Archive for November, 2008

Read More About Cancer

Saturday, November 29th, 2008

The world can look depressing and harsh sometimes. Even though many aspects of life are phenomenal, of course there are some that generate grief and sorrow. I guess we all have to accept the good with the bad. Let’s say we’ll never know how it is to live in a utopia. One aspect of life as we know it is disease. You can’t imagine the despair caused by cancer. Millions of persons are affected with this disease and it’s in the gene pool unfortunately. Therefore, is there anyway to prevent cancer completely. You can try your best to live healthy and stay fit, but it won’t absolutely avoid this disease. One thing you can do is to acquire all the cancer information you can. The more you know, the better off you are.

My uncle and his wife both died from cancer. They lived on a farm where pesticides continually infected their drinking water. We all know that this is not the first time this has occurred. I guess others have been affected in this very same way. It’s sad when I think about it, because a good search in cancer information could have prevented this tragedy. What you know can really save your life. As far as my uncle and his wife were concerned, they just found out too late.

What I have trouble understanding is how they didn’t know they were in danger. Fields around their home were always sprayed with chemicals and they drank well water. Not city water. It baffles me to this day. In the 1990s, this sort of cancer information was available. All they had to do was observe their situation. Something that’s nearly impossible not to do these days.

Get To Know Types Of Cancer

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

Looking around and seeking for current health articles, cancer has become one of the hottest topics. The common types of cancer include ovarian cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer and so on. For women, it is better to equip themselves with early symptoms of ovarian cancer knowledge. For man, especially those who smokes should learn more about lung cancer. Cancer as a modern days deadly disease has causes chaos in the human race. Medical reseekingers regard cancer to be a “metabolic disease”. Metabolic diseases are those diseases that affect the metabolism rate of our body. Thus, cancer as a disease affects the human cells in the body.

Cells as in biology definition are microscopic living units in the body, which turn into all living organs in the body. Meaning, at any given time or state, the human body is made up of a billion cells that form the human organs.

The common cells divide and develop to a certain level and then they die after a little time. Somehow, cancer is an abcommon and unusual cells crop up in the human body. Unlike the common cells which follow the common rate of growth and division, cancer cells grow and spread in the human body at an alerting and fast rate. The cancer cells keep on dividing and continue growing on. As a result, cancer cells start getting clumped together, which in turn creates a tumor. Cancer is a deadly disease that affects the human cells.

It is acknowledged that cancer actually is a stage in the body when the cells turn, “trophoblastic”. Trophoblastic is a situation in the human body, when the cells in the human body tend to produce at a more quickly rate than the normal. This stage can be explained for example, when a human body gets an external or internal injury, then the cells of the human body start the restoring process, by starting to produce. In case, the cells are in a trophoblastic stage, then although the cells start restoring, but they don’t stop produceing, thereby causing a lump. This in medical term is also called as a tumor. This lump goes numb even if the body controls the growth of the trophoblastic cells and demonstrates to be highly injurious if the cells keep increasing. The removal of such tumor would rather lead to the undisciplined growth of those trophoblastic cells, because of more effected sited due to the operation, and thus arise in increasing the cancer.

There are few cares for cancer. The known medical cares for cancer today are radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Unfortunately neither radiation therapy is useful due to the fact it causes more wounded parts and thus increases the cancer cells, nor chemotherapy is useful because it adversely effects the immune system of the body and the body holds no-more strength of natural healing.

Skin Cancers

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

Skin Cancer is one of the most common skin cancer. Approximately one in six people will develop skin cancer. Medical experts unanimously agree that overexposure to sunlight is the main culprit. Other factors include sunburn with blistering especially during childhood, skin creams that contain tar if used over a prolonged period, repeated X-rays, exposure to coal and arsenic, radiation, chemotherapy and family history. Freckles with fair skin that doesn’t tan very easily can also put one at risk.

Most skin cancers grow slowly. It is imperative you inspect your body on a regular basis for anything unusual. Stand in front of a full length mirror and with a hand held mirror check out every inch of your skin. Have someone check the top of your head as well. You should know your body in detail, so that when something different rears its ugly head, you notice it immediately!

Watch for any unusual spots. Look for lesions, moles or spots that are asymmetrical in shape. Observe for any colored spot that grows bigger or develops an uneven color or irregular, ragged edge. Look for any nodules or patches that are red and scaly, as this can be a squamous cell carcinoma which can metastasize (spread). Other symptoms to look for are changes in the surface of a mole. If you notice the mole is raised above the skin and has a rough surface, is scaly, oozing, bleeding or there is development of bumps on any mole, seek medical attention. In other words anything that develops that wasn’t on your body before should be investigated by your physician.

Skin cancer has a high cure rate if caught early. Excision of the lesion is the most common treatment. Self examination is the key to early detection with a regular visit to your doctor for check ups.

The best methods to avoid skin cancer types are to avoid the sun, especially during the hottest part of the day from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Wear a sunscreen if you are out doors with an SPF of at least 15 or more, applied thirty minutes before going into the sun. Put the sunscreen everywhere the suns rays will hit you. Don’t forget your ears and men don’t forget any bald areas on top of your head. If you have to be out in the sun, use a wide brimmed hat or cap. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun. Choose sunglasses that protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Sunglasses can help prevent cataracts as well. Wear long sleeve shirts and pants if it is not sweltering hot, to better protect your body. Don’t use tanning salons as they can damage your skin just like the sun.

Of course there is the controversy that you need some sun in order NOT to be vitamin D deficient. Ask your doctor to prescribe a good vitamin D supplement. Your doctor can advise the proper dose to take. I know it is hard at times to completely avoid the sun. A few minutes of sun occasionally with a good sun screen, should not be too harmful, as long as you watch the time of day and check your body on a regular basis. Also too much sun can contribute to wrinkles. Avoidance is best, but not always possible. Hence, just be very careful and check, check, check your body regularly (monthly if possible). Go to your doctor immediately when you notice any irregularities. Keep healthy!

Your Breast Cancer Facts

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008

Breast cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the cells of female and male breast tissue. Breast cancer is more common in women, but men do get breast cancer as well.

Breast Cancer Facts

Usually, the first sign of breast cancer is a lump in the breast. Everyone, especially women, is advised to regularly check their breasts for lumps and bumps to catch it early if they are unfortunate enough to get breast cancer. Finding a lump in the breast is usually the first thing women do before they go for a check with the doctor.

After a lump has been found, a doctor/physician will do a standard mammogram and will then be able to confirm whether or not it is in fact breast cancer. Lumps are not always fund in the breast, they can also be found in what is known as the lymph nodes that can be found in the collarbone or the armpits.

There are other ways to look out for breast cancer other than looking for a lump. Keeping an eye out on changes in the breast shape or size can also be an indication in some cases. Some women have had skin dimpling, nipple discharge and nipple inversion as signs of breast cancer.

Whether you end up getting breast cancer later in life can be determined or factored by certain hereditary and environmental factors. Here are some of the factors that may determine who may get breast cancer over other people:

? Genetic mutations such as high level exposure of estrogens.

? Inherited DNA defects

While these can show us some pattern towards those that get breast cancer, it certainly doesn’t rule out every woman in the world. The age, sex, hormones, alcohol habit, smoking habit, obesity, high fat diets, radiation and other factors may make you more at risk of breast cancer.

Mammography checks have now become a standard procedure in many countries as this is simply the easiest and the quickest way to determine whether or not a woman has breast cancer.

Symptoms of Cancer

It is usually around the age of 40 or 50 when women are invited to have regular screening appointments. Some women still choose not to go, even though these screenings save lives and reduce the risk of not surviving breast cancer. The earlier that breast cancer is caught, the easier it is to treat.

Breast cancer is a big fear throughout every woman’s life. Support will always be necessary if you find out you have breast cancer. There are many fantastic support groups usually set up by women who are suffering or who have already been through it and won. These support groups are vital for breast cancer information and to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

It is important to understand what is going to happen to you if you do have breast cancer. You can find this out from your doctor, but there is nothing better than hearing it from someone who has or is going through it themselves.

Breast Cancer Facts