Cancer Resources

Age: Everyone can have colon cancer, fifty year old people and older are more vulnerable. Why? As people age, the cells don’t repair damages as well as younger people, and genetic mutations within the colon tissue may cause cells to have excessive growth activity.

Gender: Men and women can develop cancer of the colon, but men are a little more likely to get colorectal cancer.

Ethnicity: In the U.S., cancer rates are higher among Japanese-Americans, African-Americans, and non-Hispanic whites compared to other ethnic groups. Continue reading ‘Risks of Colon Cancer’ »

For the past 25 years, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) has continued to grow in recognition, respect and reputation. From the beginning, its purpose has been to educate and encourage women to be aware of the importance of early detection and yearly mammograms, offer information and support for those affected by breast cancer and raise funds for research towards prevention, cause and a cure.

Over the next few weeks, people around the world will join together in honor of those who have survived and those who have not. Survivors, partners, friends and families will walk, run, ride, swim, bowl, fast and feed for fundraising events and procure revenues in the millions. We will decorate our universe, as well as ourselves, in various shades of pink and give thanks to daily breaths. Due to the success of these campaigns we have the ability to diagnose and treat breast cancer with less pain and more hope.

The cause of breast cancer can be genetic or environmental. Genetics contribute to approximately ten percent of breast cancer patients. This means a person who is born with a particular gene line, BRCA1 mutation, is high risk for breast, ovarian, skin, prostate and pancreas cancer. Although the exact risk of breast and ovarian cancer granted by a specific gene mutation has not been determined, studies in high-risk families indicate that deleterious mutations in this gene may confer as much as an eighty seven percent risk of breast cancer and a forty four percent risk of ovarian cancer by the age of seventy, in women. This mutation has also been reported to have a twenty percent chance of a second breast cancer within five years, as well as a ten-fold increase in the risk of subsequent ovarian cancer. The mutation may also present an increased risk of male breast cancer, along with several other cancers; skin, prostate and pancreas. Each first degree relative of this individual has a fifty percent chance of carrying the mutation. Family members can be tested with a simple blood test. Those who test positive can take measures into their own hands and beat the cancer before it beats them by undergoing surgery. Most insurance companies will cover preventive measures, as it can significantly reduce the risk of future treatment. In a sense, the individual, who is diagnosed with genetic breast cancer, has the power to save their family from ever being diagnosed with cancer, at all. Continue reading ‘The Pink Platform’ »

With almost tens of millions of candles being sold yearly and is believed to be worth Pounds125 millions, it can be said that candles are still very popular nowadays. With this huge number of candles bring sold and being burned and used, scientists and researchers ventured on the effects on health of candle smoke.

A recent study at the South Carolina State University found out that candle fumes, especially in closed and unventilated spaces, can cause health problems like asthma, allergies and even cancer. According to Amid Hamidi, the co-author of the research, candles made from paraffin wax emit fumes that pose health threats to individuals. However, he clarified that lighting candles in unventilated and closed spaces for a longer time can be the cause of these problems. He also stressed that occasional paraffin-made candles’ emissions can cause you no harm. Continue reading ‘Now It's Cancer and Candles’ »

You have spent too much time in the sun and have found brown spots on your skin. Is it cancer of the skin or not? That is something that your primary care physician can answer, but it is good to go prepared. Getting to know all there is about that spot on your skin is the most important thing you could be doing while waiting to go see the doctor about it. There are some things to know to determine if it skin cancer or not. When you go to the doctor you can be prepared with the following information:

1. Oozing or bleeding of the skin- If you have this type of skin, chances are there is a case of skin cancer. This is not always the case, but if you are having such a symptom, it is best to consult your doctor right away. Oozing or bleeding of the skin if you are wondering is it skin cancer or not can be a sure sign that there is a informality in your skin.

2. Change in size or color of skin- This is a subtle change that can be missed if you are not paying attention to the way your skin is forming. Looking at your skin everyday, you can see that it remains mainly one color and size. Lumps and sizes of moles on your skin can be a red flag to the normal type of skin. Be conscience of your body and know when there is a degree of change to your skin. Continue reading ‘Skin Cancer Symptoms and Symptoms’ »

Cancer of any kind is very dangerous to the human body. For that matter, its very mention brings down shivers in a person’s body, and people start to feel worried and tensed. There are some kinds of cancers that are general, such as lung cancer, liver cancer etc. However, there are certain gender specific types of cancers too such as the Breast Cancer which is common in women. In men, one of the most common kinds of cancer is the Prostrate Cancer. Prostrate is actually a male gland which is situated right under the bladder. According to statistics, 1 out of every 6 men in the United States suffers from this kind of cancer.

Like all diseases and illnesses, early detection in Prostate Cancer also helps to prevent the situation from worsening. Most of the times, people do not have full knowledge about the symptoms of the cancer, and thus, they are not even aware of the fact that they are suffering from a particular kind of cancer, and for that matter, any kind of disease. Some of the most common symptoms of prostrate cancer include problem in urination, which includes trouble in its passing or experiencing any kind of pain; blood in the urine or a very weak flow of the urine; pain in lower back, hips, thighs, abdominal area or near the penis. Sometimes, even some kind of unexpected sudden weight loss is also considered to be one of the symptoms of prostrate cancer. Continue reading ‘What Are the Common Symptoms of Prostate Cancer?’ »

Most people are primarily concerned with the dangers of asbestos in their home. For those who live in houses and apartment buildings that were constructed prior to the 1988 ban and asbestos phase-out, this is a reasonable concern. However, you may not be aware that asbestos has been found in places that you may rarely encounter. Nonetheless, you should be aware of these surprising sources of asbestos.

Even a small amount of contact with asbestos can cause you to develop severe health problems and even cancers such as mesothelioma, lung, gastrointestinal, throat, esophageal, and kidney. Thus, although you definitely do not want to have dangerous asbestos in your home where you spend the most time, you may not want to risk going into a building that may have asbestos. Some people are more susceptible to the carcinogen than others, and one encounter may be all you need.

The reason for the widespread presence of asbestos is because it does have several potentially life-saving characteristics. Asbestos is a member of the silicate mineral family. Silicates are known for their insulating capabilities; it resists heat, flame, chemicals, and electricity. Additionally, asbestos itself has the enviable properties of high tensile strength and flexibility, which means that it is easily added to materials that need some of these resistant capabilities. Continue reading ‘Surprising Sources of Asbestos’ »

Unlike buying clothing for adult, there are a lot of unique things and considerations when someone buys some items of clothing for kids. It is since the selection of kids clothing is different with the adults clothing. So many things are needed to be considered, such as the material, which should not cause any harm to the kids; the durability, since kids keep on growing and their activities are often “harsh”; the design and the printed picture, for it kids will love the clothing or not; and many other important things that very often makes parents or adult confused when they need to buy some clothing items for their kids or even as a gift.

Continue reading ‘Clothing For Kids in Shopwiki’ »

Lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the immune system, particularly the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system of the body designed to filter and clean the blood from any pathogens. The fluid that goes through this system is called the lymph, and it contains lymphocytes (or WBC). This lymph now goes through a channel of lymph vessels and lymph nodes which acts as a filter and collects these microbes. It is in the lymph nodes that lymphocytes act against the microbes and destroy them. Specific types of lymphocytes are then activated for this purpose. The B lymphocytes produce anti-bodies and also alert the rest of the immune system to act upon the intruder. The T-cells kill these microbes directly by engulfing them, and also regulate the immune system on just how strong or how weak it should act upon a microbe, and when to stop. Once the microbes are destroyed, these specific lymphocytes record the type of microbes that they have destroyed and will react swiftly and quickly the next time that type of microbe or pathogen invades the body. Continue reading ‘What You Need to Know About Lymphoma’ »

Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT)

These laboratory kits cost about $10 and they are the most common colon cancer screening tests, although their effectiveness is being questioned. This test involves taking samples from two different parts of your stool, for three days, and spreading the samples on the testing paper. A recent study found a 33 percent reduction in death (in average-risk people) from colorectal cancer in the group having an annual FOBT test. Some of this reduction in risk could be due to colonoscopies that were performed due to false positive FOBT results. If you are opting for an FOBT as part of your annual physical exam, there are a few things you might want to know:

* Of all the different FOBT tests available, HemeSelect (an immunochemical test) has been shown to perform better than the others.
* The test is more accurate (avoiding false-negative and false-positive test results) when you abstain from taking aspirin and eating certain foods (red meat, some raw fruits and vegetables, and vitamin C supplements). Be sure to ask your doctor if there are any food guidelines he/she wants you to follow before taking the samples.
* It can still miss a cancer that wasn’t bleeding at the time or it can pick up bleeding for which no source can be found. Continue reading ‘Colon Cancer Tests’ »

If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, it may have been suggested you have a single mastectomy in the other breast or a double mastectomy, but is this the best approach? I was diagnosed more than a decade ago with infiltrating intraductal breast cancer and I turned down all conventional treatment including chemotherapy, radiation and surgery and chose an alternative route. No single or double mastectomy either. And I’m still in excellent health today.

The trend is alarming as more and more women are removing healthy breasts because they are panicked, are in fear of breast cancer returning or migrating to the other breast.

I’ll discuss a recent study showing why mastectomy is not saving lives in a moment. However, what is alarming to me is that there is still breast tissue left in the chest wall and by removing healthy breasts there is still tissue that could already contain cancer cells or be available to them.

There is very little evidence that proves that women live longer or survival rates increase by removing their breasts after a diagnosis of breast cancer. A recent study of statistics published in a national medical journal read by doctors found that 5000 women in one state, between 1995 and 2005, who had cancer in one of their breasts, chose to have the other breast removed. These women already had breast cancer. They were not women who tested positive for the BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 gene mutation type of breast cancer, where prophylactic removal is more common. Continue reading ‘Breast Cancer – Do You Really Need a Mastectomy? – From a Nurse Survivor’ »