As with any cancer, treatment for Mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the progression of the disease, the age as well as state of health of the patient.
It is the oncologist who specializes in the disease who will decide on the line of treatment. The disease is difficult to treat and in most cases the prognosis is poor. Treatment options include:
1. If the diagnosis is done in the early stages surgery may be recommended to remove all cancerous tissues. This means thoracoscopy, VATS or video assisted thoracic surgery, mediastinoscopy (used for staging), or laproscopy. Often, doctors will advise palliative procedures like chest tube drainage and pleurodesis, thoracoscopy and pleurodesis, pleuroperitonial shunt, or pleurectomy, which treat the symptoms of mesothelioma rather than the disease.
2. Radiation is prescribed aggressively for mesothelioma patients and is often given in combination with surgery or in order to control symptoms, palliatively. Research on using radiation therapy using implants or UV light therapy is in progress as traditional radiation therapy damages surrounding healthy tissue.
3. Chemotherapy is an option and around 12-20% of patients respond to the drugs. Anti-cancer drugs destroy cancer cells and prevent their spread. In mesothelioma, chemotherapy is not considered to be curative. The aim is to prevent spread of the disease; shrink the tumor prior to surgery, known as neoadjuvant therapy; to annihilate any remains of the tumor in the body post surgery; and to relieve pain and other discomfort, palliative chemotherapy. Experts recommend prescribing premetrexed along with cisplastin. These drugs have shown positive results and this is now standard care for Mesothelioma not treatable by surgery.
4. Biological therapy using interleukin 2.
5. Immunotherapy where the body’s own immune system is stimulated to fight the disease. Biological response modifiers, BRMs, are used in treatment. These enhance the functions of the immune system; regulate metabolic reactions that promote growth of cancers; alter cancer cell division; block or reverse processes that lead to formation of cancers; and prevent spread of cancer.
6. Gene therapy, where attempts are made to correct the gene sequence that causes the cancer. This is of two kinds, replacement gene therapy and knockout gene therapy.
7. Administration of lovastatin, a cholesterol lowering drug.
8. Photodynamic treatment where a photosensitive medication is activated using a laser. This is done during the surgical removal of cancerous tissues.
9. Draining of fluid in the chest or abdominal cavity followed by introduction of medications into the cavity to prevent fluid accumulation is done for patients who have uncontrolled fluid accumulation and intense discomfort stemming from it.
10. Combination therapy or Trimodal therapy which means surgery accompanied by radiation and chemotherapy.
Often, complementary medicines are also used. Termed to be holistic this kind of treatment focuses on a patient’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well being.
In the case of Mesothelioma which is untreatable one can opt for clinical trials of new treatments that are in progress in several research laboratories and centers. The best advice on the line of treatment would be that recommended by the oncologist or physician.
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Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cancer. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Breast Cancer Ribbon
These days almost every worthy cause finds itself a proper ribbon, without getting into the debate about the use of ribbons and how people use them, there are not many ribbons that I know of that are more important than the breast cancer ribbon.
Breast cancer is a dangerous enemy, while it is true that the awareness to its risks and the understanding of the prevention measures that need to be taken on a regular basis has increased over the years and had probably saved many lives, some people are still not aware of breast cancer and others prefer to live in some sort of denial.
So why is it important to use the pink ribbon and join the fight against breast cancer? First of all it shows the most important thing a person can show, it shows that you care, its shows that you are willing to give a little of your time or energy to try and educate more people, to warn some others and to maybe, just by doing this very small action contribute to saving a life. This is not a joke, sometimes awareness is all that separates the ill from the healthy and the dead from the living, we are at an age where people are learning of new dangers every day, and with all these upcoming potential dangers of terrorism and natural disasters breast cancer has been here long enough and has cause so much pain and suffering that it certainly deserves to be treated as something we should all remember, even on a daily basis.
Every October is the international breast cancer awareness month, this is the time to try and do the most to increase the public awareness of this disease, and educate woman about the ways they can fight breast cancer, this month is also dedicated to raising money for the many different organizations and foundations that are working all year round on helping victims of breast cancer, some of these patients have no money and no funds they can use to try and treat the cancer, and these organizations help them get the support that they need.
So all you got to do is just place one of these pink ribbons on your shirt of jacket, and show the solidarity you have with the breast cancer patients, the victims and the family and friends of those who have been effected by this terrible disease. Remember that you do not have to limit yourself only to the month of October, and that it is enough for only one person to ask you about this ribbon – once a year to make a huge difference, think about hundreds, if not thousands of people like you doing the same thing every day, and each one of these people is approached by an uneducated person, how many lives can be speared.
Lets hope that in the future the fight against breast cancer, as the fight against all kinds of cancer, will achieve its goals and that this disease will claim less victims, that modern medicine and science will find cures and that more and more people around the world will live healthier and happier lives.
Visit http://breastcancer.healthandcosmetics.com/ for more Breast Cancer information.
Keywords:
breast cancer, cancer, breasts cancer, woman cancer
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Breast cancer is a dangerous enemy, while it is true that the awareness to its risks and the understanding of the prevention measures that need to be taken on a regular basis has increased over the years and had probably saved many lives, some people are still not aware of breast cancer and others prefer to live in some sort of denial.
So why is it important to use the pink ribbon and join the fight against breast cancer? First of all it shows the most important thing a person can show, it shows that you care, its shows that you are willing to give a little of your time or energy to try and educate more people, to warn some others and to maybe, just by doing this very small action contribute to saving a life. This is not a joke, sometimes awareness is all that separates the ill from the healthy and the dead from the living, we are at an age where people are learning of new dangers every day, and with all these upcoming potential dangers of terrorism and natural disasters breast cancer has been here long enough and has cause so much pain and suffering that it certainly deserves to be treated as something we should all remember, even on a daily basis.
Every October is the international breast cancer awareness month, this is the time to try and do the most to increase the public awareness of this disease, and educate woman about the ways they can fight breast cancer, this month is also dedicated to raising money for the many different organizations and foundations that are working all year round on helping victims of breast cancer, some of these patients have no money and no funds they can use to try and treat the cancer, and these organizations help them get the support that they need.
So all you got to do is just place one of these pink ribbons on your shirt of jacket, and show the solidarity you have with the breast cancer patients, the victims and the family and friends of those who have been effected by this terrible disease. Remember that you do not have to limit yourself only to the month of October, and that it is enough for only one person to ask you about this ribbon – once a year to make a huge difference, think about hundreds, if not thousands of people like you doing the same thing every day, and each one of these people is approached by an uneducated person, how many lives can be speared.
Lets hope that in the future the fight against breast cancer, as the fight against all kinds of cancer, will achieve its goals and that this disease will claim less victims, that modern medicine and science will find cures and that more and more people around the world will live healthier and happier lives.
Visit http://breastcancer.healthandcosmetics.com/ for more Breast Cancer information.
Keywords:
breast cancer, cancer, breasts cancer, woman cancer
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Friday, May 15, 2009
Five Ways to Keep Men Cancer Free
Generally speaking, men are notorious for ignoring their health, and delaying going to see a doctor
about any kind of problem.
This is a dangerous tendency, as in more than half of all recorded prostate cancer cases, as well as
at least a quarter of testicular cancer cases, the disease will have spread by the time of
diagnosis.
A quick five minute check once a month is all that is required to test yourself for testicular
cancer. Becoming more aware of what's normal for your body is also vital. For example, an ache in
the groin that has not disappeared after a few days should be investigated.
Prostate cancer can be particularly difficult to detect, yet 1 in 11 men will suffer from it.
As it tends to strike older men, that proportion will increase in later life.
The average man's attitude that 'it won't happen to me' just does not make sense.
Scientists, researchers and doctors have come up with a few important suggestions for how to make
the men in your life take responsibility for their health:
1. Men are more likely to listen to women when it comes to health problems. Be supportive, and
offer to go with him to the surgery or hospital.
2. Don't nag and moan. It's a sensitive subject and talking needs to be done carefully. Men
respond best to straightforward information, so set aside some time to talk about the self-checks
he might do.
3. Work as a team. Get your partner to check himself. Look out for the unusual symptoms together.
4. Find out as much valuable information as you can about male cancers, and pass this on to him
in a practical way. Point out health items in newspapers and magazines.
5. Spread the word, and encourage other women to get their men 'checked out'.
Testicular cancer is most common in men under 35 years of age, but can affect men of any age.
Encourage your partner or son to check themselves regularly for lumps or changes.
Symptoms to look out for are:
Lump, discomfort, or pain in the testicle.
A heavy scrotum.
Prostate cancer mainly affects men over 65, although statistics suggest that all men over 50 should
be self examining.
Symptoms to look out for are:
Frequent, sudden urges to urinate
Difficulty in passing
Passing urine more often than usual, especially at night.
Blood in the urine or semen
The PSA blood test may show up prostate cancer, but levels may also be raised for other reasons,
which need to be discussed with your doctor.
See the website below for articles and solutions on health, fitness, diet and wellbeing.
About the Author:Sandy Francis is a retired sportsman who now dedicates his time to his original vocation of writing. His latest website at http://www.dubbletake.110mb.com features articles and solutions on health, fitness, diet and wellbeing.
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Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Disease Information - Cardiovascular disease, Cancer and Diabetes
Before Bob Marley died, he said to his son Ziggy "Money can't buy life." He was right; all fortune on earth cannot buy health once it is too deteriorated. In fact, if gold and silver could buy health, there would not be so many diseases in the United States. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, to name a few, are weapons that send thousands of people in the country of silence (death) every year.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) - despite Progress of Science, cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer in the United States. Cardiovascular disease (High blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, etc.) is without a doubt the leading cause of death in developed countries. According to the American Heart Association in 2005, cardiovascular disease killed 864,480 people, representing 35.3 percent of all deaths of that year. The problem is that the majority of patients rely on medications only to treat their heart conditions. There is no miracle treatment against CVD; you need a healthy lifestyle: avoiding smoking (including second hand smoke), limit your cholesterol intake, avoid becoming overweight, avoid physical inactivity, and more. Regular Exercise is the best tool to treat or prevent cardiovascular disease.
Diabetes - If CVD is raging in the developed countries, diabetes did not remain inactive in the world. There are an estimated 7 million people developing diabetes each year around the world. Complications from diabetes are responsible for almost one death every 10 seconds. The United States are not exempt from that disease. In fact, with a total of 23.6 million diabetics in 2007 (7.8% of the population), the United States are ranked third among the five countries with the greatest number of people with diabetes.
Cancer - you do not need a PHD to understand that the effects of cancer are alarming. When it comes to this disease, even optimists wonder if there is hope. Trillions of dollars are spent each year; the disease continues its destructive course. According to a collective expertise of French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm) published on October 2008, since the beginning of 1980, there is an increase in certain cancers: Lung cancer, mesothelioma, hematological malignancies, brain tumors and cancers of the breast, ovary, testis, prostate and thyroid.
With such an increase in diseases, it becomes more important that you take your health in consideration. Although some illnesses are quasi-unpreventable, there are certain primary prevention measures you can take to protect yourself from those scourges. In fact, some of these risk factors for these diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes may be decreased or prevented. For more information on disease prevention, visit healthatlarge.com, or click on the link in the resource box below.
About the Author:Remy is a multi-topic writer with years of experience in nutrition and medical therapy. He loves to share his own personal beneficial experience with others. For your research on health problems, beauty and personal care, please visit health at large.
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Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Most Likely Cancers You Are Going To Get
One of the greatest concerns America has today is cancer. The figures are alarming according to the National Cancer Institute studies a total of 1,372,910 new cases of cancer and 570, 280 deaths were predicted for the year 2005. Approximately one in every four deaths is due to cancer.
One of the greatest concerns America has today is cancer. The figures are alarming according to the National Cancer Institute studies a total of 1,372,910 new cases of cancer and 570, 280 deaths were predicted for the year 2005. Approximately one in every four deaths is due to cancer.
Research indicates that the lifetime probability of developing cancer is higher for men at 46% while for women it is 36%. The National Cancer Institute has put in place a challenge to eliminate suffering and death due to cancer by 2015. To meet this, the nation is tackling the problem on a war footing. And, to this end the creation of awareness has become a priority. To conquer cancer you must know what the risks are, how lifestyle changes can help, about intervention and preventive care, and where help is available.
The most common cancers are:
Men:
1. Prostrate. This accounts for approximately 33%.
2. Lung and bronchus. Accounts for 13%
3. Colon and Rectal. Accounts for 10%
4. Urinary and Bladder –7%.
5. Melanoma of skin—5%.
6. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma—4%.
7. Kidney and Renal Pelvis—3%.
8. Leukemia—3%.
9. Oral Cavity and Pharynx-3%.
10. Pancreas—3%.
Women:
1. Breast –32%.
2. Lung and Bronchus—12%.
3. Colon and rectum—11%.
4. Uterine Corpus—6%.
5. Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma—4%.
6. Melanoma of the skin—4%
7. Ovary—3%.
8. Thyroid—3%.
9. Urinary Bladder—2%.
10. Pancreas –2%.
An organization called the CDC is taking giant strides in the field of cancer prevention and control. They advocate adoption of a healthy life style, eating nutritious and well balanced food, regular health checks, and screening for cancer. Screenings are quite often lifesaving as problems can be nipped in the bud. Many cancers are curable if detected in the early stages.
It is important to know that a cancer is a disease where healthy cells in the body divide uncontrolled to form tumors. This could happen anywhere in the body and some tumors are benign while others are malignant. Most cancers have different symptoms but to give you an idea, symptoms can include an unexplained lump in any part of the body may feel like a small marble; perceptible growth of a wart or mole; wounds and sores that do not heal; a persistent cough; changes in bowel or bladder habits; indigestion; weight loss or gain; unusual bleeding or discharge. These are symptoms that are caused by not just cancer but many other diseases. And, early cancer does not manifest itself in any outward signs so the only way is to undergo health checks. So, you need the help of a doctor to make an accurate diagnosis.
Screening will include routine physical examinations, lab tests, x-rays, and specialized tests like mammograms, CT scans, MRIs, sonography or laparoscopy. The physician will, after giving you a general check and noting down the history recommend any special tests if he finds anything that requires further investigation.
In depth information on cancer, prevention, cures, treatment, counseling and more can be found at: http://www.thecancer.net ; http://www.cancer.org ; and http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics .
Expert advice on fitness equipment likes of treadmills, exercise bikes, elliptical cross trainers and heart rate monitors at Argos Sports. Fitness & exercise specialists.
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Sunday, April 19, 2009
How to live to one hundred without getting Cancer
Research has shown that much of the increase in lifespan that has occurred in the last 100 years has come as a result of public health measures, like hygiene, sanitation and refrigeration but not modern medicine. The natural life span for human beings is actually one hundred years but very few people reach this grand age because of the way we live. Cancer is our second leading cause of death and one in three people living in western developed countries can be expected to be diagnosed with the problem during their life time.
The best strategy to not die of cancer of course is to not get it in the first place. It's well known that our current ways of treating cancer are not very effective, with a cure rate of around 3 to 4 percent. Avoiding cancer is easy when you understand its causes. When you consider that cancer was almost unheard of 50 to 60 years ago and it is prevalent today only in developed countries but not in undeveloped countries, it is not hard to see the reasons why it is occurring and what is causing it with such frequency.
Cancer is a man made disease; it is increasing at an alarming rate, so with that in mind the way to prevent being diagnosed with cancer is to practice prevention.
Cancer has 3 main causes, they are nutritional deficiencies, the toxic chemicals we encounter everyday and our sedentary lifestyle, or our lack of exercise.
Our diets have strayed far from the food we were eating a few decades ago. Most of our food now days come from supermarkets and has been processed or altered in some form. We all believe we are eating good nutritious food but nothing could be further from the truth. Because most supermarket food has been processed this food will be old and ‘nutritionally dead'. Those magic ingredients in our natural food, which man is only just now discovering, do keep us healthy but unfortunately have been removed through processing.
The natural food for humans is freshly grown fruit and vegetables and to remain free of cancer we need to eat some these foods everyday.
The chemicals we now have access to are in excess of 70,000 most of which have been extracted from crude oil. These chemicals are in the homes we live in, the cars we drive and we also apply them directly to our skin in the form of personal care products. Many of them are insidious poisons and traces of these chemicals do finish up in our bloodstream through various ways. Only a small percentage of these chemicals have been tested for short term reactions and none have been tested for long term problems like cancer.
Lastly exercise, the human body was meant to be physically active as it is only through muscular movement that our immune system can remain strong and keep us free of all diseases. The immune system naturally weakens as we age and this is why cancer commonly starts to appear after mid life.
There is no mystery about cancer!
If you want to live free of cancer you must eat live food, which is food in its natural state, eat in moderation and do adequate exercise. To live out your natural life span it is essential to keep your immune system in peak performance and there are only natural ways to achieve this.
Alan Wighton is an independent health researcher, having spent many years specializing in cancer. For information on more effective ways to heal cancer that you won't be told about and what's going on in the cancer industry please visit www.cancerhealed.com
About the Author:
Alan Wighton is an independent health researcher and has been interested in and studied cancer for the last 20 years. He is the author of the book "Cancer, its Causes and its Cure."
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