Breast cancer is one of the most frightening diseases faced by today’s women. In fact, breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women, after nonmelanoma skin cancer. About 13% of American women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime. And, it is the second leading cause of cancer death among women, after lung cancer.

Scientists are continuing to look for new information to determine what causes breast cancer as well how to prevent and treat this disease. Today, we still don’t know what causes breast cancer, but we do understand some of the risk factors.

In addition, we have come a long way in treating breast cancer – though many women still die each year. Some of the research is very promising, including research on green tea.

One group of breast cancer sufferers who cause doctors a great area of concern are those who have a higher than average expression of the epidermal growth factor Her-2/neu. Her-2/neu is a growth factor that sometimes presents itself in a tumor. An over expression of this growth factor is a concern for breast cancer patients.

During routine testing of patients who have been recently diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, doctors will determine the level of Her-2/neu. If the level is high, this information is used to guide treatment. The level of this growth factor is important because studies have shown that patients with an over expression of Her-2/neu have a higher likelihood of their cancer metastasizing, and have an overall lower survival rate. The Her-2/neu is high in about 30% of breast cancer patients.

As part of the ongoing research to find effective treatments for breast cancer, scientists have been looking seriously at the benefits of green tea, both on preventing cancer and treating it. Asian cultures have used green tea for its healing properties for centuries, and their overall rate of cancer is much lower than that of the Western world.

Tea is derived from the Camellia sinensis plant. You’ll hear tea referred to as green, white or black. These differences do not result from actual different types of tea leaf, but rather from differences in how the tea leaves are processed. Green and white teas are not fermented during processing, but black tea goes through such a processing.

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. Fermenting the tea leaves converts the catechins to other compounds that are not as healthy as those in unfermented tea. So, the focus of research has been on green tea, because of its healthier form of anti-oxidants.

What’s So Great About Anti-Oxidants?

During our body’s process of converting food to energy, we create free radicals in our body. These free radicals are damaging to our cells and DNA if we don’t combat them. Left unchecked, free radicals contribute to speeding up the aging process and to causing diseases such as cancer, heart attack and stroke.

Anti-oxidants, however, can help us combat these free radicals, and a diet in anti-oxidants is linked with preventing cancer, heart disease and stroke. So, doctors recommend a diet high in anti-oxidants – which means eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking green tea each day.

However, scientists also seem to be finding out that green tea may be able to increase the effectiveness in some cancer treatments. Several studies conducted on mice already diagnosed with cancer have shown that taking green tea along with the cancer treatments can increase the effectiveness of the traditional therapy and may slow down the progression of cancer to other cells. There is promising research; some of it directly related to breast cancer treatment.

One particular study of interest was conducted by the Boston University School of Medicine. In this study, female mice with breast cancer whose Her-2/neu levels were very high were treated with green tea along with their regular cancer treatment. Mice that ingested the green tea showed a slower growth of their tumors and a slower progression of their cancer than those who were treated with the same medicine without green tea as an adjunct therapy.

Researchers who found these results also believe that if green tea can inhibit the growth of tumors in patients already diagnosed with cancer, it may also be effective in preventing cancerous cells from forming and growing in the first place. This coincides with other research that indicates that green tea may be significant in preventing cancer. In addition, it helps explain why Asian cultures have such a low cancer incidence compared to the Western world.

This is very promising news for a group of breast cancer sufferers who have traditionally had a lower survival rate than others with breast cancer. If we can slow the rate of cancer progression in those with over expression of Her-2/neu to approximately the same rate as other breast cancer patients, we may be far more effective at treating these patients.

Far more research is needed in the area of breast cancer prevention and treatment. In addition, scientists will be spending more time examining the benefits of green tea in cancer prevention and treatment. But, it seems clear that green tea has a place in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, including cancer.

Even though there is more research to be done, there is no downside to adding green tea to your diet to help prevent disease or to improve your health if it is already failing. Scientists have found no risks involved with drinking green tea. It has no side effects, and is a healthy alternative to coffee because of its high level of anti-oxidants and because it is much lower in caffeine than coffee. So, get a jump start on your anti-oxidants by drinking green tea!

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

Tags: breast cancer, cancer patient, cancer prevention, cancer treatment, healing, lung cancer, melanoma, skin cancer

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Tags: breast cancer, cancer patient, cancer prevention, cancer treatment, healing, lung cancer, melanoma, skin cancer

Lymphoma refers to a form of tumor caused by the immune system, involving abnormal activity of lymphocytes, body cells that belong to the lymphatic system. Lymphocytes are born at the level of the bone marrow and their primary role inside the body is to identify antigens (foreign bodies that are malignant to the organism) and to trigger the action of the immune system, telling it to attack the discovered antigens. However, in the case of patients with lymphoma, the cells of the lymphatic system become compromised and begin to act like cancer cells. Thus, the occurrence of lymphoma is primarily determined by inappropriate activity of the lymphatic system, lymphocytes multiplying at abnormally fast rates and accumulating in different regions of the body.

There are two distinctive types of lymphatic cells involved in causing the occurrence of lymphoma: “B” lymphocytes and ‘T’ lymphocytes (commonly referred to as B cells and T cells). The main action of B cells is to create antibodies, a type of proteins that fight against antigens. The T cells (born at the level of the thymus gland) help the activity of the B cells, sustaining and enhancing their action.

According to the type of cells involved in causing the disease and the rate of progression, there are multiple forms of lymphoma. The main two types of lymphoma are: Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (also referred to as Hodgkin’s Disease) and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. These two main types can be further classified in multiple subtypes. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is characterized by the implication of the so-called “double-eyed cells” in causing the disease. All other varieties of lymphoma that don’t share this feature are known as Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas. Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma comprises over 25 subtypes, classified according to the speed of progression and the seriousness of the disease. Various subtypes of lymphoma involve genetic abnormalities that carry the name of primary mutations. Some of these mutations are responsible for triggering the disease, while others are responsible for sustaining its progression.

A very common subtype of lymphoma is follicular lymphoma. This variety of lymphoma is slow progressing and alternates between periods of remission and periods of relapse. In the majority of cases, follicular lymphoma is caused by a specific genetic mutation that affects the B lymphocytes. The mutation causes an overproduction of the BCL2 protein, a type of protein that stimulates an excessive accumulation of B cells, which begin to act like cancerous cells.

Another common subtype of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is diffuse large cell lymphoma. This variety progresses faster and it can also originate from a slower progressing lymphoma subtype. Diffuse cell lymphoma requires immediate treatment; otherwise, the disease can become life-threatening in a very short amount of time. The most efficient form of treatment consists in chemotherapy. Although most patients with diffuse cell lymphoma experience relapse, a second course of strong chemotherapy is usually effective in curing relapsed cases.

Burkitt’s lymphoma is a rapidly evolving lymphoma subtype that occurs due to a unique genetic anomaly. This variety of lymphoma requires immediate medical intervention and involves a poor patient life expectancy. When chemotherapy is not sufficient for treating patients with Burkitt’s lymphoma, combination treatments with immunosupressants can help ameliorate its symptoms and slow its progression rate.

Unlike B-cell lymphomas, T-cell lymphomas are rare and account for about 20 percent of cases of all Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in general. T-cell lymphomas are rapidly progressing and often involve the body skin. Along with Hodgkin’s Disease, T-cell lymphoma raises serious issues in diagnosis and treatment. This is due to the poor understanding of the causes and evolution of the disease, medical scientists lacking conclusive medical data. However, medical scientists hope to unveil the exact origins and the pattern of evolution characteristic to Non-Hodgkin’s T-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin’s Disease in order to develop an efficient treatment in the near future.

So, if you want to find out more about lymphoma-center.com/lymphoma-cancer.htm lymphoma cancer or even about lymphoma-center.com/symptoms-of-lymphoma.htm symptoms of lymphoma please visit this link lymphoma-center.com/ lymphoma-center.com

Tags: chemotherapy, lymphoma

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Tags: chemotherapy, lymphoma

Over the past 15 years the number of deaths due to colorectal cancer has been dropping.

A major factor in the decrease has almost certainly been the increased use of colonoscopy as a screening tool for early detection of colo-rectal cancer.

Studies have shown an 80% increased use of colonoscopy among Americans during the years 1997-2002.

The decrease in the rate of colo-rectal cancer and the increase in colonoscopy rates is not a coincidence. During a screening colonoscopy, doctors can remove lesions in the colon called polyps. Although these polyps are usually not cancerous at the time of removal, there is a chance that, if left in the body, they could become cancerous.

Thus, removing polyps during a colonoscopy screening can actually result in the reduction of cancer incidence.

For most people screening for colo-rectal cancer is recommended to begin at age 50. However, there may be other factors which could lead to your doctor recommending a screening at an earlier age.

In addition to colonoscopy, there are other ways to screen for colo-rectal cancer.

In fact, the American Cancer Society recommends that one of five different methods be used to screen for colo-rectal cancer:

1) A yearly fecal (stool) occult blood test or fecal immunochemical test.*
2) A flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years.
3) A yearly fecal (stool) occult blood test or fecal immunochemical test plus flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years.**
4) A double contrast barium enema every five years.
5) A colonoscopy every 10 years.

* If using the fecal occult blood test, the recommendation is that the take-home multiple sample method should be used.

** The combination of either the fecal occult blood test or fecal immunochemical test plus a flexible sigmoidoscopy is preferred to the use of the tests individually.

If any of the non-colonoscopy tests are positive, then a full colonoscopy should be performed.

Of course, in the future, it may not be necessary for patients to have to undergo a conventional colonoscopy to screen for colo-rectal cancer. A technique called virtual colonoscopy is being developed.

In a virtual colonoscopy, air is pumped into the colon, and from outside the body, high resolution, CT slices are taken. The resulting images are examined for polyps and tumors.

As the technique develops it may be become much more popular as a screening test as it more comfortable for most patients and doesn’t require intravenous sedation.

So, remember that screening for colo-rectal cancer, either with a conventional colonoscopy or one of these other methods can save your life.

Dr. Glenn Sheiner is a medical doctor with diplomas in Emergency Medicine, Sports Medicine, and Family Medicine.

Dr. Sheiner is the author of the medical multimedia digital product called Cancer Research Online Made Easy which you can read for FREE online at researchyourcancer.com/bookcover_page1.html CANCER RESEARCH ONLINE MADE EASY

Dr. Sheiner created this product to help patients research cutting-edge medical information in hours not days. The FREE Ebook contains 5 videos illustrating exactly what to do. To learn more go to researchyourcancer.com www.researchyourcancer.com

Tags: colorectal cancer

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Plucky (pluk’e) adj. Brave and spirited; courageous.

Have you ever noticed how few people possess radiating energy? How eyes lack sparkle and how few real smiles there are out there? How almost no one looks you in the eyes when you talk or how few people have truly gracious social skills? One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the lack of charisma or magnetism or exuberance among people everywhere!

So when I met Lorraine and Cam, I was immediately drawn to their energy. To their lit-up eyes, frequent laughter and bubbly personalities. Now they’re not particularly bubbly as in “effervescent.” No, they are actually more on the subdued side. But when one talks to them, their eyes twinkle. They smile when they talk. They maintain fabulous eye contact. Good upbringing? Perhaps. I’ve met both of their parents, even though one set lives in Scotland and the other in England (and we live up here in Connecticut in New England) and they are, indeed, darling people.

It’s even more amazing that we were drawn to each other with laughter and happy-talk considering the common thread that brought us together in the first place: leukemia. Their sixteen-month-old daughter, Katie, was diagnosed just before our seventeen-year-old son, Nick, was. Both children are treated by the same team of doctors. We met, for the first time, in the west wing of Yale’s Children’s Hospital. All of us were scared and admittedly, in a rather sad state.

Yet we continued, throughout treatments for our kids, to help each other get through them. I chased Katie around the chemo clinic when Lorraine and Cam were simply too worn out to do so, or held her when she needed a finger-stick and kicked the nurses too hard to get it done; we read stories together and sometimes she let me rock her to sleep. We colored, watched Dora the Explorer and played with puzzles. Cam engaged Nick in talk or made coffee and bagel runs for all of us. Lorraine kept me company and together, we helped keep each other’s spirits high.

They are back at the hospital, this time at Sloan Kettering, as Katie has undergone a bone marrow transplant this past week. It required weeks of pre-transplant consultations, tests, radiation and chemo. It also required Lorraine and Cam to temporarily set up house in New York City, in a rental apartment a couple blocks from Katie’s hospital room.

Some of us might complain about the difficulty of this situation. About lack of personal time, poor hospital food for weeks on end. Of watching our own children endure rigorous testing and annoying, seemingly endless blood work. Of the unfairness of the circumstances.

But not Lorraine and Cam. They maintain a positive attitude and continue to deal with every little detail with spunky, feisty attitude. They possess an enormously high “Pluck Factor.” They have a “to-heck-with-you-attitude” when people get in their way. They trudge through their days with laughter and verve. Hospital food the pits? No worries. Lorraine brings to Katie’s hospital room a crock pot along with bags full of groceries. When nurses wander in from the aroma of a slow-cooking roast and firmly let her know that she’s breaking all the rules, she tells them that she’s not dealing with the crummy food they’re trying to serve her. When little Katie does something adorable, Lorraine sends out an email blast for all of us to enjoy the moment. During the actual transplant, a video was made and we all got to witness closely (albeit from a distance) what it was really like. The video clips were amazing…..And afterwards? She and Cam celebrated with champagne and scrumptious food at a local French bistro.

Forget sad faces and going along with the ho-hum motions that most people simply accept as part of the circumstances. Lorraine and Cam have decided to maintain a spirit of resolve and a completely positive mental attitude in order to get through these days with grace. They let no one, and nothing, stand in their way. Katie’s well-being is their over-riding concern, and all of their efforts are directed to that end.

Strong-minded people serve as tremendous inspirations for me. When life throws you a curve ball, a U-turn, a disappointment or an unpleasant surprise, the outcome will oftentimes be greatly dependent on the way in which you handle yourself during those times. It takes practically no strength of character to be charming and adorable when everything is going your way. It’s when things get dicey that your true character reveals itself. And that’s when you need a high Pluck Factor. When you need to be courageous, to turn the ordeal into a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. To show your true colors, and your grit and the stuff of which you are made.

Many readers of this Newsletter are going through ordeals at this very moment. I know so because you write and tell me of them, and my heart goes out to each and every one of you. I hope this letter finds you determined to increase the Pluck Factor by just a little bit. To hold your head up high and courageously get through these days as have my dear friends Lorraine and Cam. You will serve as wonderful role models for someone else who, one day, will need to exhibit a high dose of pluck, too.

Carolina Fernandez earned an M.B.A. and worked in investment banking and as a stockbroker before coming home to work as a wife and mother of four. She totally re-invented herself along the way. Strong convictions were born about the role of the arts in child development; ten years of homeschooling and raising four kids provide fertile soil for devising creative parenting strategies. These are played out in ROCKET MOM! 7 Strategies To Blast You Into Brilliance. It is widely available online, in bookstores or through 888-476-2493. She writes extensively for a variety of parenting resources and teaches other moms via seminars, workshops, keynotes and monthly meetings of the ROCKET MOM SOCIETY, a sisterhood group she launched to “encourage, equip and empower moms for excellence.” Please visit rocketmom.com rocketmom.com

Tags: leukemia

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Tags: leukemia