AIDS DAY

How is AIDS treated?

Antiretroviral treatment can prolong the time between HIV infection and the onset of AIDS. Modern combination therapy is highly effective and someone with HIV who is taking treatment could live for the rest of their life without developing AIDS.

An AIDS diagnosis does not necessarily equate to a death sentence. Many people can still benefit from starting antiretroviral therapy even once they have developed an AIDS-defining illness. Better treatment and prevention for opportunistic infections have also helped to improve the quality and length of life for those diagnosed with AIDS.

Treating some opportunistic infections is easier than others. Infections such as herpes zoster and candidiasis of the mouth, throat or vagina, can be managed effectively in most environments. On the other hand, more complex infections such as toxoplasmosis, need advanced medical equipment and infrastructure, which are lacking in many resource-poor areas.

It is also important that treatment is provided for AIDS related pain, which is experienced by almost all people in the very advanced stages of HIV infection.

Why do people still develop AIDS today?

Even though antiretroviral treatment can prevent the onset of AIDS in a person living with HIV, many people are still diagnosed with AIDS today. There are four main reasons for this:

• In many resource-poor countries antiretroviral treatment is not widely available.
  Even in wealthier countries, such as america, many individuals are not covered by health insurance and cannot afford treatment.
• Some people who became infected with HIV in the early years of the epidemic before combination therapy was available, have subsequently developed drug resistance and therefore have limited treatment options.
• Many people are never tested for HIV and only become aware they are infected with the virus once they have developed an AIDS-related illness. These people are at a higher risk of mortality, as they tend to respond less well to treatment at this stage.
• Sometimes people taking treatment are unable to adhere to, or tolerate the side effect of drugs.

Caring for a person with AIDS

In the later stages of AIDS, a person will need palliative care and emotional support. In many parts of the world, friends, family and AIDS organisations provide home based care. This is particularly the case in countries with high HIV prevalence and overstretched healthcare systems.

end of life care becomes necessary when a person has reached the very final stages of AIDS. At this stage, preparing for death and open discussion about whether a person is going to die often helps in addressing concerns and ensuring final wishes are followed.

AIDS DAY

What is AIDS?

AIDS stands for: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

AIDS is a medical condition. A person is diagnosed with AIDS when their immune system is too weak to fight off infections.

Since AIDS was first identified in the early 1980s, an unprecedented number of people have been affected by the global AIDS epidemic. Today, there are an estimated 33.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS and each year around two million people die from AIDS-related illnesses.

What causes AIDS?

AIDS is caused by HIV.

HIV is a virus that gradually attacks immune system cells. As HIV progressively damages these cells, the body becomes more vulnerable to infections, which it will have difficulty in fighting off. It is at the point of very advanced HIV infection that a person is said to have AIDS. It can be years before HIV has damaged the immune system enough for AIDS to develop.

What are the symptoms of AIDS?

A person is diagnosed with AIDS when they have developed an AIDS-related condition or symptom, called an opportunistic infection, or an AIDS-related cancer. The infections are called ‘opportunistic’ because they take advantage of the opportunity offered by a weakened immune system.

It is possible for someone to be diagnosed with AIDS even if they have not developed an opportunistic infection. AIDS can be diagnosed when the number of immune system cells (CD4 cells) in the blood of an HIV positive person drops below a certain level.

Is there a cure for AIDS?

Worryingly, many people think there is a 'cure' for AIDS - which makes them feel safer, and perhaps take risks that they otherwise wouldn’t. However, there is still no cure for AIDS. The only way to stay safe is to be aware of how HIV is transmitted and how to prevent HIV infection.

How many people have died from AIDS?

Since the first cases of AIDS were identified in 1981, more than 25 million people have died from AIDS. An estimated two million people died in 2008 alone.

Although there is no cure for AIDS, HIV infection can be prevented, and those living with HIV can take antiretroviral drugs to prolong the onset of AIDS. However, in many countries across the world access to prevention and treatment services is limited. Global leaders have pledged to work towards universal access to HIV treatment, prevention and care, so that millions of deaths can be averted.

NHS Improvement System A comprehensive online resource of tools, guides and case studies to support quality improvement in NHS services. The system su

NHS Improvement System

A comprehensive online resource of tools, guides and case studies to support quality improvement in NHS services. The system supports the clinical specialties listed above and is available free to every NHS organisation in England

kindly ref to: http://www.improvement.nhs.uk/cancer/

What is Cancer Improvement?

What is Cancer Improvement?

Cancer Improvement is part of NHS Improvement. Working with and through clinical networks and NHS Organisations across England, NHS Improvement helps to transform, deliver and build sustainable improvements across the entire pathway of care in cancer, diagnostics, heart and stroke services.

Cancer Improvement supports local organisations and clinical teams to look at the services they offer to patients. Working together, the aim is to make significant improvements by streamlining and redesigning the way that cancer care is delivered to patients to improve the patient experience and support the delivery of the Cancer Reform Strategy (2007). Cancer Improvement works closely with the national Cancer Programme to support the implementation of the Cancer Reform Strategy.

Cancer Improvement works in a variety of different areas, in a number of workstreams including:

• Prevention across specialty
• Ensuring better treatment - going further on cancer waits
• Living with and beyond cancer - specific focus on children and teenagers
• Living with and beyond cancer - survivorship (not children and young adults)
• Reducing inequalities
• Delivering care in the most appropriate way - Transforming Inpatient Care Programme

for any detail ref: http://www.improvement.nhs.uk/cancer/

What is Breast Cancer Research's Impact Factor?

This rating was given in the journal citation report for 2008 (published in June 2009). This is an impressive rating for a journal that was launched as recently as 1999, and Breast Cancer Research ranks 2^nd amongst journals in the field of breast cancer.

All research articles published in the journal are open access , which means they are universally and freely accessible via the Internet. Recent studies have suggested that on average open access articles are more frequently accessed and twice as likely to be cited as those behind subscription barriers.

Breast Cancer Research's articles are extremely visible to the global community of clinicians and researchers in the field. Over 90,000 articles are downloaded from the journal website every month and 21,000 registered users receive regular email updates detailing the latest articles published.

vitamin A can help in improve the cancer cell

Students Embed Stem Cells In Sutures To Enhance Healing

Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering students have demonstrated a practical way to embed a patient's own adult stem cells in the surgical thread that doctors use to repair serious orthopedic injuries such as ruptured tendons. The goal, the students said, is to enhance healing and reduce the likelihood of re-injury without changing the surgical procedure itself.

ref: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720191145.htm

A World Without Cancer

3D Medical Animation - What is Cancer?

3D Medical Animation - What is Cancer? - More amazing video clips are a click away

Cancer Overview Background

Cancer Overview

Snake Venom May Slow Cancer Growth, Studies Hint

Preliminary research shows a natural compound in some snake venoms may prevent the growth of cancerous tumors, potentially transforming one of nature's deadliest toxins into a curative agent.

"Snakes use venom to alter biological functions, and that's what medicine does too," explained John Perez, director of the Natural Toxins Research Center at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. "This is why venoms have always been of interest to medical researchers."

Today roughly a dozen diagnostic tests and drugs are derived from snake venom, according to Zoltan Takacs, a toxinologist (natural-toxins scientist) and herpetologist based at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

ACE inhibitors, a class of drugs used to treat high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disorders, were developed from the venom of a Brazilian snake. Scientists anticipate that this is just the beginning.

Of the nearly 3,000 species of snakes in the world, about 650 are venomous. Ten of the most deadly live in Australia, making it a logical base for new experiments.

"We knew Australia could be a rich source of drugs because there are so many venomous creatures here," said Tony Woods, a biologist at the University of South Australia in Adelaide. Woods is co-leader of a project to investigate whether the toxins in venom can be used to destroy blood vessels that feed cancerous tumors.

cancer awareness

cancer awareness: "awareness and information regarding cancer and the hospital and medicine avaliable click on the page and find the latest and requried infromatin http://justonein.blogspot.com/

brest

Cancer Reform Strategy The Cancer Reform Strategy builds on the progress made since the publication of the NHS Cancer Plan in 2000 and sets a clear di

Cancer Reform Strategy

The Cancer Reform Strategy builds on the progress made since the publication of the NHS Cancer Plan in 2000 and sets a clear direction for cancer services for the next five years. It shows how by 2012 our cancer services can and should become among the best in the world.

x ray of lunch cancer

Swine flu and Cancer

Okay, I am sure that you are either sick of hearing about swine flu or about to barricade yourself into your bedroom. However, as some of the readers of this blog are in active cancer treatment I wanted to share a bit of information.
The swine flu is in the U.S. and it is the same strain of the virus that has caused deaths in Mexico. The strain that is active in humans at this time is unique in that it has genetic material that are in human, bird and swine flu bugs. This is part of why some people are freaking out. Scientists have been monitoring avian or "bird" flu for years now. When you talk to people in public health or epidemiology they always voice concern about the ease of international travel and the spread of disease.
Most of the time swine flu is associated with people who have direct contact with pigs. The cases in the U.S. all appear to be human to human transmission. Unfortunately the flu shot that you received months ago is not effective against swine flu.

Here's where it gets tricky for patients who are in cancer treatment. Symptoms of swine flu include cough, sore throat, fever, chills, headache, fatigue, nausea and diarrhea. As you know depending on the medications you are receiving many of those are also side effects of chemo.

The best way to deal with this is to stay in contact with your physician. If you have unusual symptoms talk to your doctor, lab tests are the only way to determine if it is swine flu.

In the meantime remember to do all of the basic things you should do to avoid infection, wash your hands, eat well, sleep. Talk to you doctor about whether you are immuno suppressed and follow their lead about exposure to the public.

One in 20 hospital admissions 'due to smoking'

One in 20 hospital admissions in England is due to smoking and treating illnesses related to the habit costs the NHS £5.2 billion a year, official statistics suggest.
There were around 1.4 million hospital admissions in 2007/8 for diseases caused by smoking in people aged over 35, a report from the NHS Information Centre said.

For people aged over 35 smoking accounts for five per cent of all hospital admissions and one in five deaths in this age group is attributed to smoking, the report said.

An estimated 83,900 people died as a result of smoking in 2007/8 – 18 per cent of all deaths for adults aged 35 or over.

The proportion of adults smoking has dropped slightly from 22 per cent in 2006 to 21 per cent in 2007 but many diseases take years to develop so ill health related to the high smoking rates of the 1970s and 1980s are only now manifesting.

The drop is mainly due to more people never taking up the habit in the first place, the report said.

The report said 35 per cent of deaths due to respiratory diseases and 29 per cent of all cancer deaths were due to smoking.

One in seven deaths from circulatory diseases was also attributed to smoking, the report said.

Public Health Minister Gillian Merron said: "These figures reveal the sad reality that over a million smokers needlessly end up in hospital each year due to their habit. Stopping smoking is hard, but thanks to free local NHS Stop Smoking Services, you are up to four times more likely to succeed.

TABACCO

stop eating tobacco it kills larger number of people are dieing in India due to mouth cancer mostly the state of Bengal, orisa, and such. the awareness campaign are started people of theses state don't know what are the cause of eating tobacco, from childhood there are eating tobacco. if u see the tata hospital of cancer in Mumbai many cancer patient are from Bengal or orisa and the cause of cancer is tobacco.

people are knowingly or unknowingly consuming it. people of east are well know for pan and smoke. it became like a custom and habit they cant live with out it. so the target audience is the village people they don't know the cause of tobacco effect. even people from the village so the pan growing business it will effect it but to stop cancer we have to take a strong step to stop caner in India

The Cancer Foundation of Indi

The Cancer Foundation of India is a registered non-profit voluntary organization dedicated to campaign for cancer prevention and control in India. The Foundation came into being in 2002 as a consequence of the professional vision and personal commitment of a group of socially conscious and motivated clinicians, researchers, public health specialists and social activists. Through the activities of the organization we try to bridge the gap that exists in cancer public health, education, training & human resource development, preventive research and cancer survivor issues in the country.

CFI is a knowledge - based organisation generating scientific information through focused projects in Preventive Cancer Research and its application towards promotion of Cancer Public Health.

TATA MEMORIAL CENTRE

Tata Memorial Centre

The Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) is the new state-of-the-art R&D satellite of the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), which also includes under its umbrella the Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), the largest cancer hospital in Asia. ACTREC has the mandate to function as a national centre for treatment, research and education in cancer. TMC is an autonomous grant-in-aid institution of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India. It is registered under the Societies Registration Act (1860) and the Bombay Public Trust Act (1950). Its Governing Council is headed by the Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, Government of India.
ACTREC comprises of 2 arms - one for basic research and another for clinical research. The basic research building was inaugurated in March 2002 at the new site of ACTREC in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. In August 2002, the Cancer Research Institute (CRI) shifted in toto from its Parel campus in Mumbai to serve as the basic research arm of ACTREC. The clinical research arm of ACTREC comprising of the Clinical Research Centre (CRC) has become functional from March 2005. ACTREC also has a 50-bed hospital fully equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic facilities. Research investigations at CRI currently focus on molecular mechanisms responsible for causation of major human cancers relevant to India. It is envisaged that in the future, ACTREC will play a greater role in drug development and emerging therapies for treatment and prevention of cancer.

cancer treatment transfer

neck tumor cancer

Pancreatic Cancer Cannot Be Successfully Treated With Chinese Herbal Medicine

Pancreatic Cancer destroys the body, but leaves the mind intact. Sometimes, traditional Chinese Herbal medicine is used in an attempt at a cure. This is a big mistake.

Traditional Chinese medicine focuses on restoring a balance of energy, body, and spirit to maintain health rather than treating a particular disease. Herbs are used with the goal of restoring balance by nourishing the body. What a wonderful fantasy; if only it could be even partially true. I am sorry to dispel the notion.

My NFL husband of 49 years, was diagnosed with the disease when he was 74 years old. Yes, we tried a Chinese green herbal drink, but it interfered with the chemotherapy that was critical for even a few months survival. His doctor was appalled that we had begun this type of treatment.

Chinese herbal medicine is not based on conventional Western concepts. It uses a variety of herbs in different combinations in an attempt to "balance" the body. Some practitioners claim herbs have the power to prevent and treat a variety of types of cancer.

Well, my experience would say that does not include Pancreatic Cancer. Steve Jobs had a liver transplant after living with the disease for 4 years. I guess he was luckier, or richer, than my husband. This is an absolutely debilitating devastating condition for everyone involved. Especially for the one who suffered with his brain intact.

Can you believe he gave a speech at a National Convention 2 weeks before his death and conducted a Board of Directors Meeting just 2 days before?

how cancer begins

Healing Cancer Holistically

Healing Cancer Holistically

There are numerous holistic sources that claim to be healing cancer with varying degrees of success. A few of these report success greater than 90 percent of the time. I have spent years researching and finding the best information available, and have compiled a list of the most important considerations relevant to cancer. I present here a distillation of these factors, as well as a brief exploration of some approaches that would be more likely to fail so these can be avoided.

This article will cover four basic areas:

• • How and Why the FDA has Failed Us.
• • Holistic Options that Fall Short.
• • Comprehensive Holistic Treatments.
• • A Note on Allopathic Cancer Treatments.

Breast Cancer - You Do Not Need Incisions, Surgery Or Harmful Drugs-Treat Cancer Naturally

Firstly, allow my sincerest empathy and sorrow for the awful diagnosis of breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, prostrate cancer--any cancer-- that has happened to you. I know you are suffering greatly and probably think that there is no cure for what you have been diagnosed with. That is what we are told, but I want to tell you about a discovery I found and believe it is a solution. It is working for others and I want you to be able to print out the dosage and put it on your refrigerator and follow it.

What it is --is oxygen increase to the body. It has to be done correctly so that you do not overdo it. If you get too much, that is harmful and deadly, so you have to follow the precise instructions. Do not be alarmed; they are quite simple.

Oxygenation causes the cancer cells to suffocate and die off. They cannot thrive in oxygen-rich environments--in fact, they kill the natural human cells in your body that carry oxygen because cancer cells are anaerobic. Anaerobic cells function without oxygen and therefore thrive in such an environment.

Increasing your oxygen intake kills the cancer cells and simultaneously boosts your immune system, creating an oxygen-rich environment which promotes extreme health in even prior cancer victims. The immune cells that the cancer has been killing in you will be start to thrive, increase dramatically and take over....just like cancer cells take over. See, cancer is an unstoppable growth of cellular activity that eventually crowds out your natural cells that make up your vital organs such as your lungs, kidney, liver and heart. If the unnatural cell growth of these anaerobic cells go unchecked or untreated effectively...the organs' cells die out and then the organ and then the person.

Now, I do not wish to alarm you with the facts--I just want you to understand what is happening to you from a cellular level-- a chemistry level. And that is how it should be treated--at the cellular level. Period. These awful drugs that you are being dosed up with have horrible side-effects that increase your sickness. If you are interested in an alternative to these drugs, do not select more drugs. They all have life-threatening side-effects and I know that this is not what you want. Just increase your natural oxygen level. It sustains your life anyway, and it will not hurt you.

I just wanted you to know that you can create a naturally immune-boosted environment by increasing your oxygen intake and avoid the drugs, chemotherapy, surgery, medical bills..and on and on by administering yourself daily increases of oxygen, at home--without a prescription and for only about $1.30 a day. You do not have to keep suffering from cancer nor harmful drugs that eventually create more suffering and perhaps even death. Visit the site where you can immediately download the instructions and start today if you get the exact oxygen solution per the instructions from a natural store. It cannot hurt you, and is the best alternative treatment for all diseases because they are primarily all anaerobic cells that are making the world sick. If you consider the ozone layer being depleted, and the recent increase in cancer--do you see the connection? There must be a connection as to the oxygen depletion in the atmosphere and the growing number of epidemic outbreaks. Would you not agree?

Ovarian Cancer - It's Curable, But Women's Awareness is Very Low!

Do you ever experience any of the following?

* Bloating, abdominal swelling or loss of appetite

* Fatigue, indigestion or heartburn

* A change in toilet habit or unexplained weight change

* Constipation or diarrhoea

* Abdominal or back pain

* Irregular vaginal bleeding

* Pain with intercourse or poor bladder control

Anyone is likely to experience these symptoms from time to time. But for some women they may be the earliest indications of ovarian cancer.

The reason the fatality rate is as high as 50 per cent is that 70 per cent of women are diagnosed at such an advanced stage that successful treatment is difficult. If diagnosed and treated early, ovarian cancer is 90 per cent curable, but since most women's awareness of it is low, detection is often too late.

Some women believe their Pap smear will check for all gynaecological cancers, but it only checks for cervical cancer. There is no routine screening test for ovarian cancer, although your doctor may do an internal examination as part of the Pap smear and may be able to detect pelvic masses. However, early changes are unlikely to be detected.

An ultrasound can give a better idea of the state of the ovaries and a blood test which looks at tumor markers such as CA125, Inhibin or CEA can also help with diagnosis.

The risk factors of ovarian cancer are:

1. Increasing age. Around 80% of cases occur in women over 50.

2. A family history of ovarian, bowel, breast or uterine cancer.

3. Having never been pregnant or having had few pregnancies.

4. Having never taken the Pill.

5. Having had endometriosis.

6. Being overweight.

7. Having multiple exposures to fertility drugs.

8. Being of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.

9. Genital contact with talc or asbestos.

Ovarian cancer is not that common, so don't panic if you have any of these symptoms. However, if you experience any symptoms persistently for two weeks or more, you should consult your doctor.

Detecting a Deadly Killer of Women - Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is cancer of the ovaries and the other reproductive organs of women. It is ranked fifth in the list of cancers which affect women and cause their death. Detecting the signs and symptoms early is important to survival.

The problem with this kind is that it is difficult to detect in the early stages. Usually the symptoms and signs start to appear and manifest when the cancer starts growing and spreads throughout the body. It is in the pelvic region, legs and back that you will experience pain and pressure which are the commonest symptoms. A few more symptoms are changes in menstrual pattern, lower back pain, a continued feeling of loss of energy and tiredness, pain during intercourse, and change in bowel habits. A few of the rarer symptoms are bleeding after menopause, heavy periods, heavy vaginal bleeding, frequent urination, and shortness of breath.

The symptoms will not fluctuate, they will continue to intensify and slowly but surely they will start worsening. However, you won't experience all of these symptoms together and besides another problem is that these signs are extremely non specific. Only your doctor can perform the appropriate tests and diagnose it.

The earlier the ovarian cancer is detected, more will be your chances of survival. When you find your pelvic pain and discomfort lasting for quite a number of weeks or for an abnormally long period of time, you should immediately visit your doctor for testing. If your doctor makes an earlier stage diagnosis the chances of long term survival increase greatly!

Green Tea and Cancer - How Does it Work in Protecting the Body?

Green tea and cancer prevention is something that many of us are aware of. There have been many studies linking the catechins in green tea to many different kinds of cancer prevention but how does it work?

EGCG the amazingly strong antioxidant that seems to be the main compound for this protective role basically attacks the cancer cells in four ways:

1. It blocks off the development of new blood vessels

2. It turns off the growth genes in the cells

3. It turns on the suicide genes

4. It inhibits the overproduction of COX-2, an enzyme that is responsible for many diseases including oncology, cancer, diseases.

Green Tea and Cancer Protection

The types of tumors that green tea has been associated in helping to prevent include, prostate, colon, oesophageal, stomach and other forms of gastric tumors.

Italian scientists firmly believe that men who are prone to getting prostate cancer should include green tea as part of their daily intake of food as a precautionary measure to provide protection against getting the disease.

Understanding Prostate Cancer

If you are a male an over 40 years old, your chances of getting prostate cancer are a 1 in 6 possibility. If you are over 60 years old the likelihood of you getting prostate cancer increases significantly.    But age is not the only determining factor. Race and family play an important part in this disease. According to many experts, African American males are 61% more likely to have prostate as compared to Caucasian men, and their chance of dying is almost 3% more than Caucasians. If your father or a brother had prostate cancer, your chances of having it also increase significantly.   What are other things that might affect your chances of having prostate cancer? Your lifestyle as well as your diet can affect your chances. If you exercise very little and eat a lot of foods high in fat, you increase your chances of getting prostate cancer.   Be smart and get regular check-ups. 

Do not take one doctors opinion only.  Get several opinions and options before you proceed. The internet is an excellent source for finding what others have to say about this disease.  In the past few years there have been advancements in the way prostate cancer is treated. There is proton radion, radiation, an operation and seed implants, which I feel is the most dangerous treatment of all.

The best advice I can give you is work with a doctor tou fell comfortable with.  Ask questions.  Ask many questions until you feel comfortable with the answers.  Once again, prostate cancer can be a killer, but it does not have to be.

How to Prevent Skin Cancer and the Other Harmful Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation

Imagine spending lazy days under the sun, no thoughts on how to prevent skin cancer, swimming in the deep blue-green crystal clear waters, strolling barefoot on powder-like sand and your skin turning golden brown. "Perfect", you might say but I say, "it's far from perfect". What's wrong with such a holiday on the beach? For one thing, the sun emits dangerous ultraviolet radiation and your skin turning golden brown is not safe. The truth hurts but being baked alive results to harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation such as your skin produces free radicals. These free radicals are poisonous molecules that damage your skin's collagen, cells and DNA.

Damage to collagen results to wrinkles and coarseness of your skin's texture. And as you stay longer under the sun without using any protection, your skin's natural defense mechanism weakens and leads to pigmentation. Over time, excessive sun exposure may cause damage to your cells and finally, skin cancer! A fun beach vacation is still possible as long as you know the 7 ways on how to prevent skin cancer and the other dangerous effects of ultraviolet radiation on you.

So how to prevent skin cancer? The single most effective way on how to prevent skin cancer is to completely stay out of the sun. But staying out of the sun is not that simple especially when you live near the equator where the sun is out almost all the time or when you love the outdoors. What to do then? There are 7 practical and effective steps on how to prevent skin cancer and in protecting yourself from the other harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. The 7 skin cancer prevention strategies:

1. Avoid the sun between 10am to 4pm. The UV rays of the sun are very intense and very harmful within this time frame. Try to go outside before 10am and after 4pm.

2. Always apply a good sunblock or sunscreen that provides broad spectrum protection. Broad spectrum means it can protect you from deadly effects of ultraviolet radiation. For daily use (meaning you are inside a building between 10am to 4pm), a sunscreen with an spf of 15 is sufficient. However, for the climate in the philippines, a sunscreen of at least spf30 is required for everyday use. For outdoor activities, you need a sunblock with at least spf50 especially if you are in the beach or in an elevated area where the effects of ultraviolet radiation are more intense.

3. How to prevent skin cancer? Wear protective clothing. Light clothing will not give ample protection from the sun as ultraviolet radiation can penetrate light material. Clothing should be tightly woven.

4. Wear a hat with a wide brim as a wide brim provides better coverage for your face, ears and back of head and neck.

5. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. The sun can also damage your eyes causing cataracts to form. The best types of sunglasses are those which offer 100% UV protection, wrap around your eyes from side to side and have polarized lenses. These types of sunglasses may cost more but don't scrimp. Remember, it is your precious eyes they are protecting and so, it's worth the price.

6. Follow the shadow rule. The shadow rules says, "when your shadow is short, go and seek shade". When the sun's intensity is at its peak, your shadow appears shorter. During this time, do seek shade under an awning, a tree or an umbrella. But always remember that this is not a good step on how to prevent skin cancer because you are not fully protected.

7. Finally, drink lots and lots of plain water especially when you are out in the sun for a long time. No colas or other sugary drinks, please. The effects of ultraviolet radiation are not only felt by your skin and your eyes but also by your immune system. Follow the 7 strategies on preventing skin cancer and the other damaging effects of the sun and your beach holiday will be a lot more fun and safer.

Pregnancy-Associated Breast Cancer - The Truth Is Not Yet Known

"It's not that people are ignorant, but that they know so many things that just ain't true." 
MARK TWAIN

The banner headline on the Susan G. Komen For The Cure website homepage, "Pregnant Women with Breast Cancer Do Not Have Worse Outcomes" is unfortunately somewhat misleading. Perhaps the editor should have read the paper published by Dr. Beadle more closely. What Dr. Beadle actually reported in her article published in the March 15, 2009 issue of Cancer was:

"The lack of a statistically significant correlation between the diagnosis of pregnancy-associated breast cancer and a worse outcome does not necessarily preclude a true association."

Which is to say, Dr. Beadle cannot say for certain that young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer when they are pregnant have the same prognosis as non-pregnant women their same age. Dr. Beadle goes into great detail to explain the many flaws in her otherwise excellent study of 652 women, less than 35 years old, who were treated at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center between 1973 and 2006. Dr. Beadle was very thorough in explaining that the data, though suggestive, were not definitive. Indeed, it is too soon to jump to conclusions. We've been down that wrong road before - with hormone replacement therapy and, more recently, with daily use of alcohol - and it is not yet clear what the true story is regarding pregnancy and breast cancer; so, beware banner headlines that proclaim conclusions that are not yet certain.

In fact, young women who develop breast cancer when they are pregnant may, indeed, have a worse prognosis and a decreased survival. We've not studied enough women to be certain about this. Dr. Beadle went to great lengths to make sure the reader understood that there are still some missing pieces to this puzzle, still many things to learn and discover about breast cancer that occurs in young women when they are pregnant.

Overall, all young women who develop breast cancer have a dismal prognosis. Pregnancy may or may not make things worse. I hope that Dr. Beadle and other researchers will be able to clarify the true character of pregnancy-associated breast cancer in the near future. But at the present time we simply do not know for sure whether or not a pregnancy confers a worse outcome for young women with breast cancer.

The news media and their ambitious headlines typically try to grab for a hook that will capture a reader, but in their clamor to be noticed they often fall short of the mark of accurate reporting. We may forgive CNN for these hungry oversights for we know they are going for the sensational, not the substantive. But when the leading breast cancer foundation falls short in reporting the results of an important paper such as this it leaves all women less, not more informed. It is a disappointment, to say the least.

childhood cancer awareness

Cancer Issues - Dealing With the Rest of the World

 cancer diagnosis can bring on many practical duties that have to be performed. One of the biggest and most tiring duties can be keeping other people informed about what's going on. You may feel as though your phone never stops ringing and that you're telling the same story over and over. In order to ensure that fatigue and irritation don't take over, it's important for the family members closest to the person who has cancer develop a game plan for communicating with other people. When everyone in the family knows how communications will be handled and who is responsible for which duties, communications become more streamlined, and, therefore, easier for everyone. In her book, Their Cancer: Your Journey, Anne Orchard discusses various strategies for handling communications with concerned friends and family members.

Once people around you know there has been a diagnosis of cancer, there will be an insatiable appetite for information, particularly amongst those who know the family well. If you live with the person who has cancer, you may find yourself endlessly answering the telephone and relating the same details to one relative after another. If you live at a distance, you may be one of the people phoning - and possibly feeling guilty about doing so. It's important to handle this communication issue, as it can drive the sanest person to distraction.

The most important factor is to set down some boundaries about the best ways to communicate. Is email easier, because you can choose when to reply? Do you, or the person who has cancer, like to chat on the phone - but only at certain times? Would you prefer to update one person, and have them pass the information around the family for you?

If you are the one desperately wanting an update, but find it hard to get information, ask the person with cancer or others in the family what would work best for them.

One way that a family can come together for mutual support at a time like this is to build a private website. This way people with fresh information can update it so that everyone can read it. If you have a question, you can ask it there, and get an answer from anyone who knows what you are seeking. You can share positive stories, family news, happy memories, and even photos. If you have a family member in their teens or twenties, they will probably know how to create this much better than I do - and feel good about being involved.

Colon Cancer Survival Statistics - What You Didn't Know About Cancer!

Colon cancer was one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the U.S in 2005. 72,000 men and 69,000 women were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. About 26,700 and 26,200 died from colorectal cancer. It is a disease that is very common in today's world, but the good news is that the survival rate has been going up for the last 20 years.

The reason for this is better health care, faster treatment and modern advances. Doctors believe that colon cancer could almost be completely prevented if people went to regular screenings such as a colonoscopy. Today many new techniques for screening are being discovered, they are less intrusive and take less time, so going on routine screenings is easier than ever.

The average survival rate for patients that have been struck by colon cancer is:

62% in Austria
43% in Europe
68% in Korea
62% in the United States of America

It also depends on which stage the cancer is caught. The earlier the stage, the better your chances of survival. For example, if the disease is caught at its earliest stage, all that is needed is a small incision to remove the growth and you're done. At its earliest stage, the survival rate is above 95%. Getting regular screenings is crucial to discovering the disease in time and increasing your chances of survival.

It is said that if Americans were screened regularly, it would save about 25,000 lives each and every year. You can also decrease the chances that you will get cancer by eating healthy foods and living a healthy life

Cancer Cure - Resveratrol is a Hot Subject For Scientific Research

Resveratrol is a field of scientific study that has gained in momentum over the last 10 - 20 years. However the discovery of this natural fighting polyphenol in plants was first discovered much earlier.

It was in fact discovered in the 1940's and the roots of the plant it was first discovered in is not where we get are main sources of it. Resveratrol occurs to fight off bacteria and fungi from attacking the plant and it is this ability to fight off disease that scientists have been looking at.

One of the first famous studies, that took place with Resveratrol about 20 years ago and that really piqued the interest of the scientists, was with regard to the protection that the southern French people seemed to have against getting heart disease whilst they were still eating a high fat diet. This anomaly didn't exist anywhere else in the western world as both in the USA and England the incidences of heart disease were raising sharply.

Further research has been undertaken worldwide and quite a bit of research has been done on different cancer cells, taken from different parts of the body.

In all the studies cancer cure Resveratrol was shown to work in conjunction with other therapies. Its antioxidant properties were basically able to do this by attacking the malignant cells directly and protecting the surrounding healthy cells.

Resveratrol was shown to have the ability of stopping cancer in all its three stages of growth. In order for cells to grow they need a constant supply of energy and the mitochondria, in each cell is its power house.

Resveratrol can actually stop the mitochondria form working properly thus arresting the growth of any new cells which then leaves the failing cell open to be killed off by radiation or chemo therapy.

Particularly the studies on pancreatic cancer cells were very encouraging as due to its other actions Resveratrol was able to ensure that the chemo therapy had a higher success rate than normal in treating this difficult form of cancer.

Besides curing cancer Resveratrol provides the body with protection from other forms of disease including obesity, diabetes type 2, heart conditions, cancer and others so to make sure that you are protected it is important to ensure that you have a small amount every day.

It is naturally found in certain foods such as berries but the way that I have found to take it to give my body ultimate protection is as part of a combined nutritional supplement.

My reason for this is because Resveratrol cannot protect the body from everything but other highly specialised ingredients when mixed together can provide for excellent cancer cure Resveratrol.

The form of Resveratrol that I take is made from grape skins and is mixed with over 70 other life protecting ingredients such as decaffeinated green tea extract, aloe vera polysaccharide, curcumin, turmeric and many others and together they provide the ultimate in optimal health.

Did We Give Our Child Cancer?

I knew that it could be serious when our doctor called and said he'd made an appointment for our 4 year old daughter Laura, at the Children's ward of a major hospital 50 miles away.

We packed up the car and started out. Not much was being said between my wife an I. It was a dreary day, overcast with a little light rain. As we drove down the highway, I remember hoping for some sort of a sign .... maybe the clouds would suddenly separate and the sun would break through and shine down on us ... maybe a car would drive by and the people inside would look over and give us a friendly smile ... anything that would assure me that someone from above was telling me everything was going to be OK. But there were no signs.

We managed to find the hemoc/oncology unit with little trouble. My initial reaction as we entered the room was that of horror, seeing all those precious young children in such poor health. I said to myself "why are we here ? My daughter can't be this sick." Girls and boys, both walking very slowly, some with limps, no hair on their heads, some with scars, others pulling an IV along with them. Was this a preview of what my daughter will soon look like?

After a lengthy wait, it was time for Laura's test - a spinal tap. My wife held her in her lap as the drugs were administered .... it was only 3 or 4 seconds before my daughters eyes rolled back in her head and her body went limp. It was a vision I will never be able to get out of my mind. My eyes filled with tears, as it appeared the life had been taken completely out of her. She was placed on a table, and we were politely asked to leave. What a gut-wrenching feeling I had in my stomach as I walked away from her now motionless body.

The nurse said, "she'll be OK, she's just sleeping .. the procedure won't take long, and she'll soon be back in your arms".

From that point on, time seemed to stand still. I could hear the clock ticking. 10 minutes went by, then 20 and pretty soon 30 minutes had elapsed and still nothing. It was then that I knew that this was as serious as Laura's pediatrician had thought. The waiting was unbearable.

Finally, the doctors emerged and their faces said it all. There were no smiles. The lead doctor came over and invited us into another room, and then it came ... "I'm sorry, but your daughter has leukemia". There was total silence.

PART 2: The reason why?

As time went by, I kept thinking to myself, "why did this happen? We've had no history of cancer on either side of our families, much less leukemia". Were we being punished for some reason?

We had our home and the babysitter's home tested for radon gas ... both came back negative.

We don't live near a bunch of powerlines, so electromagnetic wires were not the culprit.

Could this have happened during childbirth? (Laura was delivered by C-section)

So many questions were being asked, without getting any answers, which only led to more questions.

The one that kept coming back into my head was "How"? How did this happen .. and why her? I felt so helpless, but knew that I had to do something to help my little girl (as well as my other daughter, my wife and myself). Something brought this on, I just didn't know what.

So I started educating myself, not just on leukemia, but health in general, and what I found out was disturbing to say the least. We are living in a toxic mess - exposing our bodies to a virtual onslaught of dangerous chemicals every day.

Chemicals in body wash, in shampoos, in soap, in body lotion, in toothpaste, in mouthwash, in hair spray, in cosmetics, in air fresheners, in household cleaners, in dish detergents .. the list goes on and on. Could this be what caused my daughter's illness? Could it have been brought on by the lifestyle that my wife and I were living prior to conception? Could it have been brought on during the pregnancy? Could it have happened after Laura was born?

Was her sickness caused by these things that we used on a daily basis?

To this day, we still don't have all the answers, but we have changed our lifestyle. I didn't realize how much I took health and life for granted until I thought my daughter's was in jeopardy. Every day is a gift now.

I believe everything in life happens for a reason. Perhaps God chose me deliberately .. to go thru this, learn from it and then pass along my new found knowledge. My guess is, his plan was for me to teach others so that they may never have to endure the pain and agony of watching their child (or some other loved one) go thru what our child went thru. Learn from my experience, so that you may possibly avoid one.

Knowledge is one thing, but action is quite another. The second part of this plan must have been to align me with a company which offers products of unrivalled purity and effectiveness - free from any harmful ingredients. It is this company and their products that I now use and recommend to all that come in contact with me. I feel it's my duty in life and something that I was meant to do.

Cancer is a dreaded disease that has robbed us all of so many wonderful people. I have seen first hand what it's like to watch somebody battle thru it. It's not fun and it's not pretty. In fact some researchers are predicting that by the year 2030, 26 million people a year worldwide will be diagnosed with cancer, with 17 million dying from it.

So it is my mission to educate people on the dangers in the products they are using on a daily basis and offer them healthy alternatives. I'm actually quite angry at what is being sold to unknowing customers ... products being touted as "safe", as "natural", as "gentle", as "organic" ... are really anything but that. Products with catchy names and slogans in brightly colored, fancy shaped packages - all in the hopes of making a healthy profit, but making it anything but healthy for the end user. Unless we change our lifestyles and start supporting companies like the one I've aligned myself with, those researchers may well have made an accurate prediction for the year 2030. My goal is to make those numbers much, much less .. one person or one generation at a time.

In closing, let me leave you with a thought - perhaps the final part of God's plan was for you to read this story and then see if you'll act on it.

Like I said earlier, I believe everything in life happens for a reason.

experice by Jim Kueny 

Did We Give Our Child Cancer?

I knew that it could be serious when our doctor called and said he'd made an appointment for our 4 year old daughter Laura, at the Children's ward of a major hospital 50 miles away.

We packed up the car and started out. Not much was being said between my wife an I. It was a dreary day, overcast with a little light rain. As we drove down the highway, I remember hoping for some sort of a sign .... maybe the clouds would suddenly separate and the sun would break through and shine down on us ... maybe a car would drive by and the people inside would look over and give us a friendly smile ... anything that would assure me that someone from above was telling me everything was going to be OK. But there were no signs.

We managed to find the hemoc/oncology unit with little trouble. My initial reaction as we entered the room was that of horror, seeing all those precious young children in such poor health. I said to myself "why are we here ? My daughter can't be this sick." Girls and boys, both walking very slowly, some with limps, no hair on their heads, some with scars, others pulling an IV along with them. Was this a preview of what my daughter will soon look like?

After a lengthy wait, it was time for Laura's test - a spinal tap. My wife held her in her lap as the drugs were administered .... it was only 3 or 4 seconds before my daughters eyes rolled back in her head and her body went limp. It was a vision I will never be able to get out of my mind. My eyes filled with tears, as it appeared the life had been taken completely out of her. She was placed on a table, and we were politely asked to leave. What a gut-wrenching feeling I had in my stomach as I walked away from her now motionless body.

The nurse said, "she'll be OK, she's just sleeping .. the procedure won't take long, and she'll soon be back in your arms".

From that point on, time seemed to stand still. I could hear the clock ticking. 10 minutes went by, then 20 and pretty soon 30 minutes had elapsed and still nothing. It was then that I knew that this was as serious as Laura's pediatrician had thought. The waiting was unbearable.

Finally, the doctors emerged and their faces said it all. There were no smiles. The lead doctor came over and invited us into another room, and then it came ... "I'm sorry, but your daughter has leukemia". There was total silence.

PART 2: The reason why?

As time went by, I kept thinking to myself, "why did this happen? We've had no history of cancer on either side of our families, much less leukemia". Were we being punished for some reason?

We had our home and the babysitter's home tested for radon gas ... both came back negative.

We don't live near a bunch of powerlines, so electromagnetic wires were not the culprit.

Could this have happened during childbirth? (Laura was delivered by C-section)

So many questions were being asked, without getting any answers, which only led to more questions.

The one that kept coming back into my head was "How"? How did this happen .. and why her? I felt so helpless, but knew that I had to do something to help my little girl (as well as my other daughter, my wife and myself). Something brought this on, I just didn't know what.

So I started educating myself, not just on leukemia, but health in general, and what I found out was disturbing to say the least. We are living in a toxic mess - exposing our bodies to a virtual onslaught of dangerous chemicals every day.

Chemicals in body wash, in shampoos, in soap, in body lotion, in toothpaste, in mouthwash, in hair spray, in cosmetics, in air fresheners, in household cleaners, in dish detergents .. the list goes on and on. Could this be what caused my daughter's illness? Could it have been brought on by the lifestyle that my wife and I were living prior to conception? Could it have been brought on during the pregnancy? Could it have happened after Laura was born?

Was her sickness caused by these things that we used on a daily basis?

To this day, we still don't have all the answers, but we have changed our lifestyle. I didn't realize how much I took health and life for granted until I thought my daughter's was in jeopardy. Every day is a gift now.

I believe everything in life happens for a reason. Perhaps God chose me deliberately .. to go thru this, learn from it and then pass along my new found knowledge. My guess is, his plan was for me to teach others so that they may never have to endure the pain and agony of watching their child (or some other loved one) go thru what our child went thru. Learn from my experience, so that you may possibly avoid one.

Knowledge is one thing, but action is quite another. The second part of this plan must have been to align me with a company which offers products of unrivalled purity and effectiveness - free from any harmful ingredients. It is this company and their products that I now use and recommend to all that come in contact with me. I feel it's my duty in life and something that I was meant to do.

Cancer is a dreaded disease that has robbed us all of so many wonderful people. I have seen first hand what it's like to watch somebody battle thru it. It's not fun and it's not pretty. In fact some researchers are predicting that by the year 2030, 26 million people a year worldwide will be diagnosed with cancer, with 17 million dying from it.

So it is my mission to educate people on the dangers in the products they are using on a daily basis and offer them healthy alternatives. I'm actually quite angry at what is being sold to unknowing customers ... products being touted as "safe", as "natural", as "gentle", as "organic" ... are really anything but that. Products with catchy names and slogans in brightly colored, fancy shaped packages - all in the hopes of making a healthy profit, but making it anything but healthy for the end user. Unless we change our lifestyles and start supporting companies like the one I've aligned myself with, those researchers may well have made an accurate prediction for the year 2030. My goal is to make those numbers much, much less .. one person or one generation at a time.

In closing, let me leave you with a thought - perhaps the final part of God's plan was for you to read this story and then see if you'll act on it.

Like I said earlier, I believe everything in life happens for a reason.

experice by Jim Kueny 

A Couple of Facts About Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer that occurs in the United States. Over one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year. In any given year, there are more cases of this cancer diagnosed than there are of colon, lung, prostate and breast cancers combined.

One in every five Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their lifetime. The most common type is basal cell carcinoma, which is rarely fatal, but which can be very disfiguring.

Sqamous cell carcinoma is the second most commonly-seen type of skin cancer. This type results in roughly 2500 deaths each year and more than 250,000 are diagnosed every year.

Basal and squamous cell types of carcinoma are the major two forms of skin cancer seen that are non-melanoma. About forty to fifty percent of people in America who live past age 65 will have one of these types of skin cancer at least once.

In the year 2004, the total cost that was attributed to treating non-melanoma skin cancers was higher than one billion dollars.

Nearly ninety percent of the non-melanoma types of skin cancer are associated with overexposure to the sun's UV rays. Nearly ninety percent of the aging effects seen on human skin are caused by sun exposure.

Most people used to believe that about eighty percent of a person's exposure to the sun came before the age of eighteen, but this is not true. At age 19, a person has only had about twenty-three percent of their lifetime sun exposure.

Although many of the more common cancers are not seen as often as they used to be, melanoma incidents are still rising, at a faster rate than any of the other seven most common cancers. About 62,480 melanomas are diagnosed in a calendar year, and almost 8240 will result in death.

Melanoma is found in roughly three percent of all skin cancer cases, but it causes higher than 75 percent of deaths due to skin cancer. The incidence of mortality among those with melanoma increased by almost thirty-three percent from 1975 - 1990, but since then it has stayed fairly stable.

The survival rate of people with melanoma increased from almost fifty percent between 1950 and 1954, and it improved 92% between 1996 and 2003. Still, over twenty Americans die every day from skin cancer, usually of the melanoma type. One person will die from melanoma nearly every hour.

The rate of survival of melanoma patients whose disease was found early, before the tumor broke through the skin, is almost one hundred percent. This rate falls to a dismal fifteen percent for those who have the advanced stages of the disease.