Cancer Resources

We hear a lot these days about stem cell research, but many of us are unaware of what exactly stem cells are and what can be done with them. There are several types of stem cells including adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells reside throughout the human body within tissue, blood and organs; they are plentiful and readily available. Adult stem cells refers to the stage or maturity of the stem cell. They are also found in the tissues of the umbilical cord (after live birth), spinal cord, fat, bone marrow, dental pulp, nasal cavity, brain, peripheral blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin, cornea, digestive system, retina, liver, and pancreas.

Peripheral stem cell transplantation is the process of removing the stem cells from one person and donating them to a recipient- in my case it was my brother. In most cases donors are siblings since tissue type is most identical to the patient’s own. After it had been determined that I was a perfect match for my brother, I had a physical and endless blood work. I passed my tests and then it was on to phase one.

This involved six days of receiving neupogen shots which stimulate the release of stem cells from the bone marrow into my blood so they can be harvested for my brother. It’s important during this period to drink plenty of water. I had decided to go to the hospital each day for the shots, but some people opt to inject themselves at home. The shots sting a bit and after the first several days, mild bone aches began- mostly in my hip and sternum. It was nothing that an occasional tylenol couldn’t remedy. Continue reading ‘A Personal Account of Stem Cell Donation’ »

John Walker is one of the frontman and the guitarist of the legendary sixties pop music group the Walker Brothers, Sad news came on last Saturday from a statement on John Walker’s official website that he was passed away at the age of 67 in his home at Los Angeles due to complications from Liver Cancer.
Walker, born John Maus, founded The Walker Brothers with Scott Engel and Gary Leeds in 1964, and released a string of classic singles including ‘The Sun Aint Gonna Shine Anymore‘ and ‘Make It Easy On Yourself‘.
By the early 1960s John Walker was a regular at such popular Hollywood clubs as Pandora’s Box on the Sunset Strip and on the college circuit. During those years, he worked with such musicians as Ritchie Valens and Glen Campbell, with producer Phil Spector and songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who wrote for the Monkees and other groups. John Walker Health be hereditary last year, He was diagnosed with Liver Cancer in December 2010. Continue reading ‘John Walker of Walker Brothers Dies after a Battle with Liver Cancer’ »

Cancers that affect the digestive system can be especially difficult to manage because they can interfere with your ability to process your food and absorb the nutrients that you would need to help fight the disorder. One such gastrointestinal cancer is colorectal, which can actually be divided into colon and rectal cancers. Currently, doctors and researchers are trying to comprehend the link between colorectal cancer and asbestos exposure.

The colon is the longest part of the large intestine, whose purpose is to absorb any nutrients that were not taken in by the small intestine. Additionally, the colon absorbs water from your food to help you stay hydrated. Colon cancer often begins in the cells lining the colon which make mucus and other fluids to help lubricate the passage of your food. Thus, when these cells become cancerous, they can form blocks in your intestinal system. Continue reading ‘The Connection Between Colorectal Cancer and Asbestos’ »

Being diagnosed with colon rectal cancer is a stressful time for anyone. Colon rectal cancer occurs when there are malignant cancer cells that develop and grow in the tissues of the colon. The colon is part of human’s digestive system. Having a healthy digestive system is important to ensuring our overall sense of well-being. It is the hub where wastes are removed promptly out of our body and it is responsible for processing and absorbing all the crucial nutrients, vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water and minerals.

Not everybody falls into the high-risk group of patients who develop colon rectal cancer. Some people are more at risk than the others. The factors include someone who is at or over the age of fifty, someone who has a family medical history of colon cancer, a personal history of suffering from ovarian cancer, rectal cancer, endometrium or breast cancer, and a history of having polyps in the colon. Polyps are small pieces of bulging tissues in your colon. Continue reading ‘Colon Rectal Cancer Treatment’ »

What is small bowel cancer and what causes it? Your bowel is that section of your intestine that connects to the anus, and is important to the excretion process. Now, can you think that if this bowel is so important, what are the chances that cancer will develop in the bowel? Actually, it has become quite common. The small bowel is a long ‘tube’ that takes up nutrients and water from foods as well as constructs waste materials into feces. This is all done by the workings of the 3 divisions of the small bowel, particularly the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum. Hence, it is considered to not only be a vital part of the excretion system, but also of the digestive system. In addition, it provides a link for the stomach and the large intestine, more commonly known as the colon. Continue reading ‘What is Small Bowel Cancer?’ »