
Older commercial industrial buildings and private dwellings may contain a variety of asbestos products, such as asbestos-cement sheeting in walls and ceilings, or roof cladding made from corrugated asbestos-cement. Asbestos may be found in structures built as late as the mid- to late 1980s.

Asbestos Related Occupations
Asbestos has been used in association with a number of occupations such as the US military and armed forces, particularly the Navy. Massive amounts of asbestos were used in shipbuilding and commercial construction prior to the mid-1970’s.

Other workers in occupations which have been associated with asbestos use are:

Insulators, Pipe Fitters, Plumbers, Electricians, Painters, Crane Operators, Floor Coverers, Pot Tenders, Welders, Paper Mill Workers, Custodians, Steam Fitters, Tile Setters, Aerospace Workers, Mechanics, Building Engineers, Demolition Crews, Former US Navy Personnel, Packing/Gasket Manufacturing Workers, Protective Clothing Manufacturing, Rubber Workers, Warehouse Workers, Home Improvement, Hospitals, Schools, Loading Docks, Glass Factory Workers, Building Inspectors, Bulldozer Operators, Manufacturing Workers, Excavating machine operators, Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Job and Die setters, Contractors, Building Managers, Mixing Operatives, Laborers, Sawyers, Teachers, Tinsmiths, Weavers, Excavators, Technicians

Risks of Asbestos Exposure
Humans come into contact with asbestos when they swallow or inhale the fibers. These particles can then become embedded in the tissues of the respiratory or digestive systems.

Three Main Diseases Caused by Asbestos Exposure

Asbestosis
Asbestosis causes widespread scar tissue between the alveoli, or spread over the lung. It is difficult to distinguish from other causes of interstitial fibrosis. Only confirmation of exposure to asbestos or detection of unusually high numbers of asbestos fibers in the lung is considered conclusive evidence of this disease.

Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a tumor of the chest lining, abdominal lining and occasionally the heart lining. Asbestos is not the only cause of this disease, but it is the most important cause in modern times. Crocidolite is the most important asbestos-related factor, but amosite, chrysotile and tremolite are also linked. This disease takes 20-50 years to appear, with the highest risk around 30-35 years after exposure. It is typically dose-related, but in rare cases has been known to occur in patients with little known occupational exposure to asbestos.

Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is relatively common among the general public and is the cancer most frequently associated with asbestos. Tumors grow and eventually obstruct airways. No characteristics specify a lung cancer as being caused by asbestos; we cannot distinguish a ‘cigarette’ lung cancer from an ‘asbestos’ lung cancer or ‘another’ lung cancer. Smoking increases the risk of death due to lung cancer for asbestos workers.

The history of asbestos and how it is has endangered human mortality has plagued different societies since ancient times. Throughout history must of these warnings have been ignored. Today, the use of asbestos is banned in the US and many other countries. This ban applies to manufacture, supply, storage, sale, use, reuse, installation and replacement of asbestos, except in special circumstances (e.g. removal and disposal of asbestos, and research work).

About the Author:

Dave Casey is a medical writer for Mesothelioma-Adviser.com, a comprehensive guide for mesothelioma-adviser.com/ mesothelioma cancer patients. The guide covers the mesothelioma-adviser.com/history-of-asbestos.html history of asbestos, mesothelioma-adviser.com/asbestos-exposure.html asbestos
exposure and treatment options.

Copyright 2007 Mesothelioma-Adviser.com

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When diagnosed with breast cancer, many people feel helpless and out of control. Suddenly inundated with doctors and treatment decisions that are difficult to understand, it’s easy to feel that you no longer control your own health or destiny. More and more, however, breast cancer patients are turning to alternative therapies as an adjunct to traditional treatments.

These are decisions and treatments that the patient can control and even administer themselves, giving back some control over their health.

Few patients opt for alternative therapies alone. The vast majority still undergo chemotherapy or radiation and sometimes a lumpectomy or mastectomy. But, studies have shown that there are several alternative therapies that can be effective. In particular, these alternative therapies often have the ability to make the traditional treatments more effective.

If you’re a breast cancer patient, you may want to consider adding alternative therapies to your current medical regimen. Following are some of the most effective therapies to consider:

Green Tea

Tea leaves contain catechins, part of the flavan-3-ol class of flavonoids, which are anti-oxidants. EGCG is one of the catechins contained in tea, and is a potent anti-oxidant. Anti-oxidants have been shown to slow down the aging process, and prevent diseases, including cancer. However, more recent studies have shown that the EGCG and polyphenols in green tea may make traditional breast cancer treatments more effective.

There have been several studies that have shown that chemotherapy drugs commonly used to treat breast cancer appear in higher concentration in cancerous cells when green tea is administered along with the drugs. The green tea makes the cancer cells less resistant to the drug, so that it can be more effective.

Green tea is also helpful for treating cancer because it seems to slow down the progression of the disease. Cancer cells appear to stop growing and replicating when green tea is part of the treatment regimen. It is believed that green tea may be effective in preventing metastasis of cancer.

Diet

Watching your diet carefully while you’re undergoing cancer treatment can also be an effective way to treat your disease naturally. First of all, you should ensure that your diet is rich in anti-oxidants. This includes eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, and including “power” foods like blueberries, pomegranates, and tomatoes.

In addition, as mentioned above, green tea is also a good way to improve the number of anti-oxidants in your diet. It is also important to increase the fiber in your diet. This will happen automatically if you increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. However, eliminating white flour and replacing it with whole grains will improve your fiber intake as well.

Herbs and Vitamins

Of course, herbs and vitamins have been used for centuries to promote healing. After all, herbs were the very first medicines. There are several herbs and vitamins that can either soothe side effects of cancer treatment or improve the effectiveness of the treatments. Some of the most important are:

Ginger Root – While ginger root doesn’t appear to affect cancer cells one way or another, it is a powerful tool for reducing the nausea that often accompanies chemotherapy.

Calcium D-Glucarate - This vitamin and mineral supplement has been shown to reduce mammary cancer in animals. There are no side effects, so adding this to your diet seems a safe alternative therapy.

Melatonin – This is a pineal hormone. It is often used as a natural sleep aid. However, it is also a potent anti-oxidant that has been shown to inhibit estrogen responsive breast cancer cells. It also increases the effectiveness of tamoxifen, a commonly prescribed cancer drug.

St. John’s Wort – This herb has been relied upon for centuries to reduce anxiety, relieve stress and promote a regular sleep cycle. It has also been used to treat depression. Because of its possible interaction with your cancer drugs, it is not recommended that you use St. John’s Wort while you’re going through chemotherapy. However, it may be an effective treatment before and after your chemotherapy treatment.

Mind, Body and Soul Treatments

Participating in activities that help you relax and that relieve pain and other physical symptoms can also be very effective at helping your body respond to your medicine. When undergoing chemotherapy, it’s not unusual to feel tired and nauseous. Any treatments you can find to help relieve these symptoms can help you get better over the long haul by keeping your body strong. Some of the most popular treatments are:

Acupuncture- This ancient healing practice is known to be very effective at relieving chemotherapy induced nausea and it is also effective at reducing pain.

Yoga, Meditation and Hypnosis – All three of these techniques are associated with reducing stress. A reduction in stress may alleviate side effects that occur from cancer treatment and contribute to an overall sense of well being. Keeping our stress in check is helpful in healing our bodies from any ailment.

It’s important to evaluate all your options when you’re battling cancer. It’s critical to keep your doctor informed of any alternative treatments you’d like to include in your therapy. However, if your doctor is aware, you should feel free to explore the many alternative therapies that can be used to enhance your cancer treatments or relieve your side effects.

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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Alternative Cancer Treatments are increasingly being used for treating
cancer patients. The treatments are either used a sole therapy or in
combination with traditional therapies to cure cancer. These treatments are
based on the fact that our own immune system provides the first and best
defense against cancer. In alternative cancer treatments vaccines stimulate
patient’s immune system to recognize and destroy tumor cells. The
treatments are customized according to the patient ailing with cancer.

Some of the therapies used in an alternative cancer treatment program
are:

1. Dendritic Cell Therapy

Cancer occurs when the immune system fails and comes across tumor cells.
Macrophage or monocyte is an immune cell that comes in contact with th
cancerous or precancerous cell. (Pre)cancerous cell signals the macrophage
of any unhealthy cell. Macrophage breaks the cell into little pieces with the
help of little packets of enzymes. The little pieces are then either moved to
another type of immune cell or transformed to what is call a ‘Dendritic Cell’.
These cells are found in all tissues of the body. The very first dendritic cell
discovered occurs throughout the skin and is called a Langerhan’s cell.
Dendritic cells are helpful in switching on an immune response and these
stimulate the T-cells to become active against tumors.

Experiments have proved that these dendritic cells with tumor antigens can
provide effective response against cancer. It is possible to produce large
number of dendritic cells from the circulating blood of cancer patients, find
source of tumor antigen and mature them.

Dendritic cell therapy is very effective when used with other types of
immune therapies. The therapy itself is also useful for patients with high
risk of recurrence once the tumor is removed by surgery.

2. Coley Vaccine

This Vaccine was developed by William Coley, a surgeon in 1893 at the New
York Cancer Hospital. Coley discovered that when his vaccine caused a
fever, the cancer shrank and number of immune cells increased
dramatically. Usually, fevers are suppressed with medicinal drugs like
acetaminophen, aspirin or ibuprofen. But studies have shown that
suppressing a fever not only makes the infection worse but also spreads it.
Coley recognized the beneficial effects of fever in cancer patients. He also
discovered that when he stopped injecting the vaccine too early, the cancer
started growing again. Thus, immune cells could be stimulated to fight the
cancer for a limited time only. So, he used repeated injections to stimulate
the immune system continuously.

Though it is called Coley’s vaccine, it does not work to prevent an infection.
Rather, it induces an immune response. Similarly, Coley’s toxins are not
toxins though they contain endotoxins and exotoxins. Under the therapy,
Coley’s toxins are injected into the affected tissues. Injection makes the
cancer tissue necrotic which is then removed by drains. Injections are
repeatedly given either daily or after every two days, however this varies
from person to person.

3. Heat Shock Antigen Cancer Vaccine

Immune therapies for cancer stimulate white blood cells to attack cancer
cells. Vaccines reprogram patient’s immune system to recognize and attack
the cells having the cancer fingerprint. Heat shock antigen vaccine captures
the particular cancer’s ‘fingerprint,’ which contains unique antigens. The
personalized vaccine treats immune systems of cancer patients with little or
no side effects.

HSAV is made from patients’ tumors and heat shock proteins that are
produced by patients’ white blood cells. Part or all of the cancerous tissue
is removed through surgery. White blood cells contain heat shock proteins
that are purified and mixed with purified antigens from the tumor. The
mixture is filtered and put into vials. The final product is tested for quality
and sterility.

4. Cytokines Cancer Vaccine Treatment

Cytokines, also known as immune hormones can both enhance and
suppress immunity. For cancer treatments, cytokines enhance immunity.
FDA has approved two cytokines, interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-alfa 2b,
to be used against certain cancers. Combinations of cytokines deliver
better results. For example, Interleukin-2 stimulates white blood cells to
divide. A very high dose of it will be required if it is used individually.
However, that can cause negative side effects. The solution to this can be
the use of natural combination produced by white blood cells.
By using the combination, the dose of IL-2 can be lowered. Effects of heat
shock protein vaccines and dendritic cell vaccines can be enhanced when
given with natural cytokine combination.

5. Photodynamic Cancer Therapy

Photodynamic therapy is a revolutionary medical technology that uses light
to induce reactions in patient’s body. The therapy can destroy unwanted
tissues without affecting normal tissues. A drug called a photosensitiser is
injected into patient’s body. The drug makes cells more sensitive to light
and eventually destroys the cell. The drug has no effect until exposed to a
particular type of light.

6. Immuno-Augmentive Therapy

The prime objective of IAT is restoring the immune system to enable it to
destroy cancer cells. The therapy restores cancer patient’s immune
competency so that it can control cancer. Once the natural immune system
is restored, patient’s own body becomes capable of treating itself. IAT
treatment is not a cure for cancer but a means of restoring natural balance
of the system.

Om Prakash makes it easy and provides alternative cancer treatment for treating cancer patients. To receive free part mini-course visit the immunemedicine.com” target=”_blank Alternative Cancer Treatments Website.

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Once diagnosed with any type of cancer, most people do tend to initially go into a depression mode till the extent of the cancer is diagnosed and they get some reassurances. Somehow the Big C still has a strange sense of doom that comes along with it, no matter what doctors might tell you about it. The same holds true for patients diagnosed with cancer of the colon. But what they must keep in mind is that they have the support of their family and friends and the future’s not as bleak as it may appear.

An illness in the family, seeing loved ones suffer and go through this diagnosis, causes anxiety and emotional pain in a close family circle whether it is colon cancer or any other disease. Friends are then the main positive support that the family has apart from one another. But if the patient finds that the family is not enough support and he needs more, then a good idea would be to find local support groups and get involved with activities with them. Sharing experiences, hearing success stories have a very positive effect on the sufferer. Include rest in your daily activities as this is a key factor in getting better.

Once diagnosed, get to the library or get on to the Internet and find out all you can about the disease. The more you know about it, the more you help yourself as understanding well very often brings peace of mind. It is the fear of the unknown in cancer that brings the element of fear with it. Information of what is happening to the body during treatment and how it will affect the future is very important for the patient. Mental preparation can turn the worst case scenario into a scenario where there is hope.

Treatment options are dependent on the severity of the case and how advanced the cancer is at the time of diagnosis. A second opinion may be considered if the patient plans to go ahead with the recommended treatment. One would be very happy if the cancer is totally eliminated but patients will be happy with just having the cancer stopped from spreading and relief from the associated discomfort.

For colon cancer the main line of treatment is surgery. Removal of the whole colon or part of it is dependent on the size and location of the cancer. If it is only a polyp then removal of just that little bit should suffice but if it is the whole colon due to the fact that the cancer is advanced then the patient may have to wear a colostomy for the rest of his life.

Chemotherapy is another option for the treatment of this type of cancer. Intake of medicines is done either orally or through the veins and this works well after surgery to get rid of residual cancer cells as well as control further growth, gives relief from symptoms and increases longevity. Radiation therapy which would normally be used together with chemotherapy, is not used for colon cancer.

More information on colon cancer treatments

coloncleansenews.com colon cancer treatments

coloncleansenews.com coloncleansenews.com

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