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    Preventing Cancer of the Cervix

    January 20th, 2015

    We have already taken a look at what is cervical cancer and how it is caused. The next question that we need to answer is that can it be prevented? In the article Cervical Cancer – Overview we discussed that the most common type of cervical cancer passes through a stage where precancerous cells transform to cancerous cells.

    Detecting pre-cancerous cells before they become cancers and preventing pre-cancerous cells are the two ways that this particular cancer can be prevented. The article discusses few of the measures that can be taken for preventing occurrence of cervical cancer in detail. Read the rest of this entry “

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    Breast Cancer – Risk Factors and Causes

    October 6th, 2014

    October being the breast cancer awareness month – we are trying to post as much information as we can as we understand that during such time people are more receptive to such information.

    Today we would like to touch upon the breast cancer risk factors and causes. Breast cancer is more common than we actually consider it to be.  It is becoming common in women in early thirties too. There are many risk factors for breast cancer and yet we do not know how exactly they are caused.

    We believe that awareness and education on breast cancer can protect a lot of women from this dreadful disease. Breast cancer can be cured completely just that the women have to be more aware and ensure that they take care of their health and keep the tips we mention in mind and also check out this article on changes in breast.

    What Is Meant By Risk Factor?

    Let us first understand what is a risk factor? Well as the name explains it is nothing but the causes that can lead to breast cancer. As different cancers have different risk factors. We will now in this article discuss the risk factors that are exclusively associated with breast cancer.

    Very Important Point

    We must clarify one thing here that risk factors may only increase your chances of developing breast cancer. However, it does not mean that if you were not exposed to these risk factors you will never develop breast cancer, or vice verca.

    There are exceptional cases where women developed breast cancer in spite of being far away from the risk factors that are supposedly considered to cause breast cancer. However, we will try to list down some common risk factors so that you can understand the disease and its causes while eliminating any myths associated with breast cancer.

    Gender: Women have a higher chance of developing the breast cancer. Men too may develop the breast cancer but the cases are very less. This leads us to believe that perhaps breast cancer has something to do with the female hormones.

    Age: Breast cancer is more common in women who are above a certain age group. As you become older your chances of developing the breast cancer will increase. Women in 20’s have a less chance of getting breast cancer than women who are in their 40’s. However, please start breast cancer screening tests as soon as you hit your mid 30’s. The latest study shows that women who are in their early 30’s are also developing the breast cancer.

    Family History and Genetic Factors: If you have breast cancer in your family both on your mother or on your father side you will have a high chance of developing breast cancer. There are many cases of breast cancer that were transferred through the family from one generation to the other.

    Some experts believe that as breast cancer is transferred through the genes (BRCA1 & BRCA2) perhaps there can be a method to ensure that the genes do not carry this information. However, research is still at an early stage and it is too early to comment. We must mention here that in many cases breast cancer occurs in women who have never had the disease in the family. You can say that women who have had a history of breast cancer in the family have the chances of developing the disease up to 85% more than women who do not have a family history.

    Past History: If a woman was treated for breast cancer she stands a higher chance of developing the cancer again or of the cancer spreading to some other part of the body. You must be extra careful and ensure that you get yourself checked regularly.

    Race and Ethnicity: Breast cancer is more common in white women. The African and Asian women have lower chances of developing the breast cancer. The interesting part is that most number of deaths in breast cancer is in African and Asian women as they are not aware of the disease and don’t get the treatment on time. This is exactly why we say that awareness can play a vital role in ensuring that the breast cancer is treated completely.

    Breast Density: Some women have dense breast tissues and some don’t. If the woman has a dense breast tissue she will have higher chances of developing the breast cancer. Another reason for this can be that dense breast tissues make the mammogram not very accurate as a result detecting the breast cancer becomes more difficult.

    Hormones: After menopause women show more chances of developing breast cancer. Similarly women who start their periods earlier in life and had a late menopause can also develop the breast cancer.

    Exposure to Radiation: Too much of exposure to radiation at some or the other time in life increases the chances of women to develop breast cancer. Some women are given diethylstilbestrol in pregnancy to reduce their chances of miscarriage. These women develop a higher tendency to develop breast cancer.

    Lifestyle Factors: There are certain factors that are considered to be related to lifestyle. Close relation between these factors and breast cancer have been observed.

    No children & late pregnancies: Women who never had children or had late pregnancies develop a higher chance of getting breast cancer. Doctors believe that breast feeding is very good in reducing the chances of developing breast cancer. Women must ensure that they breast feed the child for at least two years. In the olden days women would have many children and feeding them would automatically reduce their chances of developing breast cancer.

    Oral contraceptives: Women who have had oral contraceptives develop a higher chance of getting breast cancer. If you have been on these pills for a long time you must discuss the same with your doctor.

    Eating & drinking habits: Women today are into heavy drinking and alcohol. Both of these can be dangerous and are considered as a major cause of breast cancer. Women can drink and smoke but excessive drinking and smoking can cause many health problems. Even passive smoking can be a major cause of breast cancer.

    Obesity: Women who are obese have a higher chance of developing the breast cancer. Please try to keep your weight in control so that you have a healthy life and you can stay away from breast cancer.

    Sedentary Lifestyle: Women who are physically more active show less chance of developing the breast cancer. Women must ensure that they walk regularly and are active so that they do not develop breast cancer and live a healthier life.

    Diet: Women who have proper diet and a lot of vitamin have a lower tendency to develop breast cancer.

    Myths: There are certain myths attached to beast cancer. These factors are considered as myths for their is no cogent evidence to show how they cause cancer.

    1. There is a common myth that wearing bra increases the chances of breast cancer. This is actually not true, rather if you do not wear bra you are increasing the density of the breast tissues that will automatically increase the chance of developing the breast cancer.

    2. Another common myth is that induced abortions or miscarriages can increase the chances of breast cancer. This is not true and there is no proof to support this claim. So say that breast implants can also cause the breast cancer. This is again a myth and must not be trusted.

    The following chart (Courtesy: Cornell University) shows percentage of risk factors approximately

    Breast Cancer Risk Factors

    Breast Cancer Risk Factors

    We hope that this article on breast cancer risk factors will help you to understand the disease better and help you to ensure that you take the required steps to reduce the chances of developing the breast cancer. It is common and can happen to anyone. However, with a little precaution you can definitely reduce your chances of developing the disease.

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    Complementary And Alternative Therapies For Cancer

    August 3rd, 2014

    Cancer is a big cause of concern in the medical world. We have a lot of treatments and drugs that are available in the world to treat cancer. One such treatment of cancer is CAM. CAM stands for complementary and alternative medicines for cancer. As the name suggests these are treatments that can be used along with the main cancer treatment.

    Role of Alternative Cancer Treatments

    These treatments ensure that the patient is cure by the use of medicines as well as alternative treatments. These treatments are not scientifically proved. They are treatments that are available along with the main treatment. There is no scientific study that can prove how effective the complementary and alternative therapies for cancer actually are. There is a lot of research going on across the world to prove that these treatments can also do wonders to the cancer patients.

    alternative-cancer-treatments

    alternative-cancer-treatments

    Many doctors recommend the complementary and alternative therapies for cancer. They have successfully tried it on other patients and have got positive results. These therapies ensure that the rate of recovery from cancer increases and the patient is able to get back to a normal life earlier than expected.

    Effects of Complementary Therapies for Cancer

    These complementary and alternative therapies for cancer have different affect on different people. Some respond to them better and some a little slow. They are used along with the prescribed medicines. They are used to ensure that the medicines are working faster and better. Another reason why the complementary and alternative therapy for cancer is suggested is the fact that cancer treatment is painful. It has many side effects. When a person gets alternative therapy it helps them to feel more comfortable and deal with the disease better.

    Important Alternative Cancer Treatments

    One important thing that the patient must know is that he or she can start complementary and alternative therapies for cancer only when they are told to do so by the doctors. Don’t do a self research and start off. Some types of complementary and alternative therapies for cancer are:

    1. Acupuncture – This is often suggested to the cancer patients. It ensures that the nerves are relaxed and the person feels more at peace and happiness. It helps to provide a mental and physical relaxation. It is often suggested as complementary and alternative therapies for cancer. However, the patient must ensure that he or she gets it done from an expert alone.
    2. Yoga – We have discussed a lot about how yoga can be extremely beneficial in cancer. The doctors often come up with yoga as complementary and alternative therapies for cancer. Yoga is a very important way to ensure that the mind and the body are relaxed. It has both mental and physical advantages. The patients of cancer are told to practice the yoga for half an hour a day. These yoga sessions help them to become stronger and fight with the after affects of cancer treatment better.
    3. Meditation – There are many types of meditation that you must have heard of. It is an art by which the mind is brought under control. The mind which is wandering all the time is told to focus on something specific. When the mind is in our control we can ensure that it thinks what we want it to. Meditation concentrates on the breathing. The longer a person can focus on the breathing process the better it is for his or her recovery. Meditation has been in use as complementary and alternative therapies for cancer for many years. It is now being in other treatments too.
    4. Biofeedback – In this method the patients are told to use simple machines. This helps the patients to understand the body functions. For example to follow their heart rates, etc. These functions are always present in the body but we seldom pay any importance to them.
    5. Imagery – this form of complementary and alternative therapies for cancer is suggested to the patients who are a little imaginative. They are told to imagine some beautiful scenes, pictures and experiences. These help them to feel better and happy. As a result they for sometime forget the pain. They also become happy. Happiness can play a vital role in the recovery of the cancer patients.
    6. Creative outlets – some people who are suffering from cancer are told to learn and persue a hobby. It can be painting, writing, singing, anything. When they are involved in these activities their minds get a break from thinking about cancer. As a result they get to relax. This can play a vital role in their recovery.
    7. Message – a soothing massage can relax anyone. This is exactly why it is used as very common complementary and alternative therapies for cancer. The cancer patient is told to get a good massage that will help them to relax. The cancer treatments can take a toll on the body. These massages can prove to be extremely soothing.
    8. Reflexology – it is an art in which pressure from fingers is used to relax the different parts of the body. This too can be suggested an al alternative treatment.
    9. There are many herbs, vitamins and other special diets that are suggested to the cancer patients. These diets ensure that the patient can deal with the cancer better and heal much faster.
    10. There are many aurvedic and herbal medicines that can be suggested as complementary and alternative therapies for cancer. These are medicines that help the body to become stronger and active. They can be taken only after they are prescribed by the doctors.

    We hope that this article helped you to understand what exactly the complementary and alternative therapies for cancer are and how it can be useful in the treatment of cancer. You can consult your doctor today and as per their advice take up any one or two of these treatments.

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    Bowel Cancer Treatment Options

    March 21st, 2014
    Cancer is a disease that requires doctors from multiple streams to collaborate. In the case of colorectal cancer, a multidisciplinary team of doctors comprises of a gastroenterologist, a surgeon, physician oncologist and a radiation oncologist. In this article we discuss some of the bowel cancer treatment options that are available for patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Read the rest of this entry “

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    Post Treatment Care In Colorectal Cancer

    March 3rd, 2014

    Cancer treatment may bring different results for different people. While in some cancer may be completely swept out, others may not be so lucky. Finish of treatment marks a new phase of life. It may be marked by both excitement and distress at the same time. The thought of successfully finishing treatment may bring relief, getting back to life bring a spring of excitement and the fear of recurrence may cause distress. In this article we look at some of the steps that can be taken to lessen the fear and keep up the excitement.

    In case of people who have been treated for cancer, keeping a check on the same is important irrespective of success of treatment. Some of the steps that have to be taken after completion of treatment are:

    colorectal_cancer

    colorectal_cancer

    • Follow Up: Even after successful completion of the treatment, the doctors will like to keep a watchful eye on the patient. This is an opportunity for the patient to discuss any issues that he or she might be facing. A patient may be required to undergo some tests in order to look for any signs or recurrence or side effects of treatment. The frequency of follow up will depend on the stage, nature of treatment and general health of the patient. Medical history and physical exam.
    • Colonoscopy: In some cases a patient may be subjected to colonoscopy within a year of surgery, to be repeated after 3 and 5 years.
    • Imaging Tests: Patients may also be recommended to go for imaging tests. This is again dependent on the stage of cancer.
    • Tumor markers: Some patients may also be subject to tumor marker tests. Any high in these identified during follow-up treatment may be a sign of caution.

    There could be a likelihood of the patient wanting to change his doctor. In such a case it is important that the new doctor be updated on the medical history, diagnosis and line of treatment. This also makes it important that test reports and other documents be maintained neatly according to dates.

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