Archive for Cancer Treatment
Traditional And Natural Cancer Treatment Options
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While there’s a whole gamut of cancer treatment options available; which is the best one to use depends upon the type of cancer as well the stage that the cancer has reached. Though the prevailing trend is to resort to more traditional cancer treatment options, cancer patients are not restricted to them. There are a variety of alternative and natural options (some new, some old) for treating cancer.
Traditional Cancer Treatment Options
Traditional cancer treatment options are often referred to as cut, poison and burn (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation).
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy, which involves the use of chemical agents or drugs to destroy cancerous cells, forms the core treatment of malignancies. These drugs work by targeting fast-growing cells and the type and combination of drugs depends upon the type of cancer. Though chemotherapy has been proven to be effective, it can give rise to a host of side-effects including hair loss, fatigue, diarrhea, loss of appetite, anemia or low red blood cell count, neutropenia or low white blood cell count, mouth sores and shortness of breath.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy involves the use of high-energy ionizing radiation from varied sources including x-rays, gamma rays, protons and neutrons to shrink tumors and kill cancerous cells. It is used almost half of all cancer patients; either by itself or in combination with other cancer treatments. External-beam radiation therapy, which involves using radiation that is emitted from a machine outside the body is more common than internal radiation therapy, in which a radioactive material is implanted in the body near the tumor or cancer cells.
Surgery
Surgery often entails a biopsy, which is done for diagnostic purposes. Surgery that is done to remove the cancerous tissues is often followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy, which reduces the risk of the cancer recurring and also to destroy any cancer cells that may be left behind in the affected part of the body.
The kind of surgery depends on which part of the body has been affected by cancer as well as the extent of the cancer. In breast cancer patients the options could include lumpectomy, in which only the lump is removed; segmentectomy, in which part of the breast is removed or mastectomy, in which the entire breast is removed.
Alternative Cancer Treatment Options
Traditional cancer treatment options form only art of the story. An increasing number of health professionals are now exploring alternative cancer treatment options that encompass the whole individual.
Nutrition Therapy
Maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet that includes foods rich in antioxidants and beta-carotene, is the best way to provide your body with the nourishment it needs to fight cancer. Proper nutrition helps minimize nausea and fatigue that are the main side-effects of traditional cancer treatments and are a critical component of the healing process.
Buah Merah or Red fruit, found primarily in the Indonesian island of Papua, has very high levels of anti-oxidants, beta-carotene and tocopherol and offers hope to all cancer patients. Beta-carotene and tocopherol have strong anti-carcinogenic properties and help by boosting the immune system and retarding the growth of cancer-causing cells. Buah Merah also contains Omega 3 and Omega 9 as well as linolenat, oleat, dekanoat and linoleat acids; all of which act as active medicinal compounds and also help in the prevention of diabetes mellitus, heart diseases, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.
Naturopathy
Naturopathy is a system of treatment that focuses exclusively on using the healing powers of nature such as sunlight, water and air. It is supplemented with therapies such as massage as well as a wholesome diet. Naturopathy is by and large a holistic kind of treatment and includes homoeopathy, ayurveda, therapeutic nutrition, hydrotherapy or botanical medicine. It is based on the belief that the body is self-healing and will recover and repair by itself spontaneously if it is given a healthy, conducive environment.
Pain Control
Though, to a certain extent medication can be used to manage pain, Acupuncture is gaining popularity as a means to control the pain experienced by cancer sufferers. The pain could be brought on by the cancer itself or as a side-effect to the cancer treatment. Prevalence and severity of pain depend on the extent, location and type of cancer as well as pain threshold of the person afflicted by cancer.
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DCA is an odourless, colourless, inexpensive, relatively non-toxic, small molecule. And researchers at the University of Alberta believe it may soon be used as an effective treatment for many forms of cancer. However, because the compound is not patented, you may never see it on the market as Drug companies can not profit from it. www.TheDCAsite.com http www.newscientist.com www.newscientist.com www.nature.com www.depmed.ualberta.ca www.newscientist.com news.bbc.co.uk news.bbc.co.uk www …
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Cancer Treatment?
I have been in cancer treatment for the last 3 years, so I read a lot of stuff pertaining to cancer. THere are so many claims out there for alt or natural meds or herbal remedies.
I am very well aware some of these things help with treatment. I have used a couple to help, treating the side effects of therapy, mainly on a mind control, psychological basis.
However, I want to know:
The people who tout some alt med as a CURE, do you feel strongly enough about what you are advertising that you would use the exact same protocol, and that protocol only (meaning no chemo surgery or radiation, as most alt treatments advertise).
Anyone currently under going an alt treatment only to treat cancer?
I would just like to know how many people truely have that much faith in the methods they are suggesting or selling.
Weed doesnt treat the cancer, side effects only. I have used both real mj, and the synthetic thc rx marinol, both helped with the side effects.
I have actually finished treatment, and there werent many alt treatments for mine, not even ones that didnt make sense.
I am not looking for me, just trying to get some knowledge. I know all sorts of alt treatments help with side effects, provide nourishment and all that.
What I want to know, is if anyone that touts these supposed cure treatments have actually used what they advertise alone for treatment (without using chemo, surgery, or radiation).
I am challenging those who would like to make a lot of money selling these alt treatments are willing to put their mouth where there money is.
For example, is there anyone out there who has actually used, say juicing, ALONE, WITHOUT CHEMO SURGERY OR RADIATION, to TREAT their cancer. Not asking for prevention, or help with side effects.
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How Does Alternative Cancer Treatment Work?
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Until 200 years ago what is now labeled ‘alternative treatment’ was based on the words of Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine”. Hippocrates is famously quoted as saying “Let food be your medicine.” It is a compelling quote which encapsulates the very simple, very common sense idea that the most efficient healer we know, or will ever know, is a correctly functioning natural immune system. In modern cancer research this common sense approach is not only ignored it is actively forbidden by the AMA for doctors to prescribe alternative medications to fight cancer. Doctors are allowed to prescribe natural remedies to treat the side-effects of the drugs which are used to fight cancer, but not allowed to treat cancer itself with anything other than the prescribed, orthodox treatment.
The purpose of this article is not to examine the state of affairs which sees natural substances shunned in favor of expensive, and often harmful medications, but to examine what you can expect to happen and receive should you elect an alternative treatment course to deal with cancer.
One of the biggest problems with discussing alternative cancer treatments is that it covers a huge amount of ground. Anything which is outside the mainstream practice(which will usually include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment) is, by definition, ‘alternative’. As such the ‘alternative’ label is often attacked broadly based on the ineffectuality or indeed harmfulness of specific treatments. For instance treating cancer by putting leeches on the skin to draw blood is not a mainstream medical response to cancer so it would be labeled as ‘alternative’ even though most alternative treatment providers would be horrified with the concept. Attacking unorthodox treatments broadly for the practices of a few extreme treatment providers is clearly not a rational response, yet it is exactly the line which has successfully kept alternative cancer treatment on the sideline for so long.
For the purpose of this article we will discuss the type of healthcare that Hippocrates was a strong supporter of and apply to it the broad label ‘alternative’. This form of alternative treatment works on a few basic fundamental ideas.
The first is the concept that the most efficient entity at healing a body is itself. The human body is a miraculous thing and even as we learn more and more about what the body does to treat disease we are still often left mystified by the how. The body will respond to a foreign organism long before medical tests discover it, and in fact this is usually how the problem is first bought to the attention of doctors. Diseases do not have ‘tiredness’ causing properties, this is the bodies natural response to an invasion – it attempts to enter a restive state where it can more effectively fight the invader.
A primary focus of alternative cancer treatment then is not the direct battle against the cancer and the tumor itself, but a strengthening of the bodies defenses and natural ability to fight disease. This is done via strengthening the immune system. Vitamin C is known to have strong immunity building properties and was shown by Linus Pauling (Two time Nobel prize winner) to be an effective cancer treatment by itself. In fact it was over thirty years ago that Pauling and his research partner Ewan Cameron MD showed that just 10 grams of Vitamin C taken intravenously each day would extend a cancer patient’s life 6 times longer than chemotherapy treatment. It is also worth noting that while Vitamin C builds up the immune system, chemotherapy breaks it down, which means that where chemotherapy is used it becomes the only defense the body has against cancer – the only way of continuing to fight the cancer is to continue chemotherapy. The clear conclusion is that Vitamin C is a more efficient treatment than Chemotherapy and has none of the debilitating side effects.
Alternative treatment providers have been able to use this type of research as a base for formulating a case by case plan to restore the bodies balance and fight cancer. The fact that it is ‘case by case’ is also another important component of alternative treatments. It has to be recognized that no two cases of cancer are going to be identical because there are two many different varying factors. The type of cancer it self is considered, the location of the cancer and the size of the tumor will all effect how the treatment is administered. The patients only physical state must be considered two and this will usually involve a detailed look at their body, diet and lifestyle. Everybodies DNA is different and some people are more likely to respond positively to some treatments.
This critical fact is often what is left out of a full assessment of alternative cancer treatments. Just because one person responds to a specific course of treatment does not mean another will get the same result. Imagine an auto repair shop. If you said to your mechanic that your car isn’t working he will not simply change the oil and give you your keys back. That may well work for some cars, but it will most definitely not work for them all. Your mechanic will ask you questions about what is wrong with the car. He will ask for the symptoms and from these discern the cause. Only then is any attempt made to ‘cure’ the car. Now compare that approach to the approach of orthodox medicine that will change the oil and water, give you a new set of tires and tune the engine. Too bad if you went in because your brakes didn’t work.
In most cases an alternative treatment is going to require some type of detoxification process. In modern society we are exposed to more harmful substances and processed foods that at any previous point in history. These toxins can dwell in our system for a long time and are often part of the cause of a disease. At the very least the body is wasting resources fighting them that could be assisting in it’s fight against cancer. The detoxification is an ongoing process, particularly if the other treatments are effectively killing cancer cells. The death of a cancer cell actually introduces more toxins to the system and in large doses these can be extremely harmful and even fatal. This is why all cancer treatments are undertaken gradually – because a treatment that killed all cancer cells immediately would release a massive toxic load into the system and put it in even more danger.
Alternative Cancer Treatment also puts a huge amount of emphasis on a patients diet. Conventional medicine ignores this and most orthodox cancer treatment will result in a serious loss of weight. Forty Percent of cancer patients die not from cancer but from malnutrition so it is vital to ensure that a healthy and regular diet is followed. The correct balance in the body is also going to mean less nausea and other symptoms associated with cancer treatments.
This article has touched on what you can expect in an alternative health treatment for cancer, but it must be stressed that it only touches the surface of the options available. There are over 300 treatments that have been shown to be effective in the treatment of cancer but are not part of mainstream medicines response. The important thing is not knowing how many options there are out there but knowing which options, and combinations of options are going to work in any individual case. Alternative Cancer Treatment takes a holistic approach to the treatment of cancer and seeks to assist the sufferer not just in overcoming their cancer but also in enjoying their life and living well while they do. A cancer survivor who beats cancer using alternative medicine will not just be alive, but they will be alive and healthy. This increased quality of life, both throughout the treatment and after it, is an essential element in what makes alternative cancer therapy such an attractive option to those with the good fortune to explore it.
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Professional Tennis Legend Jimmy Arias takes on Cancer Treatment Centers of America Patient Bill Neal in a Wii Sports Tennis Tournament. The tournament took place at Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Western Regional Medical Center in Goodyear, Arizona on Thursday, October 8, 2009. CTCA provides a comprehensive, fully integrative approach to cancer treatment; treating the whole person, not just the cancer. For more information visit cancercenter.com….
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Why the same cancer treatment doesnt work for everyone?
I need help explaining this. Heres the question: In one person cancer may be cured through the use of a certain drug or by means of radiation treatment, whereas in another person cancer may be unaffected by these treatment methods. Suggest the most likely explanation for this difference in response.
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Some Very Effective Cancer Treatments
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More than half of patients that suffer with any form of cancer are treated with the use of radiation. It has been found to be most effective used either alone or in conjunction with other kinds of cancer treatments.
While other treatment methods are very effective in killing, stopping or otherwise disabling cancerous cells, radiation uses ionization to kill the cells and shrink tumors. The desired result of radiation treatment is to shrink tumors and relieve the symptoms associated with different kinds of cancers to save healthy tissue in the process.
Chemotherapy is another cancer treatment that works to destroy cancerous cells by preventing the cells from growing and spreading. Although some healthy sells may be harmed by the use of this method they are quite capable of repairing themselves following treatment.
Chemotherapy uses a combination of drugs that affect the hormones already present in your body. These drugs have a boosting affect on the bodys immune system that aid in fighting the foreign cancerous cells. These drugs can destroy the cells altogether or change the way the body reacts to the cells formations. Use to both control and cure the cancer chemotherapy also relieves symptoms that cancer can cause, like pain which inevitably help the patient to live more comfortably.
Surgery stands as a sometimes-necessary cancer treatment that cannot be avoided. One type of surgery used in the treatment of cancer is cryosurgery, which is a surgical technique for freezing and then killing the cancerous cells. Some cancers like liver cancer and prostate cancer benefit best from treatments that attack cancers that are contained in one area. Cervical cancer and other cancers where precancerous or non-cancerous conditions exist benefit most from this type of cancer treatment.
Other treatment methods include the process of eliminating the blood supply that feed tumor growth. Cancer treatments that use high-intensity light and still others that treat the formation of tumors with heat are less widely known by the general public but are used widely alone and in conjunction with other treatment methods.
One such treatment that uses laser light to remove cancer growths is most often for cancers on the surface of the skin or on the lining of internal organs. Laser therapy eliminates the chance of excessive bleeding and prevents damage to healthy tissue and has a lower chance of infection than other more invasive surgeries for cancer.
On the other hand, a hyperthermia treatment exposes the tissues to very high temperatures that kill cancerous cells. This form of treatment is always used with other forms of treatment such as radiation and chemo.
Cancer treatment that act as angiogenesis inhibitors are being tested and researched as they will aim to prevent the formation of blood vessels that feed the cancerous cells and allow them to continue to grow. This method of treatment is still being tested and its not yet known whether or not these inhibitors work effectively in humans.
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Eels Cancer for the Cure from the Electro Shock Blues album. Learn more at eelstheband.com
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How can we encourage my dad to eat after cancer treatments?
My father, who is 70, was diagnosed with several brain tumors. He had radiation treatments. And now complains that food doesn't taste the same, which is understandable. I've told my mother to let him pick whatever food he wants, since his cancer is terminal. So she has tried that, but he then still refuses the food he picked out. We've bought him ensure, but he won't drink those. Has anyone else had any experience with this? We are at a loss as to what to do for him. Because of the tumors his personality has changed quite a bit as well, he is much more aggressive and resistant to new ideas.
cancer treatments
Truth Out About Cancer Treatment
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When diagnosed with cancer, it is a difficult time in anyone’s life. However, the diagnosis is made even more difficult with the generally harsh conventional treatments such as chemotherapy. In many cases, cancer patients tend to combine natural cancer treatment with the conventional treatments they are currently receiving. In other cases, they may not be able to continue using these conventional methods because they may seem pointless. This is especially true for those affected with an advanced cancer stage.
For many people and this has been documented in a variety of research and medical outlets, natural cancer treatment is the best option. It is far less harsh, has fewer side effects, and in most cases, helps in eliminating other factors that may be aggravating the cancer or even causing it. The idea behind natural cancer treatment is that the body has the ability to kill and fight off cancer.
However, in order to do this, it must be healthy and running at full speed. With natural cancer treatment combined with other elements such as improved diet and lifestyle changes, it is the belief in the alternative medical world that the body does have the ability to essentially heal itself. With natural treatment, you often take care of underlying problems, which may be the cause of the cancer.
By taking care of this problem, the body is more able to focus on the cancer than the other issues. The bad thing about conventional cancer treatments is that they tend to carry numerous side effects. For example, with traditional chemotherapy and even the chemotherapy pills, there are a great deal of side effects, which may include:
* Fluid Retention
* Nausea
* Vomiting
* Fatigue
* Loss of Hair
* Increased Risk of Infection
* Pain
* Constipation
* Diarrhea
* Skin Troubles
* Bladder Troubles
* Kidney Troubles
With all of these side effects, it is no wonder that people are turning to natural cancer treatment. In many cases, cancer patients will combine natural treatment methods with their conventional methods to attempt to alleviate some of the side effects.
What is more, even though chemotherapy is an FDA approved cancer treatment, it does not always work in eliminating the cancer. If it does work, there is always the chance that it may return. The same chances exist with natural methods as well, without the massive list of side effects that seems to go on and on. Most alternative methods are the result of years and years of study, research, and evidence.
Though doctors and government officials refuse to acknowledge these methods of treatment, it does not mean that they will not work in fighting cancer. Alternative means you are given another option in your treatment choices, the options and ultimate decisions rest within your hands.
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Denis Leary stand up
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How can I build up my immune system after breast cancer treatments?
I have a very low immune system since I had chemotherapy, radiation, and other breast cancer treatments and surgeries. Since I finished chemo and radiation less than a year ago, I have had shingles, meningitis, and have had to fight 2 infections in my left breast that had the radiation in it and will have to go in for surgery to have the implant removed, and replaced. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. What can I do? Also, gained 40 lbs and hate the weight gain.
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Chemotherapy is Big Money – For Doctor and Patient
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Chemotherapy, in its most general sense, refers to treatment of disease by chemicals that kill cells, specifically those of micro-organisms or cancer. Chemotherapy works by destroying cancer cells; unfortunately, it cannot tell the difference between a cancer cell and some healthy cells.
Chemotherapy may be given in many ways. It can be administered through a vein, injected into a body cavity, or delivered orally in the form of a pill, depending on which drug is used. Chemotherapy is sometimes used along with other cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy, surgery, or biological therapy (the use of substances to boost the body’s immune system while fighting cancer).
Chemotherapy was formed from mustard gases, which was in use as chemical- arms during the 1st World-War. Chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer began in the 1940s with the use of nitrogen mustard.
When cancer treatment includes chemotherapy, patients have many questions. More than half of all people diagnosed with cancer receive chemotherapy. Chemo works by destroying cancer cells; unfortunately, it cannot tell the difference between a cancer cell and some healthy cells. So chemotherapy eliminates not only the fast-growing cancer cells but also other fast-growing cells in your body, including, hair and blood cells.
One of the most destructive things about chemo is how it weakens the immune system. The immune system is the body’s only defense against disease. Since chemo has a detrimental effect on the immune may chemo patients contract other diseases not associated with cancer like pneumonia, bowel diseases, allergies and may create many immunodeficiency disorders.
Your course of therapy will depend on the cancer type, the chemotherapy drugs used, the treatment goal and how your body responds. Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy are often given following surgery for many types of cancer, including colon cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and some gynaecological cancers. Over time, cancer cells become more resistant to chemotherapy treatments.
Patients who are better prepared tend to have fewer side effects and a higher emotional ability to handle the chemotherapy treatments. Patients receiving chemotherapy are more likely to get infections. Under certain circumstances, your doctor may decide your body is too weak to receive chemotherapy. You may have breaks between treatments so that your body has a chance to build new healthy cells.
The side effects of chemotherapy come about because cancer cells aren’t the only rapidly dividing cells in your body. Radiation therapy directs high-energy X-rays at a person’s body to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy also attacks quickly growing cells in your body, but unlike chemotherapy, it affects only the specific area where treatment is concentrated. Biological therapy, also called immunotherapy, consists of treatment with substances that boost the body’s own immune system against cancer.
Receiving chemo during childhood also may place some kids at risk for delayed growth and cognitive development, depending on the child’s age, the type of drug used, the dosage, and whether chemotherapy was used in addition to radiation therapy. People who receive radiation therapy before having chemotherapy may notice that involved skin may turn red, blister, and peel once chemo begins. When a cancer has been removed by surgery or treated with radiation therapy, chemotherapy may be used to keep the cancer from coming back (adjuvant therapy).
Given after surgery or radiation, the goal of adjuvant therapy is to eliminate any cancer cells that might linger in your body after earlier treatments. The combination of radiation and chemotherapy can further increase your risk of heart damage.
Chemotherapy is usually administered for approximately 6-12 months or until a patient achieves a plateau response or stable disease, especially if the therapy is well tolerated. Chemotherapy can be frightening to think about. It may cause short term (acute), long term (chronic), and permanent side effects, some of which may be severe.
Chemotherapy can have many unpleasant side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, hair loss, mouth sores, Anemia (decreased numbers of red blood cells; may cause fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath) Leukopenia (decreased numbers of white blood cells; may lower resistance to infection), Thrombocytopenia (decreased numbers of platelets; may lead to easy bleeding or bruising), gastrointestinal symptoms, and even heart disease.
There are other options to chemotherapy that are successful in treating cancer but perhaps more important, there are steps we can take to prevent cancer and to avoid the horrible effects of chemo and radiation.
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6 yr old having port accessed for chemotherapy (vincristine). Caution: The video shows the needle being inserted into the port and some blood being drawn. Lucas was diagnosed with a brain tumour in April 2007. He had it resected, underwent 30 rounds of radiation, and is undergoing chemotherapy. He is in his 5th round in this video. You can read more about Lucas’ story at mommysms.spaces.live.com.
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How do chemotherapy drugs interact chemically with cancer cells to get rid of the cancerous cells?
I have to give a chemistry project tomorrow in class and I need to have a basic understanding of what goes on chemically between chemotherapy drugs and the cancerous cells. Like what element interacts with what and how the chemo drugs stop the cancer cells from replicating. If anyone even has a most basic chemical explanation as to what occurs I would really appreciate it.
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HYPERTHERMIA IN CANCER TREATMENT
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Breaf History of Hyperthermia
The healing effect of heat treatment was already mentioned in the advanced cultures of the old Egypt (2400 B.C.), but only the medical professionals of the Greek Antique used this therapeutic approach consistently, acknowledged it and called it over-warming (in Greek: Hyperthermia). “Give me the power to produce fever and I heal every illness”, said Parmenides, Greek physician, 540-480 B.C.
Hyperthermia in cancer treatmentHyperthermia (also called thermal therapy or thermotherapy) is an acute condition which occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate. It is usually caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures. The heat-regulating mechanisms of the body eventually become overwhelmed and unable to effectively deal with the heat, causing the body temperature to climb uncontrollably.
Hyperthermia can also be created artificially by drugs or medical devices. In these instances it may be used to treat cancer and other conditions. Cancer cells are more heat-sensitive than healthy cells and their structure reacts differently to overheating. In 1910 the possibility of overheating in order to increase the radiation effect on malicious tumors was described for the first time. This already well-known and applied method was rediscovered as so called “whole body hyperthermia” in the beginning of the 1960s. Since the 70s a number of studies were run to further investigate this therapy form.
Research has shown that high temperatures (up to 44C) can damage and kill cancer cells, usually with minimal injury to normal tissues. By killing cancer cells and damaging proteins and structures within cells, hyperthermia may shrink tumors.
Hyperthermia is almost always used with other forms of cancer therapy, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Hyperthermia may make some cancer cells more sensitive to radiation or harm other cancer cells that radiation cannot damage. When hyperthermia and radiation therapy are combined, they are often given within an hour of each other. Hyperthermia can also enhance the effects of certain anticancer drugs, which is mutually strengthened thereby and a healing more likely – the so-called synergistic effect of hyperthermia. It was found out that cytostatic drugs (chemotherapy substances) clearly act more aggressively at temperatures over 40 C than within the range of the normal body temperature.
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My grandfather had cancer, so this goes out to him. He died from it. My grandma had cancer, but shes still alive! There is a way to survive it. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!
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….cancer?
its been about 2 months since I've posted anything about throat sicknesses and i got over everything but last week or so i noticed my lymph gland is stiill swollen…..oh and i noticed a lump in my armpit it appeared a couple weeks ago i thought it was an ingrown hair but it isnt…
you think its related to cancer?
cancer
Mesothelioma Mesomark Blood Test
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MESOSELIOMA MESOMARK BLOOD TEST
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the MESOMARK assay to help monitor response to treatment in malignant mesothelioma patients. The MESOMARK test signifies the beginning of a new era in monitoring mesothelioma malignancies,” said Dr. W. Jeffrey Allard, vice president and chief scientific officer of Fujirebio Diagnostics. “As the first in-vitro test for patients with this aggressive disease, it will enable doctors to more accurately detect recurrence and monitor treatment of patients.”
The MESOMARK Assay test kit was developed to measure levels of a biomarker, mesothelin, in serum. Biomarkers are substances found in higher-than-normal concentrations in the blood, urine or body tissues of patients with certain types of cancers. The test may be used to monitor patients confirmed as having mesothelioma, for recurrence in patients following surgery, or for measuring response to therapies.
“Current diagnostic tests are less than ideal for quantification of changes in tumor volume, which is key to managing the disease,” continued Allard. “As the MESOMARK results correlate with tumor volume*, it provides a much needed tool for monitoring patient status. It is our plan to collect additional data in the future to support the use of the test to detect mesothelioma.”
MESOMARK test are now making it possible – with a simple blood test -to monitor response to treatment and to detect recurrence following treatment. This provides an important head start to patients racing against this aggressive cancer. “The Meso Foundation is the national research funding, patient support and advocacy organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma as a life-threatening disease.
Those wishing to take part in MESOMARK testing will be asked to provide one or more samples of blood. The blood samples will then be sent to a national reference laboratory for testing. In conjunction with other clinical and laboratory data obtained by your doctor, decisions regarding your treatment and care may be simplified. You may discontinue testing at any time.
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www.mesotheliomaandasbestoscancer.com Mesothelioma research refers to the studies for discovering new facts or information about mesothelioma cancers. Mesothelioma is a life threatening cancerous disease. It affects the lining of abdominal organs and lungs. Only known reason of this disease is exposure to asbestos particles. Diagnosis of mesothelioma is a difficult process. This is mainly because asbestos particles may lie dormant in the body for up to 50 years before appearance of symptoms …
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With the cancer mesothelioma, what effect does metastasis to the lymph nodes have on the patient?
I'm doing some research and have heard that it's common for mesothelioma, in more advanced stages, to metastasize to the lungs. What symptoms does this cause for the patient?
Thank you in advance.
Whoops, I meant lymph nodes, not lungs. And I am aware what metastasis means, I'm just wondering what metastasis particularly to the lymph nodes would cause.
mesothelioma research
Chemotherapy Is Big Money
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Chemotherapy, in its most general sense, refers to treatment of disease by chemicals that kill cells, specifically those of micro-organisms or cancer. Chemotherapy works by destroying cancer cells; unfortunately, it cannot tell the difference between a cancer cell and some healthy cells. Chemotherapy may be given in many ways. It can be administered through a vein, injected into a body cavity, or delivered orally in the form of a pill, depending on which drug is used. Chemotherapy is sometimes used along with other cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy, surgery, or biological therapy (the use of substances to boost the body’s immune system while fighting cancer). Chemotherapy was formed from mustard gases, which was in use as chemical- arms during the 1st World-War. Chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer began in the 1940s with the use of nitrogen mustard.
When cancer treatment includes chemotherapy, patients have many questions. More than half of all people diagnosed with cancer receive chemotherapy. Chemo works by destroying cancer cells; unfortunately, it cannot tell the difference between a cancer cell and some healthy cells. So chemotherapy eliminates not only the fast-growing cancer cells but also other fast-growing cells in your body, including, hair and blood cells.
Your course of therapy will depend on the cancer type, the chemotherapy drugs used, the treatment goal and how your body responds. Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy are often given following surgery for many types of cancer, including colon cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and some gynaecological cancers. Over time, cancer cells become more resistant to chemotherapy treatments.
Patients who are better prepared tend to have fewer side effects and a higher emotional ability to handle the chemotherapy treatments. Patients receiving chemotherapy are more likely to get infections. Under certain circumstances, your doctor may decide your body is too weak to receive chemotherapy. You may have breaks between treatments so that your body has a chance to build new healthy cells. The side effects of chemotherapy come about because cancer cells aren’t the only rapidly dividing cells in your body. Radiation therapy directs high-energy X-rays at a person’s body to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy also attacks quickly growing cells in your body, but unlike chemotherapy, it affects only the specific area where treatment is concentrated. Biological therapy, also called immunotherapy, consists of treatment with substances that boost the body’s own immune system against cancer.
Receiving chemo during childhood also may place some kids at risk for delayed growth and cognitive development, depending on the child’s age, the type of drug used, the dosage, and whether chemotherapy was used in addition to radiation therapy. People who receive radiation therapy before having chemotherapy may notice that involved skin may turn red, blister, and peel once chemo begins. When a cancer has been removed by surgery or treated with radiation therapy, chemotherapy may be used to keep the cancer from coming back (adjuvant therapy). Given after surgery or radiation, the goal of adjuvant therapy is to eliminate any cancer cells that might linger in your body after earlier treatments. The combination of radiation and chemotherapy can further increase your risk of heart damage.
Chemotherapy is usually administered for approximately 6-12 months or until a patient achieves a plateau response or stable disease, especially if the therapy is well tolerated. Chemotherapy can be frightening to think about. Chemo may cause short term (acute), long term (chronic), and permanent side effects, some of which may be severe. Chemotherapy can have many unpleasant side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, hair loss, mouth sores, Anemia (decreased numbers of red blood cells; may cause fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath) Leukopenia (decreased numbers of white blood cells; may lower resistance to infection), Thrombocytopenia (decreased numbers of platelets; may lead to easy bleeding or bruising), gastrointestinal symptoms, and even heart disease.
There are other options to chemotherapy that are successful in treating cancer but perhaps more important, there are steps we can take to prevent cancer and to avoid the horrible effects of chemo and radiation.
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A consultant medical oncologist explains the chemotherapy process and patients talk about their own experiences of the treatment
Help answer the question
How long after starting chemotherapy does it take to lose your hair?
My girlfriend just started her first cycle of chemotherapy for her Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Her chemotherapy regimen includes doxorubicin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and prednisone. I was just wondering how long it will take for her to lose her hair. Is it a week after the start of treatment? A month? Thanks.
chemotherapy