Mesothelioma Cancer Settlements

Mesothelioma cancer is a unique type of cancer that can develop in the human body in certain places like the pleura, the peritoneum and pericardium. The pleura refer to the outer membranes that surround the lungs and have some protective functions.

The peritoneum are the membranes that surround all internal organs in the abdominal cavity as well as the internal wall of the abdominal cavity. These membranes have some protective functions and help in the movement processes.

The pericardium is also membrane or a sac that surround the heart and its great arteries. Every place cause a different type of mesothelioma and we can differentiate every type as following. The pleural mesothelioma when the tumors are detected in the pleura.

The pericardial mesothelioma when the tumors are detected in the pericardium. And the last type is the peritoneal mesothelioma when the tumors are detected in the pericardium. If you or one of your family has working in any manufacturing company that was producing construction relate products and has diagnosed as a mesothelioma patient, that company almost was the cause of this mesothelioma.

In the past, those construction companies were used Asbestos and these materials are the main reason for mesothelioma. Then, you can make a lawsuit against this manufacturing company asking for a suitable compensation due to your unmeasured suffering whether it a pain suffering or an inability of working suffering. The settlements of mesothelioma can be millions of dollars and there are many cases have succeeded and get great compensations.

Get a mesothelioma help now: http://www.mesotheliomaactivists.net Mesothelioma settlements tips Sean Shahin

Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma Cancer

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is another type of cancer, the difference between pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma is the place of growing tumors, in the second type the tumors develop on the peritoneum. What is peritoneum? The peritoneum is the outer membrane that surrounds the outer wall of some of internal organs in the abdominal cavity.

How does it develop? The scientists are not know exactly how this type of cancer occur, but the closest prospect that the inhalation of Asbestos is the main reason for this cancer. After the inhalation of asbestos, these materials move from the chest to the abdominal cavity throughout the blood stream.

The above information will take us to the word "Asbestos", what are Asbestos? Asbestos are some types of materials that were used in the past in the construction factories, workers that dealing with these materials are the most people who can develop mesothelioma.

The peritoneal mesothelioma is less common but still very dangerous disease, the symptoms of this disease take very long time to appear "23-50 years", after this very long period the symptoms may be something like abdominal swelling, abdomen pains, general weakness and bowel obstruction "due to the growth of tumors"

The treatment options here can be surgery option , chemotherapy option "by using some drugs" and radiation therapy by using some kinds of radiations like x-rays and gamma rays. The early diagnosis of mesothelioma will help in the treatment war. For anyone who have work in the construction manufacturing companies that were use Asbestos in their products, you must make a check up instantly.

Learn how to treat mesothelioma: http://environmentalproblems.us/2009/01/mesothelioma-treatment-options

Mesothelioma Settlement: http://onlinegamesbusiness.blogspot.com/2008/08/mesothelioma-settlement.html

Sean Shahin

Asbestosis or Asbestos Mesothelioma Cancer

Asbestosis is a type of lung condition caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. Asbestos is a flame retardant material developed for a variety of purposes and used primarily in the construction industry, as well as any other business which involves potential exposure to fire hazards. Asbestos is a fibrous material, and physical degradation over time causes it to fragment into microscopic fibers. The inhalation of these asbestos fibers causes the particles to lodge in the lungs, causing the sickness known as Asbestosis.

The main problems that stem from asbestosis are the development of scar tissue in the lungs and, worse still, the development of a form of lung cancer known as mesothelomia. In the first case, the presence of asbestos fibers cause scratches in the lung sacs which eventually lead to internal bleeding and scarring, making breathing difficult and the lungs susceptible to other disorders. In the second case, the fibers cause tumors in the lungs and these in turn become cancerous growths which cause an excessive buildup of fluids in the lungs and the chest cavity lining. Both cases can, if left untreated, be fatal.

Symptoms

The common symptoms of asbestos mesothelioma or asbestosis are difficulty breathing, where the air flow feels raspy and harsh. The efficiency of the lungs is also compromised by the asbestos particles, leading to a severe drop in stamina. These symptoms can easily be misaken for any number of less hazardous ailments, including simply being out of shape or growing old. An x ray, however, will be sufficient to reveal if asbestos fibers have indeed lodged in the lungs.

The symptoms of mesothelioma, however, are similar to the above but also include sharp chest pains or numbness in the chest area, and the difficulty breathing also includes a "liquid" or "phlegmy" feeling caused by the buildup of excess liquid in the lungs and lining. Again, and x ray will be able to reveal the presence of any cancerous tumors in the lungs brought on by asbestos fibers.

Effects

The effects of both asbestosis and mesothelioma are ultimately fatal if left untreated. Asbestosis will lead eventually to a clogging of the lung sacs from the build up of scar tissue, and worst case scenario will cause pulmonary emboli, the development of blood clots in the lungs. These have been known to spread through the blood into the heart, causing cardiac arrest.

Mesothelioma, on the other hand, is a cancer, and in and of itself is fatal because of the cell degradation it causes in the lung and heart areas. Internal hemmorhaging is one known result of untreated mesothelioma, and another is the clogging og the cardiovascular system from the general buildup of fluids in the chest cavity and lining caused by the body's failed attempts to fight the tumors.

Treatment

Treating asbestosis or asbestos mesothelioma is still a fairly simple procedure compared to mesothelioma. Since the problem with asbestosis is primarily due to the scar tissue and asbestos fibers, surgery can still treat this problem. However, if the lung condition has worsened to mesothelioma, chemotherapy is required to alleviate the problem. Simple surgery for mesothelioma has proven unsuccessful, and often the afflicted patients only have a 5 year lifespan post operation.

The most effective treatment to date for mesothelioma involves a combination of laser surgery and chemotherapy. The heat of a laser as opposed to a regular scalpel helps to burn out the tumors without causing any damage to the surrounding tissue, and the heat also makes the targeted areas more receptive to the medicines employed in the actual chemotherapy. This particular combination has shown the highest treatment success rate for mesothelioma.

Avoidance/Safety Tips

The best way to avoid asbestosis and mesothelioma is to avoid areas with high asbestos concentration. This not only involves people who work in industrial settings, but even other people are prone to it if they live in or near a building which uses asbestos heavily in it's construction materials. Some old houses and facilities used to employ asbestos as part of their foundations in an effort to add an element of fire proofing.

If exposure to asbestos cannot be avoided, then it is advised that people wear filtered face masks to keep the fibers out when they are in the vicinity of asbestos. Also, asbestos fibers can cling to the skin and clothes, so bathing and washing clothes completely after exposure is also advised as a way to avoid contracting asbestosis and mesothelioma.

For more information on mesothelioma and lung cancer, please go to: http://mymesotheliomacancer.com/?page_id=626

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Nathalie Fiset

Treatment of Pleural Mesothelioma Cancer

Asbestos induced lung cancer is known as Mesothelioma. It is a dangerous disease that, while rare, is troublesome for several reasons. For one thing, the initial symptoms of mesothelioma are ones that can usually be associated with other, less threatening problems, including asthma, old age, and being out of shape. Because of this, while only 3000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed every year, it is held that quite a few fatal cases of seemingly harmless lung ailments were in fact misdiagnosed cases of mesothelioma.

The inital cause of mesothelioma is the introduction of minute fibers of asbestos into a person's lungs through inhalation. Asbestos is a fibrous, fire retardant material that was commonly used in the past several decades for fire proofing purposes. The fibrous nature of the material causes it to fragment into small slivers that are easily airborne and almost invisible to the naked eye. People who inhale the fibers first develop a problem called asbestosis.

Asbestosis is the development of small scar tissue in the lungs due to the fibers of asbestos. This scar tissue causes difficulty breathing, and given time can block entire sections of the lung's air passages altogether. However, if left unchecked, asbestosis causes a more severe lung problem called mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer caused by tumors in the lungs. The lungs and chest cavity in general develop an excess of fluids due to the body's unsuccessful effort to combat these tumors and the foreign particles (the asbestos fibers).

Symptoms

The earliest symptoms of lung asbestos problems is a harsh, rattling breathing pattern commonly associated with smokers. The other symptoms include shortness of breath, shallow breathing, and a drop in physical endurance. Since these symptoms are commonly found in smokers as well, it was a previously held misconception that asbestosis was also caused by smoking filtered cigarettes. Recent studies show that this is not the case - not that smoking is healthy, but rather only that the two, while having the same symptoms, are not related.

If left unchecked asbestosis develops into mesothelioma, and the symptoms worsen to sudden chest pains, even more difficulty breathing, and even a "sloshing" feeling when breathing, like that experienced by people during severe coughs where the lungs temporarily fill with phlegm. Again, this symptom can be easily explained away as a case of fever or cough, and can easily be misdiagnosed.

In either case, the only real way to determine if someone has asbestosis or mesothelioma is to undergo an x ray. X ray scans can detect the presence of asbestos fiber induced scar tissue, or the formation of tumors in the lungs. Without an x ray there is no sure way to determine the presence of asbestos in the lungs.

Effects

The effects of asbestosis and mesothelioma are ultimately fatal if left unchecked. Pulmonary emboli, a condition where blood clotting forms in the lungs and not only restricts breathing, but also sends these clots into the blood stream and eventually causing cardiac arrest, is one of the usual causes of death from asbestos inhalation.

The fluid buildup in the lungs, chest cavity, and chest lining brought about by mesothelioma is another common cause of death, as this fluid can literally fill a person's lungs, restricting breathing completely, or can likewise cause cardiac arrest eventually. The lung tumors of mesothelioma can also grow out of control, eventually eating away a person's lungs like a regular cancer, or can cause severe wounds in the chest cavity that causes internal hemorrhaging.

Treatment

Regular lung surgery can be used to treat early cases of asbestosis, assuming that no cancers have developed yet. The survival rate is pretty much on par with regular operations, so at this early stage people can be treated with safety. However, if the asbestosis has already developed into mesothelioma, regular surgery ceases to be an option, as the average life expectancy of a patient after the operation is only 5 years. Chemotherapy and laser surgery procedures geared towards cancer treatment are the most effective medical procedures used in tandem to treat mesothelioma tumors.

Avoidance/Safety Tips

One fact about asbestosis and mesothelioma is that the symptoms only manifest between 20 to 50 years after inhaling the fibers, depending on the fitness of the person and the amount of asbestos inhaled. Therefore, at the first possible signs x rays should be taken to determine of the problems are simply old age or not.

Wearing safety masks with air filters if working in an area with asbestos is a must to prevent asbestosis and mesothelioma. This not only includes factory workers who are exposed to industrial materials laced with asbestos, but to civilians who travel through construction and demolition sites where old houses are situated. The reason for this is because some houses and buildings constructed in the 1970s and 1980s included asbestos lining as part of the materials in an attempt at fire proofing.

For more information on mesothelioma and lung cancer, please go to:
http://mymesotheliomacancer.com/?page_id=630
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Nathalie Fiset

Asbestos Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma is one of the most uncommon forms of cancer. It generally affects the lungs, heart or abdominal organs. The most common form of this disease is pleural mesothelioma. The pleuron is a slight membrane between the chest cavity and the lungs. The lubrication it gives does not allow the lungs to get grazed when they come in contact with the chest wall. Pleural mesothelioma is also known as ""lung"" cancer. Peritoneal mesothelioma is another form of mesothelioma. The membrane that envelops the abdomen’s organs is known as the peritoneum. While it is less common than pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma is more invasive and consequently more fatal for the patient.

Mesotheliomas are either easily curable or malignant. The most widespread form of mesothelioma is the “diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma”. This tumor is invasive and destructive. It characteristically spreads quickly to the lungs’ surface, heart or abdominal organs. Life expectancy for patients afflicted by this cancer usually ranges between four months to two years. Of course, that depends a lot on myriad factors, like the stage of the disease’s detection, the patient’s health etc. With appropriate care, some patients have survived for a number of years.

Early diagnosis and surgery may elongate life expectancy. Surgery may not be a feasible option, however, for older or weaker patients. Radiation treatment and chemotherapy can help in the overall program. Home care and pain management are other alternatives during the later stages of the malignancy.

Automobile mechanics, painters, plasterers, pipe fitters, plumbers, shipyard workers and welders, to name a few, are in regular contact with asbestos and thus in greater danger of getting the disease than individuals of other professions.

Generally, it is believed that sustained exposure to asbestos is more liable to give one mesothelioma. However, some individuals with short but severe exposures have developed this malignancy. Also, a person can get this disease indirectly. Women, while washing the clothes of men (son, husband) who work with asbestos, can develop the cancer.

Mesothelioma Asbestos provides detailed information on Mesothelioma and Asbestos, Mesothelioma Asbestos Diseases, Mesothelioma Asbestos Treatment, Asbestos Mesothelioma Cancer and more. Mesothelioma Asbestos is affiliated with Mesothelioma Diagnosis Support.

Jason Gluckman

Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Cancer

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a very dangerous type of cancer which develops in the pleura region. This pleura region is responsible for the movement of lungs during the breathing process, and are responsible for producing the pleural fluids which help the lungs to move more flexible.

What is the cause of malignant pleural mesothelioma? This is the most important question when we talk about mesothelioma, the top reason is Asbestos. This word refers to a kind of material that was used in the manufacturing field in the past, especially the construction companies used these materials for a long time in the past. Now, the manufacturing companies don't use these dangerous materials any more.

How does it develop? After inhalation of asbestos, asbestos can reach to lungs and settle on the pleura and make abnormal activities in the pleural cavity, through the incoming years, tumors begin to develop on the pleura.

The fluid effusion will be observed due to the excess of the normal fluids, this leads to a shortness of breath and makes some chest pain. The main problem for the doctors too is the delay of symptoms to appear - the symptoms may take from 30 to 50 years to appear. Another problem to diagnosing mesothelioma, when the symptoms appear, they are very similar to the symptoms of other common and less dangerous diseases.

The treatment options of pleural mesothelioma can be one of the following methods, or doctors may make a combination for all methods. The first option is the surgery, the second option is the chemotherapy and the third option is the radiation therapy.

Learn how to treat mesothelioma: http://environmentalproblems.us/2009/01/mesothelioma-treatment-options

Mesothelioma Settlement: http://onlinegamesbusiness.blogspot.com/2008/08/mesothelioma-settlement.html

Sean Shahin

The Main Types of Malignant Mesothelioma Cancer

What is mesothelioma? This name refers to a very rare type of cancer that has some thousands of cases on all over the world. This type on cancer is caused by inhalation of Asbestos. Asbestos are some materials used in construction manufacturers.

There are four types of mesothelioma cancer, three types of them are very dangerous and are very hard to treat, there three types are Pleural Mesothelioma "Tumors develop in lung lining", the second dangerous type is Peritoneal Mesothelioma "Tumors develop on Peritoneum, the outer membrane of the internal organs in the abdominal cavity, the third dangerous type is Pericardial Mesothelioma "Tumors develop in the sac that contain the heart". The fourth type is Benign Mesothelioma and this type is not dangerous.

Pleural Mesothelioma is the most common type of that cancer, the most patients of that cancer are diagnosed as victims. The main reason for this disease is the inhalation of Asbestos, these Asbestos was used at construction manufacturers especially the cement manufacturing companies.

In fact, they can make a law suite to have their compensation rights from the manufacturing companies that let them exposure to Asbestos. the settlement in such cases can reach millions of dollars. There are people can help victims to get their rights and there are many lawyers specify in such settlements.

It is less common than pleural mesothelioma but it is more dangerous. In this case of cancer, tumors develop in the peritoneum, if you don't know what is peritoneum exactly, Peritoneum is the outer line surrounds the internal organs in abdominal cavity.

Pericardial Mesothelioma, the least common type of that cancer, in this case the tumors develop in the heart lining or Pericardium.

Learn how to treat malignant mesothelioma cancer: http://environmentalproblems.us/2009/01/mesothelioma-treatment-options

Learn how to live a healthy life: http://www.healthylivingbooks.net

Sean Shahin

Benefits of Hiring a Great Mesothelioma Cancer Lawyer

Are you one of the unfortunate workers who were exposed to asbestos in the workplace and have now been diagnosed with mesothelioma? If you are, you need to know your rights and consult with a mesothelioma cancer lawyer who can get you the restitution you both need and deserve. Mesothelioma is a devastating form of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, and it has the power to destroy the lives of the patient and other family members. If you're being faced with medical bills, emotional issues, and burning anger at a company that allowed this to happen to you, you aren't alone. This has happened to hundreds of workers, and many are taking steps to seek the financial support they are entitled to.

Some law firms specialize in nothing but mesothelioma cases. They have all of the legal know-how you'll need in order to get the medical and emotional support necessary to get you through this devastating time. Their job is to see that you get all of the assistance you must have in order to ensure a secure financial future. They have the expertise it will take to dig into the facts and get the information needed to convince the courts that your work environment was to blame for your health issues. Since you have to be able to prove this point in order to seek restitution, you'll need all the help a great mesothelioma cancer lawyer will be able to give you.

No one can blame you for your health problems. Even if you were aware that you were working in an environment where you were exposed to asbestos, you probably never knew how hazardous this material could be to your health. If you get a specialized mesothelioma cancer lawyer, though, one of the first things he's going to tell you is that your employer was well aware of the risk their employees were taking.

As early as the 1920s there was evidence pointing to the fact that exposure to asbestos was dangerous for employees. During the '30s and '40s, scientific links were developed between asbestos and cancer. Companies that used asbestos in their manufacturing processes received repeated warnings about the problems that asbestos could be causing for employees and advised to switch to one of the safer materials that were available.

It's hard to believe in a country that prides itself on the value it places on human life, but executives in these companies made the decision to keep using asbestos, because it meant bigger profits and more money in their pockets. The health of their employees took a back seat to their greed, a fact that the courts now look upon as totally unethical. They also withheld the information they had concerning the asbestos-cancer link from their employees who continued innocently working in dangerous environments. Therefore, the bad decisions made by these heartless employers are being blamed for the suffering of their employees who contracted mesothelioma. Things could have been much different if they had only acted responsibly.

What the company you worked for has done to you is nothing short of criminal, and the legal system recognizes this fact. To go after your legal rights and the restitution you deserve, you're going to need a mesothelioma cancer lawyer who has the expertise to prove your claim. Some of the benefits you are entitled to include financial assistance to make up for lost wages, payment of medical bills that aren't covered by insurance, help in meeting funeral expenses, and emotional support for family members. Although your lawyer won't be able to get your health back for you, he can do a lot of things to make what you're going through easier for you, including providing your family with the financial security it needs.

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Heidi Wingrain

How Effective Are Mesothelioma Cancer Lawsuits?

If you're suffering from the effects of mesothelioma or someone in your family has been devastated by the disease, it could be to your benefit to file a lawsuit. After all, it's your legal right, and as a victim you aren't to blame for the disease that is ravaging your health and taking away your life. In these cases, you can either file a personal injury claim if you're the one who has contracted the disease, or you can file a wrongful death suit on the part of another person. The county and state where the lawsuits are being filed will make some differences on the kind of lawsuit you're eligible to file, but if you hire a lawyer specializing in mesothelioma cancer lawsuits, you're sure to come out ahead.

A diagnosis of mesothelioma can be life-shattering. After all, it's a type of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, which usually happens in the workplace. Even if you've developed the condition from close contact with a person who works around asbestos, you may also be eligible to file suit. It's best if you can pinpoint exactly where you had your exposure to asbestos, because that can make your case move along faster. However, you want to talk to a lawyer even if you don't know where you got the disease, because he'll be able to have a private investigation done in order to research your background history and find where the exposure occurred.

All mesothelioma claims need to be filed in a timely manner depending on the date of diagnosis and the laws in the state where the suit is being filed. Every state sets its own time limits for filing lawsuits, and you need to know what those limits are so that you can file before the time is up. In most states the law will give you from 1 to 2 years after diagnosis to file your suit; however, since the time limits can vary from state to state, it's something you should check on right away. If you wait too long, you won't be able to file a suit at all. Time limits apply to both personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits, so make sure that you act quickly.

There's no need to be concerned about the cost of hiring a lawyer to represent you in your mesothelioma lawsuits, even if you're already buried under the debt of lost wages and medical bills, because most lawyers who specialize in cases like this work under a system known as no win, no fee. This means that if they take on your case and are unable to get any compensation for you, they won't charge you for any of their services.

After talking your claim over with your lawyer, you'll be able to get an idea of about how much he thinks he'll be able to get for you in restitution. The evidence that he can gather regarding your case and how severe of a disability the disease has caused you will help determine the amount of settlement you can expect. There have been many mesothelioma lawsuits in the past, and many of them have been settled for amounts in the 6 or even 7 figures. So, as soon as you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, hire a lawyer and start fighting for what is rightfully yours.

Get more info about mesothelioma help at this website about: small cell lung cancer. Or check out mesothelioma lawsuit info.

Heidi Wingrain

Side Effects of Chemotherapy in Treatment of Mesothelioma Cancer Patients

Develop mesothelioma cancer cells multiply faster than normal cells and ordinary, but also some normal cells and also normal multiply rapidly, most notably those of the reproductive system, digestive tract, and hair follicles. Side effects that occur as a result of damage to normal cells and normal treatment of cancer mesothelioma.

The rate of side effects and mesothelioma patients go through the seriousness of purpose, based on the type of chemotherapy, patients are in mesothelioma, the pharmacology of drugs, dose and how your body reacts to this type treatment of mesothelioma.

Types of pain before starting treatment and chemotherapy starts, mesothelioma patients are told to sign an agreement form. Before signing the form, make sure your doctor gives you all the information and all the facts regarding the treatment of administering chemotherapy is also to include the information necessary and appropriate chemotherapy drugs or a combination chemotherapy drugs are administered, side effects and risks involved in using each drug of chemotherapy, the amount of chemotherapy treatment of mesothelioma will be subject to frequent and how, and if under a stay in the hospital, or as an admission or outpatient basis.

Treatment of chemotherapy nausea mesothelioma patients also play a vital role in the treatment of mesothelioma cancer.

Nausea is often a side effect of treatment of mesothelioma. Side effects that occur as a result of damage to normal cells and normal treatment of cancer mesothelioma,Before signing the form, make sure your doctor gives you all the information and all the facts regarding the treatment of administering chemotherapy.

For more details about chemotherapy visit at http://www.chemotherapy2k.com

Mars Sente

Causes of Mesothelioma Cancer

Mesothelioma cancer causing materials in the air around us? Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer which normally affects the lungs and stomach. Mesothelioma is a cancer that is typically caused by exposure to asbestos particles. These tiny particles are released into the air unseen and are transported directly to the lungs when normal breathing occurs.

This type of cancer is caused by asbestos dust exposure and can take up to 40 years after exposure to be diagnosed with mesothelioma. There are many products which were widely used in the past which contained asbestos materials:

• Pipe covering
• insulations
• brake pads
• roofing materials

... and much much more. There is even speculation that certain cigarette companies used asbestos containing filters in the 50's which can cause cancer by themselves. Miners brought these deadly airborn fibers home unsuspectingly in their work clothes and exposure their loved ones.

There are many materials out there that contain asbestos or have not been removed safely. Could we be breathing these materials in when we shop in older malls or maybe there was asbestos insulation used in our attics of our clothes? We can only hope not! If we are breathing asbestos particles in we may not know for up to 40 years after exposure if we will be diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer.

Mesothelioma is typically a deadly form of cancer with limited treatment options for patients. There have been a few advances in cancer treatments over the years. However mesothelioma treatments are slow to emerge. There have been suggestions that a skin cancer cream used in combination with another cancer fighting drug may offers osme hope at least for mesothelioma cancer.

oklahomacitymesothelioma Ben Wald

New Treatment Options For Breast Cancer Patients

Although surgery is the most effective (and therefore the most widely used) breast cancer treatment method, there are several other ways of coping with the disease, some are more powerful than others. They include radiation therapy, chemotherapy or hormone therapy, each with its own assets and disadvantages.

Most of them, however, are used in combination with surgery for best effects, either prior to, in order to reduce the size of the tumor or after surgery, to remove any remaining cancer cells. For a better understanding of these alternative methods of treatment for breast cancer, let's take a closer look at each one, explaining how and in what cases might be helpful.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses powerful gamma rays (X-rays) which target the specific area that needs to be treated with great precision. Generally, radiation therapy is done after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that have not been withdrawn or which formed until the tumor was removed. Although it can not be used as a treatment on their own, radiation therapy is one of the most widely accepted after surgery for breast conservation methods of therapy (BCT) and has a high possibility of stopping cancer again happen.

As with all treatments involving X-rays, there are some disadvantages to the radiation therapy. First, in order to eliminate cancer cells that may have formed (or remains) in the area where the tumor was removed from the X-rays may damage some of the healthy tissues as well. Although the process is very precise, the rays can not make a difference between cancerous and normal cells, so oeburn "together.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy consists of the administration of drugs that kill cancer cells or prevent them from growing. Most of the chemotherapy drugs are given through an intravenous line, although some are administered in pill form. Chemotherapy is a harsh regime, which often makes people feel more patients who are suffering from the disease, however, has proved very effective.

Chemotherapy is a treatment method to use both before and after surgery. With the help of this method, you can virtually contract the cancerous tumor prior to surgery, making it easier and less complex to eliminate. In addition, chemotherapy is used in the same sense as radiation therapy after surgery, to stop the diseased cells to recur.

Chemotherapy is usually administered in cycles, where each cycle consists of a period of intensive treatment that lasts a few days or weeks, followed a week of recovery. Most patients with breast cancer are two to four cycles of chemotherapy to start before tests are performed to see what effect it has had on cancer.

Chemotherapy is different to radiation because it can treat the entire body with the possibility of finding other tumor cells that have migrated from the breast and surrounding area. Many people are familiar with chemotherapy side effects, but the side effects do not depend on drugs to treat the patient.

The most common side effects are loss of hair, loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting and low blood cells of the patient more susceptible to infections, feeling sick or tired. Many ads that bleed more than normal, especially the gums, sores and small Scrapes etc.

There are three different strategies are used in chemotherapy for breast cancer:

Adjuvant chemotherapy, "this is given to patients who have undergone curative treatment for breast cancer, such as radiation or surgery. To reduce the possibility of the recurrence of breast cancer, this treatment is given.

Pre-surgical chemotherapy "is to reduce the possibility of a large tumor and / or kill any stray cancer cells. This will also increase the possibility that the surgery will kill the cancer completely.

Regular chemotherapy, "this is usually the people who have breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast or the environment local area.

Hormone therapy may also occur, as many breast cancers, such as those having a broad estrogen or progesterone receptors are sensitive to changes in hormones.

Tamoxifen treatment of breast cancer

Women who are genetically at high risk of developing breast cancer may benefit from tamoxifen as it has previously been seen in reducing the incidence of the disease. Raloxifene, used to treat osteoporosis, is being studied for the treatment of breast cancer.

In some cases of breast cancer, a woman of natural hormones are suppressed with drugs, while other patients find benefits by adding hormones. Tamoxifen, for example, is currently the most commonly prescribed effective hormone treatment. It can be used to treat breast cancer and the prevention of breast cancer. Tamoxifen has few side effects and can significantly improve the lives of women who have advanced cases of breast cancer.

Fulvestrant treatment of breast cancer

Another treatment, Fulvestrant has recently been approved in the U.S.. It is planned to be used for the treatment of hormone receptor positive metastastic breast cancer in women who have been through menopause. Is given following antiestrogen therapy.

Monoclonal breast cancer treatment

Another treatment known as monoclonal antibodies is that they are antagonistic against the proteins, which are in or around the cancer cells. They recognize an invader like a cancer cell and attack him. This antibody therapy is currently being investigated has a lot of hope for those suffering from breast cancer.

Excessive intake of alcohol and obesity after menopause may increase the risk of developing breast cancer, although this increase is slight. Such women are physically active have a lower risk.

Preventive or prophylactic mastectomies

More and more women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer are taking preventive or prophylactic mastectomies to avoid developing breast cancer.

The main risk factors for women to develop breast cancer are age, sex and genetics. The woman can not do anything about some risks in order to prevent death due to breast cancer is recommended with newspapers.

Women should carry out regular screening, including self-examination, mammography and clinical breast exam.

I hope that reading the above information is both fun and educational for you. That is how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time in order to ensure that they keep abreast with the latest news.

For more details about chemotherapy visit at http://www.chemotherapy2k.com

Mars Sente

Can We Avoid Breast Cancer?

It is a sharp reality that particularly amongst those following a western lifestyle, cancer has become a major disease and in many cases, a fatal one. Without orthodox medicine to guarantee us a cure, should we contract the disease ourselves, or to even educate us how to avoid cancer, we are left to do our own research to a large extent.

What motivates women to find out more is their awareness not only of the prevalence of breast cancer but a desire to avoid the suffering that attends painful surgery and chemo-therapy treatment. Many patients who undergo these treatment methods experience a temporary and sometimes permanent cure. But many women do not. Many have to face a different and unenviable future if they have undergone surgical removal of a breast, or breasts. It is a tragedy that only other women can truly understand.

We must research information that tells how we can avoid the most obvious causative factors that could place us at risk in the future. As we begin to take positive steps in our personal health programme, we begin to overcome any fear or negative attitudes about our future. We begin to feel more confident as we make a real effort to eliminate any causative factors. This means that we must adopt more natural habits that avoid many foods, chemicals, environmental hazards and external conditions that cause toxins to build up in our bodies. These carcinogens and poisons accumulate to cause derangement in our normal cell function.

Because we are considering the breasts at this point, we should be aware that exercising the arms, chest and neck muscles encourages the circulation of blood and lymph. This helps to stimulate the natural elimination of toxins through underarm perspiration . We need additional exercises other than the movements entailed in our everyday life. Ideal such exercises are offered in Tai Chi, Yoga or other fitness programmes. These exercises will only be effective preventive measures if we cease to use suppressant underarm deodorants .

But there is also a subtler cause that we must address. There are certain negative psychological conditions that put us at risk if they become habitual in our emotional and mental moods and attitudes. These include states such as fear, anxiety, depression and loneliness. A cheerful, positive personality provides us with our psychological defence against cancer.

Many women have overcome breast cancer. Some have followed orthodox medical treatment and others have used herbal remedies. Some have concentrated upon de-toxifying their bodies and others have focussed upon fresh foods or juices only. Some have improved their condition through oxygenation and better respiration and yet others have registered cures through prayer and meditation. As it is difficult but possible to cure breast cancer, it is also possible to prevent it, not through one magic panacea perhaps but by an intelligent consideration of the complex factors involved.

Sally Janssen

Sally Janssen is a writer and educator who from an early age trained in Raja Yoga--that branch of the ancient science that deals with the mind and its complexities. She subsequently gained an international reputation for her skills and her wisdom in the training of the mind.

In her wonderfully readable book entitled Mental Fitness: The Complete Self-help Guide she presents simple, self-help practices that help to generate and maintain mental fitness just as the natural principles of physical fitness can be personally applied by us all. The book may be found here: http://www.mentalhealthandfitness.com This really is a must-read book for us all. Sally also welcomes you to visit her blog at http://www.mentalhealthandfitness.com/blog

After Breast Cancer Diagnosis & Being Compassionate With Yourself

After completing treatment and regaining balance and health after cancer, there are many self care changes calling to be made. In my opinion, one of the most important is putting self first on the 'to do' list every single day. During the diagnosis and treatment phases (for me it was breast cancer & bilateral mastectomy) the self care involves going to appointments, sending time in medical institutions, hospital settings, and learning about options. Now that treatment is complete is a time to concentrate on being gentle with ourselves; options of a different sort.

Is it time to slow down? Is your schedule suited to the way you feel now? Are you being gentle with yourself? Being gentle with yourself doesn't mean that you're going into a cave or under the covers. It doesn't mean you're not accomplishing things that matter to you. It does mean that putting yourself on the 'care list' is important to do right now.

Is it time to watch less TV? Is it time to say no to volunteer commitments which no longer are fun? Is it time to join a walking club or a gym? Are you ready to try yoga? What sounds like fun to you?

Being compassionate with yourself can mean different things to different people. Might it be that it's something simple like getting more sleep each night? Figure out what adds to your positive energy and add more of that on to your schedule. You deserve it and it's up to you to arrange it. Yes you can!

The eBook,Yes After Cancer: Digestible dollops for Well-being after Treatment was created to broaden the post treatment possibilities. It offers specific suggestions from the life coach for creating the life you'll most enjoy right now. Support and encouragement and optimism are what you'll find among the dollops in this eBook. It makes a terrific gift and would be an asset to any waiting room whether a beauty salon or medical office! http://www.lesliegebhart.com/cancer-ebook.html This information supports you or a loved one to take action with ease, compassion, generosity, joy and the spirit of possibility no matter what the age, diagnosis or prognosis. And, this eBook does it with a lightness of heart and a touch of what-the-heck whimsy written from the perspective of a survivor/thrivor. What a gift! In addition to the purchase place, you'll find a complimentary excerpt: http://www.lesliegebhart.com/cancer-ebook.html Feel free to paste this article into your own material so long as you also maintain the author contact information as is herein. Hope you found it useful! Make it a terrific day.

Leslie Gebhart

After Breast Cancer, Breathing and Creativity - ABC's After Treatment

So, what's a deep breath got to do with after breast cancer diagnosis and bilateral mastectomy treatment? Just about every single thing, actually! And it's free! Yep. Those deep, conscious, mind-full, air-filled inhales contribute to healing and health and attitude adjustment and everything good after treatment. You could actually stop reading right now and just set the timer to breathe deeply for several moments and be re-generated and re-enlivened.

Or, maybe it's just I who turned into a shallow breather after hearing "Your diagnosis is breast cancer." UGH...ugh again! Don't like thinking about it; didn't like hearing it, yet here I am, thankfully, still breathing and enjoying life a whole bunch after treatment! YES!

There's this delicious thing called, 'relaxing' that didn't used to be part of my daily routine. I was rushed, filled with anxiety, busy, hectic and on the go. Now I relax every single day. Sometimes I even relax as I work (what a concept). And you can too.

Every one of us whether a friend of someone in treatment, someone in treatment, or someone who has completed treatment can benefit from putting more relax time on the schedule. If you're lucky enough to live with pets and if you need help to relax, grab a dog to snuggle with or a kitty to purr while you 'just hang'. They know the drill!

The point is to slow the anxious, over-whelmed, racing mind and the benefits are nummy! To name a few:

• Stress reduction
• Being in the moment
• Experience of peace
• In receipt of spurts of joy
• Sense of well-being

Yep; all that from just taking the time to breath mindfully! It's the free solution to being really here in the present moment. When I do this, I often get brainstorms or answers to something I've been pondering. I definitely feel a sense of satisfaction, more in touch with my creativity and a heightened appreciation of what is 'right' around me after taking this breathing break. You can too!

The eBook,Yes After Cancer: Digestible dollops for Well-being after Treatment was created to broaden the post treatment possibilities. It offers specific suggestions from the life coach for creating the life you'll most enjoy right now. Support and encouragement and optimism are what you'll find among the dollops in this eBook. It makes a terrific gift and would be an asset to any waiting room whether a beauty salon or medical office! http://www.lesliegebhart.com/cancer-ebook.html. This information supports you or a loved one to take action with ease, compassion, generosity, joy and the spirit of possibility no matter what the age, diagnosis or prognosis. And, this eBook does it with a lightness of heart and a touch of what-the-heck whimsy written from the perspective of a survivor/thrivor. What a gift! In addition to the purchase place, you'll find a complimentary excerpt in the link above. Or, you can view the creativity path this author followed by looking here: http://www.theartistswaydesert.com/leslie-projects.html.
Feel free to paste this article into your own material so long as you also maintain the author contact information as is herein. Hope you found it useful! Make it a terrific day. :)

Leslie Gebhart

Curcumin and Breast Cancer - Can it Offer Protection?

That was a report about curcumin and cancer, and how natural remedies are now featuring highly in the treatments of some serious illnesses. It's certainly not uncommon to know of someone in your family circle who has suffered or endured such a disease as breast cancer.

I too, speak from a personal viewpoint as someone who's partner has gone through the harrowing experience of diagnosis, treatment and the long road to recovery. But, in our case that was thankfully a successful outcome and with rapid advances in medical discoveries a larger percentage of women do combat this illness.

When I read the information on curcumin and cancer I was impressed at its medicinal qualities. This herbal extract is derived from the turmeric plant, a close relative of ginger and a chief component of curry powder. It's medicinal qualities were known about over 2,000 years ago and were used by Chinese healers for a wide range of health disorders.

This is a real powerhouse plant and curcumin is also a good antioxidant. Many health experts say we simply can't get enough of them, unless you eat plenty of the right things like fruits and leafy vegetables. Antioxidants are useful when our bodies are trying to fight infections and in offering our immune systems a much needed boost and a helping hand.

This was the crux of the matter when curcumin and cancer were spoken about in the same light. It commented on its protective and preventative effect as being the chief benefit when taken.

Many medical experts put the blame for such a disease on our dietary and lifestyle choices, which may be true to an extent. Others theorize about things like genetic predispositions, listing family history as one link in the chances of contracting breast cancer.

Regardless of that, the one thing we can do and within the grasp of us all, is to convince our female family members to make a slight but significant change in taking a daily curcumin supplement.

Peter Foremski

Peter Foremski is an avid researcher and consumer of nutritional supplements of natural origin that provide optimum health. To examine his findings and opinions and which products to look out for, go to http://www.natural-nutritional-supplement.com

Genetic Risk Factors in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women in the United States. In 2008, approximately 184,450 patients were estimated to be diagnosed with invasive cancer, and an estimated 40,930 were estimated to die of this disease. Furthermore, over 50,000 female carcinoma in situ breast cases would have been diagnosed. The etiology of breast cancer is poorly understood with multiple genetic and environmental factors involved in the initiation and progression of cancer.

Scandinavian Twin Study: For years, there has been a hot debate as to whether the cause of breast cancer is genetic or environmental. Then in 2000, Lichtenstein and his colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden published their study of 44,788 pairs of twins from the Swedish, Danish, and Finnish twin registries. In this study, they looked at cancer risk with 28 different types of cancers and did statistical modeling of genetic and hereditary contributions in eleven different cancer types. For breast cancer, they clearly showed that only 27% of cancer cases were due to genetic factors. This was an even lower hereditary component than other common cancers such as prostate and colorectal. This study and others have confirmed the fact that over 70% of breast malignanciess are influenced by environmental factors.

BRCA genes: Although much attention has been made about hereditary breast cancer, only two genes are commonly tested for this cancer risk assessment. These two genes are tumor suppressor genes named "BRCA1" and "BRCA2" that are involved with DNA repair. These two genes only account for about 5% of all breast cancers. Because of the Scandinavian twin study, most experts believed that there are other yet to be discovered genes involved with breast cancer. Because the chance of having a BRCA mutation in the general population is so low, genetic testing is not indicated in most patients. However, if a patient has a family history of breast cancer, then a mathematical model can be used to determine if BRCA testing is indicated. The likelihood of being a BRCA carrier increases with the number of relatives who had cancer and if the cancers occurred earlier in life. For example, in families with four or more cases of breast or ovarian cancer under the age of 60, over 80% are found to have a damaged version of BRCA1 or BRCA2. If a patient is a carrier of one or both of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, her risk of breast malignancy dramatically increases. According to estimates of lifetime risk, about 13.2% (132 out of 1,000 individuals) of women in the general population will develop breast neoplasms, compared with estimates of 36-85% (360-850 out of 1,000) of women with an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. In other words, women with an altered BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 gene are up to eight times more likely to develop breast tumors than women without alterations in those genes. The BRCA1 mutation confers a higher risk than a BRCA2 mutation. Women who inherit a damaged BRCA1 gene have a 60-85% chance of developing breast cancer at some stage in their lives and a 20-40% chance of developing ovarian cancer. For BRCA2, the risks are 40-60% and 10-20%, respectively.

Family History: Although the spotlight in hereditary breast cancer has been directed on the BRCA genes, the majority of patients with a family history of breast neoplasms are BRCA1 and BRCA2 negative. Even in these BRCA negative patients, however, there is an increased risk of developing cancer with a family history of breast malignancies. Six factors (unrelated to BRCA genes) have been studied in patients with a family history of breast tumors. They are as follows:

1. Degree of relationship: If the family member with a history of cancer is a first degree relative, the increased risk is much greater than for second degree relatives.
2. Number of relatives who have had breast cancer: People with two or more family members who have had cancer are at higher risk than those with only one affected relative.
3. Age of onset of cancer: If the relative developed cancer at an early age (pre-menopausal), the risk is higher than if the relative developed post menopausal breast malignancy.
4. Bilateral breast tumors: If the relative has a history of bilateral disease, the risk is greater than having a relative with unilateral disease.
5. Gender of the relative: If the family member with breast cancer is a man, the risk is higher.
6. Other related early onset tumors: If there is a family history of early onset ovarian cancer, this incurs an increased risk for a person.

How to decide whether you need the BRCA gene test

The following is an excerpt from the American Society of Breast Surgeons:

1. Early onset breast cancer (diagnosed before age 50)
2. Two primary breast tumors, either bilateral or ipsilateral
3. A family history of early onset breast malignancy
4. Male breast neoplasm
5. A personal or family history of ovarian cancer
6. Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jewish heritage
7. A previously identified BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation in the family

Any one of these features alone indicates a risk for harboring a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. The presence of more than one of these features raises that risk to greater than 10%, the traditional cutoff for recommending a BRCA test. Such patients should have access to BRCA testing. A simple risk-calculation model based on the prevalence of mutations seen among women tested for BRCA mutations is available at http://www.brcacalculator.com

Dr. Mai Brooks

Dr. Mai Brooks is a surgical oncologist/general surgeon, with expertise in early detection and prevention of cancer. More at http://www.drbrooksmd.com, and http://www.thecancerexperience.wordpress.com

Breast Cancer Alert

Every woman age 40 years and over knows how important it is to examine her breast once each month. The recommended time for this examination is a few days to one week after menstruation as there are usually physical changes to the breast during and immediately after menstruation.

The purpose of this examination is to detect early any presence of a lump. Performing this monthly examination has saved many lives. However, a new form of breast cancer has surfaced. It is known as Inflammatory Breast Cancer or IBC.

This form of breast cancer, considered to be the most aggressive form of cancer, has been unrecognized for a long time. Breast cancer societies interviewed had not heard of it. Out of the forty-six people interviewed about this condition only four people had heard of IBC.

IBC is not a respecter of age. A 16 year old girl has died from this form of cancer. She was ashamed to tell her mother about the change in her breast structure. Previously, doctors diagnosed IBC, in its early stages, as a bug bite and prescribed antibiotic therapy. Needless to say those patients have since died.

A mammogram alone may not detect IBC.

Early signs and Symptoms
Redness (warm to the touch)
Lesion like a bug bite

Later symptoms
Slightly enlarged breast
Thickening of the skin
Persistent itching
Inverted nipple

IBC is a very aggressive and rare form of cancer. It may occur in men but usually at an older age than in women

Diagnosis
Biopsy
Mammogram
Breast Ultrasound.

Treatment
Chemotherapy
Surgery
radiation

Margaret Okubo

Misdiagnosing Breast Cancer As Fibroid Changes May Constitute Medical Malpractice

Cancer is a word that strikes fear in most people. It is no surprise that a woman can find it very reassuring when she hears her doctor tell her that she just has fibrocystic breast changes and that there is no need to worry about the lump in her breast. But this reassurance should only come after the doctor has ordered appropriate diagnostic tests to rule out the possibility of breast cancer. Otherwise, the patient may not discover she has breast cancer until it is too late. If a doctor concludes that a lump in a female patient's breast is just a fibrocystic breast changes and it later turns out to be breast cancer, the patient may have a legal claim for medical malpractice against that doctor.

Perhaps some 80 percent of breast related issues are not the result of breast cancer. Further, the majority of new breast cancer cases occur in women over 50 years of age. It is thus not surprising that some doctors will diagnose an abnormal finding from a clinical breast examination, especially with a younger patient, as due to fibrocystic breast changes and not due to breast cancer. The statistics are in favor of such a diagnosis.

Unfortunately, this is not the end of the story. If cancer of the breast is detected while in its less advanced stages (stage 0, stage I or stage II), the 5-year survival rate is generally over 80 percent. The 5-year survival rate is a statistical measure used by cancer specialists to identify the percentage of patients who survive the disease for at least five years after diagnosis. Thus, a 5-year survival rate above 80 percent means that, statistically, more than 80 out of every 100 patients diagnosed with a less advanced stage will, with appropriate treatment, survive the disease for at least 5 years after diagnosis.

If the breast cancer is not detected until it has reached stage III (generally involves larger tumors in the breast or a greater spread of the cancer to lymph nodes), the 5-year survival rate drops to approximately 54%. For stage IV (generally involves a tumor that is larger that 5 cm or the spread of the cancer to distant organs), the 5-year survival rate is approximately 20%.

Approximately 12 percent of women will experience breast cancer in their life time. This year alone, approximately 185,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Tragically, more than 49,000 women will die as a result of breast cancer. How many of these women would survive their cancer if their doctors had investigated complaints of a lump in the breast or an abnormal finding on a clinical breast exam and had found the breast cancer earlier, before it spread or metastasized?

A clinical breast examination simply cannot accurately differentiate between a fibrocystic breast changes and a cancerous growth. This is why a doctor should generally recommend that diagnostic testing be immediately performed ordered if a lump is detected in the breast of a female patient. Examples of diagnostic tests can include an imaging study such as a mammogram or an ultrasound, or a sampling, such as by biopsy or aspiration. Each has the potential for a false negative and it may be necessary to perform more than one test before cancer of the breast can be ruled out.

When a doctor diagnoses a lump in the breast of a female patient as nothing more than a fibrocystic change based only on a clinical breast examination, that doctor puts the patient at risk of not knowing she has cancer until it progresses to an advanced, possibly untreatable, stage. The failure to conduct appropriate diagnostic testing, including an imaging study such as a mammogram or ultrasound, or a sampling, such as a biopsy or aspiration, may constitute a departure from the accepted standard of medical care and may result in a medical malpractice claim.

Contact a Lawyer Today

If you or a family member were assured by a doctor that a lump in the breast was merely due to fibrocystic breast changes which later turned out to be breast cancer that was not diagnosed until it was advanced because of a delay caused by the doctor's misdiagnosis, you need to contact a lawyer immediately.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal (or medical) advice. You should not act, or refrain from acting, based upon any information at this web site without seeking professional legal counsel. A competent lawyer who is experienced in medical malpractice can help you determine if you have a claim for the delay in the diagnosis of the breast cancer. Do not wait to contact a lawyer are there is a time limit in cases like these.

Joseph Hernandez

Joseph Hernandez is an Attorney focused on complex injury cases, including Medical Malpractice cases. You can learn more about cases involving the misdiagnosed symptoms of Breast Cancer at his website: http://www.BreastCancerLaw.com

Breast Cancer Surgery Recovery Time

The type of surgery recommended in any given case of breast cancer has significance for postoperative therapy. Breast cancer surgery may be less extensive or radical where the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or to other parts of the body; the use of chemotherapy and radiation therapy may then be more aggressive. Breast cancer surgery recovery time depends on the procedure involved.

More commonly, the cancer is localized. The patient's options may, in consequence include: surgery only, surgery with radiation, surgery with chemotherapy, surgery with a combination of these treatments; or radiation or chemotherapy without surgery. However, breast cancer surgery recovery time would differ depending upon the kind of surgery they had.

If the lesion is malignant, the surgeon proceeds with the mastectomy. Depending upon the seriousness of the case and the procedure recommended by the surgeon and the pathologist, the operation may be a simple mastectomy, a radical mastectomy, a modified radical mastectomy, or any of a number of other forms of breast operation.

In the United States, until recently, radical mastectomy was the usual procedure for breast cancer treatment. Today at least seven different types of mastectomy, some more widely accepted than other, may be performed namely: lumpectomy, simple mastectomy, modified-radical mastectomy, halsted-type radical mastectomy, radical mastectomy, super-radical mastectomy. All may be recommended in different cases depending upon the type of cancer, its invasive potential, or ability to spread, and other factors.

Most patients have deep concern about many aspects of breast cancer surgery recovery time, including the cosmetic effects. For that reason, it is important to select the appropriate type of surgery. The rates of survival appear to depend as much on timely use of pre and postoperative radiotherapy and postoperative chemotherapy as on the type of operation. But the kind of operation may determine whether the patient will be able to function and recover normally in a relatively short period of time.

Charlene J. Nuble

Charlene J. Nuble is a healthcare professional who loves writing about women's issues, parenting and other health related stuffs. Click on the link to learn more about Breast Cancer Surgery Recovery Time...

Lifestyle and Breast Cancer

Although all of the genetic and environmental factors are important to consider, the overwhelming evidence is that breast cancer is related to lifestyle. The following paragraphs outline the negative impact and positive impact on breast malignancy of several common lifestyle related issues.

Post-menopausal Obesity Increases Risk: Despite the evidence on the protective effect of pre-menopausal obesity on pre-menopausal breast cancer, the evidence that obesity increases the risk of post-menopausal breast neoplasm is very clear and not debatable. Some have suggested that tumors are harder to find by physical exam and mammography in obese women. This theory has largely been disproved in studies looking at mammography sensitivity and specificity, as well as studies looking at breast exam diagnosis in obese patients. If the correlation between obesity and cancer mortality is entirely causal, some scientists even estimate that an overweight condition and/or obesity now may account for one in seven of cancer deaths in men and one in five in women in the US.

High Fat Diet: Although breast cancer publications and the media have promulgated the idea that a low fat diet reduces cancer risk, most clinical trials have not successfully demonstrated this direct beneficial effect. There have been several methodological explanations for this failure. However, the reverse observation that a high fat diet increases breast tumor risk remains solid. For example, a large study funded by the National Institute of Health looked at 188,736 postmenopausal women and fat intake, based on both "food frequency questionnaires" and "24-hour dietary recall questionnaires". With the food frequency questionnaires, researchers found that women who got 40% of their calories from fat had about a 15% increased risk of developing breast cancer compared with women who got 20% of their calories from fat. With the "24-hour dietary recall questionaire", they found a 32% increased risk of breast malignancy among women with a high level of fat in their diet.

Alcohol: Based on scientific evidence, exposure to alcohol is associated with increased breast cancer risk in a dose-dependent fashion. Even less than one drink/day on a daily basis can be associated with up to a 30% increase in breast tumor mortality among postmenopausal women compared to non-drinkers. The risk may increase by 7% for each drink per day. Studies have shown that stopping alcohol use may reverse this risk.

Exercise: Exercise has been consistently linked with reduced breast cancer risk. A regimen of approximately 30 minutes per day of moderate-intensity exercise should be adequate, and perhaps even one to two hours per week is enough to be helpful. It appears that longer duration and greater intensity of activity may bring even more health benefits.

Supplements: Americans spend billions of dollars on vitamins and mineral supplements. Recent large studies, however, have demonstrated that these pills and capsules do not decrease the risk of many types of cancer. One explanation is that as long as one is not deficient of any particular vitamin or mineral, ingestion of super-normal levels of supplements does not help. Many women have low levels of vitamin D, and some data have shown that increasing its level (whether in a pill or by sun exposure) can protect somewhat against future breast cancer. In our opinion, botanical dietary supplements derived from green tea extracts represent a potentially widely available method for reducing the risk of breast neoplasm. Next to water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, and its ingestion in reasonable doses is considered safe. Many population observation reports have shown that green tea may decrease the risk of breast malignancy.

Dr. Mai Brooks

Dr. Mai Brooks is a surgical oncologist/general surgeon, with expertise in early detection and prevention of cancer. More at http://www.drbrooksmd.com, and http://www.thecancerexperience.wordpress.com

Vitamin E Can Lower Breast Cancer Risks

It has been seen that women who take Vitamin E gel capsules can help moderate hot flashes and lower their risk of developing breast cancer. Once a woman has had treatment for breast cancer, she is advised to take Vitamin E to build her health.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin with antioxidant properties that help to prevent the development of certain types of cancer. However, this is not the main use of the vitamin. It is usually prescribed Vitamin E deficiency, which results in damaged functioning of the nerves.

The fact that Vitamin E has antioxidant properties means it can reduce the damage caused by free radicals; and it is known that free radicals can lead to cancer. This line of reasoning leads many researchers to believe that antioxidants like Vitamin E can reduce the risk of developing cancer and helps to build the immune system to prevent recurrence of cancer. However, all researchers do not agree with this line of thought because large doses of the vitamin can cause bleeding and therefore, not given.

And, Vitamin E can negate the benefits of chemotherapy in women who have recently undergone chemo for breast cancer. Therefore, prior to starting chemotherapy, it is always best to inform the oncologists about which vitamins you are taking.

However, menopausal women suffering from hot flashes due to low levels of estrogen can benefit from taking 400 IUs of Vitamin E on a daily basis.

There are many different types of Vitamin E but the most active types is alpha-tocopherol, which is an extremely effective antioxidant.

Pauline Go

Pauline Go is an online leading expert in medical industry. She also offers top quality articles like : Vitamins in Banana, Vitamin C Concentration

Chemotherapy Drugs - A Major Profit Center For Oncologists

Like many cancer survivors who have endured chemotherapy treatments, I have often said, "The treatment was worse than the disease." Why is it that, in spite of the very dangerous side effects of chemotherapy, it still seems to be the choice treatment of many oncologists? Do you think it might be because administering chemotherapy is very profitable for the oncologists?

Did you know that cancer doctors are allowed to profit from the sale of chemotherapy drugs? It is totally restricted and exclusive for oncologists. I don't know of any other group of doctors who are allowed to profit from the sale of drugs.

Think about this. A significant amount of revenue for oncologists comes from the profit they make from selling the chemotherapy drugs. Do you think that is why chemotherapy is so widely used by oncologists? Is it "All about the money?"

Do you think oncologists might be tempted to give you the drug that they're going to make the most profit from? I like to have the faith that my doctor has my best interest at heart. Unfortunately, the money incentives, does something to destroy my faith.

Here is what I believe to be a perfect example of that. Trisha Torrey, was told by her doctor, "You have a very rare cancer - a lymphoma - called Subcutaneous Panniculitis-like T-Cell Lymphoma." Her doctor referred her to an oncologist. The news from the oncologist was very discouraging. She was told, without chemo she would be dead before Christmas. She asked about the possibility that the lab results were wrong. She was told, "No - not a chance. Two labs had independently confirmed the results." She said the pressure began to mount to begin chemotherapy.

Terry sought out the opinion of another oncologist. Three weeks later, in late September, she was given the confirmation that, in fact, she had no cancer. Is it possible her first oncologist was pressuring her into having chemotherapy because of the money he would make? I don't know but it is a scary thought.

Oncologists are very much like the business owners of retail stores. According to a recent NBC News Report, oncologists make most of their income by buying products (drugs) wholesale and selling them to patients at retail.

Like any business owner, the private practice oncologists, are entitled to, and deserve to make a living. My question is; should they make their money from treating patients or by SELLING the drugs? Other types of doctors don't have that option.

And where do you think the oncologists get their information about the drugs they are selling? It comes from the pharmaceutical sales person. Do you think that information might be biased?

How did this practice start? It started because Medicare and the insurance companies wanted to save money by transferring cancer treatments out of the hospital and into the hands of private practice oncologists. Again, it's all about the money. Unfortunately, that greed backfired and we the patients are paying the price. Since that policy was initiated, prices for many cancer drugs soared to tens of thousands of dollars a year.

All chemotherapy drugs used in the United States have been approved by the FDA. Does that make them safe? Do you think pharmaceutical companies influences the FDA into approving dangerous drugs the way they influence the private practice cancer doctors? I do.

I believe the pharmaceutical companies, and their lobbyists, have too much influence over the decision-making and policy of oncologists and the FDA.

It is well known that the FDA has allowed many drugs, including chemotherapy, to remain on the market in spite of serious risk factors. How did it come to pass that dangerous drugs get approved by the FDA and oncologists make significant profits from selling them? Meet the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the drug industry trade group

PhRMA lobbied for the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) of 1992. The drug industry agreed to help finance the approval process - in exchange for an FDA promise to speed up its deliberations. Does this make the FDA financially beholden to the industry it is supposed to regulate? I think so.

There are many natural non-toxic chemotherapies that kill malignancies. Laetrile, which is basically vitamin B17 selectively seeks out and destroys cancer cells and is available in many plant foods. It does that without harming healthy cels. Maybe the farmers who grow those plants should give oncologists a commission for selling their crops.

In spite of the tone of this article, I AM NOT AGAINST going to an oncologist for cancer treatment. I am not against all chemotherapy treatments. I am suggesting that you do as Trisha Torrey did; get a second opinion.

I almost died from my first two rounds of chemotherapy. I also felt the oncologists were arrogant and egotistical. I wasn't at all comfortable with them. I then returned to the cape where I live and started my treatment all over again. My doctor on the cape, Dr. Victor Aviles, did in fact treat me with chemotherapy. It was not the same drug as the Boston doctors used. I do not believe he chose this drug because of the profit motive. It was the drug best suited for my particular cancer. I always felt very comfortable with him.

My closing thought. If you are not totally comfortable with your doctor, get another one. There are wonderful, dedicated and honest oncologists out there. You may have to visit several to find the right one for you.

John Fink

John Fink is a Stage IV Cancer Survivor

Lists of Drugs For Breast Cancer

Current cancer treatments-"cut, burn, and poison"-are recognized as crude and painful. Promising new methods focus on delivering anticancer drugs precisely to the cancer and on increasing the immune system's ability to fend off cancer. There are lists of drugs for breast cancer, each drug with its own pros and cons. Anticancer drugs have unpleasant side effects because most target all rapidly dividing cells, including normal ones.

The side effects include nausea, vomiting, and loss of hair. X rays also have side effects because, in passing through the body, they kill healthy cells that lie in the path of the cancer cells. Fortunately, there are now numerous lists of drugs for breast cancer. Each of which is tailored according to the patients' severity. The kind of drug a patient would take differs from other breast cancer patients because every person is different.

There are different kinds of ways to take a drug, whether it be intravenously (IV), orally, subcutaneously, injection, and intramuscularly.

Lists of drugs for breast cancer taken intravenously include the following: Abraxane IV, Adriamycin IV, Aredia IV, Epirubicin IV, Gemzar IV, Herceptin IV, Taxol IV, Taxotere IV, and Vinorelbine IV.

Abraxane (paclitaxel), Epirubicin, Gemzar, Taxol, Taxotere and Vinorelbine are drugs for patients on advance stages. The action is to slow or stop cancer cell growth.

Adriamycin (doxorubicin) used to treat breast cancer and other types of cancer. The action of this drug is first to disrupt and it would then destroy the growth of cancer cells. Aredia (pamidronate disodium) reduces bone complications of patients with breast cancer that has already spread.

Tamoxifen, a drug originally used as an anti-estrogen is now used as a preventive drug for some women in high risks for breast cancer and also taken as a treatment for such cancer in women.

Raloxifene is a drug that used to treat osteoporosis in women. Now, it is used as a treatment of breast cancer. This drug binds with the estrogen receptors and thus it produces some of estrogens beneficial effects without producing the adverse ones.

Fortunately, there are numerous lists of drugs for breast cancer patients that health service providers would know. Because of this list, they would have options for every breast cancer patient.

Charlene J. Nuble

Charlene J. Nuble is a healthcare professional who loves writing about women's issues, parenting and other health related stuffs. Click on the link to learn more about Lists of Drugs for Breast Cancer.

Chemotherapy Side Effects - Yet Another Battle

It is a grueling battle having to contend with a deadly disease, one of which is cancer. Incidences of cancer have increased throughout the years instigating more awareness towards the general populace to be mindful of their health. Medical science and technology on the other hand devised more means and measures for prevention and treatment. Conventional medicine generally resorts to chemotherapy for treatment of cancer. Chemotherapy as a cancer treatment makes use of pills, catheter or injection to infuse drugs or certain substances in the body. The primary purpose of these drugs and substances is to attack cancer cells, and ultimately kill them.

Cancer cells generally grow and reproduce rapidly. They are those causing havoc to a certain body part or parts. Chemotherapy drugs are chemically designed to hamper the growth and spread of cancer cells. The treatment can be carried out at home, a clinic or the hospital. As for the dosage and frequency, they are dependent on the extent of the illness or cancer stage and the patient's response to the medication/s. Therapy sessions can range from daily, weekly or monthly bases. Some on off schedules. A large number of cancer cases have had positive responses from chemotherapy. To a significant extent, it is an effective cancer treatment.

But entailed of this measure is yet another battle- against chemotherapy side effects. Drug and chemical treatment does not only destroy cancer cells. Normal and healthy cells in the body can be damaged as well. As a result, there is an offshoot of chemotherapy side effects, some of which are temporary, others permanent. What are common chemotherapy side effects and the means to relieve them? Fatigue is one. Chemotherapy side effects often differ from one patient to another, but tiredness is common among them. The degree of fatigue as a side effect varies. Some patients may find it debilitating while others can manage with their lives normally.

Nausea and vomiting are also two very common chemotherapy side effects. These symptoms may be controlled with an anti-sickness medication, but supervised by the doctor. Certain cancer drugs can cause mouth sores and ulcers to appear. Washing the mouth regularly can be helpful pertaining to this symptom. One of the distressing chemotherapy side effects is hair thinning or hair loss. This can be avoided by covering around the scalp when undergoing treatment. This can prevent the dilemma to some extent. In most cases, however, hair grows back after the therapy. Normal cells such as white blood cells may be diminished during chemotherapy causing a weakened immune system.

Susceptibility to infections may then arise. Decrease in blood cell count may be experienced. As a result, one may become weak or even develop anemia. A useful measure is to have regular blood tests for monitoring and regulation. Battling a disease is often distressing, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. It can also tremendously drain one's financial resources. But perhaps everything is worth compromising for life to be spared. And a battle won over a disease may not necessarily mean having been freed from its grip. But rather having the courage to go on and rise above the anguish.

Rose Windale

The author of this article Rose Windale is a Health and Wellness Coach who has been successful with several natural health programs for many years. Rose decided to share her knowledge and tips through her website http://www.healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free newsletter and enjoy a healthy and happy life.

Different Breast Cancer Stages

Breast cancer stages are based on whether the cancer is invasive or non-invasive, whether the lymph nodes have been affected, whether the cancer cells have already spread beyond the breast, and the size of the tumor. The purpose of identifying the stage in breast cancer is to organize the different factors and features of the cancer. In organizing the factors involved, the prognosis or the most likely outcome of the disease will be identified. The doctor can also provide the patient with the best treatment guide for the disease.

Stage 0.

In this stage, the breast cancer is non-invasive. It just simply means that there is no sign of non-cancerous abnormal cells or cancerous cells getting out of the part of the breast where they started. These cells have not yet invaded other neighboring normal tissues in the breast.

Stage 1.

In this stage, the breast cancer is said to be invasive. The cancer cells are already breaking out of the part of the breast where they started and they have already invaded neighboring normal tissues. But in Stage 1, the lymph nodes are not affected or involved and the tumor measures up to 2 centimeters.

Stage 2.

Stage 2 is described as invasive breast cancer and is subdivided into two categories: Stage 2A and Stage 2B. In Stage 2A, there is no tumor in the breast but a 2 centimeters or less tumor can be found scattered in the axillary lymph nodes, which is the lymph node found under the arm.

Another case of Stage 2A is that, the tumor is larger than 2 centimeters but not more than 5 centimeters and has not spread in the axillary lymph nodes. In stage 2B, the tumor is also larger than 2 centimeters but not more than 5 and has already spread to the axillary lymph nodes or if the tumor is larger than 5 centimeters, the tumor has not yet spread the axillary lymph nodes.

Stage 3.

Stage 3 is described as one of the invasive breast cancer stages and is subdivided into 3 categories: Stage 3A, Stage 3B and Stage 3C. In Stage 3A, there is no tumor in the breast but it is found in the axillary lymph nodes or the lymph nodes near the breast bone. The tumor has the size of less than 5 centimeters or more and they are clustered together or they may stick to other structures.

In Stage 3B, the tumor may be of any size and found in the lymph nodes under the arm or near the breastbone, chest wall and/or skin of the breast, clustered together or sticking to other structures. In Stage 3C, there can still be no sign of cancer in the breast. The tumor may be of any size and found to be spread to the chest wall, lymph nodes above or below the collarbone, lymph nodes under the arm or breastbone.

Stage 4.

Stage 4 is described as one of the invasive breast cancer stages in which the cancer has already spread to other organs of the body; usually the brain, lungs, liver or bone.

Charlene J. Nuble

Charlene J. Nuble is a healthcare professional who loves writing about women's issues, parenting and other health related stuffs. Click on the link to learn more about Breast Cancer Stages

Human Hair Wigs for Chemotherapy Patients

Not only do human chemotherapy wigs look good—but they help people going through very difficult times. The concept of chemotherapy wigs made of donated, human hair is almost heroic. Perhaps even more than any other kind of wig, human hair will look the very best. The purpose is to do the very best possible job of making sure that the person undergoing agonizing treatment can live as actively as possible, look great, and feel more confident wearing their human hair wigs.

Children especially do not want to stand out, there is often no tolerance for the unusual in elementary schools. Children can be very cruel. A wig will help a child feel more like the others in their schools or day-camps etc. In anyone’s case, as he or she battles the horrors of chemotherapy, believe it or not, chemotherapy wigs can be a primary concern. When the purpose of finding chemotherapy wigs, not for your self but for a chemotherapy patient, you are truly warming someone’s heart. Whether you know the patient or not the gift of a wig can (and is likely to be) the very best gift for him or her.

Everything from curly wigs to straight, long or short, men’s or women’s wigs, or whatever you are looking for, can usually be found online through wig stores, and you can even have you wig custom designed from various places.

Full, natural-looking wigs are what you need if you are looking for a chemotherapy wig. The purpose of the wig is to appear as much like human hair as possible. And, of course, you can’t purchase a half wig or hairpiece – often a full wig is the very best way to go.

Anne Clarke

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching, gardening, and fashion. For more of her useful articles on wigs, please visit humanhairwigs.org, supplier of high quality Human Hair WigsWig Hairpieces.