Pasta dishes with ingredients cooked fire

Pasta dishes are remarkably popular and versatile, but it seems like noodles as traditionally prepared sometimes can be boring. Cooked pasta with meat from the grill or fire or vegetables is a wonderful treatment. One of the best ways is to improve your pasta dishes, some of the ingredients Cook over a fire pit. So instead of daily pasta dishes, some kick try with some ingredients cooked fire. Here are some ideas for you to use:

Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Zucchini
Cut the zucchini into pieces and in a square of aluminum foil. Feel free to the zucchini as desired, with salt and garlic season. Add oil or butter and wrap the zucchini in the slide. How to you with hot foil packaging in the fireplace coals and cooking for about half an hour. Take the zucchini in with your Fettuccine Alfredo pasta.

Tomato pasta sauce with fire-roasted tomatoes
Tomato sauce is probably the most popular topping for pasta dishes. There are all kinds of things can tomato sauce so it your own. One of the things you can do to give your pasta sauce some additional flavor is the sauce to fire-roasted tomatoes. To fire tomatoes they halve the root, and remove you can roast, the seeds and drain juice from. Brush cut sides with olive oil and place the tomatoes on grilled on the barbecue area. Cooking until skin is blackened, then pull the skin off. You chop immediately the new roasted tomatoes and stir you gently to your tomato pasta sauce.

Noodles with fire cooked fish
Put your fish in foil and season it as you want, with garlic, paprika and oregano. Set slide with the fish a slice of lemon or lime juice in each packet. Cook the fish over hot coals in the fireplace for about 15 minutes. Before unpacking the slide, you can be to the fish for a minute or two, sit a little cool. Pack the fish in small or bite-sized pieces cut and throw white wine for more taste in pasta, add.

Full taste and some dimensions are unique flavour to your table this dishes. Their pasta dishes are certainly memorable for you and your guests be, if you have a fireplace cooking ingredients and use the complex aromas, cooking thrown the pit offers.

Geoffrey F. Moore
Firepit

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Causing bacteria cancer?

Microbes are all around us, on our skins, in our nasal passages and in our intestines, and even in our blood and tissues.

Usually they exist in harmless balance with the immune system. Some are even beneficent : bacteria in the human intestine help digest food, produce vitamins, and crowd out toxic pathogens. In fact, the human body contains more bacterial cells than somatic (body) cells.

Mitochondria, organelles which produce energy within human cells, have their own DNA and are thought to be descended from free-living bacteria. Bacteria are highly integrated into functions of the entire human body.

The mainstream medical community is now willing to accept that a few type of bacteria or viruses may indeed be responsible for a few forms of cancer, such as Kaposi's sarcoma, stomach and cervical cancer, but they are unwilling to recognize that infectious agents may be inextricably linked to the development of most other tumors as well.

Yet, there scientific evidence dating back more than one hundred years which points to an bacterial cause cancer, a pleomorphic (many-formed) bacteria, related to or resembling mycoplasma, which has been seen in microscopic slides of numerous tumors.

At the beginning of the 20th century, bacterial genesis of cancer was considered a mainstream theory, and papers about it were published in the Lancet. However, it was eventually sidelined despite a large body of substantiating evidence.

Over the past century hundreds of independent researchers have noted a link between bacteria and cancer in both animals and humans, but their findings were treated as a scientific curiosity and rarely followed up by the general medical establishment.

However, the theory never went away, and individual scientists continued searching for ways to identify and eliminate the suspect bacteria.

In 1890 the German physician and bacteriologist Robert Koch formulated a standard criteria still in use today for judging whether a given bacteria is the cause of a given disease.

"Koch's Postulates," while not always valid, provide a useful benchmark for disease investigators.

Koch's postulates are as follows:

The bacteria must be present in every case of the disease.

The bacteria must be isolated from the host with the disease and grown in pure culture.

The specific disease must be reproduced when a pure culture of the bacteria is inoculated into a healthy susceptible host.

The bacteria must be recoverable from the experimentally infected host.

However, Koch's postulates have their limitations, which even Koch recognized. They may not hold if:

The particular bacteria (such as the one that causes leprosy) cannot be "grown in pure culture" in the laboratory.

Animal test subjects are immune to the infection.

In addition, a usually harmless bacteria may cause disease if:

It has acquired extra virulence factors making it pathogenic.

It gains access to deep tissues due to trauma, surgery, an IV line, etc.

It infects a patient with a compromised immune system.

Not all people infected by a bacteria develop serious disease; subclinical, low-grade infection may be more common than clinically obvious, symptomatic infection.

The different species of infectious agents linked to various cancers fit fairly well within Koch's postulates, since they can be isolated from tumors and grown in a petri dishes or cell cultures, and they sometimes produces tumors when injected into test animals.

However, many are also found in lower concentrations in healthy subjects, and it appears that these microbes only cause disease when their host is weakened.

The host's immune system limits the amount of damage any infectious agent can cause. For instance, H. pylori stomach infections can lead to stomach ulcers and gastric cancer, but many people are asymptomatic carries. Not every woman who has been infected with HPV develops cervical cancer.

Similarly, we should not expect all carriers of other "cancer microbes" to become ill. Also, these bacteria may have the potential to produce diseases besides cancer, since H. pylori can cause stomach ulcers as well.

History

Probably the first official mention of "cancer microbe" occurred on December 3, 1890 when William Russell, a pathologist in the School of Medicine at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, gave an address to the Pathological Society of London. He described histopathologic findings of "a characteristic organism of cancer" that he observed microscopically in fuchsine-stained tissue sections from all forms of cancer that he examined, and also from some cases of tuberculosis, syphilis and skin infection.

The microbe was seen both around and within tissue cells, and ranged in size from barely visible to one and half times the size of a red blood cell. Russell felt that the large size of some of these organisms was suggestive of a yeast or fungal infection.

Russell tentatively called the microbe a possible "blastomycete" (a type of fungus); and called the round forms "fuchsine bodies" due to their bluish-red staining qualities.

Nine years later in 1899, Russell published a report in the Lancet on "The parasite of cancer," and stated that finding the suspect bacteria present in diseases other than cancer presented a "stumbling block" to the idea of a definitive function for the organisms.

Cultures yielded numerous species of bacteria, and injection of the bacteria into animals gave ambiguous results. Subsequently, many scientists concluded that Russell bodies were merely the result of cellular degeneration.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the scientist Royal Raymond Rife pioneered the use of radiofrequency devices to kill bacteria. Rife discovered that a certain spectrum of radio waves was lethal to bacteria, while harmless to human tissue. He also invented a new form of microscope which used monochromatic light, and was accurate enough to see viruses without the use of electron microscopy.

Working from a laboratory in La Jolla in the 1930s, Rife claimed to have a 100 percent success rate in treating cancer. Rife's lab was shut down due to political pressure by the American Medical association , most of his papers were destroyed, and currently the only known example of his microscopes exists in a museum.

Rife's discovery of radiofrequency devices to kill bacteria was picked up by Hulda Clark, a Canadian scientist, who began her work in the 1960s. Clark also claimed that many other diseases, including diabetes, allergies, epilepsy, Crohn's disease, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, are caused by bacteria and parasites such as liver flukes.

She improved on Rife's technology, and invented a small raidofrequency device she called the "Zapper" that she claimed eradicated bacteria and other parasites from the body. Instructions on how to build the devices were made available to the public, and can be found on the Internet today.

Clark was harassed by the American authorities until she left to set up her cancer clinic in Mexico, where in 2001 the authorities forbade her from offering alternative treatment for cancer. Like Rife, Clark claimed an extremely high success rate in treating cancer, nearly 100 percent, but no independent analysis of her claims, or those of Rife, exist.

In the 1960s, Dr. Virginia Livingston antagonized the scientific establishment by claiming to have found the microbe responsible for causing cancer, naming it "Progenitor cryptocides", which means "hidden killer". She felt that that the microbe had an intrinsic, symbiotic function in the human body, that was responsible for initiating life and for healing of tissue, and that the microbe was ultimately responsible for eventual degeneration and death of all life.

When the cultured organism was injected into animals, it caused tumors to develop in some, but not all, of the test subjects.

In 1974, Livingstone became the first scientist to discover that both cancer bacteria and cancer cells produce the human hormone HCG. This hormone, normally secreted by the human fetus to protect it from the maternal immune system, also protects cancers from immune system attack.

Livingstone concluded that bacteria secrete mutagenic factors such as actinomycin-D with damage human cell DNA, and that they can also interchange genetic material such as bacterial growth factors with human cells. Vaccines targeting HCG-producing and cancer-promoting bacteria deprive cancer cells of a key source of HCG.. As the levels of HCG are lowered, the immune system's ability to launch an assault on cancer cells increases.

Livingstone cultured patients' own bacteria from blood and urine to create "autogenous" vaccines to stimulate the immune system. She published many articles and books, such as "Cancer, A New Breakthrough" (1972); "The Microbiology of Cancer" (1977); and "The Conquest of Cancer" (1984).

Her research has been confirmed by other scientists, such as microbiologist Eleanor Alexander-Jackson, cell cytologist Irene Diller, biochemist Florence Seibert, and dermatologist Alan Cantwell, among others.

Milton Wainwright, a microbiologist at the University of Sheffield, UK, has written extensively about the bacteriology of cancer in recent publications such as: "Nanobacteria and associated 'elementary bodies' in human disease and cancer" (1999); "The return of the cancer germ; Forgotten microbiology - back to the future" (2000); "Highly pleomorphic staphylococci as a cause of cancer" (2000); and "Is this the historical 'cancer germ'"? (2003).

Currently, one of the most well-known popular proponents of the link between cancer and bacteria is Dr. Alan Cantwell, who has written numerous articles and books on the subject. Cantwell isolated and reported cell wall deficient bacteria in breast cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma and Hodgkin's disease. He states, " If a disease like cancer is indeed caused by microscopic bacteria, it would indicate physicians have been unable to see what was quite plain for some nineteenth and twentieth century scientists to observe using simple light microscopy.

And with powerful electron microscopes there is now little excuse for not "seeing" bacteria."

Mycoplasma

Mycoplasma, the oldest suspect in the bacterial theory of cancer, has also been implicated as a direct cause or a signficant cofactoer in a host of other degenerative and inflammatory diseases.

Mycoplasmas are frequently found in the oral and genito-urinary tracts of normal healthy subjects, with females four times more frequently infected than males, which just happens to be the same gender-skewed incidence rate as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and other related auto-immune disorders.

In 1997, the National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases, published the article, Mycoplasmas : Sophisticated, Reemerging, and Burdened by Their Notoriety, by Drs. Baseman and Tully who stated:

"Nonetheless, mycoplasmas by themselves can cause acute and chronic diseases at multiple sites with wide-ranging complications and have been implicated as cofactors in disease.

Recently, mycoplasmas have been linked as a cofactor to AIDS pathogenesis and to malignant transformation, chromosomal aberrations, the Gulf War Syndrome, and other unexplained and complex illnesses, including chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn's disease, and various arthritides."

The first strains of mycoplasma were isolated from cattle with arthritis and pleuro-pneumonia in 1898 at the Pasteur Institute. The first human variety was isolated in 1932 from a wound abscess.

The first connection between Mycoplasmas were identified as a cause of rheumatoid diseases in 1939 by Drs. Swift and Brown. In the late 1950's a specific strain was identified as the cause of atypical pneumonia, and named Mycoplasma pneumonia.

The association between immunodeficiency and autoimmune disorders with mycoplasmas was first noted in the mid 1970s in patients with primary hypogammaglobulinemia (an autoimmune disease) due to infection with four species of mycoplasma localized in joint tissue.

Since that time, more than 100 different mycoplasma species have been identified and recorded in plants, animals, and humans.

There are hundreds of studies from scientists all around the world linking various species of mycoplasma with cancer.

The research of Dr Shy-Chung Lo at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C., confirms the multistage, malignant transformation of embryo cell lines persistently exposed to mycoplasma infection as well as animal models so exposed.

According to research by P.J. Chan, published in Gynecologic Oncology (1996), "The oncogenic potential of mycoplasmas was only recently realized when they were shown to cause chromosomal changes and in vitro cell transformations through gradual progressive chromosomal loss and translocations." Chan and colleagues also report the prevalence of mycoplasma DNA in ovarian cancer.1

In 1993, a research team led by C. Ilantzis at the McGill Cancer Centre, Montreal, Canada analyzed cancer-related markers which are specific to various organs in the body. These markers, called "organ-specific neoantigens" (OSNs), elicit specific immune responses. After analyzing OSN proteins from human colon adenocarcinomas, researchers found the OSNs to be mycoplasmal in origin.2

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(1). Chan P.J et al Prevalence of Mycoplasma Conserved DNA in Malignant Ovarian Cancer Detected Using Sensitive PCR-ELISA Gynecologic Oncology 1996 pp. 258-260(3)

(2). C Ilantzis, DM Thomson, A Michaelidou, S Benchimol Identification of a human cancer related organ specific neoantigen Microbiol Immunol, 1993;37(2):119-28

Microscopic Findings

The "cancer bacteria" have a variable appearance, both in tissue samples and in cultures. They can appear as cocci (spheres) 0.1 micrometer in size (a micrometer is 1/1000 of a millimeter), called "ultramicroscopic" since they can still be seen by an ordinary light optical microscope.

Scientists have used the term "nanobacteria" to describe extremely small bacteria which range from .05 to 0.2 micrometer in size. Viruses, which measure 0.01 to 0.02 micrometers, can be viewed only with an electron microscope. The smallest forms of bacteria pass easily through a standard viral filter with pores 0 .2 micrometers in size, which microbiologists assumed (until recently) would catch all bacteria, which tend to be much larger.

Once these tiny cocci are placed in a petri dish and the resulting culture is observed over time, the bacteria also produce larger rods and branching, fungus-like strands.

Mycobacteria are known to exist in different forms, and the tuberculosis microbe, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a good example of this complex life cycle. Some forms of the bacillus are round "coccoid" forms; other forms are more typically "acid-fast" and "rod" forms. All mycobacteria form a phylogenetic link or bridge between the bacteria and the "higher" fungi. "Myco" is Greek for fungus. This is the origin of the term "mycobacteria." Mycoplasmas also have a flowing plasma-like structure without a cell wall - hence "plasma".

Unlike common bacteria, the suspected cancer microbe Mycoplasma has no cell wall. It invades tissue cells, and uses the cell to replicate itself, much like a retrovirus. When the Mycoplasma breaks out of the cell, it takes a piece of the host cell membrane with it. When the immune system attacks the Mycoplasma, it may also mistakenly attack the host cell, causing an autoimmune condition. It can invade the Natural Killer cells of the immune system, causing immune system disorders. Because it can hide deep within cells, it is extremely difficult to detect and eradicate.

Treating Mycoplasma With Antibiotics

Antibiotic treatment must be tailored to the specific bacterial infection. Many bacteria, especially mycoplasma, are unaffected by many common antibiotics. However, some targeted treatments which are known to kill specific cancer-causing bacteria have proven effective, at least in the early stages of disease.

Mycoplasmal infections are treatable with long cycles of high-dose antibiotics such as doxycycline and tetracycline, followed by a long period of low dose antibiotics. Due to their lack of cell walls, mycoplasma are unaffected by penicillins. Since the organism is a slow-growing, intracellular species with a long life cycle, several long term courses of antibiotics may be necessary. The infection may need to be treated for several months or years, much the same protocol as for Lyme Disease.

No clinical trials have been published in regards to the treatment of cancer with antibiotics against mycoplasma.

Vaccines Against Mycoplasma

Maruyama vaccine is similar to BCG vaccine, both of which are made from mycobacteria tuberculosis isolates. Both have been used extensively as immune system stimulants in cancer patients. Murayama vaccine is made from mycobacteria tuberculosis isolates, and BCG is derived from an attenuated bovine tuberculosis bacillus. However, BCG has more side effects than Maruyama vaccine.

Maruyama vaccine, invented by Dr. Chisato Maruyama more than 50 years ago, can be used by itself or in combination with standard therapies. Some Japanese physicians claim to have achieved complete remissions in poor-prognosis cancers, but no large scale clinical trials exist. No negative side effects from the vaccine have been reported.

Murayama vaccine is approved by the FDA to treat terminal cancer patients. Some forms of health insurance will cover the cost if the vaccine is used as part of standard therapy, because it is officially approved only as an immune system stimulant to counteract the side effect of bone marrow suppression caused by radiotherapy.

Maruyama vaccine is supplied by The Research Institute of Vaccine Therapy for Tumors and Infections Disease, Nippon Medical School Hospital in Tokyo, as long as the patient supplies a request from their physician. It is not expensive, approximately 9000 yen (100 USD) for a 40 day course of treatment.

According to an article published in Cancer Detection And Prevention, 2003, by Tetsuo Kimoto M.D., Ph.D., Maruyama vaccine does not have direct cytotoxic effects on tumors, but rather causes their encapsulation by collagen fibers.

This leads to the containment and sometimes necrosis (death) of tumors and their metastasis. Survival time increased in both animal and human subjects with tumors, and Kimoto stated that Murayama vaccine "may benefit patients in whom the tumor is inoperable and resistant to conventional chemotherapy." 1

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(1). Tetsuo Kimoto M.D., Ph.D The antitumor effects of Maruyama vaccine (SSM) Cancer Detection and Prevention Volume 22 Issue 4 Page 340 - August 1998 .

Herpes Virus

Cervical cancer, caused by the human papilloma virus, strikes more than 10,000 U.S. women each year, killing more than 3,700. A new vaccine against the virus, Gardasil, was approved by the FDA in 2006. The vaccine is effective against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause approximately 70 percent of cervical cancers and against HPV types 6 and 11, which cause approximately 90 percent of genital warts.

Less well known is the fact that HPV is also implicated in squamous cell head and neck cancers, especially cancer of the tonsils. 1,2 Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center tested tumor tissues from 253 patients with head and neck cancers and found 25 percent of the cases were HPV-positive. In 90 percent of those HPV-positive tumors, HPV16, the type of virus most often associated with cervical cancer, was present.3

Multiple studies confirm the link between HPV and head and neck cancer. Approximately 31,000 people in the United States are diagnosed each year with cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx, which causes 8,500 deaths annually.

The vaccine against HPV only works if it administered before infection, indicating the importance of immunization before potential exposure to the virus. Also, Gardasil does not protect against less common HPV types not included in the vaccine, thus routine and regular pap screening remain critically important to detect precancerous changes in the cervix to allow treatment before cervical cancer develops. It is a preventative measure, not a treatment for existing cervical or head and neck cancer.

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(1). Paz IB et al., Human papillomavirus (HPV) in head and neck cancer. An association of HPV 16 with squamous cell carcinoma of Waldeyer's tonsillar ring. Cancer 1997 Feb 1;79(3):595-604.

(2) Klussman JP et al., Human papillomavirus-positive tonsillar carcinomas: a different tumor entity? Med Microbiol Immunol (Berlin) 2003 Aug;192(3):129-32. Epub 2002 Sep 14.

(3). Gillison ML, Koch WM, Capone RB, Spafford M, Westra WH, Wu L, Zahurak ML, Daniel RW, Viglione M, Symer DE, Shah KV, Sidransky D, Evidence for a causal association between human papillomavirus and a subset of head and neck cancers. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2000 May 3;92(9):709-20

Stomach Cancer

In the December 2000 edition of the Journal of The National Cancer Insitute, a research team led by Columbian pathologist Pelayo Correa reported that antibiotics, vitamin C, or beta-carotene (precursor of vitamin A) can reverse precancerous stomach conditions caused by Helicobacter pylori.

Stomach cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, and is most common in countries such as Colombia and China, where H. Pylori infects more than half of the population in early childhood. In the U.S., where H. pylori is less common, stomach cancer rates have decreased since the 1930s.

The two main risk factors for stomach cancer are H. pylori infection, and a diet low in vitamin C and beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. There is also ample evidence that a diet including fresh fruits and vegetables, which are rich in those nutrients, protects against stomach cancer.

In 1992, the researchers studied 631 patients with aberrant gastric cell growth, which falls into one of three successive premalignant stages--multifocal nonmetaplastic atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia.

Patients received either a placebo pill, a vitamin C or beta-carotene supplement, or antibiotics against H. pylori. Some others received a combination of drugs and supplements.

The scientists took stomach biopsies of the patients after 3 and 6 years of treatment. Patients with atrophy were roughly five times as likely to experience regression of this premalignant cell growth as those getting a placebo.

Among those with metaplasia, the volunteers who were taking supplements or drugs were three times as likely to improve as those getting placebos were. However, patients with dysplasia, the last stage of stomach disease before cancer, showed no significant improvement with any of the treatments. "The earlier in the process [that we intervened] the better the chance of regression," Correa said. 1

This study is encouraging because it shows that treating carcinogenic bacteria produces clear benefits against precancerous conditions. However, once the tissue damage caused by infection had progressed to the premalignant stage, the antibiotics produced no benefits, and would likely produce no improvement in cases of outright malignancy either.

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(1). Correa, P., et al. 2000. Chemoprevention of gastric dysplasia: Randomized trial of antioxidant supplements and anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 92(Dec. 6):1881-1888

Lymphoma

The common antibiotic doxycycline effectively treats a type of ocular lymphoma associated with chlamydia infection, according to a study published in the October 4 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

A team of researchers led by Andres J. M. Ferreri, M.D., of the San Raffaele H Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy, gave 27 patients with ocular adnexal lymphoma (OAL) a 3-week course of doxycycline therapy, whether they tested positive or negative for chlamydia.

The researchers observed for tumor progression every 6 months, and found that doxycycline caused caused lymphoma to regress in patients regardless of whether they tested positive or negative for chlamydia.

The study suggested that doxycycline is a useful therapy even in patients where other treatments have failed, and it is a valid alternative to chemotherapy and radiation without causing the same toxic side-effects. Patients treated with doxycycline had a 66% rate of disease-free survival. 1

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(1). Andrés J. M. Ferreri, Maurilio Ponzoni, Massimo Guidoboni, Antonio Giordano Resti, Letterio S. Politi, Sergio Cortelazzo, Judit Demeter, Francesco Zallio, Angelo Palmas, Giuliana Muti, Giuseppina P. Dognini, Elisa Pasini, Antonia Anna Lettini, Federico Sacchetti, Carlo De Conciliis, Claudio Doglioni, Riccardo Dolcetti Bacteria-Eradicating Therapy With Doxycycline in Ocular Adnexal MALT Lymphoma: A Multicenter Prospective Trial Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2006 98(19):1375-1382

Cautionary Note On Indiscriminate Use Of Antibiotics

So far, no antibiotic treatment has been discovered that is successful in treating most types of cancer, and a study linking antibiotic use to an increased risk breast cancer appeared in the February 2004 Journal of the American Medical Association. The study, which examined 10,000 Washington state women, found that those who took more than 25 courses of antibiotics over an average of 17 years had double the risk of breast cancer compared to women who did not take antibiotics. Women who took between one and 25 prescriptions over the same period had a one-and-a-half times increased risk for breast cancer. 1

Correlation does not always imply causation, and this study raises intriguing questions as to the mechanism of this effect. Perhaps it is due to direct cellular damage by the antibiotic. Maybe the disruption of the body's normal bacterial homeostasis by antibiotics causes proliferation of pathogenic bacterial species.

It could be that women with poorly functioning immune systems (due to genetics or poor living conditions) are more prone to infections as well as cancer. A need for antibiotics may indicate an underlying inflammatory or infectious condition which is responsible for the development of cancer.

However, the study illustrates the perils of using broad spectrum antibiotics indiscriminately. This practice evidently does not ward off cancer, and cannot be recommended.

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(1). Roberta B. Ness, MD, MPH. Jane A. Cauley, DrPH Antibiotics and Breast Cancer--. What's the Meaning of This? Journal of The American Medical Association Feb 2004 291:77, 880-881

Antibiotics To Treat Cancer

In 2006, researchers at the University of Illinois discovered that siomycin, a poorly known antibiotic first discovered in the 1960s, caused cancer cells to undergo apoptosis (cell death) while leaving normal cells unharmed. This is due to a direct effect on the FOX M1 gene, which is activated in tumor cells and causes their rapid growth. Siomycin is currently being evaluated for possible clinical trials. 1

Neomycin, another old antibiotic first discovered in 1949, inhibits angiogenesis (development of blood vessels) of prostate tumors, and prevents them from growing and spreading in animal subjects, according to researchers Hu and Yoshioka in the Sept 2006 edition of the Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences. 2

In both cases, the action of these antibiotics is due to a direct chemotherapeutic effect, not antibacterial action. However, both of these agents show promise for the development of chemotherapy without the current horrendous side effects.

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(1). Senthil K. Radhakrishnan, Uppoor G. Bhat, Douglas E. Hughes, I-Ching Wang, Robert H. Costa and Andrei L. Gartel Identification of a Chemical Inhibitor of the Oncogenic Transcription Factor Forkhead Box M1 Cancer Research 66, 9731-9735, October 1, 2006

(2). Hu G-F. Neomycin inhibits angiogenin-induced angiogenesis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95: 9791-9795, 1998

Integrated Treatment Clinics

Livingstone-Wheeler claimed an 82% success rate in her book "the Conquest of Cancer".

One of the largest clinics offering treatment based on the bacterial hypothesis of cancer is the Livingstone Wheeler Foundation Medical Center, San Diego, California. Livingstone-Wheeler claimed an 82% success rate in her book "the Conquest of Cancer". Here, patients are given vaccines and other measures purported to enhance immunity to the pleomorphic bacterium believed to be the cause of cancer.

BCG vaccine is used along with a multifocal treatment program: vegetarian diet, vitamins, antioxidants, detoxification, nutritional counselling, support groups. Patients are monitored with tests of immune function and vitamin levels.

However, a 2001 study by the Centre for Alternative Medicine Research at the University of Texas found poor outcomes the 191 clinic patients followed, approximately half of whom had metastatic cancer. Only 28 patients out of 193 were found to be still alive five years later, giving a five-year survival rate of 14.5%, no better than conventional therapy for advanced cancer. These results refute Livingstone's claims of success.

However, other practitioners have had better results. The Issels Clinic, founded in 1951 in Germany by Dr. Josef Issels, specializes in immunotherapy (along with other alternative treatments) and and has a significant success rate documented by independent studies.

Since the late 1960s, German public health insurance has covered treatment at the Issels Clinic. From 1981 until his retirement in 1987, Dr. Issels served as expert in the Federal German Government Commission In The Fight Against Cancer.

In the Clinical Trials Journal (London 1970) a peer-reviewed study showed that Issels treatment plus standard therapy (chemo and radiotherapy) improved the five-year survival rate of patients with metastatic cancers to 87%, as compared to 50% with standard therapy alone.

In 1959, A. G. Audier, M.D., from the University of Leiden, Holland, reported that Issels therapy produced a 16.6% cure rate in 252 patients with metastatic malignant melanoma, which has only a 2% cure rate by conventional therapy.

This was confirmed by a study in 1971 by John Anderson, M.D., from King's College Hospital, which found a 17% cure rate for metastatic melanoma. The Issels clinic has documented long term cures (greater than 10 years) of advanced metastatic cancer, including astrocytomas (malignant brain tumors) and melanomas, which are virtually incurable by conventional treatment.

There are two Issels Medical Centers in the United States, in Phoenix, Arizona, and Santa Barbara, California.

Summary

Evidence for a causal link between infection and cancer appears to be overwhelming, but so far no universally applicable treatment has been developed from this knowledge.

In some cases, such as intraocular lymphoma, eradication of infection cures cancer; but in other cases, such as gastric cancer, it has no effect once the disease has progressed from pre-malignant to cancerous. So far, some success has been achieved by immunotherapy, but be sure to look for a reputable clinic with proven results, since patient outcomes vary greatly between practitioners.

This is definitely a field to watch closely, since new discoveries are being made constantly.

Frank J Vanderlugt owns and operates [http://www.cancer-cure-now.com]

Conventional Theories Of Cancer Development [http://www.cancer-cure-now.com]

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Little have we know that prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer amongst men

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer, has overtaken lung cancer as the leading cancer affecting all men and followed by colorectal cancer.

Statistically, 80 percent of prostate cancers occur in men over the age of 65. Although this cancer can also occur in younger individuals, it is very rare under the age of 50. As males age the prostate can develop problems.

Annually, one out of six American men will develop it in the course of his lifetime. Little did we know the fact a man is 33% more likely to develop prostate cancer than a woman is to get breast cancer.

In 2004, it is estimated that 234,000 new cases of prostate cancer diagnose in the United States. That makes it the most common cancer among American men, next to the skin cancer. More than 27,000 deaths due to prostate cancer are expected to occur annually.

One new case every 2 1/2 minutes. One new case every 150 seconds.

While in UK, nearly 35,000 men are diagnosed and about 10,000 men die from prostate cancer annually. This means over one man die every hour in UK.

Today, about two million men are fighting prostate cancer, and over the next decade, as baby boomer men reach the target ripen age for prostate cancer, about three million more will be compelled to join the battle. It is estimated that by 2012, the number of new cases in the U.S. is expected to increase to more than 300,000 new cases per year by 2012.

One new case every 100 seconds. One man dead every 13 minutes.

What is prostate?

Prostate is a male sex gland, the size of a walnut, located behind pubic bone in front of the rectum that encompasses lower part of a bladder. The tube that carries urine (the urethra) runs through the prostate. At birth the gland size is small like a pea and it continue to grow until age of 20 when a man reaches adulthood. Male hormones (called androgens) is responsible for this growth. The gland size will not change until 45, when it starts to grow again.

Its primary function is to produce thick fluids that nourish the sperm, as well as helping propel sperm through the urethra and out of the penis to reach and fertilize an egg. Even though prostate is not a primary component of urinary tract, but it is very important for urinary health.

In older men, the part of the prostate around the urethra may keep on growing. This causes BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) which cause problems passing urine. BPH is a problem that must be treated, but it is not cancer.

What is prostate cancer?

The body is made up of different types of cells. Normally, cells grow, divide and then die. Sometimes, cells mutate and begin to grow and divide more quickly than normally. Instead of dying, these abnormal cells clump together to form tumors. If these tumors are cancerous or so-called malignant tumors, they can invade and kill healthy tissues in the body. From these tumors, cancer cells can metastasize (spread) and form new tumors in other parts of the body. In contrary, non-cancerous tumors or so-called benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body.

Prostate cancer is abnormal cells grow out of control forming small nodules or bumps (overgrowth tissue) on the surface of in the prostate gland. In some cases, the overgrowth tissue is benign and this prostate condition is called Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH). Other times, abnormal cancerous cells characterize the overgrowth of tissue, and this is referred to as a malignancy or prostate cancer.

As its close proximity to the bladder, prostate disorder might interfere with urination and causing bladder or kidney problems. It is also located immediately next to the nerves responsible for erections hence it might interfere with sexual function as well.

Although more than 70% of all prostate cancer cases are diagnosed in men over the age of 65, doctors recommend that every man above the age of 50 should have a PSA test and a rectal exam. According to statistic African-American have almost twice as much prostate cancer incidence rates as Caucasian American, hence they should start getting tested at age 40. The same is true if you have a

family history of prostate cancer.

One-third of men over the age of 50 have some cancer cells within their prostate and nearly all men over the age of 80 have a small area of prostate cancer. In most men, these cancers grow extremely slowly, particularly in elderly men, and it will never cause any problems. Even without treatment, many of them will not die of the prostate cancer, but who, but rather live and die of some other unrelated cause before the disease takes its toll.

However, similar to most types of cancer, if left completely unchecked prostate cancer can be aggressive, grow more quickly and may spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body, particularly lymph nodes or the bones. This makes treatment much more difficult.

What are the symptoms?

Prostate cancer often does not cause any symptoms for years. When symptoms do occur, usually the cancerous cells have spread beyond the prostate, this is why regular check up for men age of 40 and above is necessary and recommended. The symptoms include:

Urinary problems:
Dull pain in the lower pelvic area, hips, or upper thighs
Not being able to urinate
Sensation that your bladder doesn't empties
Having a hard time starting or stopping the urine flow
Problems with urgency of urination and difficulty in starting
Frequent urination, especially at night
Weak flow of urine
Urine flow that starts and stops
Pain or burning during urination
Difficulty having an erection
Pain at ejaculation
Genital pain
Blood in the urine or semen

Note: Other health issues such as urinary infection or inflammation; bladder problems or kidney stone can cause exactly the same symptoms. Hence, should those symptoms occurred and accompanied with blood in your urine, painfully ejaculation and general pain in your lower back, hips and leg bones, significant lost of weight - you must inevitable visit your urologist for a thorough check up.

Who are at risk?

Risk factors consistently associated with prostate cancer include:

Age: After the age of 50, the chance of developing prostate cancer is higher. More than 80 percent of all prostate cancers occur in men 65 years and older.

Race: African American men have a 60% higher risk of prostate cancer than white men, including Hispanic men

Ethnicity: More common in North America and northwestern Europe and occurs less frequently in Asia, Africa, Central
America and South America.

Family history: Appears to have a genetic link. Having family history of prostate cancer, a father or brother with the disease doubles a man's risk of developing it. Man whose brother had a prostate cancer have 4.5 times higher risk of prostate cancer and 2.5 time higher if his father had a prostate cancer.

Vasectomy: Men who have undergone vasectomy (a surgical procedure that renders them sterile) may have an increased risk.
Men who have diabetes have less risk of getting the disease, although no one really knows why.

How to prevent?

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the best way to reduce the risks from all forms of cancer:

Diet: The results of most studies show s diet high in animal fats and low in fresh fruit and vegetables have an increased chance of developing prostate cancer.
Studies show a diet high in lycopenes (found in higher levels in colorful fruits and vegetables), selenium, goji berry, broccoli and turmeric may lower the risk of developing prostate cancer.
Exercise: Maintaining a healthy weight along with regular physical activity may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Get plenty of rest- regularly scheduled bed time is important for overall health.

How is prostate cancer detected?

There are three common screening methods for prostate cancer:

Digital rectal examination (DRE)
A digital rectal examination as part of an annual physical exam in men age of 50 or older (and in younger men who are at increased risk). During this test, a doctor inserts a gloved and lubricated finger into the rectum to feel for abnormalities. While the rectal exam may be a bit unpleasant, it is done quickly.

Blood test for prostate specific antigen (PSA)
The PSA is a blood test which measures a protein in prostate gland cells. The American Cancer Society recommends the test to be executed once a year for men 50 and older, and for younger men with higher prostate cancer risk.

Results under 4 are usually considered normal. Results above 10 are considered high. Values between 4 and 10 are considered borderline. The greater the PSA level, the greater the chance that prostate cancer exists.

The test need to be validated further with a biopsy as the PSA test cannot be used as a foolproof test for prostate cancer:


2 out of 3 men with a high PSA values show no cancerous cells in their prostate biopsy.
1 in 5 men with prostate cancer will have a normal PSA result.

Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)
TRUS will be done if the digital rectal exam or PSA levels are abnormal. A probe is inserted into the rectum and pictures are recorded using sound waves, which create an image of the prostate gland. The test is usually done in outpatient setting and usually takes less than 30 minutes. Based on results from these screenings, additional tests may be recommended.

A positive biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis. If a biopsy reveals cancer, additional testing is done to see if it has spread to other organs:

Blood tests- may be taken to see if the cancer has spread

Bone scan- to determine if the cancer has spread to the bones

CT scan- a series of x-ray images taken of the pelvis or abdomen, often used to determine general signs of disease

Chest x-ray- to determine if cancer has spread to the lungs

MRI- magnetic resonance imaging to detect cancer in lymph nodes and other internal organs

What is the usual treatment for prostate cancer?

There are several treatments to treat prostate cancer: These include surgery, radiotherapy and various forms of drug treatment. Hormone therapy is commonly used. It blocks the action of testosterone, a sex hormone that prostate cancers need in order to grow.

Three treatment options are generally accepted for men with localized

prostate:

Radical prostatectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the entire prostate gland and nearby tissues. In some cases the lymph nodes in the pelvic area are also removed. This procedure is performed using nerve-sparing surgery which might prevent damage to the nerves needed for an erection. However, nerve-sparing surgery is not always possible.

Radiation therapy: Using energy to the prostate using an external beam of radiation. Patients with high-risk prostate cancer are candidates for adding hormonal therapy to standard radiation therapy.

Active Surveillance may be an option recommended for patients with early-stage prostate cancer, particularly those who have low-grade tumors with only a small amount of cancer seen in the biopsy.

Are there any side effects?

As with all disease, treatment may result in side effects. The most concern side effects of are impotence, or erectile dysfunction, and incontinence.

Researchers still do not fully understand what causes prostate cancer, or how it develops - and they urgently need to improve on current treatments.

Irwan Lee is the owner of Powerhealths, GojiHighlights.com and Immune-boost.com. Click here for health watch and best natural nutritional supplements and its business opportunity.

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Geschichte von zwei Brüste - eine Krebs-Geschichte

In September of 2004 my doctor found a lump. After several ultrasounds and mammograms, the concerns outweighed my age enough to necessitate a biopsy. At 26 years old, I wasn't a likely candidate for a mammogram, let alone an open surgical biopsy.

The lump turned out to be many, but to my relief they were mostly simple fluid-filled cysts. However, it was because of those cysts that something of greater interest was discovered. The radiologist had seen several micro-calcifications that showed up as tiny white specks during my screenings.

In February, 2005, a fine wire localization biopsy was performed and a section was removed about the size of a stack of 6 toonies (a toonie is a Canadian two dollar coin). It was reviewed by the pathologist in Nanaimo and a diagnosis was unclear, so the slides were sent to a specialist at the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver for consultation. According to his review, it was "a challenging case". A month after the procedure, although I hadn't actually seen the report, I was told that it was "not cancer", but we should continue screening every 6 months to make sure nothing changed.

My experience with the BC Cancer Agency; Vancouver Island Centre didn't transpire until one year later, once I was living in Victoria. I was in for a routine check up, and my new doctor requested my medical file from the previous clinic in Nanaimo. I had given him my version of the past 2 years' events, so he was a little surprised to read my pathology report from the year before stating that I had been diagnosed with Lobular Carcinoma in Situ (LCIS), among other things. He made a call on my behalf, and within hours I was contacted by someone at the Cancer Agency here in Victoria.

I met with a specialist there a few days later and we went over my surgical pathology report to try to decipher exactly what it meant. He spent 3 hours with me going over the diagnosis, translating and even creating diagrams to help me understand. He was very thorough and helped put my mind at ease with the diagnosis.

Depending on who you ask, or what reports you read, LCIS is not considered cancer, as its name suggests. It has been explained to me that "in situ" means that abnormal cancer cells are present, but have not spread past the boundaries of tissues where they initially developed. LCIS is considered a red flag to allow both doctor and patient to keep an eye on things.

Essentially no invasive cancer was discovered, however several "markers" were found. Markers are indications of a heightened risk of developing invasive breast cancer in the future. There are several risk factors associated with the disease which include; age, hormonal risk factors, personal or family history, lifestyle habits and antecedent intraductal hyperplasia. Although neither my age nor lifestyle provide a heightened risk, my family history and the diagnosis of both intraductal hyperplasia, and LCIS do increase my risk significantly.

The implication of a cancer diagnosis is somewhat overwhelming, but the important message is that thanks to screenings made available through funding, I know about the risks and I am in control of my health care options.

Cancer in its early stages is difficult to detect without the use of screening tests. Thanks to concern from my doctors and a little diligence on my part, I am able to stay on top of my health concerns.

The BC Cancer Foundation raises funds so people are able to receive the care they need at any of the BC Cancer Agencies across the province. Their mandate includes research, prevention & education, early detection & diagnosis, and treatment & care. Visit their website bccancerfoundation.

The Basics

First of all, let's try to understand what cancer is. Our body's cells have genes which regulate the growth of said cells. A normal, healthy cell grows at a reasonable rate and eventually it dies out and is replaced by a new one. A cancer cell has the ability to divide at a rapid pace and produces many cells which form a tumor. A benign tumor is simply one that is made up of cells that are virtually normal and is considered harmless for the most part. The ones that concern doctors are malignant tumors which are cancerous and can continue to multiply spreading throughout the body.

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that develops in the breast, usually in the lobules (milk producing glands) or ducts(tubes that carry milk to the nipple). I say usually because it can also develop in the connective tissues of the breast; which is the fatty part that surrounds the ducts and lobules.

Understanding the Lymphatic System is an important part to understanding how breast cancer can spread. Lymph nodes are an assembly of immune system cells which are connected by lymphatic vessels (small veins carrying lymph away from the breast. Lymph is a clear fluid that contains tissue fluid, waste products and immune system cells. If cancer cells enter the lymphatic vessels they can begin to grow in the lymph nodes. If this happens there is a good chance that they have also gotten into the bloodstream therefore spreading to other parts of the body. However, just because it has reached the lymph nodes.

Why?

Only 5 - 10% of cancers are hereditary (passed down from mother or father). The cancer itself is not inherited, but the gene that increases the risk factor for developing the cancer is inherited. The other 90 - 95% of cancers are sporadic.

So what does that mean? Well, our genes have many jobs and are in charge of telling our cells what to do and when to do it. If there is a mutation in those genes it causes the cells to do strange things. In the case of cancer, a mutated gene is telling cells to divide when they shouldn't be which causes tumors (as discussed in The Basics). For the most part, gene mutations usual happen later in life and are a result of natural aging or exposure to things like smoke, hormones, certain viruses or chemicals and dietary influences. The damage to our cells doesn't always lead to cancer because our cells are also equipped to repair damage and, as you may remember from grade 9 Science, we have 2 copies of each damage repairing gene (one from each parent). But if a mutation occurs in both copies of the gene, it can mean uncontrolled growth and can lead to cancer.

If a person is born with a mutation in one of the copies of a damage repairing gene pair, this means their risk for developing cancer is higher, known in the medical community as "genetic susceptibility". That is because they only have one good protective gene remaining and if it is damaged in the aging process or because of other environmental exposures, it can lead to the gene communicating to its cells to divide and multiply at a rapid rate. Hereditary cancer, therefore, usually develops earlier in life.

When a cancer develops in someone who has no family history or "genetic susceptibility" it is called "sporadic cancer". Since both copies of the protective gene which eventual mutate, start out in good condition, sporadic cancer usually develops later in life as it takes longer for both copies to become damaged.

The genes that are linked to breast cancer are called the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Genetic risk assessment and genetic counselling are available to help you discover your risk for breast and other forms of cancer. Genetic Risk assessment will tell you if you carry the BRCA1 or 2 gene mutation, but it won't tell you what your risk of developing breast cancer is. Genetic Counselling can help you to understand your risk for hereditary cancer by reviewing family history, discussing genetic testing and providing information and referrals to experts. Learn more about Genetic Counselling.

Symptoms or signs of breast cancer can range from lumps and swelling to changes in the skin. Non-cancerous cysts and infections often have the same symptoms. So how can you be sure?

Symptoms

Watch for the following symptoms:

*swelling of all or part of the breast

*skin irritation or dimpling

*breast pain

*nipple pain or the nipple turning inward

*redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple of breast skin

*nipple discharge other than breast milk

*a lump in the underarm area

Detection

Breast Self-Exam (BSE)

It is, in my humble opinion, the most important way to stay on top of your breast health - because it is something you can do on your own, and will get you familiar with your body. It is becoming quite a controversial subject. There was a study performed in Russia and China in 2008 of 400,000 women, which reported that BSE does not reduce the mortality rate and may cause more harm due to prompting unnecessary biopsies. It is my opinion that it's better to be safe than sorry. According to Breastcancer.org about 20% of breast cancers are found by physical exams rather than mammography.

Breast self-examination can be frustrating at first, because you don't know what to look for, and if you are like most women, there are many bumps and lumps in your breasts that are harmless. That is exactly why you should do this on a regular basis - every month. The best time to perform a BSE is a few days after your period when swelling has gone down. If you feel a lump don't panic, it is most likely not cancerous. But have it checked out by your doctor and then keep an eye on it to see if anything changes. You may want to keep a journal with notes on where and when you found something suspicious. If a change lasts longer than one cycle see your doctor to have it checked.

Mammogram

It is one of the most hated words in the English language for women! But I'm here to tell you that they've been given a bad rap and they aren't as horrible as they have been made out to be. They save lives after all! Doctors have been using mammography for the past 40 years to find and diagnose breast cancer. Mammograms have been shown to lower the risk of dying from breast cancer by 35% in women over 50 years old. Cancer Foundations world wide are now recommending that women over 40 be screened annually in order to find tumours before they are able to develop into invasive breast cancers. Early detection often means that the cancer can be removed without having to resort to a mastectomy (breast removal).

Of course, nothing is guaranteed and mammography alone can miss up to 20% of breast cancers because they simply aren't visible. Breast Self-Examination and other techniques such as ultrasounds or MRI's can also help detect problems.

Treatment

There are several types of breast cancer and your treatment can differ based on what your diagnoses is. Some of the most common types of breast cancer are explained below:

DCIS - Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

This form of cancer is considered non-invasive because it stays inside the milk duct. It can grow within the duct, but will not spread into the rest of the breast tissue or to the lymph nodes. If caught early enough, DCIS can be removed with a lumpectomy, which is the removal of just the area of the breast containing the cancer. However if the cancer is large, or appears in more places throughout the breast, a mastectomy may be necessary. In most cases a lumpectomy is followed by radiation, but a mastectomy is only followed by radiation if lab tests show cancer near the edge of the removed tissue.

IDC - Invasive Ductal Carcinoma

This is the most common type of breast cancer, making up about 80% of all cases. It begins in the milk ducts and spreads to surrounding breast tissue. If left untreated it can spread to the lymph nodes and other areas of the body. Invasive cancers are given a stage to describe how far it has spread from its original location. It is based on the size of the tumor, whether or not it spread to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body. It can range from stages 1 to 4, where 1 is the earliest stage and 4 is the most advanced stage.

Your doctor will order a variety of tests to help determine which stage the cancer is at and to help determine the best treatment regime. Typically the patient would undergo surgery to remove the tumor and determine whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. This surgery can range from a lumpectomy (removal of only the lump or tumor) to a radical mastectomy (removal of the breast[s] and all the muscle under the breast[s]) or somewhere in between. Radiation may be recommended after the surgery to destroy and remaining invasive IDC cells. This has also been shown to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Chemotherapy is used to treat many higher stage cancers where the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body. Chemo (for short) is a medication (or combination of medicines) which enter the bloodstream to travel throughout the body interfering with rapidly dividing cells. For the most part they are the cancer cells, however there are also many healthy cells in your body which divide rapidly, such as those in your blood, mouth, intestinal tract, nose, nails, vagina and hair. Therefore the chemotherapy will also affect them causing symptoms ranging from hair loss to osteoporosis.

Your doctor may also recommend hormonal or other targeted therapies. As with any major medical diagnoses, there is follow up care that will be important to your continued health. Regular exams and tests will be required by your doctor.

LCIS - Lobular Carcinoma In Situ

Like DCIS, LCIS is not considered an invasive cancer as it does not spread into other areas within, or outside the breast. It is considered a marker for breast cancer, meaning that the person is at a higher risk for developing an invasive breast cancer in the future and should be monitored with regular mammography and ultra sounds. It is usually found in pre-menopausal women aged 40-50. It is difficult to estimate the risk of a patient with LCIS developing an invasive cancer because LCIS can go undetected, however it has been estimated that your risk increases from 12.5% for the average women, to 30-40% if diagnosed with LCIS.

LCIS is usually diagnosed when a biopsy is performed because of an abnormality in a mammogram. It does not require typical cancer treatment but should be carefully monitored to watch for early signs of invasive cancer. Talk to your doctor about medications and treatments which may help to reduce your breast cancer risk.

ILC - Invasive Lobular Carcinoma

This is the second most common type of breast cancer, making up about 10% of all cases. It begins in the lobules and spreads to surrounding breast tissue. . If left untreated it can spread to the lymph nodes and other areas of the body. ILC tends to be found in more than one area within the breast and is likely to affect both breasts. It is slow to spread outside the breast and tends to show up in the stomach, intestines and ovaries and has been known to eventually spread to the brain spinal cord tissues.

Treatments and care for ILC are similar to that of IDC and will vary depending on the stage of the cancer cells.

Some other, less common forms of breast cancer are Inflammatory Breast Cancer, Male Breast Cancer and Recurrent and Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Coping

Once you have been diagnosed with a form of breast cancer, you have so many questions that you don't even know where to start. Most of them are likely about your health and what your options are. But there are many other factors in your life that are affected by breast cancer besides your health. Such as how will I pay for my care? What if I can't work? How will my family cope? How will my life change?

You will need more than just medical support, you need mental and spiritual support. Who do you talk to about your cancer concerns? The same people you talk to about your everyday concerns. You should have a support group that can help you through the difficult times. If you don't feel that you have anyone close to you that you can talk to, there are still options. Talk to a social worker or psychologist. It is important to get your thoughts and fears out in the open, and as long as you have a sympathetic ear, it will help you let go of some of those fears.

There are many support groups of other people with breast cancer and cancer survivors who can lend an ear, and can also benefit from talking with you. Ask you doctor about support groups in your area, or go the discussion boards on Breastcancer.org.

I found that being involved in fundraisers was also a great way to feel like I was in control, like I was dictating at least one part of how this disease affected my life. Last year I took part in the CIBC Run for the Cure in Victoria and raised almost $5,000 towards helping research in my area.

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Seven Secrets of breast cancer

Secret #1 The Money Spent On Research Into Breast Cancer Is Not Ensuring That Less Women Get Breast Cancer.

Secret #2 You Do Need To Act Against Getting Breast Cancer Before You Reach 50 And You Cannot Rely On Mammograms.

Secret #3 You Are At Risk Of Getting Breast Cancer Even If You Don't Have It In Your Family.

Secret #4 Most Of The Money Spent On Research Is Not Going Into Prevention To Ensure That Less Women Suffer The Devastating Effects Of Breast Cancer In The Future.

Secret #5 Most Women Are Not Breast Aware And Are Afraid Of Breast Cancer.

Secret #6 Women Are Not Given Lots Of Advice On How They Can Protect Their Breasts Against Breast Cancer.

Secret #7 Most Women Do Not Appreciate How Important Their Breasts Are And Do Not Do Everything They Can To Look After And Protect Them.

The above "secrets" are things which are not commonly known by most women and may be surprising to you. In this article, I intend to shed light on these facts and allow women to make up their own minds how they approach their breast health.

SECRET #1 THE MONEY SPENT ON RESEARCH INTO BREAST CANCER IS NOT ENSURING THAT LESS WOMEN GET BREAST CANCER.

The Pink Ribbon and Breast Cancer Awarenss Month was introduced in the US in 1985 and introduced to the UK in 1993. The Pink Ribbon Foundation is fronted by the Estee Lauder group of companies (known for cosmetics and skincare).

Since then the pink ribbon symbol has become synonymous with breast cancer and during the past 15 years billions of pounds have been raised in its name. Every October the world celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness Month and fund raising during that month is phenomenal. All the breast cancer charities vie with each other to see who can come up with the most innovative "pink" fundraising. They run pink parties and sell pink products in order to raise money. Many companies take part and do special promotions during October for their preferred charity. "Pink" is big business.

So with all this money being raised during October and also at other times during the year through events like charity runs and walks, is there an impact on the breast cancer rates in the UK and around the world? Are they coming down? Are fewer women suffering from the devastating effects of breast cancer?

Unfortunately, the answer is 'no'.

In the UK, from 1993-2004, breast cancer incidence has increased 18.5%, that is 1% per year. 1 in 9 women will get the disease during their lifetime with current projections of 1 in 7 by 2010. 45,500 women were diagnosed in 2005, which equates to 125 women every day. Worldwide more than a million women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. It is also projected that breast cancer rates will rise most in developing countries, where women do not have access to top quality care and where they can also be treated as outcasts in certain societies.

Breast cancer survival rates have improved. Every year more than 12,300 women and 70 men die from breast cancer. Since the peak in the late 1980s breast cancer death rates have fallen by a third. Breast cancer drugs have helped to save women's lives but, as with any drugs, can have long-term side affects. Also the cost of these drugs puts great strain on the NHS. If breast cancer rates continue to increase as they have been doing, then, according to Professor Karol Sikora as reported in the Daily Mail on 09/09/08, "the next generation of drugs would keep patients alive longer, but could swallow half of the current NHS cancer budget within four years. (this refers to all cancer drugs at a cost of £50 billion).

With the billions being raised by people around the world in the name of breast cancer, is it right that actually more women are getting this devastating disease every year?

SECRET #2 YOU DO NEED TO ACT AGAINST GETTING BREAST CANCER BEFORE YOU REACH 50 AND YOU CANNOT RELY ON MAMMOGRAMS.

Women in the UK are offered breast screening by mammogram every three years from the age of 50. This is because breast cancer is still more common in women over 50 but also because the breast tissue of younger women is denser and, therefore, makes it more difficult for a mammogram to pick up on a potential breast lump.

However, this could be giving the message to younger women that they don't need to check their breasts themselves. Based on my experience during my breast health talks, very few younger women check their breasts. The main reasons for this are that no-one has shown them how to, they don't know what to do, they think that they only need to worry if breast cancer is in the family (see Secret #3) or they are afraid that they might find something.

For a younger woman it is even more important to check her breasts from her mid-twenties as breast cancer in younger women is usually much more aggressive as the breast cancer cells can multiply more rapidly than in older women. If girls were taught by their mothers to check their breasts from their mid-twenties, they would not be afraid - it would just be part of their general regime of looking after themselves. Also they would feel confident about what to do. Breast self-examination is easy to do once you have been shown how and there are even devices on the market which can help you do so with confidence and greater accuracy.

Breast cancer is the biggest killer of women aged 35-54, which means it makes sense for women in this age bracket to do everything they can to protect their breasts.

Furthermore, I do not believe that we should rely on mammograms either. Women are only screened every three years and, usually, a mammogram can only detect a breast tumour once it has been growing for 8 years. By the time the tumour reaches 10 years, it could be too late. The other thing to remember is that a mammogram can only screen the part of the breast which can be put into the "clamp". It cannot screen under the armpit or between the breasts for example.

Lastly, there is growing concern over the safety of mammograms. The following are extracts from an article written by Peter Leando PhD.

"Controversy has raged for years as to whether the risks related to the radiation exposure suffered from mammography are justified by the benefits gained ...... new evidence relating to the particular type of radiation used and the hard evidence relating to the clinical benefits of mammography have caused a serious re-evaluation of the justification of mammography as a screening test.

Radiation from routine mammography cannot be directly compared to other types of X-ray like chest X-ray etc because they are very different types of radiation.

The comparisons that have been used between a chest x-ray and mammography, 1/1,000 of a rad (radiation-absorbed dose) for a chest X-ray and the 1 rad exposure for the routine four films taken of both breasts for a mammographic screening exam results in some 1,000 times greater exposure. (This refers to the US, where they do four-way screening. In the UK typically only two-way screening is offered.)

This is considered a significant risk factor when extended over a ten year screening period and a potential accumulative dose of 10 rads. Unfortunately this is not the major risk posed by the particular type of radiation used by mammograms, mammography X-rays use a low energy form of ionising radiation that causes greater biologic damage than the high energy X-ray. The very low energy electrons affect the density of ionisation tracks that pass through the tissue, which can cause complex damage to the DNA and carcinogenic changes.

The radiation used by mammography is almost 5 times more effective at causing cancer." So, women do need to start checking their breasts from their early twenties and we cannot rely on mammograms 100%, particularly for younger women who would have a greater exposure to radiation during their lifetime if they were offered mammograms from a younger age. Also mammograms do not detect Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) which is a much rarer form of the disease and does not involve a lump. This would only detected by a woman looking for changes to her breasts and reporting them to her doctor.

SECRET #3 YOU ARE AT RISK OF GETTING BREAST CANCER EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT IN YOUR FAMILY.

Amongst the hundreds of women I have talked to about breast health, the vast majority were under the false impression that breast cancer is primarily hereditary. They were surprised to hear that fewer than 10% of cases occur to women who have breast cancer in the family.

In fact, every woman is at risk and should take control of her own breast health to give herself the best possible chance of prevention or early detection.

The other most common acknowledged risk factors are:


Age - breast cancer is more common in women over 50
Early puberty - it is worrying that puberty is starting younger, with most girls starting their periods at primary school
Late pregnancy - many woman are opting to have children later
Late onset menopause
Not having children and not breastfeeding - this was known as early as the 18th century when a doctor in Italy noticed that nuns had higher levels of breast cancer than the general population
Being overweight - this applies mainly to post-menopausal women
Alcohol - over-consumption increases the risk of breast cancer

Acknowledged risk factors account for around 50% of breast cancer cases. For the remainder, there are no definite reasons.

There are a growing number of scientists, commercial companies and individuals who believe that this remaining 50% is due to the rise of the number of chemicals which have been introduced over the past 50 years. They are used in our food, in our toiletries, in the workplace, in our clothes, in our furnishings - in fact, in every aspect of our lives. Many of these chemicals are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC's), also known as hormone disruptors or oestrogen mimickers. In simple terms, they act like oestrogen in our bodies and could be responsible for changing our delicate hormone balance which controls events like pregnancy, puberty, menopause.

An interesting example of the levels of oestrogen of British women was examined in a collaborative study undertaken in the late 80's between Oxford University, the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine Beijing, Guys, and the Dept. of Preventive Medicine, L.A., California. They compared blood-serum concentrations of hormones linked to breast cancer between women in rural China and in Britain. The results showed that British women who are exposed to toxic chemicals in their everyday lives had increasingly higher levels of oestradiol (oestrogen) than women living a rural lifestyle in China (see table below).

On this theme, the Guardian online reported on 22/05/07 that 'Beijing blames pollutants for rise in killer cancers'.

Oestradiol levels higher in British women by: Age 35 - 44 36% Age 45 - 54 90% Age 55 - 64 171%

SECRET #4 MOST OF THE MONEY SPENT ON RESEARCH IS NOT GOING INTO PREVENTION TO ENSURE THAT FEWER WOMEN SUFFER THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF BREAST CANCER IN THE FUTURE.

As we know, billions of pounds are raised every year worldwide in the name of breast cancer and most of this money is received by the mainstream breast cancer charities. In my opinion, the areas which should be targeted by these funds are prevention, treatment and care. You would probably expect these areas, at least, to be treated with equal importance and the funds available allocated accordingly.

Let's first take a look at the mainstream breast cancer charities in this country, namely Cancer Research UK (who obviously deal with all cancers), Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Campaign and Breast Cancer Care.

Cancer Research UK has done a huge amount of research into breast cancer and their website has a wealth of useful information with a lot of detail on breast cancer. Their slogan is 'Together We Will Beat Cancer'. The charity offers funding schemes to scientists. Their research strategy is directed at reducing mortality from cancer and more women are surviving breast cancer than ever before. Cancer Research UK is looking trying to prevent breast cancer in women known to be at high risk of developing it (approx 10% of sufferers). Doctors have looked into using tamoxifen and other hormone blocking drugs such as anastrozole (Arimidex) to lower the risk of breast cancer in women with a strong family history. This work has to be done very carefully. These women are healthy and the treatment aimed at preventing breast cancer must not risk their health in other ways.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer supports a programme of cutting-edge biological research to reach their vision of 'a future free from the fear of breast cancer'. Breakthrough set up the UK's first dedicated breast cancer research centre in 1999, the Breakthrough Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre. Breakthrough is funding The Generations Study whosepurpose is primarily to investigate environmental, behavioural, hormonal and genetic causes of breast cancer, and secondarily to investigate the causes of other cancers and diseases, by means of a UK cohort study to be established of more than 100,000 women in the UK aged 18 years and older at entry.

However, when you look at environmental factors as a possible risk factor, it seems to be dismissed because it is too difficult to research due to the huge amount of chemicals to which we are exposed in our everyday lives. You can read more at their website under "risk factors".

As I have mentioned, I am one of the many people who believe that certain chemicals which act like oestrogen in our bodies are a contributing factor in rising breast cancer rates. I am disappointed to see that Breakthrough are not even including this as a possible risk factor, particularly as we know that excessive oestrogen has been linked to breast cancer cell growth.

Breast Cancer Campaign cites its mission is to beat breast cancerby funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure. The charity is supporting 97 projects worth over £12.8 million in 41 locations throughout the UK. Over the past 13 years, Campaign has awarded 232 grants with a total value of over £23 million to universities, medical schools / teaching hospitals and research institutes across the UK. Campaign's breast cancer research gap analysis document has been published by the open access journal Breast Cancer Research. The document entitled 'Evaluation of the current knowledge limitations in breast cancer research: a gap analysis' is the product of two and a half year project. It involved around 60 of the key breast cancer scientists in the UK.

Through their website, they sell products of various types and the companies who own those brands donate part of their profits to the Campaign. They include things like lip gloss, perfume, toiletries, clothing and stationery. Some of us would say that many of the products include harmful ingredients and are not actually contributing to the breast health of the ladies buying them! I was also disappointed that, although they mention prevention in their mission statement, I have one of their leaflets that shows prevention only receives 1% of their budget.

Breast Cancer Care, as its name suggests, is primarily concerned with the care and treatment of ladies going through breast cancer. It provides invaluable information and support.

I applaud all of these organisations who are dedicated to their work to help us understand and treat breast cancer.

However, I still believe that the risk factor of certain chemicals affecting our delicate hormone balance should be taken seriously and that all the available research should be studied. It is important to note that only 50% of breast cancer cases can be put down to one of the acknowledged risk factors. What is this remaining 50%? What has changed in our world over the past 50 years? It is also interesting that other countries are recognising the dangers of these chemicals and banning substances. I also believe in adopting the 'precautionary principle', which means that if there is a doubt over the safety to public health, then we should not wait until it is too late but take action as soon as possible. It has also been proved that there are alternatives to these potentially harmful chemicals when we see the growing number of companies who are selling safer food, cosmetics and toiletries.

This is why I am an active supporter of Breast Cancer UK, the only charity whose main focus is primary prevention. We are determined that breast cancer should be a 'preventable' disease not an 'inevitable' one. There is lots of research available on the link between endocrine disrupting chemicals and breast cancer. It is time that this was taken into account when looking at breast cancer risk factors.

SECRET #5 MOST WOMEN ARE NOT BREAST AWARE AND ARE AFRAID OF BREAST CANCER.

Despite the huge focus on being breast aware, particularly during Breast Cancer Awareness month in October, the majority of women are not breast aware. In fact, most women pay little attention to their breasts and do very little to look after them, except maybe during breastfeeding. Our breasts represent our femininity - they make us feel sexy and they nourish our children. Yet most women don't even know what their breasts feel like, let-alone check them for anything unusual.

It is so important that women take control of their own breast health by undertaking monthly self-examination to check for any changes. If they find a lump and go to their doctor straight away, the chances are the lump will be benign (80% are) or, if it is cancerous, they are giving themselves the best possible chance of recovery. At Stage One, women have around a 95% chance of surviving beyond 5 years. At Stage One the lump is less than 2cm and has not spread to the lymph nodes or anywhere else in the body. At Stage Four this survival rate drops to 1 in 10. The average size of lump discovered accidentally by women who don't check their breasts regularly is approximately 3.6 cm.

I have spoken with hundreds of women through my breast education work and most women do not check their breasts because they don't know what to do, they don't realize that all women are at risk, they don't know about the four stages of breast cancer and the corresponding survival rates, they don't really think about the need to do anything to look after their breasts or they are afraid that they might find something.

According to research by Breast Cancer Campaign, breast cancer is the most feared disease amongst women. Fear is usually due to a lack of knowledge. This is certainly the case here. If women understood everything detailed here, they would want to give themselves the best chance of survival should they get the disease. The current approach to women's breast health obviously isn't getting through, which is why I believe it is time to get women to take control themselves and empower other women to do the same.

SECRET #6 WOMEN ARE NOT GIVEN LOTS OF ADVICE ON HOW THEY CAN PROTECT THEIR BREASTS AGAINST BREAST CANCER.

In the past, GP surgeries used to run Well Woman clinics where any woman could go and see a doctor or nurse and be given advice about looking after herself with practical information like being shown how to check her breasts. Very few surgeries offer these clinics now. This is one of the reasons that I started my Breast Health Presentations. I talk to women in the workplace or in other gatherings and empower them with information, which helps to remove some of their fear. I also show them how to check their breasts and talk to them about their bra-wearing habits, how to avoid harmful chemicals in their everyday lives and how to benefit from detoxifying breast massage.

As we know, breast cancer is the most feared disease amongst women and understanding how it develops, the risk factors and, most importantly, how to protect against it, will make women feel more in control and positive towards their breast health.

During October and other events during the year, the focus is on breast cancer rather than breast health. I am one of those people who believe that the more you focus on something negative, the more you will get of it. This is why it is time to change that focus.

I believe that it is definitely time for women to take their breast health into their own hands, which is why I have launched my new campaign "Healthy Breasts For Every Woman". You can read more at www.healthybreastscampaign.co.uk.

SECRET #7 MOST WOMEN DO NOT APPRECIATE HOW IMPORTANT THEIR BREASTS ARE AND DO NOT DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO LOOK AFTER AND PROTECT THEM.

As I mentioned before, most women give very little thought to their breasts. They get up in the morning and they may give them a wash in the shower. They then shove them into a cage we call a bra (and most women wear a bra that doesn't fit them properly) and forget about them for the rest of the day. It is amazing that we live in a society which is obsessed with breasts and women do very little to protect this most precious part of their body. It is also amazing that women spend a fortune on looking after every other part of their body with creams and lotions and forget about their breasts! I know that once women understand more about breast health and don't feel so helpless in the face of breast cancer that they do want to be proactive and take control of their breast health.

Nikki Mattei
http://www.bestthinkpink.com

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An Overview of Lung Cancer

General Information on Lung Cancer

Lung cancer, or carcinoma of the lung, is one of the most common forms of cancer today. It is one of the most frequent causes of cancer-related mortality in the United States today. In the United States, another form of cancer that is becoming increasingly common is breast cancer, which is the development of malignant tissue in the breast. Breast cancer is seen mostly in women, though this does not mean that men are immune to it. A small percentage of men too contract breast cancer. The numbers are small, 1 man with breast cancer against a 100 women with it, but its there. However, there is one major difference between breast cancer and lung cancer. One can see the symptoms of breast cancer at an early stage, while in the case of lung cancer, the symptoms are not detected early, primarily because they match the symptoms of other lesser ailments. In this article, we will discuss lung cancer.

A person is said to suffer from lung cancer when a growth of malignant cancer cells is detected in the lungs. Depending on the stage at which lung cancer is detected, it can be classified as being in the:

o Early stages

o Mid-stages

o Advanced stages

Today, there is a vast amount of information on lung cancer available. Patients or relatives of patients can access information over the Internet, which has an almost limitless number of websites dedicated to different aspects of lung cancer - types, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, etc. For example, if you are from the United Kingdom and want to research information on lung cancer treatment, facilities, etc in your country, you can simply log onto the website of Cancer Research UK, UK's leading cancer charity, and collect whatever information you want from their site.

Earlier on, treatment of lung cancer was not an easy thing to do, owing to the huge amount of expenses in the form of medical bills, hospital stays fees, etc. However, nowadays with the availability of insurance, things have become easier. Lung cancer insurance is available easily, as is insurance covering other forms of cancer.

Types of Lung Cancer

Two main types of lung cancer exist today. Both of these are seen in the epithelial cells of the lungs. They are:

o Small cell lung cancer (SLCC)

o Non-small cell lung cancer

There is another type, called mixed small cell/large cell lung cancer. In this type you can find both kinds of cells in the cancerous tissue.

Besides these two types, there is another form of cancer of the lung area, called mesothelioma or mesothelioma cancer or cancer of the mesothelium. However, this is not considered a primary form of lung cancer, as its target area is not the lobes of the lung, but the pleural membrane covering the lung.

Small Cell Lung Cancer

This is the rarer of the two basic forms of lung cancer. One out of every five lung cancer patients suffer from small cell lung cancer.

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer, or non-small lung cancer, is the more common of the two basic forms of lung cancer. Four out of five lung cancer patients suffer from this type of cancer.

Based on the cell type/area in which the carcinogenic cells proliferate in the lungs, non-small cell lung cancer is further categorized into three types. They are:

o Squamous cell carcinoma

o Adenocarcinoma

o Large Cell Carcinoma

o Bronchioalveolar Carcinoma (BAC)

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

This is the most common type of lung cancer. It occurs in the cells lining the airways inside the lungs. This form of cancer occurs mostly due to nicotine ingestion through smoking.

Adenocarcinoma

This form of cancer is seen in the mucus cells within the airways in the lung.

Large Cell Carcinoma

This is also called undifferentiated lung cancer. In large cell carcinoma, the proliferating cells are round and much larger than the cells seen in adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma.

Bronchioalveolar Carcinoma (BAC)

This form of cancer is seen in the bronchioalveolar region of the lung.

What Causes Lung Cancer?

The main cause of lung cancer is exposure to tobacco. This is primarily through smoking. About 80% of lung cancer patients are smokers. Smokers may be cigarette smokers, cigar smokers, or pipe smokers; it doesn't matter. The risk of contracting lung cancer is equal in all the three cases.

A person may inhale smoke directly. A person can also inhale smoke passively or involuntarily. This smoke is also called secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke is of two types:

o Mainstream - This is the smoke exhaled by the smoker, and amounts to more than 50% of all secondhand smoke.

o Sidestream - This is the smoke emanating from the burning end of a cigarette/cigar/pipe/hookah.

Passive smokers too stand a high chance of contracting lung cancer. The chances of passive/secondary smokers contracting lung cancer is 30% higher than people who do not inhale smoke either actively or passively.

However, there have been instances of even total non-smokers suffering from lung cancer. This indicates that smoking is not the only cause for lung cancer. It is the primary cause, yes, but not definitely the only cause. The following are some of the other causes of lung cancer:

o Air pollution

o Inhalation of asbestos fibers

o Exposure to radon, a radioactive substance formed by breaking down uranium

o Inhalation of marijuana fumes by smoking

o Exposure of the chest area to radiation therapy during cancer treatment

o Hereditary reasons

o Presence of arsenic in drinking water

o Diet with low fruit and vegetable content (this increases the risk of lung cancer in smokers)

A combination of exposure to tobacco along with any of these causes greatly increases the chances of a person contracting lung cancer.

Lung Cancer Symptoms

The following are some of the common symptoms of lung cancer. They do not usually manifest in the early stages. Even if they do, they are usually mistaken for some other ailment. These symptoms are:

o Persistent coughing

o Reddish or muddy brown spit

o Loss of breath

o Loss of appetite

o Persistent or repetitive infections of the bronchial tract

o Hoarseness of voice

o Renewed wheezing

In its later advanced stages, when the lung cancer is said to be in metastasis, the symptoms are:

o Numbness in the arms or legs

o A jaundiced appearance

o Tumorous growths near the skin surface

o Seizures

o Bone pain

o Dizziness

Lung Cancer Detection and Diagnosis

It is very rare to be able to detect lung cancer in its early stages. There are no specific symptoms of early stages of lung cancer. This is one of the reasons why lung cancer is usually detected in its later stages.

The use of a proper screening technique would greatly increase the chances of early lung cancer detection. However, there is no such proper and totally effective screening technique yet. Research is on to see if one can be formulated soon. As of now, a new technique called spiral CT seems to be the best option for early detection.

Once lung cancer is detected, the next step is to determine the stage it is in. This is done using the AJCC system. Roman numerals are used to mark the different stages of lung cancer, numerals from 0 to IV. Sometimes the stages are further divided into substages, using denotations A and B. The general rule of thumb is that the lower the denomination, the less serious the condition.

Lung Cancer Treatment

Lung cancer treatment options are usually the same as prostate cancer treatment options or colon cancer treatment options. What I mean is that all forms of cancer have the same treatment options. However, lung cancer tests may be different from colon cancer tests. The standard treatment options for lung cancer are:

o Surgery

o Radiation Therapy

o Chemotherapy

What matters is the combination of methods being used. The more serious the cancer, the more chances that different treatment options will be used in tandem, or one after the other.

References

o http://www.aacr.org

o http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/colon-and-rectal

o http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Lung/General/Typesoflungcancer

o http://www.cancer.org

o http://www.lungcanceronline.org

The writer does freelance writing work. Primary areas are keyword-rich articles (especially in healthcare, insurance, credit), creative writing, blogposts, etc.

For more information please visit: http://www.projectrade.com

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Muss ich Krebs?

Article 3: LET'S LEARN THE CANCER LANGUAGE FIRST

There are over 100 different types of cancer. Each type of cancer can have different symptoms, diagnostic tests and treatment options. As a result, there are many terminologies and phrases that are used to describe the type, symptoms and diagnosis of cancer, and treatment methods. It is often very confusing as well as frustrating for the readers if too many medical jargons or terminologies are used in describing this condition. It is difficult for readers to understand the context of the topic or take any action, if required, after reading any article or book on cancers. As a result, the information is often misinterpreted or not fully understood or comprehended.

In this 3rd article of my cancer series, I would like to explain in very simple terms all phrases and terminologies used in describing a cancer. This will help readers in understanding the cancer terms, types of cancer, common diagnosis and treatment terminologies, and the health personnel involved in management of cancer. These are described in alphabetical order here.

Ablation: removal or destruction of body part or tissue. Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) therapy involves destroying cancer tissue with heat. RFA is commonly used in the treatment of lung, liver and kidney tumors.

Adenocarcinoma: cancer that begins from lining of internal organs or from skin

Adenoma: a non-cancer tumor that starts from glands

Adenopathy: swollen glands

Adjunct or adjunctive therapy: another treatment used together with primary treatment. For example, radiotherapy is sometimes given after surgery to treat cancer as adjunctive treatment.

Anal: of anus, anal cancer

Anorexia: an abnormal loss of appetite for food.

Asbestos: a group of minerals that are found in the form of tiny fibres. It is used as insulation against heat and fire in buildings. Asbestos dust when breathed into the lungs can lead to cancer of lungs and mesothelioma.

Asthenia: feeling or weakness or lack of energy. This is common in late stage cancer.

Astrocyte: this is a type of cell in the brain or spinal cord. Astrocytoma is a tumor that begins in astrocytes.

Asymptomatic: having no signs or symptoms of disease. Most cancers are asymptomatic in the early stages.

Axillary lymph node dissection: removal of lymph nodes in the axilla. This may be done in the treatment of breast cancer.

B-cell lymphoma: A type of cancer that forms in B cells.

Barrett esophagus: this is a condition where the cells lining the lower part of the esophagus have changed or been replaced by abnormal cells that could lead to cancer of the esophagus. The regurgitation of the contents of stomach into the esophagus over time can lead to Barrett esophagus.

Basal cells: they are small round cells found in the lower part of epidermis. The cancer that begins in the basal cells is called basal cell cancer or basal cell carcinoma.

Benign: not cancerous, also called non-malignant. Malignant tumor is a cancerous growth.For example, fibroadenoma is a benign tumor of breast whereas as adenocarcinoma is a malignant tumor of the breast.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia: this is a non-cancerous condition of prostate where there is overgrowth of prostate tissue.

Biological therapy: this is a type of treatment that uses substances made from living organisms or its products to boost or restore the ability of the immune system to fight cancer. Examples of biological agents include vaccines, interleukins and monoclonal antibodies.

Biopsy: the removal of cells or tissues from the cancer or suspected cancer area for examination by a pathologist. This is the most sure way of diagnosing cancer.

Bone marrow ablation: This is a procedure that is used to destroy bone marrow using radiation or high doses of anticancer drugs. It is done before a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant to kill cancer cells and bone marrow cells. This is a part of intensive treatment of some leukemias.

Bone marrow aspiration: this is a procedure in which a small sample of bone marrow is removed with a wide needle and syringe and sent to laboratory to check for cancer cells. If a small sample of bone with bone marrow inside it is removed, it is called bone marrow biopsy.

Bone marrow transplantation: A procedure that is used to replace bone marrow that has been destroyed by treatment with high doses of anticancer drugs or radiation.

Bone metastasis: cancer that has spread to bone from the original (primary) site.

Brachytherapy: it is also called internal radiotherapy. In this type of radiation therapy, radioactive materials sealed in needles, seeds, catheters or wires are placed directly into or near a tumor.

BRCA1 and BRCA2: these are genes on chromosomes 17 and 13 respectively. A person who is born with changes (mutations) in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes has higher risk of getting breast, ovaries and prostate cancer.

Breast reconstruction: a surgery that is done to rebuild the shape of the breast after removing breast.

Breast self-examination: a woman examines her breasts to check for lumps or other changes.

Bronchogenic carcinoma: cancer that begins in the tissue that lines or covers the airways of the lungs.

Cancer antigen 125 or CA-125: a substance that may be found in high amounts in the blood of patients with certain types of cancer, including ovarian cancer.

Cachexia: loss of muscle mass and body weight. Cachexia is seen in patients in late stage cancer.

Cancer: this is a condition where there is uncontrolled division of abnormal cells.

Carcinogen: any substance that causes cancer, for example, tobacco smoke contains more than 50 carcinogens. Benzene is a carcinogen for leukemias.

Carcinogenesis: it is a process whereby normal cells start changing into cancer cells.

Carcinoma: it is a cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line the internal organs of the body. For example squamous cell carcinoma of skin or adenocarcinoma of gallbladder.

Carcinoma in situ: these are abnormal cells (not cancer) but can become cancer cells and spread. They are also said to be in stage 0 of cancer for example, cervical carcinoma in situ.

Carcinoma of unknown primary (cup): in this type of cancer, cancer cells are found in some parts of the body, but the place where the cancer cells first started to grow cannot be determined.

Cervical: of cervix, cervical cancer

Colostomy: colostomy is an operation that connects the colon to the outside of the body through the abdominal wall.

Cryosurgery: this is a procedure in which tissue is frozen to destroy abnormal cells. Liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide is used to freeze the tissues. It is also called cryotherapy or cryosurgical ablation.

Cyst: a sac in the body; cysts in the ovary are very common.

Cytotoxic drugs: drugs that kill cells.

Dilatation and curettage (D&C): this is a procedure where some tissues are removed from the lining of uterus or cervix. The cervix is first made larger (dilated) with a instrument called dilator and another instrument called cutrette is inserted into the uterus to remove the tissue. The removed tissue sample may be sent to laboratory to check for abnormal or cancer cells.

Debulking: this is the surgical removal of as much of a tumor as possible. This type of operation is usually done to relieve symptoms of cancer in the late stages of the disease.

Dermal: of skin

Duodenal: of duodenum, duodenal cancer

Dysplastic nevi: it is also called atypical moles and have a tendency to develop into melanoma.

Endometrial: of endometrium, endometrial cancer

Esophageal: of esophagus, esophageal cancer

Euthanasia: the intentional killing of a person to end his/her sufferings. It is also called mercy killing.

Excision: removal by surgery, for example, excision of melanoma from skin.

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP): this is an inherited condition in which many polyps form on the inside walls of the colon and rectum. FAP increases the risk of colorectal cancers.

Familial atypical multiple mole melanoma syndrome (FAMMM): this is an inherited condition that increases the risk of melanoma and pancreatic cancer.

Familial cancer: cancers that occur in families more often than in general population, for example, breast or colorectal cancer.

Fecal occult blood test (FOBT): this is a test to check for blood in the stool. This is a screening test for bowel cancer.

Fibroadenoma: this is a benign tumor of breast.

Fibroid: a benign tumor that arises from smooth muscle, for example, uterine fibroid.

First-degree relatives: this includes the parents, brothers, sisters, or children of an individual.

Fistula: an abnormal opening or passage between two organs or between an organ and the surface of the body.

Follow-up: monitoring a person's health condition over time after treatment.

Gardasil: this is a vaccine to prevent infections by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16, 18, 6 and 11. It is used to prevent cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancers caused by these viruses.

Gastrectomy: an operation to remove all or part of the stomach.

Gastric: of stomach, gastric cancer

Gastric feeding tube: a tube that is inserted through the nose, down the throat and esophagus, and into the stomach to give liquid foods, liquids and drugs. Feeding tubes are often inserted in patients who have mouth, throat, neck and esophageal cancers, particularly when the surgery is extensive or combined with radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Gastrotomy or PEG tube: this type of tube is inserted directly into the stomach through an opening in the skin and abdominal wall. This type of tube can be used for long-term feeding.

Gene: genes are pieces of DNA and contain the information for making a specific protein that is passed from parent to offspring. Genetic means related to genes.

Genetic counselor: a health professional trained in counseling on the genetic risk of diseases. This may involve discussing the person's personal and family medical history and may lead to genetic testing.

Genetic testing: this is analyzing DNA to look for genetic change (mutation) that may indicate increased risk for cancer.

Genital warts: these are raised growths in the genital areas caused by human papilloma virus HPV) infection.

Germ cells: these are reproductive cells of the body and include egg cells in women and sperm cells in men. Tumors that arise from germ cells are called germ cell tumors.

Gleason score: this is a system of grading prostate cancer tissue based on how it looks under a microscope. Gleason scores range from 2 to 10 and indicate how likely it is that a tumor will spread. A low Gleason score means the cancer tissue is less likely to spread whereas a high Gleason score means the cancer tissue is more likely to spread.

Hematuria: blood in the urine.

Hemoptysis: coughing out blood from the respiratory tract.

Hemorrhoid: swollen blood vessel, usually seen in the anus or the rectum

Hepatic: of liver, hepatic cancer

Hepatoblastoma: it is a type of liver cancer more common in infants and children.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: this is the most common type of liver cancer.

Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC): this is an inherited disorder in which the affected individuals have a higher-than-normal chance of developing colorectal cancer.

High intensity focused ultrasound: (HIFU): this is a procedure in which high-energy sound waves are aimed directly at the cancer or abnormal cells. These waves create heat and kill the abnormal or cancer cells. Some types of prostate cancers are treated with HIFU.

Histology: the study of cells and tissues under a microscope.

History: the signs and symptoms the patient may have for a particular disease

Hysterectomy: an operation where uterus and/or cervix are removed. When both uterus and the cervix are removed, it is called a total hysterectomy. When only the uterus is removed, it is called a partial hysterectomy.

Immunotherapy: a treatment that boosts body's immune system to fight cancer, for example, immunotherapy of bladder cancer with BCG vaccine.

Implant: a substance or object that is put in the body as prosthesis, for example, breast implant after removal of breast for cancer.

Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): this is a type of radiation therapy that uses computer-generated images to show the size and shape of the tumor and direct thin beams of radiation at the tumor from different angles. This type of radiation therapy reduces the damage to healthy tissue near the tumor.

In situ: means 'in its original place'. Carcinoma in situ means the abnormal cells are found only in the place they were first formed and have not spread nearby.

Incidence of cancer: the number of new cases of a cancer diagnosed each year.

Incision: a cut made in the body by a surgeon to perform surgery.

Induction therapy: this is the initial treatment given to reduce a cancer, for example, induction therapy for acute myeloid leukemia.

Intrathecal chemotherapy: treatment in which anticancer drugs are injected into the fluid-filled space between the tissue that cover the brain and spinal cord.

Intravenous (IV) chemotherapy: treatment in which anticancer drugs are injected into a vein through a canula.

Labial: of lip

Laryngeal: of larynx, laryngeal cancer

Laser surgery: a surgical procedure that uses intense, narrow beams of light to cut and destroy cancer tissue.

Leukemia: a cancer that starts in blood forming tissues such as bone marrow.

Lymphedema: a condition where extra lymph fluid builds up in tissues and causes swelling. This can be seen in the arm after breast operations.

Malignant: means cancerous. Malignancy is the term used to describe malignant cells that invade and destroy tissues.

Mass: a lump. It can be benign mass or malignant mass.

Mastectomy: removal of breast.

Medical oncologist: a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer using chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy, and targeted therapy.

Mesothelioma: cancer arising from the mesothelial lining of the pleura (covering of lung)

Melanoma: the cancer that begins in melanocytes. Common site is the skin but can also occur in the eyes.

Metastasis: the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. The cancer that is formed by cells that have spread from original site is called metastatic cancer or metastatic tumor.

Mucosal: of mucosa, mucosal lining of vagina

Mutate: means 'to change'. Mutation means change in DNA of a cell.

Nasal: of nose, nasal polyp

Neoplasia: it is an abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth.

Neoplasm: it is an abnormal mass of tissue. Neoplasms can be benign or malignant (cancer).

Nodule: it is a growth or lump or mass that can be benign or malignant.

Oncogene: this is a changed or mutated gene and may cause growth of cancer cells.

Oncology: the study of cancer

Oncologist: a doctor who specializes in treating cancer.

Oral: of mouth, oral cancer

Ovarian: of ovary, ovarian cancer

Palliative therapy or treatment: this is the treatment given to relieve the symptoms and reduce the suffering of cancer patient. Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients.

Pancreatic: of pancreas, pancreatic cancer

Pharyngeal: of pharynx, pharyngeal cancer

PAP test: this is a procedure in which cells are scraped from the cervix and examined under a microscope. This test is done to detect cancer or to detect changes in the cervix that may lead to cancer.

Partial: not whole, partly, for example, partial gastrectomy which means part of stomach is removed.

Penectomy: surgery to remove part or the entire penis

Penile: of penis, penile cancer

Plastic surgery: a surgical procedure that improves the appearance of body structures. The person who does plastic surgery is called plastic surgeon. Plastic surgeons are involved in many reconstruction surgeries of breast, vagina or face after cancer treatment.

Polyps: these are small growths that arise from mucous membrane of colon and rectum.

Precancerous (premalignant) is a condition that may become cancer later.

Proctoscopy: examination of the rectum using a proctoscope, inserted into the rectum.

Prognosis: the likely outcome of cancer. The prognosis of most cancers in advanced stage is poor.

Prophylactic surgery: this is a surgery to remove part of a body or organ with no signs of cancer but in an attempt to prevent development of cancer in that organ in future. For example, prophylactic mastectomy or prophylactic removal of ovaries are sometimes done.

Prostatic: of prostate, prostatic cancer

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA): this is a protein produced by prostate gland. The level of PSA in blood may be increased in men who have prostate cancer or enlarged prostate.

Pulmonary: of lung

Radiation oncologist: a doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer.

Radiation physicist: a person who makes sure that the radiation machine delivers the right amount of radiation to the correct site in the body.

Radiation therapist: a health professional who gives radiation treatment.

Radiofrequency ablation: a procedure that uses radio waves to heat and destroy abnormal and cancer cells.

Recurrent cancer: cancer that has come back after treatment or after being undetectable for a period of time. The cancer is said to have recurred.

Refractory cancer or resistant cancer: cancer that does not respond to treatment.

Regimen: it is a treatment plan where the dosage, the schedule and the duration of treatment is specified.

Relative survival rate: it is an estimated number that compares the chances that a person with cancer will survive after the diagnosis or treatment of a cancer with those who do not have the cancer. It is usually calculated in terms of 2, 5 or 10 years. For example, the 5-year relative survival rate for colorectal cancer in America, if detected and treated early, is 90%.

Remission: this means disappearance of or decrease in signs and symptoms of cancer. A cancer is said to be in complete remission when there are no signs and symptoms of cancer; it is in partial remission if some signs and symptoms of cancer have disappeared.

Renal: of kidney, renal cancer

Resection: removal of part or all of an organ.

Risk factor: a risk factor is something that increases the chance of developing a cancer. For example, smoking is a risk factor for many cancers.

Screening: checking for diseases when there are no symptoms of cancer. Examples of cancer screening tests include PAP tests, mammogram, and colonoscopy.

Sentinel lymph node: it is the first lymph node to which cancer is likely to spread from the primary tumor.

Staging of cancer: this is doing examinations and tests to find out the extent of cancer in the body and also whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Staging cancer helps to give best treatment to the patient.

Stem cell: a cell from which other types of cells develop. For example, red blood cells develop from blood-forming stem cells.

Stent: it is a device that is placed in a body structure to keep it open. For example, a stent may be inserted in the bile duct if it is blocked by cancer of gallbladder.

Stoma: this is an opening made surgically from an area inside the body to the outside. For example, colostomy has a stoma in the abdominal wall.

Surgical menopause: a woman stops to have menstrual period following removal of her ovaries. This is seen in operations on cancers of ovaries or uterus.

Surgical oncologist: a doctor who performs surgical procedures in cancer patients.

Systemic chemotherapy: treatment of cancer with chemotherapy drugs that travel through bloodstream and reach cells all over the body.

Targeted therapy: a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells.

Testicular: of testis, testicular cancer

Thermotherapy: treatment of disease using heat.

Topical treatment: medicines that are applied on the surface of the body, for example, Aldara cream is applied topically on the skin to treat basal cell cancer.

Ulcer: this is a break on the skin or in the lining of an organ. For example, an ulcer on the face may be a sign of basal cell carcinoma.

Urethral: of urethra, urethral discharge

Uterine: of uterus, uterine cancer

Urologic oncologist: a doctor who specializes in treating cancers of the urinary system.

Vaginal of vagina, vaginal cancer

Visceral: of the viscera, viscera mean internal organs. Visceral pain is pain coming

Vulval or vulvar: of vulva, vulval pr vulvar cancer

Wart: a raised growth on the surface of the skin or other organs.

Watchful waiting: This involves closely watching a patient's condition but not giving any active treatment. This is used in certain cancers like prostate or myeloma where the cancer progresses very slowly.

Wedge resection: this is a surgical procedure where a triangular piece of tissue is removed in order to treat a cancer.

If you would like to know more about cancer including signs, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and other cancer-related issues like family tumors, sexuality, cancer in pregnancy, children and HIV patients, palliative care, psychological problems, and prevention and screening of tumors, please visit 'Do I Have Cancer? '. This 270 pages eBook provides a complete package of information on cancer that is guaranteed to give enough information on any issue related to malignant tumors. The next article in this series is 'Symptoms of Cancer'

Dr Naresh Parajuli
MBBS MIPH MM FRACGP

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