Are you suffering from persistent constipation or diarrhea? Have you noticed a tinge of blood in your stool lately? Are you always tired and feeling fatigued? Are you experiencing weight loss, but have not been dieting or engaging in exercise routine? These and many other symptoms should necessitate a visit to a doctor.

Colon cancer is regarded as the second leading cause of most cancer deaths in the United States. Colon cancer is a long-standing disease, which starts as a polyp or a small non-cancerous growth. This small non-cancerous growth will slowly transforms itself into a malignant tumor over a period of 5 to 10 years. People in their thirties and forties are most often predisposed to colon cancer, amounting to about one-quarter of all colon cancer patients.

Colon cancer doesn’t show any visible symptoms during the early stages. During the later stages however, a person suffering with colon cancer may exhibit any or all of the following symptoms:

1. Diarrhea or constipation that persists for a long time.

2. Unusual abdominal gas, or cramping.

3. Episodes of physical fatigue without known reasons.

4. Apparent loss weight and appetite.

5. Stools that are narrow, almost the diameter of a pencil.

6. Bloody stools.

7. There is pain and tenderness felt in the lower abdomen.

8. Changes in fecal diameter, color and frequency of movement lasting more than two weeks.

Although colon cancer claims to be second among the causes of cancer deaths, the frequency rate can be lowered if only its detection is done early. The polyps and early stage cancer that are discovered before any symptoms are produced most often offer a cure rate as high as 100 percent.

Your doctor should annually test your stool for hidden blood. A procedure called sigmoidoscopy can also be done to diagnose colon cancer. Sigmoidoscopy utilizes a flexible lighted tube with a camera that sits on its tip. This instrument is then inserted into the lower third of the colon. Observations reveal that almost half of all cancers in this area are found in the lower third portion of the colon. Another procedure called colonoscopy is done to check for growths throughout the entire length of the large intestine. An x-ray can also be an alternative diagnostic procedure. A barium enema is given to a patient. An opaque liquid fills the colon, which then becomes visible on X-ray film.

Colon cancer treatments may include chemotherapy and surgery. Those suffering from the advanced form of colon cancer may require chemotherapy. If surgery is the form of treatment, your surgeon will usually remove any polyps found during colonoscopy. If the detection of the tumor is done early, part of the colon affected with the tumor is removed surgically, the colon is restored back to its normal function, and complete healing is expected. However, if the cancer has already reached a wide area including the colon wall, lymph and blood vessels, chemotherapy is thus required. If the cancer involves a large tumor, temporary or permanent colostomy may be required. Re-routing the colon through an opening in the abdomen does this. The wastes pass through the opening and into a pouch outside the patient’s body.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to colon-cancer-guide.com/ Colon Cancer

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Tags: cancer patient, cancer treatment, chemotherapy, colon cancer, healing

In recent years, green tea has received a lot of attention for its purported ability to prevent, and possibly even treat, cancer. But, is all the hype really meaningful? Can green tea really help in our battle to wipe out cancer?

Well, apparently the answer is yes. It seems that one of the most important tools that we have in our cancer preventing tool box is anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are very effective at combating free radicals that are created in our bodies as we process food.

The free radicals produced by our bodies’ damage our cells and our DNA, and eventually lead to disease if we don’t combat them. Anti-oxidants are our most important defense against the damage of free radicals. One way that we can help prevent cancer is to eat a diet that is full of anti-oxidants.

Where Can I Find Anti-oxidants?

Anti-oxidants occur naturally in fruits and vegetables. They are also in abundance in the Camellia sinensis plant, which just happens to be the tea plant.

So, to help reduce your risk of cancer, your diet should be rich in fruits, vegetables and tea. But, why is all the discussion about the health benefits of green tea, and not tea in general?

The answer is in the processing. Black tea is fermented during processing; this processing converts the natural anti-oxidants into another state, reducing their health benefits. Green tea is not fermented, and goes through less processing in general, so it retains more of the anti-oxidants in their natural state. This is why it is recommended that you consume green tea for your health.

What proof is there that it really prevents cancer?

There have been many studies in recent years that have supported the theory that green tea prevents cancer. One important study was conducted by the Saitama Cancer Center Research Institute in Japan. This study showed that when mice were fed EGCG (the most potent anti-oxidant in green tea) from green tea, the EGCG showed up in the organs where the cancer was located, and appeared to have an effect on the cancer cells.

Further, a study on breast cancer patients showed that a high daily intake of green tea was associated with a lower recurrence rate among breast cancer patients in Stages I and II.

There are many other studies that lead to the conclusion that green tea is beneficial in the prevention and treatment of cancer, particularly certain types of cancer.

So, just how much green tea do I need?

One question that often arises about the consumption of green tea for health benefits is just how much is required to make a difference. Well, it’s a very good question, and one for which we don’t have a definitive answer.

Though there’s no prescription for an amount of green tea that will reduce your risk of cancer, or treat your cancer once it’s occurred, we do believe that you should drink quite a bit if you’re doing so for health benefits.

The reason that researchers wondered if green tea might be healthful in the first place was because of the low incidence of cancer in Asian cultures. And, in these cultures, the consumption of green tea is very high.

It is estimated that in China, most people drink 4-5 cups of tea per day. In Japan, the consumption is even higher, with many Japanese drinking 8-10 cups per day. In Japan, green tea is available in vending machines and many Japanese keep a bottle of this favorite beverage with them nearly all the time.

Now, if this sounds like too much green tea for you, start slowly. Even drinking 2-3 cups a day may be beneficial for your health. You can work your way up to larger quantities over time.

Many people wonder if iced green tea is as beneficial as hot tea. And, the answer is yes; there is no difference in the health benefits whether you drink your tea hot or iced.

In addition, many people wonder about drinking flavored green teas. Green tea in its natural state has a bit of a grassy flavor that is unpleasant to some. So, many tea purveyors mix the green tea with fruit flavors to enhance the taste, and it’s just as healthy as drinking green tea straight.

My personal favorite right now is Republic of Tea’s Pomegranate Green tea. It’s delicious and I get the anti-oxidant benefits of both green tea and pomegranates.

There still much research that’s needed about the health benefits of drinking green tea. Hopefully, in a few years, we’ll know exactly how much we should drink and exactly what we can protect ourselves against, and what diseases we can treat with green tea. But for now, at least we can be confident that green tea is good for us, giving us an extra dose of those healthful anti-oxidants that keep us young and healthy.

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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Tags: breast cancer, cancer patient, prevent cancer, treatment of cancer

Proto-oncogenes are normal genes involved in making cells differentiate and divide. When these genes are mutated, they are then called oncogenes. Proto-oncogenes involved in breast cancer are mostly those that cause more cell division by making the cell cycle go faster and accelerate. They are involved in pushing cell division harder, stronger and faster.

One of the proto-oncogenes is related to the epidermal growth factor receptor. This receptor plays a vital role at certain times of the life cycle, such as puberty, when big changes are going on with body growth, wherein a protein known as epidermal growth factor functions to promote cell growth. This protein binds to an epidermal growth factor receptor and signals the cell to grow. When the proto-oncogene for the receptor is over expressed, it doesn’t wait for the epidermal growth factor receptor to tell it to grow. Instead, cells begin to grow independently, just like getting stuck in the “ON” position.

Another type of epidermal growth factor receptor is a subtype, the epidermal growth factor receptor 2. This receptor is more commonly known as Her-2/neu oncogene. The type of genetic alteration that Her-2/neu has in breast cancer is known as amplification. Instead of having only one copy during cell division, the cell makes numerous copies of this gene, about ten to sixty times more. Either the gene over expression or the extra protein can be measured in a woman’s cancer by examining the cancer tissue that has been resected. Since Her-2/neu oncogene encodes a growth factor receptor, it functions in signaling the cells to grow faster and faster, although it is not involved in cancer invasiveness. About 70 to 80 percent breast precancers have over expression of Her-2/neu oncogene. The cancer cells are still contained within the breast duct, but they have been programmed to grow much faster because of the over expression of such oncogene. Although Her-2/neu oncogene was first identified in breast cancer, research is also being done to see if it is also involved in other cancer types such as lung, pancreas and ovary cancer.

For breast cancer to have an invasive nature, it needs more than one genetic alteration. So long as there’s only over expression of Her-2/neu oncogene, the cancer will remain confined within the breast duct. If it requires other forms of genetic alterations, one that causes cancer cells to move out of the ductal region or make new blood vessels (angiogenesis), then it can spread. If the cancer patient has these invasive cancer alterations and one of the accelerated cancer growths, then it is worse. People with both of these genetic alterations have a worse prognosis than with only one type of alteration alone. Cancer not only requires excessive cancer cell proliferation, it also has to invade, grow new blood vessels and spread from the breast area.

One of the fascinating things that have happened in recent years is that there is now an antibody to counteract the Her-2/neu receptor, which can be given intravenously to breast cancer patients. It has quite a unique mechanism of action. It attaches only to cells with too much Her-2/neu receptor, not the normal ones, so that while it antagonizes Her-2/neu cells, it leaves the other cells unaffected. Unlike chemotherapy, with which case most dividing cells are destroyed, it is a targeted therapy. So far, this treatment has been used only in metastatic breast cancer, but it has implications for disease that hasn’t spread yet.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to

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Tags: breast cancer, cancer patient, chemotherapy, oncogenes

For victims of hair loss due to cancer treatments, like radiation or chemotherapy, preparing a good quality or a custom wig prior to total hair loss may be an excellent way to reduce stress by eliminating the bald look.

The first concern for cancer patients is usually hair loss, while it is not life-threatening, it can cause emotional distress. Cancer patients show compliance with treatment, despite the knowledge that their hair may fall out. There is the comfort to cancer patients that a wig is always an option to hide their hair loss.

On average, ordering time for a custom human hair wig takes six to eight weeks. Therefore, one should prepare ahead. Starting at two months prior to radiation therapy, patients should consult a hair replacement or custom wig specialist. At that time, they may discuss the patient’s specific hair needs; which will include hair type, color density, and life style. A follow up visit will include fitting of the new custom wig, getting the piece ready before the hair loss becomes noticeable.

Find a comfortable and relaxing environment. One that pampers and supports you with a custom wig, a unique hair replacement for the individual. The use of a hair piece or a wig to conceal hair loss is what millions of others are using.

It’s important to get the wig ordered before losing hair. It is not recommend changing hair styles during the onset of the treatments. As the hair begins to fall out, it is suggested to return to the wig center for an adjustment. With most patients, hair will grow back after the treatment is completed. However, some patients may never grow their hair back to the same thickness or texture.

Handmade or custom-made hair-pieces are more expensive than machine-made wigs. The most natural look will be with a custom human hair wig made by an expert professional. Professionals who specialize in wigs and hair replacement services offer many advantages unavailable at a conventional hair salon or wig retailer.

Esther, Marketing solutions, specialized experience includes hair loss sites( nuhair.net nuhair.net), hair transplants ( hair-transplant-source.com hair-transplant-source.com) lawyer attorney sites ( thefriedmanlawfirm.com thefriedmanlawfirm.com)

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Tags: cancer patient, cancer treatment, chemotherapy

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 1.2 million people were diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide in 2005. In the United States, it is said that every two minutes one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2005, it was estimated that there were 212,0000 new cases of breast cancer and out of which 40,000 or about 19%, died from the disease. In the city-state of Singapore, it is said that every day three women are being diagnosed with breast cancer. In Malaysia 3,738 breast cancer cases were reported in 2003. This means that one in twenty women in Malaysia will get breast cancer.

Despite extensive research, the exact cause of breast cancer is not known. Medicine has all along been about treating breast cancer, not about preventing it. Most often, women with breast cancer are subjected to a “package” of standard treatments – surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormonal therapy. The most important question that patients ask after undergoing all these treatments is: “Am I cured? Or, is there truly a cure for breast cancer?”

According to Silvia Dellapasqua et al. (in: J. Clinical Oncol. 23:1736-1749) the “prognosis of breast cancer in young women is generally considered to be unfavourable. Young pre-menopausal breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant CMF chemotherapy had higher risk of relapse and death than older pre-menopausal patients.” Martin Piccart-Gebhart (in J. Clinical Oncol. 23:1611-1613) wrote: “Chemotherapy has long been considered our most efficient weapon in the fight against breast cancer … where this dream, unfortunately, did not materialize.”

One sad example of such crashed dream was a case of Mei (not real name), a 34-year old female nurse. Mei was diagnosed with carcinoma of the right breast. She underwent a right mastectomy and axillary clearance in August 2003. This was followed by six cycles of chemotherapy using FAC (5-FU, andriamycin and cyclophosphamide). From 1 March to 19 March 2004, Mei received radiotherapy on her right chest wall. When the treatments were completed,she was started on tamoxifen.

Barely eight months after the completion of her treatments, in November 2004, Mei had a 3 x 3 cm soft tissue mass associated with bony destruction in her sternum. In addition, there were multiple nodules scattered in both her lungs. Sadly, the cancer recurred and spread within this short period of time.

Mei underwent chemotherapy again, using Taxol. After five cycles, the use of Taxol was terminated because it was not effective resulting in disease progression. The lymph nodes in her right collarbone seemed to have been infected. Mei was given another round of chemotherapy using Navelbine. But unfortunately after the first treatment, this chemotherapy was abandoned due to severe side effects.

In April 2005, Mei was given an oral drug Arimidex (anastrozole). From 25 May to 31 May 2005, she was on radiotherapy again, as the sternal mass was increasing in size. In spite of this treatment, the swelling of the right collarbone grew bigger. The use of Arimidex was discontinued and was replaced with Xeloda.

Mei decided to stop further chemotherapy. On 23 June 2005, she developed right pleural effusion (fluid in the lung). The doctor tapped out 5.5 liters of fluid from her lung and she felt better. On 23 July 2005, I received a fax asking for help. Unfortunately, Mei died a month later — much too late to help her in any way.

According to Mei’s sister, upon diagnosis of breast cancer, Mei’s boss, who is a doctor, handed her my book (Cancer Yet They Live) and said: “Read this, and if you believe in what the author said, go and see him. But don’t tell people that I give you this book.” Mei was a nurse. Her training had placed her in a “box” with a fixed mindset that only modern medicine has all the answers to cancer. To her the only right way is surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and follow-up drugs. Other ways are hocus pocus.

Dr. Alan Levin, professor of immunology at the University of California Medical School, was quoted to have said: “Most cancer patients … die of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy does not eliminate breast, colon or lung cancers. Women with breast cancer are likely to die faster with chemotherapy than without it.”

Dr. Hardin Jones, professor of medical physics at the University of California, Berkeley, analysed cancer survival statistics for twenty-five years. In 1969 at the American Cancer Society meeting, he was quoted to have said: “Untreated patients … in many cases live longer (they) do not die sooner than patients receiving orthodox treatment.”

Dr. Lai Gi-ming, Taiwan Cooperative Oncology Group, National Research Institute wrote: “The thing that most frustrates modern doctors is that, after surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, all they can do is keep chasing and chasing the cancer!”

How much of what were said by these experts apply to Mei’s case?

For more information about complementary cancer therapy visit:
cacare.com cacare.com
NaturalHealingForYou.com NaturalHealingForYou.com
BookOnCancer.com BookOnCancer.com

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Tags: breast cancer, cancer patient, chemotherapy, healing, lung cancer, mastectomy