Cancer chemotherapy affects the function of the ovaries in pre-menopause, specifically its ability to produce estrogen and progesterone. The ovaries secrete these hormones in a cyclic manner in response to trigger hormones produced by the pituitary gland. During the later part of a woman’s reproductive life, during her late 40s or early 50s, the ovaries no longer produce these hormones and she is thus entering menopause. This process, where the ovaries shut down their sex hormone production, takes several months to a year or so to happen. The gradual decrease in estrogen and progesterone is usually accompanied by menopausal symptoms such as cessation of menstrual periods, hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Undergoing chemotherapy may accelerate menopause. This basically means that at the very same time a woman is handling a breast cancer diagnosis, she must deal with the changes and possible undesirable effects of the menopause. The same is true for woman on hormone replacement therapy who must abruptly stop her hormone treatment due to the diagnosis of breast cancer.

The association between breast cancer and endocrine status is complex and varies with every woman. The standard therapy for a recently diagnosed breast cancer patient is to stop hormone replacement therapy. This is because it has been found from numerous researches that estrogen increases the risk or breast cancer. In the past, women with breast cancer were advised not to resume hormone replacement therapy or begin it. Fortunately, this practice has changed and nowadays, treatment is based on each woman’s individual situation. Nevertheless, you must consider the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy in relation to your disease.

Chemotherapy in younger women often produces symptoms of menopause that can be distressing and debilitating. Fortunately, women suffering from these symptoms can turn to Eastern medicine for relief. Certain herbal medicines used for many years by Eastern medical practitioners contain estrogen-like substances called phytoestrogens. Some of these herbs relieve symptoms without having any cancer promoting effects of estrogen. A few of these herbs are gotu kola and oil of evening primrose.

A lot of women have also found that through dietary modifications, they experience fewer hot flashes. Soy and soy products contain genistein, an estrogen-like substance. It is much less potent than the estrogen produced by the ovaries, but it does have the ability to improve hot flashes to varying degrees in most women.

After chemotherapy, many women will experience vaginal dryness as a result of estrogen deficiency. There are a number of effective vaginal moisturizers that can alleviate this symptom. Estrogen vaginal cream provides an excellent remedy, but in such cases, estrogen is absorbed systematically, which is usually contraindicated in the setting of breast cancer. The thinner the vaginal membranes, the more quickly estrogen is absorbed, thereby allowing large amounts to enter the body. New products are available on the market today in the form of a slow-releasing formulation estrogen vaginal inserts which may provide minimal amounts of estrogen to the body. These agents help ease the discomfort of dryness but do not provide so much estrogen as to stimulate growth in the cancer cells and interfere with treatment. You may want to discuss with your oncologist regarding treatment options when you are experiencing these adverse effects of chemotherapy on your endocrine function.

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

Tags: breast cancer, cancer patient, chemotherapy

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It would be nice to think that there was some simple routine that you could follow, or diet that you could adopt, or pill that you could take to give you a one hundred percent guarantee that you would not develop prostate cancer. Unfortunately no such routine, diet or pill exists today and, despite our best efforts, some of us will inevitable contract prostate cancer. There are, however, many things that you can do by way of prevention and it is certainly possible to lower your risk of developing the disease.

The first thing that you must do is to simply recognize that there is indeed a risk of contracting prostate cancer and that this risk will vary from person to person.

For example, if you have a family history of prostate cancer with perhaps a grandfather, father or brother dying from the disease then you are twice as likely to contract the disease as somebody without any family history. One difficulty here is that, because prostate cancer often strikes quite late in life and can sometimes be very slow to develop, many men die as a result of some other condition before their prostate cancer has developed to any great extent. So, if a member of your family has always been assumed to have died from a heart attack, that doesn’t mean that he didn’t suffer from prostate cancer and it’s worth checking your family history closely to see if you are at higher than average risk.

Other risk factors include such things as race with African Americans, for example, at higher risk than Hispanic men who, in turn, are at higher risk than Caucasian men. People living in Western society are also at greater risk because of the nature of the diet followed by many in the West.

Whatever your level of risk, all men are at some risk of developing the disease and it is most likely to strike once you pass the age of 40. So what can be done to reduce the risk?

The two main areas to consider are your diet and the use of dietary supplements.

When it comes to diet the main culprit within the normal western diet would appear to be animal fat which, with the high level of meat in many western diets, is understandable. The solution here is simply to reduce the amount of meat in your diet and, when using meat, to stick to meats containing low levels of fat or to choose leaner cuts of high-fat meat.

When it comes to dietary supplements we enter something of a minefield, as opinions vary widely and are also often driven more by profit in this highly lucrative market than by any real medical evidence.

The list of possible dietary supplements for consideration in preventing prostate cancer is far too long for this short article and ranges from vitamins, such as vitamin E, and minerals, such as Selenium, to estrogen and green tea extract. It is also necessary, when looking at dietary supplements, to view the wider picture of your overall health and to consider these not simply in terms of preventing prostate cancer.

It is also an excellent idea when considering supplements to look first at your diet itself and the need for virtually all supplements can be eliminated if you simply ensure that the required vitamins and minerals are included within a properly balanced diet including a wide variety of such things as fresh fruit and vegetables.

Although many thousands of men will die this year from prostate cancer, a large proportion of these deaths will have been unnecessary and a combination of early prostate cancer screening and some simple preventative measures could have prevented thousands of unnecessary deaths.

For more information on prostatecancerexplained.com/articles/how-to-prevent-prostate-cancer-or-reduce-your-prostate-cancer-risk.html” target=”_blank how to prevent prostate cancer and what to look out for when it comes to prostatecancerexplained.com/enlarged-prostate.html” target=”_blank enlarged prostate symptoms please visit ProstateCancerExplained.com

Tags: cancer risk, prostate cancer, selenium

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Colorectal cancer prevention and diet have a lot in common.

After all, your colon and your rectum are responsible for things like nutrient absorption, water management and elimination of waste.

You don’t need a scientist to tell you that garbage in equals garbage out. But let’s hear what the experts have to say anyway.

Many studies on colorectal cancer prevention and diet have found that red and processed meats are a major contributor. However, a group of doctors in France were unconvinced by “existing evidence” and decided to do a comprehensive study for themselves.

So they followed a mere 478,040 men and women for nearly five years and finally concluded that red and processed meat was positively a cause of colon cancer AND that eating fish actually considerably reduced a person’s risk. [Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 15;97:906-16]

This isn’t the only research that implicated omega 3 oil from fish as a factor in reducing colorectal cancer.

Doctors associated with the New York University Women’s Health Study closely watched 14,727 women for an average of 7 years. They found “a progressive decline in risk of colorectal cancer with increasing intake of fish and shellfish.”

And there’s more. They also found a similar decline in the risk for women inversely proportionate to the amount of calcium they consumed. In laymen’s terms, that means the women who ate the most calcium had the lowest risk.

But interestingly, they weren’t as certain about the red meat connection as our friends in France were. As a matter of fact, the doctors at NYU said the association of red meat to colorectal cancer “remains unclear.” [Nutrition & Cancer, Vol. 28:276-81]

Another fascinating study out of Harvard suggests that it’s not so much the red meat and fats, but rather our “western” lifestyle that causes the problem.

They cite obesity, physical inactivity, a diet low in vegetables and fruit, while high in red meat and processed foods, all contributes to one common denominator of this lifestyle – high levels of insulin in the blood!

The researchers hypothesize that elevated blood insulin “promotes colon carcinogenesis” because insulin is a “growth factor” that causes cellular division of epithelial cells in the colon. [Cancer Causes & Control, Vol. 6, No. 2:164-79]

So what are we to do about colorectal cancer prevention and diet? It’s easy as pie as long as you don’t eat the pie.

Stick with whole foods, including lots of vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains and other fiber rich foods, unprocessed oils, like extra virgin olive oil, lean meats (mostly fish and chicken, but an occasional T-bone won’t hurt), low fat dairy and plenty of pure water.

Studies suggest it’s important to cut way back on alcohol, practice stress management and exercise regularly (very important!)

Following these guidelines will not only reduce your risk of colorectal cancer, but many other cancers as well, plus heart disease and diabetes too. And it will also improve your vim, vigor and vitality!

Michael Byrd has over 18 years of education and experience in the fields of physical therapy, health, fitness and nutrition. His pursuit of wellness has shown him many omega-3.us fish oil health benefits as well as the benefits of using natural whole foods to help you look younger, feel better and stay healthy. Michael will even send you a Free CD when you visit his site at omega-3.us omega-3.us.

Tags: cancer prevention, colon cancer, colorectal cancer

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Kidney cancer is a malignant tumour developed from the kidney cells. Malignant kidney tumours account for 2-5% of malignant cancers in adults. Men are affected twice as often as women. The cause of kidney cancer is unknown, however, some genetic factors and damages of the kidney cell DNA caused by e.g. cigarette smoking, mutagens or environmental factors are taken into consideration. It is usually diagnosed in people over the age of 45, however, recently, the reduction of the age limit of people who are diagnosed with kidney cancer have been observed, which is affected by the growth of influence of the environmental carcinogenic factors, as well as the spread and constant improvement of diagnosing possibilities.

Cancers constitute 85% of kidney tumours. There are many types of kidney cancer. The most common type is a renal cell cancer. Kidney cancer is very dangerous mainly due to the fact that its symptoms occur in a late stage. It can cause the late detection of the tumour change - often in an advanced developing stage. Kidney cancer often develops in a tricky way without causing any disturbing symptoms.

Early detection and correct diagnosis of the ill person require performing some or all the types of examination mentioned below. Diagnostic tests which allow to make a diagnosis include: urine test, blood test (morphology, concentration of urea’s creatinine), and imaging tests: ultrasound scan of the abdomen, computed tomography scan, alternatively urography (x-ray examination of the ureters after injecting intravenous dye), renal arteriography (the blood vessels examination using dye). Magnetic resonance imaging is sometimes used. A kidney biopsy, that is removing cells from the tumour and examining under a microscope whether the tumour contains the tumour cells is not usually performed. Currently, over 80% of kidney cancers are detected incidentally, usually due to an ultrasound scan performed as a standard procedure or due to other ailments. Therefore, advanced cancers of kidney parenchyma rarely occur (they constitute >15%).

Kidney cancer treatment

Surgery is a standard treatment for kidney cancer. It’s aim is to surgically remove the tumour, usually along with the kidney and lymph nodes containing the tumour, and, if possible, surgically remove single metastases if they occur. A chance of cure (6-year survival rate without the presence of metastases is considered a recovery criterion) depends on the stage of the disease (the tumour’s size, infiltration of the surrounding tissues, metastases to other organs), and accounts for up to 75%. However, in highly advanced stages, it is much lower. The presence of impossible to remove metastases worsens prognosis to a large extent. Used in the treatment of other cancers - chemotherapy and radiotherapy - are not very effective in treating kidney cancer. Better effects are achieved by using immuno or chemoimmunotherapy. However, they are effective only in some patients.

Chemoimmunotherapy consists in administering recombinant cytokine together with chemotherapeutic agent (so called the Hanover schedule). The attempts of using tumour infiltrating leukocytes or vaccines from the tumour cells are also made. The effectiveness of these methods in treating advanced forms of kidney cancer is estimated at dozen or so per cent, however, they are still under clinical research.

Side effects that can occur when using some of the chemoimmunotherapy trials.

The side effects mentioned below don’t include all the possible complications. Chemoimmunotherapy should be performed in medical centres experienced in conducting such treatment.

Side effects list:

Capillary leak syndrom

Hypotony occuring due to the capillary leak syndrom and appearing within few hours after treatment’s beginning can recede spontaneously. Some patients can require careful intravenous administration of fluids and albumins, and, in persistent cases, small doses of dopamine. When administering fluids intravenously, it is important to remember that the risk of lungs swelling is higher in patients with capillary leak syndrom when filling the vascular tissue. Before performing chemoimmunotherapy, all serum exudations should be cured (especially those concerning organs important to living, e.g. liquid in pericardium), because due to the capillary leak syndrome they can intensify when administering a drug.

Kidneys’ functional activity

In all patients, it is important to monitor parameters of the ionic and acid-alkaline balance due to the possibility of occurring renal failure with oliguria.

Respiratory system

During treatment it is important to monitor the functional activity of the respiratory system, especially in patients who in physical examination are diagnosed with the increase in respiration frequency or auscultation changes over lung fields. In some patients, in case of respiratory failure, it can be necessary to use forced respiration for some time.

Central nervous system

Side effects from the central nervous system (anxiety, confusion, depression), though reversible, can remain for several days after discontinuing treatment. Chemoimmunotherapy can intensify the symptoms related to the undiagnosed focuses of metastases in the central nervous system. If drowsiness occurs, the treatment should be discontinued. Further drug administration can lead to coma.

Digestive system

In case of gastric-intenstine symptoms, antiemetic or antidiarrhoeal drugs are administered if necessary.

Skin

In patients who are diagnosed with skin carcinomas with pruritus, administering antihistamine drugs brings relief.

Autoimmunological diseases

It is common knowledge that some of the administered drugs can intensify the coexisting immunological disease and complications threatening life (in some patients with Crohn’s disease treatment caused exacerbation of the disease requiring surgical intervention), however, not in all patients who suffered from such complications immunological disorders had previously been diagnosed. Therefore, it is recommended to strictly monitor treated patients, taking into consideration irregularities in the thyroid’s function and other possible immunological disorders.

Infection risk

Using chemoimmunotherapy can cause higher susceptibility to bacterial infections. That is why, before administering drugs, all the infection focuses should be cured, and patients with catheters placed to the central veins should be prophylactically administered with antibiotics.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

It is recommended for chemoimmunotherapy not to be used in persons of reproductive age who do not use the approved contraceptive methods, in pregnant or breast-feeding women.

Driving and operating machines

Chemoimmunotherapy can cause side effects that reduce the ability to drive or operate mechanical devices. It is not recommended to drive during the treatment till the side effects of the drug completely recede.

You should inform your doctor about each case of occurring or suspecting the occurrence of the side effects.

The qualification of symptoms, assessment of the level of their intensification and method of proceeding depend on their decision.

Directly after the surgery, the patient receives intensive nursing and medical care.

The main problem is the possibility of extended effect of drugs taken under anaesthetic, and in consequences, of respiratory disorders, heart’s and arterial pressure’s functions. Therefore, in patients after surgeries these parameters are monitored. During the postoperative period, the body temperature and the amount of excreted urine are also measured.

Patients who were operated under general anaesthetic are usually administered with oxygen. Drips providing water and electrolytes are also administered, especially to the patients who cannot yet receive food and fluids orally. In the next days after the surgery, the patient can gradually pass on to oral feeding. The moment in which the patient can receive food and fluids must be consulted with a doctor.

Convalescence

Together with the patient’s complete awakening after the general anaesthetic the patient starts feeling pain in the postoperative wound. The moment of the pain occurrence should be reported to a nurse. The first dose of the painkiller is administered after reporting the pain occurrence by the patient, the next doses - in precise intervals dependant on the used drug..

During the postoperative period, nausea and vomiting sometimes occur. The occurrence of nausea and vomiting depend on the type of surgery, type of anaesthetic, sex and patient’s predispositions. The appearance of nausea and vomiting should be reported to the nurse. In some cases, the occurrence of vomiting can cause choking on the food, which is very dangerous.

During the convalescence after the surgery, the patient should sit and stand up as soon as possible. It is essential to avoid the potential complications caused by the respiratory system, as well as the risk of developing vein thromboses. If there are no surgical contraindications, the patient should sit on the second day after the surgery. In some patients, breathing exercises are additionally applied. In recumbent patients, there is a high risk of developing thromboses in veins. Especially in people with varicose veins. Such patients, before sitting or standing attempts, should move their legs in the recumbent position as much as they can in order to improve blood circulation.

After about 7 days from the surgery, the stitches are removed from the postoperative wound. The time of removing the stitches depends on the doctor’s assessment of the wound healing process.

In some people after surgeries, so called keloids (i.e.lesions developing in the scar area) may be formed. After several weeks (5-9) from the surgery, when the skin is accurately healed, the ointment preventing the formation of unsightly changes may be used.

After discharging from the hospital, the patient should call for the histopathological examination results. Usually, such results are available after 2-4 weeks from discharging from the hospital.

All patients after surgeries receive scheduled dates of check-ups in hospital clinics.

Usually after removing the tumour with the kidney, the diet with smaller amount of protein (reducing meat, cured meat, and cheese consumption) and drinking higher amount of fluids are advised. The range of physical activity depends on the patient’s efficiency.

Kidney cancer symptoms

The most important symptoms include:

- Blood in the urine
- Low back pain
- Perceptible lump in the abdomen

It’s essential to pay attention to the following symptoms:

- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Subfebrile temperature or persistent fever
- Spermatic cord varices in men
- Sudden drop of urine amount
- Frequent infections of the urethras
- Sudden appearance of arterial hypertension

Copyright 2006 Radoslaw Pilarski

Radoslaw Pilarski is a PhD candidate working on anticancer properties of Uncaria tomentosa - uncariatomentosa.com uncariatomentosa.com - at PAS, Poland. mLingua Worldwide Translations, Ltd. - mlingua.pl mlingua.pl - provides professional language translations.

Tags: cancer treatment, chemotherapy, healing

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