Cancer is a scary subject and comes in many forms. Skin cancer is one of the more prevalent versions and, unfortunately, one most people do not take seriously enough.

Imagine sitting in a doctor’s office and being told you have cancer. Although cancer treatment has come a long way, it would still be a devastating moment. Are you going to die? Is it curable? Why you? These are the types of questions that will undoubtedly come to mind immediately. With many forms of cancer, there is a certain luck of the draw element as to why you get them. Skin cancer, however, is one you can take steps to avoid.

What is skin cancer? It is a malignant growth on the skin, typically forming on the epidermis or outer layer of the skin. It is often associated with repeated sun burns or extensive exposure to the sun over time. It is also becoming more common due to increased ultraviolet radiation penetration in the atmosphere.

Skin cancer typically can be categorized in three ways. Malignant melanoma is the worst and is fatal if not diagnosed and treated early. It is, however, the least prevalent of the categories. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common, has a hereditary element and is rarely fatal. It tends to be isolated and is often treated with surgery or topical chemotherapy. Squamous cell carcinoma is a form of cancer that occurs on both the skin and internal organs. It can be caused by many things including exposure to the sun and can metastasize or spread through the body.

The nature of skin cancer is such that it often can be avoided if precautionary steps are taken. If you enjoy laying on the beach or working outside, using proper sun block is simple and effective. The key is to use it liberally and frequently. While this seems like common sense, the sheer number of skin cancer cases reported each year indicate that people are not using it. Laziness is most likely the cause. If you fall in this category, do your really want to risk skin cancer, particularly malignant melanoma that can kill you?

If you are going to be out in the sun, whether skiing, sitting on a beach, hiking or working, make sure to protect yourself. Using sun screen is a minor task that can prevent big problems.

John Grimes is with All Terrain - makers of natural

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Tags: cancer treatment, chemotherapy, melanoma, skin cancer

Many men with prostate cancer are treated with hormones that block the effects of testosterone, the primary male sex hormone. This is because many prostate cancers thrive on testosterone.

By depriving them of testosterone, the prostate cancer cells “starve” and die. This treatment is called androgen suppression therapy. Usually, it is men with aggressive prostate cancer and those with prostate cancers that cause the prostate gland to enlarge who benefit the most from androgen suppression therapy.

Nearly every treatment that has benefits also has risks. Physicians must always weigh the benefits and risks of a treatment. Of course, the potential of androgen suppression therapy to prolong the life of men with prostate cancer and even increase the likelihood of it being cured cannot be disregarded. Nonetheless, the side effects of androgen suppression therapy include the loss of sex drive, anemia, osteoporosis, weight gain, decreased muscle mass, increase in bad cholesterol (LDL) and decrease in good cholesterol (HDL).

The alteration of LDL and HDL by androgen suppression therapy can potentially increase the risk of coronary artery disease and heart attacks. Therefore, this possibility was analyzed from data pooled from three randomized studies performed in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, respectively.

One thousand three hundred seventy two (1, 372) men who received androgen suppression therapy in addition to radiation therapy to the prostate gland were followed for at least five years. The researchers found that men over 65 who received androgen suppression therapy for six months had an earlier onset of heart attacks, perhaps by two and a half years.

Does this mean men should not be treated with androgen suppression therapy, especially in the group in whom the benefits of hormonal therapy outweigh the risks? It does not; instead, the implication is that men who will benefit from hormonal therapy to avoid dying from prostate cancer but who also have risk factors for coronary artery disease should be referred to a cardiologist.

Men can then be assessed for and even treated for heart disease before they begin hormonal therapy. They can then undergo androgen suppression therapy without adverse effects on their hearts.

Also, more good news is that new studies are being developed to determine the optimal duration of androgen suppression therapy. By making hormonal therapy intermittent, such as six months on androgen suppression therapy and six months off, men might achieve the same survival endpoint with less toxicity than continuous androgen suppression therapy.

Dr. Kornmehl is a board certified radiation oncologist at Passaic Beth Israel Regional Medical Center, Passaic, NJ and author of the critically acclaimed consumer health book, “The Best News About Radiation Therapy” (M. Evans, 2004). Her website is RTSupportDoc.com RTSupportDoc.com

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Tags: cancer treatment, prostate cancer

Amy (not real name) was 48 years old when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon (caecum) cancer in 2001. She underwent a hemicolectomy on 5 November 2001. The histopathology report indicated: “moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of caecum involving pericolic fat. The pericolic (6/10) and apical nodes (2/2) are involved by metastatic tumour (Duke C 2. T3 N2 Mx). The resected margin are free.”

Her surgeon recommended chemotherapy but Amy declined. She opted for herbs instead. She came to CA Care in November 2001 and was started on herbs: Capsule A, GI (1) Tea, Lympho-Tea (stopped mid-2006) and C-tea. She has been taking these herbs “religiously” ever since.

It has been six years and Amy is doing fine. Over the years she had gone back to her surgeon for surveillance check up and there was nothing amiss.

I met up with Amy and her husband on 18 September 2006 and had a chat.

Question: You underwent an operation but did not go for chemotherapy, radiotherapy or take any doctor’s medication? You started to take herbs and are still doing so up to this day. Are you a healthy person – are you okay?

Amy: Yes, I am healthy. I think I am healthier now than I was before. This is because I don’t have any more gastric problem — unless of course when I over-eat or when I am hungry. Otherwise, I don’t have any gastric problem. I sleep better. Energy wise I am good. Before I was on the herbs, I would be sleepy by 9 to 10 p.m. Just one or two weeks after I started to take the herbs until this day, I am still not sleepy even if it is 12 mid-night. And remember, I wake up at 6 o’clock every morning. Even that, I feel fresh the whole day and I don’t feel sleepy or tired and am full of energy. I don’t need to sleep in the afternoon.

Q: After the surgery, were you asked to go for chemotherapy?

Husband: After the operation, the doctor was asking us to start chemotherapy as soon as possible. To the doctor, we must not delay this treatment.

A: The operation was done on 5 November. A week later, I had to go back to the hospital for a follow up examination. The doctor told me that I would need to go for 30 sessions of chemotherapy. One week would be 5 sessions. I would then have to take two or three weeks rest and then start the cycle again. The doctor was telling me that I must do this quickly if not the cancer can come back again. I was asked to fix a chemo-pot but I declined. After this, I decided to come to CA Care instead.

Q: After you decided to take herbs instead of undergoing chemotherapy, did you get any pressure from your doctors — that this might not be the right approach?

Husband: No. This was because we did not go back to the oncologist any more. If we were to go back to him, we might get such “pressure”. We started to take the herbs. She was not getting worse. Instead she was getting better. So, we shut our mind to all other external pressures or advice and kept our focus on the herbs and on what we have decided to do.

Q: How did you feel after talking to the oncologist?

A: I felt very depressed. I did not like the way he talked to me. It appeared like he wanted to do business — then he said, you must do this and do that. He was not kind like the other doctors. He was very insensitive. We were very unhappy and decided to come and see you instead.

Husband: After we saw the oncologist, we knew that we could not “click” with him. On the other hand, the surgeon was a very kind man. When we told him that we would not go for chemotherapy, he said: “Do what you believe in.” He was more supportive than the oncologist who was not friendly at all. We never went back to see the oncologist ever again.

A: In fact to this day, my surgeon is very supportive. When I went back for my routine check up, he still enquired if I was still taking the herbs. He also asked if I ate meat, and that I was still on vegetables, etc. I think my surgeon was very happy to see me well.

Husband: We were very fortunately to have a nice and kind surgeon.

Q: If you look back, would you do the same thing all over again with regards to your cancer treatment?

A: I am satisfied with what I have gone through and what I did. There were no regrets. I still remember what my husband told me: “Amy, if you do not want to go for chemotherapy and wanted to go on the herbs, you have to believe in what you are going to do. If you don’t believe that the herbs are going to work for you, then don’t take them. I want you to put in your heart and soul to do this”.

Q: Besides taking the herbs and following our diet recommendation, did you take any other herbs or supplements?

A: No supplements. I took fruit juices for the first few years. It was only later that I started to take fish oil and sometimes garlic pills. Apart from that I was and am entirely on your herbs.

Q: After taking the herbs, how long did you get to experience their effects?

A: When I first came to collect the herbs, I was told that I would pass out a lot of smelly stools. That would be the first sign of cleansing. It happened exactly like I was told when I started the herbs. I passed out a lot of dark stools. The smell was real awful. I felt exhausted after this cleansing. This process went on for about 5 to 6 days after I started to take the herbs. Then, things gradually went back to normal.

Q: After taking the herbs for a week, did you feel any better?

A: Of course. I felt better. I was not sleepy anymore. Energy wise I was better.

Q: Over this five years, did the herbs and CA Care made any impact on you?

A: Yes, of course. When we came to collect herbs, Khadijah and Johan always have a lot of good words and encouragement for me. Then, I also remember when I came here and I met you. You talked to me and gave encouraging advice. These words still stuck with me. You said: “It is not the herbs alone – it is also your will to live and wanting to get well. Besides, patients must keep to their good diet”. “Laska” was my favorite food. Because of your words, I dared not eat “laksa” for many years!

For more information on the CA Therapy: cacare.com cacare.com
BookOnCancer.com BookOnCancer.com and view our video clips on healing of colon cancer, cacarevideo.blogspot.com cacarevideo.blogspot.com

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

There are several prostate cancer treatment options that are available. Radiation therapy, more commonly known as radiotherapy, is the most often prescribed prostate cancer treatment. Radiation therapy kills off your cancerous cells with high energy radiation beams. Although the technology now is already far more advanced as compared to many years ago; still, some normal body cells are inevitably get killed during the treatment process. A loss in your normal cells result in some of the side effects that you experience.

Radiation therapy for prostate cancer treatment can be used for all stages of the disease. If you are diagnosed as having early stage prostate cancer then radiation therapy can be used on its own. In this case, there is no need for surgery. Advanced stage cancers may require surgery followed by a course of radiation therapy for relief of pain associated with the disease.

There are two main ways in which radiation can be used as a prostate cancer treatment; internally and externally. The type of radiotherapy that will be recommended to you will be based on your circumstances and the extent of your cancer. You should get more information about the treatments and how they work from your oncologist.

The prostate cancer treatment known as brachytherapy, or internal radiation, works by implanting microbeads of radioactive material directly into your cancerous tissue. These microbeads kill the cancerous cells in the immediate vicinity. A very small number of normal body cells also become damaged in the process. You may also suffer from minor side effects such as urinary leakage and/or penile dysfunction.

Having internal radiotherapy as a prostate cancer treatment will mean you have to undergo keyhole surgery. This is a one-time procedure and involves a short stay in hospital. It is relatively expensive, however. Thus, your doctor will usually recommend this option where cure is still highly possible; in the instance where the cancerous cells have not spread to other parts of your body.

External radiation is the more commonly prescribed prostate cancer treatment. You may need to go to the hospital as often as five times per week. In this case the radiation beam penetrates through the skin, muscle and fat before it reaches the cancerous tissue of the prostate. Many normal body cells can be damaged. Thus with this form of treatment you tend to experience more severe and varied side effects than with the previous option.

In the course of this prostate cancer treatment, you may lose some of your pubic hair permanently. You may feel sore and dry in the area being treated. You may also suffer from incontinence, urinary and bowel discomfort. There is also a chance of impotence as the tissues around the prostate gland are affected. Hopefully, medical advancements can be made one day so that fewer normal body cells get damaged in the process.

Radiation therapy can be an exhausting process to go through. During this period, you are advised to take plenty of rest and to set all your worries aside.

Early detection helps in your recovery and your prostate-cancer-treatment-hub.com/Articles/Prostate_Cancer_Treatment.php prostate cancer treatment. For more information, please visit the site at Prostate-Cancer-Treatment-Hub.com Prostate-Cancer-Treatment-Hub.com

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Ovarian cancer is a gynecologic sarcoma, which is second most frequently diagnosed. In the United States, females have a 1.4 % to 2.5 % chance of developing ovarian cancer. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), has standardized the staging of gynecological cancers. It is the most frequently used prognostic tool. Both surgical and pathological findings are taken into account. The cancer is staged according to whether it is still in the ovary or spread beyond.

Staging is generally done at the time of surgery. Samples of tissues are taken from various parts of the pelvis and abdomen and studied under intense observation. Staging is very important because the prognosis or the course of action to be taken varies at different stages in case of any cancer. It is important that the staging is accurate. It is possible to miss the spread of the ovarian cancer outside the ovary if it is not staged properly.

Stage IV is the last category of the stages of ovarian cancer. Patients in this stage typically exhibit parenchymal liver metastases and extra-abdominal metastases. Thirteen percent of patients alive are in stage IV. The most common areas where the cancer spreads are generally the liver and lungs. One-third of all ovarian cancer patients have pleural effusions and most of them contain malignant cells. The spleen also gets affected may require splenectomy. Only 0.1% of patients show metastases of the brain.

If the tumor is widespread, treatment begins with surgery, which may include total hysterectomy, followed by chemotherapy. If some tumor remnant is left after chemotherapy, further forms of chemotherapy may be needed. It is important for a patient to find out about the staging procedure and the stage. In this way the patient will and can take part in making vital decisions about the required treatment.

e-OvarianCancer.com Ovarian Cancer provides detailed information on Ovarian Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Symptoms, Ovarian Cancer Treatments, Ovarian Cancer Stages and more. Ovarian Cancer is affiliated with e-mesotherapy.com Mesotherapy Before And After.

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